Hybrid Bicycles - Bikes On Sale /// I NEED to pick One :)

Hi there,
Second post here and already appreciate the feedback :)

These are the bikes that are on sale :)

Giant Rapid 3 - $539
Felt Qx75 - $590
Kona Dew Plus - $585
Cannondale Quick 5 2010 - $449
Fuji Absolute 3.0 - $465
Norco Vfr3 - $459

Ideally I'd like to spend less... But I know some bikes are better in the long run :)
I've only tried out the Giant, but any thoughts on these bikes or their prices?

Cheers!
J

Too many choices and you didn't post any links.

Buy a bike from the most helpful friendly bike shop.

Thanks for the reply :)
sorry for no links. I just meant if anyone had any thoughts on any of the bikes, I'd love to hear it.
I live quite far from some of these shops and called them up to get pricing for most :)
I want to get as much feedback before I trek over to some of these shops.

If someone spots one that's clearly better value for the money, Pls lemme know :)

You could Google each bike. That way we can see the specs.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/rapid.3/3875/36257/

Welcome to the forum. I am glad you appreciate the feedback you are getting here. The people here are very helpful.

The advice I would offer is make certain what type of riding you anticipate doing and get the style of bike for that purpose. Or, at least look at a style that may offer you some flexibility. Will you tour? Mainly ride bike paths? Off road riding? Road riding for speed or endurance?

I agree with RepWI. You can look each bike up on the manufacturer's website to compare the features and suggested uses for each. What kind of riding will you be doing on what kind of surface? Some bikes are better for pavement and speed but not as sturdy for rougher trails, and others are fine for semi-rough trails and pavement but maybe not quite as fast as the road-type hybrids. Hybrids can usually manage some of each kind of riding (that's why they are hybrids) but may be oriented more toward one or the other. And then there are some town/comfort hybrids offered, too, as opposed to performance or fitness hybrids.

I haven't looked at the ones you listed but you can do that on their websites. And almost everyone on the forums say that fit is the most important thing, so look into that, and test-ride the bike before you buy it.

In my location, at least, some bike shops are more helpful and offer better service perks than others, so that may be a factor, too. Good luck with your purchase!

Awesome. I'm looking to get back into cycling and have a lot of nice, mainly flat bike paths in my area. Occasionally there may be some gravel paths/ roads, but should be relatively smooth most of the way.

I haven't biked in close to 9 years, and thought I should invest in something a little better than a walmart bike.
Anyone have any experiences with any of the bikes?

I should be seeing one or two of them this week. I'll be back with my findings.
Cheers!

I got a 2011 kona dew deluxe. Apart from the upgraded components and internal headset, it's the same frame as the dew plus. So far I've been loving it, I use it to commute to work and I've taken it on light trails, it handled everything I threw at it, I love riding it.

felt

Before you buy any of them, make sure that you can get a chance to ride them to see how they feel and fit. Looking at the specs on the Internet is certainly helpful when it comes to comparing the components of each of the bikes. However, the best way to know which bike is for you is to ride them and see how comfortable you are and get the one with the best fit and comfort level.

That Felt QX75 looks nice. I really like my 2009 Felt X City, and they look quite a bit alike, but the QX75 has disc brakes.

I love my sturdy, reliable 2010 Kona Dew Plus. You can't go wrong with it.

The Giant Rapid 3 and the Fuji Absolute 3.0 are the more road focused of the hybrids listed, in tire width and gearing. The Rapid has road components and a road crank, where all the others are mtb components. If you want a road oriented hybrid, look at those two.

The others are a more balanced on road/ off road. Look at how much gravel / dirt road you want to do and decide accordingly.

Hi there!!! I don't know if you already chose a bike or not... I just was going to add my $0.02 I know that GIANT, KONA, CANNONDALE and FUJI are all, in my humble opinion, trusted brands... I own and ride a Cannondale QUICK 5... Ive done several long rides... 61-70 miles in the past year with mine....

My bike has gone over 700 miles in less than a year...and it runs great!!! I get it tuned regularly... and although i continue to get approached by other riders while on these long rides... reminding me how HEAVY my Cannondale is... I don't feel the weight. Its a smooth easy ride... for the most part does exactly what I need it to do.

If I wanna take on climbs, descents...its great for trails... Ive ridden even a few little dirt paths (changing up the tires )...and chagning m tires to road tires..allows me more versatility than one could want... Being a cannondale... I think it gives me a lot more options to suit my needs...

so I'd definitely consider the Cannondale a good purchase... the Quick Series are very versatile hybrids...!!!

HOPE THIS HELPS!!! BTW- I agree with many of the responses.. John V.. you kind need to try them out... go to a nearby shop... get on some of these styles...


Giant Rapid 3 - $539
Felt Qx75 - $590
Kona Dew Plus - $585
Cannondale Quick 5 2010 - $449
Fuji Absolute 3.0 - $465
Norco Vfr3 - $459

Ideally I'd like to spend less... But I know some bikes are better in the long run :)
I've only tried out the Giant, but any thoughts on these bikes or their prices?

Cheers!
J

Well, I think Giant, Felt, Kona, and Fuji, and Cannondale all make very good bikes. Not sure about the Norco. The answer is that any of them can be perfectly fine for you, depending on what kind of riding you want to do, and which bike's geometry fits you better. And there ARE subtle differences in their geometry that will make you more comfortable on one versus another. So you really need to try them.

I agree with RollCNY that of these models, the Giant and the Fuji are more road oriented. But I personally love Cannondale. I think they make great riding bikes. I have the Quick 3, which has thinner tires, is more road oriented and is speedier than the 5. The 5 would be better than the 3 for trail rides, though. So try to get out there and ride ALL those bikes on your list - and maybe some others, too!