Hybrid Bicycles - Roam XR! vs Trek 7.6 vs QX-s95

Dear Friends,

Please help me decide, its driving me nuts which of these three bike is best, ill be using it Road70%:Off-road30%, and if anything probably even more road.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/roam/9707/50927/
http://www.trekbikes.com/au/en/bikes/road/fitness/fx/7_6_fx#/au/en/model/details?url=au/en/bikes/road/fitness/fx/7_6_fx
http://www.feltbicycles.com/Australia/2012/Allround/QX-Street-Series/QX-S95-Men-s.aspx

Price range is roughly AUD1000-AUD1200

or any other suggestions that blow the above away.

Regards,
Peiman01

giant have suspension fork and cannot be correctly compared with other contenders

None of those. Get this http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/street/allegro/12_allegroelite_spec.html
The Trek 7.6 FX has 25mm tires (not wide enough to handle dirt/gravel etc). The QX-S95 has a 42X32X24T crank set, 11-34T gearing. Not very good for speed, but only for uphill climbing. The Roam XR1 has a suspension (not good for speed and add weight).
The Jamis Allegro Elite has 32mm tires. Perfect for doing light off road and still have good speed on pavements. It also has a road style crank set and gears. Which will make it more speedy and won't make you pedal like a mad man like a 11-32, 11-34 gearing.

I would consider the Roam XR1 the best of the bunch as it has the wider tires, and while the suspension can reduce your pedaling efficiency a bit, if you're gonna be doing up to 30% off-road it will help to soften the ride. It also has front and rear disc breaks, so that's really good. I like the look of the Trek, but it's just not meant for any off-roading. All of those bikes aren't meant for any heavy off-road riding, obviously.

The Jamis Allegro Elite mentioned by ChowChow above looks super cool, capable for your intended purposes, and I would consider that if I were in your shoes. Jamis is a respected brand, and it falls in line with your budget.

While I don't plan on doing any off-roading, I did just order a Trek 7.6 FX but told the LBS to install some 35c tires on it before I take delivery of it. These tires won't cost me too much speed but it'll give me a little more peace of mind when I have to ride in the not so nice stuff. I was told I could go as big as 38c so you always have that option as well.

I'd feel more comfortable on 38c to be honest.

I'd feel more comfortable on 38c to be honest.
I did go with a light trail tire as opposed to slicks to help soak up the bumps a little better and provide a little more traction as well when it comes to the inevitable gravel covered road, etc. Just trying to let the OP know that there's always the option of swapping out something as simple as the tires if the rest of the bike satisfies his/her needs.

Yeah, it's a good option.

How about a Malvern Star XCU 9.0

What do you mean by off road? are you talking about a maintained track, or singletrack?

None of the bikes you have listed would be great off road, although all would survive it. Would have a look at the Trek DS range if you have the need for any off road work the 8.5 comes in at your budget, and has had good comments on here, and is available in Australia http://www.trekbikes.com/au/en/bikes/town/dual_sport/ds_series/8_5_ds/#

What do you mean by off road? are you talking about a maintained track, or singletrack?

None of the bikes you have listed would be great off road, although all would survive it. Would have a look at the Trek DS range if you have the need for any off road work the 8.5 comes in at your budget, and has had good comments on here, and is available in Australia http://www.trekbikes.com/au/en/bikes/town/dual_sport/ds_series/8_5_ds/#
+1

The DS series compares more to the Roam XR1 than the 7.6 FX. I guess it all comes down to just how rough the terrain is where you'll be riding.

What do you mean by off road? are you talking about a maintained track, or singletrack?

None of the bikes you have listed would be great off road, although all would survive it. Would have a look at the Trek DS range if you have the need for any off road work the 8.5 comes in at your budget, and has had good comments on here, and is available in Australia http://www.trekbikes.com/au/en/bikes/town/dual_sport/ds_series/8_5_ds/#

Not rough, mainly light off road,

Is it true a 35 or 38 size tire can fit on a 7.6fx?

Is it true a 35 or 38 size tire can fit on a 7.6fx?
The LBS that I ordered my 7.6 FX from told me I could go as big as a 38c tire but I went with a 35c to maintain speed but still have some cushion and tread.

The LBS that I ordered my 7.6 FX from told me I could go as big as a 38c tire but I went with a 35c to maintain speed but still have some cushion and tread.

Sorry if this is a dumb question but I am new to all this. When you say you are changing to a bigger tire, you are still using the stock wheels that came the 7.6? I want to get the best components I can get (7.7, 7.9 are beautiful but out of my range) but I would rather the comfort and better flat protection of something wider than the 25 that comes standard. The change of a tire is a relatively small cost upgrade, they really said the 38 would fit on those stock rims? Please post a pic when you get it, you don't see enough of them on here

Sorry if this is a dumb question but I am new to all this. When you say you are changing to a bigger tire, you are still using the stock wheels that came the 7.6? I want to get the best components I can get (7.7, 7.9 are beautiful but out of my range) but I would rather the comfort and better flat protection of something wider than the 25 that comes standard. The change of a tire is a relatively small cost upgrade, they really said the 38 would fit on those stock rims? Please post a pic when you get it, you don't see enough of them on here
Yes, the 35c tires will be mounted on the stock rims. My reason for swapping tires would be the same as yours as I found the ride of the 2011 7.5 FX I took for a test ride to be a little too jarring for the streets around me. I'm hoping to have the bike within a week or so as they told me it could be between 2 and 3 weeks (I ordered it on Tuesday, June 5th) but I will definitely post some pics when it arrives.

The Giant is your best bet for your 30%.
It seems to me that when you start to get into a 30/70 split that your money might be better spent buying a road oriented bike and a dirt oriented bike unless nearly ever unique ride will consist of both 30% dirt and 70% road.

All three LBS that I use, will swap out tires on a new bike for free, as long as you aren't upgrading to an expensive tire. A friend of mine recently purchased a new bike that had 28mm as standard, the LBS swapped in 32mm for no charge. I would never base a bike buying decision on which tires are standard (however I would check on the maximum tire size) or the standard stem or standard saddle, as you have those swapped for little to no charge. My friend had the saddle, stem, tires, and hand grips all changed and wasn't charged a dollar for it.

Sorry if this is a dumb question but I am new to all this. When you say you are changing to a bigger tire, you are still using the stock wheels that came the 7.6? I want to get the best components I can get (7.7, 7.9 are beautiful but out of my range) but I would rather the comfort and better flat protection of something wider than the 25 that comes standard. The change of a tire is a relatively small cost upgrade, they really said the 38 would fit on those stock rims? Please post a pic when you get it, you don't see enough of them on here
Here is the e-mail that I sent directly to Trek regarding larger tires:

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael [mailto:***@***.com]
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2012 3:09 AM
To: Consumer, Trek Bontrager
Subject: Technical questions, specifications, geometry & sizing - 2011 Trek 7.5 FX Tire Size


The following question/comment was submitted from your knowledgebase
-----------------------------------------------------


From: Michael <***@***.com (s10sport313@aol.com)> Can a 2011 Trek 7.5 FX accept a Bontrager H2 700x35c tire? I'm looking to soften the ride a little and would like to put a slightly larger tire on it.

And here is the response they sent me:
From: "Consumer, Trek Bontrager" <TrekBontrager_Consumer@trekbikes.com>
Date: June 11, 2012 12:21:45 PM EDT
To: "***@***.com (s10sport313@aol.com)" <***@***.com (s10sport313@aol.com)>
Subject: RE: Technical questions, specifications, geometry & sizing - 2011 Trek 7.5 FX Tire Size




Hello Michael,


Thank you for writing in. You can use a 38c tire but if you want to go a little bigger like a 42c I would test fit first.


Thank you,
Jake Higdon | Trek Bicycle Corporation | Technical & Customer Service Representative | 801 W. Madison St. Waterloo , WI. 53594 | jake_higdon@trekbikes.com

Thanks for sharing this, it puts my mind at ease knowing it's coming from Trek corporate and not the LBS trying to move product. I'm think a 32 or 35 might be a good choice for losing a little top speed to gain a lot of comfort.







Here is the e-mail that I sent directly to Trek regarding larger tires:

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael [mailto:***@***.com]
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2012 3:09 AM
To: Consumer, Trek Bontrager
Subject: Technical questions, specifications, geometry & sizing - 2011 Trek 7.5 FX Tire Size


The following question/comment was submitted from your knowledgebase
-----------------------------------------------------


From: Michael <***@***.com (s10sport313@aol.com)> Can a 2011 Trek 7.5 FX accept a Bontrager H2 700x35c tire? I'm looking to soften the ride a little and would like to put a slightly larger tire on it.

And here is the response they sent me:
From: "Consumer, Trek Bontrager" <TrekBontrager_Consumer@trekbikes.com>
Date: June 11, 2012 12:21:45 PM EDT
To: "***@***.com (s10sport313@aol.com)" <***@***.com (s10sport313@aol.com)>
Subject: RE: Technical questions, specifications, geometry & sizing - 2011 Trek 7.5 FX Tire Size




Hello Michael,


Thank you for writing in. You can use a 38c tire but if you want to go a little bigger like a 42c I would test fit first.


Thank you,
Jake Higdon | Trek Bicycle Corporation | Technical & Customer Service Representative | 801 W. Madison St. Waterloo , WI. 53594 | jake_higdon@trekbikes.com

I wouldn't want front suspension. Therefore, Id opt for the Trek 7.6FX! :thumb:

If you ride in dirt, you want to big tire. If you ride on asphalt, you want the harder skinny tire. One of the biggest reasons you move up the 7X chain is to move into a more road worthy machine.

32mm is my favorite all-purpose tire. Smoother ride than a 28mm or smaller. Fine on crushed limestone trails and rough asphalt. Fewer flats. Almost no noticeable effect on my speed as compared to a 28mm, but I'm not a speedy rider. They roll very nicely.