Commuting - Hybrid Bike Recommendations

Hi,

I am a new member to the site because I am going to be new to commuting via bike. I live in San Francisco and figured I'd get a hybrid bike. Do you have any suggestions?

I have checked out the Bianchi Boardwalk and the the Specialized Sirrus and like them both. I do not know though whether those are good choice to begin with. I would appreciate opinions on those bikes as well as any others.

I am a petite 5'6" woman and I'll need a light bike that is sturdy with easy gear changes. (I live up a steep, San Francisco hill) And I need to ride this bike for awhile since it is an investment.

Thanks for your help and I'm looking forward to being a part of this community,

Sarah

They're both really good bikes. Sanfran's pretty hilly, either one would give you the small chainring in case you get into trouble. The sirrus has a slightly smaller range in the cassette, 12x26 while the bianchi is 11x32. Sirrus has a rapid fire shift, which has two levers you press to shift while the bianchi is grip shift. Personally since my hands go numb a lot, I prefer grip shift cause it allows me to shift with numb fingers and also I can turn it down and shift down 2-3 easily when I'm coming to a stop at a light.
Whatever you do, if you plan to get a flat bar road bike or a "hybrid", snap some bar ends on it, they will REALLY come in useful should you decide to get up and stand to crank up those hills. Snag some fenders too.

If you don't plan to keep this on the street and will definitely know you have a place to lock it up, maybe upgrade to a sirrus disc, that works better in the rain and the brakes are less maintainence.

I really don't know enough about bikes to tell you anything about gearing ratios, but I'll tell you that I have a Diamondback Crestview hybrid and it's worked well for me. Twenty-four speeds, grip shifts. I added a handlebar mirror and fenders. It's been fairly maintence-free, with maybe about 4K miles on it. I just replaced the chain and cassette. I don't think they make it anymore, but maybe there are similar models available.

Jamis has a nice line of bikes that are high quality at reasonable prices.

I would appreciate opinions on those bikes as well as any others.


I would also have a good look at the Giant Cypress SX (http://www.giant-bicycle.com/cn/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?model=10223) bikes. It is a great bikes, mostly a performance bike. I don't know your area, but if there'a lots of hills, you will have to change the cassette. Overall great bike for the price.

I'm about to get a Trek 7500FX for commuting purposes. You might check that out. It comes in a variety of sizes and has a triple with a wide range of gears.

I commute on a Gary Fisher Nirvana S. Great bike very comfortable. They make a front suspension version and a rigid front fork version. 8 speed cassette and a triple up front. I put some Specialized Infinity tires on it and it rides great.

I'm about to get a Trek 7500FX for commuting purposes. You might check that out. It comes in a variety of sizes and has a triple with a wide range of gears.

Me too! I had a tough time deciding between this one and a Giant Cypress SL, but the extra $220 for the Giant didn't seem worth it to me. I'll be ordering the Trek today, but I expect it will take a few weeks to get the 23" frame I need... ;)

Sarahbikes, you may not need the 7500FX, but check out the Trek 7300. It's a few hundred less and also a very nice ride. I'll also mention the Giant Cypress SX and the Devinci Stockholm, maybe...

You should test ride both bikes that you are considering, and put them through their paces, taking them up the steepest hills you can find.

From the criteria you list -- light, easy to climb hills, long-term investment -- I have to say that a hybrid is not the obvious choice. In climbing hills, it is very useful to have a low center of balance, and a light, stiff bike. For a low center of balance, you need drop bars. Hybrids don't have this; they, in the interest of comfort, have you basically sit upright, like you're in a chair. This is nice for flat surfaces, but hell for climbing. I used to commute on a Trek 7200 hybrid. When I switched to a road bike with drop bars, I felt like I sailed up hills by comparison.

Ask your bike shop to let you test ride an entry-level road bike with drop bars and a stiff aluminum frame.

As for gear changes, most modern bikes make this very easy. It's now possible with index shifting to shift gears in the middle of the steepest climb.

Hybrids don't have this; they, in the interest of comfort, have you basically sit upright, like you're in a chair. This is nice for flat surfaces, but hell for climbing.

Not necessarily true. Most mid-range hybrids have adjustable stems that let you tuck if you want to or sit more upright if you want to. My C30 actually has an adjustable stem and it's pretty awesome, and you can change the angle to suit your mood / needs.

On a side note, I love the C30.

The Sirrus is a seriously good bike, not like the traditional heavy, sluggish "hybrid". It is a flat-bar light touring bike, ideal for commuting in hilly places. A lot of other manufacturers make similar sporty flar-bar road bikes. Do ensure that any bike has clearance for medium tyres + fenders as well as luggage rack, and does NOT have toe clip overlap with the front wheel.
Pick your bike shop with care and select from their range.

When commuting in the hilly portions of Salem, OR I've really enjoyed my Jamis Coda Elite. There's a nice "Granny" ring for the steep stuff, but it handles like a road bike on the flats. The disc brakes make for good stopping power even when wet, but they do add a bit of weight to the bike. My LBS had to perform some unique tricks to get the fenders and rear rack around the brake units. The OEM tires suck for commuting. I got the joy of replacing them within two months of purchasing the bike.

My wife just picked up her Coda Elite last week. But since she got the '03 model, it came with caliper brakes. She's 5'2" and loves her 16" frame. Now I have to work harder to keep up with her.

Welcome to commuting! Sure beats paying for: Gas at $2.00+/gal., parking fees, etc.

Think about what you're aiming for, you've got a number of things for which you can optimize:
1) price
2) weight
3) maintainence
4) speed
5) comfort
6) control
and probably others

1) buy a used bike. too many ppl ride a couple of times and then stop. craigslist is a great way to find used bikes. take along a person with knowhow when inspecting the bike. you can also get a fairly good priced custom bike if you buy the parts yourself (online, on sale is key).
2) this is sometimes tied to price, but at a gross level has to do with style of bike. a road bike frame could be made into a commuter bike, and would be lighter than a mtb frame.
3) ss/fixed or internally geared hub ease maintainence (drivetrain is the worst part). disc brakes are also a good bet. commuters use their bikes daily, rain or shine. this adds to wear, so you'll want durability and ease of maintainence.
4) speed has to do with style of bike (how aero can you get), weight, and gearing options. you can optimize for speed at various ranges.
5) a good saddle is a must - and good means it fits yer butt right. gel isn't the key, it's where your sit bones meet the saddle. comfort can also mean adding suspension components. handlebar choice, stem height and reach, etc. are also a big parts of the comfort eqn. wider tires also act a cushion, but have more rolling resistance.
6) you want to be able to brake and turn confidently. disc brakes help. personally i hate canti's (v-brakes are ok), but maybe that's just me. weight or not in the front can affect twitchiness/responsiveness of steering.

figure out what's important for you in a bike. go to bike stores and ride a number of bikes and see what feels good.

my current commuter is a fixie frakenbike i put together. it's kicking my butt on seattle hills, but is so simple and light that i grind/spin my way through. if i were buying a mid-range uprightish multi-use bike, i'd look at the gary fisher Utopia (http://www.fisherbikes.com/bikes/bike_detail.asp?series=dualsport&bike=Utopia). it's a good all-use bike, plenty of gears, and disc brakes.

oh yeah, and: get fenders

Wow, thank you all so much for your advice and keep it coming. I do have a lot to learn...like what a cassette is. But that's the fun of it, right?

I hadn't thought really of a road bike before and I'll try one out. One concern I do have is whether it's difficult to see traffic coming from a thousand directions when I am not sitting upright. But I suppose people do it everyday.

Looking forward to enjoying the beautiful weather on my new bike...whatever it may be!

I hadn't thought really of a road bike before and I'll try one out. One concern I do have is whether it's difficult to see traffic coming from a thousand directions when I am not sitting upright. But I suppose people do it everyday.

It'll be tough in the beginning, but you'll get used to it. I prefer riding my roadbike for long rides, but for shots around the neighborhood, the hybrid does a better job. Just make sure you can get a test ride wherever you buy it from!

The upright/flat-bar vs low down/drop-bar option is not quite right.
Many flat bar road bikes have quite a sporty position and many touring style road bikes have the bars at a relaxed high position.
You can set any bar how you like.
With your back at a touring style 45 degree angle, you can be quite efficient, yet still have good visibility of the traffic.

When it comes to road bikes, you will still need some practical features:
low gears for those SF hills (ie a triple chainset)
threaded frame holes for rack and fenders
Clearance for winter tyres with fenders.
If you opt for a road bike, then a light touring style is more practical than a race bike.

There are some girlie options you can fit, eg a female saddle (typically one made by Terry).
A cassette is the cluster of rear cogs. For racing, these have a small range with gradual change in size. For commuting use you may want a wider range with bigger steps .
The Sirrus/Coda/7500FX style of bike is a good option.