hallaballu

I'm looking into spending $1500 (after tax, 1300 before tax) Canadian on a new hybrid. So far, I've narrowed it down to two bikes, the Sirrus Comp and Trek 7.6 FX. Actually I really like the Sirrus Pro and 7.7 FX but they're both out of my price range. I've seen an 05 7700 FX going for 1800 and an 05 Sirrus Comp for 1150. A new Sirrus comp costs 1250 (which is kinda messed considering the MSRP for an 06 Sirrus comp is USD 880 compared to the 05 Sirrus comp MSRP at USD 1100). I have no idea how much the 7.7 or 7.6 FX bikes cost, but I'm assuming it's close to the rival Sirrus models (around 2000 and 1250 respectively).

To give you some background information, I plan on biking 60 km a day to commute to work and take it for the occassional bike trip comprised of dirt roads and very mild off road conditions. I weigh 160 pounds and am in atheletic shape. Also, disc brakes are a luxury that I'm not willing to afford or need, for my purposes.

Any help that you guys can offer would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

rob3rto

Funny, those two series are on my list too. Let me know what you decide.

The Trek doesn't have a granny gear. It has braze-ons on the front fork while the Specialized doesn't. If those things matter to you...

I think you just need to ride them and decide if one feels better. That would probably be the one to go with.

BTW, the FX 7.6 is retailing for around $950 US around here.

Best of luck!

hallaballu

sorry, I'm somewhat of a newb to this. What are the braze-ons? and what do you mean when you say it doesn't have a granny gear?

spinerguy

Basically braze-ons are threaded holes to recieve bolts so you can attach racks or fenders to your bike.

The granny gear is the smallest ring at the front when you have the "standard" three gears. It's called that because it requires the least amount of foot pressure to spin it but also the slowest, as you shift "up" yo can go faster but it gets harder. If you live in a flat area you are better off with a "double" set up (no granny gear).

jwbnyc

The MSRP on the '05 7700 FX was around $1500.00 US.

They sold for about $1349.00 US. around here.

graff71884

I have built up both and to tell you the truth, I think the Specialized Sirrus is a better bike up through all levels. My favorite was a 06 Sirrus Pro w/ the carbon seat stays I built the other day, but then again, its a $1600 bike! With your price range (staying in the Specialized line anyway), I would go with the Sirrus Comp. It has decent components and a carbon fork. Not a bad little bike and will definitely get you where you need to go. If you do decide to go disc brakes, well, then you will have to slide on over to the Trek side for that.

EricDJ

On clearance they were around $1050 here, but nobody had a larger frame.

How about a Jamis Coda Comp?

thelazywon

I bought the Trek 7.3 FX and love it. I don't know how much difference there really is in the models. The components on the 7.3 seem to be quite adequate.

FXjohn

I got my 7700FX for 950. Treks are cheap around August when the new models are coming in.

huhenio

Ask JoeJackson, he has a very handsome Sirrus.

tulip

Jamis Coda Comp is the way to go. I considered a Sirrus, until I rode a Coda.

MichaelW

Some of the Sirrus forks cannot accept bolt-on fenders but other models can. Check the specifications for your model. Sometimes, features can vary between distribution zones so confirm this with your local bike shop.
The features you need on a hardcore fast commuter/light trail bike are
Bolt-on rack and fenders
Clearance for wide enough tyres (32mm + fenders)
Low enough gears for roughest/steepest conditions. The Sirrus Comp has chainrings of 30/42/52 which is a bit too big for my taste. I use a 28/38/48 for similar riding.
With Trek, the higher range models use a compact double chainset (36/50) which is useful for the roads. The lower end ones use my 28/38/48 triple.
Flat bars are OK on shorter rides but after a few hours on the bike you may want some alternatives. Drop bars give you other hand holds but you can also fit bar ends or mini aerobars to flats for a similar effect.

The bike shop is just as important as the brand. Go with one that will fit the bike to you, will swap out components (such as tyres , gears, stem length) to suit.
Budget for all the accessories you will need inc luggage, lights, helmet, repair kit etc.

FXjohn

The trek 7.7 FX is NOT a double


Crank
Bontrager Race 52/39/30

Cassette Shimano 105 12-27, 10 speed

The flat bars with the cane creek bar ends rock and are fine for centuries for me.
But I had my bike fitted by a really good guy in Indianapolis at BGI.

Everything alse you wrote i agree with 100 percent

EricDJ

That would have been tempting deal had I found one. I ended up with a similar setup, still have Bontrager components, and Ti instead of Aluminum.

If this buyer could find a 7700fx for 950 usd, I'd say to jump on it in a heartbeat. If I had continued to look for one, I surely would be happy, but if I had I could have missed the deal I got and missed both bikes.

FXjohn

Looks like a nice bike!--------^^^