juke

New here, and new to bicycle commuting as well. I don't want to dump too much money into buying an expensive bike, partly because i'm saving for photography equipment and partly because i am just cheap

I've been looking around for a good all around commuting cycle, from home to college and back. around town and to go on errands. I don't want to buy second hand, although i understand i would get more bang for the buck. So far, i've only got the Trek SU200 as a possible buy. trying to find anything for this price range is definitely hard for me. what can you experts suggest? Also, i'd like disc brakes mainly because i'd like stopping power in all conditions, snow, rain and etc.

overall, i'm looking for a light, affordable, disc brake bike. any suggestions?

Trek Su200


thanks,

juke

manual_overide

https://www.konaworld.com/shopping_ca...7&parentid=253

750 CDN, so close to your price range.

juke

I've looked at the Kona before, but honestly, 740 + tax = 851 which is more than i want to spend.

How is the Trek 7.3 Disc? it looks like a decent bike, what's the difference between the 7.3 and the SU200? frame wise?



thx

genericbikedude

Hybrids suck. Go used. How much is 600CDN in real money?





(kidding, kidding)

juke

why do hybrids suck? i never really understood the difference between hybrid and not.

600cdn = 520usd approx.

jyossarian

Not strictly for commuting, but I'm not much of a hybrid fan either. How 'bout a Norco Bushpilot? I know zilch about these bikes, but it's in your price range and has discs. MSRP is $539 CDN



Or a roadie type commuter (Norco lists it as a performance commuter). MSRP is $709 CDN, but you might be able to pick it up for less if you get the '05 model.



And of course, you can always go fixed gear which means you provide most of the braking force w/ your legs and still have handbrakes for when you really need it. The Redline 925 goes for <$500 USD I think.



Best thing to do is to try out a bunch of bikes in your price range to see what you like.

1ply

The Norco VFR is what I'm picking up tomorrow. It's 709 to start, but tomorrow they are having their anniversary sale which is one day only and everything is on sale. Since I rode and like the bike, I might as well get it while it's on sale

Being stuck on the disc option severely limits what you can get in the price range. Thus far, there has only been one occasion where I wished I had a disc, and that was when I rode my mtnbike through some muddy construction zones... good workout but the mud jammed up everything. Quite a bit of washing when I got home . If you go with regular brakes your options multiply.

AndrewP

V-brakes will give you all the stopping power you need. Look for a bike in your price range, without suspension. Some hybrids have very short frames which result in a riding position that is too upright. Make sure it has holes for mounting mudguards and racks. If you get a mountain bike (front sus only), get them to put 1.5" slick tires on it.

anonymouse99

I noticed you asked about the 7.3FX and a few fellows bellowed the notion that hybrids suck. Incidently, I started a thread about the perceived lack of speed I found on my wife's Trek 7300 FX (prior year model 7.3 FX) and it indeed turns out that it is sluggish. Interestingly enough, I got the SU200 as a commuter and absolutely love it.

By the way, check this thread out on the SU100.

juke

i called around, and today i think i pretty much nailed down my decision. both the 7.3fx and the 4900 is in my price range. the shop quoted the wrong price for the 4900 (USD instead of CDN) and knocked off 150CDN the price for me, putting it at 699CDN.

i initially was going to decide on getting one 7.3fx disc and a 4900 for my gf. but i'm unsure as to what you mean by "sluggish". what is it that you like about the SU200?

but mostly, i will be sticking with either the 7.3fx or the 4900 mainly because the bike shop gave me good deals on these 2 bikes(599 and 699)

can you tell me a bit about the Su200? possibly pics? b/c it was initally one of the bikes i was interested in.

mguisado

Lots of bikes to choose from at that price range. I commute on a Kona Dew Deluxe, great bike for the job. It's essentially a mountain bike frame with 700C wheels. I'm 5'10" and there's lots of room.

At your price range you could get into a basic Kona Dew or a Kona Smoke. If you like mountain bikes the Kona Fire Mountain is in your price range. Also a Norco Bush Pilot would work too. I'm sure theres tons more more to choose from. Remember to leave room for a helmet and maybe bike shorts plus some accessories.

anonymouse99

Well, here are some pics I posted earlier, but most of them were taken to highlight the rear rack. To begin, I have a preference for 26" wheels over 700c wheels, since I find I have greater maneuverability with the smaller wheels. In this respect, the SU200 is the only "hybrid" I have found with 26" wheels ("mountain biased") currently manufactured. For a commuter, I also preferred the SU200 over any of the full fledged mountain bikes because it has a rigid fork. Before I got the SU200, I rode a mountain bike with suspension fork and slicks, as a commuter the two had no business being with one another for on the road.

The 4900 is a damn good bike, though. Get that one if that's the one you like. You could look forward to taking in out onto trails, then.

juke

initially i walked in to buy one of each. after a fustrating hour, i decided to leave because the owner wasn't there to explain things thorough enough for me(he's going to give me a call tomorrow)

i am no actually deciding to buy 2 4900's, which is more than i had wanted to spend, but i can sulk up the costs well. Is the 4900 going to be a good everyday commuter bike if i put some slicks on it? you mentioned that the fork and slicks don't work, but for the price, 699, it's unbeatable. i called around, and they quoted me 859 for the same bike. i'm really torn here, i want a smooth and relatively light commuter.

is the 4900 going to be as light, or close to the weight of the 7.3?

btw, i love the color of your bike!

juke

oh yes, and later on, is it possible to shed a pound or two with lighter wheels on the 4900?

anonymouse99

Unfortunately, no. Even though they are both "SL", the 4900 frame is beefier, thus causing it to be heavier. The SU200 is just as beefy. The 7.3 frame tubes are much narrower in diameter, making it significantly lighter.

Don't get me wrong, slicks and a suspension fork will work if you go the 4900 route. Although, the suspension fork was really intended to smooth out rough terrain in conjunction with the fat squishy tires. Remove the fat tires and replace them with high pressure slicks and I found the suspension fork only did anything during sidewalk curb drops and high speed sprints. In the later, however, it effectively decreased my efficiency, rather than enhance the ride. Also, a suspension fork is going to add a significant amount of unnecessary weight the the bike, relative to a rigid fork.

Of course, but if you want to go the weight weenie route, definately get the 7.3 FX. It is much lighter. Have you ridden both bikes to see how they feel? The shop should allow you to try them out. This is the most important part... how the bike feels to you. Indeed, after you take them both out for a spin, I suspect you might decide on the 7.3 FX. I had to order the SU200 because my LBS did not carry it in stock, however before I ordered it I tried out the exact two bikes you are considering, basically to see if I found a noticable difference in geometry, and I didn't, at least not from the spin. Although I was already biased toward getting the SU200 for the 26" wheels, the 7.3 FX already having skinny tires and a rigid fork, was road worthy, and I would have easily have chosen that one in the absense of the SU200. The 4900 would at the least require immediate replacement of the tires for road riding.

It seems clear to me now... my definitive recommendation is the 7.3 FX. Between those two choices it is the clear winner as far as a commuter is concerned for the following reasons:

1.) Lighter. This is especially important if you plan on loading your bike up with fenders, racks, etc. A fully loaded 7.3 FX will probably weigh just about the same, if not less, than a bare 4900. Remember the suspension fork on the 4900 is another weight penalty in addition to the beefier frame.
2.) It already has slicks. Although the tires on there can be faster, they are definately faster than the knobbies on the 4900, which would be ineffecient for road riding and require replacement. Extra $$$
3.) Cheaper. You said the 7.3 FX was quoted at 599. Now there's an even better price than the 4900 at 699.

Thanks

anonymouse99

This dude got a 7.5 FX to use as a commuter and he likes it.

radius

I'm riding a 7.3FX (discless) as a commuter and I like it overall. I don't worry too much about how fast it goes because I go through so many intersections that I never really get a chance to get up to speed anyway. I do almost all of my riding on the middle ring. Also, I have a road bike for recreational riding.

I decided on a 7.3FX instead of a SU series because the frame looked less beefy and I thought it would be lighter. That said, the bike is already heavier than I like (especially after all the accessories like lights, rack, bags, kickstand, U-lock, fenders etc.)

$599 sounds like an awesome deal to me, because my bike shop originally wanted $690 for the 7.3FX without discs and I had to bargain hard to get it for $580. I like the bike, but if I had to do it again, I might ask the LBS if they would swap narrower tires (maybe 700x28) for me so I would definitely not want mountain bike style knobbies on a commuter.

I also looked at the Kona Dew Deluxe and rejected it for being too expensive for me (I think it comes with fatter tires too).

Edit: For a commuter, I didn't care about suspension because I ride mostly on pavement and gravel track. When I go over curbs, train tracks, potholes etc. I just stand slightly and loosen my hold on the handle bars a bit.

1ply

Where do you live? I thought that every Trek dealer just went with the standard 599 msrp price, at least around here they do, when I was calling around that's what I got.


Hear, Hear. If you're riding on roads you don't need suspension, keeps the weight, costs and complexity down.

and btw I just got the VFR5 (norco) for 659. Sweeeeeet

juke

Radius, i've called around to many places, and most of them priced the 7.3fx at $599 and the disc version at $699. maybe you bought it JUST when the bikes came out? i'm glad you like your 7.3fx, and it is a very handsome bike. is it sluggish at all like the other posted said? it seems like the farther you get out of GTA, the cheaper the bikes are.

The dealer i went to is awesome in the discount he gave me and exceptionally friendly too. i told him i had approximately 1,300CDN for 2 trek bikes, and he gave me several combo's. I decided against the 7.3fx today, i rang him up in the morning and told him i wanted the Trek 4900 too. here are the price points he gave me (albeit, he originally made a mistake in pricing, possibly leading to lower prices than he initally wanted to sell me)

Trek 7.3 fx + Trek 4900 = $1,300 tax incl.
Trek 7.3 fx Disc + Trek 4900 = $1500 tax incl.
Trek 4900 + Trek 4900 = $1550 tax incl.

i opted for the 2 4900's because i thought it was a better deal. 50 dollar difference for a bike that is selling at 100 more sounds like a bargain i could not let up. bikes are coming soon, and i absolutely cannot wait

anonymouse99

Despite recommending the 7.3 FX, I actually congratulate you in deciding on the 4900. Good choice. I was similarly advised by the shop owner to get the 7.3 FX as it would be better for long distance rides than the bike I chose. I simply liked the bike I chose more. One's own preference supercedes all else. You'll enjoy riding it a lot more that way.

igloomaster

Try coming to an emergency stop on a Mountain bike with a front suspension fork and road slicks. That fork squishes down and you have an even greater chance of being thrown forward off of the bike than if you had a rigid front fork. This happened to me, and I'm lucky to be alive today. I can't emphasize enough the pointlessness of a front suspension fork for everyday road commuting. Keep that thing in the mountains where it belongs.

yertsivad

For some reason I couldn't post a new thread, but this seemed like a similar one, so here is my problem:

I am probably going to enroll at the University of Alabama. It is mostly flat land and nothing farther than two miles on campus. I'm probably going to want to carry books and a laptop and I may do some recreational riding (paved paths without a great deal of incline).
What bike is best for this if money is no factor?
What bike is best for this if I don't want to spend much more than $600?

radius

ARRRGGHHHH!!! This is probably exactly what happened

I went back to the shop a couple of days ago to get fenders and saw that the price was down to $599.

Damn, and I thought that by buying before spring started I would be getting a better price by beating the rush. Live and learn!

Emerson

In response to the question "why do hybrids suck?"

Most hybrids "suck" because the bike companies market them to folks who rarely ride or ride short distances. For these people they are fine. If you intend to ride frequently and for any distance another bike is usually a better choice. Hybrids tend to be excessively heavy, have mediocre components, crap saddles, etc. I speak from experience. I bought a Specialized Crossroads hybrid several years ago and eventually realized it wasn't the right bike for me. Just replaced it with a Surly cross-check, out of your price range but, in my opinion, an excellent commuting bike: takes a wide variety of tire sizes, easily takes rack and fenders, tough, versatile, relaxed geometry, easy to build up with a variety of components, and, most important, fun to ride. A good commuter should have most of these characteristics.

All that said, people commute on all kinds of bikes and I rode my hybrid year-round in Boston for a couple of years. It's more important to ride a hybrid than to have the perfect bike and leave it in the garage like many people do. Good luck.