Sparky413

Background:
I'm bike shopping for a comfort bike so I can ride with my kids.
I am 43, previously separated a shoulder, in slight to moderate shape, and haven't been on a bike in ~25 years.
I used to ride trail MTB on a rigid Trek in the late 80s and early 90s.
Although part of my brain is screaming for a MTB, I am certain a comfort bike is the best choice right now (a nice ride, comfortable seat, good control, no hunched over sore shoulder).

I walked into a local Cannondale/Giant/Specialized bike shop.

I was set on a Giant Cypress (700cc tire) or Sedona DX (2016) | Giant Bicycles | United States (26" tire).

I was told:
1. At my size (6'1" 210 lbs) that I would 'crush' the back tire of either bike and be back within the year to get a new rim.
2. 26" Tires are on the outs (which they could be, it's been 25 years since I rode). The Sedona has 26" tires.
3. The components of the Shimano thumb shifters in the Cypress were plastic and subpar.

All statements indicated I shouldn't get either of the GIANTs. If there's truth to the statements, then I get it, but I want to separate the 'sales' statements from reality.

Then I was lead to an $800 Specialized Roll Comp, which was fantastic.
And then a $600 Cannondale Adventure 2 was presented to me.

Again, both seemed great, but I couldn't help to think the sales guy demolished the entry level bike to position the other two better. I walked out to do more research and stop here to see what you thought.

Was he right about the 3 above points/issues?

RonH

IMHO you'll outgrow all those bikes in a few months. Why not look at something a little faster. Maybe an entry level road bike. FYI I'm 71 y/o and 185 pounds and ride this.

NormanF

Why not look at a flat bar gravel road/adventure bike?

The BD Omni Strada Trail at $699 is the ticket:



More here:

Save Up to 60% Off Disc Brake Road Bikes - Motobecane Omni Strada Trail

ltxi

That's the point which you should have stopped listening and walked out the door. Find a better/good bike shop.

MuddyBikeRider

My friend is 6'2" and 325 and the Trek store sold him a Gary Fischer 26" tire bike with coil front and hard rear end. His tires go flat. Bike seems fine (no bent rims). He took it back because the tires were going flat and they put hybrid extra thick tires on them since he rides road (it's a mountain bike) and ergo grips. He hasn't been out yet though on it (just got it back).

Trevtassie

At 210lbs you aren't too heavy for the wheels. What you *may* have to watch for is the crappy wheel building they do on lower end bikes, uneven spoke tensions due to machine built wheels, spokes not stress relieved etc. But if you go to the Sheldon Brown wheel building site you'll be able to learn how you can tweak the stock wheels to make them last for much longer by doing the above yourself. That being said they could have some pretty junk hubs. It'd be well worth making sure they have sufficient grease and the bearings are properly adjusted.
You also need to make sure you have the correct tire pressures too. If you run them too low, then you get pinch flats where a square edge bump will trap the tube between the rim and the tire as you roll over the bump. These are often called snakebite punctures because the tube has two holes at the puncture site, as the tube is squashed flat so both layers get punctured.
Ignore the crap about 26" tires, they'll be around for years.

Sparky413

TY for the feedback. That helps confirm my sniff test that there more sales than reality there. Heading to a Trek/Specialized shop today that has some good ratings as far as sales/service.

Sparky413

Thanks for the tip for the mods, and the confirms. I'll plan on going for a good bike fit over tire size then.

Berg417448

Don't be surprised if new 26" wheeled bikes are few and far between there also. Its the way things are right now.

Maelochs

Does your shoulder still bother you? I separated mine a couple decades ago, and after about a year I got most of my strength and mobility back, and over time got it back to about 100 percent.

As fro your weight, it's a non-issue. I am considerably heavier and haven't had any trouble. Follow the excellent advice already given.

One think i can add is that a lot of people plan to buy a "beginner" bike and a year later wish they had just bought the bike they wanted. If you are a fantasy-minded person just day-dreaming about riding who will probably spend too much and park the bike in your garage for a year, buy something really cheap. Otherwise, buy the bike you want and plan on keeping it for several years.

Some shops will try to sell you whatever is best for them; some shops will actually try to sell you something that will be good for you.

If you plan to ride road and trails, get a gravel bike. if you really want to go mountain-biking, get a decent hardtail ... no need to spend a lot, but no point getting a crappy shock which won't work well and won't last, because you'd end up replacing it in a year or two anyway.

Or ... shop Craigslist, if you feel like you could tel a good bike from a bad bike. I got a seven-year-old Cannondale Rize4 in near-mint condition for about what you are looking to spend, and I plan to be riding that bike for a decade or more. It is a full-on full-suspension MTB, maybe a bit much for my current needs, but I will never need more (at my age and with my skill potential.)

Whatever you do, take your time, and check back here frequently,. There are a lot of very experienced folks here who can tell you stuff you would eventually find out ... when it was too late.

Whatever you get ... Enjoy riding. Welcome back to the cyclists' community.

Gresp15C

While at BD, the Gravity Liberty FB is also worth a look, a similar geometry but with maybe a slightly lower "level" of components. I only know this because I'm researching similar bikes right now, also as an old guy with issues -- very poor flexibility in my neck. And I had quite a favorable test ride of a Diamondback Haanjo Metro, which is also in that sort of flat-bar-adventure category.

This is a great forum to look for advice. I've found that for searching it, it's better to just use Google, and put "bikeforums" at the end of the search phrase.

Retro Grouch 

Can we review the bidding?

1. How thinly can you slice the baloney? Bicycle manufacturers make similar bicycles at a variety of price points. As you move up the food chain, they really do get a little nicer - more crisply operating, lighter in weight and definitely cooler looking. That doesn't mean the lower end offerings are junk, they're just "less nice".

2. The job of the sales person who talks to you at the bike store is to up sell you. One way of doing that is to prey on your fears. I think that to say that a 210 lb. person will crush a 26" and ruin the rim borders on unethical. That's just silly. 26" bicycle tires have been around since I was a boy and will continue to be around long after I'm gone.

"Shop for a bike shop first." There's bigger differences among bike shops and bike shop personnel than there is among bike brands. Audition a number of different bike shops in your area. You'll know the "right" one when you see it. Look for the one with people who ask how you intend to use the bike and can talk about your needs. "Ride with my kids" is a key statement of what you need today. "Part of my brain is screaming out for a MTB" is also an honest statement. I don't think that they are mutually exclusive. Once you find the right shop, buy a brand they carry at a price point that you're comfortable with and you'll never go wrong.

fietsbob

By 90's the MTB frames were no longer Cruiser like 68 degree seat tubes, , and had began in the NORBA geometry , 72~3.

Crank Forward bikes are even slacker , so the rider stops and touches down with a Flat Foot, which make many feel More secure ..

Darth Lefty 

I'd get a bike with a free hub and not a freewheel. Other than that I wouldn't worry too hard about the rest of it.

Sparky413

First, thanks for all the support from all members.

Shop for a bike shop first. <-- great, great, great advice. Because of the less than optimal experience that I posted about above, I ended up at my third shop Saturday (shameless plug; Dirty Harry's in Verona, PA). Nice local shop that's been around for 35 years. Unlike the other two, this was the only location for the shop. I had a good idea of what I wanted based on the last experience, but ended up hanging at the shop for 2 hours. Everyone in the shop was first class. They all rode, and seemed more excited about the riding community than 'selling'.

I hesitate to call the sales person a 'sales person' over a 'just a guy who likes to ride'. I was at the shop for over 2 hours. He had a lot of patience and knowledge, and was willing to let me test ride any bike they had. I was super happy he did.

I did give a gravel bike, and a couple fitness/comfort bikes at test drive. Turns out that I could tell exactly what was a fit for me right now once I got to try the 3 we narrowed it down to. I liked the handling of the gravel bike, but the riding position was just too aggressive for me right now.

I ended up with a Specialized Crossroads Sport. I rode both a L and a XL, but, to my surprise, the L was a 'perfect' fit. I felt like I was stretched out and too forward over the XL.

That said, I know where to go if I want to jump into something for more trail and off-road. Thanks again!

Retro Grouch 

^^^ I love a happy ending!

Gresp15C

Nice bike!

Miele Man

In the mid-1980s I had a 21" frame BIANCHI MTB that had so much space between the seat tube and rear tire that I was able to mount a regular ally bottle cage on the back of the seat tube and put a 500ml water bottle into that cage.

#01 Ready to Ride by Miele Man, on Flickr

Cheers

BlazingPedals

All BS. Find another shop. OTOH, I agree a comfort bike is limiting. Look at hybrids or flat-bar road bikes. They'll give you the upright position you're looking for and will give you a little sportier ride - for when you discover that you want to ride on your own once in a while, too.

NormanF

Congratulations!

I noticed it comes with 700 X 45 c tires which means you can ride your new Specialized Crossroads Sports anywhere.

And you have the option of going to narrower tires for a more road feel so you have the best of both worlds.

Your new bike should serve you well for many years to come.

Sparky413

Good to know about the tires. Thanks. I am still amazed at how many options and variations there are now. I am still stuck in the late 80s where I knew only about small nubby 'fat' tires and I made my Trek 820 do anything. Lol.

Maelochs

Nice purchase. I particularly like the adjustable stem ... you can change your riding position as your body, needs, and plans change.

I have a friend who used a very similar bike for an 1100-mile tour and it was exactly what was advertised: really comfortable, really versatile, and all the performance anyone would need unless they wanted to race.

Maelochs

double post.

canklecat

When I resumed cycling last August after a 30+ year hiatus I started with a Globe Carmel comfy hybrid, very similar to the Giant Cypress. I'm still riding and enjoying it and haven't outgrown it. However about a month ago I did flip and reverse the handlebars for a somewhat lower profile to help reduce wind resistance and improve climbing.

Due to permanent back and neck injuries I'll never ride drops lower than saddle height again. I tried the bars slightly below saddle height, but that was impossible -- I can't lift my head enough to see without severe neck pain. Right at saddle height was tolerable for short rides, but with some lingering discomfort. But I can manage with the bars just an inch or two above saddle height. And I do feel more efficient while riding, more energized afterward, and no lingering pain.

So a decent comfort hybrid like your Crossroads Sport may last you for years. Even if you later add a lighter, faster road bike, the hybrid will still serve nicely for errands and mixed terrain where you might not want to go with a lightweight road bike.

Miele Man

An adjustable stem can be really nice on a longer ride because if the headwind gets really strong you can lower the handlebar and get a lot more aero.

Looks like a nice bike. Enjoy and happy riding to you.

Cheers