bikesyeah

I am interested in buying my first bike in 40 yrs. i hope to use it for touring ( Next yr San Fran to LA ride), road cycling and commuting.
I have a bumb knee and have been told I should get a carbon bike with a 34 cassette plus other features. went to a bike shop and they suggested a specialized Vita/ Sirrus or a Giant Anyroad COmax. Can anyone tell me if these are two good bikes for what I wish to do? flat bar vs racing bar?

NILS14

For commuting, depending on distance, just about any bike will do.

For touring, I'd go:
- Road bike : more comfortable than a flat bar over long distances;

- Long chain stay: so you don't hit your rack/bags when you pedal. Also promotes stability and comfort;

- Gear range: probably a triple chainring crankset with an 11-32 cassette at least for ease of use with heavy loads on ascents;

- Tire width: large tires for comfort and versatility over several types of terrain;

- Disc brakes: better braking in rain/mud and on descents with heavy loads;

- Must have the necessary braze-ons for racks and fenders;

- Dependable wheels over light/performance oriented.

That most likely rules out carbon frames because of weight limits and features. You're likely looking at steel mostly.

That kind of bike can do pretty much anything but won't be super exciting to use on typical weekend rides. You won't get the feeling of a more race-oriented geometry - precise handling and quick acceleration. A compromise could be an endurance-type geometry. It wouldn't feel like a small two-seater car but it wouldn't feel like a truck either. You'd be giving up on the longer chain stay and larger tires though.

FBinNY 

Both are fine bikes, and probably well more than adequate to your needs.

It's not so much about the bike per se as having it set up to meet your needs and preferences. Things like adequate gear range, the right handlebar choice, a comfortable saddle, and good fit and riding position are all far more important than the bike itself.

No bike is ideal for everything, but there's plenty of latitude, so buy according to how you'll use it the most, and it'sll serve the other needs fine, though maybe not as perfectly as might otherwise be.

It's like being a one car family. You want an SUV for the family taxi service, a more economical car for the one person commute, something sportier for fun Sunday drives. So you buy the one that can do all of those things, even if it's overkill for some of them.

rickyk76

Being that you want to tour, I'd go a tour bike route which can easily be used for commuting. I'd look at either the Salsa Marrakesh, REI Co-op ADV 1.1 or the Surly Long Haul Trucker. Let us know what you decide on.

bikesyeah

Both are fine bikes, and probably well more than adequate to your needs.

It's not so much about the bike per se as having it set up to meet your needs and preferences. Things like adequate gear range, the right handlebar choice, a comfortable saddle, and good fit and riding position are all far more important than the bike itself.

No bike is ideal for everything, but there's plenty of latitude, so buy according to how you'll use it the most, and it'sll serve the other needs fine, though maybe not as perfectly as might otherwise be.

It's like being a one car family. You want an SUV for the family taxi service, a more economical car for the one person commute, something sportier for fun Sunday drives. So you buy the one that can do all of those things, even if it's overkill for some of them.[/QUOTE]

bikesyeah

Thx.With bad knees, is there a big difference between aluminum , carbon or what the Giant is made of. I tried the Giant Anyroad today and really liked the feel. Handlebars and ease of shifting and breaks felt so good.

bikesyeah

I am not near an REI and am limited in bike stores where I am....hence, limited in types of bikes to try.This limitation, at least shortens my list. Thx.

HTupolev

Address knee pain with bike fit, not frame material. The main thing that hurts knees in cycling is the shape of the pedal stroke; adjusting the weight, flex, and damping properties of a frame don't really affect this.

bikesyeah

You gave me so much to look into. Thx.Do you know, Are puncture proof tires worth it?

linberl

You don't say how bad your knee is, but if it's bone on bone or something severe, you might want to look at recumbents. I don't ride one but my doc says there might be one in my future as I have one knee that is pretty much without cartilage and he recommends recumbents for severe knee deterioration. If you aren't at that stage then it's all about FIT, fit, fit, and fit. If you have physical issues the price of a good fitting is nothing compared to the potential for additional trauma from an ill-fitting bike. Find someone with good recs.

bikesyeah

Wow, that is helpful. Could save me a lot of money.

bikesyeah

So appreciative. I am not bone on bone and Dr recommends biking over hiking. Why is Carbon so highly recommended then? Is it just because it is lightweight?

linberl

I'm not sure why someone recommended carbon to you. I don't believe it absorbs shocks as well as steel. make sure you get your cranks sized specifically to you, don't just get a bike with generic cranks at 175mm or whatever - crank length really impacts the use of your knees. Maybe wider tires to help absorb shock (supposedly the rolling resistance isn't necessarily worse than skinny tires). Honestly, I would say getting a proper fit matters more than the frame material. Are you going clipless or platform? If you're going clipless you really really need a good fitter so that you don't set it in a way that hurts rather than supports your knee.

Crawdaddy

Always a tough call on first bike after being away from cycling for years. Test ride as many different style bikes as you can that have lots of gear range. I wouldnt spend alot of money on first bike. It may not be the style bike you want to stay with in the future.

bikesyeah

This advice sounds very helpful. Carbon was recommended because of vibrations to knee which might not be noticeable when riding, but over long term. I will be going clipless for at least a while. Thx for helping out.

Maelochs

Not sure the Anyroad has rack mounts---if you are doing loaded touring, rack mounts are essential. If you are on a supported tour (cars carry all the gear) the Anyroad is a personal favorite.

People suggest carbon fiber because of hype more than anything else. it has certain advantages in certain situations, and certain drawbacks as well. I am not sure I would do serious touring on a CF bike (loaded touring, with 50-80 lbs of camping and bike gear and clothes and such.) And for heavy commuting I prefer metal---again, rack mounts (I prefer not to carry a knapsack) and less worry about where I might lock up.

If you will always be able to lock your bike somewhere safe, where it will not get knocked (or knocked over) about accidentally then frame material is less important.

So ... decide what the task is and choose the tool. As NILS14 notes above, the needs for a serious loaded touring bike are very specific. For supported touring, asll you need is a bike you really like.

If you are looking at the Anyroad Comax you have enough of a budget that people in a bike shop should take you seriously, so hopefully they will be very helpful with fit. it is the most important factor when buying any bike, and much more so if you have an injury you don't want to make worse.

bikesyeah

Test road the Anyroad and it felt good. The padded and the way the drop bars ride higher few good. Shift levers seemed easier to use than the Specialized. Yet the Specialized seemed to shift smoother.
I intend to ride much on the roads of calif central coast and many hills.
I do not intend to use racks while touring.

Crawdaddy

Drop bars are the best for road riding for sure. Just some people hate them so always afraid to recommend any style of bike. The rider knows in their heart what they want. Anyroad one sweet looking ride.

bikesyeah

Thx. I am excited.

ColonelSanders

How much do you like fixing flat tyres/changing tubes?

bikesyeah

I take it from your comment, that they really work. Gracias

Maelochs

You will be the first CoMax/Anyroad owner I know, if you go that way ... so pictures and detailed ride reports or you will get tons of BF karma.

Everyone who has the metal Anyroads mention the weight (even though by the numbers it is not heavy.) I liked the idea of the same frame in CF but I am not willing to spend that much right now.

BobbyG

+1.

ColonelSanders

The thing with puncture protected tyres is that there are degrees of puncture protection, with trade offs between tyre weight, cost, & tyre performance.

Having said that, if you are going with tyres that are 35mm to 40mm wide, I would narrow my choices down to the following Schwalbe tyres and look to go for a tubeless setup:

https://www.schwalbe.com/en/tour-rea...n-supreme.html

Schwalbe Marathon Supreme - MicroSkin, TL Easy - 700 x 35
Schwalbe Marathon Supreme - MicroSkin, TL Easy - 700 x 40

Phil_gretz

I don't buy it. Describe more of how you intend to "tour", please. Do you have a support vehicle, or do you intend to carry any provisions with you? On your back? Will you be mechanically self sufficient? Will you stay in hotels? Are you going to ride in bad weather? How about rutted or chip seal roads? Debris laden shoulders of the road?


You ask about "flatproof tires", but don't seem to have a grasp of what the wheel/tire combination can do for you. Who says that you need disc brakes? Have you looked at any touring specific bikes? They usually have rim brakes, cantilever style. Just as efficient.


Maybe your Giant dealer discussed all of this with you, but if not, you need to find a new bike shop. Because you have been fed a load of crap...


You haven't purchased a bike in 40 years? Why not a 30+ year old touring bike like a Univega Grand Touring or a Fuji Touring Series IV or V, or a Miyata 1000 or a Centurion Pro Tour, or a Fuji America or any number of realistic touring bikes designed for the purpose that you've described?