Pablo

I am looking for a bike mainly to ride on road and sometimes go on trails, I live close to a regional park. I only know of Trek, Gary Fisher and Giant that offer hybrid bikes. I want to know what other company offers them. Would like to get a bike that is under 30#, with a suspension fork and seat post and hopefully under $400.00

Any help is appreciated, Thanks.

FXjohn

do you really think you need the suspension forks?
I bought a 7700 FX Trek, it doesn't have a suspension fork, I like it.
Those three brands are pretty good ones, especially if that's what your local dealer has.

Pablo

I don't know if I will need it. But since most hybrids have it, i want to get one with the suspension. I guess it will make it easier or more comfortable to ride. Will only ride up to 20 miles a day if I do ride.

Another option is the Specialized Crossroads. Does anyone have any experience with that bike? I know the Front and Rear Derailleurs are not that good, but the bike is a good price. I guess i can get that one and change the derailleurs for Deore and the crank.

Orion

Pablo, I recently purchased a TREK 7100 [I have a post in this forum praising it]. I believe it meets all of your requirements. Even the 7200 would be under your price range. My 7100 is stock factory, but with added Rapid Fire shifter [and because of that they changed out the derailer in the rear with an Altus]. I mostly ride on a gravel trail and it works very well. Check them out!

madpogue 

Not many of the hybrids I've seen have suspension forks. And there are plenty of other brands. Cannondale, Schwinn, Raleigh and Specialized come to mind immediately. Mongoose may still, as well, but be careful, Mongoose also ships a lot of *-mart-quality iron as well.

FXjohn

Cannondale for 400 or under??

Get a Trek

tonphil1960

I have a Trek 7100 love it. I bought my wife a Giant Cypress, good bike but I like the Trek better.
Both around 300.00 Go with the Trek you won't be sorry

Good luck, Tony

MichiganMike

I have a Marin Hybrid which I really love. Rides nice, shifts smooth, and so far has performed great.

coney

I was just looking at that Trek 7100 before I found this thread. Sounds like you guys really like it. I want a new bike, but don't want to spend a fortune. If I save my pennies, maybe by next summer I can buy a new bicycle.

tonphil1960

I looked at the Marins, look good but have never ridden one.
I have ridden, my wifes Giant Cypress, my buddies Fuji Crosstown, and my Trek 7100, I think the Trek outshines the others hands down. Go for it bro......

Tony

Pablo

just want to let everyone know that I just bought a 10 month old 2004 Trek 7300 FX with a RST T4 suspension fork and seatpost suspension. Thanks everyone for the advice.

tonphil1960

Good for you, you won't be sorry, now get out there and put miles on it !!!!!

Tony

Guest

I haven't seen many hybrids with suspension forks.

If you're looking for a sturdy hybrid, I can tell you my Specialized Sirrus holds up pretty well. It's a trooper, for sure.

Koffee

bluemando

I'm curious, which model do do have? I had a Kentwood for a couple of weeks... liked it, but returned it because it had creaky noises coming from the bottom bracket and crank area.

ruirui

yup.. i second that! sirrus holds up very well, especially when ur cruising downhill at 35mph in an aero position.

rui

gpelpel

My wife has a Marin San Rafael and likes it a lot. Comes with front suspension, is stylish, and has nice components. The built quality is also very good. The weak point may be the saddle but that's easy to upgrade.

bluemando

The thing I don't like about hybrids --Marin included-- is the sloping top tubes. Because I'm tall, I have to raise the seat fairly high; the slant makes the long seat post / seat combo look ridiculously "up in the air." Too bad, because I really liked the Marin overall - especially the *Fairfax,* which doesn't have the suspension fork (just adds unwanted weight,imo.)

bunchok

I'm a little late on this recommendation, but I thought I'd chime in with what I ride. It's a Marin Muirwoods, which is one of what Marin calls their "urban" series of bikes. Chromo frame, no severe sloping on the top tube, and decent components for the price. The only downside for some folks, which is actually a plus for me because I ride trails, is the fact is has 26" wheels(lots of tire choices for off road). I made a few upgrades to mine, but it's really a good bike stock.

bluemando

Well I hope you're not making a mistake. I bought new a Specialized Expedition (Limited Edition) at the end of 2003. Good comfort but... big heavy suspension fork and seat, big fat tires, heavy adjustable handlebars, SLOW as molasses... and if you have hills to climb.... forget about it! I put it on consignment at my LBS. I have two other bikes that I much prefer, neither one of them have suspension. They're lighter, easier to handle, faster, more fun, and the money I saved by NOT having suspension made for better quality components. Think about it!

seely

Despite my best efforts to get people on a road bike, or at least a flatbar roadbike, most people inisist they want a upright hybrid with suspension. Hybrids are designed for people who average 8-10mph, and ride maybe 10mi at a time about 2x a month. They don't withstand daily use, they aren't going to be fast, and they don't hold up to heavy riders.

Typically, 3 months later they come back tell me they love riding but want a faster bike with no suspension that they can take on group rides, and wind up buying a full out road bike/cyclocross bike/flat bar road bike. Personally I would spend more now and get something nicer and save the cost of buying another bike later, but its your call.

SuperDave

Isn't it funny how sometimes you know exactly what you want, yet in reality you have no clue whatsoever? When I first started looking a couple months ago, I knew a Trek 7300 was the bike for me. I needed something with longer legs than the Raleigh I was riding. Except the new Treks weren't out for 2005, and no 2004's were to be found.

So I looked. And looked. Rode a few bikes. Clicked a metric ton of Internet links. Giant? Nope. The only one I liked, the SL, was too much money. Specialized? Nope - I know a guy who had his literally fall apart, piece by piece, on long rides. Gary Fisher? Nope. No suspension, by that point in my research I'd decided against it. Marin? Nice, apparently, but I don't know anyone who's ever seen one. Nearest dealer is barely in my area code. Cannondale? No offense, but no black bike for me riding at the Jersey shore. Fuji? Pulll-ease.

I actually started learning what I needed for my desired use. Found something really, really nice at a nearby shop, except it was already owned. Spun it around the block with the owner's permission. Ordered one.

My Jamis Coda Comp arrived last week, and boy, am I glad I chose to spend the extra cash and get something more narrowly-focused. Now I feel like a genius.

Moral of the story? Don't bet the horse until you know the field.

Dahon.Steve

That's a nice bike and the chromoly frame makes it even better. I like this bike all around. A hybrid with an alu frame and limited hand positions means it will be a rough ride. The chromoly frame is a must when it comes to buying a hybrid in my opinion. Other hybrids that I would include in this list is the Bianchi Strada and Jamis Coda. In fact, I would prefer either one because of the 700 cc wheels. It's too bad they were beyond the $400.00 dollar limit.

Dahon.Steve

I agree. I don't hold it against them if they see this suspension on an alu frame. In fact, if they choose an alu frame hybrid, they really ought to look into a suspension seat post or Brooks Champion flyer because it's going to be a rough ride. There would be NO need for suspension of any kind if the frame was made from Reynolds 525.

Dahon.Steve

Jamis is the most underrated bike out there. I would prefer the Reynolds frame anyday over a hard alu hybrid from Trek.

Orion

I ride my TREK 7100 once a week and most of the time, it is more than 20 miles on a gravel bike route. I see nothing wrong with it at all. I've gone at a fair rate of speed, but mostly stay around 10 mph because my wife likes that speed.

About the frame, isn't the chromoly frame going to be heavier? One of the things I like about my 7100 is the weight. Is it all just a matter of personal opinion? By the way, I weigh 140 lbs., so my weight isn't much of an issue.