Hi.
I'm looking for a new bike, but aint too sure which one to choose... or what to look for.
I'm 18yrs old and would use bike for some light touring and commuting sometimes (about 20km to city and other 20 back to home). I imagine that bike would be used mostly on asphalt, but I need it to 'survive' on gravel too since most roads around few kilometres of my home are gravel. Also I'm probably gonna go off the road sometimes with it, but not off the dirt paths.

My old/current bike is GT Aggressor 3.0, but I've pretty much outgrown it, and I'm looking for some bike that would be faster on road and specially easier to pedal. So far I've chosen out 2 bikes:

Trek 7200 FX and Jamis Coda Sport 2004. Both are available in bike stores here, and trying them is at the top of my "To Do" list. So far I'm worried about Jamis's tires - only 28 in width, while Trek has 35. Dunno if 28 is good enough for gravel. Do front shocks help? I've problems with wrists and I imagine that having shocks would help a bit :rolleyes:

Any advice or reccommendations is welcome, Thanks.

I think 28 is too narrow for gravel, especially if it is loose or if it is wet. But don't make a bike decision based on tires. You can always ask the bike store to change tires for you. Most good bike stores will do this.

I had a Jamis years ago and loved it. You can always change the tires. Hawaii Express sells some nice Conti and Nokian ones. The shop might even do it for you for free if you buy the bike from them.

I ride all around Riga and have no need for a shock. It's just extra weight.

Where do they sell Jamis bikes in Estonia? Could you please give me the name of the shop and city? Thanks.

I'd go for a road bike, cyclocross style. If you plan on putting panniers on it. Be sure to get one with eyelets for rack AND fenders.

Ziemas, Jamis seller in Estonia is Extreme Sport. Extreme's list of shops is here "Rattad" in shop's list there means this store has bikes on sale on location. Every bigger town has one or more but probably Tallinn's or Tartu's stores will have faster service, if You are gonna order something.

Road bike, cyclocross style isnt that bad idea, but I'm on budget about 500$ and dunno if I'll get suitable new for that. I'll brose Cyclocross section here.

Thanks.

Fisher Zebrano
http://www.fisherbikes.com/bikes/bik...bike=Zebrano_S

and still a few bucks for a rack.

I have a 7200 and like it. I would definitely recommend the wider tires. Most of my riding is done on dirt roads and the bike has proven itself competent there as well as pavement.

The front shocks on these low end hybrids are usually heavy and don't work very well. If you're having problems with your wrists, padded gloves and/or bar ends should give you some relief.

Check with the National Team's mechanic or trainer. I know here in Riga the National Team's mechanic sells some really nice used bikes at very low prices. I recently bought a NOS Ti frame and fork for USD285. I'm sure there is someone in Tallinn doing the same. Good luck!

http://togabikes.com/site/images/lib...uring_04_m.jpg
http://www.leisurewheels.co.uk/smsimg/24/1019cyclod.jpg

Maybe you want to actually mention what those bikes are slvoid... :D

I would suggest

1. Fisher Dual sport (utopita)
2. Cyclocross might be good
3. or build up a Surly Karate Monkey.

A Surly frame would cost around $700 and he would have to go to Finland to buy it. It seems well out of his stated price range of $500. Having been in the same situation, and also having searched in Estonia for a frame (Tartu not Tallinn), I really think that good used is the best way to go.

Thanks for replies. I tried Marin Kentwood today and it was nice bike. Still gonna try as many as possible before deciding. Used bike will be out of the question for now, maybe in autumn... So I'm still looking for good hybrid.

**** that Surly frame looks nice, but too expensive unfortunately.

Okay so I just messed up royally on currency conversion. Evidentally I need some more coffee.

Hehe, no worries. Are there some cyclocross bikes available straight from manufacturer, and which would be neccessary modifications to some cheaper road bike? Besides tires...

And what to think of "Merida" 's bicycles?

I have a Trek 7500FX, and it's pretty nice, but that Jamis looks sweet!
Forget about shocks, and maybe have the bike store replace the 28's with 32-35 tires.

Merida is a huge maker of frames in Taiwan. They make frames for Specialzied among other companies. They are quite popular in the Baltics and from what I have heard not bad for the price.

DOH!
1) Giant OCR touring.
2) Cannondale cyclocross disc.

Ok, havent come across neither of these yet here :rolleyes:

Any opinions/experiences with Scott Sportster P04? Looks very nice and I did really small test drive with this, was fine. Gonna check again tomorrow when I aint as tired lol.

Seems bit overpriced, is it worth it?

Hi MelesMeles, I was in your situation a few years ago at the beginning of college: I needed a bike for transportation and recreation. I got a rigid mountain bike at the time because I didn't know any better, and it worked fine but wasn't ideal. Since then I have had a Trek 720 (chromoly hybrid) and a couple road bikes.

I would strongly suggest choosing the Jamis Coda Sport if you can afford it. It's a better quality bike than the Trek 7200FX and will last longer. The Trek has a crummy steel frame, whereas the Jamis uses good quality Reynolds steel tubing. All the components on the Jamis are better and it will last longer and be more upgradeable (for example, the Trek has a one-piece riveted crankset, whereas the Jamis has bolt-on chainrings, meaning you could change the front gears individually if they wear out!) The Jamis additionally has a more road-bike type geometry.

As for the tires: what I would suggest is to get some 32-35 mm cyclocross tires for the Jamis (you can get some decent ones for $15 each here in the US). Perhaps you can get the bike shop to swap them for you at a discount when you buy the bike. There is no tire that will be ideal for a hard surface like a road AND for a loose surface like gravel, but a 32-35 mm tire with a light tread is a good compromise. In terms of grip, 32 mm tires should be ok on short stretches of gravel. I have 32 mm slick tires on my fixed gear, and short stretches on hard-packed gravel are fine. Shocks won't help much with comfort on gravel, the main problem with riding on gravel isn't that it's bumpy, it's that it's soft/loose.

Good luck, and hope you enjoy cycling.

EDIT: I second what Ziemas said, about looking for a used bike. I don't have much money either (I'm a grad student), but I own three bikes because I bought them all very cheap and fixed them up a bit. Used bikes in condition can be a very good value.

Thanks You, moxfyre.

Unfortunately Jamis C Sport is in pricelist of store, but only few bikes were imported and they're sold out. :( Apparently noone knows when new bikes arrive.

Haven't found any used bike yet, what would be worth buying.

Oh, that's too bad they're out of stock :( If you want to try for a used bike: I would look for a cyclocross, touring, or hybrid bike. I know that for $500 you can get a very good used bike in the washington, dc area, something with a Shimano Deore XT or 105 level drivetrain. If you can find one that's been customized for commuting with a rack or lights, or the right kind of tires, that's always a plus. I recently sold one of my bikes for $275 because it was too small for me. Have a look at the specs here, I think it is similar to what you're looking for.

Maybe ask around and see if there are any websites for used bike ads in your area, or any local shops that sell them? If you find something and aren't sure if it's a good deal, post it here and I'm sure many people will be able to comment on it.

Aha, just got an offer of a Scott Sportster 2 2004 in local bike forum. Current year's model is in store here for 1000$ but I was offered last year's bike with 200 miles on it, for ~650$. I can fit it into my budget, but is it worth it?

Also I saw this year's Scott Sportster P04 in store today for 600$, bit overpriced considering it's components but it looked good and was comfortable. Is that good bike?

Bikes in stores are much more expensive here than in USA, specially bikes made/assembled outside of EU, so it's about right price.

That Sportster 2 looks nice to me. Good components, 27-speed, this bike would last a while and be worth upgrading if you ever want to. The 35 mm cross tires are good. The suspension fork has LOCKOUT, a very good feature which allows you to "turn off" the suspension for when you ride on smooth surfaces. I am surprised at how high the prices are, definitely. The $50 extra for a lightly used bike with much better components is DEFINITELY worth it in my opinion.

I suggest the used bike, looks very nearly what you want. Maybe you can bargain down to $550 or something and save a bit :). But make sure it fits, because you will regret it if you get a bike that's too small (most people tend to buy bikes that are too small when they are new to cycling), when you realize that you aren't in as comfortable position as you could be. Maybe ask the bike shop to figure out what size is right for you.

Aw come on. All he really needs is a road bike with eyelets. None of those MTB crap.