Cosmicyclist

Dear fellow bikers,

It's time to trade up from my heavy old Giant Cypress LX, and I'm pretty sure a Specialized Sirrus is what I'm after...

The new Sirrus Comp City looks nice, I am attracted to the idea of pre-installed, matching fenders. I live in one of Hawaii's rainiest cities so it's nice not getting mud all over you every time you ride through a puddle...
I have found precious little info on this model online. I am trying to decide between it and the slightly lower-spec Sirrus Elite.

Question: do you think the extra $200 is worth it? From what I can tell, it buys you:

• reflective paint (moot since I don't usually ride after dark)
• wheels: Axis Elite vs. Sport
• derailleur: Shimano Tiagra vs. Sora
• cassette: Shimano 10 speed vs. 9 speed
• chain: KMC X10 vs. SRAM PC-971
• brakes: Shimano Acera vs. M315
• saddle: Canopy Comp vs. Sport
• pre-installed fenders and lights

I found the fenders for sale separately, here. I already have lights. Not sure what difference between the saddles (I like 'em comfy).

Given this information, would you opt for the Comp City, or the Elite (with fenders)? Would appreciate your input. Haven't owned a Specialized before.
Thanks! and Aloha

djmcnz

For $200 I'd say the upgrade was worth it.

Anecdotally the Tiagra components are a worthy step up from Sora, you're also getting 10 speed versus 9. Add fenders and reflectors (I don't think they're lights are they?) and you've already exceeded the $200 difference. Axis wheels are notoriously difficult to get specs on so I'd probably ignore the difference there and you'll only know about the saddle when you sit on it. No mention on the 'Comp' page about triggers but I assume they're MicroShift but worth checking specifically.

I have the Plug & Play fenders on my Sirrus and whilst the ones you link to and the ones on the bike on the 'Comp' page actually look different I suspect they're very similar. If so you should hope they come pre-installed because it's no more "plug and play" than I'm from Mars - they're a genuine PITA to install and didn't come with sufficient mounting hardware... :-/ They're also a very tight fit but do look good and work well.

Test ride both if you can and good luck with your decision!

Cosmicyclist

Thanks for the response, djmcnz! Pretty sure the Comp actually comes with a set of "Stix" lights. I've emailed Specialized about the shifters, but like you I'm thinking it's the microSHIFT ones.

Well that's good to know! I'll be sure to get my bike shop to install them for me, then

djmcnz

I think you're right about the lights and although they're not necessarily the best on the market they're perfectly useful for commuting and are well integrated into the design of the bike. Much better that reflectors!

I'm glad you pointed that out because I didn't know about the "SWAT" rear seat mounts and have discovered I also have them on my Sirrus saddle and this seems to give me a very good option for mounting a rear light above my saddle bag. The front light mount also looks elegant but I can't for the life of me work out how it attaches.

NormanF

I like it:




I'd rather have the Raleigh Clubman Disc in looking for a commuter bike/sports touring bike.

Cosmicyclist

If anyone's still interested... Specialized just emailed me back. The shifters are supposedly Shimano Deore, 9 speed...

drw1926

Thanks for posting this, Cosmic. I'm actually looking at both of these Cirrus models as well, and the Specialized site omits some rather key information. In fact I had no idea the Comp City came with lights, I didn't see it mentioned anywhere in the specs or description, but nice to find that out.

Have you decided to purchase the Comp City yet? I've "narrowed it down" (haha, right) to the Specialized Comp City, BMC alpenchallenge AC02 Tiagra, Specialized Sequoia (base model with CrMo fork), Felt Verza Speed 20, Trek FX S4, or Cannondale Quick 1 Disc. The Giant Toughroad was also in the mix but I just don't care for the seat post binder (of all things). By making it needlessly complex it seems like it could potentially be problematic later. Of the bikes mentioned I'm leaning heavily to the BMC or the Cannondale, with the Felt a close 3rd.

Going to take one final look this afternoon and attempt to make a decision...

Cosmicyclist

That's an impressive list of choices! You're lucky to have a bike store with all these models. The Felt and the Cannondale look especially nice IMHO. Did you manage to make a choice yet?
...I haven't either. I'm starting to wonder whether I should consider a Crosstrail since the shocks might help negotiating some of the bumpy roads and sidewalks in my town. Even though they will add weight, of course. At least my LBS only carries Specialized (and some Trek) which helps me narrow down the choice a bit