desmoface

Hey gang, I'm a total newbie here and was looking at getting a bike for general exercise and just riding around town.

I have a bike store right around the corner from my home which makes it way convenient as I don't know how I'd get the bike home if I bought it further away. Hence my dilema.

The local shop carries schwinn, raleigh and Specialized. I did find a shop further away that sells trek and I did drive out and look at the 7300. There is a shop even further that sells marin and jamis which appear to be highly respected brands on this board.

Anyway, the local shop has the specialized and raleigh. I guess the c200 would be the comparable raleigh as I've heard the specialized sirrus mentioned on this board as being a good bike.

So, do you think the specialized sirrus would be comparable in quality to the trek 7300 or the raleigh c200? I wish the jamis and marin dealers were closer cause I'd serious like to look at those but they wont fit in me little subaru impreza and I don't have a roof rack to get it home.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Steve

slotibartfast

My wife has a Raleigh c200 and it's a good bike for rides up to 25-30 miles with no problem. It's not a speed merchant, but it's a good, solid bike. A riding buddy of mine has a Specialized Sirrus and it's a speedier and (for lack of a better word) a more serious bike. It's got thinner tires and a more road like stance. If you're going to be riding for more than a couple of hours at a time, I'd give the nod to the Sirrus. I'd consider the 7300 if you're looking at the FX model for the same reasons as the differences between the c200 and the Sirrus. All that being said, you need to ride each one of them and decide which bike feels the best to you - that's the one to get. Good luck and remember that test riding is one of the best parts about making the decision.

Kestrelman

It really comes down to the matter of what you like/fits you the best. I test rode both of these and I preferred the Sirrus. Just fit me better, I guess, and I really liked it. I recommended it to a friend and he just got one and loves it.

desmoface

Hello, thanks a lot for the replies..the raleigh and the specialized are attractive because the dealership is so close...but I could make arrangements for the others if I felt it was worth the effort...thanks again for the advice.

Steve

murfnut

If you go to their websites and compare parts you will see that the c200 has a step on parts over the standard 7300. If you go 7300fx, the parts appear to be better then the 7300 but not sure if the same as the c200 since I was only comparing 7300 to c200.

desmoface

Hi, thanks for the reply. To be honest, I don't know anything about bikes...I'm learning as I go. I will ask about the c200 though as the local dealer sells raleigh..I'm also going to inquire about the specialized sirrus. Are Raleigh bikes made in the US? Thanks again.

Steve

desmoface

Hey gang, just returned from the bike shop...they had the c200, the sirrus and the salesman recomended the specialized crossroads as another option...the sirrus is a serious looking bike..has the flat bars and he could order my size for around $479. The c200 was about $20 less and the crossroads was about the same as the c200.

A lot of it comes down to the tires. I really like the sirrus but it has almost no rain sipes on the tires...I also didn't like the pedals with the strap that holds your foot on the pedal..I can see my foot getting stuck and winding up on the ground...Easily remedied though.

Also, the raleigh has disc brakes, the sirrus has no front shock. Do I want a front suspension for street riding? Are disc brakes enough to sway me towards the raleigh? The salesman preferred the raleigh c200 and said that a front suspension is real nice on the street. He said the crossroads had a better front suspension and better gear shift mechanism. He said the crossroads was a closer match to the c200 than the sirrus..

The tires on the sirrus would make it scary in the rain. What a tough decision, they are all within a few bucks of each other...I have to admit that sirrus in flat black is beautiful...Oh well, I will test ride them this weekend. Thanks again for any advice.

Steve

desmoface

Hey gang...I couldn't wait, went and test rode the bikes..The sirrus was beautiful, flat black...very nice looking machine..alas, it wasn't to be..just found it too uncomfortable..so then I rode the c200 and the crossroad elite...very similar between the two bikes with the crossroad having a little better componentry and the c200 having the disk brakes...in the end I went with the crossroad..I paid close to $500 out the door..all these bikes were within a few bucks of each other..

Anyway, can't wait to actually go out and rider her..WOOHOO!! thanks again for all your help and advice.

Steve