Old 06-07-10, 12:26 AM
  #1  
JerK
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Toronto, ON
Posts: 7

Bikes: Supercycle MTB

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Hello - Am looking for help deciding between 4 hybrids - Thanks!

I have been undertaking some pretty intense bike research for the past week (I’ve become bike obsessed much to the chagrin of my family!) and I’ve learned a good deal and have really narrowed down my list of options (to 4) but I’m really struggling on a final decision. Any and all help/suggestions/comments would be very much appreciated.

Here’s my story. My wife and I are mid 30s, semi-active parents of two young children. We used to bike a lot more before the kids came along on our now-rusted department store mountain bikes which, though in need further tune-ups and repairs, are still functional. Regardless, I think we’ll keep them for booting around potential offroad/outback stuff. Because we are going to be towing our kids around (also looking at bike trailers, carriers and trail-a-bikes and trail gators as options), we know we need better quality bikes that offer us more in the way of a safe, reliable, comfortable and nimble ride. What is important to us in all of our shopping endeavours is VALUE and value preferably on the lower end of the price scale ($300 - $600) . So, looking for something safe, reliable, comfortable, nimble that offers quality at good value for our urban rides.

My wife has already decided on the 2008 Cypress (w) which we are getting a great deal on - $285 vs suggested retail of $375+. She likes it and it seems to have good value. So that’s what she’s getting.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/....w/1268/29330/

For me I’m a lot more stuck. Please keep in mind that I’m looking to be talked out of just as much as into any particular bike. I’m down to 4 bikes and here they are:

2009 Rocky Mountain RC 10 (with V-brakes) - $549. First off it seems to be a great buy as no other Rocky Mountain dealer gets cheaper than $679 so the value argument is in play and one even has it going as high as $899 (though these other stores may be selling it w/disc brakes). Anyhow, I’ve heard great things about Rocky Mountain frames – this one is aluminium and the bike likely weighs less than 25lbs as a result – but I’ve also read some criticisms that the components are of weaker quality (founded, unfounded?) I love that it’s light and quick but that also means I’m sacrificing a bit of comfort as it makes for a joltier ride. I’m also not thrilled about the way it looks (I have a preference for darker, more subtle frames). Anyhow, the value seems excellent on this one and all in all this might be the one I should go for. (?)

http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...10+V&Type=bike

2010 Kona Dew – $479 - Love the look of this bike (the matte black) and found it to be very comparable to the Rocky Mountain ride-wise. This one, however, is in line with the suggested retail value. It’s also made of steel, not aluminum, making the ride a bit smoother but also a bit heavier (likely about 25 lbs). There’s a big price gap between this bike and the Rocky Mountain even after the supposed $200+ discount. I’d like to know if the Kona is actually an inferior bike. I liked it and could just as easily see myself going for this one but question it as a value play despite the fact that the Sales Reps in the store (who I found helpful and genuine) all vouch for and own Kona’s – preferring them over Treks at similar price points.

http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...0419&Type=bike

Now, to switch it up a bit – both of the aforementioned bikes are stiff, quick rides which I’m not sure is all that necessary. Maybe I should opt for comfort – afterall, I’ll be primarily using the bike for leisurely family rides. Bikes I’m considering in this category are:

2010 Giant Cypress DX - $450 – Not a prohibitive price tag and based on reviews, this bike seems extraordinarily popular with those who ride them (many of whom also appear to be avid cyclists). It’s got a big cushy seat with suspension and front suspension as well. You’re very upright but comfortable and it’s also a good looking bike though based o n my description it might sound like Grandma’s cruiser, it still is a hybrid with a semblance of sporty appeal. It’s a heavier bike though (32lbs approx) I like its simplicity and price tag – but is it a quality ride at good value?

http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...9473&Type=bike

Lastly and certainly not least (with apologies for the rhetorical cliché) –

2010 Specialized Crosstrail - $550 – This bike is an extremely popular model and probably has such broad appeal for the same reason I stumbled into it. It’s a performance hybrid suited for off-road use. It, for me, fits the bill of what a hybrid really should be. It has suspension offering more comfort but seems to be a solid all round bike. Those who own it seem also to love it. It sounds like an awesome point at a price point that you can’t get most hybrids at until you get into the $700+ range. Something tells me to lean towards this bike for suitability reasons but is it worth $100 more than the Giant? At 30+lbs (this is all info I’ve gathered off the net), it is also a bit heavier but I’m not sure, that for my purposes, this would be an issue.

http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...9266&Type=bike

So there you have it. I’ve gotten a ton of opinions from bike store sales reps and thought this would be an excellent forum to cut through some of the sales partiality (now I’ll deal with owner partiality!). I though this would be a great place to get some good feedback from some real (and less so) bike enthusiasts who might be kind enough to enlighten me.
Cheers. J
JerK is offline