Originally Posted by
irclean
What sort of bike are you considering an upgrade to; road bike, "performance" hybrid, MTB, comfort bike, etc? That will really help narrow down the choices. FWIW here are some examples of some fine bikes from your specified manufacturers, all of which would make great commuters, but for different reasons:
Trek FX 7.5 WSD; a "performance" hybrid, and therefore not too far removed from what you're used to, riding-position wise. MSRP is above your new $800 budget but you may be able to find it cheaper. It's a step above the 7.3 component-wise, with a carbon fork to help smooth out those rough roads.
With the same riding position and style of bike, it probably won't be a big change from the bikes they currently have vs putting slicks on their current bike. It may well be more reliable and have easier shifting going uphill, but it is unlikely to be particularly faster.
I could be wrong, it's probably the second best bet. But since the OP feels like they're being held back by wind and hills, I would still say a road bike would be better.
Originally Posted by
irclean
Specialized Crosstrail Elite; a "true" hybrid in the sense that it's built to handle both off- and on-road duties. BTW there are probably more definitions of "hybrids" than there are models on the market. This one has a suspension fork for the trail with a lock-out feature for commuting on the roads. It can also accept fenders & a rack.
This might actually be a downgrade. I just talked to someone at work who went from a Crosstrail to a Specialized Sectuer (an "endurance" road bike), and they said they couldn't believe how ineffective that front shock turned out to be. It's also a heavy bike.
Originally Posted by
irclean
Giant Transend EX W; This is a 2009 bike that's been discontinued, but you may be able to find one lurking at your Giant dealer, maybe for a steal! It's got and Alfine IGH and is already "commuterized" with fenders & a rack.
In my opinion, and from my person experience, I think an IGH is the wrong way to go if you want to go faster, and you're running out of gears like the OP is. It's heavier, bigger gaps between gears, and slightly less efficient.
Originally Posted by
irclean
Jamis Satellite Sport Femme; an entry-level, steel-framed road bike with provisions for racks and fenders. Would make a great commuter, IMHO.
Of course all of these manufacturers have their own ideas of one another's bikes. Good luck and happy hunting!
That looks nice! I wonder how big of tires it would take. It comes with 25c, so it's not a "designed as a racing machine" kind of bike - wonder what kind of tire clearance it has.
The components are kind of low end (2300 front derailler, Sora rear derailler) - though I cannot personally say whether that would be a problem or not (I'm not familiar with anything below a Sora/Tiagra mix...err - I mean, the "low end" stuff last year, which actually works just fine :-)).