johnpbyrne

Hi,

I am looking to purchase a new bike in the next few days, and I'm not really sure what to go with, I have a few different requirements and I'm wondering if there's one bike that's up for the job. Here's what I'm looking for:

• Looking to ride regularly to the office (about 8 miles with some hills)
• Take longer trips as much as 100 miles from time to time
• Have a more upright position as compared to a road bike
• Be able to take it on gravel and dirt trails occasionally
• Lighter than a mountain bike (full suspension not required)
• Cost around $400

I was thinking that hybrid might fit the bill, but not totally sure. Any ideas on type of bike, brand, or model would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

- John

jyossarian

A cross bike with riser bars will do you right. But at $400, you'll be looking at a used cross bike, or if you're lucky, last year's model if your LBS still has them around.

tsl

I bought a Giant Cypress DX in March. My requirements and budget were similar to yours. Rode it out of the LBS for $380. My commutes range from 5 miles RT to a 15 mile loop. My weekend rides are getting longer. I'm up to 35 miles now. It's me, not the bike.

Pluses: Nimble yet forgiving in traffic, feels solid on the road, durable enough I don't think it will ever fall apart or bend a wheel, light enough I can carry it up my fire escape.

Minuses: Saddle is too wide and too soft for my lightweight, narrow, bony butt; pedals are slippery when wet; no mounting hole for front fenders. I use the strap-on Freddy Fenders from PlanetBike and they work just fine.

I've already changed: I replaced the Slime tubes with Mr. Tuffy tire liners. Lotsa broken glass in my area. Slime saved the day for me twice, but just barely because it's not so good with sealing glass cuts, (even says so on their web site). Mr. Tuffy adds some weight, but my goal is prevent (most) flats since some of my commutes are after dark through very sketchy neighborhoods where I don't want to have to stop to fix a flat. I'm willing to spin the extra weight for that.

Things I will change: The saddle (see above) and the cassette. Around here I don't need as wide a range of gears as the standard cassette (an 11-32). I neither climb trees with it, nor do I race Ferraris with it. I want more choices in my normal range for dealing with variable headwinds and will replace it with a 12-26 when budget permits. Meanwhile, it's fine. The saddle will come first. And maybe pedals in the autumn.

eyefloater

Definitely a cyclocross bike. I would suggest a bar swap to something like the On*One Mary handlebars:



- drop bar for more hand positions
- wide flat top, so you can use them like a straight bar
- shallow drop so you'll stay comfortable

Cross bikes are also good because they almost always use cantilever brakes which will offer you tonnes of room for huge tires and/or fenders, etc.

Keep an eye on your local cragislist listings would be my suggestion or put some "wanted to buy" posters up at your local bike shops.

eyefloater

Note: I work at a bike shop, I see at least a dozen flat fixes come in every day.

Personally, I don't like the Mr. Tuffy liners. If they're poorly installed (ie. trimmed down to be shorter instead of just being overlapped) the tips tend to curl and cause punctures. As they age, they also become brittle and crack down the middle. Those cracks end up pinching the tube and causing flats. Assuming your's were properly installed, keep an eye on them and replace them once they start to crack.

tsl

The LBS picked the "right" ones for me and installed them, so I'm assuming that part's okay. Thanks for the advice on their aging. I'll keep an eye on them. Would never had thought to.

ks1g

I bought my teenage son a used Jamis Coda Sport last year (craigslist is your friend). Steel frame, but lighter than a hardtail MTB, V-brakes so it handles wider tires, 700c wheels (better rolling than 26"), braze-ons for racks and fenders. He used it for a 184 mile trip we took with his Scout troop down the C&O Canal towpath last summer and it held up solid. I installed medium width (35mm? don't remember) treaded tires for the towpath and switched back to 700x25's for pavement. It handles non-technical unpaved surfaces easily with loaded panniers. Only disadvantage off your list is it's a flat bar. Which can be fixed with modest effort. The Sport model came with an 8-speed rear cluster, whcih can also be changed (more effort) if you decide you need closer gear ratios. If (when!) he outgrows it, I'm keeping his bike as a fast commuter for myself.

Jim in KC

A hybrid would work great for your 8 mile commute, and almost all your other requirements. I have a hybrid that I ride around the city for transportation that costed about $400. It has a good steel frame and all the braze-ons for racks and fenders. I think you could tour with this frame it you didn't mind sitting upright the whole time. That's the one requirement you have that would turn me away from a hybrid: riding 100 miles. On longer rides drop bars let you shift more of your weight forward off your butt when it gets tired.

Emerson

+1 for a cyclocross bike--look for a used one or see if you can save up a bit more.