Which bike
 

Hey... just looking for some recomendations about a good bike to buy. I live in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. I haven't owned a bike for years. I'm a 20 year old student. I want a bike to get fitter and to get outside more often and see things, apart from just getting to places i need to go of course.

I was about to buy a Gazelle Punta, but then came across 'Specialized bikes' and think i'd rather one of their bikes. Not sure if a Multi-cross or a Sirrus would better suit my needs. I'll hope to start cycling some long distances 15+ miles frequently, so a light road bike seems like a good idea. But i'll also be cycling around the city, needing to be able to cycle over curbs and rough roads or whatever, so something with thicker wheels and maybe even shocks might be good.

If you've any suggestions please post them, thanks! I'm undecided...

Multi-cross:

http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/0f6c6d3aa3.jpg

I'd avoid suspension forks unless you'll be doing most of your riding offroad. I don't know the math, but it eats up a lot of your energy- making that 15miles ride feel like much more.

Sirrus:

http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/11c89486f9.jpg
The suspension forks on that multi-cross are lockable... so doesn't that eliminate any wasted energy if your not riding off road?

try a Challenge Hurricane Tour recumbent bike,
made in the netherlands. they are fast, fun,
easy to ride, can carry some load and will
benefit your national economy.
did i mention how much fun they are to ride?
really- you got to try one.

I know several people who own the sirrius models and love them. I've never ridden one myself though.

The Trek 7.x series aren't too bad either. I've ridden 30+ miles on them..

ok, so here are my thoughts.

If this is going to be your main bike where you're living, I think you're best without the hassle of suspension (I know, I'm a broken record here, one last time and I'll shut up :o). It's because virtually all the cycling you'll do for commuting and living there is in the heaven of cycling utopia. Bike paths everywhere. You get cobblestones, bumps, sidewalks, and that's about it. That's perfectly expected terrain for any solid commuting bike, without needing suspension.

You may, of course, have other designs and know that you will do off-roading.

You posted the bottom end of the Crosstrail range and upper end of the Sirrus range. Big component and price difference there, so it's hard to be sure of your budget. I would guess 500-1000 Euros.

As you know I ride a Sirrus (Elite 2004), exactly like the beautiful sexy beast in post#3. So obviously, I highly recommend it :D
I commuted from Delft to Noordwijk (30k) with that, and loved every minute of it (cursing the weather all the time of course).


These are my favourite known shops in the area...
If you have the time and you enjoy the fun of looking for a new toy as much as I do then you could find a day to go visit them all bang bang bang. You may come back home drooling, more confused, or in the posession of a new bike. Either way it'll be useful.

• *recommended* my lbs Van Herwerden - 5 mins walk from Voorburg station. They have everything from racers to mountain on two floors of eye candy, and a good variety of exactly what you're looking for, with and without front suspension. I was recently drooling over their new lines of Stevens bikes, I think you might want to have a serious look at those as well.
  
  Does this catch your fancy?
  http://www.stevensbikes.de/2007/img/..._flyer_std.jpg http://www.stevensbikes.de/2007/img/...ents_white.jpg
  
  
• Den Haag - right behind DH Holland Spoor station is a huge shop with Trek, Giant, lots of stuff.
• Delft - Piet Vonk in centre - maybe check out their Koga Miyata line (pricey but the best dutch bikes).
• Delft - There's another shop just South of the train station, under the bridge and on the left. Maybe a few bikes there you want to check out if you have the time.

I'm sorry I can't give you the low-down on good Rotterdam shops, but I'm sure you can find them if you look. Search the dealer websites or telefoongids.nl


One last thought - I've had bad luck with my brakes catching crap when it rains here. Maybe it's the sand here, I dunno, but I've sometimes wished I had disc brakes. The beaters they typically ride are bomb proof and have drum brakes for a reason. Even if you don't go for an expensive model with discs, maybe useful if you can get one with a frame that would accomodate them in the future if you can.

Once you've hit the shops and found what you want to test ride, give her a go. Ride both with and without suspension, see how they feel. I'm well jealous of you dude, enjoy the search for your pride and joy :beer:

And a last personal comment on my choice of tires. The Sirrus came with those Specialized All-Condition whatever things. I rode on them for a year ignorant of how harsh they were making the ride. I use Continental SportContacts now, the difference is quite noticeable.

Skip the suspension. Even with a lock-out, you're adding weight & complexity that you (probably) don't need.

The Sirrus looks interesting, but I suspect you're going to be wishing for drop handlebars eventually.

Since you're just getting back into cycling, consider a used bike. Then you'll have an idea of what you really need and can make a more informed choice.

Isn't it great to have options? :)

+1 on everything dwainedibbly said.

Lots of good advice here. I have only to add, "Go Feyenoord!"

nicodemus,

Thanks for all the info.

I'm leaning towards getting a Stevenson Strada 400. Am i right in saying its preety much the same as the Sirrus? It's also the price i can afford. Do you think it would be a fast bike and good for commuting? It's advertised as a city-crosser...

Strange thing is, I don't see a Strada 400 on their website. But as it's likely to be similar to the other Stradas, then yeah it looks like the ticket.

I'd say the Stevens Strada and Specialized Sirrus series are very similar bikes. They have the elements of a race bike: gearing/drivetrain, slick or semi-slick tires. And will also have the extra lugs on the frame if you ever want to attach a panier. Generally all-round useful bikes and a bit hardier than your traditional racer, but still a nice smooth fast ride.

edit: ah, it looks like I found the 400 in their 2006 range. I guess they nixed or renamed it for the 2007 lineup.

Have you had a chance to test ride anything or stumble upon any good shops?

The Sirrus is a great bike, and the straight bar is a good thing if you do a lot of city riding. Add bar ends for the longer rides. Good luck and have fun!

i'm trying to find a store which sells the Strada 400 or Strada 600...

The dealer website doesn't list any in Rotterdam and also the cities which are listed i have no idea where they are... nicodeumus you mentioned that Van Herwerden has the new Stevens bikes... which city is that in?

It says on the Van Herwerden websit that they have the Sirrus Elite for 700 euro and the Strada 600 for 800 euro. Do you think the strada 600 is worth the extra 100 euros? I know they're similar bikes but there must be a component difference or something...

Something no one's mentiond so far, are you gonna be locking this thing up outside? If so, consider something less.. attractive than carbon seat stays and fork.
Otherwise, if you're looking at the sirrus, you might as well get a full blown road bike with a set of secondary brake levers on the top of the bars so you can ride it like a sirrus when you want but fully tuck in in the drops when you're ready for it.
Don't forget to factor in money for some clipless pedals/shoes/gloves (if that's your kind of thing), helmet, and some comfortable clothes.

As far as wheels are, I wouldn't worry about it. I commute through some really nasty potholes in nyc that make cobble stone look like a joke and my 700x25's are just fine for my 20-30 mile daily commute. My road bike had some properly tensioned cheapo mavic cosmos wheels (basically open pro's) with 700x23's and I've rammed into 6-8 inch deep holes at 30mph w/o a problem. Recently rode off a foot high curb (accidentally) with some skinny lightweight carbon wheels and they're fine too. Unless you're really heavy, a suspension is overkill. Not only does it rob efficiency but it also adds unnecessary weight and something else to clean up/freeze up in the winter.

^slvoid, he's in Holland. I can confirm from my experience that it's not a big deal. For that bike, with a decent lock (as recommended in whitelines2's first thread which spawned this), the bike will be just fine. The junkies have a wide range of more easily accessible beaters to steal here, so generally if a decent bike is locked up properly there's little chance of theft. My sexy machine hasn't had any trouble here yet!

When locking up in student areas or in city centre, it is clearly a good idea to double lock (U-lock through frame and rear wheel, and chain lock through front wheel is my choice).

The Van Herwerden shop is in Voorburg (Den Haag), 5-10 minutes walk from the station.

If you can find the time for a quick trip up to Den Haag (and surely you can as you're only 15 mins down the road in Rotterdam), then you can hit two good shops in one stroke.

The first is the Van Herwerden mentioned (here, and the second is a large shop Hans Struijk (here) that is on the back-end of Den Haag Hollands Spoor station. You can check both of those out.

I don't know what model range the Van Herwerden shop has, but if the offers they have on their website are true you can go and check both of those out personally and decide. Hell I'd even offer to come pick you up and drag you out there, only I'm back off to the UK for Easter. Enjoy!