Your Choice of these Bikes Please
05-14-10 | 12:03 AM
#1
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Newbie
Joined: May 2010
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Your Choice of these Bikes Please
I've been lurking and reading for a while, I would like your opinions on these bikes.
I last rode decades ago, Peugeot was one of the hot road bikes back then. :-) I plan to start commuting (about 15 miles a day, minor hills) and have narrowed my list to two bikes. I also want to buy local which limits the choice severely; small town. Since I plan to ride in all weather the bike will have fenders, a rear rack for panniers, lights etc. I'm looking at entry-level comfort or hybrid bikes since I'm pushing 60 and fairly beat up. I don't think I would get along with a road bike very well.
Enough background; the bikes I have narrowed the list to are the Trek Allant and the Fugi Crosstown 4 (of course I would have to add fenders etc to the Fugi). Basically looking for something around five bills or so. The only other brand sold around around here that might fit that is Raleigh, but I didn't see anything in that line that appealed although suggestions would be great. Please don't advise the used route as there is no used market for decent bikes in this area and I wouldn't even think about buying used anything sight unseen. Any other suggestions are appreciated.
TIA
I last rode decades ago, Peugeot was one of the hot road bikes back then. :-) I plan to start commuting (about 15 miles a day, minor hills) and have narrowed my list to two bikes. I also want to buy local which limits the choice severely; small town. Since I plan to ride in all weather the bike will have fenders, a rear rack for panniers, lights etc. I'm looking at entry-level comfort or hybrid bikes since I'm pushing 60 and fairly beat up. I don't think I would get along with a road bike very well.
Enough background; the bikes I have narrowed the list to are the Trek Allant and the Fugi Crosstown 4 (of course I would have to add fenders etc to the Fugi). Basically looking for something around five bills or so. The only other brand sold around around here that might fit that is Raleigh, but I didn't see anything in that line that appealed although suggestions would be great. Please don't advise the used route as there is no used market for decent bikes in this area and I wouldn't even think about buying used anything sight unseen. Any other suggestions are appreciated.
TIA
05-14-10 | 12:47 AM
#2
Hooligan
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,431
Likes: 1
From: Base of the Rocky Mountains, Canada. Wonderous things!
Bikes: 2010 Cannondale Hooligan 3
Facts section:
1. The Allant has a 28/38/48t triple crank and an 11-32 cassette. This means that this bicycle is equipped with a wide range of gears, and would be well suited to a commute with hills.
The Crosstown has a single crank with a 44t ring and a 13-34 freewheel. The Crosstown will have less gears to manage, but also a much lower overall range of gears.
2. Shimano Acera (as equipped on the Allant) is superior to Shimano Tourney (as equipped on the Crosstown)
3. According to the specifications of these bicycles, the Allant is equipped with a cassette equipped rear hub, the Crosstown with a freewheel equipped rear hub. The cassette style on the Allant provides superior axle strength, subjectively more accurate shifting, and it is easier to find cassettes with wide ratios. Freewheel selection is generally relegated to basic, low end choice nowadays.
Opinions:
1. As a mechanic, when it comes to entry-level brakes, I prefer Tektro brakes (Allant) to Promax brakes (Crosstown). Tektro may not be a high performance name, but their equipment is quite serviceable.
2. I also prefer the high sweep bars on the Allant over the more riser-ish bars on the Crosstown when it comes to good ergonomics and comfort for city riding. I'm a personal fan of high sweep bars, such as those found on the Allant.
3. I think that if you're riding up hills, i'd consider going for the Allant over the Crosstown. It may depend on whether you've got real hills about, and how you feel about having the extra gears to manage, but the Allant has a much easier climbing setup than the Crosstown does. It also has a higher top end, and more gears to choose from in general.
4. I don't personally like low end suspension seatposts. Again, as a mechanic, I get lots of bikes in the shop which have these poorly made suspension seatposts that develop quite a bit of wobbling about, and they're just not that great to ride around on. I consider the addition of a suspension seatpost on the Crosstown to be a detriment as opposed to a benefit, personally.
5. The Allant is better looking than the Crosstown, to me. It has more class. I think it looks quite nice.
Conclusion: I much prefer the Trek Allant, and considering that it comes fully equipped as well, I think that it reflects good value for the price.
As for other bikes? Raleigh makes a bunch of comfort / hybrid bikes.
I happen to really like the Raleigh Roadster, just as an example. It has good quality parts, better than both the Allant and the Crosstown. I think the looks are very classy, and the price is also right. The biggest possible downside is that again, this bicycle has a single ring crankset like the Crosstown and won't have as wide a gear range as the Allant. But if you can manage that, I personally like this bike a lot, just as another quick one to throw out there.
1. The Allant has a 28/38/48t triple crank and an 11-32 cassette. This means that this bicycle is equipped with a wide range of gears, and would be well suited to a commute with hills.
The Crosstown has a single crank with a 44t ring and a 13-34 freewheel. The Crosstown will have less gears to manage, but also a much lower overall range of gears.
2. Shimano Acera (as equipped on the Allant) is superior to Shimano Tourney (as equipped on the Crosstown)
3. According to the specifications of these bicycles, the Allant is equipped with a cassette equipped rear hub, the Crosstown with a freewheel equipped rear hub. The cassette style on the Allant provides superior axle strength, subjectively more accurate shifting, and it is easier to find cassettes with wide ratios. Freewheel selection is generally relegated to basic, low end choice nowadays.
Opinions:
1. As a mechanic, when it comes to entry-level brakes, I prefer Tektro brakes (Allant) to Promax brakes (Crosstown). Tektro may not be a high performance name, but their equipment is quite serviceable.
2. I also prefer the high sweep bars on the Allant over the more riser-ish bars on the Crosstown when it comes to good ergonomics and comfort for city riding. I'm a personal fan of high sweep bars, such as those found on the Allant.
3. I think that if you're riding up hills, i'd consider going for the Allant over the Crosstown. It may depend on whether you've got real hills about, and how you feel about having the extra gears to manage, but the Allant has a much easier climbing setup than the Crosstown does. It also has a higher top end, and more gears to choose from in general.
4. I don't personally like low end suspension seatposts. Again, as a mechanic, I get lots of bikes in the shop which have these poorly made suspension seatposts that develop quite a bit of wobbling about, and they're just not that great to ride around on. I consider the addition of a suspension seatpost on the Crosstown to be a detriment as opposed to a benefit, personally.
5. The Allant is better looking than the Crosstown, to me. It has more class. I think it looks quite nice.
Conclusion: I much prefer the Trek Allant, and considering that it comes fully equipped as well, I think that it reflects good value for the price.
As for other bikes? Raleigh makes a bunch of comfort / hybrid bikes.
I happen to really like the Raleigh Roadster, just as an example. It has good quality parts, better than both the Allant and the Crosstown. I think the looks are very classy, and the price is also right. The biggest possible downside is that again, this bicycle has a single ring crankset like the Crosstown and won't have as wide a gear range as the Allant. But if you can manage that, I personally like this bike a lot, just as another quick one to throw out there.
Last edited by Abneycat; 05-14-10 at 01:04 AM.
05-14-10 | 08:48 PM
#3
Thread Starter
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Joined: May 2010
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Abneycat,
Thank you for the detailed reply. I was tending toward the Allant and your reply confirmed it. I will see if the local shop has a Roadster to test. I don't think a more limited gear set will effect me on the commute, testing will tell. Thanks again.
Thank you for the detailed reply. I was tending toward the Allant and your reply confirmed it. I will see if the local shop has a Roadster to test. I don't think a more limited gear set will effect me on the commute, testing will tell. Thanks again.
