Advice on a hybrid
 

Hi there, I am new to the forums!

I have decided to give up my car because I feel like such a sucker paying these ridiculous gas prices.

I am a n00b to the cycling world, but I am in good physical condition.

My commute to work is 16km (10 miles) each way, 4 days a week. Other than that, I may ride it short distances to visit friends, go to the store, etc.

I am riding in the city and will maybe cut across a park now and then but mostly pavement. There are some little hills, so from what I've read this means I will need multiple gears.

I would like to carry stuff (pretty much just lunchbox and maybe groceries), so I will need panniers on the back. And I would like mudflaps/fenders to protect my clothes from dirty splashes. I think I would prefer flat bars as I like to ride in upright position.

My goal is to make my bike my only mode of transportation, so I am planning to ride in good weather and when it's raining. I think for winters, I might just buy a separate cheaper, crappier mountain bike, and put wide studded tires on it, so I don't have to worry about the salty snow ruining the bike (I'm in Ontario Canada, Greater Toronto Area, and have no experience winter riding but would like to learn). Then I would use the crappy bike for winters only. Is this a good idea?

So for the summer/spring/fall, I am thinking of a hybrid bike, but I'm not sure which ones I should look at. I don't know much about bikes, aside from what I have read on this forum so far. Treks seem to be quite popular.

Price range would be $600 - 800

Any suggestions? Is hybrid a good choice? Any feedback would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Mike

I have have been commuting on my Motobecane cafe express from bikesdirect for alittle while now, I guess you could call it a hybrid, has the mounting holes for racks/baskets/panniers/fenders etc has flat bars and a upright riding position internal gearing(mines the 8 speed),wide tires blah blah blah they also make a steel framed bike with similar components,

stock seat/tires are crap but even with a new seat/tires/panniers it would still be in the bottom of your price range, as far as winter riding idk there is no winter in CA

overall though I would highly recommend it

Giant City Escape. Comes pre-setup for commuting, including a rear rack, and fenders.

A hybrid will handle a 10 mile commute without issues. For winter a lot of people use beater bikes, although internal gear hubs and carbon belt drives are becoming more popular. Even if you use a chain and replace it every winter, that's only $15 a year.

Not sure why someone would need a hybrid bike! A hybrid bike is sort of like a cross bike but with flat bars instead of drop bar. On long rides drop bars offer more hand positions then a flat bar will so you will be more comfortable with drop bars found on cross bikes. Either bike can do mild off road riding if you need to, which means they can also handle pot hole streets and jumping curbs with ease. Either bike should come with eyelets for fenders on the front and panniers on the rear...but always make sure don't assume!!

Anyway the Motobecane that ToastyToad mentioned is a good bike, he got here: http://www.bikesdirect.com/ Just click on the hybrid tab to see those and click on the road tab then cyclocross to see those. The Giant is a nice bike too so look at that one as well, but also look at Raleigh, Fuji and Kona line of bikes; and try to find closeouts on last year's models instead of buying 2012 model.

I would stay away from bikes with shock forks unless your going to riding in rough off road stuff, they weigh a lot especially on lower end bikes, and add to the cost of the bike which means they had to put something else cheap on the bike to make up for the cost of the fork to keep the price around $500 vs a non shocked bike. And from your description of what surfaces you'll be riding on it didn't sound like you'll be needing a bike with shocks.

:welcome To Bike Forums, Latercar!

We will try to answer all of your questions to the best of our abilities.

From what you've described, I can only recommend the Jamis Coda Series.

Both the Jamis Coda Sport and the Jamis Coda Comp are well within your budget. The Comp comes with better componentry (but not that much better). Both can be equipped with rack and fenders, because they come complete with ample amount of eyelets.

Each comes with stock 32mm wide tires, but can be accomodated with 38mm tires.

You don't really need two different bikes with the Coda. You don't need one for the winter and one for the remaining seasons. The Coda is a universally all-seasons type of bicycle. The only change that you might make, would be to go from wide treaded tires in the winter, possibly back to slick narrow tires for the remaining seasons.

The Jamis Coda Comp is an award-winning bicycle. It won Bicycling Magazine's Editor's Choice Award for being the best flatbar hybrid of 2011. The Jamis Coda Comp is fast, smooth, agile, and versatile. Instead of spending more money for a "winter" bike, IMO it would be more prudent to invest an extra $200 or so towards the Jamis Coda Elite, which comes complete with Avid BB 7 disc brakes. The type of brakes that will most certainly be appreciated next winter.

The Jamis Coda Elite
www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/street/coda/12_codaelite.html

- Slim :)

PS.

When you buy a bicycle made of chromoly steel, it's not just a purchase, it's an investment!

Get Hybrid----install Trekking Bars---- hand position issue solved!

News Flash!

Not everyone likes dropbars.
Wearing winter gloves makes operating the brake levers (brifters) on dropbars difficult. In case of spill, brake levers (brifters) are more prone to damage on dropbars.
Not everyone likes dropbars.

I recommend the Scott Sub series or Specialized Sirrus.
And, oh, get one with disc brakes.

Trek PDX is nice.

Welcome later car!

Your budget allows for a decent bike and accessories.

Living in the GTA, I'm in agreement that you should consider a hybrid. Having a slightly more upright posture than riding in drops will help you navigate the Toronto streets with ease.

While I am partial to Kona-brand bikes, this time I would recommend you check out Mountain Equipment Co-op. They just started selling their own brand of bikes a couple of years ago.

I just picked up a discontinued last year's model Shadowlands from MEC for $250 off the list price. If you're lucky, the Toronto store may still have some on sale.

They also have bikes with internally geared hubs, which might also be ideal for Toronto conditions, including salt in the winter time.

Let us know what you come across and I'm sure the friendly people around here will chime in with helpful suggestions!

Welcome to the group. Don't sell the car right away -- circumstances may come up that require its use, or you may find that cycling for all your needs isn't as great as you thought it was.

I've got a hybrid (Trek 7500) and upgraded the seat (my bumm didn't like the stock seat) & handlebars (to trekking bars). I use the bike for commuting, grocery getting, and joy rides with a little utility cycling thrown in.

I live in a medium sized city with a lot of bike lanes and bike paths, decent roads, and a few hills. Overall, I feel a hybrid is a very effective mode of transportation for what I use it for. A road bike or a cross bike would be overkill, although someone with rougher terrain might want a cross bike. I first rode a MTB-converted to a commuter, but running on 2.25 tires just wasn't that efficient, in fact when I test rode a hybrid on 700cc tires I was shocked at the difference.

Two things you'll want to budget for: fenders and a rack. There not must-haves if you don't have the money for them right away, but they sure do make the ride nicer.

Thank you to all for the great advice!

If I ordered a bike online (like from bikesdirect.com as a couple of you suggested), I would have to put it together myself. As a non-mechanically inclined n00b, would this be okay? Or should I buy from a bike shop and pay the extra cash to get them to assemble it?

Do any of you Canucks have advice on good bike shops? Or are there any I should avoid? There are two that are close to me. One is Cyclepath and the other is Via Ciclante.

So is the chain the only thing that can be damaged by the snow/rain? I just assumed the frame, brakes, gear system etc might be ruined as well? If I just need to replace a chain every year, that shouldn't be a big deal.

I googled internal gear hubs and carbon belt drives. I had no idea chainless bikes existed! Very cool. Are all chainless bikes single speed? Can you take hills with these bikes?

Great advice regarding the shock forks! The less weight the better right? Thanks.

Thanks for the welcome, and this sounds great. I will definitely be looking into the Jamis Coda series!

Ooh! I've seen those. Never tried them, but they look very comfortable!

Yeah, I am going to try it out for a while before selling. It's not just the money issue. I also hate driving. :mad: It brings out the worst in me lol

I'm still a bit confused about these things.

So do fenders themselves protect from splashes or do you attach mud flaps on to the fenders? And when you say rack, you mean something like this, correct? And the "pannier" is the bag that sits on the side of the rack?

I think the Sirrus is a really nice bike

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/....jsp?scid=1102

#1, shop the bicycle dealer . then the brand and bike they carry.

the Specialty bike companies are all in competition with each other
so what they offer in a type, at a given price point will be similar.

I note: BF people who like what they got will tout it ,
but if the dealer of that brand ,
that has sales territory for that brand, where You live,
is not as good as theirs was,
in the human relations and service after the sale part of the deal
satisfaction of customer, you, may not be the same ..

Sales territory is population based,
for example Here the Specialized dealer is in another town,
on the southern border of the county.

Toronto you got plenty of people, so same brand
may be in dealers within a half mile of each other.

The two shops you mentioned both have decent reputations. If you google their store names, you should be able to access some review sites.

Like what was already mentioned, I would also recommend buying a bike at a bike shop. Ordering online would require assembly.

Will you consider Folding bikes?

I use mine more often for commuting and going downtown. I like the option of being able to board the train without much hassle. Or stow it in the trunk of my sedan.

Just a thought.

It is not recommended that someone with no experience buy a bike in a box on line. Not because the assembly required is too difficult, (it isn’t) but because if something is wrong you either won’t notice, or won’t be able to fix it. Best to go with the local shop to ensure everything is right. Visit the shops in your area and talk with them. Try out some bikes and go with the shop that makes you feel most comfortable. Let us know how it goes!

I had no problems with my order online, the bike came extremely well packaged and all you basically have to do is bolt on front wheel/handlebars/pedals/seat took less than 30min most of the time was taking it out of the packing, the gears and brakes were already adjusted

Look at the Giant Seek 3. $700 and isn't flashy enough to draw attention and has disc brakes. I have a Seek 2 from 2009 and it's been a great bike. It doesn't seem like there is a lot of love for the Seek line-up here, but I like mine.

The chain isn't the only thing which can be damaged by snow...well, in the urban environment the snow isn't as bad as all the salt that is put on the roads. Winter riding requires regular maintenance, like rinsing & drying the bike off after a ride, using a winter lube for the chain (or a lighter lube more often), etc. Basically anything that can rust needs to be cleaned, including the frame if it is steel.

Fenders are preferred for commuting because without them, anytime you ride over water the bike's rear tire will pick up the water and throw it, so even if it is not raining but the roads are wet, when you arrive at the end of your commute without fenders, you'll have a wide stripe of water and mud up your back and on the rear of your helmet. Even with a waterproof jacket, if I ride one of my fenderless bikes I'm a little embarrassed if I go to the grocery store and walk around with a water stripe up my back, even though I'm completely dry. The front fender helps keep water and mud out of the chain ring and crankset.

Yes, what you linked to is a bike rack. They come in very handy when carrying work clothes for the commute, groceries, etc. The advantage to having a rack is that the bike carries the weight and not you, like if you only used a backpack, and your back won't get as sweaty like it will when there is a backpack on it.

Even if you're a complete noob at mechanical stuff all you have to do is take the bike into any LBS (or friend who is not a noob), and the LBS can have it put together and adjusted in less then 20 minutes at a cost of no more then $75.

Some of that putting together you should already know...the WHEELS! If you can fix a flat then you can install the wheels on that bike.

I think if you take your time and follow the directions, or at least find someone you know with mechanical abilities, you can easily have your bike together in 1 hour and be sipping your favorite beer while you goggle your new bike.

Here is a You Tube (2 parts) on the assembly of a bike. I pretty sure that most if not all the Bikes Direct bikes ship their bikes with the derailleur already attached, at least that's the way my friend's Motobecane came. Also the he mentions in part 2 possibility of cutting the steer tube, this will not have to be done from any bike from BD; nor glue in the star nut. I chose this You Tube video because he assembles the bike without a bike stand which I doubt you have. But watch the video several times before you get yours in the mail so you have kind of a picture of what you need to do. Like I said the BD bike will be easier to assemble then the Arts Cyclery bike, it's just for you to get an image.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6IyI...eature=related
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjc-j...feature=relmfu

For the question, "Are all chain-less bikes single speed?", the answer is no. These bikes typically feature an internal gear hub that can house from 3 to 14 gears, depending on the hub. Yes, you can tackle hills with them.

I have been happy with the specialized sirrus base event hybrid. Now I have only used it for3 months. I love it. Shifts great, speed is good,brakes well to. I can hold 14-15 mph without really being in bicycling shape. I would recommend it. Got it from eriks for around 450. Sorry don't remember exactly. It is a lot better than my mongoose mountain bike from walmart.

Thanks again, everyone, lots of food for thought here.

So I have perused the LBS sites, but with the exception of the Giant Seek, not many of them have the brands recommended, just similar ones (i.e. I found the Giant Escape 0, but not the Giant Escape City, etc.) So I was thinking maybe I should order one online, but then I would not be able to be fitted.

Is a "bike fitting" at a LBS important? Or can you do it yourself somehow?

If I bought a bike from bikesdirect website, how would I know what my size is? They have a sizing chart, but how would I know how long I want the seat tube, etc?

Determine the geometry of the bikesdirect bike in question. Find a comparable bike of similar geometry at a LBS. Mount and test-ride that similar bike. If you like, you can purchase that similar bike, at the local bike shop. If you decide not to do so, at least you'll know the size of bike with that geometry that either fits or doesn't fit. ;)

- Slim

What are your dimensions? Height? Inseam?

We can do ballpark guesstimate. You might have to change stem length for proper fit.