In the one year since restarting bike riding at the age of 62 I've been through a Trek DS hybrid, Specialized Sectuer road bike, Seven Axiom steel roadie and my latest a Salsa Vaya. My experience with the Trek DS is as others have mentioned that it was mostly a compromise and quite heavy bike. The Sectuer is a great road bike with more upright endurance geometry which I was very happy with till the Seven came up used at almost a giveaway price from my LBS. It's a great steel ride with 9sp ultegra, 8 years old and my favorite. I recently got the bug for an all around touring type and picked up a Salsa Vaya 3 which seems like it would be right up your alley. It's a lot of fun on the road unloaded surprisingly for such a heavier bike and loves dirt and gravel roads and paths and is very stable when fully loaded with plenty of room for big tires and fenders.You could easily meet your budget for a bike like that including pedals, clothing and all the rest of the gear that makes for an enjoyable riding experience.

The Trek and the Sectuer will be up for sale soon.

For hybrids toss the Jamis Coda and Giant Escape lines on for a look too.

I'm waffling around on a similar decision myself. Looking at CX or a hybrid due to tire flexibility in choices. Two days ago it was CX, but I'm wobbling back to a higher end hybrid again as 28's are faster than the 35's a CX comes with...then again you can swap out tires on the CX the other way. I absolutely ruled out road race bikes due to the small tire sizes and having had horrible luck with them years ago with flats from debris or rough surfaces. I want paths, street, occasional smooth dirt trails etc.

Heh, as an OCD engineering type when it comes to buying any gear...it can be a bit crazy to pick.

Do test ride a bunch, consider carefully flat bars vs drop bars and the fact that flat bars limit your hand positions. It's one of the big gaps in my case between a hybrid and a CX bike as converting from flat bars to drop can be expensive due to changing the controls around.

The bikes you listed are all quite high end, ride some of the next level down in the line too, you may find what is a rather big price jump from one line of gear, say Tiagra to Ultegra isn't good value for you. It's a good $400+ jump generally, just something else to ponder. Buy what you feel is best, but I found the mid lines to be better than I expected and a world better than what I had in the 80's that was considered high end then. Each line tends to have the same frame, but with different gear setups on them. Sometimes wheel quality changes or bottom bracket quality changes, have to weigh out what you are getting and if you would really notice or care.

This is the Right answer. All that first bike is there for is to tell you what you should have bought in the first place and put you on track as to what the next bike will be.

Currently you have no idea what sort of riding you will be doing. If it is going to be on Road the majority of the time then a road bike could make sense providing you can ride with your head between your knees. The ride position does not suit every one initially and can take some getting used to. Unless going off road most of the time then a mountain bike is not the right bike. Hybrids and to me they are a compromise but that compromise works for a lot of people. Basically a road bike with straight handlebars and they work on body comfort and on road riding.

So first thing to do is get a few test rides. Hybrids and road bikes just to see what takes you fancy for the first bike. you will soon know the style that suits you. Then it comes down to size- set-up and fit of the bike and that is where the LBS is important. Find the LBS and you will buy the brands they sell as within a price range there is little difference between manufacturers.

Oregon made Bike Fridays are nice.. I have a 406_20" wheel Pocket Llama ..

my gear guy thing had me snap up one at a discount,
delivery refused by it's original BTO consumer, due to the color shade.

it has disc brakes and a Rohloff IGH.


as there is the partial fold/ knockdown for travel into a standard suitcase,
there is the potential to carry them in the trunk of the car..

Their Tikit is a faster Fold . smaller 349_16" wheels..
for commuting using multiple travel modes.

gearheads delight , many component options are offered.

Not bad advise, but I take issue with two points. Not all road bikes are like riding with your head between your knees. Lots of relaxed geometry road bikes. Second, while a minority of hybrids are flat bar road bikes, more typically they are mountain bikes with 700c wheels.

After 16 years of MTB's and when I went road I rode on the flat of thge bars. Even going forward to the hoods felt strange and I could not get down into the drops for more than 20 seconds for about 6 months. That was a relaxed geometry bike aswell but after the MTB's it felt very strange. But a hybrid will have Rigid forks. If it has suspension forks it will either be a "Comfort" bike or a "29er" The corresponding weight is not anywhere near a road bike either. That is not the original form of a hybrid which is a road bike with straight bars over here and I dare say the US too. But I have also seen the term "Hybrid" applied to electric bikes by one big manufacturer

Retro Grouch has it right with bents. If you are a person who likes to discuss to a ridiculous level the advantages of one gear over another or this grease over that grease or think aerodynamics are the bomb, a recumbent is for you!

Thanks everyone for your input...

Here has what occurred so far:

LBS#1 is 15 minutes my office and about 30 minutes from home. A very large well stocked Cannondale and Trek dealer. They were very nice and spent time with me. They pointed me at only hybrid and cyclocross bikes. I rode a hybrid (Trek 7.5 SX) and a cyclocross (Cannondale CAADX Disc Ultegra). No real in depth sizing observation other than some observation. I am 6'-2"+ and they felt the 56" size was perfect for me. I was a bit suspect that it may be because it is what they had but I do not know for certain.

LBS#2 is 25 minutes from my office and 35 minutes from home. A large well stocked Specialized and Trek dealer. They were very nice and spent time with me. They pointed me at cyclocross and some road bikes. It was pouring out during my visit so I was not able to demo ride and they were suggesting some models that were available by order but not in stock. They were recommending a new 2014 Specialized Crux Carbon 105 model (cyclocross). They didn't have one in but they put another model with the same size frame (58") and adjusted the seat post and observed me pedaling on a stationary rig and said that was the right size with a more upright stem.

LBS#3 is 20 minutes from my office and 20 minutes from my home. It is a much smaller shop with far less inventory of Giant and Jamis bikes. They were very nice and spent time with me. He emphasized that i would be happier on a well fit $700 bike than a poorly fit multi-thousand dollar bike and recommended two things: 1) They wanted to do a fitting on me for a one time $75 fee for a report that I could use anywhere. 2) They were pointing me at more relaxed upright road bikes and no hybrids or cyclocross bikes. Two bikes that they did not have but recommended were: Giant Defy Composite 1 or a Jamis Xenith Endura Comp. they said that aside from road riding that the tow path was doable with these road bikes (made me wonder)

I liked the approach of LBS#3 in suggesting I get measured on Friday. It will tell me a few things:

1) Was LBS #1 selling me a bike that was the incorrect size because it was in stock?
2) Was LBS#2 correct in suggesting a larger frame or were they mis judging me?

I will still be left with two LBS choices to decide between. LBS #3 is suggesting a road bike and LBS #1 and LBS #2 both suggested a cyclocross bike.

Like dogs smelling fear, bike salesmen smell your indecisiveness and fill it with whatever. Sort of like this thread.

RE: fit. Everyone's proportions are different, but I would think 56 cm frame is a bit small for 6'2". The thing about the fit sounds good, but I would ask if the $75 could go towards the purchase of a new bike. I like that they said about the importance of fit, though their suggestions of the Xenith Endura Comp and Defy Composite seems a bit aggressive and road specific for my taste and more importantly, for a person who says he wants to ride a tow path or dirt trail. Surprised they didn't suggest the Bossanova.

The first bike I bought as an adult was a 1997 Bianchi Advantage hybrid. It was a nice, do anything bike and over the years, I made efforts to roadify what was, basically, a mountain bike with 700 c wheels and a rigid fork. I don't really see modern hybrids as all that different.

There are two Salsa dealers in New Jersey. https://salsacycles.com/index.php/dea...lts/region/NJ# If one is reasonably nearby, do yourself a favor and check out the Vaya 3 and possibly the All City Spacehorse.

I would have bought the Endura but I couldn't get one that fit. Instead, I have another bike that will take 28 width tires, like the Endura will take. I spent last week riding it on the Elroy-Sparta trail in Wisconsin. This trail isn't paved and the bike did fine on the finely ground limestone surface. The surface was really good quality though, and I don't know what your tow path is like. My inclination would be go more towards a cross bike just so you can get wider tires. So, I repeat my suggestion of trying to find a Salsa Vaya to try.

I agree with the fit advice.

Listen to DF, especially that last line.

To that I'd add, disconnect your brain.

Engineers are far too likely to overthink a bike purchase, and buy based upon intellectual ideals, or design theoreticals.

Cycling is a physical activity, not an intellectual one.

Further, it's your emotional attachment to cycling that will keep you cycling. So it makes sense to buy the bike that makes your body happiest, and the one that gives you the biggest s**t-eatin' grin. That will be the bike you love and will ride and ride and ride. The one bought for its design theory or some other ideals? Not so much.

It's also important to remember that the purpose of your first bike is to teach you what you want and need in your second bike. So don't go all out, and feel free to experiment a little.

I started out on a bike path hybrid. Cost me $380 in 2006. I did all my learning with it, made all my newbie mistakes with it, and rode the hell out of the thing, putting on just shy of 3,500 miles in nine months. At 2,000 miles, the salesman I bought it from told me, "If I'd known you were going to ride like that, I'd have sold you a better bike."

That first bike taught me what type of cyclist I wanted to become, and that dictated a road bike. Looking back, a roadie wouldn't have been the right choice for me as a first bike, even though every one I've owned since (five of them) have been roadies. Sometimes, you just need to start on a starter bike and follow where it leads you.

Bikes are like clothes. One maker's L may fit nicely, but in another maker's, you need an XL. In clothing, it's the cut that counts, not the letters on the tag. And it's not so different in cycling.

I currently own two 56s, a 57 and a 58. The "contact points"--that is, the bars, saddle and pedals--are in exactly the same position relative to one another on each bike. In other words, despite their being different "sizes", each bike has been fitted to the same measurements, and thus, fits me in exactly the same way.

One of my 56s is a 2006 Trek Portland. When I was buying it, I was riding a 58cm Trek 1000. They each fit me well, despite being two different sizes from the same maker. It's the "cut" that counts.

For the record, "size" refers to only one measurement--the seat tube. Fitting depends more on the head tube (connecting the handlebars and fork) and the top tube. This is why experienced cyclists disregard the size and look more at the specific measurements of these two tubes.

For instance, seven years down the road, I know that a road bike with a top tube around 565mm and a head tube around 170mm will fit me perfectly, assuming 73° head and seat tube angles. That's what I look at, and I can buy a bike sight unseen based on those two measurements and two angles. In fact, I've purchase my last two bikes based on the geometry sheet alone, and have been delighted with them. One is the 57, the other a 58.

Because the top and head tube make such a difference in fit, your position--changing your body angle relative to 90°--alone can swing you between two sizes.

So don't sweat the sizes. Go by your fitter's advice, and how your body feels. Bear in mind too that as you become stronger and more flexible, your position on the bike, and thus your fit, will change.

DF offers sage advise - take it, ignore the other noise.

Okey dokey then...

1) Get fit dimensions (know. My size)
2) Pick a LBS that you want to develop a long-term relationship with
3) Get a ~$1k hybrid dejour as bike no.1
4) Go riding for a year, see if you like it and what aspects interest you
5) Spend more serious money if and when bike no.2 is more clear in ones mind & life

Thanks very much!

I will let you know what I end up doing.

:-)

OP, LBS 3 sounds as if they are acting in your best interests, especially with regard to encouraging you to buy a cheaper bike that fits in preference to a more expensive bike that may not suit you.

And good luck with sorting through the conflicting advice in this thread. You know what they say about opinions...

LBS #1 = Cannondale or Trek
- 15 minutes from work
- 20 minutes from home
- Largest store (2 locations)
- Since 1989

LBS #2 = Specialized or Trek
- 25 minutes from work
- 35 minutes from home
- Middle sized store (3 locations)
- Since 1978

LBS #3 = Giant or Jamis
- 20 minutes from work
- 25 minutes from home
- Smallest Store (1 location)
- Since 1990

LBS #2 is a less convenient than the others in its location so since there is no real difference other than brands, I am putting them out of the mix. LBS #1 is right on my daily commute home, but while they were very nice, but they may have been trying to sell me on a too small of a bike (tbd). LBS #3 had the best approach, is slightly less convenient but doable but has an extremely modest inventory of bikes and accessories compared to LBS#1 .

I am visiting LBS #3 tomorrow to be measured/fitted.

1) If the fitting shows the bikes that LBS#1 were proposing were too small, I will buy the bike from LBS #3

2) if the fitting shows that bikes that LBS #1 s suggestion was correct despite their abbreviated approach toward fitting, I will still consider them along with LBS #3 due to their scope and convenient location.

I suppose you are buying into a shop's convenience of location, expertise in finding the right bike (and future bikes) for their clients and ability to properly service. i suppose you are also buying into the culture and attitudes as well, but it is difficult to assess these based on a brief encounter.

You have convinced me. You are an engineer!

Frankly I think you are not giving enough weight to Denver Fox's recommendations. Essentially, you don't even know the questions to ask right now. At the beginner level "fitting" is pretty general. If my experience is any guide what fits you now will not be very comfortable once you get your fitness up to snuff.

Don't spend more money than you can feel comfortable flushing down the toilet. At this point you don't even know if you are going to like cycling. Yet, you are treating the evolution like a design build project for some municipality somewhere. Somehow, put that into another compartment and buy something that appeals to your emotions and that you could, quite literally, give away if you don't like bicycling.

Ride for a few months. If you still like cycling you can find the store that sells what you want and whose people value you. Brand is not very important in this regard. Model is even less so except as it reflects what matches your Knowledgeable desire.

I think that I am following his suggestion:

My suggestion is to get a nice hybrid. Brand is not generally an issue. They are all good. but, the LBS (local bike store) you buy it from IS. Generally you are buying a bike store, who will fit you on a bike, and the proper fit IS an issue. Also, a "road equipped" mtn bike can do very nicely.

I choosing a shop, I am buying a nice hybrid, and I am making sure that it is well fit. I rode regularly from age 25-40 (mountain biking) and stopped when I move away from my terrain and friends. I am confident that I will ride. I think the question which was properly suggest by this forum was to wait a year or so to see what bike 2 should be once I have put some miles behind me. That is what I am doing. My decision on the bike now is based more on SHL and fit than brand or model.

I frankly am at a bit of a loss to your response.

Hey, somebody has to design the bikes you enjoy...:-)

iim7v7im7,

Good move on the 3rd shop.

Your clarification sure puts a different slant on it, at least to these eyes. What you are doing sure seems reasonable to me.

I like DnvrFox's advice, but don't rule out a drop bar bike. Most companies offer a few models of versatile, non competition oriented road bikes or cyclocross bikes. I am most familiar with Specialized (I sell them) and the Sectuer and Tricross lines are what I am referring to. Other brands have comparable models. That said, you may prefer the flat bar design of a hybrid, but it would make sense to consider all options before deciding. While it is true that you will likely be getting another bike later if the cycling bug bites you, that doesn't always mean the first bike has to go away. Many of us keep a fleet of different bikes for different kinds of riding.