I'm about to buy a new bike and need your help

Purpose:
1. home-work-home - 30 min riding each side - quite easy road - 3 times a week
2. traveling on weekends - trails - once a month

Based on my budget and the store I have I now have two option:
1. specialized jynx 650b for women
2. haro double peak 29 trail

The specialized are very good for women shape, while the haro has a better spec

Any inputs that can help me make the choice?

Thanks!!

The one that fits best.

Which one makes your heart sing?
(it really is that simple )

Really, those two answers cover everything.

Personally I wouldn't buy either. *You said you are going to use the bike about approximately 300 trips per year for commuting, 50 trips on weekends traveling but only 12 time on a trail and the bike you choose is a 100% trail bike. Essentially you are buying a bike for those 12 weekends.

I agree for the weekends both bikes are quite nice but depending on how tall you are the 650 might be the better choice. I have never been a fan of the 29'ers especially in the smaller sizes.

You will spend most of your time on a trail bike with big heavy tires, overbuilt frame and front shocks for most of the riding you do. My advice is buy a bike for the type of riding you will do MOST of the time and compromise on the rest. Not a lot of people commute on a mountain bike and for good reason. Hard to put on fenders, no provision for racks and the rolling resistance and weight make it a pig to ride on the road. Of course someone will retort with "I've been doing it for years" and I say great but not the best bike for the job.

I am the first one to say, many posters ask which bike "a or b" and someone comes along and says no you want "c" and it drives me bonkers. They didn't ask for advice on "c". Yet, here I am doing it myself. So to save face, buy the Specialized but whispering to myself, look at an adventure bike with big volume tires to handle the trails.

Good luck with whatever you buy.


*These are approximate numbers extrapolated for a year. Take these with a grain of salt.

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate your help!

[MENTION=96703]blakcloud[/MENTION] - Thanks for the detailed answer

A few more details -
1. I'm 5'4'.
2. I realized that I wasn't completely clear - when I said road, I meant mostly paving sidewalks. This is why I thought a mountain bike would be a better choice (because it's not smooth like an asphalt road).

Do you still think road bikes would be a better choice?

Thanks again!

I would also like to know what you mean by "trails." Do you mean obstacle-laden MTB trails with big drops, huge rocks, steep short climbs over roots and rocks and such? or do you mean packed-earth or packed-gravel trails which are smooth enough to a walk comfortably?

Everyone is different. The perfect bike for you might be the absolute worst for everyone else on the planet.

That said ... I would Never buy a bike with a suspension fork unless I was planning to ride Serious mountain-bike trails ... the kind that are too much of an effort to walk. it's like buying an armored car ... great if people are going to be shooting at you, but a huge load otherwise.

For what you are describing I'd suggest a Fuji Yari or Hanjo (there is a women's specific Hanjo called the Hanjenn I believe) or any other bike in that category. Basically, fattish tires (28-35 mm) and sturdy wheels, rack- and bottle mounts, aluminum frame with a CF fork (Hanjenn might not be CF) but basically ... bikes meant for varies terrain but not obstacle courses.

if you get wide, high-volume tires you should be able to ride with comfort over all the bumps and cracks and uneven sidewalk slabs without any issue, but the bike won't be so heavy that just maneuvering it around saps your energy. The tries will also provide enough flotation that even some loose dirt or gravel won't dump you.

I don't know exactly what you plan to do with your bike, but generally any bike which is designed as a "hybrid commuter" with a front shock, I wouldn't trust on a really serious MTB trail and anything less I wouldn't want to carry that energy-absorbing front shock around.

Naturally, you need to buy the bike you like best, whatever anybody else says. Each of us is different. But look at and consider an unsuspended "gravel" or "adventure" bike along with your other options.

I ride a Sportif with 28-mm tires and even pumped up pretty hard it is just amazing how they smooth out the road compared to the iron-hard 23s on all my other road bikes. At your size you could safely run much lower pressure (I weigh like an eighth of a ton, so my tires need to be hard) and have a much greater level of comfort.

Hi [MENTION=423651]Maelochs[/MENTION]! thanks for your response!

By trails I mean mostly packed-earth or packed-gravel trails.

So according to the responses so far, I understand that from the two options I posted, the Specialized would be a better chioce (they also felt better when I tried them).

I also understand that it will be worth trying a commute/city bike (the only one in the store at my neighborhood that fits for women and that is in my budget is: Specialized Crossroads Step Through). So I'm going to try it as well.

Do you all agree that the Specialized Crossroads Step Through would be better for my needs than the Specialized Jynx 650b? Would I be able to use it for packed-earth/packed-gravel trails as well?

Thank you all! It is really helpful!

Pick the Bike Shop you like first.

Why not one of the newer "all-road" type of bikes? Like a GT Grade, Specialized Diverge, Raleigh Willard, to name a few. I think just about every bike manufacturer has choices in the wider tire "all road" type of bikes.

These are really popular today - you might want to check out that type of bike at your LBS.

I agree with the comment about a diverge. THAT bike will handle everything you've mentioned pleasurably.

You plan to ride sidewalk, a flat bar may be best so you can navigate the people walking easily. However, if you think you will like a drop bar bike, then I'd agree about the diverge or similar bike.

Ask your shop to ride the Specialized Vita. If you chose a bike like this, ask them to replace the tires with a wider set so you can handle the gravel trails easier than the 32mm.

Yeah, a "gravel" or "adventure" bike can fit larger tires, usually at least 38-40mm size. Get tires with smooth treads (not nobbies) and use the appropriate low air pressures for your weight and tire side. It'll handle sidewalk bumps quite well, and be decent on roads, and great on the crushed rock rail trails.

30 minute commutes
There will be days when the roads are still wet, or even a light mist or rain. Or an iffy forecast for the ride home.

Fenders are fantastic on wet roads. It makes a huge difference in comfort if you don't get that wet stripe up your back and wet shoes and socks. I have two bikes, a fast road bike, and an "adventure" bike with a rack and fenders and larger tires. I'll happily go ride the adventure bike on wet days that I'd never take the road bike.

Some of these bikes have the screw holes for fenders at the bottom of the fork , at the rear dropout, and also up at the caliper brake position. It can be harder to find bikes with clearance for fenders that work with the larger tires, though.

That Specialized Diverge doesn't appear to have nearly enough clearance for fenders, and no indication of fender mounts. (A nice bike for dry conditions, though.)

The Specialized Vita has fender mounts. But I'd want to see what width fenders would fit, it looks like it might be limited in tire size with fenders mounted. (Fenders have to have some clearance above the tire, a really tight space gets small bits of twig, leaves, gravel stuck in there.)

For a 30 minute commute, and longer rides on the weekends, I'd want drop bars instead of flat bars. Flat bars are great for shorter trips, and riding where it's congested. The multiple hand positions on a drop bar bike are good on longer trips.

@ womenbyx; Sorry but I am in a hurry and cannot research the bikers you mentioned. Let me please say this though: Don't Rush.

Don't spend the not inconsiderable cash on a bike because "it was the closest thing my local store had to what I want."

Look online, look at different brands, take a weekend day and visit bike shops further away. If the store near you can;'t meet your needs, they simply cannot.

You would never buy a pair of shoes or a pair of slacks which totally didn't fit and didn't look good even if they had fit, just because you wanted a new pair of shoes or slacks. You'd find something you liked ... otherwise you would park it in the closet and ignore it.

Plenty of folks here got as-new three-year-old bikes because someone was in a hurry to buy, bought something s/he didn't like, and ended up riding twice and sticking it in the corner of the garage. When, three years later, s/he decided to sell it, someone who knew what it was capitalized and is now riding some awesome bike for one-third of its sale price.

Don't be the person who bought the wrong bike.

Why should she be unique?

Check out cyclocross bikes too. Although these are tending towards full competition these days, some brands such as Merida make quite humble bikes that will go everywhere in more or less comfort while still offering speed if you want it. The 'adventure bikes' mentioned above derived from these bikes.

But yeah, do a lot more research in a lot more shops. You'll get confused but if you keep at it, you'll find yourself walking into a shop and heading towards a specific section and THAT's when you can start comparing one particular bike with another.

Yes I believe that Crossroads is a better bike for what you said you are going to do with the bike. Unlike many on this board, I don't think most people need drop bars, a flat bar is the better way to go and this bike has that. It also has large volume tires. By playing with air pressure you can let the tires absorb most of the shocks of riding on rougher surfaces. If you have steep hills, the gearing on this bike will allow you to climb them. With what I call the bail out gear in the rear and the triple up front will allow you to climb almost any hill. It has eyelets for fenders and racks. Plus it has a seat made for women. There is a lot going for this bike.

cant help on one bike over another but I can tell you to ride at least three bikes as they will all have a different feel and you may greatly prefer one over another I found I prefer hybrids over a pure road bike or a comfort bike

Decidedly. Try flat-bar and drop-bar, suspension fork, rigid fork, whatever you can find.

You should probably check to see if it is even legal for adults to ride on sidewalks. I avoid sidewalks as much as possible as I don't consider them very safe. But even so, you don't need a heavy, energy sucking suspension fork for paved sidewalks.

Additionally, whatever you choose, since you will be commuting, make sure the frame has braze ons to mount a rear rack.

No, I don't think a true road bike would be your thing, but maybe a gravel bike like the Specialized Diverge, Giant AnyRoad, or Kona Rove, or alternately, a sport hybrid like the Jamis Coda, Kona Dew, Trek FX or Specialized Vita might better suit what you are looking to do, at least as pertains your daily commuting needs.

I agree with those to say not to rush your purchase between two choices your local bike shop has.

And, I also agree with those who say you should buy the bike better suited for what you will use it for 95% of the time. It may be that you will eventually want two bikes; one for commuting and another for trail riding.

100% agree. With few exceptions, bike shops are limited in what they can stock.

I was sure that mountain bikes is what I need, but based on your recommendations I understand I should try a few more types to see what feels better.

Thanks everyone for the great inputs!!

That's a question that we get a lot. My 3 answers have all already been taken.

haro is probably better value