Hello,

Hello! I'm new to forum posting so I hope I am doing this right. On our way home from a bike riding event our bike rack fell off of the car and my bike hit the ground first. We should have checked our webbing on the rack since we keep it on year round and the straps were showing some wear. An expensive and sad lesson. I had a giant cypress lx that I really liked. I bought it three years ago and used it to ride the neighborhood, do errands and bike trails. When I purchased it I loved the comfort of the hybrid with the upright handlebars and suspension. I took it to the shop where I bought it and they can fixed it for $240. Mainly replacing the two wheels that were quite warped. The frame has some scratches and the seat is ripped but the mechanic said he thought it was worth fixing. I think I paid about $450 for it. Since it has disc brakes it needs a special wheels that are on backorder and the shop does not know when they will be available. Since I have been riding more I have been thinking about doing some more distance or charity riding, maybe 30 or so miles. I am trying to decide to fix my bike (although the mechanic says he can fix it I question if it will be the same since it hit the pavement so hard) or replace it with something more suitable for distance riding. I am a little afraid that I may not adjust to the flat handlebars and lack of suspension. When I tested the Giant FCR3w my hands/arms became uncomfortable. I might not have been riding in the correct position. My suspended seatpost from the cypress would fit on it. I also rode the Specialized Vita but they did not have the correct size frame but I liked the one I rode. I am going to go back when they get my size in and test it again. The bikes were not as comfortable as the cypress but I loved how much easier they were to pedal. My questions are do you think a bike that hit the pavement hard could be made to ride as good as new or am I likely to have problems? How hard is it to get use to a fitness bike coming from a hybrid? Do your hands/arms hurt on the fitness bike or is it something you can adjust with the bike and positioning. Any opinions suggestions would be greatly appreciated becase I'm having trouble making a decision. Thanks! Holly

Whassup?

If getting new wheels is almost as much as it is to replace the bike, I'd replace it and sell the old one as is. That should off set your expense of the new bike. Take your time to find that bike that is right for you.

Yes

Hi Holly.

Sorry to hear the sad news about your bike.
If you're thinking of longer rides or charity rides (usually 50-100+ miles) you should definitely consider something a little faster than a hybrid. I've seen people riding mountain bikes and hybrids on longer rides (centuries and metric centuries) and they really looked like they were suffering. Something more like a road bike or a bike with geometry similar to road bike geometry will be much more comfortable on long rides.

The FCR probably felt uncomfortable simply because you aren't used to that riding position. Move your hands around often to relieve hand/arm fatigue. Were you wearing padded cycling gloves? If not, they will be a tremendous help with the problem.

Going from a hybrid to a road bike can be a big step unless your body is telling it's time to move up. You'll quickly adapt to the new position and you'll enjoy those long rides.

BTW: Not sure where you got that forum name of "oldermom". If you have a 9 year old you can't be very old. My youngest is 27 and I'm 63 and I'm still a kid.

I think I'm going to go against the grain here and suggest that you go ahead and fix the bike. You have been happy with it for 3 years and like the riding position.

If you choose to do longer rides, chances are you aren't going to do them very often so you will be going through some discomfort on the long term for a gain in efficiency that you won't use often.

Now it should be noted that I think "comfort bikes" like the Cypress are horrid. When I got serious about riding, my wife and I started on comfort bikes, specifically the Specialized Expedition which was very similar to your Cypress. Then we went to road bikes, and that was a move in the wrong direction for her so she went to a recumbent. The disparity between me on a road bike and her on the recumbent made it challenging to ride together, so I've recently gone to a recumbent as well.

We tend to do longer rides as a rule, so our goals were different.

You can build on your miles with your bike. I did a metric century on the Expedition and it was brutal, but at least you'd be starting with something you already like.

My bike is one step up from the basic Cypress and it's not at all unusual for me to do 30+ miles on both Saturday and Sunday, as well as the usual 10-15 miles each weekday morning. Get the replacement wheels; they're still less expensive than a new bike.

Thanks for all the opinions! It gives me a lot to think about. Those who suggest fixing are there any concerns about the whipping it took falling? Oldermom comes from the fact that I am 51 am almost 52 and had a surprise when I was 42. I was also a younger mom at one time since I also have a 29 and 27 year old. I'm a grandma too!

Get a new bike and keep an eye out on craigslist for a cheap used bike you can rob parts from to fix yours. Basicaly if the bike has the same size rims and the same number of gears in the back, the wheels should swap.

What an opportunity to upgrade. Get a new one.

Opportunity has essentially the same meaning here as "excuse".

I am very tempted to upgrade. I will be doing some more testing to be sure. The only problem with looking for used wheels is that the cypress lx has disc breaks. I need 700c disc compatible 8 speed. Is it possible to find those used? Thanks!

Sorry, I didn't relize you needed disk wheels. Used will be tough, but I just found these VUELTA Pro29er Multi Speed WHEELSET at bikeisland.com for $149. They are about the cheapest wheelset you can get. I have a pair of the 26 inch version and they have held up for a couple of years now.

It sounds like the wheels took most of the beating. Make sure that your mechanic checked the frame for cracks if you decide to go this way, but if he or she is competent they already did when you told them what happened.