Hi,

I have come to the conclusion that I want two kinds of bikes, a foldable and a full size. I want to focus on the full size now. I know that I want to spend in the range of $500 - $700 for a bike that has a rack and fenders to ride on 70% street and 30% trails (not like a mountain bike) for pleasure and exercise. What has my attention are a Schwinn World Street 2007, Cannondale Quick CX Rigid 2010, Giant Tran Send LX 2010, and one of the Trek 7300 or one of the other “Urban” or “Bike Path” models. Based on what I’ve read some of these selections use low end components. Is my attraction to the disk brake the wrong way to go? I'm on the small side and am very easy on thing in general so I don't think I need the industrial heavy duty type of bike. What are your thoughts on these model? Are there other brand I should consider?


https://www.schwinnbike.com/usa/eng/P...--World-Street

https://www.cannondale.com/bikes/10/c...del-0QRXR.html

https://www2.giant-bicycles.com/en-US...lx/4028/36624/

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...h/hybrid/7300/

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...ncia/valencia/

I haven't looked at your links, but some general comments based on your text.

Unless you plan to ride in the rain or mud disc brakes are probably over-kill. I don't, and I wuld still like them, but can't see spending the money.

If you plan to ride in inclement weather, then you might be on the right track to have disc brakes, but if you can do without them, you will be able to get better components on the rest of the bike.

Also, for a bike in that range, unless you want to compete, the components will be fine.

Also, if you are leaning toward a hybrid, you may want to ask in the Hybrid Cycling forum. I can move this there if you want.

Kona would be worth a good look.

Since ya need to ride before ya buy, take your list of requirements to a LBS, find one that is comfy (aside from the seat) after a 30+ min test ride, and buy. Most bikes in that price range have nearly identical quality parts, unless they have an expensive feature (like disc brakes) that force them to use lower quality components to make up the difference.

Avoid shocks at that price range.

Why not get a drop bar bike? You can get interrupt (cross) brake levers, that let ya ride on the flats for a hybrid like position. You'll have more hand positions, and the ability to tuck if it's windy or ya want to go faster.

You should state what type of riding you're planning on doing with it. If just leisure riding, then most of that stuff is not needed. How far are you planning on riding also? Riding farther than 10 miles or so could potentially be quite uncomfortable with flat bars.

I personally think discs are not really needed and I live in Oregon and ride quite often in the rain. Any brakes and good pads will suffice.

Hey I appreciate the responses! The info is useful and saves me from finding this out after I buy a new bike. I have been to a few LBS already. One told me to look on the Internet for what I like then come back and they could order it. They are a dealer for Schwinn and Giant. Another shop showed me a Specialize Sirrus for $660. That seemed to be a nice bike, but had no fenders or rack and of course it could be added. I got the feeling he wanted to move this bike because he did not show me anything else after I asked what else you got. I obviously did not go to the right LBS. Heck they didn't even offer a test ride. I'm looking for versatility in a bicycle so I figure a commuter or a hybrid will make me happy. I don't plan on touring or racing. Just 1 or 2 hours of exercise or joy riding as well as running errands in comfort. I live in Jersey so I consider it not too bike friendly around town. Too many cars and crazy drivers. I figured the bikes I have listed in the links above could flow with any changes I would want to make like different handle bars or wider tires if my riding habits change. They seemed to be well equipped now. I thought the Cannondale quick CX rigid would be the best out of all of them. The Schwinn seems to offer some good features at a reasonable price.

I have always been partial to Giant bikes. Lot of bike for the money ! Look at their Giant Suede , which I think may be a better choice for you.

This is about right: there's no point getting discs unless they are good discs, and they're not cheap. If you are riding in the rain then, at the price range, I'd go for v-brakes fitted with Kool Stop Salmon brake pads.

Avoid any bike with suspension for a similar reason - non-toy suspension isn't cheap.

I'd stay away from the Sirrus because it can only be fitted with narrow tyres, which means that it is third rate off road. For mixed use a bike should be able to take at least 35mm - more is better - tyres with fenders, and the Sirrus can only take something like 32mm without. In fact, if you told the shop that you wanted to use the bike off road and they tried to sell you a Sirrus, don't go back.

Other than that, find a store that will let you test ride. Giants, Treks and Konas are usually safe bets. Finding the right size of bike for you will probably be more important than finding exactly the right model.

Good advice, but for offroad on drops he'd need a cyclocross bike - a normal drop handle wouldn't be able to take the tyres and would have twitchy handling and inadequate braking power. These really start at, what, a $1000 in the US? It would be VERY hard to find a new crosser for much less than Ł700 in the UK. Still, it might be worth trying a Kona Jake or Specialized Tricross. However, things might then get a little complicated - the gearing on crossers tends to be race oriented and unfriendly to newbies - too little hill climbing power - so he'd have to get advice on cassette changes. A hybrid would be plug-and-play.

Kona Dew Drop can be had for 550-800. IMO it's a great setup.
Also, he didn't say he's going offroad, just trail riding. I'm guessing that means an unpaved MUP. I've seen many riders hauling ass on road bikes (one lady rides a TT bike) with very skinny road tires on the one near me. Has some sizeable gravel in some spots, they do just fine.

He could get a used or new "performance" hybrid (like a trek 7.2/3fx,) slap some drop bars on, and find a set of brifters/bar ends. That'd be on par with a cyclocross bike, at a much lower price point.

Or if aero isn't a big deal, a set of trekking bars gives you plenty of hand positions, and only costs ~$30 for the bars and bar tape. They look a little dorky though. I've got a set on my 7.3fx hybrid and they're good stuff.

Perhaps I'm not using the bike terminology correctly. Maybe I'm not understanding exactly what some terms are like "drop bar" are. Back in my day the 10 speed was basically an English Racer with Bull handle bars. I want a bike that you sit in an upright position so I'm comfortable on a 10 to maybe 20 mile ride on the road. Here in NJ they have bike trails, but they are not rough terrain like a mountain bike (or maybe a trail) would be used. It is more like packed dirt or gravel or both. A hard surface petty much. Most of the bikes I like fall into the urban or commuter category. Some of you seem to be more into the road racing style, where as I my want to speed my ride up sometimes, but I won't be serious about it. Hey the Kona's look nice. I like the Dew Plus (or better yet the Sultra). Maybe I could put fenders and a rack on the Dew Plus. The bottom line is I need to find a good LBS and try some of these bikes out. I will stay away from the supension, but I think the disk breaks are the way to go.

If I were you I'd stay away from drop bars and flat bars, and look for something with swept-back upright bars that resemble the bars on an old 3-speed english racer or schwinn.

I own a disc brake road bike. It's my primary commuter and I have nearly 9,000 happy miles on it so far.

Yet, I agree with the other posters here. If you don't *routinely* ride in the rain and snow, disc brakes add only unnecessary weight, expense, and maintenance.

If you do routinely ride in rain and snow, disc brakes are *very* nice to have, but I'd avoid the low-end brakes on the models shown.

The heavier hubs and rotors on disc brake bikes add weight at exactly the place you don't want it--rotating mass. They add expense, which at the budget end of the product lines, means savings have to come from someplace else--usually in the form of cheaper (read: cheesier) wheels and drivetrain components. And they add maintenance--I'm forever truing my rotors so they don't rub.

In that $500-$700 range, you'll get a much better bike if you can drop the disc brake requirement. If you must have disc brakes, wait while you save enough to afford one with Avid BB7 brakes.

I'd look hard at the Kona Worldbike and Africabike, and the Electra Townie.

OK, I'm making progress. Yesterday I picked up a Schwinn Le tour for my wife at a yard sale. It has the swept-back upright bars like the ones that Randya posted. (Thanks Randya and may I say that is a fine looking machine. Your? It is probably what I'm leaning towards as well, just more gears.) I have been riding the Le Tour and an old Ross EuroSport with the drop down bars.....conclusion = no drop down bar. Now the disc brakes, TSL brings up a point I would have never known until I owned a bike with disc brakes. The Schwinn World Street has the BB5, but the Giant Transend LX, Kona Dew Plus, and Cannondale Quick CX Rigid have different ones. Does this make a different? I will say that I will not be riding in the snow, but I can't say that for the rain. The Kona Worldbike and Africabike are nice, but I want more gears. I could not find the Electra Townie. I lookup the butter fly bars. I don't think they look that bad, anyway with me it comes down to comfort. I remember the Specialized Sirrus Sport bike had these bars at the end that came up. Looks like this offered multiple hand positions.

no just a picture for illustration purposes that I found w/ google

Keep in mind I said, "routinely" riding in the rain and snow. Perhaps I should have said "regularly".

Don't own a car. I ride my bike no matter what Mom Nature and the DPW put on the streets--at least five days a week, 52 weeks a year. From November to April here in Upstate NY, that typically means wet.

The wet makes grit stick to the rims, which turns to grinding paste at every stop. Did I mention I live in the city and sometimes have to stop every tenth to a quarter-mile? I wore out the braking surface on a set of rims in my first winter. That's why my commuter rig has disc brakes.

Occasional wetness isn't an issue, and hasn't been for the hundred years or so that rim brakes have been around. My other bikes have rim brakes. Every now and again playing the odds, the 20% to 40% chance of rain doesn't fall in my favor and I'll have to ride one of them home in the rain. It's no biggie. They stop just fine, even in the wet.

It's the everyday slog through the wet where, IMHO, disc brakes shine. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't own a disc brake bike. But for as long as I have to ride in the wet no matter what, you'll have to pry my disc brake bike from my cold, dead fingers.

Now, if you're honest with yourself and want disc brakes because they look cool, well, they do. That's why they're found on more and more low-end bikes. They look cool and help sell bikes. Knock yourself out.

Truth in posting: On my new wheelset, I ponied up for $90 in rotors alone, strictly because of how they look. They won't stop any better than $10 rotors. But they look cool and apparently, I have too much money.

[quote=tsl;10006285]
Now, if you're honest with yourself and want disc brakes because they look cool, well, they do. That's why they're found on more and more low-end bikes. They look cool and help sell bikes. Knock yourself out.
[QUOTE]

True I think they look cool and I thought that this braking system would be today's standard. Part of my attraction to the brakes is more because the Schwinn World Street had them. I don't know if it was a "love at first site" thing because it was the first decent bike I saw at a shop that had the comfort, fenders, rack etc. that I want. I also thought that since this Schwinn is a 2007, I could get a good deal on it. It also makes me think the rest of the components are match the same way. I hear what all of you are saying and I do appreciate it. The search will continue at a slow pace. In the mean time I have the Le Tour to tweak and ride.

An REI Big Buzz.... bight be an option. I just got one off of Craigslist and the disc brakes rock.... there is enough space that it can fit 700/38's also.... nice allaround bike and does well on rail trails

The Schwinn and Giant are very similar in component level. If you're near Philly you can get the Schwinn at the Performance Bike Retailer there for $499. They're not far from Cherry Hill.

I will comment on the brakes:

None of the disk brakes on any of these bicycles are top shelf. They are all single adjustment only, and will need a bit more work to set up and maintain than dual adjustment units with inboard and outboard (like Avid BB7)

However, Avid BB5's in my opinion have got good basic functionality at least. I find the BB5 in particular to be smooth and solid. I have got one of these in place on my cargo bike, where it experiences all-weather use, heavy loads, and steep hills. I have discoloured rotors with heat and stress, and the BB5 has held strong.

Have 2 other disk brakes sitting in a box in the garage too - a Shimano M-465, and some Avid BB7's. The reasoning behind them continuing to sit in said box, is that I have not had any reason to be truly disappointed with the BB5 in order to change it out.

The BB5's more prestigious cousin the BB7 has the advantage of being very easy to adjust due to having inboard and outboard pad adjustment.

Contrastingly, I have been relatively disappointed with the Tektro IO and Hayes MX4 in dealing with bicycles that have come into the shop with them on, installing them, and riding on them. Neither model is particularly stellar.

Unfortunately, I haven't got any experience with the Shimano M-415, which is an Alivio level brake. Its the cheapest disk brake that Shimano makes. However, Shimano usually endears to make sure that at the very least, their stuff works.

As for my opinion on the matter, I would be more concerned with how you enjoy the ride and fit of the bicycle overall, rather than focusing on what braking system it has. The braking system on any decent bicycle should be enough for your needs.

Thank you all for your insight, especially on the disc brakes. I will let them go. I have visited some more LBS and they showed me a Fuji SunFire 2.0 (2008) and a Giant Cypress DX (2010 or 2009). These are hybrid/comfort bikes on small frames (17"). Again I maybe wandering in to marketing waters because they both have front fork suspension. Any comment, opinions, etc. are welcome.

My first bike was an '06 Cypress DX. Nice enough bike, but I outgrew it quickly. I couldn't afford to replace it for a while, so I ended up putting nearly 4,000 miles on it before it was stolen. It was just getting broken in.

The front suspension was just about worthless. I thought it was pretty snazzy when I bought the bike, but beyond excess weight, all it contributed was front-end dive on braking. I don't think it ever did anything over bumps, no matter how I adjusted it. The road bike that replaced it rides better than the Cypress DX ever did.

Oh, mine came with really crappy tires. They flatted constantly (despite the OEM Slime tubes) and grew eggs in under 900 miles.

In short: Overweight, crappy tires, but surprisingly durable otherwise. Nice starter bike, if you go into it knowing you'll outgrow it.

I am personally not very into recommending bicycles with low end suspension. The benefits are very small: cheap suspension forks have poor load response, very little adjustability, and short service lives.

Suspension in general adds an additional requirement for servicing, and increases the risk factor for having your bicycle stolen.

And lastly, suspension does not add a level of control unless you are doing more technical riding than your standard bike path. It is unnecessary for the needs you have described.

While it might help soften your landing if you bop off the odd curb or two, I believe that the disadvantages quite outweigh the benefits. Better tires or another worthy investment will help most moderately relaxed riders more than a lower grade suspension fork will.

If you are looking for comfort, for your level of riding you will be better served by good tires and a good fitting bicycle.

On that note, I would personally note that you seem to be at a bicycle crossroad now. The bicycles you initially mentioned such as the Cannondale Quick or Trek Valencia are very different from the ones like the Fuji Sunfire and Giant Cypress DX.

I would recommend trying the different kinds out and taking them for a good ride, to get a feel for whether you really want to go the route of the road hybrids, or the trail hybrids. They are very different bicycles in the end.

Don't be afraid to buy a bike if it has suspension or disk brakes if you just enjoy the bicycle and the price. You can change these items down the road if they ever give you grief, but you may simply never find yourself wanting to do so.