jumpin jack

Thinking of selling my 08 Fuji Roubaix Pro and getting a hybrid. I just dont use the Fuji as much as I did. My riding partener isn't riding anymore and I have to pack it up and haul it to where I want to ride. If I get a hybrid I can ride it down my gravel driveway and directly to the "rougher" county back roads. This will also allow me to go out for casual rides with my daughter and wife. I have a couple plots of woods where I plan to make some hard pack trails where I used to ride my 4 wheeler.

5' 10", 205 lbs looking to get something that I will utilize more. I hit the gym and do weights 4 to 5 days a week and looking atthese to mix in some cardio.

Is the Crosstrail Sport worth the Extra $110?

Thanks!

trainchaser

I have a Crosstrail Sport Disc and I find it to be the perfect combination for the riding I do. I think you'll find the Specialized guys saying get those and the Trek guys will recommend Trek. What you need to do is go to both stores and ride each bike to see which one feels the best as there will be differences in the geometry and one will fit your individual needs better than the other. I've had both Trek and Specialized bikes and they both make great bikes so don't worry that much about the name on the bike, find one that fits you, handles well and that you like, then buy it. As others may tell you, buy the most expensive bike you can afford, the extra money is always worth it when buying a new bike, at least in my opinion...for what that's worth nowadays...lol!

travbikeman

Aren't these two different style of Hybrids. The 7.3 is an FX, if I'm correct, please correct me if I'm wrong. That is a bit more of a road going type of a bike. Heard really great things of it. The Crosstrail Sport Disc can handle trails, especially non paved trails better. This Crosstrail is more comparable to the Trek DS 8.4.

Where as the 7.3 FX is more comparable to the Specialized Sirrus Elite, maybe Sport.

I agree with trainchaser, all are great bikes, but you need to test them and check what it is you want from a bike. Only then will you really know what is a higher value for you.

Spending this kind of money makes it a highly personal choice.

jumpin jack

Yes, they are 2 different styles of hybrids. The more I think about it, I will probably be on pavement and rough gravel 80% of the time and not a lot of trails.

ColdCase

Yeah two different bikes. If you compare CrossTrails to Trek's DS 8.x series or Sirrus to Trek's FX 7.x series you will be comparing apples to apples. You should find that Treks cost $50-$150 more after negotiating and the Specialized have slightly better components. Trek sometimes has a big sale, however.

The geometry of the bikes are a little different and I find the Crosstrails to be more comfortable to me, just a better "feeling" bike, smoother. But you have to test ride a sample of each in your size and make your own decision, they are close. I'm between small/medium and feel comfortable on the specialized small and Trek medium frames, for example.

Both Specialized and Trek provide detailed specs on their web sites, and you can easily compare component levels, geometry, etc.

jumpin jack

I should re-phrase my original question.

How would the Trek 7.3 or the Sirrus do on rougher gravel roads? The roads out here are a mix of broken up pavement with some smooth surfaces and spots where it is broken up very bad with potholes. There is a gravel county road without much traffic that has some great hills on it and I would probably ride on it quite often.

I will definitely ride whatever Before buying but I wont get to test them on rough terrain....only on their parking lots and sidewalks so I would like to figure out if I need more of the pavement/rigid type or the front suspension with lockout. Thinking maybe the Crosstrail as I could lock it out any time needed but have the suspension when needed. Thoughts? Thanks for all your help.

ColdCase

There would be little difference between FX and Sirrus in those conditions. Pick the one that fits you better.

The DS or crosstrail model line would work much better than FX or Sirrus on gravel, but you may need to up the tire size a bit. The DS and crosstrails handle more tire and have a slightly more rugged frame with off road style components (can take bouncing around more). Neither will do as well as a trail bike on gravel. The FX and Sirrus may be brutal, my crosstrail with OEM size tires is often brutal on loose stone/gravel paths, even with its suspension.

DaveTMpls

If you're riding on gravel, I would definitely go with the Crosstrail or Trek DS. I love my Sirrus, but it's a road bike with a flat handlebar.

jumpin jack

I ended up getting a 2015 Crosstrail Sport Disc last night. It fit me very well and I really liked the way it felt. After knowing how big the gravel is around me I think it is the best choice after seeing and riding them. Thanks for all your help.

ColdCase

Enjoy, that was the bike the sales guy led me too after looking at a DS. It just felt right. It went from not being on the radar to the top of the list immediately.

jumpin jack

Ready for my first real ride on it tomorrow evening. I was able to get him down to $670 so I was ok with that.