Sorry! don't mean to hijack this thread, just want to say that i lived in your neck of the woods (Toronto) for a decade or so in my younger days and riding was one of the ways that i appreciated the beautiful nature there, whether be it summer or winter. Yes, i too am having to deal with a lot of health problems at the moment and i find cycling to be the best medicine to deal with them.

A few pages back I changed out the stock stuff for a GXP Force1 crank set. After a brief search I can't seem to find a proper dimension for you for the direct mount on the interwebs. I will say, the stock 42T ring bolts right up to the Force1 crank. I am using the Force1 40T however. I measured the stock crank arms I have on the shelf, the OD of the DM spline is 40mm, and a rough dimension of bolt spacing is 38mm.

Meh ... nothing wrong with well-intentioned thread-jacks/asides!

I'm not in Toronto, but a certain city a couple hours west down the 401. Love Toronto, though, and yes ... there is a lot that is attractive round here.

Sadly, I'm from the West Coast (The Island [Vancouver Island] as we Islanders refer to it); didn't move out here until in my forties, and can't wait to get back once retired. The landscape (mountains; oceans; forests etc.) there is a part of me, as are the various peoples of the region, and (not least) the benign climate and year-round cycling!

Winter here is pretty, but I hate it anyway, and summers are too hot/humid.:D Fortunately, I can spend most of each summer at our place on the opposite coast:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...da25446436.jpg

Looks like Specialized has marked the Sirrus Elite Carbon down to $1,269 from $1,400. Now I'm wondering if I'd notice a difference riding greenways between that or the X Comp? How beneficial would the X Comp be in that scenario? I suppose the X Comp would afford some benefit with the wider tire if I got off a paved path.

I'm a newb to these bikes but I guess the 2 questions that come to mind are:
1. How much difference would the future shock make if I'm mainly on a paved path?
2. How wide of a tire could I put on the Elite Carbon if I wanted to go wider?

Future shocks is a nice to have, it does make a difference, but how much will depend on the road and driving style.
Definitely 32/35 mm tires, 38mm I am not sure but there is a chance.

Go for X comp if you like 1x drivetrain and need wider tires on a stock bike. (Because most of components could be changed/upgraded on a bike)

PS : You are stuck with 1x if you get X comp and so there is a flexibility if you get 2x bikes.

This, in bold: an important consideration. You want to be sure you want a 1x drivetrain if purchasing the X Comp; there is simply no provision for running a front derailleur.

Tire clearance? The other carbon Sirruses will take up to 35mm tires, but I'm not sure if one can go wider than that. Put another way, I'm still not sure whether or not the X Comp frame, in addition to being 1x specific, also takes wider tires (stock is 38; at least one person on here has fit 42s, albeit with a very tight fit).

My guess would be that an Elite with 32s or 35s run at proper pressure would be fine for you, [MENTION=306225]Gadgetech[/MENTION], but only you can make that decision. You should try both, if you can. For me, the FS was the main reason I bought the X Comp -- and with the uprated 2.0 FS I have now (warranty replacement, discussed earlier in this thread), the bike is fantastic for my needs (older, arthritic etc. rider).

Thank you [MENTION=505578]rvp12[/MENTION] & [MENTION=41910]badger1[/MENTION] for the feedback! About the 1x, I’m not sure about that at all honestly but it can be hilly here in N. Ga. I haven’t found a Specialized dealer near me that has either (nor any size Large) in stock so it’s going to be an order unfortunately. The dealer I’ve spoken to did say they could fit wider tires but didn’t say how wide, just that they’d done it in the past on the Sirrus. They require a 30% deposit to order a bike so I’m under the impression that would be lost money if I didn’t like it. Other than getting the bike setup when it arrives and free tune ups, I’m not sure if buying through a shop is going to benefit me much.

If it's hilly, I recommend 2x
 

I know there are young guys who can bike up a hill with a 1x gear set. I have a 2x10, and I downshift to the lower front gear when climbing hills. The Sirrus Elite is a road bike (smooth tires, no shocks), so it's perfect for paved paths and streets, bumpy on packed gravel or dirt. Bigger tires will smooth out some of the bumps, but if you ride bumpy paths it's nice to have a shock absorber.
I'd be pretty reluctant to spend that kind of money without a test ride. One idea is, go to a bigger bike shop (or two!) even if you have to drive a ways. Both Sirrus and Trek make a lot of different models, so you can try out a lot of options and see what suits you.

Well, I'll find out soon enough as I ordered one today. It'll probably have to wait until I'm in town next weekend to ride it. I figure, if nothing else, it'll be better than my nearly 20 year old Gary Fisher Marlin.

So, my cycling season is winding down (don't ride in icy/snowy conditions), so a good time to do a first-season review of my Sirrus X Comp. Just a few notes to supplement what I've written elsewhere in this thread.

Took delivery in June. Deviations from stock: Spec. Avatar saddle; Ergon GP2 grip/bar ends; XT (spd) pedals; Spec. Roubaix Pro tires, 32; the FS cartridge (warranty replacement of defective cartridge).

Initially, both brakes were noisy/squeally/not right. This was fixed by lbs quickly; brakes have since been flawless: smooth; very quiet; good modulation. The only other issue was the FS cartridge, which was clearly defective from the get-go. This was eventually replaced under warranty with (lucky me!) the new top-end FS 2.0 cartridge, with full/fully adjustable hydraulic damping. I've written about this above, but short form: a major, major improvement. Frame quality (alignment; finish) is top notch.

Conclusion: a great bike for my needs and purposes. At 68, I wanted something more 'compliant' than my '10 Sirrus Comp, potentially lighter, and slightly better fitting (the new Sirrus geometry has slightly longer reach per size than my old one's). That is exactly what I now have.

Provided one is happy with 1x, which I am, this bike is almost perfect as either a flat-bar road bike (with 32 tires or similar) or a flat-bar 'gravel' bike (e.g. with the stock 38s). In other words, a simple tire change opens up both worlds. I ride a mash-up of road (paved and dirt), paved MUP, and river-side but non-technical singletrack. The bike as-is is quick handling, light enough, and very very smooth when surfaces get a little rough.

That's all I can say! I think that most bicycle-review talk is bollocks, so I will not talk about how 'fast' or not it is, or how it 'seems' to climb hills by itself, and other such rot.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely, provided that the geometry/fit suits; that one is certain one will be happy with a 1x drivetrain (this is a dedicated 1x version of the Sirrus frame), and that one is certain one wants flat bars.

I’m giggling like a little school girl after getting the call to come pickup my Sirrus Elite Carbon! I’ll have to post pics later since it’s dark out but any concerns about me loving this bike are erased. I can’t wait to throw down the miles to become a better (read more athletic) rider and shed some pounds. I’ve got plenty of hills in my neighborhood to practice and gain strength on :backpedal: when I don’t have time to get to the greenway.

ETA picture:

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6df7535cdc.jpg

Unfortunately my season has mostly come to an end too. I typically ride into December, but my work schedule has become way to busy, and I've been fighting a cough for 5 weeks. Feels as though I've lost my lungs and legs for the year. Great bike, would absolutely purchase again. Next year will be wheels and probably carbon handlebars, otherwise I don't see anything else to upgrade.

Sweet ride, Enjoy it.

We've got 'early-onset' winter up here -- ugh; that's what's done me in! I can usually ride through November and often well into December. Oh well; there might be some warmer stretches yet.

Still mulling over upgrades. Nothing needs changing, but this bike is a 'keeper' for me so it's fun to personalize it a little. I've no issue with the stock bars; they are actually pretty high quality and pretty light, so low priority.

I think my main targets will be wheels and crankset. There's about 2/3 lbs. easily to be dropped there, and that would get the bike comfortably down to around 19 lbs., or even a bit lower, for not too much money. I just like 'light' bikes -- the only justification I need!

Lots of very good-quality aluminum wheelsets to be had in the 1500-1600 gram range (e.g. Specialized Roval), and I want a 38 chainring anyway.

I still might think about brakes, but the stock ones are working just fine.

Carbon! That's a nice bike.

Hi Boatdriver,

I just used the post that came with the bike. I did read up a bit on the issues you might have with clamping onto a carbon post, but was reassured when most of the info pointed to it being thicker carbon designed to take crushing forces. That crushing force is also spread out more, as I had to use a seat post shim adapter to get the clamp to fit. And finally, the rack clamp doesn't need to be tightened too tight as it's only taking a horizontal load.

Does anybody here have experience riding with carbon handlebars or seatposts. Will it elevate the comfort level or is it very minimal ?

Yes, and no, not really.

The main gain is lower weight. The FS on your bike, with correct tire pressure and bike fit/set-up, will swamp any (if any) tiny gains in flex/vibration damping offered by standard carbon bars.

Ditto saddle/saddle rails/set-up re. standard carbon seatposts. You can find some that are designed mechanically to flex in various ways; those could make some difference. An example would be Specialized's CG-R.

Got it, carbon handlebars and seatposts looks cool though and it's so light. For the wheels upgrade you mentioned, do you have anything in mind, I am considering changing to HED belgium + alloy in the near future (hubs not decided).

By the way I got Ergon GA3 grips, for some reason I couldn't get accustomed to GP2.

Wheelset? Nothing too exotic: I want aluminum, with excellent hubs and a low weight. LBS is recommending these, which are certainly a possibility and not too expensive.
https://www.specialized.com/ca/en/ro...=233754-156781

I get the grip thing; they are like saddles, or bar shape/width/rise etc. -- contact points that can never be 'right' in the abstract; they have to be right for you!

Some people can't stand bar ends, or either short or long bar ends, and so on. Some people -- like me -- absolutely have to have them -- just personal preference. I only use the bar-ends position occasionally, but I like to have it there when I want it. Truth be told, I far prefer the look of a/the bike without them, but when I try just using GP1 grips I always end up putting my GP2s back on.

Yeah I considered those wheelsets, the hubs are DT350 which is solid and easily serviceable.

You guys moaning about winter...Get a fat bike fercripesakes!!!

Heh! If I were younger/fitter/less fragile that would be a done deal. Unfortunately, I'm a little skeered of snow/ice no matter the tire width.:o

Studded tires might help.

Doesn't hurt falling on snow.