good morning! ive recently found my self in the market for a new bike and i started my hunt a couple of weeks ago and i did find a few hopefuls at the LBS around me. this post is just to get outside opinions on the bikes ive been looking at and see if anyone had any experiences to talk about or advice to give me on my way to purchasing a bike

the bikes i have been looking at are:

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/me...us-disc/118422
honestly disc or no disc ive never owned a disc bike so im not real sure of the major pros and cons of them or if its just a nice amenity to have

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/me...il-disc/126335
also the same with disc or no disc looked at this one mainly for the shock in the front but curious to see how much a benefit it would actually be for what im using it for

Fuji Absolute 1.7 Disc Flat Bar Road Bike - 2017
i keep going back to this bike but i may have to order it in, in my size. seems like you get more bike for your buck

but like i said this is where i need you guys. i am looking for honest opinions and experiences. i just moved from pittsburgh to erie so at the moment its gonna be alot of road riding and the occasional trail around the lake. Honestly would like to see my self doing trips again like the C&O canal pr GAP trail. thanks for looking and posting!!!

If your primary place to ride is the pavement, you really dont need a suspension fork or disc brakes. I'd go with the regular sirrus and pocket the $50 price difference.

You get alot of bang for your buck with trek too. You can nab a base model FX for around $350 or an fx1 for about $400 and pocket enough to accessorize. Both are comparable to the base sirrus. I got my girlfriend a left over 2016 FX 7.0 for $350 including tax and a bottle holder and she loves it.

Thanks for the reply! I'll have to check out some of the trek bikes. Just wanna make sure I'm walking out with a solid bike I'll be happy with. First time I'm going for a bike that's not on Craigslist or a hammy down lol

That Fuji Absolute is a very nice bang for the buck bike though. Plus Performance bikes is currently offering members 20% back in points and a coupon for $20 off on bikes. So the Bike will be $549, and you will get nearly $110 worth of points to buy all your accessories.

Wow thank you for the heads up!!

prolly don't need a shock. don't know why you'd need disc brakes. I guess they're better but doesn't sound like you need that. plus I've read they need maintenance & sometimes interfere with accessories. as for ordering a bike that is not in stock. I would not cuz I've read so many buyers remorse stories. I would hate to return a bike that a store had to order just for me. would rather get something I can sit on, ride, have them adjust & modify (bars, saddle & stem) & test ride BEFORE I buy it. are you stuck w just 1 bike shop?

cpl ideas
- any bike rental places near you to gain some experience with what you like & maybe don't like?
- any craigslist bikes in your area you can check out. do a little test riding like that too. you can look at a bike without buying it. just be honest that you may not buy it, just want to look at it. but you might be surprised & really like something. can wind up saving you some big money. after a cpl years you can then buy new if necessary

where approx are you located?

Erie pa. All 3 bikes are in lbs here in erie

wow slim pickin's on CL! wutz up w that? saw this one but don't know wut size you need

https://erie.craigslist.org/bik/5974610535.html

haha I actually met up with him and took a look at the bike. and yea I check everyday and not very many hopefuls

good for you for checking. might want to expand your search area

cpl hybrids in Cleveland area
https://cleveland.craigslist.org/sea...ybrid&hasPic=1

less in Buffalo
https://buffalo.craigslist.org/searc...ybrid&hasPic=1

but there is this expensive bike
Trek 7.4 FX Carbon fork hybrid for sale(firebrand orange) 58cm - $600 (South Buffalo)
https://buffalo.craigslist.org/bik/6015597480.html

ill have to do some research on it, I'm actually gonna be in buffalo this weekend

If by trail you mean something like a gravel road surface, I don't think you want front suspension for that and asphalt.

Last summer I bought a 2016 Trek Allant 7.2, which is basically the same as FX 7.2 but with Tektro mechanical disc brakes. My riding is similar to yours - mostly road, some gravel paths. I think the disc brakes are a 'nice to have', not a must-have. I live in a wet climate and the braking is definitely more predictable in wet and muddy conditions, and you do have more control in general. That said, you can get from point A to point B with rim brakes just the same.

The maintenance isn't any more than on rim brakes in my experience. Rim brakes need adjustment and new pads every now and again, too. The discs are more sensitive to the wheel quick release being tightened just so, otherwise the disc will rub on the pads, but that's not really a problem once you realize that the quick release is how you control it. The first time I took out the front wheel and put it back again, it took me a while to realize that the brake hadn't gone out of adjustment on its own, but I'd just tightened the quick release too much.

Obviously the fit and riding position is a major factor. The bikes you linked all seem to have a fairly long head tube and an upright position, as does my Allant (FX). I've found myself looking for a faster position and plan on flipping the stem and taking out a spacer to lower the bars.

Hey thanks for the post and ya ur right when I say trail I mean gravely type trail lol

I've got a 2016 fuji 1.9 disk, and I love it. Got it from performance, which I kinda feel bad about. They were great to deal with, but I would have liked to keep my $ local. The difference in price made it a no brainier though.

Mine is set up for commuting. I put on some fenders and a brooks saddle. It's just a fun bike to ride. Reminds me of riding when I was a kid. Came stock with 32s, but I could probably fit 42s without the fenders. The disk brakes are great. Overkill for my purpose, but something new for me to fiddle with. Not as much talk about the fuji's, but I am really happy with mine.

I would look at the 1.9 vs the 1.7. It comes with 32 tires vs 28. I'm a firm believer in bigger is better. I'm not sure if the frames are built with different clearances, but if you plan on riding trails down the line, the 1.9 will give you plenty of room for bigger (knobbier) tires.

Ended up with the fuji absolute 1.7 and super happy with it.

+1 for the Fuji. I'm sure the others would be great bikes as well, but I really do love my 2014 Absolute 1.5. The only thing I wish it had that it doesn't it disc brakes, and the one you're looking at has 'em.

I love it I can't wait to get it out and put some distance on it. I think the disc brakes are gonna take some getting used to.

Nice! I didn't see your last post before I chimed in... didn't realize you'd already pulled the trigger on it. I have upgraded several things on mine in two years, but not because I felt like I needed to. I felt like Fuji put good quality equipment on the bike in the first place, which allowed me to upgrade as I wanted. Hope you enjoy yours as much as I have mine!

Oh I'm sure I will I got the standards like barends and the waterbottle cage. What upgrades did u look at for your fuji.

Here's a thread I posted last year described the major upgrades:
https://www.bikeforums.net/hybrid-bic...-absolute.html

That pretty slick.