Hi eveyone ! I am new to this forum and i need some help as i am currently looking to buy a new hybrid bike. I am new to biking and I don't know much about anything about it. I read a little bit on different forums but I am kinda confused as I don't really know what i should be looking for. All i know is that I intend to do approximately 30 km/pay with this bike to go and to get back from work. Mostly in the city(normal streets). The models that i looked were the Norco XFR 5, the Specialized Sirrus Disk, the Trek FX 1 and the FX 2.My budget is around 700 Canadian. What should i do ?

Thanks !!!

Big fan of the Sirrus here personally, but any of those should work (never heard of Norco but I'm assuming it's comparable).

Really it sort of comes down to what kind of bike shops you have around you and how their service is. We have two main smallish chain ones, one is a Trek dealer and the other is a Specialized dealer (amongst other brands), and the Trek dealer shops are awful enough I wouldn't buy a Trek on that alone, whereas the Specialized dealer has been great.

I can try to address this. I am in the US. I bought a Trek hybrid last year. It was 900 US. I forget the model name. It has a carbon fiber fork and a 10 speed cassette. Look at Trek and Giant. No idea what is available in Canada though.

900 us is way over my budget. I am in Québec and almost everything is available depending on where I go.

From what i read online Norco is well known for their mountain bikes. I havn't found any review about their hybrids...

The category you're shopping, what I call "fitness hybrids" is HUGE. Meaning, nearly every manufacturer has a bike in this category. Bikes are generally not like cars where components are specific to the brand. Treks and Specializeds and Giants (and others) will all have a mix of Shimano, SRAM, Suntour, and FSA drivetrain components (maybe Sunrace and Microshift in there, too), and it's all generally good stuff. You don't really see "reliability ratings" or "reviews" of bikes like you might cars or riding mowers because the components are pretty much picked from parts bins and bolted onto frames. The fit and finish of the overall bike is what will differ the most between brands. And, by that, I don't mean "quality", but literally fit (how your body fits the bike) and finish (colors, satin vs gloss, etc).

If you're commuting (and in Canada, where you may regularly encounter a lot of mixed weather, I'd probably go for disc brakes -- they'll be more effective in wet weather than rim brakes. If almost all of your riding is in dry conditions, then disc brakes won't change your ride dramatically. Otherwise, I would test ride as many as you can and get a feel for what you like. In this category, the Giant Escape and Trek FX ride very differently to me. I don't know what it is about them. They're using the same basic components, but something about the geometry is different. And that's my point about fit and finish -- two bikes with identical spec sheets can feel totally differently when you're strapped on.

All of those brands you're considering are good brands. They use quality components and the frames are built well. I'd let bike fit and personal preferences like style and color be your primary factors. If you like a blue Sirrus, then buy it -- the green Trek that you don't really like the color of isn't going to be a "better" bike.

Welcome to the forum!

That sounds EXACTLY like the set up where I am.

You in northern Baltimore County by chance?

The good news is that you're overthinking it. You're on the right track. You're looking at the right bikes. Just pick the one that feels best.

You've not going to pick a piece of junk from that list. A Trek and Specialized bike in the same price class are going to be very similar quality. But one of them will just feel better testing riding to you. Pick that one.

If the roads you'll be riding on are in good condition, go with the rigid fork over the suspension. If they are a bumpy disgusting mess, go with the suspension (meaning Specialized Crosstrail over Specialized Sirrus, otherwise basically the same thing. Same thing for any other brand. There's a suspension version and a very similar rigid fork version of nearly every hybrid)

If you're your ride is mostly on the city streets and paved paths you don't need the Norco. The suspension forks only add weight and are of no use to you. They're not very good either. Also, you don't need 38c wide tire too.

Some very good bikes in your price range are: Giant Escape 2, Trek FX2, Sirrus Alloy-V-Brake, Cannondale Quick 7. There's no much difference between them. It all depends on which you find more comfortable.

Personally, I'd go with the Quick 7.

This is important. Fit is number 1, but a lot of these bikes probably feel similar since they are general purpose hybrids and not all out tailored fit road bikes, so sometimes the deciding factor might be the color scheme and just how you like how one looks over another. If you like the way it looks, you'll ride it more.

Nope, Twin Cities area.

At his price point I wouldn't touch any suspension fork bikes, personally. Too heavy, too wallowy, to clunky...just a waste IMO.

Unless he likes them.

I have a suspension fork in his price point and I wouldn't go rigid for anything. I love it. It's not clunky at all. It's not very heavy. And it does wonders to smooth out the ride over bumpy pavement and dirty paths and such.

So many people treat low end suspension forks like a disease with a definite correct answer of NO. But that's not the only correct answer. If you hate them, fine. But some people love them and they aren't wrong.

I'm probably not much more experienced at bikes than the op, so I don't understand the deal about how heavy, etc suspension forks are supposed to be. I get the weight thing overall, but the bike from walmart I used to commute on 20+ years ago weighed at least double what my Roam 3 does. I also really like having the option when riding over stuff that makes me jiggle more than I'd like to if they're locked. I also understand they're worthless for any real big jumps and drops. But so are most entry level mountain bike suspensions. If you're not trying to race or something though, how exactly are these suspension forks a weight problem for most hybrid bike riders?

Also a big fan of the Specialized Sirrus, although I'm not sure that newer lower-cost series are as well-equipped. The Sirrus fits and rides like a lot like a standard road bike. I also like my front-suspension Trek 8.5 DS, the much-more versatile of my hybrids. Enjoy the shopping and testing.

I think you have a point. I have never ridden a bike with suspension forks. My reply was base on the majority of comments here from users who have tried or owned bikes with sf, which are negative. Also, I added the "add weight" part to turn off the OP from the Norco because I don't like it. That Norco seems more suitable for someone who rides off-road.

This forks vs no-forks seems to be a contentious topic. I think the OP needs to decide whether he finds them useful or not.

I hate going over small steps and potholes when I'm riding on a bike path. The idiots who have laid out the path couldn't work out to keep it flat at intersections and crossing. I'm sure suspension forks would be a big help in these case, but about 90% of the ride is all right. So, I cannot justify having sf for that 10%. I guess it depends on the road surface and how much one is willing to tolerate.

I have an Fx2 and I love it. It is very addicting, and you feel so much healthier after you start riding. I have a few LBS in my area, all provide great service. I went with Trek. I feel their prices are fair and reasonable, and I love the way they ride.