KraneXL

Consider the frame and any permanent connection points. You can always upgrade the components. Speaking of components, don't forget to include the necessary accessories such as helmet, lights, pedals, kit?, etc. You may not need them to ride, but you will need them to be safe and comfortable. Remember, if you're not comfortable you won't ride. Not for long anyway. I'm 6'4 @ 191 so I chose the Quick.

Delia Hogue

Hi, wheelzbat,
I read your post. You want a suggestion about a hybrid bike. You should follow some step before you purchase this. quality, durability, rims, materials, wheel size, your height etc. If you follow this step you can get a better bike. I am so young, don't mind dear to my suggestion. you can check this hybrid bikes.

fietsbob

They're All Good .. Giant is a Multi Brand OEM company , Trek uses them ..too, maybe C dale also.

So go to your favorite, bike shop and test ride them all , My LBS has been selling Trek for 30 years..

By now brands are marketing, the big OEM factories , got big by making bikes for other importers .

Pick the Shop first, for service after the sale..

Bikes direct you get none , except, maybe sending it back ..

Local has Built them up from the box , for Customers.. for a fee..





...

Delia Hogue

Hi, wheelzbat,
I read your post. You want a suggestion about a hybrid bike. You should follow some step before you purchase this. quality, durability, rims, materials, wheel size, your height etc. If you follow this step you can get a better bike. I am so young, don't mind dear to my suggestion. you can check this hybrid bikes. this all bike under $500.

wheelzbat

I found a dealer with a Fastroad SLR. I'm going to test ride it. It's not the SL 3, but at least I can see how it fits geometry wise. I also saw a 2017 Trek FX S4 (no disc brakes) at a store about 40 minutes away. Price was 30% off which brought it down below $800. Only concern I have, is buying something from a store far from home, when it comes to service.

BaLs

Hey wheelzbat, when you test ride how far you ride and what are things you test or looking for?

I'm planning to get a bike from LBS and considering Giant Escape 2 or Quick 5. At what point you decide certain bike suits you or not?

Thanks!

wheelzbat

My LBS is right on a paved trail. They will let you ride down the path quite a ways, so you get a good feel for the bike. You can just tell by the fit and the ride, whether the bike is for you. I tested the Quick 5 Disc. It was a nice riding bike.

Korina

[QUOTE=BaLs;20533442 At what point you decide certain bike suits you or not?[/QUOTE]

IMHO, ride at least a couple of miles on each bike, realizing that the fit can be tweaked, and you'll likely have to change the saddle. Buy the one that you don't want to take back to the shop.

wheelzbat

I have it narrowed down to the Fastroad 3 and the Quick 3 Disc. Rode the a Fastroad SLR 1 a couple of days ago just to get the feel and geometry. I really liked it. I do realize that that bike has Tiagra vs the Claris on the SL 3, but I liked the way the bike fit and rode. Going to try the Quick 4 (they don't have Quick 3) one more time and then I'm going to make a decision. Thanks again

AU Tiger

Cool - glad you were able to find a Fastroad to ride. Interested to hear what you end up deciding.

ronray43

I'm 63 and ride around 150 miles per month, both on paved and packed dirt paths using the Trek DS3 with disk brakes. It's perfect for what I do and is in your price range. Plus, I'm a fan of the front shock which is nice for those bumps when you get older.

BaLs

Couple of miles for test ride?

I did test ride Quick 4 last week, absolutely love it! I think this bike fits me perfectly.
Does anyone know when the 2019 Quick models will be released? I wonder if that will reduce the price or even 2019 models have better colors.

wheelzbat

Go on REI.com. They have some of the new models. Not sure when my LBS is going to get them in. I like the Vulcan Green for the Quick 3 Disc. I also saw they have a Quick 4 DIsc now (2018 was Quick 4 with no disc brakes) Believe it or not, my LBS is right on a bike path and you can test ride the bike thoroughly.

Korina

Great! I don't worry too much about the consumables on my bikes; as long as the frame is good and nothing's going to fall off, I figure I'll upgrade as they wear out.

BaLs

Thanks for REI info, starting this morning Cannondale website started showing the newer 2019 models.
I found beside the disc brake there are also some other changes on the drive train components. Not sure how important or big these changes are,
or even these better components in newer model or old model.

Here what I found
The 2018 model has Shimano Deore/Altus drive train , crankset Suntour XCM, 48/38/28 , REAR COGS Sunrace M90, 11-32, 9-speed
The 2019 model has Shimano Acera/Altus drive train , crankset SR Suntour, 48/36/26 , REAR COGS Sunrace, 11-34, 9-speed

BaLs

On Quick 4 model beside disc brake I also see some other components updates.
Not sure if these are better in 2019 models? Anyone knows what these changes mean?

The 2018 model has Shimano Deore/Altus drive train , crankset Suntour XCM, 48/38/28 , REAR COGS Sunrace M90, 11-32, 9-speed
The 2019 model has Shimano Acera/Altus drive train , crankset SR Suntour, 48/36/26 , REAR COGSSunrace, 11-34, 9-speed

hokiefyd 

Deore is a few steps above (nicer) than Acera in the Shimano mountain group hierarchy. Having said that, it's hard to know if there will be an actual difference in performance without knowing the part numbers of the derailers. They may be switching from a traditional Deore to a Shadow-series Acera, which some might consider to be at least as good, depending on your intended use (Shadow-series derailers have stronger springs and better chain tension with less of a tendency for chain slap).

Regarding the crankset and the cassette, the 2019 model has a wider range than the 2018 model. The 2018's lowest/slowest gear was a 28 in the front and a 32 in the rear (a ratio of 1.14:1, or 1.14 revolutions of the crankset for every 1 revolution of the cassette). The 2019's lowest gear is a 26 in the front and 34 in the rear (a ratio of 1.31:1). This is a reduction of about 15%, which means you can climb steeper hills easier. The highest/fastest gear did not change...both bikes are 48 in the front and 11 in the rear, or a ratio of 0.23:1, meaning that the cassette turns about 4 times for every 1 revolution of the crank.

If the brakes are similar between the two, and if the frame geometry is the same, then I probably prefer the 2019's specs over the 2018's.

BaLs

Thanks for your reply and insights. Its make more sense for me now.

How much weight does disc brake add to the bike? I don't really need disc brake, never had one. I really like the Quick 4 2018 model that I test rode last week plus my lbs will take time to have 2019 models in stock.

hokiefyd 

I don't know; it's probably the difference in weight of you carrying two water bottles vs. one. I wouldn't ever know the difference myself.

Edit: I misunderstood your earlier post. You're saying the 2019 model has disc brakes and the 2018 model has rim brakes? I would personally prefer the disc brakes. I don't need them either, and I resisted them for the longest time. But I bought two bikes this year with hydraulic disc brakes, after trying some of my dad's bikes with disc brakes this spring. Man, those disc brakes are smooth and powerful. All the rest of my bikes have rim brakes, but I hardly ride them anymore. To me, disc brakes don't meet a particular need...they just make the ride so much more enjoyable for me. Absolutely not a necessity, though.

AU Tiger

Anecdotally, I actually prefer the Altus rear derailleur on my 2017 Kona mountain bike to the Deore on my 2014 Fuji hybrid. I don't know whether that's due to the three-year difference in vintage, a random anomaly in production, or what. All I know is that the Altus consistently shifts more smoothly than the Deore. I'm not saying that Altus is better than Deore across the board - just that I don't think the difference is as big as we can sometimes make it out to be when shopping for new bikes. It won't be nearly as high up on my considerations list next time I'm in the market for a new bike.

Lazyass

Every few years Schwinn comes out with some pretty good bikes, as opposed to their usual Walmart bikes. Now they have the "Signature" series and they have a couple of nice hybrids with some type of elastomer suspension type deal. You can get them at Dick's sporting goods or Amazon.

Vantage F2 | Schwinn Bicycles

wheelzbat

sI just ordered the Quick 3 (Vulcan Green) Was going to get the Quick 4, but I liked the Vulcan Green better and it has better components. I will post some pics when I get the bike. Thanks everyone!

AU Tiger

Giddyup!
Congrats, and definitely expect to see pics.

sail

BaLs

Congrats!!!
Do you know when it will be delivered?