Well hello everyone, my name is Manny and I'm new to the awesome world of cycling. I recently got a bike as a gift, and so far I love it. It is a Specialized Sirrus Elite '11. I wanted to know what your opinions of this bike are, and what upgrades I can do to it in the near future. So far I've wanted to get new pedals and shoes, but am a bit overwhelmed by the amount of options.

Any help I will appreciate, and I look forward to learning and meeting new people on the forum

I will post some pics soon.

Go down to LBS and they will help explore the varietys. Pedals, shoes and cleats is highly personal and linked to what kind of biking you prefer. Some things in bike world tend to be trial & error. Good luck!

Hey! Welcome. I'm pretty new too but seems like some of the Sirrus riders are hanging out here:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-Sirrus-Expert!

I'll be putting up some pics of mine there soon. Post a pic when you get a chance!

The first thing I'd say is that your tires have waaay too much tread on them so you'll need to fix that (read: Ride it a lot!)

As for upgrades...I'd say while you're fixing your excess tread problem, make notes of things that you'd like to change, e.g. seat comfort, how well it shifts, etc... and go from there.

As for pedals, go ahead and get what works for you, knowing that you don't necessarily need to be clipped in in order to ride. There are positive and negative arguments for the entire plethora of options of shoes and pedals, to wit: https://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-181397.html and https://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-610366.html

Other things to think about: Lights (front and rear) if you're going to be riding at night, racks and panniers (saddle bags) if you're going to use the bike for commuting and errands and such.

A good informational resource for cycling and it's various aspects, we bow down to Sheldon Brown

So, welcome, but be forewarned. When I got back into bicycling a year ago, I had one bike; now I have five.

Enjoy...

...and go fix that tread problem!

thanks for the help and advice everyone, and yes sir runningpirate, I'll get right on that!

Don't forget fenders............

Here is the pic guys, I also posted in the sticky thread

Some one should have recommended MTB pedals... Much easier to walk in MTB shoes when you get off the bike. Oh well, trial and error... I've never used road pedals/shoes but I hear they are better for riding. So you have given up versatility for increased performance. Maybe not a bad thing depending on your intended use.

Enjoy the ride!

Besides shoes and pedals maybe a good pair of biking padded shorts and/or a fitted saddle. A helmet and glasses are also a good suggestion.

If you are into checking your progress a cyclocomputer is another option.

The Sirrus is an excellant bike. Enjoy your rides.

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Sexy bike!

There is no need to 'upgrade' anything unless something breaks or fails or wears out. If the shifting is not perfect that can be solved by proper setup, not by buying more parts. You could swap the stock brake pads for something better. And, as mentioned above, you need to wear out the tires. This can improve the bike's performance because you can experiment with faster/lighter/tougher/wider/narrower tires.

You should angle your quick releases away from the spokes.

The quick release levers are in the open position. They should closed, and angled roughly parallel to the spokes.

NICE bike! As a fellow Sirrus owner, they rock

I agree with qmsdc15 that mountain bike shoes are much more comfortable off the bike, its like a hard soled pair of hiking sneakers. I run a pair of Pearl Izumi MTB shoes with Shimano M520 pedals. I like them both. I also have an old pair of Nike Inyo low coupled with Time ATAC alium pedals, and I do like those pedals as well, for off road. Too much float on road, IMO.

As for the quick release I go by what I used for mountain biking. Front is in front of fork and kind of parallel with the fork, pointing up, and rear is tightened parallel with chainstays pointing towards the REAR. But that was for mountain biking and was to protect from a stick flying up and loosening your quick release (it COULD happen...not likely)

Have fun with that bike, My sirrus is going to undergo a few upgrades in another week or two. Trigger shifters, bar ends with bar end grips, and new grips. Going to be more comfortable than it is now (which is saying a lot) for those longer distances Bar ends are absolutely wonderful to have on any flat bar bike...

The quick release levers are in the OPEN position. They are not only angled incorrectly, they have not been incorrectly installed. They are OPEN!!!

Nice bike killerRabbit! How about Cateye Mity 8, excellent "wired" computer for the money.