cobaltmom

Hello everyone, this is my first post. I’ve been reading a lot of your comments for the past few weeks, looking for advice before I purchase a new bike. After 15+ years of riding the same $99 bike, I am finally looking to buy a new bike. I am a 46 yr old, 5'-6" female, with lots of leg muscle, but overweight. I currently have a Huffy Innsbruck Comfort Tek, which I love. At the time of purchase, I only intended to ride it occasionally for recreation. Yet, I fell in love with biking, and for the past ten years, I have been riding that Huffy 20-40 miles per ride, 2-3x per week. I live in the Midwest, so only during decent weather May-October. I ride mostly on city streets, paved trails, and some crushed gravel. I typically ride alone, but when my husband joins me, he says I keep an aggressive, quick pace. I will definitely get passed by anyone on a road bike, but I usually can pass anyone on a hill. (It’s not that I love hills, I just like to attack them and get them over with!) I’m not aiming for speed, my only goal is to get a pace which gives me a good workout. My Huffy is extremely comfortable, however, I’ve ridden that bike into the ground, practically every part needs to be replaced, so now I am looking to upgrade, and invest in a new bike.

In my search for a new bike, I have visited many stores and tried many bikes. I know that I want a hybrid, I just don’t know what kind of hybrid. My original budget was $500, but now I am thinking up to $700. I have tried multiple versions of Scot, Marin, Trek, Fuji, Schwinn, Raleigh, Diamondback, Specialized, Giant, and Cannondale. Probably even more brands, I just can’t remember them all. I have narrowed down my search to Cannondale, the bikes seem to fit me best. Problem is I can’t decide between the comfort hybrid Adventure 2 (not Women’s) or the fitness hybrid Quick 4 (Women’s).

Adventure 2 - ADVENTURE - RECREATION - RECREATION & URBAN - BIKES - 2014
Quick Women's 4 - QUICK SL/QUICK - RECREATION & URBAN - WOMEN'S - BIKES - 2014

I realize these are quite different, I just can’t decide which way to go. These are my pros and cons:

Adventure 2:
Pro: SO comfortable! Ridiculously so. Comfort makes it fun, I picture riding this thing for 100 miles straight with no pain. The shocks and seat all seem comfy and luxurious.
Pro: Adjustable stem. I get the perfect fit.
Con: I didn’t want a front shock, as I’ve read it weighs more, and sucks up energy. I’ve noticed it definitely absorbs my pumping when I’m standing to pedal. Granted, I usually only stand on hills, and most of the trails around here are flat with the occasional hill.
Con: Adjustable stem. (Yes it’s a pro and con). Seems a bit gimmicky, I’m worried it will slip over time. Once it’s set, I won’t need to change it, so why do I need it to be so adjustable, and heavier?
Con: Twist shift. This is what I have on my Huffy; I was hoping to upgrade to a rapidfire.

Women’s Quick 4:
Pro: Quick, nimble, light.
Pro: Rapidfire shift.
Pro: Carbon fork. I’ve read this is good for absorbing some of the bump, but can’t really tell on my test rides.
Con: Saddle not comfortable. But no saddle has been comfortable on any fitness hybrid I have tried. I have asked most stores to change out the saddle on my test rides, so that helps, but still not perfect.
Con: My hands are rotated in, creasing at the inside of the wrist. This seems to be true on all fitness hybrids I try, as the handlebar is straighter (opposed to the sweptback handlebars on my Huffy). They don't hurt during test rides, but I wonder if they will on a 40 mile ride. (I've never had pain or numbness in my hands or wrists before, but I've read others do).

It’s a big chunk of change for me, so I want to get this decision right. I’ve read that comfort is the most important thing, so if that’s true, I have my answer with the Adventure 2. But, given my riding patterns, would I be better off with the Quick 4, and will I ever be as comfortable on a fitness-type bike; Does the body adjust? Any suggestions are appreciated. Thank you!

headloss 

What speed to you ride at? Do you like to take in the scenery or are you trying to get a little fitness on the bike?

I, personally, don't see any value in a front shock on a non-mtb... but there's obviously a market for them. I think they are gimmicky for a hybrid, advertised as some sort of upgrade when they really don't add anything. While I'm not 100% opposed to a suspension fork, and I may even consider using one in a personal build... there's a big difference between buying a $200 suspension fork after market and buying a $400-600 bike with what amounts to a <$100 suspension fork.

You may find yourself growing out of the Adventure... that's less likely with the Quick. Quick will probably have higher resale value too.

MRT2

Go with the Quick. Compared to the Huffy, it will feel ike a rocket ship.

Change out the saddle if you hate it. You can try Ergon grips with bar ends or even try swapping out the flat bar for one with a slight bend that will put your wrists in a more natural position. Better yet, try a road bike with drop bars.

themishmosh

I would talk to your LBS about possibly exchanging the stock bar for a swept back bar that may already be in their spare parts bin. Sounds like the Quick 4 has everything you want except for the handlebar and seat. The seat may actually be what you want over time.

cobaltmom

It's been years since I've had a working speedometer on my bike, but I think I was averaging 11-14 mph on my Huffy on the trail. (Maybe? Its been a while). The posted limit is 8 mph, but it seems most riders ignore that when there is no traffic. I'm not a speed demon but I do want to get my heart rate up at a decent pace for a workout. There are some nice trails around me, so I have great scenery while I ride, without needing to slow down to enjoy.

headloss 

Without question, the Quick. The Adventure is really made for someone who doesn't ride frequently, it's a better option at a rental shop for someone who only rides once or twice a year. How you sit on a bike affects the three points of contact (butt, feet, hands) and the Adventure is going to putt too much weight on your butt which isn't good for trying to get your heart rate up (that's why it will have the ultra comfy seat). The Quick is built for riding while the Adventure is built to pedal as little as possible and just putz around on the trail.

Jaeger99

Quick all the way. Get a cushy saddle if you wish, but consider bike shorts and keep the OE saddle for when you decide you no longer need a butt pillow. It's what I did.

Who Dey3334

I'm going to go against the grain here and say get either the Adventure or a Giant Cypress DX. I call BS on all the negativity about front suspension forks. I have a Giant Cypress DX and I absolutely love it. I also have a road bike and a flat bar road bike/hybrid and my cheapest bike, the Cypress DX gets ridden the most simply because it is far more comfortable and rolls over the bumps and cracks in the road so much more nicely. The adventure or Cypress DX will also have a much nicer seat than a performance hybrid will. Now with all of that being said though, if you do in fact climb a lot of hills and are somewhat into speed and riding really fast I would probably tell you to not buy a bike with a suspension fork, but if you just ride for exercise and leisure go with the more comfortable bike. My Cypress DX isn't as fast as my other two bikes but it is by no means a slow bike either.

I have two bikes that cost over 1000 dollars each and the Cypress DX that is 420.00 to 500 depending on where you buy it and the DX gets the most ride time so that should tell you something. I love all of my bikes but when I want comfort I go for the DX. If you aren't comfortable you're not going to ride as much. I am an avid rider and I don't understand all the negativity toward suspension forks at all. I love my Cypress DX and when I wear it out I will be at the shop buying another new one!

Jaeger99

Why is it "BS" for someone to have different preferences than you do? Manufacturers offer both kinds precisely because their customers have different preferences. It's no more BS for you to like suspension forks than for someone else not to. Some people like a mushy front end. Some don't. It's not a question of right and wrong.

@cobaltmom - the more I read your list of pros and cons the more I get back on the fence as to the right choice. I'd prefer the Quick, and expect you'd become used to the slightly different hand position and saddle - but I read a lot more enthusiasm in your description of the Adventure. Have you tried a more comfort-oriented hybrid but with rapidfire shifters? The twist shifters would be a deal-breaker for me.

Who Dey3334

I call BS on it because that is how I see it and because I can, good enough answer for you? I like rigid fork bikes and suspension fork bikes both and both have their own purpose, but for the most part I enjoy the smooth ride that a comfort Hybrid gives you. That is just my opinion, take that and 50 cents and you can go buy yourself a cup of coffee with it. I never bashed anyone in particular so get over yourself already, I just said I don't understand all the negativity toward suspension forks. There are so many factors that could play into what kind of bike a person should buy that it's hard to even make a recommendation really, so I say she just goes to the shop and test rides a bunch of bikes till she finds what she likes.

themishmosh

One of the most popular style of today's comfort bikes have front suspension. Nothing wrong with comfort if that's what keeps you riding. Heavy to be sure but you can't deny the ride is comfortable. I find it strange the same people who poo poo the front suspension seem to be the same ones who say bike weight doesn't matter.

Who Dey3334

Exactly, I agree 100 percent! A big majority of the people who don't like them are also younger riders. Its just like I told a friend of mine, I told him don't go to the local bike shop and let a 20 year old kid talk you out of a bike with a suspension fork or a comfort hybrid with a nice cushy seat because he doesn't have a clue how a your out of shape 50- 60 year old body feels. When you are young you don't have the aches and pains of an older person and you feel so good that you think you are going to live forever. Hell when you are young you can ride a hundred miles on the seat post probably and it wouldn't bother you.

Giant Doofus

I know you've already done a lot of looking, but to me it sounds like you may need to keep looking. For your riding patterns, the Quick sounds better, but ideally you could find something like that with swept back bars and a more comfortable saddle. On the other hand, these are both things you could swap out pretty easily. How is your current saddle? Could you put it on the new bike? Could the LBS swap the bars for you? Another cheap option would be to add bar ends.

On the front suspension fork: like @Who Dey3334, I ride a Giant Cypress DX that has a front suspension fork, but I don't find the critique of the fork to be BS. I've taken the bike on metric centuries, so it can definitely go the distance, and I like the bike a lot. Having said that, though, I would also say that I wish it did not have the suspension fork. I do think it requires more effort to go the same speed than a bike with similar geometry and a rigid fork. It may absorb some bumps, but it also absorbs effort. It just sort of feels a little mushy. My older hybrid had a rigid fork, and I liked that a lot better. It didn't feel any rougher to me.

Good luck!

MRT2

I am 48 and have my share of aches and pains and not a fan of cheap suspension forks. In recent years, I have ridden them as rentals (Trek and Specialized models) and the best I can say about them is, they don't suck as bad as they used to. Given most if these bikes come standard with 700 x 35 or 700 x 38 tires, it really isn't needed for casual riding, and few of any take their comfort hybrids to do single track.

IMO it is mostly about marketing. Easier for the customer to see a cheap suspension fork, whereas a better wheel, tire, or shifter looks exactly the same to many bike customers as a cheaper model.

MRT2

You could always replace the suspension fork with a rigid one. Just make sure you get a suspension corrected model.

Who Dey3334

You make a valid point and I really didn't think about the tires absorbing the bumps. I was comparing the ride to my Specialized Sirrus Comp and my Giant Defy 2 and both bikes have skinnier tires that hold much more air pressure and they ride terrible compared to my DX. With that being said though a comfort hybrid will have a more straight up riding position and a much more comfy seat, and in my opinion that is a big plus for an older person who is especially just getting in to biking and wanting to exercise and improve their health. They will ride more if they are comfortable and find reasons not to ride if they are all hunched over sitting on a uncomfortable seat. I suppose that my Sirrus comp would ride much smoother if I took of the 28c tires and put on the 35c's that my DX has. That is probably the biggest difference and not so much the suspension fork. I still don't really find the suspension fork to be a negative though personally because I mostly ride flat roads with very few hills.

MRT2

My wife owns an 07 or 08 Trek 7000 WSD comfort hybrid without suspension fork. She seldom if ever rides it anymore as her Jamis road bike is actually more comfortable for rides longer than a couple of miles, but we keep it as a loaner.

My sister in law, who btw is in her mid or late 50s borrowed it yesterday. She rode it 19 Miles with us and generally liked it, though the upright position was tiring her out the last third of the ride and she told us if she were buying her own bike, she would opt for something a bit more sporty.

Sullalto

I bought something like the adventure, and it was a great bike. After a couple months I wanted something like the quick instead. That big broad saddle was especially horrid once I became reacclimatized to biking.

edit: Exactly what @mr2t said, same experience here.

I vote the quick with saddle and handlebar experimentation before you walk out the door. Or look at other bikes.

Jaeger99

No, not a good enough answer. You like both so everyone else must too? Ridiculous. You didn't just say you couldn't understand the negativity - clearly there is a great deal you are incapable of understanding - you said the negativity was all BS. And created a rather large pile of your very own in so doing.

Jaeger99

Agreed.

NormanF

A 29er with a rigid fork and balloon tires provides more effective suspension than a bike with skinny tires and a lockout suspension fork.

Basically, you can get a bike for a fast ride or a bike that can take on tough city streets and the back trails. I think the latter is more versatile.

If you still feel a need for speed, then get a performance hybrid.

Jaeger99

Looks like all the negativity about the fork isn't BS after all. Imagine that. 'Absorbing effort' sums up in two words why I don't favor a suspended fork.

DorkDisk

Hello, it seems like you are starting out. Here are a few tips to absorb bumps:

1) adjust your PSI
2) use your elbows and knees to absorb bumps (keep elbows bent, rise gently out of saddle-for extended bumpy sections, click into a higher gear)
3) pick your line. Look where you want to go, not where you dont want to go

Who Dey3334

No not at all, I ride a lot actually. I'm not an expert by any means but certainly not a Noob either.

headloss 

I see this thread went down hill...

For the record, I never said that a "comfort" set up with a suspension fork was a bad thing... I said it was unnecessary on normal paved and unpaved roads. It adds weight without the benefit. If it benefits a particular rider due to terrain, that's clearly not something that I'm in a position to comment on. It's a royal p.i.t.a. if you climb hills and don't have a lock-out feature on the fork.

There are good suspension forks, and there are cheap ones. I find that in most entry level bikes, the suspension forks are overly cheap and gimmicky. That isn't the case in a more expensive set up. I haven't personally taken a ride on the Adventure, so take my input with a grain of salt. I find that, generally speaking, two bikes that are the same pricepoint but one has a suspension fork, the rigid fork is a better place to spend the money.

To make it a car analogy, I wouldn't suggest buying an intro level Kia that has a great stereo system, leather seats, and a bunch of add-ons, if it's still priced as entry level and they are cutting costs in other area that are more important to the actual ride.