Hybrid Newbie
 

Hi there,

I'm looking to get a new bike for myself since I want to spend more time enjoying the beautiful outdoors :) I was wondering what your thoughts on the two choices that I have below. I do want disc brakes because I would feel more comfortable with the stopping, but I noticed that with disc brakes come the suspension forks. I was reading some of the threads that suspension forks just add weight, so will it be a really big issue for just everyday biking? I don't think I'll be going off road that much, to be honest. If I do purchase one of these bikes, will I be able to replace the suspension fork with a rigid one without changing the geometry of the bike? Would appreciate your comments greatly :) Thank you

Cannondale Althea 2 - Women's - Bicycle Sports Pacific, Vancouver, North Vancouver, Langley

Trek Neko SLX WSD (Gary Fisher Collection) - Bicycle Sports Pacific, Vancouver, North Vancouver, Langley

Hi,

Check out the Trek FX and Specialized Sirrus lines.

Thank you, Italia1970 :)

Hi,

I would suggest you ride bikes with and without suspensions. If you will be on pavement and hard packed trails you probably dont need suspension.

You have a nice sized budget I am SURE you will find a bike to fit your needs.

I was initially looking at suspension bikes with disc brakes and then after talkiing and riding different bikes realized I needed neither based on how and where I ride.

The $ you spend on a bike for suspension and disc brakes could be used on better components instead.

Ride many types and then you decide.

The Fuji Absolute line has stagger frames with disc brakes, and as stated above you can't go wrong with Specialized or Trek.

With that budget I'd be looking at the 7.4 FX WSD or 7.5 FX WSD. Suspension just adds unneeded weight if you're not going off road. Disc brakes seem better if you're riding in wet weather, if not, it adds complexity and some weight. Both have carbon forks.

Get a bike with a rigid steel fork and that can take huge balloon road tires. You'd get the benefits of a bike that can roll fast and still give a posh ride because the tires do all the work of suspension. Any one who has ever owned a Raleigh roadster with those huge 635 mm wheels knows what a Cadillac ride they contribute on rough streets.

A suspension fork is totally unnecessary on a bike with wide tires.

Thanks for your advice, everyone :) I will definitely check those out. I plan to go test riding some of the available models after work. Hopefully, they have it in my size (small/petite).

Hi NormanF :) are the huge balloon tires the same as wide tires?

You mean like Big Apples, Fat Franks and Retro Ride? Yup, they are. 50 mm is a very wide tire! :)

Urban 29ers will take them. :)

For that kind of money just buy a bike with carbon forks and I wouldn't worry about disc brakes either because regular brakes are fine. I would also find a store that sells Giant or Specialized bikes because you will get more bike for your money. The Trek and Cannondale bikes tend to be a little pricey and they are no better than a Giant. As a matter of fact they aren't as good because you will get better components for the same money with a Giant.

LOL :) ok! thanks! I have to start learning the linggo here.

I went into one of the bike shops in my area and they suggested these to me instead of the sirrus :)

Specialized Bicycle Components - $1075 CAD

Specialized Bicycle Components $920 CAD

I didn't have any ID on me so I will test ride them later! Is it worth getting the higher model between the two?

It's really hard to recommend a bike for someone without knowing a little about them like age, what kind of riding your gonna do etc. If you are 60 and a new rider I would probably steer you away from those bikes and recommend more of a comfort hybrid but if you are younger those bikes are probably fine. Two things that I am thinking right now though, #1 I personally don't see the need for disc brakes and I think you could save a lot of money on a bike that doesn't have them, #2 both of those bikes have 28c wide tires and are going to have a pretty harsh ride. I think you should look for a bike that has a 35 or 38c tire personally and another thing, don't worry about if a bike has a suspension fork....you might even like it who knows? Test ride bikes with and without suspension forks and then make your decision.

I mean if you are going to become a serious rider and you are going to be busting out 20-30 miles on a regular basis you may want the 28c tires but if you just going to ride the bike path or your neighborhood 4 or 5 miles at a time I would probably go for more of what they call a comfort hybrid if it were me. I have a Sirrus Comp which is somewhat comparable to the two bikes that you are looking at and I gotta tell you that when I hit large cracks in the road and bumps I really feel them big time. I also have a comfort hybrid with a suspension fork (Giant Cypress DX) and that is the bike I choose to ride the neighborhood 9 out of 10 times and it's really nice the comfort and smooth ride that it gives me...and it also has more of an upright seating position which makes the bike comfortable.

Give us a brief description of what kind of riding you are gonna be doing, how far you will be riding, your age (I know, not suppose to ask that lol) and what kind of physical shape you are in at the moment etc. All of this stuff kind of matters in my opinion because if you buy the wrong bike it's going to sit in the garage and you wont ride it.

The Elite is more a flat-bar road bike. It has road bike components (e.g., derailleurs) and gearing (Compact double chainring 50/34 versus the Triple 48/36/26 on the Sport), as well as slightly different geometry (and frame aluminum). The Elite is built a bit more for speed, the Sport a bit more for climbing.

The Elite has some better components and features (including in-tube cabling) that would make it ride and shift more smoothly. The main advantage of the Sport is that it has better "granny gears" if you need those for climbing.

I understand that you want the disc brakes, but I hate giving up the carbon fork for them -- the carbon fork does help smooth out the bumps on straight-fork hybrids like these.

When you test ride, you can decide for yourself if the extra features are worth the $115. And it you're okay with the lowest gearing ratio being 34:30 (on the Elite) versus 26:30 (on the Sport).

Good luck and have fun!

Hi Who Dey3334 :) Thanks for your input. I'm in my mid-30s and not particularly active, but wanting to get there. I'm 5'3" average built and will use my bike mainly for biking on the seawall with friends. My previous bike was a Trek 7000 WSD with paniers at the rear and it felt like a very heavy bike. I couldn't keep up with my friends and going uphill was just too tiring for me.

I'm looking for a bike that's reasonably comfortable on roads with very good manoeuvrability and speed. I know it's ultimately me that will do all the work, but I want my bike to be light and easy to ride :) My longest distance has been around 15km and I'd like to do more than that once I'm better at biking and being comfortable around people and cars on the road.

I hope this answers your questions :)

Thanks for the comparison, mcmoose :) I'll test ride them later and update the thread with how they feel. I don't know if I'll be able to tell the difference though :) that would require more experience and riding each of them for a long period of time.

Those would both serve well for the type of riding you are describing. Specialized has a very appealing range of hybrids, and would have been my second pic after my Trek. The comparable Giant just didn't do it for me - but that's not to say that they might not have something which really works well for you.

I would avoid suspended forks unless you like the feeling of a mushy font end. They add weight, and more significantly, diminish the amount of pedaling effort being transferred into forward motion. Not going to help you keep up with your friends.

I would similarly avoid giant balloon tires if maintaining a good pace is a goal. Race bikes don't run on giant balloon tires and Usain Bolt doesn't race with pillows strapped to his feet even though it would probably be really comfy. I switched from 35s to 28s and wish I had done so sooner. My bike feels quicker and more nimble. The bikes you referenced both come with 28s standard, so you're good there.

I wouldn't say that disc brakes are a must have, but they do offer superior wet-weather performance and I personally find them easier to modulate when you have to brake hard. I'm glad I have them, but they probably wouldn't be a make-or-brake purchase feature.

Get out and ride these bikes - and offerings from other manufacturers as well. Something will stand out for you.

Well you at least sound like you know what kind of frame and style of bike that you want so that is good, and if you are wanting to go fast and keep up with friends then maybe the 28c tires would be what you want. They are a little rough riding though I will tell you that right now. My bike is ok for the most part but there are some roads in the neighborhood that have real wide cracks for some reason and I just cant stand going over them on my Sirrus Comp, it literally about jars the fillings out of my teeth. That is why I choose not to ride that bike around the neighborhood often and when I do I make sure I stay on the smoother roads. It rides great on the smooth roads but its hell on rough ones, probably mainly because the tires hold 110 psi and they are rock hard. The bikes with the smaller tires like that you will also need to check air pressure before each ride because if they are low you will certainly get pinch flats. If it were me I would ditch the disc brakes for the carbon fork like mcmoose said and this might be the bike that you want in my opinion. Specialized Bicycle Components

With what you said about the weight of your previous bike, I think you should be looking at the Vita Elite(non-disc, with Carbon Fork) as it has much better gearing for hills.

Also the Vita Sport Disc you linked to in this thread, uses Specialized's A1 Aluminium on the frame, instead of the higher grade E5 Aluminium on the Vita Elite, so the Vita Sport Disc will be somewhat heavier as a result and of course has no carbon fork either.

You should also look at Trek's 7.4 FX for women with a Carbon Fork, as it is a light bike, has great climbing gears for hills and comes with 32c tyres, for what should be a smoother ride.

[QUOTE=vancouver80;16881646]Thanks for your advice, everyone :) I will definitely check those out. I plan to go test riding some of the available models after work. Hopefully, they have it in my size (small/petite).[/Q

These are the two I would personally focus on if I were you
Specialized Bicycle Components

Specialized Bicycle Components

And if money is a little tight this bike is pretty nice also for 590.00

Specialized Bicycle Components

Thanks everyone :) I was wondering what your opinion on the Cannondale Althea 2 is. I really like the colour and style of the bike, but it has a suspension fork.

Cannondale Althea 2 - Women's - Bicycle Sports Pacific, Vancouver, North Vancouver, Langley

I am sure it is a nice bike but you are paying extra money because #1 it's a Cannondale and #2 it has disc brakes. It does have 35c tires which will make it ride better but it's not going to be as fast as the Specialized Vita's are. You need to do test rides on all of these bikes I think and make a decision. Test rides around the parking lot wont tell you much but it will help somewhat. It's better than just picking out a bike and hoping you like it. I just bought a new road bike and while I didn't get much of a ride on them I did compare three bikes and the Giant defy 2 really stood out and fit me better than a Cannondale that I rode and a Specialized that I also rode. Even though it was just a trip around the parking lot a few times I knew which bike was for me immediately.

Thanks so much! I will try those out and let you know what I decide on :) I'm soooooo excited to get a new bike! :)

Lol you are welcome, and it is exciting to go get a new bike for sure. Biking is a great hobby to have, sometimes it's the little things in life that you enjoy the most! I guess spending a 1000 bucks isn't so little though is it? lol

It's ok though because the bike you choose is going to last you probably the rest of your life if you want it to. The only problem is everytime I walk into a bike shop I always want another new one....I stay out of there unless it's totally necessary. :)