Hello, I need HELP!

My husband has a 1990 Trek 750 hybrid. It works great. Just got new tires etc.....

I have a Specialized Globe - sort of a comfort bike.

We have been biking several times a week about 20 miles each ride.

We live in a town with dirt/gravel roads, and the only way to access the main roads is to cross some of these dirt roads. We also only ride on sidewalks, but often we will travel across town to get in our miles. We typically ride 12 miles per hour. We would ride more miles if my bike wasn't maxed out. I literally pedal it the whole ride in the hardest setting, except for the hills we encounter.

So, my husband and I are looking to be more equal, so I can ride faster and we could cover more miles. My bike is heavy and has shocks too.

I tested a Scott Sportster and I liked how it fit, however, I am concerned that it may not get what we want in the long run. I tried the Metrix, but it didn't feel right and it had cheap plastic pedals and for $800 I don't think I should have to swap out pedals. The store also carries Felt, but only the road bike models.

So, please recommend some bikes we should look at. I really appreciate your help. What turned in to just cruising around has turned into a good workout!

Pam

Newer trek FX series and Specialized sirrus are pretty popular around these parts. I wish I knew more about how your globe is maxed out.

Thank you for the suggestions....
My husband said the sprocket on my bike is alot smaller than his so I am pedaling like a mad woman and he is just cruising along. We want the bikes to be more matched. Does that make sense?

Getting a bike like the specialized sirrus, trek fx, or giant escape, will go a long way in helping you go faster.... that was good advice.

Yep, any of the "fitness" hybrids the others mentioned (sirrus, fx, escape) will put you on good footing!

...you could also take a look at the Specialized Vita, which is like a Sirrus but with geometry specifically aimed at women, my wife is madly in love with hers, she can't wait to get out for a ride. It is a beautiful bike that seems to be a joy to ride...

Check out these beauties

Specialized Bicycle Components

7.4 FX WSD - Trek Bicycle#

Alight 1 (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States

JAMIS BICYCLES

Thank you everyone for your input!

I have to say, I didn't see that "help me find a hybrid" is a popular topic and you all were kind enough to go ahead and answer.Th

Thanks! Checking my local shops for these brands...

Pam

A new bike may help some, but a few items for thought so that you don't look for some specific trait that may not help...

First, the smaller sprocket is not likely to be the limiting factor if you are only riding at 12 miles per hour... How do you define "pedaling like a mad woman" as you stated?

Just a little hypothetical... These numbers are unlikely, but even if your large chain ring was a 40, and your small sprocket on the rear was a 14, and you have 26" wheels. you would be going 13.3 mph at a cadence of 60, which is pretty low. I ride a 32 tooth front sprocket most of the time (unless going down hill, and then I shift up to my 42), and using my 32 tooth middle ring can cruise at 14-16 mph with my 11-34 rear cluster using 700x35 tires.

Not to discourage a new bike, but if you are only going 12 miles per hour on any bike, the limitation is not likely to be the gearing (unless it is a single speed), since you should be in the 80 rpm range, which even with the ridiculous gears I mentioned should get you near 18 mph, at which point your biggest limitation would be wind resistance. Of course, your gearing may be even more ridiculous than my hypothetical numbers above.

Getting a bike without a shock would help some, and a lighter bike would help with acceleration or climbing hills, but if cruising on flat ground your biggest gain will be to increase cadence and fitness, and to ride in a more aero position (every little bit helps)...

Thank you Darwin....I don't quite understand some of the biking lingo you mention...but I googled it and I understand it more.

My bike is very heavy and I ride it on the hardest setting the whole 20 miles...it's like I am in a spinning class (hard to pedal). We want to ride more miles at a faster pace, that is why we are looking to get a new bike for me.

Today I tried the Trek 7.2 and I like it...just trying to decide if we should get the 7.3. The specialized Sirrus/Vita felt too much like a road bike.

I ride a 2011 7.3 FX that I bought used last winter, so I can heartily endorse the FX line (and similar lines from other manufacturers).

A friend of mine rode my 10 year old Giant Sedona DX (with some mods, like eliminating the suspension fork) and immediately commented how fast the bike was. The difference between my bike, and hers (ignoring brand) was that mine has a rigid fork, hers had front suspension... and my handlebars were much lower than those on her usual bike.

You definitely ashould buy whatever feels best to you.

As far as riding continually in the hardest setting, I suspect your legs get tired. That is fine if that is what you want. However, there is a concept that you may want to consider. For a similar speed, the higher the gear, the more stress on the legs, and less stress on the cardio system. Low gears are the opposite. Cycling at a higher cadence takes some "training" but is well worth it to increase speed and endurance. Plus, if someone is like me and has arthritic knees, higher cadence is even more important.

What I do (especially early in the year) is to find a comfortable gear that isn't too hard, and when I am cruising comfortably in that gear on flat ground, drop down a gear to require me to pedal faster to keep the same speed. Do this for several rides, and you will find that your natural cadence will increase. I can almost always shift down one gear early in the riding season and "keep up" the same speed. My cadence is always above 60, and when I am feeling best, is in the range of 80-90.

To figure your cadence (without the sensor to do it automatically) you can count how many times one foot is at the bottom of the stroke in 15 seconds and multiply by 4 (kind of like how nurses take a pulse rate without having to count for a full minute). Remember to only count one foot, or your computation will be 2 times reality.

It does sound like the bikes you are checking out will fill your needs well, just keep test riding until you can determine which one is calling you the loudest.

Darwin, thanks again for more great tips. I like how you taught me to count my cadence. I put the bike in the hardest setting because that is how I can ride the fastest. If I go lower, I feel like a clown on a unicycle peddling really fast and easy. It was raining here today so I couldn't test ride the 7.2 or 7.3 so maybe tomorrow. And, they had limited sizes so I may have to travel across town the the bigger store. t
Thanks again,
Pam

A cateye strada, cadence, can be had on amazon for about 32 bucks, and is a big help in teaching you how to ride. Yes, it is wired, but easy to do, and battery lasts a very long time.

dont be afraid to shift gears, you will get better, and pedalling will be easier to maintain........ you should be shifting a lot.

Thanks Phil, I will look into that.

i have been riding a trek fx 7.4 22.5 inch seat tube for the last 10 months . I have absolutely loved it. i have over 2000+ miles on it. i commute everyday and put 75 miles a week just to and from work.this is my only transportation.only thing i have had to replace was the crank and chain as i started to shark tooth the stock one.installed a shimano sora crank with 50 39 30 rings stock was 48 36 26. other than that original tires brakes shifters cables derailuers and casette all original.great bike to ride smooth quiet .i would not hesitate to buy another when the time comes

Downshift and pedal faster, you'll go faster and save your knees in the process. I typically spin at 90-110 rpm, usually right around 100 and avg around 15-17mph on the flats. Usually on the middle sprocket in front and 5-7 on the rear.

Which Globe do you have? They come in very wide variety of flavors.
I have a 2008 which was geared 3X8.
FIRST thing I did was get some 28mm tires vs the 35mm Armadillo Flak Jacket one that were on it.
The difference was amazing!!!! I couldn't believe what a pig the factory tires were until i got rid of them.

I've since built myself a set of "skinny" wheels and run 25/26mm tires plus upgrading to 9 speed with a shorter armed crank for my bad knee.

Hey Spotty, I went to REI and bought a Novara Safari because I thought it was a touring bike and it was on sale. I believe it still is on sale. It is kind of heavy - 30 lbs, but it has lots of gearing and comfy tires - Continental Town Ride, 28 x 1.6. I don't know if this is the kind of bike you would like. I have not seen anyone recommend this one, but I have gradually been getting my avg spd up to 13.5 on a 23 mile ride on rolling hills, with occasional cruising at 16-18 on a flat section. Slow by my numbers from yesteryear, but my age and longtime lack of riding may explain that. I've been seriously riding again for about a month. The bike is growing on me the more I ride. Just another one to consider, if you want to mount fenders and/or go on longer cycling trips.

Well, I finally made a bike purchase today. After riding several bikes from different brands the one that fit me the best and I enjoyed riding the most was the Cannondale Quick 4. It was a leftover 2014 that was marked down. The womens XL fit me perfectly. Thank you all for your help and suggestions! I think we will go for a ride tonight!

Pam

Nice bike. How did the ride go?

Just so you know, Pam, you need to post a picture or people will say it didn't happen.

I will take a photo tonight and post.

We rode 20 miles today....I had several miles at 14.5 mph....others at 13.1. The bike felt like it was an extension of me...I felt the road more (bumps etc...), but I was faster and my legs are sore today!

I love my new Cannondale!!!

The Quick is a great ride... glad you're enjoying it!