pierretong

I recently decided that I wanted to start riding a bike again. I had gotten a hybrid bicycle in the past for commuting but after switching jobs in the morning combined with laziness in the morning, it was rarely used for that purpose and I sold it. I'm just looking for something to ride for fun, occasional errands, and possibly even try some group rides in the area.

I visited my local bike store which sells steel bikes (Jamis, Surly, Soma, Bianchi, All-City etc..) and found 3 bikes that I liked but are all completely different and I'm not sure what I should get if any of those

1. Surly Cross-Check (Cyclocross Bike) - tested it out in the neighborhood around the bike store. There is a state park nearby that has off-road bike trails that I could use it for. I'm in the city so some of the roads aren't in the best condition so I liked the setup of the Cross-Check and Long Haul Trucker vs. the Quest Elite (in case I nail a pothole by accident). I saw they sell a Cross-Check frame on the Surly website - could I get the shop to build me something that would be more on the road bike side?

2. Surly Long Haul Trucker (Touring Bike) - wasn't as fun to ride as the cross-check but it was extremely stable and seems to be more reliable. Definitely would be something I could take to the grocery store or do longer rides with. Also with the Cross-Check and Long Haul Trucker - can you reasonably expect to use it for road cycling? How fast will it go due to the weight and set-up? (could I keep up if I decided to take it on a group ride if I'm in good shape)

3. Jamis Quest Elite (Road Bike) - I'm in the city so the majority of my riding would be on pavement so it would make sense for me to get this over a mountain/cyclocross bike. How much of a load could this carry in case I did want to go somewhere or bike to work etc...? Also another factor was that this was priced at $1800, much more expensive than the LHT and Cross-Check. The reason I looked at this was the bike shop owner was saying that Shimano 105 components are reliable and a high end group closest to the recent technology. How much of a difference would there be between the Elite and the Comp (next level down) which is Sora and heavier

Any thoughts on what I should get as someone who isn't necessarily committed to what they want to do with their bike? (or any follow up questions I should be asking myself?) I don't want to get buyers regret and then end up not touching my bike again - just looking for something fun, reliable that I will want to ride.

Thanks so much for your help!

dmanthree

Based on your descriptions of where you live and how you ride, I'd go for the Cross Check. If necessary you can load some bags on it for grocery runs. It's capable on the road, and decent on light trails. And riding a pure road bike in most cities is just plain frustrating! Like you said, in the city the roads can be, well, not great. Anyway, if it were up to me I'd go for the Cross Check.

MZilliox

Here is my feedback. My wife and I just went through this. She ended up choosing from the LBS and very nice Trek 520 touring bike. Very practical, easy to ride and maintain, stable, no bells and whistles, perfect bike for her really. I'm a more experienced cyclist with experience mainly on older crappy steel frames. This makes me pickier. I find new bikes to feel cheap and plastic until you get to a certain price point. Our shop didn't have what I want really, so I looked to the used market and found much better buys on the used market. I ended up with double the bike of my budget but i only spent half my budget. The bike i ended up with has much highe rend components than anything new in the bike shop. I'm still fixing the bike up, using money saved to buy high end parts to upgrade the bike even further. Now my wife wishes she would have waited for me to do the same for her because she could have a great bike thats also "cuter" than the Trek 520, and possibly for less money.

that being said, of the 3 choices you present, I would be inclined to have the closest look at the cross-check since you enjoyed riding it the most. this bike with a more "road style" tire setup could be the answer. you can commute quickly, but still have fun on the weekends on trails. its a very practical bike.

I prefer the LHT from the group personally because i ride longer distances, its 12 miles into town, so being able to carry gear and ride a bit more upright are important things to me.

Lastly, I ride a steel road bike with 28mm tires on gravel every day. my driveway is nearly 1mile long of chunky gravel/rock so i ride that every day on my way out. no flats, no punctures, no problems on a road bike. So that info can confuse matters even more! no wrong answers. pick the frame that is most comfortable on a long ride.

12strings

Here's my take:

#1 - Consider the shifters! Both Surlys have bar-end shifters (More durable in a crash, less expensive, but less convenient to use)...the Jams has modern-style STI brifters.

#2 - Unless you are planning on actual bike touring, or on using the bike to haul heavy loads, you can probably eliminate the long-haul trucker. It will be heavier and slower especially on climbs if you do ever do group rides. (and I mean really heavy...the cross-check is plenty strong to handle normal grocery runs unless you are buying 2 weeks worth of Milk for a family of 6.)

#3 - Modifications: The Cross-check can be built from the frame to choose your shifters, but that would likely cost more. The cross-check can also easily take thinner tires and be a sturdy road bike...that said, the Jamis quest, as I understand it, can take 28mm tires with fenders, and even 32mm without fenders...that should be fine for any city riding, and the Jamis is likely the lightest and fastest of the three.

(Disclaimer: I am also looking for a road bike, and If price were no option, I would almost definitly get the Jamis quest Elite, even over a more expensive carbon bike. I love steel! Alas, I am looking in the 300-500 range used on craigslist...so I'll keep looking. )

pierretong

Thanks for your input! I'd say that the roof of my budget would be what the Quest Elite is $1800 but if the Cross-Check/LHT (or even a lower level Quest) will work just fine at $900-1300, that'd be awesome. I have looked a little on Craigslist but feel like I don't know enough about parts to find a good deal or know if there's a glaring problem (it's not like a car where you can look up the VIN). I'm not a serious cyclist at the moment so I'm not too worried about little details - just looking for something fun and reliable that I can use if I want to go somewhere or not run on the treadmill haha

pierretong

1. The bar-end shifters on the Surlys were interesting - I had never seen that before! I didn't mind them and I thought they were pretty easy to use.

2. Yeah I'm slowly ruling the LHT - great bike and I think I looked into it because it's a tank and it'll last me a while. Is it really any different than the Cross-Check though? Other than geometry and tires, it seemed pretty similar to me.

3. I think the Jamis can take 28 mm from my discussion with the LBS yesterday. The Quest Elite is pretty sweet - do you think it's still a better choice if I went down to the Quest Sport or Quest Elite with cheaper components/more weight?

MZilliox

I totally get that. Knoiwing a lemon form a gem is not always easy, but its also not hard if you pay attention. All I know is what I like and what may be too good to be true. Plus there is always the Local bike shop to have a second set of eyes look.

I'd not go to a lower level Quest, you just get worse parts then, and parts are where its at. My budget was about what yours is. I ended up spending a third of that on a full bike, and I'm using the remainder to fix it up with better parts which it doesn't even need. So I went from thinking I had to spend 1500 on a bike I wasn't going to be fully happy with and instead spending 600 on a bike I thought I would not have the pleasure of riding this soon in my life. Seriously its that drastic of a difference. Just don't discount the CL, there are screaming deals there.

12strings

1. Bar end shifters also give you the option to friction shift, if the indexing ever gets bumped out of alighnment...

2. Not a surly expert, but the frames look similar, LHT with more places to mount stuff...LHT has tripple chain-ring for more low climbing gears...and higher handle-bars.

3. I am in the same boat, tentativly looking at the quest sport (wieghs 25 lbs) , but for me, I think I can get a better bike used for under $500. I've been trolling ... I mean following this forum for about half a year, and tinkering with all the mechanicals on my $200 flat-bar walmart road bike, and I have a pretty good idea of what I'm looking for...I'm just keeping my eyes on craigslist. I may not actually be able to buy anything until next fall, so I've got time to drool. So the sport weighs 25lbs, the COMP weighs 23 lbs, and the elite gets you closer to 20 I think...

pierretong

That's one thing I did notice - that the Cross-Check was a double while the LHT was a triple. The area I live in can be a little hilly some places so it would be nice to have the triple if I needed it.

rms13

Your LBS ONLY sells steel bikes? My opinion is that you want a road bike. What you described for use is a road bike plus you're posting in the road bike forum. If they sell Soma and have Smoothie or ES builds or can build one at a price similar to others you are looking at I would suggest that. It's close to true race geometry but also has braze ons for everything you might want and the ES can handle wide tires. But Quest, Surly Pacer, All City Mr Pink or Bianchi are all good choices. I actually owned a Cross Check and my opinion is that it's very overpriced for what you get. Frame is standard Chromoly and components a weird miss match of lower end stuff and cross gearing which isn't the best for road riding plus it has canti brakes which are also not the best option. The frame is a good jack of all trades but unless you are going to be running really wide (32+ tires) or going off road you'd be better served with a road bike.

pierretong

Haha yeah that is correct (about the steel bikes part). They can order other bikes from the manufacturers I listed (like a Jamis Ventura for example) but all the ones they have in stock are the steel models. I looked at the list of the components on the Cross-Check and it was just a weird mix so I didn't know what to think about that so thanks for the input. If I slap on say a 700 x 28 tire on the Quest, what kind of off-roading could I reasonably expect to do? (if any at all)

Cafe

The LHT has been on my radar for quite some time. It's a tank but it's utility value is second to none. It's one bike I couldn't see myself selling. I could go on long tours with it, commute to work on it, etc. I'd go with Surly, because the resell value of the Surly will probably better than the other brands as well if you change your mind a lot like me.

But since you liked riding the Cross check more, I'd go with the cross check. Fun factor trumps everything...whatever gets you out riding more is the one you need to chose.

ColaJacket

From what I recall from the OP, he lives in the Raleigh area. There are several LBS's near him. Some of the brands near him are Specialized, Trek, Giant, and not too far away is Fuji and Cannondale. But if he likes a specific LBS, that's what he likes.

GH

pierretong

That's correct - I do have a couple other Trek, Giant and Cannondale bikes I have looked at. I guess the point of this post is not to figure out what brand or specific model I want but exactly what kind of bike do I want. (If it's a road bike, I have a couple other brands/models in mind) For the longest time, I thought I wanted a road bike but after riding the Surly's yesterday, I'm not exactly sure.

obed7

you will not notice the difference in the weight of the components and as a newbie, I am not sure you will be able to "feel" the difference in operation. Any level of shimano components will work nicely and do the job they were put there for. IMO by the time you get enough experience to appreciate the difference in the control group, you will be ready for a new bike anyway.... get the bike that feels the best to you in the price range you can afford.

rms13

If you truly think you will be doing a good amount of off road riding then look for cross or gravel bike. But I would look at the options at the other lbs or if you are really into steel (and I love steel bikes so I won't talk you out of that) look at the Surly Stragler. It's the same bike as Cross Check with disc brakes instead of cantilever and the stock bikes come with brifters instead of barcons.

Straggler | Bikes | Surly Bikes


Bar end shifters are a novelty and the novelty will wear off fast as you get more into cycling. The only other issue with the Straggler or any cross bike is the gearing. Only having a 46t big ring could be limiting in flats or down hills. But you can always change the crankset down the road if you feel limited

pierretong

Thanks for the advice guys. I don't think I will be doing too much off-road riding - like I mentioned there's a state park nearby that has off-road bike trails and then there are some greenway trails that are not completely paved yet but I think if I put on 28 mm tires they should be ok.

I guess the two questions I have really are:

1. If I got the Cross-Check/LHT, would on-road cycling really be drastically worst than a road bike? I am not looking to race and the rides I'm looking at doing are in the 15-18 mph range.

2. If I got the Jamis Quest Elite, could I stick a rack on the back and carry light to moderate weight stuff to/from the store/work? I'm guessing if I ever decided I wanted to do any touring/camping, that would probably be out of the question.

Thanks for saying that obed7, it definitely sounds like that's what is going to happen haha

indyfabz

Don't buy an LHT for regular road riding. I just rode mine on a club event. 47 miles with maybe 2,000' of climbing. No way was I going to do the 68 mile route on that tank. (I only rode it because my road bike wheels are in the shop being transferred to my new road bike.) It's heavy and relatively unresponsive. And it has bar end shifters. I have one because I commute and do fully loaded touring. Great for those applications. Road riding, not so much.

The CC is not designed to carry as much weight as the LHT. Unless they have changed the specs recently, the CC crank can accommodate a third chain ring, but you may need a different FD. Surly also makes the Straggler, which they describe as a CC steroids.

indyfabz

As for the LHT part of your question, I vote a resounding yes. For example, when you stand on an LHT to power up a hill, it tells you to "Sit your ass down and spin in a low gear."

pierretong

ok cool I think I can rule out the LHT then. Are the bar end shifters really that bad compared to the STI shifters? It seemed really easy to shift and it wasn't terrible reaching for them from different positions on the drop bar. But then again I just rode it for a test ride so it may not be apparent to me at the moment. (I had Shimano Acera rapid fire shifters on my hybrid so all of this is completely new)

indyfabz

They are not bad. But they are not really what you want on a spirited group ride where you might find yourself needing to shift very quickly and/or often. You usually don't do as much shifting when you tour. Also, it's nice to be able to keep both hands in stable positions when shifting on rough roads. I like bar ends for touring due to simplicity and the fact that you can switch them to friction. But even I wished I had STI on a couple of days when I toured across PA last year. There were some sections with roller coaster hills and bumpy roads. Being able to shift while keeping both hand firmly on the hoods would have helped me keep my momentum up for at least part of the climbs. Instead, I often didn't bother to shift up on the descents. I just coasted down and then waited until the bike slowed down enough on the next hill to catch up to the low gear I had been in when I crested the previous hill.

rms13

For better or for worse, most people spend 90% of their time with their hands on the hoods when riding drop bar bikes. STI levers put the shifting and braking where your hands will be the most. I've had bikes with bar ends (the Cross Check) and with downtube shifters and they both work and you'll get used to them but most people find STI levers more convenient.

I'm going to make a suggestion that has already been suggested and I wish someone told me when I got my first road bike: Buy a decent bike with lowest entry point. If you want to buy new look at something like

Defy 5 (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States

or

https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...400315__400315


or even cheaper this entry level gravel bike from Performance if you do want to test some off road/mixed terrain

Charge Plug Road Bike - 2015 Performance Exclusive


But as was already stated, if you really get into it you will probably want a new bike in a year because you'll have a better idea what type of riding you want to do and what type of bike is best and you may want higher level components at that point

ColaJacket

The Fuji Roubaix is a race geometry. The Fuji Sportif might be closer to what he is looking for, if he is looking at a hybrid/cyclocross.

GH

PepeM

I test rode a Fuji Tread and really liked it. You should give it a look, seems to me like it would be a good option for you if you liked the Cross-check.

kingston 

I was in your position a couple of years ago looking at roughly the same list of bikes and ended up getting a Jamis Aurora Elite, which I really like a lot as an all-around great bike. I have acquired a few bikes since then, but still prefer the Aurora Elite for long rides (over 80 miles or so)

The quest elite looks like a great bike too. It has rack and fender mounts so you should be good there if you want to put a rack and a trunk on there for a credit card tour. I consider 105 to be the component sweet spot for the fun/reliable you are looking for, so I wouldn't go for a lesser equipped Quest if you intend to keep the bike for a while. I personally don't mind bar-end shifters for long rides where I'm more concerned about endurance than speed, but STI is definitely better if you are trying to go fast.

As others have mentioned, the LHT is really more of a loaded tourer, and I think of the cross-check as more of an urban assault bike. Neither sounds like quite what you are looking for. Sounds like the Quest Elite is the right bike for you.