Suza

As I posted earlier, I visited my LBS today to meet with the owner to decide which bike (Specialized) will be replacing my Crossroads. I went with the idea that my choice was limited to either the Crosstrail or Ariel as I wanted another flat bar hybrid, but with disc brakes, 2x chain ring and good gearing for hills. However, the LBS threw another choice into the mix - a women's Rockhopper (I chose the Pro model) He really didn't feel like the Crosstrail was a good fit for me, and I agreed after trying the Ariel Medium frame. They did not have a women's Rockhopper on the floor, so I had to try the men's M. I'll have to admit I was surprised; the Rockhopper erased my doubts about the suspension fork, with the upgraded (from the Ariel) fork. Both bikes handled nicely, with the Ariel being a bit more snappy and responsive, I think mostly due to the fact that the frame was a better fit. Where the Rockhopper excels, IMO, is in value since for nearly the same $$$$ ($1,150 vs 1,000) it has much better components, lighter frame and wheels, and a much nicer color As I stated in a previous post, I don't care for the grey/pink Ariel Elite. The Rockhopper, though I didn't see it in person, is a beautiful "gloss satin metallic white silver/acid mint/black.


I have full faith in my LBS's opinion that either bike would match my riding, with the Rockhopper having a bit more off-road versatility and a wider range of gears while I can still outfit it with a bit narrower tires for when we ride only on pavement.


Bike is available in the West Coast warehouse, so it should arrive at the shop next week. Hopefully I can get fitted next Saturday. They also ordered me a set of Ergon GP-5 grips and I will upgrade the pedals. I'm going to stick with the stock Myth Sport seat; if I really like it I will upgrade to the much lighter Myth Comp. Not sure, but I might try the Women's Lithia Comp Gel saddle for longer road rides; we'll see how the Myth does for extended riding. If anyone has tried any of these seats, I'd appreciate feedback.


Needless to say, I'm as excited as a kid at Christmas. My regret is that by buying a mountain bike I will be banned from the hybrid bike forum and most certainly the Crosstrail thread. I do want to thank you all for your input and advice; it helped steer me to finding the best bike for me. I feel like a traitor, though . I won't take up space with detailed specs; if you are interested in checking them out here's the link. In a couple of weeks, I will report on what an awesome bike it is (for me anyway).


https://www.specialized.com/us/en/wo...=240166-129253

Wanderer

MHO, it will be slower, as in harder to ride fast....... but it will ride up trees better!

As long as you take them knobbies off - you will still be welcome at this forum..... lol

Suza

Thanks . . .


I'm not into racing . . . but do appreciate extra gears. I plan to get a more road worthy set of tires for longer paved rides. My Momma didn't raise no dummy I guess that means you'll be seeing me around here.


Getting anxious for my bike to arrive.

Suza

And tire pressure as well as weight of the tire.


I remember the days when bikes were simpler and you didn't think about things like this - just went out and had a blast riding. Oh the places we might have gone had we only known!

Suza

I checked when I was at the LBS: The Cross Trail bar has a slight upsweep while the Ariel is completely flat.

ColonelSanders

Congrats.


Getting a new bike is always very exciting and yours looks very nice indeed.

Wanderer

The way I remember, we went everywhere possible! No restrictions as to how we abused our transportation.

Damn, it was fun! Of course, I was 60-75 poounds lighter then!

munkeyfish 

I'm thinking of using the Jones SG 2.5 bar. (The H Bar with the 2.5 rise) Jones SG 2.5 Aluminum Loop H-Bar - Jones Bikes

**EDIT** I'm also thinking the Surly Moloko Bar too https://surlybikes.com/parts/handlebars/moloko_bar

I'm thinking I will have to replace all my cables... I already use risers on my stem, but I want it higher and I'm tired of the hands going numb on the straight bar. And I like the idea of that extra bar out front that I can dedicate to my gadgets. And I did the H bar bag. But I'm wondering how different the bike would feel with this change.....

On the other hand, I'm thinking maybe the Ergon GP5-L grips would work too and be a cheaper route to go. But will it be more comfortable? Or still be too low?

Any thoughts?

DougG

One thing about getting yourself into a more upright riding position is that you might then start thinking about a new seat since you'll be changing and increasing the load on your hindquarters. My wife rides a "comfort" bike and likes the bars really high so she's upright, but then we've had to go looking for a matching "comfort" saddle.

I bought one of the first Crosstrails that arrived at my LBS when they came out in 2012. Even though I've always also had a regular drop-bar road bike, after riding the CT a few times I felt that the riding position was too low and stretched out for the casual type of riding that I planned on using it for. Since searching for just the right stem is problematic, I bought a shorter, adjustable Forte stem from Performance Bike and was able to get a good position with a few degrees of rise and the shorter reach.

I never touched it again, but after getting into better biking condition over the last few years I've started thinking that I might drop it down a notch or two this season. I doubt that I'll go back to the OEM stem (assuming I could find it in my discarded-parts bin!), but I think that lower would now be better.

dmnk

I'm looking to buy this bike, however I'm not sure about the size, would be grateful for some advice . I'm 178cm tall, which is between M and L. I went to the store the other day to check it out and L model's top tube is touching me when I'm off the seat. For M version seat has to be quite high. What would you guys recommend in this situation?

travbikeman

Medium should be about right, depending on how long of legs you have. I'm 6'1" and am using a medium size since the large would mean I'm sitting on the top bar when getting off. But I have had to do some mods like upping the seat post and a new stem for the handlebar to make this comfortable.

Skipjacks

Get the large.

I'm about 2 inches taller than you and had the same question. The top tube barley touches my nether regions when I hop down off the seat.

Deal with it. Tip the bike slightly to the side when you hop off so the bar is lower. It feels wrong at first but after stopping 10-12 times it becomes normal. Now a year after buying the large it feels totally comfortable and I never bang my gibblies.

I bought the large after testing both. I went back to the store after having rode the large for 2 week because it just felt odd. I rode the medium around the marking lot and it was obvious how tiny that bike felt in comparison. I mean it felt small and cramped.

At 6 foot the large is easily the better sized bike for me. You're a little less than 2 inches shorter than me (which I'm going to assume means your backside is 1 inch lower than mine (since it's halfway up your body) so you might be small enough for the medium...but somehow I'm betting not.

Best advice is to go to the store and test ride both. Take each one on a 1 mile trip around the parking lot o up the street and see which one just feels better.

If you're riding a smaller bike now, you may just be used to a smaller bike even though it's not optimal for you. You may find that a large is the better bike after a mile or two even though it feels huge when you first get on it.

dmnk

Thanks, I was never a fan of test rides as I thought it's too short too tell for me to feel uncomfortable. Currently I have trek FX 7.7 56 (4 years) and I think I would've been better with 54. But this one, between the sizes seems like a big difference that's why I'm hesitating.

Skipjacks

Take the test ride.

If it's uncomfortable you'll know in a hurry.

Also, base your size on how it feels to RIDE the bike, not how it feels to stand over the bike. You're not buying it to stand near it. You're buying it to ride it.

Anything that doesn't impact how comfortable it is to ride it is probably something that can be overcome.

Like for me, it's awkward standing over the high top tube. Okay....I got used to it by tilting the bike a small amount when I stop. I'd rather do that every few miles for a minute than ride those few miles on a bike that was too small for me...you know?

badger1

At 178cms, you will fit on either the M or the L on this particular bike.

Take a glance at the geometry chart: the difference between the two sizes comes down to stack (iirc, 593mm for the M, 611mm for the L). The static reach is virtually identical -- 2mm different iirc -- as is seat tube angle.

So, which you'll find the 'better' fit will depend on your leg length (cycling inseam, which dictates saddle height) relative to your overall height. If your cycling inseam is longish relative to your height, and/or you want a quite upright riding position, probably the L. If your leg length (cycling inseam) is average-to-short for your height, and/or you want a slightly more aggressive (low/stretched) riding position, probably the M.

Simple really, but the only way to know is to get fitted to and ride both sizes.

dmnk

Thanks again for your thoughts guys. I'll look into it.

daveg22152

Can anyone tell me the procedure for lowering the stem height on the Crosstrail? The Crosstrail stem is closed on the top and it appears that I'd have to cut the steerer tube in addition to removing spacers. I'd like to avoid a irreversible change in order to tweak my fit on the bike.

badger1

One of the most annoying 'features' of the current upper-level Crosstrail and Sirrus. No idea why Specialized does this, and afaik Specialized does not stock that stem in different rises, and getting it in different lengths is difficult. Could be wrong about that.

Anyway ... two quick solutions.

1. You can convert the stem assembly back to conventional: ditch the stem/proprietary spacers/headset topcap, and replace with conventional topcap/compression ring, spacers, and stem. That will allow you to use any standard 1 and 1/8 stem, and you can then experiment with length, rise, etc. You could source the bits yourself or have your lbs do this.

2. If you are looking to get the bars to a higher position, simply leave everything as-is and experiment with different bar rises.

daveg22152

Thanks. I suspect they do that purely for aesthetic reasons. I'm interested in lowering the bars, so going to a new stem may be the best bet. Agree that it's annoying, for no other reason than having to spend extra $$ just to change the fit within the bike's as-built adjustment range.

badger1

Agree, though in fact I don't 'get it' even aesthetically, but then I prefer form to follow function as a rule!

munkeyfish 

What size are the pedals? I'm looking to swap my LBS Cheapies with something better and not sure what size I need. I think it is 9/16, correct?

Thanks

travbikeman

9/16 is standard on bikes. The other size, think 1/2 inch is more for the single crank set.

missesalot

taz777

Seven months on, I thought I'd provide some feedback on the 2018 Specialized CrossTrail Expert Carbon. I really enjoy riding this bike, although my fatbike usually takes precedence. The bike is quite fast and nimble. It's very controllable, even at slow speeds. I went for a Medium size when a Small size would, technically, have been a better fit. In the real world, the Medium size feels much better to me.

The Fitness Brain suspension tech works very well on the routes I take, although these are not 'difficult' routes that test the suspension out much.

One downside is that the brakes are absolutely terrible! This is something I need to look at and will ask the shop to investigate when the service time is due.

However, overall it's a lovely bike and is built very well - it feels solid and a high quality product.

DougG

I'm surprised to hear that. My first disc brakes were mechanical ones on a Giant Sedona that were not so great, but I have had no complaints about the hydraulics on my first-generation 2013 Crosstrail nor the ones on my Felt VR5. What is it about yours that is not right?