Please help me choose a new bike

[Twanger]

Sounds like a great bike now! I'd stick with this one at least as the weekend racer - 531c is a lovely lightweight steel frame and the wheels and components sound good too.

It is! But it's just too stiff for me now. The steering feels twitchy now and the frame is oversized for me....I oversized it on purpose to try and get the best of both worlds -softer for light touring and commuting, but the responsiveness of a steeper head tube. It kind of worked, but it now feels uncomfortable. And the Sirrus gives me a better ride, which is what I really mean when I say it's a better bike. I had read somewhere that Aluminium frames are meant to feel dead compared to steel. I haven't found this to be the case with this bike.

 

[MacB]

It is! But it's just too stiff for me now. The steering feels twitchy now and the frame is oversized for me....I oversized it on purpose to try and get the best of both worlds -softer for light touring and commuting, but the responsiveness of a steeper head tube. It kind of worked, but it now feels uncomfortable. And the Sirrus gives me a better ride, which is what I really mean when I say it's a better bike. I had read somewhere that Aluminium frames are meant to feel dead compared to steel. I haven't found this to be the case with this bike.

A certain MacB, muses, he thinks 23 inch frame, 531c steel, he feels a stirring(hopefully only interest in a bike), he wonders, he feels Twanger could be a lovely person

 

[Twanger]

A certain MacB, muses, he thinks 23 inch frame, 531c steel, he feels a stirring(hopefully only interest in a bike), he wonders, he feels Twanger could be a lovely person

I am indeed nice!

But I have a feeling that the bike might lose its unhappy qualities as I get back into being cycling fit again and lose a bit of the old paunch. We'll see. If it doesn't, it'll go on the classifieds.

BTW, I think it maybe a 23.5 inch frame, not a 23. I'll have to go and check it.

 

[MacB]

I am indeed nice!

But I have a feeling that the bike might lose its unhappy qualities as I get back into being cycling fit again and lose a bit of the old paunch. We'll see. If it doesn't, it'll go on the classifieds.

BTW, I think it maybe a 23.5 inch frame, not a 23. I'll have to go and check it.

MacB, has a large Giant frame in modern geometry, and a 60cm Surly frame in old money, that's 22 7/8 and 23 6/8 frame sizes.Effective top tubes of 59.6cm and 60cm respectively. They both fit very nicely, he tries not to think about how he may hanker after a 23.5 inch 531c frame.

 

[Lozatron]

wrt real cyclists use drop bars...I moved from a rather crappy hybrid to a drop bar audax bike - the increase in speed and enjoyment was massive but...i did feel I lost some control and I came off the bike twice, having never come off my crappy hybrid. I commute accross london in traffic and found that I feel much, much safer on flats.

I bought myself a trek 7.5 from my lbs - really, really pleased with it, couldn't be happier, going quicker into the office (not quite as quick as on the old drop-bar bike I will admit) and to be honest...yes I do feel a bit ashamed when the guys on drops pass me at the lights but...I also feel a lot less guilty when I get home because I don't think about how many times I felt like I was taking my life into my hands...

Now I'm perfectly happy to accept that (a) I'm a wuss and or ( the bike with drops wasn't set up right but...I love my 12 mile cycle commute and I love my flat bar bike! I'm thinking of getting the audax bike converted to a flat bar and having aero bars put on it now...

 

[steve evans]

Lozatron, totally agree with all you say, getting home safely to my family is far more important to me than an extra 1-2mph (if that's what a drop bar will give you over a good hybrid).

There is a LBS about 10 miles from me that deals in Trek and Specialized so I went to have a look yesterday as a few people here recommend these bikes. Shame the two guys who worked there couldn't tear themselves away from watching cycling on the TV to give me a bit of help and advice. They seemed totally disinterested as soon as I said the word hybrid, "yeah mate, there's a few in the corner if you want a look". I'd have thought that someone wanting to spend £1000 in a recession would merit a little more attention, still the bikes looked good and there's plenty more people selling them.

Shortlist (in preference order) is now:

Boardman Hybrid Pro Ltd
Specialized Sirrus Expert
Trek 7.7 FX

Trek looks a great bike but the wheels just look too fragile with the spoke pattern, I imagine the bumpy, pot holed roads of Hull will buckle them in no time.

Any comments/recommendations/warnings/alternatives on my shortlist would be appreciated, the money will be spent one way or another this weekend.

 

[steve evans]

Hmmmm, shortlist getting longer

Just added Cannondale Bad Boy 8 Ultra

Any thoughts?

 

[bumsteer]

Hmmmm, shortlist getting longer

Just added Cannondale Bad Boy 8 Ultra

Any thoughts?

"Nick me"

 

[andylaw79]

Steve - I'm another one for flat bars - I just don't get on with drops at all.

This review of the Ridgeback might be useful for you, thinking of getting one myself when our CTW scheme gets sorted out.

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/hybrid/product/flight-05-09-34058

 

[Lozatron]

wrt wheels on the trek 7.7 - i have the 7.5 - think the wheels are the same - and i've been riding them on the towpath near us with no problem at all - think they would be absolutely fine on any sort of reasonable pothole...

I was very interested in the boardman but Halfords don't let you take the bike for a ride - it's "policy" apparently - I told them my policy wasn't to spend over £500 on something I couldn't even try out...

good luck!

 

[DeeP]

Steve,
I also have the Giant CRS alliance (for a couple of months now) and it is ideal for my commute. Has flat bars, can fit rack & guards. However the main differencef or me is that the carbon forks and part carbon frame really absorb some of the poor road surface shocks here in Southampton compared to my last all alu Trek hybrid. This bike is much faster and more comftable. Too early to say about lifespan but so far I am impressed with it and recommend it. I got a 2008 model reduced but I believe the 2009 version is around £750.
You mentioned the bad boy with an 8 speed hub. My experince of hub gears (nexus 7) on the old Trek is not that good, they still need a fair bit of maintenance, the low gear is usually not low enougth for any reasonable hills (especially with panniers) and repairing a rear puncture is a painful experience.
Regards,
dp

 

[Downward]

What did you get in the end ?
My Cyclescheme year is up and I am wanting N+1 !

Problem is people say Drops but no LBS will let me have a test ride unless it's a £2k bike.

Currently I have a Kona Dew - 26lbs and 700CC x 32 wheels.

It's nice to ride but a bit heavy and cost £450

Is a £600 Hybrid going to be much lighter and worth upgrading too or do I gamble on a Entry level (Trek 1.2 Triple) Road bike having never ridden one.

Thanks

 

[Lozatron]

Find a different LBS! Round our way (brentford - west london) they'll let you take any bike out for a spin. May ask you to leave a credit card imprint if they don't know you but wouldn't expect you to spend even a couple hundred quid on a bike without trying.

It's becoming a bit of an obsession of mine - why do these shops - some big chains but also LBS - try to make it so difficult for people to buy bikes? I wouldn't buy a car without test-driving the bloody thing...ridiculous!

 

[Downward]

Tried about 4 now all say the same, will probably go back to the one i bought my last bike from although it's further away and always rammed