Please help me choose a new bike

[steve evans]

Hi,

I have been doing a 27 mile round trip commute for about a year, I have a mountain bike which I have fitted with skinny slicks to make life a bit easier but I feel now is the time to get a more suitable bike for the job.

I am fortunate enough to have £1000 to spend (maybe more for something special) and I am of the opinion that a flat bar road bike/hybrid is the best choice for my needs. My commute is all on roads, mainly decent but a few areas are bumpy and there are a number of potholed parts too. I also jump up and down a couple of kerbs along the way (not at great speed).

I want something that is fast, good quality and fairly robust and will also be good for hilly 50 milers at weekends.

I am considering the following:

Ridgeback Flight 05
Giant FCR Alliance
Specialized Sirrus Expert
Trek 7.7 Fx
Marin Highway 0ne
Boardman Hybrid Pro

I would appreciate any thoughts/experiences of these bikes or suggestions for others, I am by no means an expert but I am willing to listen to advice and learn from people who do know what they are talking about.

Thanks
Steve

 

[magnatom]

Steve,

I am by no means an expert either, but I just wanted to ask, is there a reason your not considering a drop bar?

I've just recently converted from a flat bar to a drop bar, and whilst it hasn't been entirely smooth (I'm still working on hand position) it has been a revelation, especially on the hilly longer rides.

If your looking for something tough, you can get some tougher road bikes (winter frames, cross bikes etc) that might suit you.

Just something to keep in mind.

 

[steve evans]

Not keen on the riding position of a drop bar, I like the more upright position of a flat bar, especially in traffic (see and be seen).

 

[bumsteer]

I would echo the sentiment that you should go for a dropbar. It's a proper bike. And you sound like a proper rider.

Like you I was always scared off drops because people said they weren't practical in traffic because of reduced visibility. It's bollocks. When I started using a dropbar on my commute it was a liberation. Drivers take notice of you and respect you. I even use cleats in heavy traffic, something I never thought I'd end up doing. It just becomes second nature.

A flatbar is always going to be a compromise, and you will have a far greater choice if you go for a dropbar.

If you are dead set on a flatbar then they are all good bikes on your list. How about the Cannondale Synapse? You might get a last year model within budget.

 

[HLaB]

Not keen on the riding position of a drop bar, I like the more upright position of a flat bar, especially in traffic (see and be seen).

I wouldn't flatly rule out a drop bar bike. You'll mind that most people ride on the hoods of dropped bars in traffic (I do) which gives a more upright position but they also have the advantages of drops when needed. The improvement in braking of modern road bikes also make them great in traffic.

That being said I use a Hybrid for commuting but if I had £1k to spend I'd go for a dropped bar roadie. My company joined the cycle scheme a few months back maybe I should just do it. I'd still keep the hybrid for most commutes as I feel more secure leaving that locked up as oppose to 1k.

 

[garrilla]

Not keen on the riding position of a drop bar, I like the more upright position of a flat bar, especially in traffic (see and be seen).

You think being seen makes you safer?

Seriously though, drop bars offer 3 riding positions... on the flats (so like a flat bar just narrower), on the hoods and on the drops. on the flats you're almost as upright as on an hybrid, on the hoods your more efficeient but an little lower but still very visibile and on the drops in 'racing' position you're only a little lower anyway. You find that in traffic you'll ride mainly on the flats or the hoods anyway.

 

[Maz]

Like you I was always scared off drops because people said they weren't practical in traffic because of reduced visibility. It's bollocks. When I started using a dropbar on my commute it was a liberation. Drivers take notice of you and respect you...

Doh! I was on your side til you said that!

 

[steve evans]

Thanks to all who have taken the time to reply.

I'm still a little unsure about a drop bar as I just feel more in control on a flat bar, easier access to gears and brakes too. Maybe that's just because I haven't ridden a drop bar for over 20 years and I've got back into cycling in the last year.

Out and out speed isn't really my main concern, I tend to pass quite a few drop bar bikes every day anyway. I just want a better quality, more comfortable mount than my heavy old MTB, a bit of extra speed would just be seen as a bonus to be honest.

I think I might see if I can borrow a drop bar for a few days and do my commute on it to see how I get on, if it goes well then a drop bar may well be the way to go.

I know I'll never be a real cyclist unless I have funny bent handlebars.

 

[Maz]

Not keen on the riding position of a drop bar, I like the more upright position of a flat bar, especially in traffic (see and be seen).

I had the same reservations as you - I'd alway ridden flatbars until about a year ago when I got my 1st roadie. I'd say the difference in head position is neglible when you hold the hoods.

If you do go for the flatbar, however, the Spesh Sirrus comes well recommended (I have one, too).

 

[briank]

For pootlin' about, get whatever reassures you most.
For a 27 mile round trip you need something that makes the job easy(er), even if it takes a little getting used to.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Get the drops!

I usually ride on the hoods and you'll get all the control you need in this position - try one and see for yourself before you go for a flat bar.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Hi Steve, welcome to the forum, fellow yellowbelly. (Don't let on the the other members, but I reckon in about twelve months, we should have infiltrated deep enough for a takeover attempt).

Anyway, I have to agree with the above posters about drop bars. When I returned to cycling a few years ago, I bought myself a flat bar bike and loved it. However, the bug bit deep and hard and i tried out a true road bike. I was totally smitten and now only ride the flat bar bike off road. Don't be frit of drop bars, you will get used to them in a day or two, and when youve cycled forty miles or so, you will wonder how you managed with flatties.

 

[MacB]

Can't resist weighing in a bit here:-

firstly the Giant FCR Alliance, I have the CRS Alliance and very happy with the quality and the ride.

Flat bars v Drops - plain flats do get limited, you can add ergo style grips(wedgy heelpad bit), bar ends or change to butterfly bars. You can replicate all drop bar hand positions except for the drops. Seeing as how rarely, for some never, the majority use the drops, it's easy to argue that flats make as much sense, or trying each. That's until you get to the nitty gritty, and this is where I get really annoyed. Problems:-

bar clamp diameters - this is the bit the stem attaches to, and these vary in size. A good chance that your stem will only fit one option of bars, drops tend to 26mm or 31.8mm and flats to 25.4mm.

steerer tubes - this is where the stem fits to the bike and they seem to be pre-cut to suit the bars fitted to the bike. On my new bike I've deliberately left the steerer uncut so have spacers above and below the stem. But this does mean that I can make future changes more easily.

tubing diameters - drop bar tubing is larger than flat bar/MTB/Hybrid tubing, standard are, I believe, 22.2mm to 23.8mm.

levers shifters - very hard to find an open clamp design, mainly set sizes with limited tightening ability. This means MTB V brake levers and shifters won't fit on to drop bar tubing. Even if you tried to enlarge them they'd never go big enough to get round the bends. Then you have the brake levers themselves, V brakes need more cable pulled, about double, than other brakes, so again not interchangeable(or not easily or safely).


Having now ridden flats, flats with bar ends, butterflies, drops(though briefly) and bull horns, I understand why most people ride on the sides/hoods. This is a more natural and comfortable riding position for me and is my preferred on my butterfly bars. Problem is I have no brakes or shifters there and no way of repositioning them to the sides. So I'm now looking at switching back to flat bars and putting on bar ends that can accomodate the brakes and shifters on the bar end. Ideally I'd have dual controls each side but that isn't practical. So plan is to leave the left shifter and rear brake and mount right shifter and front brake on bar end. May look a little ugly and some concerns about cable routing, but worth a try.

Sorry about rambling on Steve just wanted you to be clear on problems you may face if you go one route and then fancy a change.

 

[steve evans]

Nice rant Mc Bludgeon, appreciate your opinion and agree with almost all of what you say.

Going to my LBS today who has kindly agreed to let me try a drop bar for a couple of hours to see how I get on with it, although I'm 90% sure I'll be going for a flat bar with bar ends.

 

[Downward]

I wouldn't spend £1k on a hybrid. The upright position is a ball ache on decents and in the wind which we get a hell of a lot of.
Better off getting a really decent Hybrid for £400 - £450 and spending £550 - £600 on a Road bike. I assume you are going through your Works Cyclescheme ??

Other option is spending the whole lot on a Road bike especially with the mileage you are going to be doing.