Sell/Change or keep?....

[Paulq]

I have a Sirrus Elite (had it about four weeks now replacing a Felt hybrid which will be the winter bike) and an Allez Elite. I use the hybrids for commuting and the Allez for my leisure rides. I find that the Allez is much easier to ride and takes a lot less effort than either hybrid, therefore if fitness is your number one aim I would stick with the Sirrus.

If you only have room for two bikes, get rid of the crosstrail since you say you don't ride it much, keep the Sirrus and then get the road bike.

Ironic that you should post that as I was considering this very option (i.e. selling Crosstrail/keeping Sirrus) yesterday. However I use the Crosstrail mainly for winter rides and also when we go on holiday and use nature trails etc in places like the Lake District. Am not sure that the Sirrus is really that kind of a machine as I have always regarded it as being at the 'road end' of the hybrid range whilst accepting that it's no out and out road bike. I think that kind of use is ideal for Crosstrail but not for Sirrus and I have a need for a bike that can handle that.

Not sure I understood your last comment when you say that the Allez is 'easier' but stick with the Sirrus. In my head if something is 'easier' then that's more likely to draw me to it and ergo I'll use that one more to get fit. The Sirrus, as you know, is a joy to ride if still definitely a hybrid.

I am going to go and have a look at the Defy today if they have one in.

Slight aside - if I decide to part with the Sirrus where's the best place to sell it? Fleabay or the ads sections on here etc.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Ironic that you should post that as I was considering this very option (i.e. selling Crosstrail/keeping Sirrus) yesterday. However I use the Crosstrail mainly for winter rides and also when we go on holiday and use nature trails etc in places like the Lake District. Am not sure that the Sirrus is really that kind of a machine as I have always regarded it as being at the 'road end' of the hybrid range whilst accepting that it's no out and out road bike. I think that kind of use is ideal for Crosstrail but not for Sirrus and I have a need for a bike that can handle that.

Not sure I understood your last comment when you say that the Allez is 'easier' but stick with the Sirrus. In my head if something is 'easier' then that's more likely to draw me to it and ergo I'll use that one more to get fit. The Sirrus, as you know, is a joy to ride if still definitely a hybrid.

I am going to go and have a look at the Defy today if they have one in.

Slight aside - if I decide to part with the Sirrus where's the best place to sell it? Fleabay or the ads sections on here etc.

Re the easier to ride bit. I meant I can ride faster and further on it than the Sirrus, but with less effort. I see my Allez as the bike I go out on to enjoy a relaxing ride, the Sirrus is the work horse for the commuting and improving my fitness as it takes more effort.

Swings and roundabouts I suppose, you can either do shorter, more hard work rides on the Sirrus for fitness, or go out and do longer, faster rides on a road bike to achieve the same aim.

Does your Sirrus have the disc brakes? if so I would say it would make a great winter ride, slap some marathon winters on it and away you go, now they will improve your fitness!

 

[Paulq]

Hi again

Aha now I see what you mean and that makes sense. To be honest, and I may be trying to convince myself here, but I think the lighter faster bike is probably likely to entice me to ride more than a heavier one. This is with the caveat that I can get a comfortable riding position which I have to say I have on the Sirrus as the shop I bought from did an excellent job on the fitting whereas my LBS tend to be, shall we say, less scientific.

The Sirrus is the 2011 version without discs and has 28c Gator Skins.

 

[snorri]

PS: In anticipation of replies that say 'keep both' I ain't got room

That's a pathetic excuse



.

 

[Paulq]

That's a pathetic excuse



.

Please forgive me. Since I posted that I have divorced the wife and sold the children. Now I have room.

 

[snorri]

Please forgive me. Since I posted that I have divorced the wife and sold the children. Now I have room.

Good man, now you can call yourself a REAL cyclist.

 

[Paulq]

Thank you. I feel cleansed.

 

[Paulq]

Well, as a newly cleansed cyclist I ventured into my LBS this afternoon and had a good old squiz at what they had. Unsurprisingly they are struggling to get their hands on the 2013 Defys as they say Giant have literally claned up with them this year. They did however have a 2014 model in which I had a very brief look at/cursory leg over and it is a really really nice machine.

However they akso had a Scott Speedster 20, 2013 model, in which they can discount by £150 and that looked a wow of a bike - same spec as the Giant and if anything a nicer looking bike to my eyes.

I had a Scott many years ago and it was not as good quality wise as the other bikes I have had but I have no recent experience of them. Anyone had/got this particular one and how does it compare against the Defy?

Thanks for all the help so far. I have taken the plunge and put the Sirrus up for sale.

 

[Nick Stone]

Hi Paul I've got a Speedster 10, 2013 and it really is well built, frame is same etc and handles lovely, there's a lot of spacers in the stem as well for getting a good fit (I've dropped my stem by 2spacers) and with £150 off as well looks like a bargain, I've also got the Allez and from a personal point find them both equally comfortable for long rides. That my twopennth worth, but make sure you get a bike fit and are really happy with, but I love mine

 

[Paulq]

Well, I decided to sell......both in the end and have been doing a fair bit of research and travelling around to look at what to get next. I have bought a Trek 7.4 FX (2014 Model) which looks the absolute business. Tomorrow I have to choose which to buy as a roadie on the C2W Scheme between and Scott Speedster 20 and the Giant Defy 1 - both similarly spec'd but I can get a much better deal on the Scott which, aesthetically at least, looks absolutely stunning.

I had a bit of a wake up call health wise last week and even though 2 bikes seems overkill it's really given me an opportunity to ride any conditions (off road excepted) and get myself into some sort of shape.

Trek arrives Friday, need to wait a bit for the roadie. Either way I am out next weekend!

 

[Sillyoldman]

Please forgive me. Since I posted that I have divorced the wife and sold the children. Now I have room.

Who will do your washing and ironing now?

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

..... and even though 2 bikes seems overkill

Out of curiosity how would you describe six

 

[Paulq]

Who will do your washing and ironing now?

That was part of the settlement. She will continue to do those, plus the cooking. She just doesn't get anywhere near my salary and I get to go out whenever I want. Can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.

 

[Paulq]

Out of curiosity how would you describe six

Like an evening with a model. Nice idea but it's never gonna happen.