Please help me choose a new bike

steveevo

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

Eau Rouge

Why the kerb hopping?

Get a road bike, with drop handle bars. It is really the best solution for you, especially those 50 milers at the weekend. Comfort and effeciency are your top priority on a hilly 50 miler, and comfort and effeciencty are what drop barred road bikes are designed for (not speed, TT bikes are designed for speed). You're probably worried that the drop bars will be uncomfortable, when they are actually designed to be more comfortable, allowing multiple hand positions ideally situated for the circumstances.

Giant, Trek, Specialzed and Boardman all make bike at that price, and a bike from any of those at that price is going to be excellent. Visit some bike shops, see which ones fit you best, and then buy the one that you really like the look of.

steveevo

Thanks for the reply.

To be honest I find a drop bar riding position too uncomfortable and I prefer a more upright position (see and be seen) and I feel more in control, especially as my commute puts me in amongst some pretty heavy traffic at times (hence a little kerb hopping.

I can quite happily manage a 50 miler in the hills on my heavy old mountain bike so that's not really a big concren, I appreciate a drop bar would be a little quicker but I'm after a mix of comfort and speed so I think a good flat bar will be a decent compromise.

il_principe

steveevo wrote:

Thanks for the reply.

To be honest I find a drop bar riding position too uncomfortable and I prefer a more upright position (see and be seen) and I feel more in control, especially as my commute puts me in amongst some pretty heavy traffic at times (hence a little kerb hopping.

I can quite happily manage a 50 miler in the hills on my heavy old mountain bike so that's not really a big concren, I appreciate a drop bar would be a little quicker but I'm after a mix of comfort and speed so I think a good flat bar will be a decent compromise.

Drops are the way forward if you're after comfort and speed. Actually more comfy than flats - think about how your wrists orientate themselves naturally when hanging by your sides. A roadie won't be a "little quicker" than your "heavy old mountain bike" it'll be a lot quicker.

Anyway, all points are moot. You need to get down the LBs and try some options out. If you're gonna be doing 50 milers you want to buy the bike that fits you best.

soy_sauce

what MTB do you have just now? how about a lighter Hardtail?
from what you said in the OP, a MTB would be the best option.

mountainroadie

around a grand eh .. the ridley scandium is a bit tasty 8)

otherwise the boardman pro would be a good choice

but check the RIDLEY out.

Eau Rouge

steveevo wrote:

especially as my commute puts me in amongst some pretty heavy traffic at times (hence a little kerb hopping.

I can quite happily manage a 50 miler in the hills on my heavy old mountain bike so that's not really a big concren, I appreciate a drop bar would be a little quicker but I'm after a mix of comfort and speed so I think a good flat bar will be a decent compromise.

Tell me you don't cycle on footpaths!

Drop bars for comfort every time. They are designed to be ridden for hours at a time, THey still give you that "sit upright" option when you need it via the tops, Seeing things is not at all compromised by drop handlebars unless your actually down on the drops themselves, and even then, not by enough to worry about.

pllb

Eau Rouge wrote:

steveevo wrote:

especially as my commute puts me in amongst some pretty heavy traffic at times (hence a little kerb hopping.

I can quite happily manage a 50 miler in the hills on my heavy old mountain bike so that's not really a big concren, I appreciate a drop bar would be a little quicker but I'm after a mix of comfort and speed so I think a good flat bar will be a decent compromise.

Tell me you don't cycle on footpaths!

Drop bars for comfort every time. They are designed to be ridden for hours at a time, THey still give you that "sit upright" option when you need it via the tops, Seeing things is not at all compromised by drop handlebars unless your actually down on the drops themselves, and even then, not by enough to worry about.

I agree with Eau Rouge here, as a recent drop bar convert I heartily recommend a road bike, they are lighter, quicker and take more punishment than you might think (i was worried by potholes etc but no worries so far). My commute is much less taxing now I have moved from my old MTB/Skinny Tyres to my roadie. The extra hand positions are a real godsend! Get one - you will not regret.

steveevo

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.

DonDaddyD

steveevo wrote:

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.

Hi, DondaddyD... part time site antagonist, long time believer in offering advice from personal experience.

I had a Giant M2, mountain bike, slick high pressured tyres, disc brakes - love that bike. I then got a Giant SCR 3 roughly a year later.

The SCR/Defy and bikes in that mold (Specialized Allez for example) are great gateway bikes into road bikes IMO.

More access to the gears and brakes on a flatbar road bike are debatable (again IMO). On the Giant SCR3 I ride holding the hoods, I do this becuase it has Sora shiters. The gears are only (realistically) accessible from 'riding the hoods' - giving the most upright position possible. The brakes are accessible from the hoods, only you can apply more pressure if you're accessing them from the drops.

The overall riding position from the hoods on an SCR/Defy/Allez is arguably that of a flatbar road bike with bullhorns. The bike has a larger than normal headtube and spacers between the handlebars and headtube which raises the riding position. Keep in mind that the SCR (or Defy for he most recent model) is the same frame as the Giant FCR (The Allez is the same frame as the Sirrus - Specialized's flat bar road bike) and the only difference is the type of handlebar. The riding position of the FCR can be replicated on the SCR/Defy (as can the Allez mimic the sirrus) and having drops gives you the option of having a more racey riding position - via adjusting the handlebars - as your confidence grows.

steveevo

Thanks for all the replies and advice.

Borrowed a drop bar for a couple of hours on Saturday, did a fast (for me) half hour on the flat, half an hour in the hills and an hour in town to make it a fair test.

Didn't like the riding position and never felt fully in control, especially in the traffic, never confident I could reach the brakes quickly if I really needed to, tried several hand positions and I guess a drop bar is just not right for me.

So, mind is made up, it's a flat bar, but which one? I have all this week off work so plenty of time to go look at bikes, quite fancying the Boardman Pro Ltd Hybrid at the moment.

Comments on this bike and/or suggestions for alternatives welcome, £1K+ burning hole in my pocket, my current MTB is broken so I need a replacement ready for my commute next week,

sarajoy

I left this thread well alone as I got the drop-bar onslaught myself when I first came here

You actually went a step further than stubborn me and found one to have a go on, which is admirable!

Have a look at the Specialized Sirrus range - I own a Vita Sport which is practically the same but designed more for women. Everyone I know with a Sirrus loves it

steveevo

Thanks for that, I had the Sirrus on my original shortlist (below), on there because so many people on this forum seem to like them but I 've actually seen one in the flesh, just need to find my nearest dealer to have a look at one

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

Giant is pretty much off the list, maybe a bit fragile, Marin Highway one looks a fabulous bike but not sure I want to spend quite that much. New shortlist below.

Boardman Hybrid Pro Ltd
Ridgeback Flight 05
Specialized Sirrus Expert
Trek 7.7 Fx

Anything else I should be looking at?

antfly

My dad has a Marin mill valley,it`s a pretty good bike and fits your budget.

DonDaddyD

sarajoy wrote:

I left this thread well alone as I got the drop-bar onslaught myself when I first came here

:roll: :roll: :roll:


Anyway...

Steveevo

Chapeau for at least trying a road bike.

You can't really go wrong with the Trek, Sirrus or Boardman or Ridgeback though I'm not a fan...). Which one you choose I think will have to come down to actually trying them and making a decision on gut instinct. I suspect the 'best one' is going to be largely subjective to the individual riding it.

steveevo

Hmmmm, shortlist getting longer

Just added Cannondale Bad Boy 8 Ultra

Any thoughts?

bomberesque

Drops do take some getting used to and until you do they can feel less controlled than flats. They seem (to me at least) to be *much* more sensitive to cockpit length than flat barred bikes aswell, which could explain the problem you had with teh one you borrowed, but whatever really. For me I'm sold on drops for road use but understand why you want flats.

At first glance the bikes you list all look nice. for alternatives, especially if you want the flexibility to go mountainbiking, how about a 26" wheeled lightweight MTB with skinnies on? Either way there's tons of choice in your price range. If I was building a budget lightweight hardtail, I'd look at the on-one Scandal with a carbon frok from the same firm or someone like Nukeproof but there are tons of off the peg options too.

for a 700c option, thought about a Cotic Road rat? I have one and love it. I run mine geared with an alfine hub (but you can fit a deurallier or run it SS) frame is cheap-as (225 GBP iirc) and nice and comfy (my ride includes some flemish cobbles). I built mine with drops, alfine, full guards, dyno-lights and rack for about a grand. nice and understated aswell, so you can lock it places.

/edit; bad boy ultra has the shockfork or the rigid lefty? Personally I would go for the rigid one. roads don't honestly need shock forks and it's just one more thing needing maintenance. It will be fast as all hell and very stiff. The stiffness can be a good or a bad thing depending on your perspective / the state of your back. Test ride would be the best thing. Oh, and 'dales always look emminently nickable, something to consider if you plan to leave the bike locked to a post for any length of time.

Eau Rouge

The Cannondale is much more of a mountain bike, that front fork is fairly redundant on the road and just adds weight, and you already have a proper mountain bike for when you want to go off-road.
The others on the list are all, broadly speaking, cyclocross bikes with flat bars and would be much better on the road. The best thing to do would be to find a local shop with those bikes, try them out and see which one of them looks the best in real life (as opposed to a picture on a webpage).
There isn't a bad bike on your original list, the best one for you will be the one you like the best after you've seen/ridden them. It may sound superficial, but it's actually quite important that you like your bike.
I seriously doubt the Giant is any more fragile than the other bikes on the list, for example, but if you *think* it's fragile, you'll hate riding it, so best to avoid it.

biondino

I'll bet there's a Focus bike at a very reasonable price that fits your criteria - how about:

Under £900 - Focus Wasgo

Under £700 - Focus Corrente

Both look pretty great! Focus have a no quibble 7-day return policy so although you can't test-ride before you buy, you can return it if you don't get on with it.

Sewinman

Have you looked at Genesis? If i was going to get a hybrid and had that sort of bunce it would be a Day 3. V pretty bikes.

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/produ ... _Bike_2008

navt

Spending this kind of money, you are eventually going to start doing longer distance rides over weekends. That said, don't focus too much on the commute. I started off with a flat bar Genesis (which I love to bits BTW) for my commute, but started getting more and more into cycling. Recently switched to drop bars and TBH not much between them in terms of control/assurance. As long as the bike is well-balanced, you will feel in control.

The Genesis is essentially a road bike with a flat bar and the Roubaix is a long-distance tourer with drops. I enjoy riding them both. Quick off the mark with precise handling. My advise is go for drops.

Brands are pretty much down to personal choice, but ultimately, ensure you get top specs for your money. The last thing you want to be doing is thinking of upgrading bits and pieces and at today's exchange rates that could be a pain.

Good luck.

Roastie

bomberesque wrote:

for a 700c option, thought about a Cotic Road rat? I have one and love it. I run mine geared with an alfine hub (but you can fit a deurallier or run it SS) frame is cheap-as (225 GBP iirc) and nice and comfy (my ride includes some flemish cobbles). I built mine with drops, alfine, full guards, dyno-lights and rack for about a grand. nice and understated aswell, so you can lock it places.

By the by, what set-up do you use for your shifters? 8-spd (STI or bar end?) + travel agent or Jtek?

I'm intruiged by the Alfine hub, plan to build a steel framed, drop barred do-it-all bike with the Jtek bar end shifter.

ps. That Cotic Roadrat frame is very nice indeed.

Roastie

On drops vs. flat bars:
While from a preference point of view I sit firmly in the drop bar camp, if you prefer flat bars, you'll be fine - even for longer weekend rides. You might possibly want to add a pair of nice bar ends to give you more hand positions, ease the load on your wrists, and a better grip for hustling the bike out of the saddle.

Personally I don't buy the argument that long distance riding needs drops. Have a look at most serious expedition bikes (esp European ones), the vast majority have flat or butterfly bars.

bomberesque

Roastiecp wrote:

bomberesque wrote:

for a 700c option, thought about a Cotic Road rat? I have one and love it. I run mine geared with an alfine hub (but you can fit a deurallier or run it SS) frame is cheap-as (225 GBP iirc) and nice and comfy (my ride includes some flemish cobbles). I built mine with drops, alfine, full guards, dyno-lights and rack for about a grand. nice and understated aswell, so you can lock it places.

By the by, what set-up do you use for your shifters? 8-spd (STI or bar end?) + travel agent or Jtek?

I'm intruiged by the Alfine hub, plan to build a steel framed, drop barred do-it-all bike with the Jtek bar end shifter.

ps. That Cotic Roadrat frame is very nice indeed.

Started with a 9sp bar end shifter and a travel agent coz I had the shifter already. This would only work in friction which really isn't all that good as the alfine is a bit too smooth and so you can't feel the gears in. I was waiting on an 8sp barend shifter when I heard about the Jtek and so I ordered one up. It works a treat.

Probably would have gone with a Surly Xcheck but I rather liked the idea of discs so I went with the cotic in the end. Glad I did, discs may look a bit silly on a road bike but nothing I've used has ever worked as well in the wet, especially on a minimal maintenance commuter that gets smothered in road grime.

If I had known about Singular cycles I probably would have got a perregrine just coz they're so pretty, but I'm happy with the cotic. I didn't get the roadhog fork (only the frame) as I had an old Identiti tuning fork lying around. Glad I did that as the roadhog has a right leg mounted disc tab (to make mudguards easier to mount) and this mucks up dynamo hubs. Plus the road hog is supposed to be quite a harsh fork, whereas the Identiti is buttery smooth over cobbles.

markybhoy67

How about a felt z series?

I do regular long rides canal paths etc.. on a ridgeback hybrid with slick and this is quite a fast bike but for on the open road it's the felt all day long.

The Z series is a relaxed geometery bike with gives you a much more upright riding position.

davbay

Have a look at Kona Dew Deluxe. Feel really sturdy and with some slick schwalbe marathons you'd have plenty of speed.

All the best.

steveevo

Thanks for the replies and advice, plumped for the Boardman Pro Ltd, had a bit of fun and games with Halfords

They promised delivery on Friday, plenty of e-mails and texts to say it was on the way but no sign of it, hoping it comes Monday.