Newbie help - opinions on specialized Globe Vienna 3?

meli89

I'm a newbie to biking, and after picking up a mountain bike from a car boot sale for £10 which I have been commuting to university with and to town or friends houses, I have decided to get a better bike as that bike (diamondback horizon) seems to be very heavy and slow, with difficulty going uphill and other bikes just zoom ahead of me!

Doing some research, I have decided I would like a hybrid bike as I will use the bike mainly for commuting but would also like to use it for bike trips along country lanes etc

I am a 5ft4 female, and my limit is around £300 and with this I have found two bikes within that price range that I quite like which are:

1. Specialized vita (2009) - online at £270 (specs: http://www.bestbikeproducts.com/product ... 2100&rs=gb)

2. Trek 7.1 FX (2010) - instore at £300 (specs: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/tre ... e-ec016502)

Just would like to ask what people thought of these and which would you recommend? Also if anyone has any other suggestions within my price range which doesn't have to be a hybrid but one good for commuting and also for use in country lanes, dirt paths etc.

Many thanks

cyberknight

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165534

night_porter

I think the Specialized is better specced and looks much nicer than the Trek (or the Carrera) but then I love the look of polished aluminium bikes so I may be biaised.

2 concerns would be buying a bike remotely if you are a newbie:

1) Making sure you get the right size bike for you.

2) Being able to assemble the bike correctly and ensure tuning of gears and brakes are correct before riding.

Even though it is free delivery if you could get to Hemel Hempstead to try the bike I would imagine it would be setup correctly and you would be sure it fitted you.

Having said that as long as you have those 2 points covered the Specialized definately looks the better bike with 24 speed and a carbon fork.

niblue

The Specialized you linked to looks like a good buy at that price - most others at similar prices will be 21 speed transmission, not 24 speed and it looks like it'll be reasonably light.

seanoconn

I'd go for the specialized. Doubt you'll get better quality for that price unless you find a bargain second hand.

Just a thought, if you are getting the cycling bug, a road bike would be fine for country lanes.

meli89

Thanks everyone for your help

Unfortunately, Hemel Hampstead is too far to see the bike but there is a specialized concept store in my town where I could go tomorrow or Tuesday to see what size I am on the 2010 model which should be a similar size? Also they might be able to give me some info on the 2009 model (or maybe they even stock it!).

I have also found this bike with a store close to me: http://www.cyclesurgery.com/1027986/Spe ... nna-3.html - the "specifications" tab lists the specs

I googled the bike but didn't find many reviews on it. What are peoples opinions on this one? Would you recommend this or the vita?

Edit: Seanoconn, I am a newbie to biking so worried that a road bike would be too fast! Thank you though

Specialized Needs

Leisure Wheels (the ones who seem to be behind the Best Bike Products site and multiple other similarly designed sites) do not appear to update the stock on their site, even after they know it is out of date (I contacted them 2 months ago and found the bike that I was interested in was out of stock - well, it is still advertised there on the site tonight).

A cynical person might read quite a lot into their multiple sites that might lure people to them with good, but out of date, stock and prices that they don't update. They do advise contacting for up to date specs, though :roll:

I would call/email them before getting your hopes up.

laertes

See if your work are on the cycle to work scheme and you might be able to get the bike much cheaper.

meli89

Specialized Needs wrote:

Leisure Wheels (the ones who seem to be behind the Best Bike Products site and multiple other similarly designed sites) do not appear to update the stock on their site, even after they know it is out of date (I contacted them 2 months ago and found the bike that I was interested in was out of stock - well, it is still advertised there on the site tonight).

A cynical person might read quite a lot into their multiple sites that might lure people to them with good, but out of date, stock and prices that they don't update. They do advise contacting for up to date specs, though :roll:

I would call/email them before getting your hopes up.

Thank you, it's probably going to be out of stock then I'll email them anyway to ask.

meli89

laertes wrote:

See if your work are on the cycle to work scheme and you might be able to get the bike much cheaper.

I'm a student and don't work. Do you know if this is for students aswell?
Thanks

davis

meli89 wrote:

I'm a student and don't work. Do you know if this is for students aswell?
Thanks

Get a job ya scrounger...;) Erm, no, sorry, it's only available if you're an employee, and there are other rules too.

In answer to your question, I quite like the idea of the Specialized 'cos it's 2009 and therefore likely to be cheaper (I doubt there will be much *real* difference between that and a 2010 model), however, it's got twist shifters. I've never seen a decent set of twist shifters, but I might be being unfair. Anyone else got an opinion on "Shimano Revo, 8-speed twist shifter"?

Edit The most important bit is the bike that fits you best. Make sure your contact points (bits that touch the bike i.e. backside, hands and, to some extent, feet) are comfortable, and the bike "feels" right.

night_porter

As the name suggests a hybrid is somewhere between a road bike and a mountain bike but just like road bikes or mountain bikes there are different types of hybrids.

To use a road bike analogy the Vita is like a flat barred racing bike and the Globe is more akin to a touring bike with riser bars. The Vita will be lighter and quicker with narrower tyres and the Globe will be more of a heavier bike with a softer and more relaxed ride.

If speed is your main concern (and it is in stock) go for the Vita.

However if you want to ride off road a little (canal tow paths, dirt tracks, etc.) then go for the Globe.

I have one of each of these types of hybrids and over my 9 mile commute the wider tyred bike loses about 7 minutes to the narrower tyred one.

Incidentally I also have a road bike (even narrower tyres) and that is 5 minutes quicker still over the same distance.

It is not just the tyre width that makes the difference but they do give a good idea as to how a bike is expected to perform.

meli89

night_porter wrote:

As the name suggests a hybrid is somewhere between a road bike and a mountain bike but just like road bikes or mountain bikes there are different types of hybrids.

To use a road bike analogy the Vita is like a flat barred racing bike and the Globe is more akin to a touring bike with riser bars. The Vita will be lighter and quicker with narrower tyres and the Globe will be more of a heavier bike with a softer and more relaxed ride.

If speed is your main concern (and it is in stock) go for the Vita.

However if you want to ride off road a little (canal tow paths, dirt tracks, etc.) then go for the Globe.

I have one of each of these types of hybrids and over my 9 mile commute the wider tyred bike loses about 7 minutes to the narrower tyred one.

Incidentally I also have a road bike (even narrower tyres) and that is 5 minutes quicker still over the same distance.

It is not just the tyre width that makes the difference but they do give a good idea as to how a bike is expected to perform.

Thanks, this has helped me a lot

I do want to ride off road a little so perhaps it's better I go for the globe. Plus leisure bikes have got back to me to say the vita is out of stock.

However, I cant find many reviews on the globe vienna 3 but some on the vienna 2 are negative stating that gear shifting is difficult on it and the seat is uncomfortable.

Although looking at specs the Vienna 3 has a different shift lever

Vienna 2: Shimano EZ Fire Plus, 8-Speed
Vienna 3: Shimano Rapid Fire, 8-speed

It also has a different seat among other things. Is the Vienna 4 gear shifter better?

Does anyone have the Specialized Vienna 3 or know about it? Do you recommend it? Recommended over the Trek or Carrera?

I'm going to go to the bike shop later to see it and see what size I am on it and if it is comfortable

Sorry for all the questions. Many thanks.

night_porter

Both of those gear changers are from Shimano and are both very easy to operate. The difference being that the EZ Fire Plus ones are incorporated into the brake levers.

In my opinion this makes them even easier to operate because they fall closer to your thumbs. If anyone thinks they are hard to operate then "theirs" are setup incorrectly or they have dirt in the cables , all gear changers get hard to operate in these circumstances.

As for saddles everyone has different ideas about what is comfortable and what is not because we all have different shapes. The only real way to know is to ride the bike if it feels uncomfortable change the saddle, simple as that!

If you are buying from a local shop they will probably change the saddle if you don't like it, some will even do this for free or at cost. Obviously web suppliers won't do this but you can do it yourself then ebay the original saddle to recoup the costs.

il_principe

The Vita is an ok bike, my GF has one and it's been decent. Happy on roads and canal paths etc (but then so is my singlespeed road bike). We looked at the Globe for her, but didn't really see the point of it - far heavier than the Vita and really no better at doing anything.

Onan

meli89 wrote:

laertes wrote:

See if your work are on the cycle to work scheme and you might be able to get the bike much cheaper.

I'm a student and don't work. Do you know if this is for students aswell?
Thanks

Its not available for students, but your university might offer things like discounts at local bike shops. I found out mine did... the day after I handed in my dissertation.