Help with up grade please ?

FishermanJoe

Hi Guys

Ive been using an old steel frame mountain bike for the 1.5 mile daily trip to work for the last two years, i used it ALL year rain/sleet/snow ! fitted mud guards, and slick 26" x 1.5" which made a HUGE difference. I enjoy using it and do a wee bit of canal just for fun, and some times take the long way home agian just for fun/excercise now im in my late 30's :oops:

However its very heavy and got bits from half a dozen different bikes ive robbed replacement parts from ! And i run out of gears as i like to push myself i.e race myself home or to work just for fun. And getting less and less reliable.

Ive deicided to up grade as i realise i enjoy cycling and would problably do more if my bike didnt rattle so much and weighed less.

My daily trip envolves road,canal path, car park, lower pavements, very pot holed country lane at 5am and then again at 2pm

I looked at my local shop and have decided to get a specialzed bike as a wee treat the quaility looks good plus pleasing to the eye.

Im torn between and Siruss Elite and the basic Tricross ?

To be honest i find the skinny tryes 700x28 of the Siruss abit scary :? never had anything like that, and and worried it might be up to the bumpy bits on my way to work and not really suitable for weekend canal path trips ??

This leads me the the Tricross ? Looks a bit more beefy frame wise and its 700 x32 arent so frighting and im sure it will be up to the job ? although im not sure of the drop bars ? as ive never them only MTB's stlye ?

Im i under estimating the Siruss elite or have i got it pretty much right ? I.e Tricross

Would welcome your experinced veiws and im sure theres other in the same postion.

Cheers

Fisherman Joe

DonDaddyD

700X28 aren't thin by any stretch of any imgaination.

23mm tyres would be able to handle the route.

Specialized Allez.

Wooliferkins

Of the two I'd choose the tricross. More hand positions on longer trips designed with a bit of rough in mind. Popular with commuters from what I've read here. Also enjoyed on test here

El Diego

The Tricross is a bit more versatile and sounds like it suits your requirements. Don't worry about drops they allow lots of different hand positions.

kelsen

Somebody else asked about choosing between a Tricross and a Ridgeback Flight which has similar specs to the Sirrus...

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12698389

With regards to tyre width, I commute on a Tricross with 25mm tyres but would have no problem dropping down to 23mm. The wider tyres may be more comfortable, but not necessarily safer.

asprilla

I'd go with the tricross. If you want to take up riding longer distances it's a much more versatile machine.

Wallace1492

Tricross, tricross, tricross.... versatility personified:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=16154169

Since then I have done the Etape and further touring.... plus daily commute.

Plus, I love me cape!!! :twisted:

Kieran_Burns

and of course - the Tricross comes with a free cape 8)

Personally I've found the CX bike to be the ideal commuter / weekend bike. I only got myself a Carbon bike for weekends 'cos I wanted to :P Even now I will use the Tricross rather than the Madone on certain routes as it's better suited.

FishermanJoe

Cheers Guys

Thanks for the great response, im not sure im ready for "skinny tyres" so im leaning strongly toward the Tricross. Out of interest they come with 32's how skinny will there rims take ?

I discounted a "Road bike" due to really skinny tryes 23 ! Just frighten the heck out of me.

tomb353

joe, don't decide based on the tyres; you could swap the tyres between the two bikes you've mentioned without any problems.

moonio

I feel a lot safer on my 700x28 than I ever did on mountain bike wheels/tyres.
The big diameter has a huge stabilising effect.

Oddjob62

FishermanJoe wrote:

I discounted a "Road bike" due to really skinny tryes 23 ! Just frighten the heck out of me.

I went from fat 32 tyres on a hybrid to skinny 23s on a fixed gear last year. Don't be scared.. within a couple of hours you'll be laughing about how you were scared by them.

Having said that i'm voting for the tricross.

Kieran_Burns

There isn't a huge difference 'tween 32s and the 28s I'ev changed them for. Besides, the Borough tyres on the Tricross aren't the best anyway - they're OKAY but not great

lardboy

I'd take the Tricross and replace the tyres immediately. I used a Tricross singlespeed for commuting and longer rides for a year or so and loved it. The frame is beefy enough to handle rough stuff, but it's pretty quick on smooth roads as well. As Wallace says, it's very versatile.

The standard tyres won't provide much protection against sharp objects, and will wear out quickly. I'd have a look at semi slick tyres, Specialized Armadillo Nimbus, Crossroads, or Schwalbe Marathon Plus. These will have decent protection, with a bit of extra grip for the canal paths. Don't be scared by 28mm or smaller. You will probably not notice any major difference between 28mm and 32mm on a daily basis, and may well end up going smaller in a quest for a bit more speed.

One thing not mentioned, and definitely just my experience, but I think that the Tricross will hold its value better. I sold my Tricross last month on eBay for exactly the same price I bought it for second hand last May. I lost out on fees of course, but overall, it's pretty impressive.