Help deciding between two bikes

DavidSurgenor

Hi,

I am looking at getting a new bike through the works cycle to work scheme. I used to commute daily 8 miles each way before I moved jobs but have been lazy since moving jobs and been driving to the station. My goal is to cycle daily to the station which is just over 4 miles each way to get me back into things and then to start on the 19 mile each way commute into work at least 2 days a week to start with then increasing it to 5 days over the next 6 months.

Previously I have been using an old fully rigid MTB with slick tyres on it, so when I was in my LBS I quite liked the look and feel of this

http://www.specializedconceptstore.co.u ... ort%20Disc

for just shy of £500 this seems like a good bike and seems to be quite popular as specialized have run out of stock so I would be getting the one I had a test ride of.

However, given the distance I am looking at doing I am also tempted by this

http://www.specializedconceptstore.co.u ... s/Tricross

hopefully I will be able to get a test ride of this over then next day or two so should be able to properly compare, but just wondering what people thought of these two bikes.

To make things more complicated I am not exactly a small cyclist 6"6" and weighing in just over 18st. I like the idea of the road bike as it gives me more low end gears as I have reasonable power in my legs they will not spin quickly. I am not overly fussed about mudguards and racks as I tend to carry what I need in a rucksack.

Thanks for helping

David

The Rookie

For that distance I would recommend a dedicated road type bike, either a full road bike or very road biased Hybrid (like the Boardmans for example), or a cross style.

Does your company use a C2W supplier that restricts your choice of brands/outlets or are you free to choose? hate recommending a bike to be told the poster loves it but can't get it!

Simon

DavidSurgenor

The work uses cyclescheme.co.uk, so have a fairly free choice of bikes. My LBS of choice is http://www.dalescycles.com/ who mainly stock Scott, Specialized & Giant.

The specialized hybrid was the best hybrid they had in for spec/value for money, didn't like the feel of the Giant hybrids and the Scott ones were much of a muchness with the specialized, although more expensive.

As usual I have left things to the last minute and need to get my application for the scheme in by close of play friday, so I am limited to LBS in the centre of Glasgow to get everything sorted.

David

tonye_n

The Beginner wrote:

For that distance I would recommend a dedicated road type bike, either a full road bike or very road biased Hybrid (like the Boardmans for example), or a cross style.

Does your company use a C2W supplier that restricts your choice of brands/outlets or are you free to choose? hate recommending a bike to be told the poster loves it but can't get it!

Simon

The problem with a dedicated road bike is that it is just that... a 'dedicated road bike'. Cannot really be used for anything else.

However if you are tempted by the versitility of the Spesh Crosstrail, then the Tricross is the next best thing.
Never mind what some others may say. The Tricross is a 'proper' road bike and will not hold you back at all. Either in the looks or performance during normal commuting duties.
Pluse for British weather it takes full muddies(essential I'd say) and rack if required.

tonye_n

I would get the Tricross rather than a Hybrid such as the Sirrus and such like.
The problem with a fast hybrid is that you will soon want to 'graduate' to a full roadie.

I do a virtual commute of 14miles 3 times a week with a mate of mine. He on a Spesh tricross sport, me on a kinesis racelight TK(proper race bike geometry). He's bike does not hold him back on the commute or club runs. He only notices the difference on proper races of which we do not do many.

BelgianBeerGeek

I'd go for the Spesh. Tough bikes that will do everything you need. And being cyclo-x based (although they have mutated a bit), good for a bit of everything.

DavidSurgenor

Thanks guys for all the comments. I went up to the LBS yesterday and got a test ride of the tricross. Don't quite know what I was expecting but the bike felt good, even though it was my first ride of a road type bike.

I decided that it was worth the extra over the crosstrail so have put down a deposit on the bike All going well I should have the certificate mid july so I will have a few months of hopefully nicer weather to get into the swing of the commute before the weather turns.

Thanks again for all the advice.