DSLR Photography Forum

I need* a new bike.

The pedal-powered type, not some mean ol' Harley.

My 1985 Trek 820 mountain bike needs so much work, it's cheaper to buy a new one (and get much better features as well.)

I'm thinking about a hybrid road/mountain bike, as I don't do any serious off-roading anymore, but I'd still take it on hard-packed dirt trails.

In my price range (US$300 to $500), the local shop carries the Trek 7300/7500 and the Specialized Crossroads/Expedition/Sirrus models.

Anyone familiar with these models and/or have any other suggestions? Peto, do you still ride, or has your back sidelined you?



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* "need" - yes, need, not "want." Since ACL replacement surgery 18 months ago, I've gotten stability back in my knee, but there was enough cartilage damage that it gets irritated if I do much running, martial arts, etc. like I previously did. And I'm getting fat and need to exercise. Biking was always a favorite hobby, and it's a heck of a lot cheaper than joining a gym. Plus I like the idea of hitting the empty roads at 6am on a Saturday morning, riding for a couple of hours and being done. Well, maybe I'd start at 6:30. Uhm, 7:00. But no later!

Found another shop that carries Marin and Kona, two well-respected brands, but I know nothing about their hybrid bikes.

Guess I need to get my butt out there and try a few models, but in the meantime if anyone has any thoughts please let me know.

I read an article about Treks hybrids being one of the best but I also noticed the bikes were the ones you mentioned, the 7300 and 7500 which were 2002 models. 4 years old. :/ Still, Trek has some impressive looking bikes like the Sport/Urban series. The only real important things I can say for you Mitch is not to make a decision on a bike by just looking at it. Look around and take a few for a ride. Really make sure the bike feels right. Sooner or later you'll get on a bike, ride it and say "this is the one". Then when you do find it, see if you can find a used one in good shape. You'll be surprised how many get bought and sit in the garage. They depreciate in value so much it's sickening.

As far as I go, yes. I am riding every Sunday morning in all weather conditions. Burnaby mountain is getting very cold at 7:30 am in these past couple weeks but I still go. I'm riding a little more extreme than I was as the last bike I has was a cross country mountain bike that was a hard tail. Front suspension only. The bike I ride now is all full suspension downhill. I went from a 28lb bike to 35-40lb. Killer on the uphill but downhill is like riding a marshmellow.



If there are anymore questions I'd love tohelp out where I can bud.

hey thats a serious mountain bike

wooowww.... i used to do a lot of road cycling. unfortunatly i could not bring my bike....nif nif :-(

Hey it's a Kona! I thought I knew someone who owned one of those!

Anyway, I'm sure I'll have tons of questions. Right now I don't know Shimano from Shinola, and these bikes all seem to have just a handful of different components.

Thanks for the link on the Sport/Urban series. That SU200 looks very cool.

I'm pretty sure I want an aluminum frame, which means I'll be at the upper end of my price range (unless I find one used), but that's okay.

How important is suspension? I'm sure I don't need rear, but some of the models I've seen have front suspension, and some have seatpost suspension.

What about things like disc hubs and rims - do they really matter in a bike in my price point? And then there's the different shifters, derailleurs, cranksets that need to be compared ... I'm ready to grill the salespeople!

P.S. Glad to know you're back in action, Peto!

After much review and Petographer's outstanding assistance via PM and email, I ended up getting a 2005 model Trek 7500 FX.
http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2005/citybike/7500fx.jsp

This model had some very nice component upgrades from the 2004 version, and I got it at a clearance sale price as the 2006 line is now coming in. I didn't see anything in the 2006 specs that would make me want to wait, especially given the price discount on the 2005. The only upgrade I might do is add a suspension seatpost.

I had been leaning toward a Kona with disc brakes, but when I got to the store some of the components didn't match the published specs. Seemed like a little bit of a bait-and-switch; I think maybe the store swapped parts when they put that bike on sale. (The Trek was at a different store.)

Now I need to get riding! I've set a moderate goal, which is to ride the 60-mile leg of the MS Bike Tour in May!
http://www.msandyou.org/chapter_events/bike_tour/

Thanks again Peto!

Glad I could help. Riding rates up there with photography for me.

Awesome! Have fun! Can you shoot while riding?