[slejhamer]

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?



________
* "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!

[slejhamer]

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.

[Petographer]

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.

[byrt_001]

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 :-(

[slejhamer]

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!

[slejhamer]

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

[slejhamer]

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!

[Petographer]

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

[shuttertalk]

Awesome! Have fun! Can you shoot while riding?