What's next? (A what bike thread...)
Discussion
Long story short, had to stop running due to having feet that aren't good at running. So bought myself a bike! Without really knowing what I would end up enjoying, I bought a Norco Fluid 7.1. I didn't think I would be riding on the ride, as I wasn't that comfortable with the thought of sharing the road with cars. So I picked up the Norco as a I would be riding trails and off-road all the time.
How wrong I was! I've enjoyed doing trails such as Swinley Forest etc, but have also found my confidence on the road, and have found roads that are nice to ride. These tend to be mixed with bridleways, some tracks and some road. Doing 25+ miles on the Norco is possible, but I do end up hating the hills. The Norco still has a place, and will still be used, as I love the fact it can go anywhere.
So I'm looking at alternatives, I am planning to use it for longer rides at the weekend (mix of road and bridleway) and commuting along the Grand Union Canal for 12 miles each way. People have said that hybrids are neither here or there, and so my reading (partly on here) has lead me to adventure bikes. From what I can see, these should be better on the road than the Norco, not as good on the light off-road, but still usable. The consensus would point towards the Specialized Diverge Sport 2016. The bike will be bought on the Cycle to Work scheme, so it has to be new and has to be under £1000
Am I looking at the right sort of bike? This is all very confusing!
How wrong I was! I've enjoyed doing trails such as Swinley Forest etc, but have also found my confidence on the road, and have found roads that are nice to ride. These tend to be mixed with bridleways, some tracks and some road. Doing 25+ miles on the Norco is possible, but I do end up hating the hills. The Norco still has a place, and will still be used, as I love the fact it can go anywhere.
So I'm looking at alternatives, I am planning to use it for longer rides at the weekend (mix of road and bridleway) and commuting along the Grand Union Canal for 12 miles each way. People have said that hybrids are neither here or there, and so my reading (partly on here) has lead me to adventure bikes. From what I can see, these should be better on the road than the Norco, not as good on the light off-road, but still usable. The consensus would point towards the Specialized Diverge Sport 2016. The bike will be bought on the Cycle to Work scheme, so it has to be new and has to be under £1000
Am I looking at the right sort of bike? This is all very confusing!
Do you prefer flat or dropped bars?
There are as many different types of hybrids as there are packets of crisps. They can be focused for all sorts of riding depending on your choice and budget. It's easy/cheap to get one with hydraulic brakes too, and you can have front suspension or no suspension, again all down to your choice and budget. 700c narrow wheels can be had with slicks or spuddy tyres, or anything in between. They can be better at this type of mixed riding than a hardtail because of this wheel size and that they can be significantly lighter than a hardtail.
If you prefer dropped bars, your looking at a CX bike which can come with discs but only the very expensive ones will have hydraulics because manufacturers have only recently created/marketed hydraulic brake/gear shift levers for dropped bars. There are a lot of cable discs available but they are the work of the devil. The hybrid cable/hydraulic levers offer a sort of compromise which I've heard positive reports of but it really does feel like a compromise to me.
There are as many different types of hybrids as there are packets of crisps. They can be focused for all sorts of riding depending on your choice and budget. It's easy/cheap to get one with hydraulic brakes too, and you can have front suspension or no suspension, again all down to your choice and budget. 700c narrow wheels can be had with slicks or spuddy tyres, or anything in between. They can be better at this type of mixed riding than a hardtail because of this wheel size and that they can be significantly lighter than a hardtail.
If you prefer dropped bars, your looking at a CX bike which can come with discs but only the very expensive ones will have hydraulics because manufacturers have only recently created/marketed hydraulic brake/gear shift levers for dropped bars. There are a lot of cable discs available but they are the work of the devil. The hybrid cable/hydraulic levers offer a sort of compromise which I've heard positive reports of but it really does feel like a compromise to me.
I've never ridden drop bars before, so I can't say if I prefer it or not to be honest.
Budget is £1000, but would be happier around £750. I think a hardtail is too close to what I have already, so I would like to have something a bit different, so I'm tempted by drop bars. However, I never knew about the issues with brakes.
Budget is £1000, but would be happier around £750. I think a hardtail is too close to what I have already, so I would like to have something a bit different, so I'm tempted by drop bars. However, I never knew about the issues with brakes.
I have a very similar bike, it's the Specialized Sirrus (Carbon frame version) and find it's excellent for on-road use. It has the capability to change the tyres to the broader off-road (cyclocross style) tyres too. Think the main difference is it has flat handle bars which offer a more relaxed style, and IMO much better for commuting where you need to maintain better visibility of pedestrians and traffic.
TheGuru said:
I have a very similar bike, it's the Specialized Sirrus (Carbon frame version) and find it's excellent for on-road use. It has the capability to change the tyres to the broader off-road (cyclocross style) tyres too. Think the main difference is it has flat handle bars which offer a more relaxed style, and IMO much better for commuting where you need to maintain better visibility of pedestrians and traffic.
That was my original target bike, but I've be swayed by the drop bars as it's more or a marked difference to my current bike. Is it the same frame, components etc as the one I linked to? (Ignoring the fact you have the carbon one!) My commute isn't a road one, it's along a canal path and I don't ride in busy traffic so viability isn't such a concern.
theboyfold said:
That was my original target bike, but I've be swayed by the drop bars as it's more or a marked difference to my current bike. Is it the same frame, components etc as the one I linked to? (Ignoring the fact you have the carbon one!)
My commute isn't a road one, it's along a canal path and I don't ride in busy traffic so viability isn't such a concern.
Same derailleurs, wheels, think the carbon frame has a better crankset (was told that it was a major benefit as could fit pretty much any high-end road bike components), hydraulic disc brakes and maybe a couple of other components.My commute isn't a road one, it's along a canal path and I don't ride in busy traffic so viability isn't such a concern.
https://www.specialized.com/au/en-au/bikes/fitness...
Edited by TheGuru on Wednesday 17th August 18:27
Thanks for all the help, in the end I bought one of these: https://www.evanscycles.com/cannondale-caadx-ulteg... A Cannondale CAADX Ultegra Disc. Ended up picking the next step up as I thought the better components felt more like those I'm used to on the Norco.
I picked it up on a Saturday, with the plan that the following Sunday I'd do 60 miles on it, which was not only the furthest I've been on a bike, it was also my first organised bike ride. So lots to look forward to. I had a couple of short rides to get used to the thing, before the Sunday. All seemed good apart from a noisy set of discs, so I put that down to them needing bedding in. Sunday came and went, the front brake settled down, the back one didn't and still honked like a seal under heavy braking! (BTW there was still enough force for it to be safe)
So I popped back to Evans with it, and they found a leak in the caliper that was putting fluid on the disc. So the bike is being replaced by them and I should be able to pick up the new one this week.
Other than the issue with brake, the bike has been great so far. Handling everything with ease, and it's been great fun learning how to ride and handle something so wildly different to the Norco.
Fingers crossed the new one will be more reliable!
I picked it up on a Saturday, with the plan that the following Sunday I'd do 60 miles on it, which was not only the furthest I've been on a bike, it was also my first organised bike ride. So lots to look forward to. I had a couple of short rides to get used to the thing, before the Sunday. All seemed good apart from a noisy set of discs, so I put that down to them needing bedding in. Sunday came and went, the front brake settled down, the back one didn't and still honked like a seal under heavy braking! (BTW there was still enough force for it to be safe)
So I popped back to Evans with it, and they found a leak in the caliper that was putting fluid on the disc. So the bike is being replaced by them and I should be able to pick up the new one this week.
Other than the issue with brake, the bike has been great so far. Handling everything with ease, and it's been great fun learning how to ride and handle something so wildly different to the Norco.
Fingers crossed the new one will be more reliable!
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