i want to get into biking. i will be mostly riding on road, in the neighborhood which is full of road bumps (the wide kind, not high) and some on trail. i'd say 80/20, road/trail. it will be mostly used for fitness and possible commute to work (7 miles RT). been doing research and i like what i see in the trek 7200. with a budget of $600 (preferably less), do you guys have any other suggestions?
Hybrids = "not good at anything". Go ahead and get a comfortable mountain bike. Almost any brand is a good one (Trek, Specialized, Giant, Cannondale). Just make sure to get one that fits you right (the bike shop will help you make sure of that). Buy from a bike shop so you can get free tune-ups and adjustments (they'll usually offer you discounts on accessories too). Once you get the bike it is very likely you will want to try riding on a trail, and once you do that you will e a lot happier you got the MTB instead of the hybrid.
If you're getting into biking from scratch, I would recommend you start off with a cheap bike and slowly find out for yourself what you want in a "real" bike later on. If you're talking $600 with that in mind, I'd consider: Specialized Crosstrail http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/multi-use/crosstrail/crosstrail Visit a few stores in town. In Houston and most other cities, there is an informal noncompete agreement between stores, meaning each will only feature one or two brands of cycles and not carry the others. So if you want to get a feel between the equivalent bikes, you'll need to hit 3-4 places. Definitely wear casual riding clothes (shorts, not padded) and take the bikes for a small test ride, hopefully more than just a 20 sec circle in the parking lot at bottom gears. I don't agree with this at all. You may be thinking of the low end "comfort bikes" Each brand now has a decent sub-line of hybrids, ranging from comfort to commuters to multi-use (above Specialized) and so forth. If the OP is serious about 80-20 ratio and a 7 mile commute, the weight and gear ratios on a mountain bike will frustrate him in a major way. My guess is that he'd be best off with a Sport Urban type, possible refit with better wheels and 1.25" tires.
i plan on buying from a bike shop but i'd like as much info as possible so i don't get pressured to buy anything i don't need. also, from what i've learned there is no way i'm buying a mountain bike when the majority of my time is spent on the road. the mountain bike will make the ride unenjoyable since it'll feel like riding through sand.
thanks emjohn, i ended up buying the Specialized Sirrus Sport http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/multi-use/sirrus/sirrussport being honest with myself, i was going to spend more like 90/10, road to trail ratio and didn't find the extra weight of the suspension on the crosstrail worth it. i appreciate your input.
I really like my Nova made by Jamis, but it was $1000. I'm not up on the pricing anymore, but I'm sure Jamis competes with Trek on all price points. Looks like the Nova-line has been replaced by the Coda's. Look at the Urban category here, http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/street/index.html Oh, and I highly recommend "West End Bikes" near Fegan and N. Shephard. Those saying "Hybrids aren't good for anything" don't know how well these bikes are made and how lite compared to a mtn bike they are. If you want the ability to go fast on Houston streets and sidewalks, hybrid is the way to go. Road bikes are too brittle and Mtn bikes are overkill for urban terrain.
I ride an electric bike that you can also pedal. That's my kind of hybrid! It'll go 20+ miles on a charge and 20+ mph, right up the Austin hills, and without touching the pedals, if I'm lazy. You can select pedal assist, adjusting how much you want to help the motor. The more you pedal, the farther it will go. That's exactly what it looks like. The lithium battery locks into place with a key, or you can unlock it and take it with you, and plug it in if you like. The tires are gel filled to help protect against flats, and it has a smooth ride.
You should look on Google for iZip bikes and see if they still make this model (I'm surprised Apple hasn't sued them!). It's a Zuma model. When I bought mine they retailed for $1750-2000 bucks, which I wouldn't have shelled out. I had checked it out already at Alien Scooters here in Austin and was drooling over it, but the price was too much. Then I got lucky. Best Buy went into the electric bike business for a year or two, and they carried it. Then Best Buy decided to blow off electric bikes and marked them way down. A demo was selling for $600, a steal, and I asked if one of the other stores in town had a brand new one in a box for the same price. Yup, they sure did. It cost me around $50 for to have them put it together and I was out of there for $650, plus tax. Hell, it would cost that to replace the battery. Gotta say that I love the thing. A lot of folks don't even realize it has a battery if I have a backpack strapped on the rear bumper. Well, they figure it out when I zip by them without pedaling.
I went with a mountain bike and changed out my tires for road use. It's stronger than a road bike when hitting the dirt or curbs. I can then change out the tires if I ever decide that I'll be off road more than on. I actually went with Maxis Holy Rollers.. which is "dirt/bmx type" tire. They roll great on everything I've ran them on. Another good tire for dual use would be Schwalbe Table Tops. I'm not a weight weenie so I would rather have strong than light. strong AND light together is usually pretty expensive.
that is generally true, but a hybrid is inexpensively strong and light (comparatively speaking) when you place it on a spectrum of (strongest = mtn bike) to (lightest = road bike) hybrids are in the middle, hence why they exist, with no need for swapping out tires or buying all these extremely expensive specialty components to get ultra performance like mtn bikes and road bikes. imo, hybrids are like a crossover SUV compared to a high-clearance Range Rover and sports car.
Hybrid bikes can be seen as a comfort-oriented mix of mountain and road bikes. Luckily you chose the Sirrus (I have an older model), which is more of a flat bar road bike. But when people ask about hybrid bikes and their conditions, the better answer usually is to try a cyclocross bike.
