Buying a new bike but stuck on two styles. Help me decide?
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m1xm0d3
Posts: 1,576 Member
Some of you know I had a terrible crash the other week and ended up in the ER getting 45 stitches along my eyebrow.
The MTB bike is now junk so I am looking at going Hybrid or Cyclocross as I mostly commute to work 20 miles round trip and often take <30 mile rides.
I hardly go off road but always want the option to ride light trails. Hop a curb here and there. No stump jumping.
I am very tall. 6' 6"
Speed is not a concern as I was averaging around 15-16 on my MTB.
Both bikes are $600
I expect my riding will be 90% road.
The first is a Gravity Zilla Cyclocross with drop style bars to which I have very little experience with. Both the bars and the shifters. •24" fits most riders 6'3" to 6’5”
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/zilla.htm#size
The second is a Fuji Sunfire Hybrid and seems to be very similar to my MTB but bigger, which I need. 23 inch frame fits 6' 3" up to 6' 7"
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/fuji/fuji-sunfire-2.htm
I know the decision is mine but is there anything about these 2 bikes that I should be weary of or questioning, like the components?
Thanks in advance for your help.
The MTB bike is now junk so I am looking at going Hybrid or Cyclocross as I mostly commute to work 20 miles round trip and often take <30 mile rides.
I hardly go off road but always want the option to ride light trails. Hop a curb here and there. No stump jumping.
I am very tall. 6' 6"
Speed is not a concern as I was averaging around 15-16 on my MTB.
Both bikes are $600
I expect my riding will be 90% road.
The first is a Gravity Zilla Cyclocross with drop style bars to which I have very little experience with. Both the bars and the shifters. •24" fits most riders 6'3" to 6’5”
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/zilla.htm#size
The second is a Fuji Sunfire Hybrid and seems to be very similar to my MTB but bigger, which I need. 23 inch frame fits 6' 3" up to 6' 7"
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/fuji/fuji-sunfire-2.htm
I know the decision is mine but is there anything about these 2 bikes that I should be weary of or questioning, like the components?
Thanks in advance for your help.
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Replies
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The best thing is to test ride (a long ride if you can) a few bikes with similar geometry at your local bike shop. The two have very different geometries (http://archive.fujibikes.com/archivebikes.php?prodid=1566&prodname=Sunfire 2.0 & http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/monster-cross-bikes/zilla-geo-chart.gif) and it really boils down to personal preference. Pay attention to the effective top tub length and wheel base. The longer the top tub plus stem, the more stretched out you are and the shorter the wheel base, the more responsive the handling. In this case probably only the wheel base really matters since they are two different animals. Component-wise, they are almost equivalent.
Personal bias is road and to forgo the cheap shocks (shocks in general more trouble than their worth and weights a ton). If you plan on longer rides, drops provide more choices and better aero position. Good luck and glad you're ok.0 -
Well, the components are low-end.... but that doesn't make them unusable. They just won't last quite as long, and they won't operate as smoothly as better components tend to do. But I wouldn't consider that a deal breaker at all.
What is a deal breaker for me is not being able to ride before the buy. That's silly. What makes riding enjoyable and lasting is the actual fit and how the contact points feel against your body, your flesh, and your bones. If the bike doesn't feel good, and doesn't feel like an extension of your limbs, you won't ride that bike too often or for very long. You have a $600 budget? You can find a whole lot of bike value this time of year (the off-season) for $600 at your local bike shop, and that bike will be assembled correctly and fitted to you by someone familiar with the bike model and its components.
Look at the two bikes you identified. Both have disk brakes. Do you plan to cycle in steep hilly terrain or in wet, slippery conditions where disk brakes are most useful? If not, disk brakes are expensive features (about $100 added to the price of the bike) and much heavier than rim brakes. One bike has a Suntour suspension fork. If you'll be riding 90% road and 10% light trail, you don't need a cheapo suspension fork that adds $100 to the price of a bike. Trade those potentially useless (for your needs) features for something better than a Shimano Acera or Shimano Sora drivetrain where you'll experience crisper shifting and greater durability.
For a 10-mile commute to and from work, you'll want to mount a front handlebar bag for essentials and a rear rack and trunk bag for a change of clothes and whatnot. So look for sturdy braze-ons and a bar that's friendly to your bar bag.
If you live in a cold weather zone with potential for sub-freezing temps and snow, disk brakes may make sense. Also your bar and hand controls should be compatible with Bar Mitts for sub-freezing temperatures.
But most important are your contact points, i.e. the feel of the grips and their width as it relates to your personal shoulder to shoulder distance, your saddle width as it relates to your sit bones, and your pedals as it relates to the size of your feet with the shoes you'll ride in. So invest in nice grips (or gel bar tape), a decent saddle that fits your butt well, and pedals that are commuter friendly and large enough for your feet with work shoes. Check out Ergon grips and pedals suitable for daily commuting. I ride my Hybrid with a Serfas RX mens saddle ($58) for a comfy, commuter-friendly ride as it's 158 mm wide, supportive and comfy for me.
Best wishes to you with your new bike!0 -
Thx KCJ! I've scoured the LBS but haven't found anything remotely close to either of these 2. On my wrecked MTB, while I needed more height in the seat tube or a longer post, I felt a bit stretched out up top and often found my elbows locked or very close to it, again this was used as a commuter, very few trails. I also wonder it that stretch was the cause of premature finger tingles because once I got that bike it increased a lot.
So I made a chart to compare the 2 bikes against my previous bike. I really want to try out the Zilla but am scared I will like it less (specifically the handlebars) than my wrecked MTB which for the most part I was fine with but figured now is the time to buy something more suitable to my size.
MTB
Diamondback MTB
Seat Tube 22
Top Tube 25
Standover 32.75
Head Tube
Hybrid
Fuji Sunfire
Seat Tube 23.6
Top Tube 24.8
Standover 34.5
Head Tube 6.7
Cyclocross
Gravity Zilla
Seat Tube 23
Top Tube 23
Standover 31.7
Head Tube 8.10 -
It depends on how many bikes you will end up owning. If this is the one bike for years, I would go with the one that lets you do as much dirt as you want. If this is the first bike this year and another in two years, I would go with the one that fits either road or dirt riding and plan on getting the other bike then.
Check options like criagslist or other local sites. It might be worth getting an older bike now to go through the winter. I got my most expensive bike from a LBS in February for half the price they wanted in September. It is a full carbon road bike. When it broke, they replaced it under warranty When it broke a second time in the same spot, they replaced it with a frame two steps up. I now have a $4,000 frame for a $1,200 investment. After three years riding it, I won't go back to my hybrid for road riding.
Another option. I have volunteered at Young Life camps. They want it to be the best week of a kid's life. So, the ones that have mountain bikes get new ones every summer. They are hardly used. They buy them from a LBS at wholesale and sell them at wholesale. I got a $1,00 Trek for $500. The mechanic at camp gave it a tune up before I got it. Again, two years later, I am glad to have a good road bio and a good mountain bike. Might be worth calling around.
Enjoy the ride when you get it and heal soon.0 -
Thanks Mike and bsexton... I've done my absolute best trying to find a bike locally but to no avail. Well sort of.
In a last ditch effort to buy locally I put out one more ISO post and a guy actually very close to me, who is even taller than me, has an SE STOUT that he is selling for cheap. $180. This is the guy that opened my eyes me NEEDING a larger bike instead of accepting an undersized one. He has a 70CM Dale RB and a 23" MTB and I could barely ride them. The SE Stout has been converted from single speed to 1x9. I do need an additional chainring for the front but maybe this will hold me over until I can find a bike that will truly fit and for long term.0 -
Have you taken a look at Bikes Direct's sister site http://bikeshopwarehouse.com? It's where most of the discontinued/older models are advertised. Sizing is limited but you might find something slightly better value. Also you may want to take a look at http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk. It's slightly more expansive but still a good value.
Personally I am flip flopping between a CF with Campy Chorus or Moto with SRAM Red as my next bike, or a Moto Ti with Ultegra once I reach my weight goal.0 -
What about a "commuter" that will save you the weight and price of the shock but with flat bars, and will be more comfortable than the CX?
This is one I've thought about:
http://www.konaworld.com/dew_plus.cfm0 -
On Friday a local guy sold me an SE Stout steel frame, solid front fork, MTB 29er. It has a single chain front so I do reach escape velocity and will need to switch out the BB from my old bike to this one, in time... but at least for now I am set! Thx friends.0
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While I was at the Specialized dealer this weekend looking at their new Diverge bike, I noticed that it is available in a 64cm frame. The base model starts at $1,100. It's a heck of a do it all bike for the money. So if you get that n+1 notion, it might be right up your alley :-)0
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While I was at the Specialized dealer this weekend looking at their new Diverge bike, I noticed that it is available in a 64cm frame. The base model starts at $1,100. It's a heck of a do it all bike for the money. So if you get that n+1 notion, it might be right up your alley :-)
Thanks man! I went here >>> http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/road/diverge/diverge-a1#geometry but didn't see a 64 listed. Is that the same bike you mentioned?0 -
While I was at the Specialized dealer this weekend looking at their new Diverge bike, I noticed that it is available in a 64cm frame. The base model starts at $1,100. It's a heck of a do it all bike for the money. So if you get that n+1 notion, it might be right up your alley :-)
Thanks man! I went here >>> http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/road/diverge/diverge-a1#geometry but didn't see a 64 listed. Is that the same bike you mentioned?
Looks like it's only available in the pricier Smartweld alloy and carbon versions.
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/road/diverge/diverge-comp-smartweld#geometry0 -
not keen on that "hunched" look to the frame, looks like a dog struggling to coil one out...0
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not keen on that "hunched" look to the frame, looks like a dog struggling to coil one out...
Oh I dunno, I kind of like the look, it feels retro in a modern way. Reminds me of bike designs from yesteryear like this one. http://thecabe.com/images/5bar/main.jpg0 -
not keen on that "hunched" look to the frame, looks like a dog struggling to coil one out...
Oh I dunno, I kind of like the look, it feels retro in a modern way. Reminds me of bike designs from yesteryear like this one. http://thecabe.com/images/5bar/main.jpg
much more like this0 -
not keen on that "hunched" look to the frame, looks like a dog struggling to coil one out...
Oh I dunno, I kind of like the look, it feels retro in a modern way. Reminds me of bike designs from yesteryear like this one. http://thecabe.com/images/5bar/main.jpg
much more like this
Hee hee0 -
Personally don't like the gearing on either. Triples with a wide range cassette means big jumps in the middle. However for the record I've not much use for triples anyway.0
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What's with the seat post pictured on the diverge comp smartweld? Am I missing something or does it seems a lot of unnecessary metal just before the seat clamps. If its just for aesthetics, count me out. Actually, the whole package.0
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What's with the seat post pictured on the diverge comp smartweld? Am I missing something or does it seems a lot of unnecessary metal just before the seat clamps. If its just for aesthetics, count me out. Actually, the whole package.
It's their CG or "cobble gobbler" design. It's supposed to provide up to 18mm of vertical compliance. I will hopefully be test riding a carbon framed version in a few weeks and will post my thoughts. It may not be for everyone but for my purposes it is an intriguing design. Certainly the initial press has been encouraging.
cyclingtips.com.au/2014/10/specialized-diverge-review/
roadcyclinguk.com/gear/specialized-model-year-2015-bikes-tarmac-diverge.html/4
bikeradar.com/us/road/news/article/specialized-diverge-first-look-42032/
outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/gear-of-the-show/Specialized-Diverge-Carbon-Di2.html
deuxnorth.com/hunts/Hunt4
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and it's not metal... it's carbon fibre, and probably weighs less than a straight Al. or Ti. post would...
Still looks fecking hideous mind, but if it's a step up in being effective over the old Pave Seatpin, then I can see why they came up with it.
Frankly though, the Canyon VCLS 2.0 appeals more to me...0
