dougmon 

Hello, all:

I'm going to test out bikes this weekend. I haven't been on a bike for about 35 years, and I'm looking for something that would initially be a commuter bike, but would serve for picking up groceries and doing the occasional longer ride (and by "longer" I mean 10-15 miles -- my commute is only 3 miles each way).

I've been researching these bikes:

Trek FX (7.3 or 7.4)
Felt Verza Cafe
Jamis Coda Sport

I know that in the end it's going to be whatever feels best, but I would like to know if any of these bikes are more or less suitable for the uses I listed.

Thanks for any advice

Doug

ganchan

I would imagine just about any respected make/model of hybrid would serve those purposes. For what it's worth, the Jamis Coda Sport is my weapon of choice for pretty much exactly the same daily uses. I went with steel frame/fork over aluminum because the road outside my place is now coated with an annoyingly rough and bumpy layer of chipseal and I liked the extra vibration absorption.

AU Tiger

I'm not that familiar with Felt, but after looking at their website, it appears the Verza Cafe has a more relaxed geometry than the FX and Coda series. I think the Verza Speed series would be more in line with the other two you're looking at. That's not to say you might not prefer the Cafe, just pointing out that it's more towards the comfort end of the spectrum than the others. But if you're not planning to ride more than 10 or 15 miles at a time, that might work for you. A quick search of comfort bike vs. fitness bike should turn up a lot of results on this forum, if you need more explanation of the differences.

GerryinHouston

When I was looking for a hybrid last August to replace my old Diamondback Parkway, I test rode the Trek FX 7.3, the Specialized Crosstrail Disk (actually bought it and kept it for 3 days) and the Trek Verve 2. I didn't like the fit of the 7.3, we tried two sizes, I settled on the Crosstrail and three days later took it back to put a stem riser for a more upright position. They had me try the Verve 2 and loved it. The LBS and swapped the bikes with no penalty.

I would recommend to try the Trek Verve 2 or 3 (the 3 being better equipped). I have a rack and Planet Bike detachable fenders.

DanPLC

I bought the Trek FX 7.4 a few months ago. Love it! I commute 6 miles each way and usually ride 10-25 miles on weekend days, so it would easily fit your needs. But best thing to do is test ride them all.

dougmon 

Thanks, all. I appreciate the feedback.

On the Verve: I was thinking about this bike, but...I'm put off by the suspension. I don't think I need it for my purposes and I feel like it's just one more thing that can go wrong. On the other hand, I may go for longer rides on this bike and it could be useful, but I don't know. I'll talk to my LBS about this one, too. We do have a number of patchy roads around my place, though, and the suspension could be useful.

Side note: I have a friend who regularly does 30 mile rides, and the first thing he said when I told him I was getting a bike was...well, you can guess. I think I have to work up to that, though. But I am thinking about it, and so I have to factor that into the equation. I assume that a decent hybrid would be ok for that.

Also, thanks for the comment on the Jamis Coda Sport. It's a really attractive bike and very tempting.

I thought I was going to go to my LBS this weekend, test drive three bikes, and walk out with one. Now I see this could be a longer process.

Pompiere

In addition to which bike feels better, consider which shop treats you best. Unless you plan to do all your own work, you will be dealing with the shop for several years after you buy the bike. A good shop should be willing to work with you to make sure you are happy with your purchase, including swapping parts to get the fit just right.

dougmon 

A good point. I'm basically going to a shop I've been to before where they treated me well even though I wasn't ready to buy. As a bonus, they also listened to my wife's questions and took them seriously, which isn't always the case with bike shops. But the clincher for me is that my neighbor who regularly rides 100+ miles every weekend recommends this shop.

Being in the SF Bay Area, I have had unpleasant experiences with 'expert only' shops (where oddly, the staff can be less condescending than in 'hipster only' shops). But the LBS I've found has a strong focus on commuters and casual riders. And they seem to be really helpful for fat guys like me (5'10", 225 lbs). I do look forward to a continuing relationship with them.

But again, I think I may have been overly optimistic if I thought that this would be as easy as buying a Schwinn when I was kid.

AU Tiger

Definitely. My typical ride is around 15 miles, but I often do 20+ and have done a few rides around 40 miles. The more I ride my bike, the more I am convinced it is exactly the right bike for me! So yes, a decent hybrid is plenty capable of 30-mile rides.

That's not to say you shouldn't get a drop-bar road bike if that's what's more comfortable for you. Just don't do it because you think you need that type of bike to do real riding.

Maybe, maybe not. You may very well walk into a shop that treats you right and ride a bike that feels great all on the first day. It's possible to rush into a purchase too quickly, but if you're like me it's also possible to overthink it. The main thing is to find a bike you'll enjoy riding, and ride it a lot.

2702

The Coda Series is perfect for those who want a Caddy kind of ride. I suggest getting the Elite the hydro brakes on it are 2nd to none.

dougmon 

Good advice. I'm not focused on riding for the sake of riding; well, not yet. I just don't like to drive, and I'm tired of being stuck to an external schedule (in my case, the bus schedule) to get to work.

Hey, overthinking is my thing! That, or second-guessing myself. No, no, it's definitely overthinking. Or maybe...

Your comment makes me realize that I can get a bike adjusted if it turns out that I'm uncomfortable with some aspect of it. And the conversation I'm having here is just part of a larger conversation that I'm having with friends and neighbors who have been riding for years, so I'll have plenty of good ongoing advice.

Thanks,

Doug

GerryinHouston

Personally I am moving towards a touring bike (with drop bars). The reason is that it is easier to accommodate the flat back/rotated pelvis position that relieves the load from the palms. I am getting to the point of having Carpal Tunnel issues (on top of tailbone hurt in the longer rides). Being heavy doesn't help...

I believe that the shock absorber (a misnomer really, it's just a spring with no damping) helps even in rough asphalt (I was test-riding a Trek 520 steel touring bike and on the chip-seal I found it absolutely jarring, my Trek Verve by comparison felt like a Rolls...). I had a Specialized Crosstrail Disk for a few days and i lock out the shock absorber for comparison. With or without the shock absorber there was no discernible difference in the effort.

On the other hand, the shock absorber comes in only when you need it (rough road). On smooth roads, it just sits there.

dim

I have ridden my hybrid for 4 months as a commuter.... I had not ridden a bike for several years before that, and was very unfit ...

I work at several sites and have been commuting to all of them .... my furthest commute is a 30 mile round trip once a week. My hybrid is old, is aluminium, with aluminium forks .... suppose it's ok, but I dont think that I could do a 100 miler on it .... after 30 miles, my arms ache

so, I'm now looking at switching to a road bike with drop bars ... budget will only allow a steel one so I'm looking for a classic with 531 tubing (maybe an old Peugeot, or Raleigh etc)

In June/July, I might buy a new Bianchi (I have money in a Greek bank in Greece, but they have capital controls at the moment .... rumour has it that they will lift these controls in June)

Robert A

I didn't buy Trek (I actually bought Specialized), but I test-road 7.3 and 7.4 back-to-back, and the 7.4 twice again on separate occasions. I happen to like the feel of the 7.4, and I thought the carbon fork was worth the extra money has compared to the 7.3. It just felt a little more refined.

The reason I bought Specialized is because they have a bike that's just a half step above the 7.4 and Trek doesn't have anything that's quite comparable.

Grey.

I personally did not find much difference between the 7.3 and 7.4, the carbon fork had a negligible impact on ride quality during my test of the bike, but in fairness this could be something that becomes more apparent when using the bike on a regular basis vs. a ~10 minute test ride. The rear derailleur and crankset are also slightly better but again I didn't notice much difference, the 7.4 is really a very small step up from the 7.3 considering the price difference, and I decided to save the money for a lock and other accessories. I've owned the 7.3 for about a year and a half now, and my opinion is that you would really need to spend a lot more to get a measurably better bike. If I upgrade, I would go full carbon. Anything else in-between feels like a half measure when the 7.3 is already "good enough" in all other categories. That's what I think, anyway.

avidone1

Bikes have really improved over the years. IMHO any LBS bike that you purchase will be fine for your purposes.
As a matter of fact even Walmart Schwinn and roadmasters are decent enough bikes. Problem with the big box store bought bikes
is that the assembly usually sucks, and it won't run right untill you bring it to your LBS. Also the cheaper the bike the more you
have to stay on top of it PM wise. Funny how cheap bikes and the real expensive ones both require a lot of TLC.
Kinda like Ferrari's and Yugo's

dougmon 

Sorry to go off-topic on this, but you reminded me of a joke. A guy walks into an auto shop and says "I'd like a windshield wiper for a Yugo." The auto shop guy stands there pondering for about 30 seconds and says "Ok, sure. sounds like a fair trade."

Maybe this is just crazy talk, but is it possible to replace your current bikes handlebars with drop bars?

Pompiere

It can be done, but there are several factors to look at. It would require changing the brake levers, shifters, cables, and probably the stem. Due to the difference in geometry between the hybrid and a road bike, you may not be able to get the bars in a comfortable position. Drop bars extend 3-4 inches forward of the stem if you are using the brake hoods as your primary grip.

dougmon 

This has been great for me. I've learned several things:

• I really know very little about contemporary bicycles
• I won't really know what I want until I ride it
• Buying the bike is just the start of a journey
• People on this board are very helpful

I started out a few weeks back with my mind made up: I was going to get a Trek FX 7.3. Now I don't know. Do I want a hybrid that leans more towards comfort, or more towards sport? The former would be oriented more towards what I want to do right now, the latter towards what I might do in the future. Or is there a hybrid that is a good compromise between the two?

Practically the only thing I'm sure of now is that I'll be putting fenders on whatever bike I buy.

I'm going to my LBS today (and probably tomorrow) to work all this out.

Thanks for all the input.

Jimbo47

Any of those bikes you mentioned are more than able to satisfy what you are wanting to do with it.
If possible give the performance hybrid a try. They are a little more slanted toward performance so as you build up your endurance you will want a bike that is more responsive and slightly faster than a comfort bike.

dougmon 

After my trip to the LBS today, there are two I'm seriously considering: the Trek 7.3 FX and the Felt Verza Speed 30. The Speed 30 is a little more than I want to spend, but there's something incredibly sexy about those disc brakes.

AU Tiger

So why not the 7.4 FX Disc? It has disc brakes and a carbon fork, and the MSRP is less than the Speed 30. Not to say the Felt isn't a good bike -- if it feels better to you, then that's the one. But if disc brakes are the issue, you can get more bike for less money with the 7.4 FX Disc, unless your local dealer is offering a better deal on the Felt.

dougmon 

Hmmm...they didn't show me the 7.4 FX Disc. Maybe they only showed me what's in stock.

Truth to tell, I'm leaning towards the standard 7.4 FX, but it's hard to know.

And while I'm being honest, I think the Felt bikes are fairly ugly, but that won't make a difference if it's a superior bike.

AU Tiger

Comparing specs, the 7.4 FX is pretty much the Trek equivalent of the Fuji that I ride, and I'm thoroughly happy with it. I haven't ever ridden a bike with disc brakes, so I don't know whether they're worth an extra $110 (the price jump up to the 7.4 FX Disc).

FrozenBiker 

The disc model does not have the carbon fork. Keep that in mind if deciding on that.
I'd rather have the better fork than those non-shimano disc brakes