cycling705

So I spent a considerable amount of time last night reading the forums and comparing the opposing views on whether or not a suspension fork is needed on a hybrid bike when riding on paved roads / paths.

FWIW, in my opinion, I agree with hokiefyd’s assessment: It's personal preference.

Valid points were made on both sides. However, no one can argue about someone's personal experience (positive or negative) when riding a hybrid bike with a suspension fork.

Some like it; some don't. I get it. But, neither side is "wrong".

As AU Tiger and others have mentioned, I think it makes most sense financially to start by equipping my Sirrus Sport with Schwalbe CycloCross Tires (or something similar) to see if that softens the ride.

If the Sirrus change doesn't feel right, perhaps I can sell it and buy something like the ToughRoad SLR. By selling the Sirrus, my out of pocket cost on the ToughRoad would be about the same as me buying a Roam 3 now and putting on an adjustable stem and better seat.

I agree 100% - awesome bike!

Thanks again for everyone's help and advice. I can't express how helpful all of you have been. I'll post a picture of the end result.

ColonelSanders

Make sure you test ride a Toughroad before you sell your existing bike.

The Toughroad stock seat is not the best in my view and if you were going to put an adjustable stem on a Roam, you would have to do the same thing to the Toughroad.

cycling705

Kind of a sidebar question here...

Obviously a cheaper alternative to a new bike is a quality used bike. As I've searched Craigslist over the years, there are several sellers that continually place multiple ads. It's apparent they are buying used bikes in bulk, and then reselling them.

I'm not interested in doing that - I'm still proceeding as noted in this thread (Sirrus Sport or Roam 3)...

...but, I would be interested in knowing where they buy these used bikes. There could be a hidden treasure.

Any thoughts?

prj71

https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/marketplace/

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/

Or eBay

MRT2

Honestly, why does it matter? If someone has a bike that you want at a price you can afford, what does it matter if he or she is a flipper? It could be the person does business with people who clean out houses and/or garages. Or maybe the person scans Craigslist and runs out with a truck the minute a bike gets listed. Then again, there is the darker end of the spectrum, though I would hope a person who repeatedly does business in Craigslist is on the up and up.

cycling705

This should be obvious, but I'll walk you through it...

1. Why would anyone want to pay more than they have to? If there is a relatively unknown option in town where I can buy a quality used bike for $150, why would I want to wait and pay $300 from a Craigslist dealer?

2. Also, why would I wait until it's made available to the masses and possibly miss the ad (and bike) altogether?

Would you agree?

Esthetic

The used market is fantastic.

I picked up a low mileage 2009 Trek 1.5 Triple for $200 . At some point i'll throw some Fulcrum Racing 5's and Schwalbe Durano 28's and i have me a keeper of a training road bike.

Personally, its really nice having the more trail capable Roam 1 compliment an actual Road bike. I don't need to worry about whether my hybrid is light enough, as it will never be as light nor allow the geometry as a road bike to matter in the areas why people obsess over 2-3lbs (road inclines). There's a reason why these bikes fall in a fitness category and not racing. Enjoy the workout I say, and their all around capabilities.

MRT2

There are a couple of possibilities, but in general it comes down to this. There are people who are doing the work for you. Sometimes, these flippers buy bikes or frames that are not in rideable shape, maybe even saving old frames from the dump. They then put the bike together in a rideable package. And sometimes they just find stuff for cheap you don't have the time or inclination to get. Either way, if a flipper provides a service, why shouldn't that person make a modest profit for his or her trouble?

cycling705

I have absolutely no issue with a flipper making a profit. They put in the work, and they deserve to make money. However, that doesn't mean I can't be on the lookout for a great bike at a rock-bottom price (just as they are doing).

Using Esthetic's comment as a hypothetical example, I can't speak for him, but I'm fairly certain that if he came across a 2009 Trek 1.5 Triple at an auction for $100, he'd rather buy it at that price versus waiting for it to show up on Craigslist for $200 from a flipper.

cycling705

Thank you both (and others) for your tire recommendations - very helpful.

I know there are multiple "tire-to-rim" size charts available all showing similar data (I've attached Shcwalbe's).

According to Specialized, my current Alex S500 rims have an interior rim width of 14mm. The tire chart suggests that I shouldn't go above 32c.

Is this a definitive chart, or are the estimates conservative?

The reason I ask is that I've narrowed my tire list down to:

(35c) https://www.amazon.com/Schwalbe-Cycl...38G/ref=sr_1_1
(38c) https://www.amazon.com/KENDA-Kross-M...1_2?th=1&psc=1
(35c or 40c) https://www.amazon.com/MICHELIN-Prot...HC6/ref=sr_1_2

Two questions...

1. Considering 95% of my riding will be done on pavement, does anyone have an opinion on which tire would be best from a comfort standpoint on a Sirrus Sport?

2. Do any of these pose problems from a tire width standpoint? My current tires are 32c so I'd like to move to 38c-40c if possible. Would 35c even make a difference?

Thoughts?

Thanks again!

MRT2

Well, yes. But as they say, a bird in the hand. We all have a story of finding something great for for next to nothing. Usually you find these deals after you just bought something else.

Wanderer

I would be very surprised if you can put anything wider than a 32 on a Sirrus....... Get out your ruler, and see how much room you have between all frame points.

I went up to 30s on my Sirrus, and ended up back at 28s. Didn't notice any difference in ride, but the 30s felt slower, even though they were the same tire,

What year is your Sirrus?

Wanderer

I think you are on the right path with a Roam. Nice bike, and gives you everything you want. Does it have a lock out susp fork? If so, it's a bonus for when you are storming up that big hill. Otherwise, it really does help. And, if it will fit 45mm tires, it will be a Cadillac (or a RAM truck!)

You can see that I have a Sirrus, and a Crosstrail, and I love them both. They are different bikes, for different purposes. The Crosstrail is more of a do it all bike. The Sirrus us for fun! The Roam is very similar to the Crosstrail. Giant makes great looking bikes too; and, I would get the YELLOW one, because it's so "in your face!" It even comes with disc brakes at that price.

Again, MHO

AU Tiger

Fuji said the same thing about my Absolute 1.5 -- that the maximum tire size was 32mm. But I measured carefully and was sure a 35mm would fit, and sure enough it did. Without having a Sirrus to measure myself, I can't say whether that would be the same for your bike. But don't just take their word for it -- measure it.

cycling705

Thanks for your help.

I have the 2010 Sirrus Sport:

BikePedia: https://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...l=Sirrus+Sport

Specialized: https://www.specialized.com/us/en/sirrussport/22980

cycling705

Makes sense. I'll see what I can figure out. Thanks for your help.

cycling705

Thanks for your input - much appreciated. Your setup is tempting in having both bikes.

I've been considering putting larger tires on my Sirrus to see if that adds comfort to my ride, but since they already have 32c tires, I'm not sure how much of an improvement 35's would really bring.

When I test rode the Roam 3, I noticed that it comes with 38c tires, and it has plenty of width between the chain stays in case I ever want to go with larger tires (like you mentioned).

For ~$400, the 2017 model comes with a lock-out fork, disc brakes, and a respectable component set. Early in this thread I had thought about going with an adjustable stem, but maybe a fixed stem with a high-rise angle would be plenty.

Decisions, decisions.

Wanderer

Another aside, relating to tire size. My Crosstrail came stock with 45s. I ended up swapping to 40s (Schwalbe Marathon Supreme) when they wore out.

Me and the Crosstrail, roll out at about 240-250#, in present configuration, which is as a Utility bike, with removable grocery panniers, locks, lights, etc.

Back to tires......The ride was very similar, but noted a HUGE difference in roll and ease of going faster. Later, I bought a set of the same tires in 35 width, due to a super sale price of 25 bucks apiece, delivered. Just couldn't turn it down. Transferred them on, and noticed a much harsher ride, without much (if at all) increase in speed or ease of pedaling.

Started moving stuff around, because I could. Tried all kinds of mixes or 35s, 40s, and 45s.

The 40 on the back rode very similar to the 45, which was pretty soft to begin with - just a bit more harsh, but still good. The 35 on the front noticeably improved the quickness and precision of the steering, without any change in ride, compared to the 40. It should be noted that I run these Schwalbes at 92 PSI because that is where they seemed to roll the best. A 35 on the back was pretty harsh feeling.

The 40 on the back improved the ride considerably over the 35, without any negative effect on handling. Note, that the 45s all around really decreased handling and quickness, especially cornering. The 35s kinda fixed that issue.

What I ended up doing, is using 40s on the back for ride comfort and capacity, and 35s on the front for handling, notably, stability and quickness.

Whenever I see a good price on 35 or 40 Schwalbe Marathon Supremes, I just buy a couple, keeping my stock rotated, and always available. Right now, I am down to only one 40 in waiting, and no 35s, so I am keeping an eagle eye out. I go thru about a set of tires a year on the Crosstrail, and almost the same on the Sirrus. So far, I am happy with Specialized All Condition Armadillo in 28s on there, but willing to switch if I see a good deal on better tires. At 125#, these Armadillos sure don't feel very heavy, and roll well. Those same 28s or 30s on the front of the Crosstrail, was a disaster.

Like I said before, I tried going up to 30 on the Sirrus, and did not like the result on a for fun bike, so went back to the 28s.

Keep an open mind on tires, and do your research - then watch for what you want.

Good luck on your quest.

cycling705

Thank you! Your feedback is very helpful. I appreciate you taking the time to lay out all of that.

cycling705

In looking at some options online, I see quite a few 60-degree angle adjustable stems. Do 60-degree angle stems exist for fixed stems, or only adjustable?

ColonelSanders

I couldn't find a steeper fixed angle than 40 degrees and I must have looked at 15+ of the world's largest online bike shops.

Another option I could just as easily have pursued was to get a stem raiser and then get a shortish stem with a small angle.

cycling705

Thank you. Very helpful.

cycling705

Colonel - What type of riding do you normally do with your ToughRoad?

For riding paved paths and city streets nearly 100% of the time, would me buying a ToughRoad be overkill?

Also, do you feel the price difference ($1,190 vs. $870) between the SLR1 and SLR2 is worth it?

It's definitely more than I planned on spending, but it's not outrageously out of the question.

Thanks.

ColonelSanders

Well it is more bike than is needed for that, but at the same time, it is such a quality product for such a small price premium.


I use my Toughroad exactly how most people would use their Trek FX, urban riding/commuting.


Before I bought the bike and especially now after having owned it for a year, the biggest edge the Toughroad has over most hybrids, is its carbon fork which I presume is tougher than the sort of carbon fork one would find on something like the Trek FX, yet this bike soaks up the bumps so very well.


It is going to come down to what you value.


As the SLR 1 & SLR 2 have the same frame, fork and wheels, you then look to what is different between them and that is the crank, gear shifters/derailleurs and brakes.


Oh and of course the SLR 1 throw in racks on the front and rear.


Now whilst I did prefer the colour scheme of the SLR 2, the SLR 1 still has an attractive colour scheme, so that is not a big difference in 2016 or 2017.


The biggest problem I had with the SLR 1, was the lack of gear indicators on the gear shifters and as the SLR 1 has better gearing and derailleurs than the SLR 2, I would not have felt comfortable junking them and installing new Shimano Gearing/derailleurs to get those gear indicators.


The SLR 2 gear shifters have indicators, so I was set, right off the bat, but because they were only Acera(FD & Shifters) and Alivio(RD), if I wanted to upgrade those parts to XT say, because they were relatively low end, I wouldn't have felt troubled by just junking them.


To my surprise, the Acera/Alivio combo I have, works much better than I expected, so I have delayed any upgrading on that for now, but XT gear will eventually make its way on to my SLR 2.


Now the lack of gear indicators may not trouble you at all, so you would be quite happy with the SLR 1 setup.


In respect of the crankset, the SLR 1 definitely has a better crankset, but that is also part of why it costs a bit more too.


I ended up replacing my crankset with a Deore 590 Triple(with BSA Bottom bracket) with chainguard, as I really wanted a chainguard so my trousers didn't get caught in the chainrings.


The Deore 590(it comes with the bottom bracket too) only cost me 60Euro from a German online store, my bike mechanic installed it for $20AUD, and it has the same sized chainrings as the old Acera crank(so no change to derailleurs), but it is much stiffer and I could tell the difference when riding up hills.


With the racks, I very much wanted to get a rack that came with quick release accessories like baskets and trunk bags etc, and in discovering the Racktime range, I have what I consider for me, the best rack setup that I could find anywhere.


With a clear conscious, I was able to buy my SLR 2 and begin the process of customising it to being exactly what I want.


If I had paid extra for the SLR 1, I would have felt that I needed to stick with what I had for quite a while, otherwise what was I doing paying the price premium over the SLR 2.


The decision was made easier for me because the SLR 2 was discounted on a sale, but the SLR 1 price was unchanged.

prj71

The SLR1 also comes with carbon seatpost. SLR2 is alloy seatpost.

Interesting take on gear indicators. I just go by feel as do all the other people I go on group rides with either road biking or mountain biking.