cycling705

Thanks. That helps a lot.

I already was leaning toward the ATX Lite. Your comments just nudged me even further.

cycling705

Colonel, regarding the link that you posted below...

...is this the stem that you have on your ToughRoad?

I found a bike shop that has nearly all of the bikes I have been contemplating over the last few weeks.

After an afternoon of test rides, I've narrowed my list down to two...

- Giant ToughRoad SLR2
- Specialized Crossroads Sport

The Giant ATX Lite and Roam 3 were really nice bikes, but they just didn't "fit" right overall.

The Crossroads Sport was very comfortable, but the ToughRoad SLR2 frame/ride was fantastic, especially with those 50mm tires. The only issue was that my body position felt a little too forward/aggressive. If I can get a 40-degree stem, it might be perfect. Is that what you have on yours?

Thanks.

ColonelSanders

Yes the 40 Degree Stem(130mm length) is what I put on my Toughroad and it has worked out very well for me.

Part of the problem I had with getting the bike to fit me properly was finding a saddle that didn't rip me up in the perineum area, so I figured that raising the handlebars would help there and it did.

If I had found my current saddle(Specialized's The Cup) earlier, perhaps I wouldn't have felt the need to raise my handlebars to such an extent.

BTW, one thing that you might prefer on the Toughroad to the Specialized Crossroads is the size of the second chainring on the cranks.

With the Toughroad's crank being 44/32/22, I find I don't ever move out of the 2nd chainring for when I am tackling hills, as 32/34 and 32/30 enables me to take the hills I can take.

The Specialized Crossroads crank is 48/38/28 and the biggest cog in their cassette is 32, compared to the Toughroad's 34, so with the Specialized Crossroads, in the second chainring, your lowest gear would be based off 38/32.

cycling705

One thing I did like about the Crossroads Sport over the ToughRoad was the ride comfort (i.e. body position).

Is it realistic to think that I can make some adjustments to the ToughRoad (e.g. 40-degree stem, riser handlebar, etc.) to get a more comfortable position, or will that cause unforeseen problems?

For example, when you put on your 40-degree stem, was there enough length in the cables, or did it require you to recable everything (brakes, shifters, etc.)?

Thanks.

prj71

The relaxed seat angle on the Crossroads (71 degrees) will cost you if you have any hills to climb. Makes it harder to climb any hills. The Toughroad is 73 degrees.

cycling705

Thanks.

If I alter the stem/handlebars on the ToughRoad to create a slightly more comfortable ride, how will that affect hill climbing (if I ever need to)?

ColonelSanders

I was able to fit the 40 degree stem without any re-cabling, but I don't think there is much slack left now, I think the default Giant handlebar is a 20 mm riser at best, maybe even 10 or 15mm, so I am not sure if I would be able to fit a 40mm riser handlebar.

It might fit, but I would be concerned that it is a step too far.

cycling705

Well, AU Tiger (and others) were right. I took the Sirrus Sport out last weekend after lowering the air pressure from 100 to 80 PSI on the 32mm tires. With just that small change, there was a noticeable difference in ride comfort. I'm sure 35mm or 38mm tires (with lower pressure) would feel even better.

As recently as this week, I was still interested in a second bike. However, after test-riding again the Giant ToughRoad SLR2 and ATX Lite, neither felt "right". I'm sure I could change the stem angle to get a more comfortable position, but it seemed like the frames just didn't fit right (even though the sizing was correct). As for the Specialized Crossroads Sport, it felt very comfortable, but as prj71 mentioned, I can see where hill climbing would be a problem. I'm going to stick with my Sirrus Sport and look for some new tires.

Thanks again for everyone's help. It was extremely valuable.

cycling705

It took a few weeks but here is an update...

I was extremely close to buying the Schwalbe CX Tires (700x35) as recommended by AU_Tiger. Right before I purchased them I found (locally) two brand new Clement X'Plor USH tires for $30 (total). The Clement's are 700x35 and leave PLENTY of room between the chainstays and seatstays.

Once the tires were on though I noticed a side-to-side wobble on both the front and back. My wheels are true so I tried to "reseat" the tires but that only helped marginally.

Is this a common problem? Is there an easy fix?

I ended up taking it to a LBS and they fixed the problem - just wasn't sure if there was anything else I could have done beforehand.

Thanks as always.

AU Tiger

Nice-looking tires for a good price!

I don't know how common it is, but I haven't experienced it.
Are you sure you got the axles seated properly when you put the wheels back on the bike?

cycling705

Thanks, AU. I double-checked to ensure that the wheels were seated properly on the axle, and that the tires were "even" around the rim.

The Clement's are folding-bead whereas the Schwalbe's you suggested (and my OEM Specialized tires) are wire-bead. In your opinion, would that make a difference?

AU Tiger

I can't answer that since I've never used the folding type. Maybe someone else can chime in here. I'm guessing you've probably already tried a Google search (not just limited to this site)?

hokiefyd 

Wobble in the tread can come from not having the bead seated properly. The bead type (folding vs. wire) shouldn't affect this.

Where did you get the tires? You said you got them at a great price; I wonder if it's possible that that they were defective returns that were clearanced out or something?

I use Continental Speed Ride tires on one of my hybrids (42-622 with a folding bead) and they run straight, as long as the bead is seated.

I have used cheap tires before where the tread is just "wavy". I wouldn't expect that with Clement, though.

cycling705

I know it's been a while since the last post in this thread, but I thought it might be helpful to provide a closing update for anyone who references this in the future.

First and foremost, thanks to everyone who offered your opinions and advice. All of your insights were tremendously helpful and appreciated.

After numerous test rides and much deliberation, I decided that the best route was to make some changes to my current bike (2010 Specialized Sirrus Sport) rather than buying a new bike. My wife agreed.

As a result, I had my LBS make the following changes...

- Stem: I added a XLC adjustable stem. The original Specialized stem had a +16 degree angle and was 110mm in length. It just felt a little too aggressive with no ability to adjust.

The new adjustable stem angle range is 0-60 degrees with a 95mm length. Going "up" and "back" really provided some desired comfort.

I may still try the Satori adjustable stem later as well.

- Tires: As mentioned a few posts ago, I tried the Clement X'Plor USH tires last year, but they ended up not being a good fit for my needs.

This time around, I replaced the original 700 x 32 Specialized All Condition Sport with 700 x 40 Kenda Komfort.

As reference, the interior rim width on the original Alex S500 rims is 14mm. For that measurement, even though the "recommended" max tire size is 32-35mm, I've not had any trouble with the 40mm Kendas.

It may be tough to gauge from the pictures below, but the tire clearances between the chainstays and the top of the rim brake cables are about 1/4" each. In other words, the 40's fit with plenty of room to spare.

The recommended pressure range on the Kendas is 50-85 psi. I'm running them at 65 psi compared to 100-110 psi on the original Specialized tires. The lower pressure and wider tires provide a much softer and stable ride with very little difference in speed / rolling resistance.

- Seat / Saddle: This is the next item on the "to do" list.

- Pictures: The album links are below.

Tires: https://www.bikeforums.net/g/album/10019081
Stem: https://www.bikeforums.net/g/album/10019886

Overall, the new setup seems to be the best of both worlds. If I want to go on a leisure / family ride, it's very comfortable now. If I want more of a fitness ride, I can lower the stem quickly and go. The Kenda tires work well for both types of rides.

Thanks again, everyone!