Bigcityed

Hi all! I've been in the market looking for a new hybrid bike in the $500-$600 range. I've narrowed it down to these four below and would love your thoughts. One thing I've been going back and forth on as well is disc vs no disc brake, and I definitely want a bike with a cassette and no freewheel, and no front suspension (don't need that extra weight). Thanks!

• Specialized Sirrus 2.0 (2021)
• Marin Fairfax 1 (2021)
• Marin Fairfax 2 (2021)
• Trek FX 2 (2021)

Gary in NJ

What type of riding do you do? Will you be doing a lot of hill climbing? What will be the breakdown on roads/trails/gravel? What are you riding now and what do you like and dislike about that bike?

Bigcityed

Mostly will just be on paved streets and little to moderate hill climbs. I have an old trek road bike that was handed down to me years ago which has been great but looking for better maneuverability and agility/responsiveness.

Mojo31

Those are all very comparable bikes. I'd pick the one that looks and feels best to you. Can't go wrong with any of them.

Not sure what you mean by, "definitely want a bike with a cassette and no freewheel." The cassette is the rear set of cogs, and it needs to freewheel when you coast.

If you can move up to a bike with hydraulic disc brakes, they are definitely a step up. But, for what you describe it likely won't make much difference.

badger1

The op is I think referring to the older form of 'cassette', the 'freewheel' (noun, not verb!). On a 'freewheel' the freehub mechanism is inside the hub body, and the gears screw onto threads cut into the hub body. These are still found on many 'big box' and less expensive bicycles. Their disadvantage is that they can seize etc. and be quite difficult to remove. Also if the threads are ruined, so too is the hub. The freehub is serviceable/replaceable, but again can be difficult to get at. Their great advantage was the ease with which one could create custom gear ratios.

More recent cassette: the freehub attaches to the hub body, and it is splined. The cassette (gear sprockets) slips onto the freehub body as a set and is held in place by a lockring.

hokiefyd 

One of the freehub-and-cassette's greatest advantages over a freehweel hub is the location of the drive side axle bearing. A freewheel hub ends at the freewheel threads, so the bearing (in the hub) is inboard of the freehweel...or right under the largest sprocket at least. This creates a relatively long length of axle beyond that that is unsupported by a bearing. A freehub body (onto which a cassette slides) is mechanically joined to the hub (usually via a bolt inside the hub area) and the drive side axle bearing lives inside that freehub body. So the bearing sits under the outer most sprockets rather than under the inner most sprockets.

Freewheel axles are more likely to bend for this reason. The freehub-and-cassette is generally a stronger and more superior design.