ucfdad

I am trying to buy a new bike and of course after checking all shops within 20 miles of me, I can't find one I want or that is in my size. I am looking at Trek Sport 4 and Sport 4 carbon, Specialized Sirrus, Giant Fastroad and Cannondale Quick 1. We are on vacation next week and with no travel plans I am willing to travel to most of Florida if I can find something that is in stock and that I can take for a ride.

Before I start calling shops, I was wondering if expanding my search criteria will help. Is there a road bike that can easily be converted by the LBS to a less aggressive more fitness oriented setup? I am currently riding a Trek Verve 3 and I am not yet ready for an aggressive posture with 700 x 28 wheels. So I was thinking a road bike that is a little more upright with tires somewhere in between the 700 x 45 I currently ride and the 700 x 28 common to road bikes. I ride on asphalt or concrete paved trails as well as asphalt city streets. The only "off road" I might do is a short ride through grass or hardpan to get to a paved trail. I would like rack mounts but not a deal breaker. Hydraulic disk brakes preferred.

Any recommendations that I should look for? In my area I have Trek, Specialized, Cannondale and Giant dealers with the occasional Bianchi bike at some shops. Thought about Canyon but I am not mechanically inclined enough to build it and would prefer to see it and ride it first. I am not one that could buy a car based on a Zoom demo and have it delivered, Covid be damned. Sometimes you just have to touch the product.

Thanks in advance.

timgriffin2

I recently purchased a Sirrus 3.0 from Chainwheel Drive in Clearwater, FL. I basically kept looking at their website that shows inventory, and when I saw a medium 3.0 in stock I called and verified that it was in stock and immediately drove there, test rode a large since the medium wasn't put together yet and put a downpayment because it would have been sold otherwise. I test rode the medium when it was built and completed the sale. I wish I could have been able to swing the 4.0 or 5.0 but not on my budget unfortunately. Good luck in the search. I also saw several pop up on Craigslist and Facebook marketplace that were basically new but with the way things are the prices aren't discounted used like they were before the inventory issues caused by Covid-19

LazyMike

I have always used my Cannondale Synapse as a fitness bike, I can and have run a 28mm tire on this bike but the newer disc brake bikes can probably run a 32mm, either of those two tire sizes would fit your riding style and not be too heavy. My handlebar is raised and uses a 30 degree stem and some platform pedals.
A decent carbon road bike can make a comfortable and lightweight fitness bike with just a couple of changes, just look for a relaxed geometry frame.

Trav1s

Quick 1 Disc owner here - I initially considered the Trek FX3 Disc and a lower level Quick w/discs until I picked up the Quick 1 Disc from a friend who upgraded to a Roubaix. The Quick 1 is a faster bike than I initially realized. The 700c-30 tires are pretty comfortable but I will be replacing them with 700C-35s to make surface streets a bit less rough and trail riding a bit more relaxed.

Quite a few of the newer road bikes that fall in the "endurance" category are fitted with 700c-30 tires or can easily be upgraded to that size. IIRC the Synapse Al 105 has the 700c-30's on it.

TakingMyTime

Sure. But if you're looking for a new bike I would look at some of the options mentioned above. On a traditional road bike with drop handlebars you're going to need to buy new bars, shifters and brake levers. Regardless, you're going to run into a few "gotchas". Just make sure you research the changeovers carefully. Personally, it sounds like you're really looking for a Road Endurance setup with an elevated stem and wider tires.