trainchaser

It is a very beautiful bike, I knew that, I've really wanted one for awhile now and would go into the LBS just to look at them and dream. Now I have one, picked it up yesterday and I've put a days worth of riding on it and have a few interesting observations to share. First observation is that carbon frames magnify any normal mechanical sounds that your bike makes, braking, shifting, pedaling, any mechanical noise produced is transmitted throughout the carbon frame which took a few miles to get used to but now I know. Next is how smooth this bike is, the ride quality, when compared to any bike I've previously owned is amazing. My previous two bikes were Specialized Crosstrails with front suspension forks and I always "thought" the forks reduced vibrations and jolts when hitting rough stuff but the carbon framed Sirrus is easily just as comfortable. Even on my last Crosstrail that was the lighter M4 aluminum, after a relatively lengthy ride - maybe two hours - my wrists and hands would often be a bit stiff and my hind end complaining as well. I rode for three and a half hours today and had no physical complaints at all, so the carbon frame obviously works well at reducing road vibration that normally gets transferred to your body while riding. I'm assuming the better geometry allowing me more room to stretch out also helps with discomfort in my hands and wrists, along with no "pain in the butt"...my Sirrus Comp has a curved carbon seat post that appears to have some type of built in vibration damping, most likely a positive contribution to that issue. I was always squirming around trying to get comfortable on both Crosstrails - the seat is still the same one - so I asked about that and the guys at the LBS said that if your bike fits you properly it can make that big a difference, they did do a full fitting with me and this bike. This is also the first bike I've owned where the stock hand grips with bar ends worked just fine.

I can't believe how much lighter and smaller the Sirrus feels compared to the Crosstrails, you can fling it around with ease where, comparatively, it seemed you had to persuade the others to make a move. My Sirrus is the same medium frame size but it is physically a much smaller bike, both in height and width - I know because the bike resides in my house behind a couch when not riding, and the Sirrus takes up a lot less space. I don't know what the actual weight difference is but the Sirrus definitely feels much lighter, you really notice it when placing it on the bike rack of my vehicle.

I ride because I enjoy it and to stay fit, this new bike has actually kindled a greater enjoyment which will spur me on to riding even more which in turn means a better fitness level, along with a great looking and performing bike - talk about a win win win situation...!!

...now...if someone can explain how I upload a picture of the new bike - I will post one for all of you to see...

Midmod

Excellent review! Congratulations on your new bike. I am afraid that I can't help with the photo, but I look forward to seeing your bike once somebody else helps explain how to post the pic.

FM1178

Congrats on the bike. I'm also on the verge of trading out of my Crosstrail. It's a 2015 Sport Disk. I've enjoyed riding it for the past year and a half. I'm trying to find a rigid forked bike. I have a specialized Sirrus Elite also that I ride but I haven't really enjoyed riding it as much as I thought. I ride with the suspension locked out on the Crosstrail most of the time and don't really utilize it. I'm not sure exactly what I don't care for on the Sirrus. Coming from a mtb discipline I think it is the thinner tires most hybrids seem to have. I've been eyeing the Toughroad for a few months now and I'm thinking about getting one ordered in the next few days. The wider tires and carbon fork are definitely appealing to me. The Acera drivetrain on the 2017 isn't really exciting, but I have a Deore shifter and rear derailleur laying around that I can throw on it. Lots of good reviews on the SLR2.

Once again, congrats on the new Sirrus.

trainchaser

Hey gang, okay, here's some shots of the new beauty, 2016 Sirrus Comp carbon...enjoy!!

ColonelSanders

Specialized do know how to make a sexy bike.

LHawes

That's a beautiful bike and I hope this question doesn't take the thread too far off topic but what qualifies the Sirrus Comp as a Hybrid? I am not intending to challenge its status but am a bit ignorant about modern bikes and was wondering what makes it a hybrid. Again beautiful bike and thanks for the great review and pics.

trainchaser

...while I'm sure others may chime in here, my interpretation is that the Sirrus is what is currently referred to as a 'flat bar road bike'...
The entire genre of 'hybrid bike' has swelled to so many variations that it's getting quite hard to just say "I have a hybrid bike."
Specialized doesn't even mention them as hybrids until you make your way past the splashy intro for what they call 'Fitness Bikes'...
Basically, the original description was that a hybrid was a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike, but there are so many permutations now that the term hybrid has very little true descriptive value...

ColonelSanders

With the advent of gravel grinders and the like, things aren't as clear cut as they once were for what is a hybrid these days, but the main criteria is it having a flat bar handlebar and gear leavers and brake levers to suit a flat bar handlebar.

Of course you might ask, well why isn't it a flat bar road bike then?

A good question, for which there is no absolute answer for.

In 2014, the top of the line Sirrus use to be a Roubaix frame with a flatbar, but starting with the 2015 model, Specialized introduced a top of the line Sirrus with a different geometry to a road bike.

If you look at the geometry of the Sirrus to the Roubaix or Tarmac or Diverge from Specialized's range of road bikes, the Sirrus has the longer wheelbase and longer chainstays, plus other geometry differences as well.

The Sirrus also has the ability to fit tyres at least 32mm wide and maybe as large as 38mm.

Still, I have always split Hybrids up into two camps, a more road oriented hybrid or a more mountain bike oriented hybrid.

I regard the Sirrus and Trek FX range as being more road oriented hybrids and the Crosstrail, DS, Roam, & Toughroad range as being more mountain bike oriented hybrids.

trainchaser

...hey there Colonel, you said the Sirrus also has the ability to fit tires at least 32mm wide and maybe as large as 38mm, only the aluminum framed versions, the carbon frames top out at 30mm, I know because I asked at my LBS...

ColonelSanders

Okay good to know.

I saw that Specialized fitted the carbon Sirrus' with 30mm tyres, so I assumed that there would be space for even larger tyres again.

Does it look like larger tyres would fit on your Sirrus?

TomWinKC

Just an FYI, I have a 2015 Pro Carbon Disc and it came stock with 32mm tires. I still think there is room to add 38mm's.

FXjohn

why would you want such wide tires? rough trails?

TomWinKC

I am going on a tour at least for me. I am going to ride the Katy Trail, about a 260 mile trip including spur trails. I considered the wider tires due to the trail surface is crushed limestone but have opted just just to stick with the 32mm tires based on feedback from other riders who have completed the trip.

prtyich

Nice looking bike; looks almost as cool as my sport carbon

prtyich

IMO I'd guess that a hybrid has the following general characteristics:

-thicker tires than a road/racing bike, which has those very skinny tires
-lighter weight frame than a MTB, often a very similar frame as a road bike
-more upright sitting position than a road bike, where the rider is bent much further over
-flat handle bars instead of the ones bent downward

Of course, one could swap out the tires for the thin ones and replace the handle bars, but I'm not sure if the seating geometry could be completely revised.

For instance, would my sport carbon's frame be identical in geometry/positioning as Specialized racing/road bike ones? I don't know as I did not compare them before, but I'd be interested to see if someone could take a Sirrus frame, replace all the parts - and turn it into a full road/racing bike.

chong67

I have the Trek FX and its more of a classic look.

I love my Sirrus X1. It has this Stealth Fighter look and paint.

DaveQ24

I put 25!s with minimal tread on mine Sirrus Carbon Pro. Less rolling resistance - gained a mile or two average speed. Come fall, wider go back,not riding on those with ice patches or wet leaves.

Lt Stonez

Its the Sirrus with the Roubaix (13-14') frame that dont fit bigger tires than 28mm, But it came stock with 25mm and am still useing them. Conti GP4000 || in 28mm next seson i think.

Who Dey3334

Bad Azz!

JerrySTL

I've done the entire Katy 6 times on 32 mm tires. I've even ridden it in pouring rain. The 32s were good enough. I might consider going to 35s after these wear out but only because I weigh about 215 lbs.

Speaking of rain, I'm going to get fenders before my next Katy Trail end-to-end. The people that I rode with who had fenders fared much better than those of us who did not on both dust on dry days and dirt on wet ones. I may have to stick with 32s if I get fenders.

TomWinKC

This is my Sirrus with fenders. I really hope that my first tour of the Katy, it doesn't rain.

ColonelSanders

That is one damn fine Touring Bike.

coominya

I think for anyone buying a hybrid this is the key distinction they have to make, that between road and trail. It's not like buying a dedicated road bike, which are basically designed for one purpose and the major buying points come down to differing groupsets etc. Different hybrids cut across the whole spectrum between Road and Trail and if a potential buyer gets scope-locked on one type just because it has better gears and brakes than another, for example, they might find themselves being short changed on the bikes ability to efficiently navigate the terrain they ride on. And will ride on for thousands of kilometers.

Of course once we buy a bike our ego will bolster our choice and we won't think we have missed out on something better. I have experienced bad choices many times in my life and it was only after I moved onto the better choice that I looked back with hindsight to see what I had missed out on. That's why it's important to really investigate the bikes before we buy. It's not a matter of money, it's a matter of how comfortable your riding will be for years to come.

sev1

Hi all, first post. Looking to potentially get into a carbon sirrus. Between the Sport, Elite and Pro, are there any differences besides the components?

trainchaser

Very true. One of the realities about buying a new bike nowadays is there are so many categories to choose from and then further permutations within those categories, thus making a qualified decision can be quite difficult. This can easily lead to making bad choices.

Consider the first time buyer or somebody returning to cycling after a lengthy hiatus, they enter a bike shop and are faced with walls lined up with pretty new bikes and, unless they've done a bit of investigative online homework, don't really know where to start. Another issue with many LBS today is the "test drive" is often a quick spin around the parking lot which tells you nothing about how well the bike will work for you over a lengthy period of time.

One must find a store where the staff are willing to take the time to find out what your interests are, what type of rider you are and where you want to ride. After that has been determined then you can start working your way through the myriad selection process of what bike will work best for you - or the one you actually have your heart set on...in my case the Sirrus had always "spoken" to me from the start, I simply should have listened more carefully...