dizzydtrain

Hey Everyone,

This is my first post and I hope I am not reposting something that has already been discussed in details.

I recently had ACL Reconstructive surgery and will be cleared to ride lightly in about 4 weeks. I only own one bike, which is a Cannondale six13 that I purchased for an amazing price about 2 years ago.

I didn’t really spend too much time on the road bike due to injury and I never really felt comfortable commuting on the road bike due to the seating position. On top of that, I rarely got in good enough shape where I could really ride fast enough to even warrant such a fast bike. The nice thing is that I got a hell of a deal and based on what I have heard from my LBS, I could easily make $300 on re-selling it.

I really want to get back into riding once I am cleared to do so by the Ortho and eventually do some commuting to work once I am fully recovered (about 10 mile round trip) However, I don’t really want to go riding on the busy road anytime soon due to my knee and quad strength—I am more looking forward to riding on the local canal path to get my confidence and strength back.

I guess with that said, I have really been looking at some Hybrids to replace my road bike (Specialized Sirrus Comp, in particular). I am looking for a bike that will offer me the versatility to go for longer rides on my own or just bum around town or on some canal paths/trails with the girlfriend. I feel like the road bike is bit limiting in what I am currently looking for in a bike and I don’t think it would be worth it to keep a bike like the six13 in the basement- hence why I have been exploring the possibility of selling it.

I am wondering if anyone else made a decision like this? I guess my hesitation is that the Cannondale is a sweet bike that I got a steal on and I would hate to regret getting rid of it down the road if for some reason I started to get an itch for a road bike. I think I would have to spend at least 1.5k for a bike like this if I ever purchased something similar.

dizzydtrain

I just realized that the title is misleading.

SlimRider

Selling your Cannondale would be like throwing both your sweet deal and a great bike into the river. There may come a time, in the not too distant future, that you'll be in good road bike condition again. Therefore, I'd keep the Cannondale, unless I was absolutely certain that road bike cycling was completely out of the question for the future.

Meanwhile, I'd concentrate on getting a decent hybrid that could very possibly last for an entire lifetime. A hybrid that won Bicycling magazine's Editor's Choice Award for being the best hybrid of 2011. A hybrid universally known for its agility, its comfort, and its quick response to acceleration. Of course, if you haven't already guess it, I'm referring to the Jamis Coda hybrid! The Jamis Coda is completely at home, either on the wooded trails or the paved urban roads. It can be outfitted with a rack and fenders, as well. The Jamis Coda can also take tire widths up to 38mm, making it even more adaptable to rougher terrains.

The Jamis Coda Sport ~ $560
www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/street/coda/12_codasport_rd.html

The Jamis Coda Comp ~ $775
www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/street/coda/12_codacomp.html

branstone

I just got a Specialized Sirrus Elite, and I love it !

dizzydtrain

Thank you for your response. I am just curious how Specialized compares to Jamis bike's. Is there a discrepancy is quality?

dizzydtrain

I tried out the sport at the LBS since that was the only model that they had and I really liked the fit of the bike. Still seriously considering the Comp version of the bike since the upgrades are worth it to me. I don't know how much marketing carbon fibre forks are but I am very fond of the addition on the six13 and how much road noise it took out of the few rides that I did.

Tom Bombadil

The Sirrus Comp is a very nice bike. 3 of my friends own them and they love them. The carbon fork does reduce vibration and it is a pretty lightweight bike. One of my friends rides centuries on his. They've done a very good job in designing and equipping this bike. I like the SRAM X7 component set.

SlimRider

Hey there DizzydTrain!

What I've found, is that the major three bike companies all charge more than Jamis and you usually get less for the same amout of cash dispensed. There won't be much of a noticeable difference between a shimano deore/alivio match compared to sram x7. That's even with a slight nod given to the x7 on the Sirrus Comp. Therefore, I find it difficult to reconcile the $275 difference in price, between the Sirrus Comp and the Coda Comp models.

So while the Sirrus get a slight nod on the componentry, the Coda gets a slight nod on frame material. Afterall, the Coda Comp is made of chromoly steel, for god's sake!

dizzydtrain

Thanks for all your input Slim. You seem to be slightly biased towards the Jamis Bikes : ). I honestly never heard about them until I joined this forum and it certainly has intrigued me since the brand does offer some very nice components for the price compared to the competition.

I was just curious about the effects of rain or wet weather on a steel bike. Would I have to try to stay out of rain completely? Are the bikes generlly weather sealed to begin with or is this something that I have to look into upon purchase? The hybrid I am looking for should be a bike that is fun, but above all, very reliable and durable. Seems to me that the chromoly frames are winners in that category but I don't want a bike that requires constant looking after every time there is a bit of moisture out on the road--I may be be over thinking this as well.

Either way, just trying to gauge the severity of this and if I am better off just going with an aluminum bike that will have a lifetime warranty either way and I won't really have to worry about the reliability.

SlimRider

Hey Hey there DizzyDTrain!

Let's just put it this way, I bought a chromoly steel bicycle back in 1986. That same Nishiki Sebring is still my most favored bicycle to ride, today. It has been ridden completely across country. It has given me excellent service throughout the years, despite the amount of abused I subjected it to while in my youth. I've ridden it in the rain countless number of times. I'm most certainly NOT one of those people who obcesses over details and remembering to wipe my wet bike off. Most times, I was so happy to get inside a warm and dry home, that I failed to wipe my bicycle off. After all these years, I only have a few surface rust spots that I just noticed last weekend. I am therefore, going to slightly sand those few little spots and cover them up with matching fingernail polish.

PS.

If you're not racing, you can't beat a chromoly steel framed bicycle... Especially a hybrid!