ocelotito

Hello,

It's me again. My quest for the perfect bike is almost over.

A bit of background. I am a 5" tall 40 something who, after a neck injury decided to change bikes. I have a specialized Myka sport (a mountain). I wanted something more upright and wanted to reach the ground from the saddle. I gave up on the reaching the ground thing when the electras were to big and after trying several, I tried a Trek shift today and it was instant love.

I found it unbelievable stable, which is great because I always struggle with the "wobbly" feeling and that, along with the low step, give me the confidence to not need to touch the ground.

My husband insists that I buy the 7 gear Shift 1. I am leaning towards the Shift 2. I know right now I am not confident and will be doing short commutes in my community, which is a pretty flat seaside neighborhood. I don't want to spend $100 more for something I won't use. But I don't want to regret it later and be held back by a bike that can't handle hills. There are other differences between the two (mainly the stem, which is adjustable in the Shift 2 and also a suspension post). What is your advice? I also have 2 school age kids who are at an age where they could start doing longer rides.

Any advice and suggestions are welcome. Also, I'm not in a rush to buy it. If anyone knows any "secret" about Trek sale patterns and if I can get a better price if I wait, it will be great to know.

Diana

fietsbob

1 is single chainring rigid fork , 2 adds features 3 rings, $25 sus seat post and fork [Not a great fork at that cost. ]

IMO, a replacement wheel in the back with a Dual drive . hub would work easier ... the 3 hub gears shift at a stop or in the middle of a hill, bogged down..

so the Shift 1 can be upgraded if you need the 24 speeds..

roadandmountain

You didn't mention which shift you test rode: the 1 or the 2. You also didn't mention whether you test rode the wsd version or not.

The 2 is an odd spec since it offers lower gearing for hills, but also adds suspension which adds weight and makes climbing a bit more difficult.

ocelotito

I tested the shift 1, WSD. I agree with that, I've never liked suspension forks.

roadandmountain

You should get the wsd 1 then.

ocelotito

Thanks for your reply. So you're saying that the upgrades are not worth the extra $100? How much would the upgrade that you suggest cost? I am not very famiilar with that kind of gear, is that the one that is called "internal"?

fietsbob

It is that there is a epicyclic gear inside the hub .. there the axle has a gear on it , the hubshell has a gear around the inside of it . there are 4 planet gears connecting the 2 ..

switching the driven and the driver results in a 0.75x low and 1.33x overdrive. 3/4 & 4/3 so it never really disengages , but onr the hub turns faster than the chain cog

the other the hub turns faster..

It's more than 100$ though .. but as an aftermarket Upgrade you dont have to do it at all

Admittedly Hub Gears IMO are simpler to operate than derailleurs .. ..

In the end , have a test ride on each and form your own opinion ..

VegasTriker

The MSRP for the Trek Shift 1 woman's version is $440 and for the Trek Shift 2 woman's version is $550. I would agree with one of the previous posts in that front suspension on one of these bikes doesn't make them much more comfortable and does add some additional weight. Here's a comparison for the two when it comes to drive train. The Trek Shift 1 has 7 speeds and a gear range of 14 to 76.5 gear inches. The Trek Shift 2 has 21 speeds and a gear range of 21 to 94 gear inches. The idea behind "Gear Inches" is to be able to compare gears on vastly different bikes that may have different sized wheels. In this case the two bikes are similar with the same wheel size so it just shows you the Trek Shift 2 has a wider gear range compared to the Trek Shift 1 However, the lowest gear on the Shift 2 is 50% higher than the lowest gear on the Shift 1. The lowest gear on either bike should be OK

Lots of us got by with far fewer gears when we had our first bikes years ago but having more gears makes it easier for you to find the sweet spot for ease of pedaling. Only you can decide whether or not paying $100 more for the second model is worth it. Ride both for a mile or two with varying terrain and see which one works best for you.

Modifying either bike with a 3-speed internal rear hub (which with the 7 speed cassette gives you 21 speeds) is probably out of the question. The SRAM dual-drive which is what was described above will cost you half again what the cost of the Trek Shift 2 costs. I have bought just a rear wheel with SRAM dual-drive and it cost me $300. It was a good quality wheel but even rebuilding the existing wheel with Dual-Drive will be more than $200 plus labor.

ocelotito

Thank you so much ! This is exactly the kind of calculation I had been looking for. The lady in the store said it in a more qualitative way but didn't explain it very well. Of all the differences between the two bikes, the difference in gears was the only one that concerned me, and maybe the adjustable stem. I found the handling of the one without suspension great. They didn't have the shift 2 in store. Actually I have noticed this year that they seem to have less bike inventory in the stores than previous year. I am trying to fine tune my options but in the end I am very happy to have found a bike I really like.

Diana

VegasTriker

Glad to have helped and I hope you enjoy your new bike. YOU took the time and effort to explore what is right for you. Many of the people who simply buy the first thing they see end up with a bike that never leaves the garage or storage area after just a few rides. Finding one that fits you right and meets your needs makes that far less likely.

ocelotito

Thanks again. I still have to choose between the two models. For some reason this year the inventory in my local Trek bike has been very low (despite being called "superstore"). They used to have every model in every size all the time. Now this is the first time I have had to wait for them to get them. One even wanted me to pay beforehand! The only WSD shift they have in all the local stores is the one I tried. I think they have some at the warehouse. I actually feel weird about asking them to bring me yet another bike to the store to try, but I really want to try the Shift 2 in case I happened to like it. However I don't like the idea of a suspension that doesn't lock. I'd love it if they had a shift with 21 speeds but no suspension.

fietsbob

I thought you were wanting something you can reach the ground and stop, Flat footed ..

the seat height is properly adjusted , relative to the pedals and not the ground.


IDK about the Mexican dealers , up Here we would be OK with Ordering the fork made for the Shift 1 and replacing it .
for a modest cost.

ocelotito

Hi,

I originally wanted the flat footed but they were too big for me. I could not reach the ground. I tried the electra with 24 inch wheel but didn't like the handling, felt wobbly as compared to the one with 26" wheels.

Then I found out specialized (expedition) and the trek shift. The geometry is relaxed enough to be able to reach the floor, not flat footed but still reach it. It feels really stable and with the lowstep I think I can feel confident enough.

I live across the border from San Diego, CA and that is where I will buy it. I guess I could do what you suggest, but it would increase the price more from my pricier option. Unless I do it after, I cannot afford more than $500.

I wasn't able to try the shift 2 because they didn't have it in the store. For some reason, their inventory has been really low this year. The shift that I tried is the only shift WSD of all the models they have in the 4 locations. Every time I want to try a bike, they have to order it from the warehouse.

Diana

fietsbob

There is a bit of trade in value where the Suspension fork has more value than the Rigid fork..

Up here they would likely make it even better when assembling the bike initially , to ask for that being done , as the labor ..
to swap it is not much more when already needing to take care of the build up from the carton.

SD would have a much longer sales season than we do up North.. Its a reasonable bike for many peoples needs.
so im not too surprised at the inventory turnover.

Glad to hear the cross border commerce is still functioning ..

after hearing stories of the US DEA cutting up people's cars crossing north, just on suspicions.

VegasTriker

Here's something to complicate matters even more. The bike you are looking at comes in three frame sizes. From the description of your height 5' it is obvious that you should get the smallest frame size. In case the salesman does no know how to measure the frame size, it is the distance from the center of the crank to the top of the seat tube (the part of the frame in which the seat post is inserted).

Here are the specifications as listed on the industry website bikepedia for the 2014 model year

2014 Trek Shift 2 WSD
Bicycle Type UNSPECIFIED Bicycle Type
MSRP (new) 0
Weight
Sizes 13.5 in L, 16.5 L, 19 in L (343 mm, 419 mm, 483 mm)
Colors Ecru Pearl, Sparkling Silver
Item ID 9258879
- See more at: 2014 Trek Shift 2 WSD - BikePedia

ocelotito

Thanks, I did try the smallest one.

ocelotito

I went today to try the Shift 3. They didn't have a Shift 2 but I hope it's close enough. I took it for a much longer ride, including a hill. I realized that the hill was doable not changing the middle chainring but barely. I'd also like an adjustable stem. The way it was adjusted at the beginning, the handlebars were too high and the too upright position was tiring. I hope the Shift 2 will be close enough to what I tried today (which I cannot afford), because I won't be able to try the Shift 2 without paying for it first. I'll go order it next week. Wish me luck!

slehman

Hi
I am going through the same choice myself, a new Trek Shift1 vs Shift2. I am pretty much decided on the Shift 2, for the extra gears and suspension, even though I may not 'need' it all the time, the times I do will be worth it. My wife has a Shift1 she bought used, and loves it. I just am curious if after buying the Shift 2 you have any regrets.
Thank you and cheers!
Shaun L.

VegasTriker

The person who started this thread hasn't posted anything since October 2014 so may not read your post and you are too new to send Private Messages. I suggest you click on the OPs name at the upper left hand corner of the page and read what she posted following this one. It tells lots more about what she bought.


You might want to start a brand new thread instead of using a 16 month old one as it will get you more replies. Any long-time reader of this site will see that a lot of seasoned riders will caution new riders about the value of suspension on an entry level bike. Shift 1 and Shift 2 are mid-entry level. Here is a direct comparison for the two bikes copied from Bikepedia. Essentially you are paying $110 for suspension and more gears. I can certainly agree with having more than 7 gears to choose from. You get a substantially wider gear range - Shift 1 31.5 to 76.5 gear inches Shift 2 21 to 87.5 gear inches which would make the bike a lot easier to ride if you encounter hills and faster going downhill. You have more gear choices to find a comfortable cadence. The downside to cheap suspension is that it adds weight to the bike and robs some of the power if it is not equipped with a lockout to disable the suspension when unneeded. Just about everything except the drive train and front fork are identical.

2015 Trek Shift 2 2015 Trek Shift 1
Bicycle Type Hybrid/Comfort Hybrid/Comfort
MSRP (new) $549.99 USD $439.99 USD
Weight Not listed by Trek
Sizes 14.5, 16.5, 18.5, 21" 14.5, 16.5, 18.5, 21"
Colors Graphite, Liquid Blue Trek Navy Blue
Item ID 1194198 1094148



Frame & Fork
Frame Construction Alpha Gold Aluminum, rack & fender mounts, internal cable routing Alpha Gold Aluminum, rack & fender mounts, internal cable routing
Frame Tubing Material Aluminum Aluminum
Fork Brand & Model SR Suntour NEX, coil spring, preload, 50mm travel High-tensile steel, CLIX dropout
Fork Material Suspension High tensile Steel
Rear Shock * *
Components:
Component Group Comfort mix Comfort mix
Brakeset Tektro alloy linear-pull brakes w/Tektro adjustable-reach alloy, Kraton inserts levers Tektro alloy linear-pull brakes w/Tektro adjustable-reach alloy levers
Shift Levers SRAM 3.0 Comp, 7 speed twist SRAM MRX, 7 speed twist
Front Derailleur Shimano Altus None
Rear Derailleur SRAM X3 Shimano Tourney TX35
Crankset Forged alloy, 48/38/28 w/chainguard Forged alloy, 42T w/chainguard
Pedals Wellgo nylon platform Wellgo nylon platform
Bottom Bracket *
BB Shell Width * *
Rear Cogs SunRace freewheel 14-34, 7 speed SunRace freewheel 14-34, 7 speed
Chain KMC Z51 KMC Z51
Seatpost Alloy, adjustable suspension, 31.6mm Bontrager SSR, 2-bolt clamp, 31.6mm, 12mm offset
Saddle Bontrager Suburbia w/super-soft padding Bontrager Suburbia w/super-soft padding
Handlebar Steel, 80mm rise Steel, 80mm rise
Handlebar Extensions *
Handlebar Stem Alloy, adjustable rise, quill Bontrager Approved, 25.4mm, 25 degree, quill
Headset 1-1/8", semi-integrated, semi-cartridge bearings 1-1/8", semi-integrated, semi-cartridge bearings
Wheels:
Hubs Formula FM21 alloy, Formula alloy Formula FM21 alloy, Formula alloy
Rims Bontrager AT-550 36-hole alloy Bontrager AT-550 36-hole alloy
Tires Bontrager H5, 26x2.0" Bontrager H5, 26x2.0"

slehman

Thank you very much - I appreciate the input, it is a huge help! Cheers!
Shaun L.