SoCal79

Hi there,

I'm new to the forum, and to biking in general. Last summer, I was riding a friends Giant Sedona for fitness and in the midst of searching for my own, I came across a cheap Schwinn and added it to my amazon wishlist. To my surprise, my folks picked this bike up for me as a gift.

See it here:
https://www.schwinnbikes.com/bikes/ro...14703#/reviews

I rode it a twice, hoping to eventually use it as a commuter but wasn't to comfortable on it. The third time I got a flat and never got back on it. I am now moving, starting a new program and looking to commute via bike. The ride is about 3.5 miles one way. Mostly urban, but several trails nearby and some on the way. I'm looking for a hybrid, dual sport bike that can be used for commuting, fun on the weekend, and possibly cruising to the beach.
I don't know much about bikes, or what my options are, so forgive my naivety. Here is what I am considering.
1. Keeping the Schwinn - putting different tires on it as we'll as anything else that would assist it in being multi-purpose. (I hate the brake set-up on the bars, but I don't mind the drop set up)
2. I've been looking at these options based on some reading, what I want it for and price. I don't really want to go over a $1000.
Trek CrossRip
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...013_crossrip/#
Trek DS 8.4
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...eries/8_4_ds/#
Cannondale quick cx3
https://www.cannondale.com/2013/bikes...-cx/quick-cx-3

I'm hesitant to make a large purchase as a newbie, but at the same time, the Schwinn doesn't seem like its up to the task.
Any suggestions, advice, etc is greatly appreciated.

I'm 5'10 200lbs decent shape (if that matters)

dsmchenry

I'm a newbie as well that just got back into biking. I have an old Sears special that I bought from a neighbor and hung in the garage for 10 years. Here is the advise I found most useful from this forum and some friends.
1) Spend a little money to fix what you have and ride it for a while (I've been riding the old bike to work)
2) Test ride a lot of bikes to see what's comfortable for you with the type of riding you'll be doing
3) Don't rule out used bikes. I ended up getting a gently used hybrid this past weekend on Craigslist that I'm really happy with.

Don't be in a hurry. You'll know the right bike when you ride it. Enjoy the experience!

KungPaoSchwinn

Go to Wallyworld to get a floor model and be done with.

daihard 

If you're considering a 8.4 DS, I'd also test ride a 7.4 FX. The FX has no suspension, but its carbon fork compensates for the lack of suspensions pretty well. The FX is also quite a bit lighter than the DS. I bought a 8.4 DS and used it for commuting (about 9 miles one way) for a couple of days. I realized that its suspensions didn't absorb as much shock from the pavement as I'd expected. My reference point was my Gary Fisher MTB, so maybe I had too high an expectation. Anyway, I happened to test ride a 7.5 FX and really liked how it felt, including the smoothness on some rough pavement. At least it wasn't any worse than the DS. With the road-oriented tyres and lightweight frame, I had a much better time riding the FX on bike paths, paved trails and streets than the DS. Next thing I did, I exchanged the DS for the FX. I'm a very happy rider now. Just FYI...

Dang

I honestly have to say out of my three I prefer my roads over my hybrid. Don't get me wrong I love my Crossroads especially on packed dirt trails and roads but for my commute I choose my vintage 1986 centurion. Sometimes I feel guilty leaving the hybrid behind but when I ride over the overpass I know I made the right choice.