sheepdog22

Well last night I brought home my first hybrid. Went to go to a few LBS to test ride the standard go-to hybrids. My original budget was ~500 so I was looking at the Fuji Absolute 2.1, 1.7, and Trek 7.2. Unfortunately there is not a Specialized dealer near by. After I got to the shop, I spotted a 2014 Absolute 1.5 which had a number of upgrades over the 1.7 and 2.1 like a carbon fork and was on clearance since it was a 2014 model. It was marked down even lower than the sale price on their site so I took it for a quick spin and it fit like a glove.

Long story short, I couldn't pass it up. Ended up getting 20% back in credit for Performance Bike that I will spend on some goodies. The people at the shop were all nice and helpful. I don't have any pictures at the moment but I will get some up this afternoon!

To hold everyone over, here is the stock photo:

Wanderer

You can't go wrong. Fuji makes nice bikes, and Performance stands behind what they sell

yashinon

Congratulations! Now for more pix (drool factor)! 8-)

AU Tiger

Hey, that looks like my bike!
Congrats, and enjoy it!

camjr

I bought my 2013 Fuji Absolute 2.1 from Performance Bikes in May of last year as a prior year closeout. Well over 1000 miles and it's been a great purchase. Performance has been great to deal with.

ColonelSanders

That is a well spec'd bike and sounds like you got for a song.

a1penguin

Mmmmm. Good choice! The 20% off at Performance is nice. They have sales every other weekend and you still accumulate points! It's a good deal as you build your accessory kit!

sheepdog22

Well here is a quick first ride impression. AWESOME! I had forgotten how much fun biking was. Had no idea where I wanted to go, just hoped on the bike and took off. Here is my Strava route and also some pictures of the Absolute after the ride.

Canadian_giant

Nice bike! Now ride it til the tread is gone!

Grey.

That's a nice color. Looks like you were going pretty fast at one point on that ride!

practical

Looks like a nice bike. Back in the 1980s I was looking to buy my first "real" bike and I thought Fuji was the best.

sheepdog22

Erh.. I think my phone GPS had a brain fart. I definitely didnt hit 48mph! Just got ride #2 logged. Did a little over 15 miles. Was an absolute blast but the legs are burning!

On a side note, does anyone know if I could fit any taller tires on the bike? It came with 700x28c and I feel like a slightly taller tire may increase the ride characteristic since I am a larger dude (6'2 220lbs). It looks like it has plenty of room but just wanted someone to confirm before I pull the trigger on a set.

Also, the seat doesnt seem to be the most comfortable one out there. My butt is feeling it at the end of each ride.

rumrunn6

congrats!

Little Darwin

I was curious about the 48 mph, especially in Florida where I don't think a hilll long enough to hit that speed exists.

I personally never expect the saddle to be kept. My current saddle on my Trek 7.3 FX is a Selle SMP TRK, and it does better for me than any other I have tried (I wish I only weighed 220 ).

As far as tires, your best bet is to pull out the ruler. Figure a 32 mm tire (compared to 28 mm) will be 4 mm taller, and 2 mm wider on each side. Just look at the additional beyond that which you are comfortable with, and you are good to go. Based on the picture, I think you could go to at least 35, but you should measure to be sure.

I don't know that bike, but my 7.3 FX came with 32 mm, and I ride 35 mm tires. And I have had 40 mm tires on it, but the clearance was minimal for the 40's (almost had to deflate the rear to install it), but it worked.

Along with width, consider that some tires ride much better than others. If you can afford it, a nice 60+ TPI tire tends to be more supple for increased comfort and performance. Your best compromise could well be to stay with 28 mm and just buy the best tire you can afford when it comes time.

AU Tiger

I see what you did there!

I asked this question directly to Fuji and put their response in Post #10 in this thread.

sheepdog22

Thanks for the response. I knew I had saw your thread but couldnt remember where I had seen it. You still running the 28s? I think I am going to give the 32s a try and see how I like it. I can always go back to the 28s if I find any drawbacks in the 32s.

sheepdog22

I appreciate this response! There is a ton of good info in it. I will look into the 60+ TPI tires and see what fits in the budget. Got some other stuff I want to pick up but I think the tires are something that would improve the overall ride quality significantly (not saying its terrible).

practical

Before you replace the seat, try two other things first. 1. Try wearing padded bike shorts. They will help. Or, 2. Get a gel seat pad. They are inexpensive and can really make a seat more comfortable.

AU Tiger

Yes, I'm still running the 28s. So far my riding (a grand total of about 60 miles) is all on roads... rural roads, but still blacktop at least. So the 28s have been fine. But I'll definitely give 32s a try eventually. I'll be curious to hear what you think of them.

camjr

I have the original equipment Vera CityWide 700x32 tires on my 2013 Absolute 2.1. They have about 1300 miles on them and still have plenty of life remaining. I'm still running the factory Oval seat and agree with the other poster that padded cycling shorts make a huge difference. I also found that the compression factor on my quads helps with fatigue on longer rides.

For the record, I'm 5'10" and 220 pounds, so I'm no lightweight...

Cheers,

sheepdog22

Interesting that the 2.1 came with 700x32. I agree the padded shorts are what I need. Time to go shopping

AU Tiger

I think the big difference between the 1.x line and the 2.x line is that the 1.x is more road-oriented... thus the narrower tires.

sheepdog22

Got it. I was unaware the lines were much different besides components.

camjr

Mine has pretty much remained with stock equipment apart from switching to Ergon GP2 grips and needing to replace the pedals after the bearings failed. Of course, I've added to it (seat bag, bar bag, bottle cages, illumination, computer), but the pedals and grips are it for replacing OEM stuff.

My understanding of the 1.x vs 2.x is related not so much to components (Upgrades as you go lower in number) but that the frames for the 1.x bikes are different and of a bit higher quaility than the 2.x. I do find it odd that Fuji does not offer a carbon frame like their competitors.

sheepdog22

Anyone who owns a 1.5 have any tips on how to adjust the rear brakes? On my last ride I noticed the rear brake was barely even working. I fiddled with the adjustment at the level but did not see much change. I took a peek at the clamp but didnt see any obviously adjustments, but that was about 8 miles into my ride and really wasn't taking a good look.