Pete154

Need help picking out a quality bike. Im coming from a trash schwinn taff...I've had many issues with it and finally decided I want something of quality. Im thinking of getting something lighter & faster that being a dual Sport bike. I felt like the taff was heavy and i could barely get any speed...The taff has been in for repairs 2 times since Ive owned it and it cost me around 280 to buy. Add to it being in for one tune up and 2 repairs costing around 180 total I could have bought a better bike.. So Im wanting something quality in the 400 to 500 range if possible if not then 600 if it will get me a much better bike. The bike shop I brought my taff to had a Marin San Rafael DS1 that I test drove and it felt like a dream compared to what I had and it had the look in after.. Another is the specialized Sirrus 2.0. Both are in the 600 range and as I mentioned earlier if there is anything cheaper that is almost to this level or do I need to step to this price range to get something great. As I mentioned earlier getting speed and being light is important but u want a dual Sport for sure

mcours2006

Not sure what you men by 'dual sport'. Perhaps you mean a bike that you can ride relatively fast on the road as well as go offroad, like gravel, or even single track mountain bike trails. These are generally called hybrid bikes, like the Sirrus you cited. At that price range you're probably looking at a 9-sp and with hydro brakes and something like a 35-40 mm all round tire. As with anything that is a hybrid, it is a compromise between two ends of the spectrum. The options you mentioned are fine bikes that fit this bill. The bikes are not ideal for either going fast on the road or going on MTB trails. Just understand that.

Bully4

I've been riding for the better part of 20 years. I always get a laugh out of the thought of "spend as much as you can afford......it will save you money upgrading later".

I guess it is actually true. If you're gonna' use it, you might as well buy the best one that is feasible. Unfortunately, I always mess with road bikes. I hope someone can lead you in the right direction as far as the best bang for the buck.

Good Luck

veganbikes

I mean the low end Specialized or Marin or whatever is going to be better than a modern Schwinn from wally-mart or similar box stores but not by a huge amount. With the Specialized, etc... they are going to be at least built slightly better and with better support and warranty and such.

If you are serious about it I would say go for something in the $800+ range you will be much happier. Better more reliable shifting and braking and in some cases a nicer frame or at least a nicer fork. If you are going to be riding it often it is well worth it but for very occasional riding the lower end bikes are bikes. Keep in mind 7 and 8 speed came out in the late eighties early nineties and we are now in 2023 and 11 and 12 speed are most common with still some decent options for 10 speed.

As far as a dual sport, I guess any bike would qualify, they are all great for cycling and you could use it for weightlifting if it is heavy enough or maybe for shotput or fencing or something. Otherwise figure out where you are doing most of your riding and get a bike for that. The average hybrid can do most on and some off road like gravel and paths like that.

I would avoid stuff with suspension forks unless you are spending some more serious money and getting a quality fork. Most of the hybrids that have suspension forks have heavy low travel forks that would be better served with a carbon or good steel fork and wide tires at lower pressures. There are some higher quality low travel gravel oriented forks but they are few and far between and generally not going to be found on really low cost stuff more on higher end gravel bikes

Maelochs

https://www.marinbikes.com/bikes/2021-san-rafael-ds1

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/si...=322026-200206

of the two I prefer the Specialized because it does Not have a suspension fork. Neither bike would be excellent on real mountain-bike trails but the shock is likely to be heavy and useless on the street and not much help for anything over two inches tall ... it only has 63 mm of max travel.

The Specialized has 8 rather than 7 cogs, hydro discs, a steel fork (a little heavy, but good shock absorption) and while I like Marin, in this specific comparison, I like the Specializd a little better. I epect it will be a little more durable just because the shock it doesn't have, won't need servicing. Simple is goo d in this case.

As others have said, neither will be light, or fast on or off pavement, but either could be a lot of fun

Pete154

I only got to test drive the Marin model as this bike shop didn't have any other brands. I'm not sure if anyone carries socialized bikes but this week I will try to visit several other shops singed to make a decision bc my taff is trashed.

The marin felt amazing compared to my schwinn taf. Pedaling felt effortless and my top speed was way faster than my taff and it felt alot lighter.. I checked a review that compared the trek ds, giant sand the marin ds and in the review they mentioned the marin could get the fastest top speed out of the three.

I figured doubling in price from my taff to 600 is pretty hefty increase. However, I'm wondering what the best bike is at that price that is as close to the marin in looks and feel since I really liked that one or are they all pretty similar in quality at that price?

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Pete154

So the shop I went to only had the marin and no other brands. I figured doublng my budget to 600 is a pretty big increase from the taf. I will check out sum other shops this week as my taff is trashed and I need a new bike bc I'm done repairing it. Another reason I don't care to fix the taf is bc marin felt amazing, pedaling felt effortless, my top speed was way faster than the taf and I loved the blacked out look, and it just felt much lighter. However, I'm not sure if this is the best bike for 600 or if there is something better? I've seen schwinn gt bikes on Amazon for 499 but I'm still not sure what makes these marin, specialized bikes better for an extra 100 bc they seem to use the same components... But I'd rather Bike built by a shop than trash walmart

Maelochs

I think either choice you mentioned above are solid entry-level bikes and far better than the cheap big-box stuff you had been suffering with. Both the Marin and the Specialized looked fine.

At some point when you ride a bike and really like it,.... buy it. Five years down the road you will know what to buy for your next bike, but you need to buy--and ride-- this one first.

Pete154

Well true however feel and having better parts are two diff things though... So I'm wondering if there are any other bikes with better parts, maybe lighter and faster?

Maelochs

The joy of online research.

It can take some digging to get bike weights .... I often find them in reviews of the bike (or similar models) and there is always some estimation going on .... or in comments sections sometimes, again, with some potential inaccuracy.

I don't suggest mail-ordering a bike unless you are Really certain about your sizing and fitment. But otherwise, go nuts with google (or your search engine of choice) and see what is out there. I recommend this in any case, because you will grow familiar with the parts, the terminology, and the basic descriptions of various bikes .... helps in deciphering the ad copy.

Pete154

Well I'm no expert but based on the parts on both the marin and the sirrus which one has the better parts!!?

RB1-luvr

my friend's dad's advice about spending money on something was "only wince once". You're in the right place for advice as far as quality of the frame and components goes. I'm looking forward to your decision.

Maelochs

here is a secret bike companies don't want you to know: at any given price point, almost every bike by almost every manufacturer is exactly the same.

I prefer the Sirrus because it doesn't have a front shock, which I find less than helpful on pavement and with only 63 mm of travel pretty useless off-road .... if you ride really bad pavement and like comfort, and you very occasionally ride trails with a few roots or small rocks it might help a little. Otherwise the two are identical for all intents and purposes.

At each price point manufacturers will use approximately the same group sets---either SRAM or Shimano or Microshift---but all will be about the same quality at that price point.

Little differences will exist---for instance the Sirrus had an 8-speed drive-train, and the Marin had a smaller chain ring (better for trail work, less good for pavement)---but as for the quality and durability of the parts---on par.

Check out https://www.bikesdirect.com/products...-hybrid-x4.htm or https://www.bikesdirect.com/products...city-bikes.htm or https://www.bikesdirect.com/products...atbar-road.htm

Or just keep looking online and see what the local shops can come up with.

The most important things (IMO) are that the bike fit you (or can be adjusted to fit without going to extremes) and that it suits what you really want to do. I like something like the Motobecane Strada Express (the features not necessarily the bike itself) because it has---an aluminum frame and a steel fork, a 24-speed drive train, and relatively fat tires, which means it will absorb a lot of road shock with air and rubber. For fun, bad pavement, light trail work .... this is a sort of all-around entry-level commuter/just-ride-around/go anywhere bike for someone who isn't trying to race or set records.

Those would be the features I'd look for---a steel or CF fork, clearance for wide tires, wide-range gearing .... I didn't include the 1x bikes, but some of them might suit your needs. I generally prefer two or three front rings because this enables me to go slowly or quickly with ease. You have to decide what you want your bike to do.

Pete154

Thanks for the reply guys. So one bike shop mentioned that giant is the best for bikes and every company bikes is made by them frame wise.. They mentioned the giant roam disc 3 or 4. I called another company and they said specialized is the best.. Lol this is why I can't go to shop and I'm better off coming here for advice. Every shop is only going to say the brand they sell is best.. Anyways I want the bike to be fast but I still want to be able to do sum jumps and crazy things with it.. There are just too many options and it's really confusing. I do know when I test drove the marin ds1 it felt really good. I just want something that I can move fast on but not a road bike as they are very uncomfortable and I like being up right and even biking without hands often! Please help!!!

icemilkcoffee 

Woah! You want to do jumps and other crazy things with the bike? In which case none of these bikes you are looking at are the right type of bike. The bikes you are looking at are the typical bike trail or ride-around-the-park kind of bikes. There are very specialized bikes made for dirt jumping, What exactly are you trying to do here?

bboy314

The truth is that at this price point (around $600), all bikes from the major brands will be very similar in quality, so I wouldn’t look for a brand that’s “the best”. Instead I’d look at what’s available for you to test ride and see what feels good when you do.

Pete154

As far as hybrid bikes is there a way to know what will be the fastest bike? I can only go by the marin DS1 as I didn't test drive any others but it felt petty fast to me. Also I sometimes do small jumps and drops is it best to get a bike with suspension?

Maelochs

No bike is fast. A bike which weighs a little less will generally go a little faster than one which is a little heavier with the same rider ... but the difference will be so minuscule as to be meaningless.

I have bikes which weigh less than 17 lbs and bikes ten pounds heavier. Which is faster over a given route depends on how I feel that day.

Buy the bike you like. If you only have one choice ... maybe wait a while to see more bikes.

You don't want to buy a bike today and see a bike tomorrow and think "That is what I should have bought." After all, you will have this bike for a couple years at least ... make it the right choice.

If the Marin really appeals to you ... go for it. But don't buy it out of impatience.

Unless you want to . Your life, not mine.

beng1

A. Weight has nothing to do with speed unless all of your riding is uphill. On any circuit only half to a quarter of any ride will be uphill. The rider's power and aerodynamics are the major contributors to speed no matter what the bike is.

B. You don't need a new bike, you need to learn to work on bikes yourself instead of taking a beating by shops every time you need something done. Over the last few years I have put thousands of miles on a bike I paid $3 for at a garage sale, and I have never paid any bike shop a dime to do any work on my bikes, and my bikes are all fast even though they are old and I am over 60 years old because I like cycling enough to do enough of it to have some leg muscles and stamina.

MikeWMass

I would strongly suggest you ride a few bikes before making a choice.
Anything in the price range you are looking at will feel better than what you have now.
While they are all equivalent,, they are not the same, so at least have a real comparison.
If you were buying a car, you wouldn't buy a BMW because it felt better than your used Civic (or maybe you would); but I would suggest you also try Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, maybe Infiniti or Acura. All are good, all feel very different.

My daughter has a Sirrus from several years ago (pre disk brakes).
She prefers the flat bars, she has been on several 30-50 mile rides with it. You can ride any of the bikes in that price range as far as you want.
At your (and my) level, the bike is not what is limiting performance.

I would also agree with learning how to work on your own bike. The Park Tools website will walk you through most repairs; buy specialized (not Specialized) tools as you need them.

Have fun!

Maelochs

Sorry but you are wrong.

The rider has to move the bike with his/her strength ... and the lighter the bike, the less work it takes to move it ... and the faster s/he can move it. The engine is always the same (the rider, in whatever shape he or she is on any particular day.) The aero is going to be important, particularly at speed over about 18 mph, but if the poster is looking at similar styles of bike, the aero isn't going to change much. The only limiting factors are friction (a function of gravity) and air resistance and since the only variable is gravity, therefore gravity---weight of the bike---is the limiting factor.

beng1

In time-trial events on mostly level courses, the larger heavier riders with more muscles usually win because the aerodynamics of their larger size is less disadvantage than their extra power is an advantage, so much for your theory.....

Weight only makes a specific acceleration harder or climbing hills harder, not keeping any speed on level roads or downhill. If a bike is a little heavier, then it does not have to be harder to accelerate to 20mph if you just take a very little extra time to do it, maybe thirty seconds instead of twenty, do you have an extra ten seconds to spare ???

Weight has no effect on the friction of bicycle bearings large enough to measure, that is stated in actual research on the subject.

In the $600 price bracket you are in the low price bracket of any brand-name bicycles line, which means the heavier bikes. Telling a novice cyclist asking to solve a problem by dumping his cash in that price range instead of having him become a better cyclist that knows how to fix his own bikes and save money, is not doing the novice cyclist any favor at all. You are putting the welfare of your bicycle-forum ego ahead of the person asking for help, or you simply don't know any more than they do and have no real advice to give them.

Maelochs

Dude .... you asre great at repeating yourself but pretty bad at considering others.

Not everyone wants to be like Beng1 .... and from what you say, you don't even work hard any more.

Some people are used to big, heavy, poorly built big-box bikes, and their first "real" bikes are amazing by comparison. And not everyone wants to win races. Some just don't want to feel that they are towing boat anchors everywhere.

Telling someone riding a POS big-box Schwinn which breaks down every few weeks, to keep riding it instead of buying a better bike is just silly. The Guy Needas a new bike. he can either buy anothe Walmart POS or he can buy a solid bike with decent entry-level components which will actually last long enough for him to ride some miles and have some fun .... you know, Enjoy Cycling?


It is okay for people to just plain enjoy riding their bikes without wanting to train like athletes.

Try to think of the needs of others before giving others your stock, one-size-doesn't-really-fit diatribe you call "advice." Maybe ......

Pete154

So let's get back on topic here. Anyways I been using this bike in the picture for the past week. It's a night and day difference compared to my taff. Gears shift smooth, bike is zippy and agile, I've done lots of jumps with it and it takes them perfectly, everything on the bike feels sturdy and tightened nothing loose.. Maybe the crap coming from wall mart is just out together like ****. This bike was bought from academy sports price at the time was a measly 150. My point being is I don't want to spend money on a name and the cheaper stuff can perform and last just as long

Herzlos

Jumps and drops put a lot of strain on the components and lower end bikes just aren't up to it. Most will have warnings about what their intended use is and whether they can handle jumping.
If you are doing anything bumpy, then you'll want suspension, at least on the front, to take some of the impact away from your hands.

In general, speed and off road performance are incompatible; the faster a bike is the worse it'll perform off road and the better it is off road the slower it'll be. Big heavy suspension forks and wide knobbly tires are great offroad but will slow you down drastically. That's why a lot of people end up with different bikes for different purposes.

So what exactly is it you want the bike to do?