GlennR

I'm looking for something different from my road bike and want a bike that leans more to the mountain bike side of a hybrid than road.

I want a bike capable of riding single track trails mostly flat and able to ride on paved roads and MUP.

I think the Trek is a better bike but i'm looking for owner feedback.

Strand_mark

Trek is a good choice in terms of configuration. I own a Cannondale Quick CX 3, nothing to complain, but with a similar price Trek, it is not that good equipped as Trek. Besides, you mention more to the MTB side, I believe Trek's 63mm fork can do better than Cannondale's 50mm.

ColonelSanders

The Trek has better specs all round, plus has the advantage I believe of having the best colour scheme of any current mountain bike inspired hybrid out there.

A very easy choice if it is only between those two models.

GlennR

I'm open to other models.

Suggestions?

GlennR

Went to a different LBS that had both Trek and Cannondale to compare the two bikes. The Trek certainly looks more capable on trails than the Cannondale. The components are also better on the Trek.

Both bikes are only a few dollars apart in price.

ColonelSanders

The problem with other models is simply price.

Everyone has a budget of some sorts, and it may come down to other bikes being a bit better spec wise, but are they worth the $100, $200, $300 or whatever extra.

I rule out the Giant Roam series because I don't like the look of their current frame, their specs aren't at the very top end(in the models available to the USA) and the colour scheme isn't a real winner to me.

Specialized's top two mountain bike inspired hybrids look pretty damn good, but are more expensive, perhaps too expensive.

The mountain bike inspired hybrid that has recently caught my eye is the Merida CrossTrail XT edition.

The colours of this bike in previous years were not to my liking at all, and I don't particularly like the actual name of Merida and those previous bikes had it plastered very prominently all over the frame.

The 2015 model has the name of Merida in a much less prominent way on the frame and is an understated black colour that I quite like and the specs are just awesome.

From the derailleurs, to the gear shifters, to the crank(which I just love the look of), to the rims, to the air suspension fork.

And it is apparently only 11.6kg's(25.5 pounds), whilst most other mountain bike inspired hybrids come in at 13kg's(28.6) or higher.

But whilst this bike is not cheap, I think the component choice is so compelling, that it is well worth the price difference between it and what Trek or Cannondale or others offer.

In Australia for 2015, we don't get the Specialized CROSSTRAIL EXPERT DISC, the best we get is the CROSSTRAIL COMP DISC.

So if I lived in the USA, I would be deciding between the Crosstrail Expert Disc and the Merida Crossway XT Edition & looking at the Merida Crossway 900.

Keep in mind that Specialized has their frames built by Merida.


I'll do some pics to show them off.

CROSSTRAIL EXPERT DISC

Specialized Bicycle Components





Merida Crossway XT Edition

Cross - Cross - Crossway XT-Edition / -Lady - Merida Bikes International






Merida 900

Cross - Cross - Crossway 900 / -Lady - Merida Bikes International

GlennR

Thanks for the detailed info.

I sort of do have a budget since i just purchased a Trek Emonda SLR. I'm selling my Madone 4.6c and will use the proceeds of the sale to fund the new bike so i need to stay int he $1200 price range.

Strand_mark

Just curious, if by all means Cannondale is inferior to Trek, why it prices so close to Trek? Isn't the market efficient, or Cannondale has something Trek doesn't have?

ColonelSanders

Dunno how the market works in that respect.

If you look at the Specialized CrossTrail Comp Disc, it has superior specs to the Trek 8.6 DS, yet is approx $100 cheaper and Specialized has pretty much the same cachet as Trek.

Various companies seem to try and get away with what they can on pricing, it often doesn't seem logical to me.

Even though I think the 2015 Merida Crossway XT Edition is a winner, their next model down, the Crossway 600 is the same price as the Specialized CrossTrail Comp Disc, despite having inferior specs and thus the Crossway 600 is a model I have never seriously considered.

GlennR

It does, looks like better drivetrain and brakes. Just not sure if i'm better with a triple crank.


Thanks again for the great info.

DorkDisk

Cannondale traditionally was always a "upper end" big brand. They have always been known for high-quality hand-made-in-USA frames with cheaper components than usual for the price range to meet certain price points. The common knowledge was you bought the frame and threw out the cheap parts. But now theyre just another outsourced-from-China/Taiwan brand, its hard to see where the difference comes from.

It does have a 1.5" headset, which should allow for taper and headshock forks, but fork changes in a bike are pretty rare, and straight oversize is far from dead.

Their high end MTBs and road bikes do benefit from feedback from top racers (which you do pay for)

2015 Alivio is pretty good, having gone through a radical redesign. It is probably on par with Deore, which saw no changes this model year

2015 Shimano Alivio & Tourney Groups Unveiled ? Trickle Down Trail Tech For All!

ColonelSanders

When I get my next bike(later this year), I'll probably end up on a triple crank, but would prefer a double, especially if it has the ratio's that Specialized is getting on their CrossTrail bikes.

Their top two CrossTrail's manage a 32/36 ratio(0.8888), which is just about as good as the Trek 8.5's 26/32 ratio(0.8125) on a triple crank. Obviously the ratio of the Trek 8.6, is better and perhaps justifies the triple crank, as they manage to do 26/36(0.7222).

In comparing the Trek 8.5 & 8.6 against the CrossTrail Comp Disc, the Comp Disc also has better rims, as their rims are a sleeve joint, not a pin joint.