gerg10

Hi all,

I'm currently selling my road bike, an '09 Specialized Tarmac Comp that I haven't rode in prolly over two years. I want to replace it with a hybrid style bike because most of my friends who ride now have hybrid style bikes and seem to really like them. Im looking to get a hybrid that is good on the road as well as on dirt paths and the like. I love the way the Cannondale looks and the price is about right.

I'm gonna go ride it for feel, but my question is, is this bike able to go off road...not like a mtn bike...but just dirt, grass, crappy old roads and still feel stable.

Thanks all
Greg

giantcfr1

If your BadBoy has disc brakes then you are looking at a true hybrid. If the wheels are unable to take the trails you wish, all you do is swap them for 26". No problem. If it's not disc, you may be limited in which trails you wish to venture on. Check with your local Cannondale dealer about tyre compatability and take it from there.

I have a 2007 frame which is nothing like the one you are purchasing and it's frame (MTB Style) is up to most trails.

Burton

Our stores sell a number of brands including Cannonde so I'll give you my personal viewpoint. The Bad Boy 9 is a nice urban bike. A few things I'll point are: it has resin pedals, a rigid fork and Tektro mechanical disc brakes. Not a shortcoming for urban use, and able to handle grass and hard unpaved surfaces OK, but means the 700 x 28c tires wouldn't be ideal for anything more off road without a suspension, and that the resin pedals probably wouldn't be terribly durable. Also, the minimum level rear derailleur specified by Shimano for anything except smooth roads is a Deore. The Bad Boy comes with an Alivio. But if you don't plan on riding fast on unpaved roads it'll be fine.

Would suggest you also look at the Giant Seek 1 & 2 models as well. You might still want to go with a wider tire for better float in sand, gravel and crushed stone, but both already start with metal BMX pedals and hydraulic disc brakes (Shimano or Avid). The Seek 1 runs a Deore rear derailleur. Both the Seeks run fully housed brake and shifter cables front to back which will reduce maintenaince requirements. Both also incorporate SS protective plates in the top tube to minimize frame damage when locking the frame to snything. The Seek 1 has a fully anodized fork and frameset - an unusual approach and the most resistant finish available. Aluminum oxide (anodized) finishes are whats commonly found on alloy accessories like wheel hubs, rims and handlebars and is one of the hardest materials known.

gerg10

Thanks guys for the quick response. I love the way the Bad Boy looks and tried to go take one for a spin today, but no luck. The LBS doesnt have my size, XL, in stock currently because they are waiting on the 2013 to come out. I was able to ride a Specialized Sirrus and that felt pretty nice. My price range is $800 max so Im doing my best to keep the wife happy and me happy.

Delmarva

It's got a great style and good equipment. However it really is a hard pavement bike able to handle city streets. Increase the tires to 35 and take it easy on the packed and gravel trails and it should be fine with the bigger tires.

gerg10

In your opinion, is there a bike out there that is truly a hybrid, just a matter of changing the tires? Im talkin a bike that is good on the roads/sidewalks/hard paved surfaces, but put some 26s on it and she is ready to rockin roll on most trails?

giantcfr1

I answered that straight up.
The pedals are going to be crap anyway with any bike so that's not an issue when you buy it. Just ask the shop to swap, along with the rear derailleur if you are worried about that. The rigid fork will be fine too, as the suspension forks on most of the hybrids under $1000 are worthless, so you'll get better usage (in my opinion) with the nice rigid.

gerg10

Much appreciated giant....and your bad boy = pure badass..great lookin ride
Any recommendations on a rear derailuer

SHOFINE

Alivio should be fine. I bought 04 Trek 4300 mt bike back in Feb with alivio. It had been rode hard I later found out with a lot of stuff wore out... but no problems with the derailer.

njsteve

[QUOTE=Delmarva;14781825]It's got a great style and good equipment. However it really is a hard pavement bike able to handle city streets. Increase the tires to 35 and take it easy on the packed and gravel trails and it should be fine with the bigger tires.[/QUOT

I might be mistaken but when I was did research on the Bad Boy you could not increase the tire width.

giantcfr1

I've noticed the recent badboy's frames are different to earlier models, and my guess is now they can. (more like a 29er frame) The one I saw about a month ago had 35mm tyres easily fit. To be honest I'm confused with the models these days. Mine most definitly can't go further than 32mm though, unless I change to a 26" rim.

By the way, I saw a new Badboy with a rigid fork and 26" rims, matched with big balloons for tyres just last week. It looked freekin hot, and I was very bloody jealous.

giantcfr1

Thank you for your kind words.
Sorry if I mislead you. I personally wouldn't be bothered with changing the rear deraileur, but if you feel more comfortable going that way, any shimano, from deore up should be compatible.
Mine came with Sram X-7 rear deraileur along with Sram X-7 shifters. The front deraileur is Deore. Sram and Shimano are tricky to match. Basically the rear deraileur and shifters MUST match. ie. Sram to Sram due to the 1:1 actuation rate. (Shimano 2:1) The front usually can be mixed as mine are. They are still going strong. With my Badboy, I my self unsually only upgrade / change when something breaks or wears.

Delmarva

It depends on a lot of things including how much clearance you have for fat tires, whether suspension is needed, the gearing and so forth. The better idea would be to buy a bike built for the kind of trail riding you want to do.

Burton

Definately suggest you take one out for a ride before making a committment. The toptube / stem combination results in a 'reach' thats longer than many riders are comfortable with. Longer than on other comparable hybrids.

giantcfr1

But wouldn't any decent bike shop insure the stem / frame / handle-bar combination is the correct length for the customer? The shops I've delt with always makes sure the so called "fit" is spot on. It's part of the advantage with purchasing from a bike shop.

Burton

I guess it depends what you call a "decent bike shop". The only one that really counts in this case is the one the OP will be dealing with. I'm not there so thought it should be mentioned. Many shops sell bikes 'as is' from the manufacturer and don't stock a variety of different stems in various angles and lengths. And part of the experience also depends of course, on who serves you.

Just thought I'd mention it because IMO, all of Greg's questions and concern would be better addressed at the dealership. I have no idea if his ultimate intention is to buy online or if the place he plans on test riding the bike will actually have his size or will have to order it. I do know that no- one in a forum like this can do a fitting over the Internet.

Its even impossible to try some other manufacturer's frame in the same size because some manufacturers have gone to 'compact' frames and others haven't - and then a couple companies like Kona seem
to measure things completely differently anyway.

It IS a nice bike - no harm is suggesting that he confirms its exactly whats he's after. Greg apparently already has another really nice bike he hasn't driven in a couple years - no point ending up with two.

jsdavis

If you want a rigid hybrid that can do well on the streets and trails, but not necessarily as fast as something like a road-oriented hybrid bike, the Marin Muirwoods 29er can be a good choice. It comes with 700x42 tires meant for street use, but the frame and fork can accommodate knobbies up to 50mm, possibly 55mm so it's not necessary to switch out the wheels. The rims are 19mm wide, so tires can safely go down to 32, maybe 28. The bike is basically a mountain bike, frame included, but the suspension fork is replaced with a rigid chromoly fork.

On the street the Muirwoods 29er is smooth because the 42mm tires are cushy; I only inflate to 45 PSI but I weigh 155lb + 10lb luggage. I think the tires can go up to 65 PSI, but I don't notice any difference at 55 or 60 except a harder ride.

A possible down side is that the bike in stock form weighs about 30 pounds for 19" for the 2009 model.

https://www.marinbikes.com/2013/bike_...Muirwoods_29er

And there's also a 26" model:
https://www.marinbikes.com/2013/bike_...2065&Muirwoods

Burton

Sure - another nice bike! Double butted cromoly frames on those ones too. Personally I don't think the weight is all that excessive - its surprising how much inexpensive oversized tires can weigh. The Giant Seek and Bad Boy both run around 27 lbs with smaller stock tires.

jsdavis

Personally, I don't care about the weight as it's my commuter bike, and my only bike. I'm not out to win races. The tires are around 500g each but I'm not sure about the wheels.

The tire weight can also be attributed to things like increased puncture protection.

gerg10

Thanks for the continued advice and input guys....I think Im gonna lean more towards a bike that does well on the road and grass, more urban. Then down the road fi I actually get back into riding pick up a mountain bike. I still like the Bad Boy for that function, just a matter of finding one now. I like the 2012 but it sounds like the 2013 is about $100 cheaper. The $100 allows me to upgrade components or just save, anyone own the 2013?...thoughts on it??

Burton

From what I've seen changes between the 2012 / 2013 are minimal. But if you look you should be able to find the 2012 on clearance. Last years models are typically sold for 30-40% below MSRP if you can find someone who has them in stock, and on sale.

gerg10

Yeah the LBS I went to doesn't have my size, XL, and they said it was 730. Full price on the 2012. Looks like ill have to keep looking

ARider2

I want a 2013 Bad Boy 5 real bad. Nice looking and riding bike.

gerg10

Yeah the look of the bad boy is amazing. Def beat looking bike I have found. I'm hoping Monday I can find a LBS that has one in stock I can ride for feel. Will the 1 or 5 be comparable for feel compared to the 9. Or does the petty have a different feel

Kanon25

Just to clarify here: if you for example have a complete Shimano set, could you simply swap in an SRAM rear derailleur and rear shifter and touch nothing else? In other words, you would not need to change the cassette, the chain, the crank or any thing else?