Felt Verza Speed vs. Liv Alright or Trek FX 1 ???
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Felt Verza Speed vs. Liv Alright or Trek FX 1 ???
Ok I started out wanting a cruiser but I live in an area that can be a bit hilly. I am definitely leaning away from the cruisers and more to hybrids or even a comfortable fitness bike. I’ve tried out a few bikes but I’m still not sure which one I should get. I’ve decided I definitely need at least a 2x8 for the gears…3x8 is even better. I tried a Felt Verza Speed 50 the other day and I loved how zippy it was…shifting was smooth and it was great going uphill..definitely an effortless bike. I’m concerned it won’t be as stable as I would like tho and I’m afraid it might be too fast even tho that speed put a smile on my face. As I get older I’m thinking I would need something more stable maybe wider tires. I primarily ride on the road around my closed neighborhood but I want to ride crushed gravel bike paths in forest preserves as well. I tried a Liv Rove and a Liv Alight. I liked the Alight but even tho I could customize it with out breaking the bank it doesn’t put a smile on my face like the Verza Speed. I’m thinking the Alight would be better for me as I get older because it would be more stable….but that Verza Speed was so fun! I’m also wondering if I should try the Trek FX 1 as I could put a wider tire on it.
Do you think I should play it safe and stay with the Liv Alight and customize it with better seat and tires? Or should I stick to the Felt Verza Speed and enjoy a good ride despite possibly not being able to ride it as I get older because it lacks stability? Does anyone know if that Verza Speed is a good bike and if it would give me minimal issues? Anyone have any experience on the Liv Alight or Trek FX 1?
Thanks for your help!
Do you think I should play it safe and stay with the Liv Alight and customize it with better seat and tires? Or should I stick to the Felt Verza Speed and enjoy a good ride despite possibly not being able to ride it as I get older because it lacks stability? Does anyone know if that Verza Speed is a good bike and if it would give me minimal issues? Anyone have any experience on the Liv Alight or Trek FX 1?
Thanks for your help!
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I think all of those bikes should give you many years of use with normal maintenance and don't see any reason why you shouldn't pick whichever one you feel most comfortable on. As far as riding gravel goes, it looks like the Felt and Trek would both take 35 tires, which I would find OK for crushed gravel but others might prefer something wider. Finding something that would take up to 40c should not be difficult.
If you have an REI nearby you may want to look at their coop brand city 1.1.
If you have an REI nearby you may want to look at their coop brand city 1.1.
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...Do you think I should play it safe and stay with the Liv Alight and customize it with better seat and tires? Or should I stick to the Felt Verza Speed and enjoy a good ride despite possibly not being able to ride it as I get older because it lacks stability? Does anyone know if that Verza Speed is a good bike and if it would give me minimal issues? ..."
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I think that if you riding in a hilly area, that you need to understand that the number of speeds on the rear or number of rings on the front mean nothing for whether you'll be able to get up those hills easily.
The bike with the lowest gear ratio will get you up those hills the easiest, though not the speediest. You may not need the lowest ratios you can possibly get, so you will need to guesstimate how much lower than your current bikes low ratio gear combo is that you might need.
And it might be you don't need a new bike. You might just need to change the rear cassette, freewheel or the front chain rings to give you a lower ratio gearing.
However out of the descriptions you gave the 3x bike is more likely to have the lowest gear ratio. But still it might not.
Gear ratio is simply the number of teeth on the front ring divided by the number of teeth on the rear cog. There are other ways to think about gearing too. Many like to speak in gear inches.
Here is a gear calculator that might be more understandable than others I use......... https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html
The bike with the lowest gear ratio will get you up those hills the easiest, though not the speediest. You may not need the lowest ratios you can possibly get, so you will need to guesstimate how much lower than your current bikes low ratio gear combo is that you might need.
And it might be you don't need a new bike. You might just need to change the rear cassette, freewheel or the front chain rings to give you a lower ratio gearing.
However out of the descriptions you gave the 3x bike is more likely to have the lowest gear ratio. But still it might not.
Gear ratio is simply the number of teeth on the front ring divided by the number of teeth on the rear cog. There are other ways to think about gearing too. Many like to speak in gear inches.
Here is a gear calculator that might be more understandable than others I use......... https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html
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I vote for the Felt.
You can put on bigger tires if you want and my guess is after just a few rides you will be completely comfortable with it.
At some point in time you may want a different bike, but holy cow that's a pretty common issue for cyclists.
Good luck!
You can put on bigger tires if you want and my guess is after just a few rides you will be completely comfortable with it.
At some point in time you may want a different bike, but holy cow that's a pretty common issue for cyclists.
Good luck!
Last edited by BTinNYC; 06-01-22 at 04:17 AM.