Hybrid Help?

"geemike" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

The LBS I've worked with is recommending a Trek
Pilot 2.1:
http://www2.trekbikes.com/en/Bikes/Road/Performance_Road/Pilot/Pilot_21/in
dex.php

Trek Pilot is new this year, so you're not going to get many experienced
recommendations. By definition, hybrid bikes are compromises. Different
models of bikes have different levels of compromise. You need to test ride a
bunch to see what fits your body and your riding style. None will be best for
everyone.

Ken said:

"geemike" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

The LBS I've worked with is recommending a Trek
Pilot 2.1:
http://www2.trekbikes.com/en/Bikes/Road/Performance_Road/Pilot/Pilot_21/index.php

Trek Pilot is new this year, so you're not going to get many experienced
recommendations. By definition, hybrid bikes are compromises. Different
models of bikes have different levels of compromise. You need to test ride a
bunch to see what fits your body and your riding style. None will be best for
everyone.

Quoted message said:

This year I'd like to ratchet my riding up a notch, and will purchase a
new bike to do so.
I think I want a hybrid bike, as I'm 5'5" and 225 lbs (FAT). So that
whole "upright riding position" thing will really be a benefit for me.
The LBS I've worked with is recommending a Trek Pilot 2.1:
http://www2.trekbikes.com/en/Bikes/Road/Performance_Road/Pilot/Pilot_21/index.php

They won't have these in stock for two weeks, so I haven't had a chance to
spin one around the parking lot. They will mount an extra set of hand
brakes on the horizontal part of the bar and probably replace the hb riser
with a more upright one, as they did on my Raleigh.

With an appropriate stem, you may not need to have the extra brake levers
across the front of the handlebar. Ideally, you should feel very comfortable
with your hands across the top of the shift/brake levers, and with modern
brakes, you'll find you have no need to go down into the drops (and a
less-comfortable position) for enough stopping power, even at 225lbs.

I'm somewhat puzzled with the fascination with extra brake levers. In many
cases, I think it's a bass-ackwards solution to the problem of handlebars
with too much forward reach. A more reasonable cure? A bar with less forward
reach. We're talking real rocket science here!

So, rather than add those extra brake levers, you might ask that they sub
the "flat-top" handlebars for a standard Bontrager bar. The reach will be
considerably less, and you'll be considerably more comfortable. In my humble
opinion, of course!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"geemike" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Last year I rode a bike for the first time in 25 years. I bought a
Raleigh M-80 as an impulse purchase while buying my daughter a bike for
her birthday.

It was a surprise to me that I really got into riding. From June to
November I put about 900 miles on it (Catseye computer stopped working in
Oct). I ride paved roads only. My typical ride is 15 miles, I coast much
of the first half and have to get the elevation back after the turnaround.
So I get a pretty good workout. On weekends I like to punch that out to a
25 mile ride, time permitting. I had slicks put on the Raleigh in
September, which reduced road drag considerably.

This year I'd like to ratchet my riding up a notch, and will purchase a
new bike to do so.
I think I want a hybrid bike, as I'm 5'5" and 225 lbs (FAT). So that
whole "upright riding position" thing will really be a benefit for me.
The LBS I've worked with is recommending a Trek Pilot 2.1:
http://www2.trekbikes.com/en/Bikes/Road/Performance_Road/Pilot/Pilot_21/index.php

They won't have these in stock for two weeks, so I haven't had a chance to
spin one around the parking lot. They will mount an extra set of hand
brakes on the horizontal part of the bar and probably replace the hb riser
with a more upright one, as they did on my Raleigh.

Fit will be a primary consideration in my purchase, as will build quality
and component set. My budget will be limited to $1500.

Anyone have opinions on this bike, and suggestions for competing bikes in
my price range?

Thanks

Mike G

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So, rather than add those extra brake levers, you might ask that
they sub the "flat-top" handlebars for a standard Bontrager bar.
The reach will be considerably less, and you'll be considerably
more comfortable. In my humble opinion, of course!

Hmmm. That's worthy of consideration. What about the Carbon fork
and seat stays? When married to an aluminum frame, do these
improve ridability or are they just for there for marketing
purposes?

Mike G

I
"Ken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"geemike" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

The LBS I've worked with is recommending a Trek
Pilot 2.1:
http://www2.trekbikes.com/en/Bikes/Road/Performance_Road/Pilot/Pilot_21/in
dex.php

Trek Pilot is new this year, so you're not going to get many
experienced
recommendations. By definition, hybrid bikes are compromises.
Different
models of bikes have different levels of compromise. You need
to test ride a
bunch to see what fits your body and your riding style. None
will be best for
everyone.

Can you suggest a mfr. with a good linup of hybrids?

Mike

Let's see, you say you are looking at a hybrid and want opinions on
what Trek refers to as a "performance road" bike. The Pilot isn't the
kind of bike you take out for 15 mile rides. When was the last time
you even rode a "10 speed" style bike? Have you started fitting
yourself for spandex yet, because without it you're going to find the
Pilot extrememly uncomfortable.

I don't see what is wrong with your current setup. A traditional
hybrid would give you a more upright sitting position over your M-80,
but I really doubt it would improve your distance or speed. A real
road bike would allow you to ride further and faster, but would also be
more uncomfortable. And an uncomfortable bike will not be ridden.

Since you say you want to ratchet up your riding, why don't you do that
with your current bike? Are you going so fast that you're running out
of gears? Do you lose confidence when cornering? Is there a reason
you can't pedal in the first half of your ride where you normally
coast?

Also, the carbon components should theoretically improve ride comfort
but given your inexperience it is doubtful you would notice. The same
goes for components in the price range you are talking about.

geemike said:

Anyone have opinions on this bike, and suggestions for competing
bikes in my price range?

Well, I just want to give you kudos for getting a drop bar bike. Your LBS
has done the right thing in setting you up with a taller stem--I think
you'll LOVE the extra hand positions and will want to ride longer with the
added comfort.

Since you're a bit heavier, have you given some thought to a sturdier ride
(good for even lightweights that like durability)? I'm not saying the Trek
is bad at all, but you might like the durability and versatility of a bike
like the Jamis Nova, or a Surly.

http://www.jamisbikes.com/bikes/05_nova.html

I'm not saying get a Jamis, per se, but suggesting that it might be nice
to have a ride that you can put some wider rubber on and other
accessories, and punish a bit more, vs. just a dedicated roadie bike.

With the trek you're probably limited to a 28c wide tire (a perfect tire
width for most conditions, it's what I ride) but wouldn't it be fun to be
able to switch from some super skinnies to a floatier 37c wide tire and
perhaps ride some unpaved trails? You can even just check the sales on
line and get a cheap 2nd set of wheels, tires and cassette for $150 or so
and be able to switcheroo depending on your mood.

If indeed what you want is a fun swift dedicated sunny day bike, the Trek
looks like a fine ride. 🙂

Do also think about yer butt. Most stock saddles suck. So you might want
to set aside 50-100 bucks for a nicer one that fits your particulars.

Quoted message said:

What about the Carbon fork and seat stays? When married to an aluminum
frame, do these improve ridability or are they just for there for
marketing purposes?

Both. Carbon damps vibration (you could say it doesn't carry a tune), and
also drops a bit of weight without sacrificing strength. And, of course,
carbon is the material of the day, favored by Lance etc., so it obviously
has marketing significance as well.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"geemike" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So, rather than add those extra brake levers, you might ask that they sub
the "flat-top" handlebars for a standard Bontrager bar. The reach will be
considerably less, and you'll be considerably more comfortable. In my
humble opinion, of course!

Hmmm. That's worthy of consideration. What about the Carbon fork and
seat stays? When married to an aluminum frame, do these improve
ridability or are they just for there for marketing purposes?

Mike G

Quoted message said:

Let's see, you say you are looking at a hybrid and want opinions on
what Trek refers to as a "performance road" bike. The Pilot isn't the
kind of bike you take out for 15 mile rides. When was the last time
you even rode a "10 speed" style bike? Have you started fitting
yourself for spandex yet, because without it you're going to find the
Pilot extrememly uncomfortable.

That's not entirely fair; he did say that he does 25 mile rides on weekends,
and a road bike will definitely have advantages on rides of that length.
Also, a new bike isn't just about how you use one now, it's also about the
dream of how you'll ride in the future.

Quoted message said:

I don't see what is wrong with your current setup. A traditional
hybrid would give you a more upright sitting position over your M-80,
but I really doubt it would improve your distance or speed. A real
road bike would allow you to ride further and faster, but would also be
more uncomfortable. And an uncomfortable bike will not be ridden.

I strongly disagree with the premise that a road bike is going to be less
comfortable than a hybrid. The multiple hand positions afforded by a
standard road bar do a lot to reduce the type of discomfort some feel from a
handlebar that offers only one position. Road bikes get a bad rap, from a
comfort standpoint, because most are set up with too long and too low a
stem, something that, in most cases, can be dealt with fairly easily. The
Pilot that he's looking at has a considerably higher starting position for
the handlebar than a standard road bike, for what it's worth.

Quoted message said:

Since you say you want to ratchet up your riding, why don't you do that
with your current bike? Are you going so fast that you're running out
of gears? Do you lose confidence when cornering? Is there a reason
you can't pedal in the first half of your ride where you normally
coast?

Also, the carbon components should theoretically improve ride comfort
but given your inexperience it is doubtful you would notice. The same
goes for components in the price range you are talking about.

If there's a difference in ride comfort, why does it take an "experienced"
rider to notice it? I would argue that a less strong rider is probably going
to benefit more from something that adds comfort than someone who's so fit
that they're hardly making contact with their saddle (because their legs are
so strong they're basically pushing the cyclist "up"😉 and they're likely to
have a much more robust upper body, which deals better with road shock etc.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

John poses some brutally honest questions, but I'll answer them to
help you folks help me:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Let's see, you say you are looking at a hybrid and want opinions
on
what Trek refers to as a "performance road" bike. The Pilot
isn't the
kind of bike you take out for 15 mile rides.

I have ridden 35 miles, and would like to find myself seriously
considering 50 milers during the next 6 months.

Quoted message said:

When was the last time you even rode a "10 speed" style bike?

I've never so much as sat on one.

Quoted message said:

Have you started fitting
yourself for spandex yet, because without it you're going to
find the
Pilot extrememly uncomfortable.

Good point. Haven't yet found any spandex yet to fit this potato
body of mine. Know of a source? If not I think that's an
underserved market. There's got to be plenty of fat people trying
to lose weight on a bike.

Quoted message said:

I don't see what is wrong with your current setup. A
traditional
hybrid would give you a more upright sitting position over your
M-80,
but I really doubt it would improve your distance or speed. A
real
road bike would allow you to ride further and faster, but would
also be
more uncomfortable. And an uncomfortable bike will not be
ridden.

Hmmm. That's a pretty good point. But I'd really like to reduce
road friction. Wonder if I can buy some skinny tires/wheels to
fit my Raleigh. Remember it's got disc brakes.

Quoted message said:

Since you say you want to ratchet up your riding, why don't you
do that
with your current bike? Are you going so fast that you're
running out
of gears?

Only on steep downgrades. But 33mph is as fast as I want to do
with that cheap Judy fork. The bike actually feels pretty fidgety
at that speed.

Quoted message said:

Do you lose confidence when cornering?

No, I really enjoy cornering agressively, and do so often.

Quoted message said:

Is there a reason you can't pedal in the first half of your ride
where you normally
coast?

Well, I do. I like to try to see how fast I can complete the
ride. I guess going downhill seems like coasting.

Quoted message said:

Also, the carbon components should theoretically improve ride
comfort
but given your inexperience it is doubtful you would notice.

Agreed. But I would like a nice new toy and have the Wife's
permission to get it :-)

Mike G

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

<snip reply>

Thanks for posing some good counterpoints.

geemike said:

Hmmm. That's a pretty good point. But I'd really like to reduce
road friction. Wonder if I can buy some skinny tires/wheels to
fit my Raleigh. Remember it's got disc brakes.

You can certainly fit some lighter tires for very very cheap and see how
that feels. Sales abound this time of year--I wouldn't be surprised if you
could pick up a set of reasonably fast rubber for a twenty (usd).

If you've got the dough and upgrading to a new toy will keep you
exercising, then do it by all means of course.

Or perhaps you might want to spend your bike allowance on other stuff like
bike clothing to make riding more comfy (especially real bike shoes) or
some racks and fenders for the Raleigh...

"geemike" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Can you suggest a mfr. with a good linup of hybrids?

I don't think any one brand is best for hybrids. Most of the major road bike
brands and many of the mountain bike brands make decent hybrid bikes.

You have bike lust and the only known cure is to buy the shiniest most
expensive thing available. Luckily, you have a bike salesman here that
can make all sorts of promises. Don't limit yourself to just $1500.
Later in the year when you're riding 200 miles/week you'll really
wished you had gone for that Madone.

Quoted message said:

You have bike lust and the only known cure is to buy the shiniest most
expensive thing available. Luckily, you have a bike salesman here that
can make all sorts of promises. Don't limit yourself to just $1500.
Later in the year when you're riding 200 miles/week you'll really
wished you had gone for that Madone.

Mmm, mmm, bike lust.

jj
(like: mmm, mmm, cookie)

geemike said:

I have ridden 35 miles, and would like to find myself seriously
considering 50 milers during the next 6 months.

Consider buying a touring bike (a sturdy road bike). It sounds like you
are really getting into biking, and if you buy the hybrid you will be
wanting a more serious bike in another year. Keep your old bike for
toodling around town and rainy days. I bought way ahead of where I was:
an Orbea Aspin when I was first getting back into riding almost a year
ago, and it has been a major inspiration to go further and faster. I
got an adjustable stem and set the handlebars fairly high and back. The
advantage of a somewhat bent over position is that your hands take some
of your weight instead of the seat, and if you have a lot of weight that
may actually be more important. Try out different saddles and find a
comfortable one.

I've lost 55 lbs. in the last 15 months, though I lost the larger part
of that before I got into biking. I still felt a little awkward when I
started because my thighs hit my belly, but someone advised me not to
worry about it, it would go away with time. And it has.

Quoted message said:

Good point. Haven't yet found any spandex yet to fit this potato
body of mine. Know of a source? If not I think that's an
underserved market. There's got to be plenty of fat people trying
to lose weight on a bike.

For women's plus size athletic clothing there is:
http://www.junonia.com/ Performance has some mens bike shorts up to
size 3XL Fit varies a lot, which may make buying by mail seem too
risky, but some bike shorts are so stretchy they will fit a wide range.
You might want to buy lycra/spandex shorts, as they are all stretchy,
and wear them under your own baggy shorts or sweats if you can't bear
the way you look. I wore spandex from the start, figured I wanted
comfort more than I cared how I looked.

Pam

In my opinion, as far as I can tell, most of the hybrids have mountain bike
gearing, or close to it.
Thus you run out of gears trying to upshift as you go faster on those easy
downhill stretches anyway.
In this case going faster than about 15 to 17mph (depending on the bike) has
you pedaling like crazy, so you start coasting instead.
I wound up riding a bunch of different bikes, from Specialized, Cannondale,
Trek, etc. I sorta liked the Cannondale BadBoy the most (Trek's 7200-7300
were really nice too) but it had the Mountain Bike gearing, which sucks on
the road, and it cost a lot more than I expected, especially since I would
have to modify it anyway. Then you have the problem of everyone wanting to
steal it too.
I am older, big, fat guy, plus I have a bad back as well. Also I have
problems with my hands geting too numb after a while, detracting from the
overall fun of it.
I wound up buying a Raliegh SC30 comfort bike amazingly enough, to use over
my Diamondback MTB just for some of those reasons. Higher riding position,
less pressure on my hands causing numbness. Suspension and a larger seat for
more comfortabe riding. All those other features looked like too much
marketing hype to me (carbon fibre, zertz inserts, ultra light frames). The
vast majority of bikes are made for people that are 5'5" in size and 140
pounds tops, thus a ultralight frame will likely break on me.
It also has a fully adjustable stem, so I can adjust the handlebars most
anyway want to, and it is easy to replace with a straight bar as well.

Unfortunately I thought the SC-30 had something like the Shimano Megarange
cassette (as their internet specs stated it) with 11 to 34 teeth sprockets,
instead, in reality, it has the more common sprockets 14 to 34 teeth. So it
tops out at about 16 mph on those downhill stretches, but since my old MTB
tops out at about 12-13mph this is still a improvement.
I plan to replace the rear cassette with a 11-34 Megarange model, that 11
tooth sprocket would let me go up to about 20mph or a bit over. A regular
road bike with a 12 tooth rear sprocket (and a 52 tooth front chainring)
would go about 21mph+ so this change should work well.
I want to replace the front big chainring with a 52 tooth one later as well,
but this is going to be harder as I have to change out the entire crank as
well, since the inexpensive crank and chainring are all one piece all spot
welded together. The quick change wheels are nice as I can switch out for
the road slicks quickly too with another full set of wheels too. That is
another thing to consider if you like the disc brakes.
Anyway, it is more cost effective for me to upgrade the inexpensive Raleigh
SC30 than to get a fancy more expensive bike and still have to upgrade it as
well.
Right now it looks like all the town commuter like hybrid bikes all have
mountain bike gearing, when they should haven something more like both road
and mountain bike gearing. Currently the SC30 allows me to use the middle
chainring now for flat stretches whereas on the mountain bike I had to use
the largest chainring.
I would seriously try a test ride where you can determine how well the bikes
do on those slight downhill stretches and on those long flat streches.
Also get down there on your knees and count the sprocket teeth and see what
they really have there, the specs may be in error.

"geemike" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Last year I rode a bike for the first time in 25 years. I bought a
Raleigh M-80 as an impulse purchase while buying my daughter a bike for
her birthday.

It was a surprise to me that I really got into riding. From June to
November I put about 900 miles on it (Catseye computer stopped working in
Oct). I ride paved roads only. My typical ride is 15 miles, I coast much
of the first half and have to get the elevation back after the turnaround.
So I get a pretty good workout. On weekends I like to punch that out to a
25 mile ride, time permitting. I had slicks put on the Raleigh in
September, which reduced road drag considerably.

This year I'd like to ratchet my riding up a notch, and will purchase a
new bike to do so.
I think I want a hybrid bike, as I'm 5'5" and 225 lbs (FAT). So that
whole "upright riding position" thing will really be a benefit for me.
The LBS I've worked with is recommending a Trek Pilot 2.1:
http://www2.trekbikes.com/en/Bikes/Road/Performance_Road/Pilot/Pilot_21/index.php

They won't have these in stock for two weeks, so I haven't had a chance to
spin one around the parking lot. They will mount an extra set of hand
brakes on the horizontal part of the bar and probably replace the hb riser
with a more upright one, as they did on my Raleigh.

Fit will be a primary consideration in my purchase, as will build quality
and component set. My budget will be limited to $1500.

Anyone have opinions on this bike, and suggestions for competing bikes in
my price range?

Thanks

Mike G

"Earl Bollinger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"The vast majority of bikes are made for people that are 5'5"
in size and
140 pounds tops". That is just plain silly, not to mention
wrong.

It isn't when you go to the bike shop looking for apparel and
special clothes and the shops only have those sizes on hand, and
they are reluctant to order "big" sizes for you as if it doesn't
fit, then they are stuck with the item(s).
It's really irritating to see a jersey marked XXXL and it really
is for a 5'9" skinny person.
Or riding shorts with a 30 inch waist marked as being XL.
Then there are the shoes, when is the last time any bike shop
ever had real

Like I said, if there isn't a web site offering bike wear for the
obese there should be one. It's damned embarassing to go to the
bike store to try to find spandex stuff when all the help is,
well, "intimidatingly fit". It would be cool if you could pop off
some measurements to an online shop with a reasonable chance of
success of having them fill the order.

Quoted message said:

American size 12 shoe in stock?

That's my next problem, where to find a 9.5 EEE bike shoe.
Haven't looked yet. Anyone have any suggestions?

Finally, I want to thank those who have responded to this thread.
No one has come out and screamed that the Trek Pilot 2.1 is likely
to be a poor value or is unlikely to stand up to the riding I will
do.
This would be my fourth bike purchase from this bike shop, so I
can wiggle a bit of a discount out of them. If it seems to fit me
well, I think I'll buy it.

Mike G

geemike said:

Good point. Haven't yet found any spandex yet to fit this potato
body of mine. Know of a source? If not I think that's an
underserved market. There's got to be plenty of fat people trying
to lose weight on a bike.

Performance house brand, or Voler (velowear.com), have big sizes. I
like bibs -- the waistband doesn't roll down.

Back to the earlier point about high stems. Ride 'em! I put an
adjustable (high) stem on my touring bike, and then went to a Nitto
Technomic last year. I talked daughter #2 into a road bike year
before last, as long as she got the shop to flip the stem up and make
sure she was comfortable. Daughter #1 got herself a touring bike last
fall on clearance; again, the shop (REI this time) flipped the stem,
moved it above the spacers they had left on, and she's comfortable
with her new bike. Both girls seem to like riding their bikes, and
will go with me on longer rides than they used to when they had
mountain bikes or borrowed Mom's hybrid.

Notice the common thread? We got our bikes set up so we're
comfortable on them. We ride them.

Let the "stem police" ride whatever they want. You just have fun.

Pat

Email address works as is.