Warning:
Long Post! Only read if you are into biking or you risk getting bored.
I've found myself getting back into biking this summer. I used to be an avid mountain biker (OK rough, hilly, trail biker as we have no real mountains) but after destroying a knee in martial arts quiet a few years back I got out of trail biking and lost the urge to road bike except a few times a summer. Now I seem to be enjoying going out almost every evening that I don't go sea kayaking or have other plans.
With quiet a different goal for pedaling now, I'm finding the mountain bike way too slow and it's actually hard work to keep up to my wife on her hybrid. I want to trade up to a sports oriented hybrid. I'd prefer taller, slightly thinner tires than MTB style and a little faster gearing as speed is now more useful than heavy trail ability. <<Insert getting old jokes here.>> However, I'm not ready for a road bike yet as I need to be comfortable on some very rough roads and the smoothed trail to our beach.
So, after finding nothing in local used listings, ruling out the heavy, “rust in a year” steel crap from Wallmarts and such, I hit the two decent local bike shops. Now after sadly dismissing a "Rocky Mountain, Whistler" as being the absolutely, nicest bike I rode but way too expensive and too close to a MTB for me, and then deciding $100 is not enough off a really nice but ‘very’ used (although I’m sure well maintained) "Specialized" bike from thier rental fleet, I’m down to two New bikes at athe 2nd shop.
A Giant, Cypress, $459
And the
Opus, Mondano $549
Note: I didn’t ride either yet as I was dressed in work clothes last night. So the biggest test has not yet been done.
Basic Differences/Similarities> Both are hybrids leaning to the sports (closer to road than MTB) side, both have 700x38 size tires.
> Both have front suspension (not a big whoop for me but considering my area’s paved, back roads are worse than most dirt roads, I’ll probably learn to appreciate it.) Slightly more travel on the Giant's suspension but I must remember, these are NOT mountain bikes.
> Opus has suspension seat & web says Giant had one too but I don’t remember seeing it on the shop model.
> Both have very similar aluminum frames.
For the extra ninety bucks… (which is where you guys come in)-- The Opus is a 24 speed vs. 21 (I can remember many a time when I would have killed for one extra cog in the rear on long hills with my current 21 SPD MTB.)
-- Also in regards to the above, the Giant’s cassette is 14-34T and the Opus is 11-30. They share the same crank size at 28-38-48. (For my intended use, I think a little more speed combined with a larger gear spread (8 vs. 7) outweighs the lower, low range. If that makes sense.
-- ‘Slightly’ better components for shifters, derailleur, etc. (just one step better than base level and I’m unsure how much that actually means. I guess I will know better when I ride them and see how smooth the shifting is.)
-- Minor and easily fixed but I hate the big, fat, spring seat on the Giant. While I didn’t sit on either long enough to say which was more comfortable. My subconscious tells me that the only thing the springs do is make the saddle look ugly and fat.
In the end, the test drive will (should be) the most important factor but I thought I’d ask you what you guys think based on the numbers as it has been 10 years or more since I bought my last bike so my tech knowledge is lacking.
Any thoughts, general or specific are welcome. I tend to be a compulsive buyer, made more complex in that I don’t actually insta-buy but I compulsively decide I need something right away then I over analyze it to death until I can’t decide or I convince myself I need something better than practicality actually dictates.
Actually, I'm doing pretty well to have resisted the urge to buy from the higher end bike shop. I think the above are still well respected names that better fit my budget and the shop is still very well reputed and helpful.
Thanks!!
