Village people
I just wanted to say hi and prepare you for all the questions, sorry. The roads of NH will never be the same.
Welcome to the group. I hope we can help you find what you're looking for and answer your questions.
What kind of bike are you looking for?
Life Goals:
#1: Do what I can do
#2: Enjoy life
Thanks. I have been bouncing around and I think I have found a nice compromise between a mountain bike and a road bike. Apparently that isn't a hybrid, who knew? I'd like to race, maybe (probably) but there are some kid friendly trails in my area that I would like to go with my family. I am looking at a Specialized Secteur. It is light and can accomodate a beefier tire. There is so much to think about.
rectumdamnnearkilledem
Can that take a cyclocross tire? I see disc brakes on some models...HOT!
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
It has the disc brakes, I think that is why it can take a bigger tire. i don"t know about the cyclocross tire. it should accomodate a nobby tire, whatever they are called. The gears are nice, too. Easy to use.
My BIL has a Secteur and has't complained. If you want cross tires get a cross bike.
The Secteur may not be bad at rough. Comes w/ wide road road tires & heads up ride.
Here's a Secteur in France:
That makes my baby-maker hurt!!!
No picnic for the guys either.
My BIL has a Secteur and has't complained. If you want cross tires get a cross bike. The Secteur may not be bad at rough. Comes w/ wide road road tires & heads up ride. Here's a Secteur in France:
That looks like those cobblestone roads in Portland, Me. You are right, I am just trying to keep my options open. I would love a cross (cyclocross?) bike, but they are out of my price range. Maybe in a few years. My kids are little, so I have no plans to do any serious trails, but those wheels on a road bike look, well, made for only the road. Is that right? I am brand new to cycling and I am trying to make smart step with my first bicycle purchase.I know nothing! I really do appreciate all of your thoughts. Really.
When you say "trails" are you saying smooth paved or crushed gravel multi use trails, vehicle passable carriage/fire roads, or single track?
If it's a rail trail you would do very well with a bike like the Sector but if you want to take it on rough terrain you you probably won't have the best experience on it. It's not really just about fat tires. The bike wasn't really designed for that.
If I had to have only one bike for multiple types of riding it probably would be a cyclocross bike. I've seen them in crits with road wheels and have taken mine on rocky single track. Both situations are noticeably compromised but riding a crit on a mtb or riding single track on a road bike would be impossible for most people.
As for the price of a cyclocross bike, you can get a Specialized tricross for the same money as a Secteur.
This is great, thank you. i thought that he said it was a tricross, I could be wrong. I will ask again. It gets so confusing. Any trails will be more rail trails. Would a road bike be fine? I really had no idea it was so complicated. So far, my two local bike stores don't have many cyclocross, if any. Maybe it is a NH thing. I have seen two And one belonged to the owner of a store.
So I might not be buying a bike, but I have more questions to ask at the store. I liked the disc brakes, the updated gears and the option to add a nobby tire. That might mean nothing. I heard tricross come out of his mouth, but that is not the Secteur.
Thanks. This is a big help!
What is your budget? Redline has an awesome disc model for $1600. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Redline Conquest, but the brakes are absolute garbage. I can upgrade the brakes to a certain point (better cantilevers or mini-Vs), but I'd have to spend a lot of money on a new fork to go disc with it. I'd be better off buying the new Conquest Disc for about $300 more than my Conquest cost.
Redlines are fairly easy to find. Seems like a lot of shops around here carry them or they can order them (AFAIK any shop can order Redline stuff, even if they don't have an account with Redline).
A friend of mine just got a Charge Filter Apex (BTW, I have SRAM Apex on my CX bike and that group is so freakin' bomb-proof) and loves it. I don't know the price, but I do know she's a grad student on a very limited budget.
Probably around $1500. Those are two more brands that I haven't come across. Does it matter if ai buy a men's or women's bike? I have no preference.
I don't own any "women's" bikes, if that helps. Generally WSD bikes will have a slightly shorter top tube, but that's not even consistent. Some brands simply use shorter-reach brakes and a women's saddle (which is generally wider and shorter) on women's frames...and, of course, girlier paint jobs. Women can be longer limbed and shorter torso'd, but that's not always the case. I'm built more like a dude, in that respect.
Test a bunch of bikes in your price range and go with the one that fits best and suits the sort of terrain/riding you plan to do.