What hybrid/comfort bike should I buy?

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I'm wanting to get a new hybrid bike and I am considering the following makes/models:

Trek Navagator 100
Schwinn Voyager GS
Bianchi Advantage
Raleigh SC 30
Jamis Citizen
KHS Westwood


General riding. Paved surfaces, occationally packed gravel.

Thank you!! :)

Please feel free to add any comments, as any information would be very helpful, and most appreciated! :)

I just bought a Giant Cypress DX...nice bike, good price

What is the price of the Cypress DX? Can you tell me a little about it? Such as, type of frame, front suspension, weight [if you know it]? Thanks, I may have to look it up. :)

If a moderator could add the Giant Cypress to the poll, that would be great! I went to the Giant webpage and I think that would be a good one to add to the list.

Thanks!! :)

Originally posted by PseudoTrek
What is the price of the Cypress DX? Can you tell me a little about it? Such as, type of frame, front suspension, weight [if you know it]? Thanks, I may have to look it up. :)

The Cypress set me back $660 Cdn, including 15% sales tax. Aluminum frame, front suspension suntour...I don't know the weight, primarily because I don't care what the bike ways. By the time I have it loaded with panniers, bells, fenders, whistles, lights and assorted whatnot, a few grams here and there on the frame isn't going to make a whole lot of difference. I guess that's the difference between racers and commuters.

All in all, the DX which has the front suspension as the primary upgrade from the basic model, was only $100 difference in price, so . It was a nice bike and certainly the best bang for buck I could find when I was bike-shopping.

Looked at and test rode the Giant Cypress. It is definitely in the running. Thanks for the suggestion!!

In fact, the bike shop that sells Giant, in my city, has free adjustments for as long as I own the bike. Also, they can change out the grip shifter to a rapid fire system for about $25. :)

Any chance you could provide links to the bikes so that we/I can see the specs without having to look them up independently?

Trek Navagator 100

http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2004/citybike/navigator100.jsp

Schwinn Voyager GS

http://www.schwinnbike.com/products/bikes_detail.php?id=293

Bianchi Advantage

http://www.bianchiusa.com/advantage.html

Raleigh SC30

http://www.raleighusa.com/items.asp?deptid=6&itemid=169&va=0

Jamis Citizen

http://www.jamisbikes.com/bikes/04_citizen.html#

KHS Westwood

http://www.khsbicycles.com/04west.html

Giant Cypress

http://www.giantbicycle.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.006.asp?lYear=2004&bikesection=8836&range=147&model=10783

These links will either go to their specifications, or will enable the viewer to click on a link to the specifications. Again, all of these are very close in price, except for the Bianchi which is $100 more than the others.

Thanks, I hope these help.

They all seem to have a front and seat suspension, and it doesn't seem like you'll be needing anything fancy for that, ie off-road riding. Plus, hybrids/comfort bikes aren't really made for that.

Do you have many (steep) hills around you? Because if you don't, I don't see any need for the "Mega-range"/granny gear= not Schwinn or Jamis.

The Advantage doesn't seem to have anything significantly better than the other bikes, so I wouldn't get it.

In terms of drivetrain components, the remaining bikes are all about the same. They all are Shimano SRAM/Gripshift. if I had to rank them, I would say that the KHS has the best components, followed by Giant, Trek, and Raleigh. However, I'm not entirely familiar with some of these components, ie the C051. Here's a link for components (I believe the best quality are top, to lowest):
http://bike.shimano.com/comfort/index.asp

I'd recommend the KHS or Giant. But, it all comes down to your preference.

We do have some steep hills that really require the "Megarange" gearing, and occationally, one of the trails we go to is off the paved surface, so that front suspension fork helps out.

Thanks for the input on the Advantage. I guess it would be about like someone wanting a "BMW" name. Bianchi would LOOK nice on the side of the bike. :)

I DO believe that I have decided one what I will get. I believe that I will go with the Giant Cypress. I can get it at a shop that offers free adjustments for as long as I own the bike. Also, I will have the upgrade to the rapid fire type of shifting as I prefer that over the grip shifting. I'm opting for the color of black as well. The other color [silver/merlot] is nice, but it is hard to go wrong with a basic black color. Besides, it will match my helmet better. :D

I guess most of the bikes do have Mega-Range. My mistake. Anyway, enjoy the bike.

Change of plans. Instead of the Giant Cypress, I'm going to go with the TREK Navigator 7100. I took a look at it over the weekend and I liked it better than the Giant. And the new color for 2005 is very nice! Don't have any pictures as TREK's webpage is still showing 2004 colors for the 7100. I can't wait till I get it!! :)

The poll is officially over. Thank you for your input! :)

Just out of curiosity, have you made a decision yet?

Just out of curiosity, have you made a decision yet?


Oh, . . . yes I did, actually! :)

I decided to go with the TREK, though not the 100, but the 7100. The new 2005 paint scheme was one of the biggest selling points. The other BIG selling point, . . . . [I WAS going to go with the Gary Fisher Tiburon because it came with Rapid Fire shifters]. . . . . was for the difference in cost between the Gary Fisher [which was more than the TREK] and the TREK, the bike shop switched out the grip shift with Rapid Fire shifters! The Gary Fisher Tiburon, for 2005 was going to have a metallic blue and silver paint scheme [most likely shiney], but the color for the 2005 TREK 7100 is MUCH better IMHO. It has a matte finish, not shiney. The color is a little hard to explain. A medium silver and gold-ish two tone. You really have to personally see it to understand the colors. Very earth-tone in appearance. Purchased it yesterday, and as soon as the work is done on it, I'll pick it up.

The days of riding a Sears, extremely heavy, mountain bike configuration frame, and not very attractive bike are officially over. :D :cool:

Thanks again for all the input. :)

Hi Psuedo, Oh you did get the 7100, good. Let us know how you like it. As I said in another post I just got mine, love it.

Regards Tony

Hi Psuedo, Oh you did get the 7100, good. Let us know how you like it. As I said in another post I just got mine, love it.

Regards Tony


Tony [and all else interested], this bike is COMPLETELY AWESOME!!!! 'Entry Level' my butt!! :p My old bike, the nearly 45 lb., Huffy-fied mountain bike, has been retired, with much joy. My new TREK 7100 is 10 times better than the now admittedly barbaric MTB. We have a trail that was once a train track, now a gravel pathway for walkers or bikers [non-motor]. Before, when on the MTB, I would go for 10-12 miles and be worn out, and still have 4 or so more miles until I got back to my car. This past Friday, I [with my wife] rode 20 miles on that same trail, and could have gone further. This TREK 7100 has the most comfortable ride and most excellent cranking of any bike I've been on!

A little side note on the differences, and why the other bike was not a good bike. Albeit, the MTB is a department store bike, . . . how old it is, I'm not sure. When I was riding it with my wife, on a concrete surface, while coasting down a medium incline, my wife would end up ahead of me, even though I weigh more than her, and my bike DEFINITELY weighed more than her bike. That makes me believe that my MTB has some rolling issues, perhaps a reason why I would get so tired out on the long rides. Of course now [needless to say], when coasting down hills, I'll have to lightly tap my brake from time to time, or I will end up ahead of her. As it should be.

Anyway, I DID upgrade the bike before I got it. I wanted the Rapid Fire shifters, and I'm glad I did that. It shifts VERY well. The LBS threw in grips [that were quite comfortable], and a kickstand [which my MTB didn't have], and had to change out the Sunrace cassette for an Altus cassette for the Rapid Fire shifters to work.

Finally, the color of this bike is what I absolutely love. the matte green/matte gold parchment for 2005 is VERY easy on the eyes. My only problem is I may end up crashing the bike because I'm so taken by the color that I keep oogling the frame when riding!! :rolleyes:

Anyway, I'm sure that higher priced bikes may feel or ride better than this bike, but as far as I'm concerned, I got the best bike for me! :D

Good that you enjoy uyour bike. Could it be that your MTB (wheels) were riding on the brakes? That may have been one reason you were slow and burned out earlier (aside from the low quality of the Huffy).

Good that you enjoy uyour bike. Could it be that your MTB (wheels) were riding on the brakes? That may have been one reason you were slow and burned out earlier (aside from the low quality of the Huffy).

I checked that from time to time, but didn't notice them touching. When I released them, they pulled away from the rim equally. Oh, another thing, I pretty much had the MTB in 2nd gear while on this trail. The pedeling seemed too hard otherwise. However, I had the 7100 in 4th the whole time, and even 5th for a while. We were riding around 10 mph most of the time.