Trek hybrid vs. Specialized hybrid



brad g

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Jul 22, 2006
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I'm in the market for a new bike. I have been riding an old Schwinn MTB for my fitness/cardio routine, but since I ride only on pavement, I've decided to get something a little more road worthy. I've managed to scrape up about $700 and seem to have narrowed the field down to two contenders. The Trek 7000 series hybrids and the Specialized Sirrus. I actually rode the Specialized and really liked it. I haven't had the chance to sit or ride on the Trek, but I did lay hands on them at the LBS. Has anyone had experiences with one, or better yet, both of these bikes? I could use the advice. The main things that I've noticed is that the Trek has grip shifts, and seems to be more comfort oriented, whereas the Specialized has rapid fire and is more like a road bike with flat bars. I prefer the Specialized so far, but like I said, I haven't ridden the Trek yet. I had planned on deciding and purchasing or ordering the bike this Thursday.
On a side note, I got to ride a Specialized Allez while I was test riding the Sirrus, the salesperson recommended that I try a road bike just for comparison's sake. I was blown away by the efficiency of the Allez and strongly considered it as well, but it's a little bit out of my budget (the Allez sells for $710 at that shop). Maybe I should put the purchase off and save for the Allez? Opinions on this would also be really appreciated. I plan on making cycling a hobby as well as part of my fitness routine, and getting my wife and kids involved as well, which is why I decided on the hybrid, seemed more fitting as my wife would be riding her MTB and my kids would be riding "kids" bikes.
 
My wife and I have ridden Sirrus bikes for the past two years. Your assessment of the Trek and the Specialized is pretty much right on. One of the reasons for my going with the Sirrus was the rapid fire shifters and not the twist shifters. Mainly a personal thing with me. I feel that I can do more "serious" riding with the rapid fire shifters. Sirrus is really just a road bike with a flat bar. It's almost a misnomer to call it a hybrid. I too have ridden an Allez and I would only recommend it if you are going to do shorter rides and are interested primarily in speed. If you are going to do longer rides such as centuries, I would check out the Specialized Seqouia and Roubaix. As with any bike, it depends on what kind of riding you plan to do and what is the most comfortable to you. I am currently deciding between a Specialized Roubaix, Bianchi Giro, and Cannondale Synapse. The key is to learn as much as you can before making any purchase.
 
The Trek 7x00 series is closer to the Specialized Crossroads series, and the Specialized Sirrus series is closer to the Trek 7.x FX series. The higher end of the Trek 7x00 series (7500 and 7700) have rapid fire shifters, and the lower end of the Specialized Crossroads series (Crossroads Sport) has grip shifters.

There is essentially no difference between the Trek 7x00 and Specialized Crossroads series. The biggest difference is that the Treks have 700x35c tires, and the Specialized have 700x38c tires, which is not a big difference.

Similarly, there is essentially no difference between the Specialized Sirrus and the Trek 7.x FX series. Again, the biggest difference is the tires, but in this matchup, the Trek has the wider tires (700x35c for the Trek and 700x28c for the Specialized).
 
i bought a sirrus sport about a month ago and I love it. Originally I had a dimaondback hybrid that got stolen. I ride the same route (central park) after work and I noticed an immediate 3-5mph difference. It is a great bike. It handles the rough NYC roads, and it is very fast and light. If you do get the sirrus, I recommend getting the sport since it has a road configured crankset (52-42-30) instead of a hybrid crankset (48-38-28).

If you are into speed, I would save and get the allez, but i personally prefer the more upright riding position. I also get a secret thrill when i see people changing the tires on their $4000 carbon fiber bikes.
 
montreal5 said:
If you are into speed, I would save and get the allez, but i personally prefer the more upright riding position. I also get a secret thrill when i see people changing the tires on their $4000 carbon fiber bikes.

What is the connection between upright riding, tires(I assume flat) and pricey carbon fiber frames?:confused:
 
I'm not necessarily into speed. Anyway, from what I hear, hybrids can be just as fast as road bikes because that's what they essentially are. I was just wondering if anyone has had the experience of primarily riding a MTB, then switching to a hybrid, what the benefits and drawbacks were, and some specifics on what they liked/disliked about their new ride. I appreciate the replies because I've always been a sight-shopper (buy what pleases the eye), impatient (just wanting to get it over with) and somewhat cheap to boot, and for me to spend several hundred dollars on a bike is out of character. My current MTB is a Schwinn Aluminum Comp from wally world, which I bought for the above reasons, and the fact that I work for wally and get a 10% discount. I'm evoking a lifestyle change to be more healthy, not just for me, but for my family as well. I really don't want to end up regretting the bike I get because I don't see myself buying another one for a long time, and that's why I'm willing to spend a little more on this one. Jeez, I just confuse myself with this incessant babbling.
 
I recently bought a Trek 7.6 for fitness training and city cycling. It's a little more of a road bike than a hybrid like the Trek 7XXXX numbers - and it's great.

I cut the bars down an inch and a half and added MTB climbing bars.

My reasons for getting this bike were:

Cheaper than the Next Trek up the range.
Cheaper then the Specialised [tho they are great bikes...]
Pedals flip for shoes or cleats...I use my Specialised MTB cleats for training.
Thick road tyres not thin mountain tyres - it's fast!

My advice is spend what you feel is your upper limit - you won't regret it. These type of bikes are fantastic all in areas - they commute, you can ride with a bunch in a pinch and they are much quicker than a MTB. I do about 30km a day for fitness on it and it's been great!
 
waxbytes said:
What is the connection between upright riding, tires(I assume flat) and pricey carbon fiber frames?:confused:


There is no connection, I was listing reasons that I like my bike (geomtery and sturdiness, and thicker tires). The fact that people with all the "lemond-ish" accoutrements seem to be constantly sidelined by the roads here gives me some perverse satisfaction.
 

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