Yet another noob needing help



ozarkkawi

New Member
Jul 27, 2010
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I recently purchased a craigslist Giant Sedonda SX to ride around the nieghborhood and rails to trails with my sons.We are having a blast and I am surprised how much i really enjoy it.I just hit the big 4-oh so I decided to take the bike out to get back in shape and have been riding most everyday.So much better than running or the treadmill! My normal route is about a 10 mile loop that is mostly paved county road(rough surface) and small sections of gravel farm roads some pretty big inclines.Now my question.I like the sedona, it is a great bike, but as my rides have been getting longer I wonder if a more road efficient bike would be better.Not a road bike but more of a hybrid.Would I notice much difference in say a trek 7000 series or fx series.I also have looked at the specialized crosstrail.I would still need the ability to ride in the rail to trail and the gravel sections of my ride.I have $400-$500budget so the crosstrail or base model treks I mentioned are options> I have found a 2004 7500 and a 2004 giant cypress SL around$300 on craigs list.Would any of these be noticeably better than the sedona if I started to extend the distance of my rides?Thanks for any help provided.REALLY enjoying your sport,wish I would have jumped in years ago.
 
If everything is in good working condition, I would say your Giant is better than all the bikes you listed. I think you would have to double your budget to see significant gains from a new, brand name bike purchase. You could make your Giant more road worthy by replacing the tires to something thinner (around 1.5") dependent upon your actual riding conditions. The next and more costly step is to replace the (assumed) suspension fork and seat post with rigid versions, if you can live without them.

Have you thought about a cyclocross-type bike? Road handlebars and gearing, with a more durable frame/fork combo. For me, I see a cyclocross bike as the perfect do-it-all bike. In your price range, I like this new 2010 Motobecane Fantom CX or some similarly spec'd used bike.
 
I agree that the Sedona sounds like just the right bike for you. The main difference between the Sedona and the Cypress is the wheels/tires -- and the 26'ers on the Sedona are probably better for your roads than the higher pressure 700c tires would be. One thing on the Sedona (same for the Cypress) is that the seat can be a bit big for harder riding -- you might consider changing the seat to something a bit smaller (but everyone has different likes/dislikes about seats).