[kumar2007]

Originally Posted by AWD

Taken many TRs but still confused!

Yea I heard Cannondale is good, btw Im looking for a 29er. Should I opt for Trail 6 or 7 ? But there are no Track & Trail outlets around & no local dealer for Cannondale so parts could also be an issue.

Im looking for a MTB & Ive also been told the same thing about Lapierre !

Another thing, My height is 6Ft so like size L is suggested in most brands, I do not find this size very comfy. Mainly because I have to sit a bit crouched & have to stretch out arms to grab the handlebar. While I like sitting straight on a bike, which I can't do on the suggested sizes. Now I know that the crouched position is actually the right position to ride but could I downsize the frame to M, would it bring the handlebar closer to the rider & thus I could sit straighter ?

A smaller than correct size will make the posture more aggressive. It's what the pros do.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by AWD

Another thing, My height is 6Ft so like size L is suggested in most brands, I do not find this size very comfy. Mainly because I have to sit a bit crouched & have to stretch out arms to grab the handlebar. While I like sitting straight on a bike, which I can't do on the suggested sizes. Now I know that the crouched position is actually the right position to ride but could I downsize the frame to M, would it bring the handlebar closer to the rider & thus I could sit straighter ?

A lot of the bikes differ on their size categories, but on an average, it'd be safe to say L size would be ideal for 6 ft height. In MTB lingo, a 19' or 21' would be a safe bet. Or a 56 or 58cm in case of a roadbike. I am 5 10' and I generally stick to L for hybrid (56 for road bike)

As for crouching seating position, are you keeping the saddle height proper. Again this varies from person to person as well as the bike, but a safe assumption would be to keep the saddle at equal height level to the handle bar.

Shifting to a lower size might solve one problem but in the longer run it might cause other issues.

Edit: The sizing I'm refering to is for 26-er or 700c bikes. Not 100% sure if 29-er bikes have same sizing categories.

[blackwasp]

Surprised myself after using strava for the first time! Not bad at all for a single speed bike I ride. I guess the bikes suits me more than I thought!

[AWD]

Originally Posted by kumar2007

A smaller than correct size will make the posture more aggressive. It's what the pros do.

Oops that really wont help my cause.

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

A lot of the bikes differ on their size categories, but on an average, it'd be safe to say L size would be ideal for 6 ft height.

As for crouching seating position, are you keeping the saddle height proper

Shifting to a lower size might solve one problem but in the longer run it might cause other issues.

Yes actually eg. if you have tried Btwin Rockrider range, Ive included this bike because most have ridden it. So the suggested size for our height is L. Now on this very bike I have to stretch my arms to reach the handlebar & sit in a crouched position. This puts pressure on the lower back & I feel like sitting straight to relieve it. Now when I try to straighten up, hands wont reach the handlebar. So a biker friend suggested to downsize a bit for added comfort.

Yes I have changed heights of the saddle but crouching remains the common factor.

Ok, what other issues could it possible lead to ?

[amitoj]

Any bike fans here in US? I am thinking of picking up a bike this weekend. A local bike shop has its annual bike swap event tomorrow. I went to the shop a couple of days back and it seems a Specialized Sirrus XL would fit my body geometry well. The other bike I am considering is Cannondale Quick 4. Both are comparable in price. So, if i find either of these two tomorrow at a reasonable price (although I have no idea what a "reasonable price" is for a used bike) I will get it, or I will go with buying new.

So, any opinions on Cannondale Quick 4 vs Specialized Sirrus Sport? I'll be riding on mostly paved bike paths or packed dirt paths. No plans to venture off course yet.

[vaspro]

Originally Posted by AWD

Taken many TRs but still confused!

Yea I heard Cannondale is good, btw Im looking for a 29er. Should I opt for Trail 6 or 7 ? But there are no Track & Trail outlets around & no local dealer for Cannondale so parts could also be an issue.

Im looking for a MTB & Ive also been told the same thing about Lapierre !

Another thing, My height is 6Ft so like size L is suggested in most brands, I do not find this size very comfy. Mainly because I have to sit a bit crouched & have to stretch out arms to grab the handlebar. While I like sitting straight on a bike, which I can't do on the suggested sizes. Now I know that the crouched position is actually the right position to ride but could I downsize the frame to M, would it bring the handlebar closer to the rider & thus I could sit straighter ?

@AWD, I am 6'1" and I have Cannondale Trail 7. I would suggest you stick to the correct frame size else you might have problems in the long run. What you are mentioning are the Stem height and reach issue. Reach was not a problem for me but the crouched position gave me shoulder blade pain. I put a "Delta Stem raiser" to give me more upright seating posture and that solved my problem. You can get this stem raiser for Nashbar.com, their prices are reasonable but shipping costs are exorbitant. If reach is still a problem, you can actually put a shorty stem.

Coming to which cycle to prefer, I am very happy with Cannondale Trail7. Cant comment on other choices as never rode them.

Btw, its better to buy a Gonio meter and properly adjust your saddle height, saddle position and angle. Sometimes moving the saddle forward by few mm might actually solve your stem reach problem.

All the best

[shifu]

Any takers for the August 15th bicycle ride in Hyderabad?

[Nilay]

My first cycle was Hero ranger way back in 1995.

After twenty years of gap and lot of confusion between Giant Split 1 and Btwin Rockrider 520, I have ordered Btwin Rockrider 520 finally. Will post initial review shortly.

[AWD]

Originally Posted by vaspro

@AWD, I am 6'1" and I have Cannondale Trail 7.I

Nice, hows the bike, is it a 29er ? I have sort of shortlisted this bike, so a final decision would depend on your review

Thanks for the links, will try one of these if problem is there in the new bike. But for now I wan to choose a bike in the first place on which I dont have to carry out these changes.

[sagarrungta]

Hello guys,
I have been cycling for past year with my soul companion, the Cannondale Trail 7 (costed me Rs. 40000) and have developed a great love for the sport and want to continue cycling for a long time. Thus, I am now thinking of upgrading my mountain bike to a better one as I am getting a great buyback value for my Cannondale i.e around Rs. 35000, and need your help and guidance in choosing the best Mountain Bike available in a price range of about Rs. 70000 (35000 from selling my old one and 35000 I will put myself). I have researched well on numerous options available but am confused between these:

• Cannondale Trail 4
• Cannondale Trail 5
• Bergamont Revox 4.0
• Ducati 729 SX (29er)

Please help me choose the best out of these options with a deal breaking difference between them. (Please do not recommend me any other bicycle, have chosen these options after researching a lot).

[Jomz]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Any bike fans here in US? I am thinking of picking up a bike this weekend. A local bike shop has its annual bike swap event tomorrow. I went to the shop a couple of days back and it seems a Specialized Sirrus XL would fit my body geometry well. The other bike I am considering is Cannondale Quick 4. Both are comparable in price. So, if i find either of these two tomorrow at a reasonable price (although I have no idea what a "reasonable price" is for a used bike) I will get it, or I will go with buying new.

So, any opinions on Cannondale Quick 4 vs Specialized Sirrus Sport? I'll be riding on mostly paved bike paths or packed dirt paths. No plans to venture off course yet.

I'm kind of new to biking, But after riding for around 2-3 years in the US. the following are my observations.

Roadbikes are crazy fast with drop bars and Aero bars. You might want to upgrade pretty soon from a flat bar (handle) to something else.

I never thought I would be doing 20-30 miles consistently. The roadbikes are terrible on gravel roads. If I have to buy a new bike now - I might go with a cyclocross bike. Something like Fuji Cross 1.5 - which can take occasional offroading.

make sure you get the right fit, from a bike shop. The wrong fit would get to back pain and lot of other issues. Till I got my bike fitted, it was so painful, that I could do only 10 miles, after fitting, I can do almost 20 miles without any huge discomfort.

Use padded Cycling shorts. They add a lot of comfort on any bike.

Let me know if you need any more help, I'm a newb at this- but I'll try to find the answers.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by Jomz

I'm kind of new to biking, But after riding for around 2-3 years in the US. the following are my observations.

Roadbikes are crazy fast with drop bars and Aero bars. You might want to upgrade pretty soon from a flat bar (handle) to something else.

I never thought I would be doing 20-30 miles consistently. The roadbikes are terrible on gravel roads. If I have to buy a new bike now - I might go with a cyclocross bike. Something like Fuji Cross 1.5 - which can take occasional offroading.

make sure you get the right fit, from a bike shop. The wrong fit would get to back pain and lot of other issues. Till I got my bike fitted, it was so painful, that I could do only 10 miles, after fitting, I can do almost 20 miles without any huge discomfort.

Use padded Cycling shorts. They add a lot of comfort on any bike.

Let me know if you need any more help, I'm a newb at this- but I'll try to find the answers.

Awesome! Just what I was looking for.

There are a couple of biking trails around where I live, which include both paved as well as packed dirt paths. Since I am not sure yet what kind of biking I will be doing, I am leaning towards a hybrid bike. So far, the reviews that i have read for Specialized Sirrus are all good. And the bike also has a slightly longer than average wheelbase which suits my abnormally long arms too.

[vaspro]

Originally Posted by AWD

Nice, hows the bike, is it a 29er ? I have sort of shortlisted this bike, so a final decision would depend on your review

Thanks for the links, will try one of these if problem is there in the new bike. But for now I wan to choose a bike in the first place on which I dont have to carry out these changes.

I went for 26 inch, 2 reasons for my choice 1) I am beginner and main purpose for my riding is to improve my fitness so started with easier to peddle one 2) 26inch is very easy to maneuver around potholes, rocks etc, which are plenty in the rural village roads around Bangalore where I go peddling on weekends. 29ers will be hard to peddle and give you more top speed (my bike tops out at 36kmph), 29ers are good for long rides.

Its great bike, rode about 2000kms so far. I usually ride 15-20kms every alternate day and longish ride on weekend. Longest I have done so far is 70kms, need to work towards century though. Get it serviced every 2 months and the bike should stay with for you for a long time.

My only grouse is about the Kenda Kadre tyres that came with the bike, these things are good on rocks and broken roads etc, however they get punctured easily if there is any metal part on the road. I put Slime puncture resistant liner between the tyre and the tube and didn't have a puncture after that.

Whatever bike you buy do a good fitting, I found this 2 page guide very helpful (www.bikefit.com/documents/GoniometerInstructions.pdf )

On a side note: On the day when I was buying Cannondale, a Giant cycles rep was visiting the same store. He made small conversation and commented "You cannot go wrong with a Cannondale"- I guess they tell that same for every brand

[VIPER_SRT]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Awesome! Just what I was looking for.

There are a couple of biking trails around where I live, which include both paved as well as packed dirt paths....

This is my second year biking and I love it. We have trails here but I go on country roads early in the morning. I've a Giant Defy 1 with Shimano 105 derailleur. My wife has a specialized Dolce elite, build quality of Specialized is pretty good.
If you want to invest in a good bike then rent a road bike and hybrid bike for couple of weekends to see how you feel. Most of the bike stores rent bikes on hourly basis. Ask the bike store rep to size you up and suggest the right bike for you. Ask for return policy and satisfaction guarantee. I had 30 days to return the bike or choose another model if I don't feel right about the size or comfort.

Accessories bought (Never planned all of these, got carried away by salesman).
Speedometer wireless: $60
Zero Speedplay pedals: $130
Helmet: $110
Bike shoes (Lock in pedals): $130
Bike Shorts 2 pairs: $120
Pearl Izumi Jerseys 2: $130
Gloves: $30
Bottle Holders with water bottles 2 pairs: $60
Saddle bag large size: $30
Emergency Kit: 2 tubes, tool kit, CO2 cartridges, tire levers, patch kit.
(instead of emergency kit you can call your wife and send the GPS location to pick you up if needed )

After walking out of the store, I did feel that a lot was spent. But it slowly pays off if you are biking on a regular basis. I go 35-40 miles on Saturday morning and 16-20 Miles 3 times on weekdays. Once you get used to it, there's no turning back. You will love it.
My wife's colleague has 5 different bikes. Forget about Rain or shine, he rides to work even in harsh midwest winters every day. He's a big specialized fan and his latest acquisition is Specialized S-WORKS VENGE VIAS DI2. Its a $12,500 bike.

Good luck!

[AWD]

Originally Posted by vaspro

I went for 26 inch, 29ers are good for long rides.
Its great bike, rode about 2000kms so far.
My only grouse is about the Kenda Kadre tyres they get punctured easily if there is any metal part on the road.
Whatever bike you buy do a good fitting, I found this 2 page guide[/url] )
I guess they tell that same for every brand

I think will check out 27.5" this time, its the new fad in the mkt. Cannons aren't offering 27.5" I guess, saw Fujis & Lappiers in this size.

Oops the tyres part is sad, I've actually been through some rough patch with the tyres. Going over metal should not result in a puncture in an otherwise ok tyre.

Wow that guide is top notch, thanks.

Yea that's what I keep on hearing everywhere around & another line "the geometry should match you". While I agree with the later statement also but overall bike has to be a good machine.