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Hybrid Stiff Steel

Hybrid Stiff Steel
Buying a Bike…?

Hi! For my graduation present, my dad is buying me a new bike, but I’m not sure what kind I want to go with.
Right now, I have a Cannondale M300 (mountain) and I ride between 3 and 8 times a week for about an hour per ride. I love it to pieces, but I don’t do a whole lot of off-road (plus I’m taking it to college with me and there I won’t be riding off-road), so I think that I want to go with a road bike. I don’t know a lot about hybrids, but I’d be willing to try one.

I don’t so much care what brand it is (my dad is a Cannondale man and wants to go to a Cannondale dealership, and I definitely like them, too). Right now, my main considerations are cost (less than $1000 preferably; $1200 max), and weight/material. My current bike is aluminum and doesn’t feel too stiff, but I’m not sure about how an aluminum road bike would ride since I don’t have a ton of experience with road bikes. I’d rather not go with steel.

Thanks & sorry so long! =)

I think the biggest consideration is how the bike will be used. If you’re planning on commuting to & from classes, a shiny new bike is begging to be stolen (sorry, but college campuses are really bad for that).

I happen to really like Cannondale, Fuji & Specialized frames, as these builders make frame geometry that fits “me”. I don’t care for the dumbed down “women specific” bikes one bit. I’m not sure of the female audience they’re aiming at, but it’s a real insult to real women riders such as myself. The gearing, the geometry…. it sucks.

If I were you, I would look into getting some old beater bike for commuting to classes. And, I would get a nice crotch rocket for everything else. Hit all your local dealers, talk them up to get a feel for the knowledgable vs. the salesmen and test ride a LOT of bikes. Settle for the shop that’s willing to really spend time with you to get you on the right bike. Regardless of the brands they sell, they’ll make sure you get a bike that fits and does what you want. To me, that’s much more important than brand.

As for material…. steel is comfortable, it absorbs the harshness while still having road feel. Great choice for a touring bike. Aluminum is punchy, lively and a bit harsh. Carbon is lively, light, great road feel, absorbs shock. Steel won’t have catastrophic failure, but it’ll rust. Aluminum can fatigue and begin to fail at which time you trash it & replace it. CF is the same…..you crash, toss it and replace it, no matter what.

That said, I grew up on steel frames, switched over to aluminum (go Cannondale!) and now have a CF bike. I LOVE CF!!!! I’m sticking with CF, if I happen to get a touring frame, I’d choose steel in that case. But for general road riding (for me), I love the feel, liveliness and comfort that CF offers.

[RSMVP] Acdc – Stiff Upper Lip.