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Advice on "Comfort Bikes" (Gary Fisher Capitola vs. Giant Sedona)
Looking at comfort bikes and my local bike shops carry these models in the
$300 range. Any opinions? I checked Consumer Reports, though I'm not sure I should regard them as an authority on this subject. Interestingly, the shop that carried Giant spoke about them as the premier maker of Comfort Bikes, yet they didn't even make the Consumer reports ratings list, nor did Gary Fisher (!) Consumer Reports order was: Jamis Explorer 2.0 GT Timberline Trek Navigator 100 Schwinn Sierra GS Specialized Expedition Raleigh SC30 Diamondback Wildwood In other categories, both Fisher and Giant did do well: (Fisher #1 in front-suspension mountain bikes - Marlin; Giant #1 in hybrid bikes - Cypress LX). Thoughts/comments appreciated... Thx in advance, -Dave |
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Advice on "Comfort Bikes" (Gary Fisher Capitola vs. Giant Sedona)
On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 23:30:43 -0400, "Dave DesRoches"
wrote: In other categories, both Fisher and Giant did do well: (Fisher #1 in front-suspension mountain bikes - Marlin; Giant #1 in hybrid bikes - Cypress LX). Thoughts/comments appreciated... Thx in advance, -Dave What bike are you riding now, and what -kinds- of riding do you intend to ride? Age? Size? Weight? -B |
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Advice on "Comfort Bikes" (Gary Fisher Capitola vs. Giant Sedona)
Dave,
Anyone who is shopping for the best $300 bicycle is a fool. These are the people you see riding on the sidewalk with their back in a vertical position, the seat 3" too low, spinning the crank very slow in a high gear, and the (optional) helmet tilted back like a yamica. They are clueless as to what a bicycle is for, so they follow the model of bicycle riding as a child: very short trips on the sidewalk. They fool themselves that they are getting "exercise" on the bicycle. The reality is that they barely get their heart rate up high enough, for long enough minutes, on the short slow sidewalk or bike path rides. A bicycle uses 1/3 the calories as traveling on foot for the same distance. These lazy people need to be walking around the block or to the corner store, not saving effort by riding some overweight tank of a bicycle. Having said that the "hybrid" or "comfort" SHOPPER is looking to AVOID getting a sweat, the best $300 bicycle is like having a beauty contest for women who must be at least 30% overweight. These are tanks because: (1) the shoppers are cheapskates who don't want to spent money or calories, and (2) they ride on the sidewalk and bash the bicycles into curbs. Furthermore, the SERVICE CONTRACT you get from a bicycle shop is as important as the bicycle itself. Last year I took the owner of a new $350 Trek hybrid on a 38 mile bike club ride. She rode instead a Schwinn Le Tour road bike that I bought in a garage sale for $100 and was much lighter. Afterwards we went to several quality bicycle shops. We found a Specialized road bike in the back of one bike shop. It was her exact size. The same frame with better parts (and this year's model) was also there for $1800 sale price, but this one was two years old and had more economy level parts, but this was clearly a "racing" road bike suitable for 100 mile rides. It was on sale for $535 and came with a 3 year service contract. The vast majority of adults shopping for cheap bicycles to ride on the sidewalk would be better off getting on a power walking or slow jogging program. Cheers, Bruce Freeburger Dave DesRoches wrote: Looking at comfort bikes and my local bike shops carry these models in the $300 range. Thoughts/comments appreciated... Thx in advance, -Dave |
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Advice on "Comfort Bikes" (Gary Fisher Capitola vs. Giant Sedona)
"Bruce Freeburger" Bruce Freeburger top-posted:
Dave, Anyone who is shopping for the best $300 bicycle is a fool. {similar friendly advice and OP's question snipped} Comments like that keep people from trying cycling and contribute to a certain "elitist" image that doesn't serve the sport well. Bill "See? I can make opinion sound like fact, too" S. |
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Advice on "Comfort Bikes" (Gary Fisher Capitola vs. Giant Sedona)
Anyone who is shopping for the best $300 bicycle is a fool.
What a nice, friendly, helpful and constructive comment.... My 'winter' bike cost £120.... About $80... It's a cheap dual-suspension machine of the type commonly found in supermarkets. Apart from adding a rack, mudguards, lights and changing the bottom bracket for a real one it's unaltered... The pedals started to squeak last year and got replaced.... I live at the foot of the Pentland hills near Edinburgh and five days a week through a harsh Scottish winter that bike is used on my regular 8-mile climb\descend maintenance run... I've quite deliberately loaded the bike with weight to keep the energy expenditure up as I don't have the time or inclination to ride further in what can be rather difficult weather conditions.... I expected it to last me ONE winter... It'll be three years old next week, I just checked the trip computer and it's covered 3482 miles and hasn't been off the road since last August as the weather here has been atrocious this summer..... It's absolutely fine! This is particularly surprising as, being just a winter hack, it only gets attention when it complains! I know many people who have owned very cheap supermarket\catalogue bikes for years and commute regularly on them... An alarming thought for those who feel the need to impose their particular 'you must have or you're damned' creed upon others....... Whether the proposal is to spend £30 or £3000 on a bicycle for whatever purpose it's reasonable to want to spend that money as well as it can be spent. The vast majority of adults shopping for cheap bicycles to ride on the sidewalk would be better off getting on a power walking or slow jogging program. Surprised to learn that riding on the pavement is legal in the US! Personally I'd never discourage anyone from any form of cycling as I feel it's a great way to get and stay reasonably fit, whatever your level. Even if you only ride a 1/2 miles to the shops and back to get your paper in the morning it's far better for you and those about you than jumping into the car to make the same journey.... AS many folk do! $300, ..around £180 isn't a great deal of money to buy a decent bike though I suspect you'll get better value in the U.S. than we would in the UK. Oddly enough I'm going to echo what our somewhat unfreindly colleague said and suggest that either you up the budget or consider a good second-hand machine with a decent guarantee. At that price point it's possible that the only real difference between the machines is the colour of paint and the stickers. The real weak spot in most very cheap bikes is the bottom bracket. Often these are no more than some cheap arrangement of ball bearings; look for a bike with a cartridge type.... Next is the overall running gear. Again you'll probably find a chap nameless chainsets; some are ok, some need to be avoided. Shimano seem to make good economy running gear and if you can make sure everything's so branded you stand a better chance of avoiding trouble.... Personally I've never set much store by these consumer reports. Occasionally they'll spring something really problematic but you really need to make your own judgement. |
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Advice on "Comfort Bikes" (Gary Fisher Capitola vs. Giant Sedona)
On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 10:16:26 -0400, "Bruce Freeburger" "Bruce Freeburger"
wrote: Dave, Anyone who is shopping for the best $300 bicycle is a fool. These are the people you see riding on the sidewalk with their back in a vertical position, the seat 3" too low, spinning the crank very slow in a high gear, and the (optional) helmet tilted back like a yamica. you forgot the headphones and riding the wrong direction. -- Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices See http://www.knight-toolworks.com For prices and ordering instructions. |
#7
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Advice on "Comfort Bikes" (Gary Fisher Capitola vs. Giant Sedona)
"Dave DesRoches" wrote in message
... Looking at comfort bikes and my local bike shops carry these models in the $300 range. Any opinions? I checked Consumer Reports, though I'm not sure I should regard them as an authority on this subject. Interestingly, the shop that carried Giant spoke about them as the premier maker of Comfort Bikes, yet they didn't even make the Consumer reports ratings list, nor did Gary Fisher (!) Consumer Reports order was: Jamis Explorer 2.0 GT Timberline Trek Navigator 100 Schwinn Sierra GS Specialized Expedition Raleigh SC30 Diamondback Wildwood Consumer Reports should be taken with a grain of salt, but they usually aren't completely off base. I'm sure that any of these bikes would be a decent entry-level value. Bikes have become a much better deal in recent years, so $300 does buy something ride-able (ignore people who can't spell yarmulke). What's probably more important than the actual bike brand or model is the staff at the shop. The quality of bike assembly/setup is probably a greater value issue than the differences between any of those bikes. Bear in mind that you get what you pay for, and diminishing returns don't really start settling in until $1,000 or so, but those are serviceable bikes with perhaps slightly different component tradeoffs. |
#8
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Advice on "Comfort Bikes" (Gary Fisher Capitola vs. Giant Sedona)
I guess this "fool" should have been more specific.
I have a Trek road bike I use for breaking a sweat, so my interest in this category was a quality, recreational ride that didn't necessitate my clipping into pedals and skidding through sand. Because I have a good road bike I'm happy with, I wasn't looking to break the bank with this supplementary ride - but also wanted to purchase a quality bike that would last. Thanks to all for their opinions on the subject. Reputability of the shop and service seem to be recurring themes. Much appreciated! -Dave "Bruce Freeburger" "Bruce Freeburger" wrote in message ... Dave, Anyone who is shopping for the best $300 bicycle is a fool. These are the people you see riding on the sidewalk with their back in a vertical position, the seat 3" too low, spinning the crank very slow in a high gear, and the (optional) helmet tilted back like a yamica. They are clueless as to what a bicycle is for, so they follow the model of bicycle riding as a child: very short trips on the sidewalk. They fool themselves that they are getting "exercise" on the bicycle. The reality is that they barely get their heart rate up high enough, for long enough minutes, on the short slow sidewalk or bike path rides. A bicycle uses 1/3 the calories as traveling on foot for the same distance. These lazy people need to be walking around the block or to the corner store, not saving effort by riding some overweight tank of a bicycle. Having said that the "hybrid" or "comfort" SHOPPER is looking to AVOID getting a sweat, the best $300 bicycle is like having a beauty contest for women who must be at least 30% overweight. These are tanks because: (1) the shoppers are cheapskates who don't want to spent money or calories, and (2) they ride on the sidewalk and bash the bicycles into curbs. Furthermore, the SERVICE CONTRACT you get from a bicycle shop is as important as the bicycle itself. Last year I took the owner of a new $350 Trek hybrid on a 38 mile bike club ride. She rode instead a Schwinn Le Tour road bike that I bought in a garage sale for $100 and was much lighter. Afterwards we went to several quality bicycle shops. We found a Specialized road bike in the back of one bike shop. It was her exact size. The same frame with better parts (and this year's model) was also there for $1800 sale price, but this one was two years old and had more economy level parts, but this was clearly a "racing" road bike suitable for 100 mile rides. It was on sale for $535 and came with a 3 year service contract. The vast majority of adults shopping for cheap bicycles to ride on the sidewalk would be better off getting on a power walking or slow jogging program. Cheers, Bruce Freeburger Dave DesRoches wrote: Looking at comfort bikes and my local bike shops carry these models in the $300 range. Thoughts/comments appreciated... Thx in advance, -Dave |
#9
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Advice on "Comfort Bikes" (Gary Fisher Capitola vs. Giant Sedona)
On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 22:15:59 -0400, "Dave DesRoches"
wrote: I guess this "fool" should have been more specific. I have a Trek road bike I use for breaking a sweat, so my interest in this category was a quality, recreational ride that didn't necessitate my clipping into pedals and skidding through sand. Because I have a good road bike I'm happy with, I wasn't looking to break the bank with this supplementary ride - but also wanted to purchase a quality bike that would last. Yeah, sure you do. ;-) -B |
#10
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Advice on "Comfort Bikes" (Gary Fisher Capitola vs. Giant Sedona)
Steve Knight wrote in message . ..
On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 10:16:26 -0400, "Bruce Freeburger" "Bruce Freeburger" wrote: Dave, Anyone who is shopping for the best $300 bicycle is a fool. These are the people you see riding on the sidewalk with their back in a vertical position, the seat 3" too low, spinning the crank very slow in a high gear, and the (optional) helmet tilted back like a yamica. you forgot the headphones and riding the wrong direction. Well, I ride a "comfort" bike (Specialized Expedition Elite). I commute to work every day (14 mile round trip), and also use it for most errands like grocery shopping, trips to the post office etc. The bike is loaded with rack, baskets, fenders and lights. It's a real bicycle SUV. I do however, know and follow the traffic rules. Just recently I have seen several "serious" bikers who don't. One was a roadie who had all the right gear including pulling a BOB trailer. He also ran a red light doing a left turn in a really busy intersection. Another, on the same road, also a roadie with all the right gear, was riding against traffic on a 4 lane, 45mph road. Another roadie (a real speedster this one) I see almost every day in rougly the same spot, inside a subdivision. This guy apparently think he's a racer. He always wears headphones and speeds through the intersections (running stop signs) like a maniac. For the record, I see roadies that do follow the rules. My point is that it isn't the gear or the type of bike that makes a good cyclist, and making general statements against people riding comfort bikes, or cheap bikes, isn't really fair. Sverre |
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