Bicycle question: down to two, help me choose one.
May 21, 2012 12:58 PM Subscribe
Bicycle question: which should I choose?
Basically I am hesitating between the Specialized Crosstrail Comp Disc and the Rocky Mountain Metropolis YUL. Both bikes are at the price point I want and offer a good bike with lots of riding flexibility. I am not very knowledgeable about components and such, so I was hoping to get some recommendations from fellow MeFites.
Basically I am hesitating between the Specialized Crosstrail Comp Disc and the Rocky Mountain Metropolis YUL. Both bikes are at the price point I want and offer a good bike with lots of riding flexibility. I am not very knowledgeable about components and such, so I was hoping to get some recommendations from fellow MeFites.
Seconding ride them. If you're not sure what you want, bikes are best bought from a bikeshop. BTW, I recently bought a Trek 7.5FX which is similar to the two bikes you mention. I've been pretty pleased with it.
posted by rhymer at 1:18 PM on May 21, 2012
posted by rhymer at 1:18 PM on May 21, 2012
I've got an older Specialized similar to the one you pictured. I love it. FWIW. I would ride them both and see which one is the most comfortable for you.
posted by trbrts at 1:25 PM on May 21, 2012
posted by trbrts at 1:25 PM on May 21, 2012
Unless you're going to regularly (ie at least a couple of times a month) go offroad, I would go with the Rocky Mountain, since with the Specialized Bike you'll be paying a little more the suspension forks, which means the bike may sacrifice quality in other components.
The Rocky Mountain bike also has a chrome frame, which is ideal for commuting (in my humble opinion) since it will absorb vibration from the road a bit better than the stiff aluminum frame of the the Specialized bike.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:26 PM on May 21, 2012
The Rocky Mountain bike also has a chrome frame, which is ideal for commuting (in my humble opinion) since it will absorb vibration from the road a bit better than the stiff aluminum frame of the the Specialized bike.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:26 PM on May 21, 2012
Of your local bike shops that are retailers for these two brands, which LBS do you like most? Specialized is the bigger name and might therefore have better local support.
Rocky Mountain is probably the most established brand in Canada. I myself have only ever ridden Kona (4 bikes) and Brodie (1 bike, which has lasted me 12 years now).
posted by KokuRyu at 1:29 PM on May 21, 2012
Rocky Mountain is probably the most established brand in Canada. I myself have only ever ridden Kona (4 bikes) and Brodie (1 bike, which has lasted me 12 years now).
posted by KokuRyu at 1:29 PM on May 21, 2012
Thirding (1) ride them and (2) if you can't figure out which bike you like more, then buy from the shop that you like more. Frankly, unless you really have a need for disk brakes, I'd suggest getting a bike without them, though if you take it back regularly to the shop for maintenance, it shouldn't make a difference.
If you really can't decide, and you're just getting into cycling (or back into cycling), there are three possible outcomes:
1. Your interest peters out and you hang the bike up in your garage. In that case, it doesn't really matter which bike you get now.
2. You find that the bike you get suits you well and you use it reasonably often. (I used a Trek Multitrack hybrid for a decade and found it was fine.) In that case, it doesn't really matter which bike you get now.
3. You get seriously into biking, in which case you'll find that whichever bike you buy now doesn't do everything you want, and you start accumulating bikes (I now own five and am contemplating #6 and #7). In that case, it doesn't really matter which bike you get now.
Note that in all three cases, the last sentence is: "In that case, it doesn't really matter which bike you get now." So if you are having a hard time deciding, just toss a coin.
Make sure that whichever one you buy fits you reasonably well, and take it back to the shop after a month or 300 miles of riding for a tune-up. And have fun!
posted by brianogilvie at 1:33 PM on May 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
If you really can't decide, and you're just getting into cycling (or back into cycling), there are three possible outcomes:
1. Your interest peters out and you hang the bike up in your garage. In that case, it doesn't really matter which bike you get now.
2. You find that the bike you get suits you well and you use it reasonably often. (I used a Trek Multitrack hybrid for a decade and found it was fine.) In that case, it doesn't really matter which bike you get now.
3. You get seriously into biking, in which case you'll find that whichever bike you buy now doesn't do everything you want, and you start accumulating bikes (I now own five and am contemplating #6 and #7). In that case, it doesn't really matter which bike you get now.
Note that in all three cases, the last sentence is: "In that case, it doesn't really matter which bike you get now." So if you are having a hard time deciding, just toss a coin.
Make sure that whichever one you buy fits you reasonably well, and take it back to the shop after a month or 300 miles of riding for a tune-up. And have fun!
posted by brianogilvie at 1:33 PM on May 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
If I were having a hard time deciding I would just go with the Rocky Mountain because I think it's prettier. Also I don't like shocks for road riding (the only kind of riding I do) because I feel like they make the bike all mushy. YMMV.
nthing "ride them" though.
posted by Scientist at 1:51 PM on May 21, 2012
nthing "ride them" though.
posted by Scientist at 1:51 PM on May 21, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks for the feedback.
Yes, I will be buying from a local bike shop for sure; I was going to buy the Rocky Mountain because they are a canadian brand, but then I tried the Specialized and found it very comfortable though I also figured I would park the front shocks in the locked position 95% of the time, so the extra cost there is sort of lost.
I will go back to the two shops and give each bike a spin, but they don't have them in my size so I will have to find the best fit by trying other models too. Glad to see there is no negative feedback about the two brands.
posted by Vindaloo at 2:18 PM on May 21, 2012
Yes, I will be buying from a local bike shop for sure; I was going to buy the Rocky Mountain because they are a canadian brand, but then I tried the Specialized and found it very comfortable though I also figured I would park the front shocks in the locked position 95% of the time, so the extra cost there is sort of lost.
I will go back to the two shops and give each bike a spin, but they don't have them in my size so I will have to find the best fit by trying other models too. Glad to see there is no negative feedback about the two brands.
posted by Vindaloo at 2:18 PM on May 21, 2012
figured I would park the front shocks in the locked position 95% of the time, so the extra cost there is sort of lost.
The extra weight is what's really going to kill you in the long term. If you're commuting, rigid forks are really much better. With big (40+ mm) tires, you won't notice the difference on pavement.
My worry is that both bikes have hydraulic disc brakes. Are you comfortable bleeding them as needed, or taking them into the shop?
posted by supercres at 2:46 PM on May 21, 2012
The extra weight is what's really going to kill you in the long term. If you're commuting, rigid forks are really much better. With big (40+ mm) tires, you won't notice the difference on pavement.
My worry is that both bikes have hydraulic disc brakes. Are you comfortable bleeding them as needed, or taking them into the shop?
posted by supercres at 2:46 PM on May 21, 2012
My worry is that both bikes have hydraulic disc brakes. Are you comfortable bleeding them as needed, or taking them into the shop?
Agreed. And the most important thing about a bike is how well it fits you. No one wants to hear that when they’re buying their first bike, but if you’re not the standard size you’ll be thinking about it when you buy the replacement bike.
posted by bongo_x at 10:08 PM on May 21, 2012
Agreed. And the most important thing about a bike is how well it fits you. No one wants to hear that when they’re buying their first bike, but if you’re not the standard size you’ll be thinking about it when you buy the replacement bike.
posted by bongo_x at 10:08 PM on May 21, 2012
My Specialized bike has treated me well for ten years or so. No experience with RM.
posted by backwards guitar at 3:23 AM on May 22, 2012
posted by backwards guitar at 3:23 AM on May 22, 2012
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Actually, the better question is: Of your local bike shops that are retailers for these two brands, which LBS do you like most? Specialized is the bigger name and might therefore have better local support.
The answer is that you should ride them. Differences in geometry and feel (especially with that fork) will tell you which is better for you.
posted by supercres at 1:08 PM on May 21, 2012