The Specialized Sirrus range seems to get better every year. Since their first introduction in the 1980s, they have been seen as the standard for sporty hybrid bikes that everybody had to beat. The range of components and specifications was wide. So everyone regardless of budget could find a Sirrus to suit.
We have chosen to pick out three from the 2011 range – the Sirrus, Sirrus Sport and Sirrus Elite.
These are the features common across the range.
Perhaps the major component to show variation across the range is the front fork – steel blade on the Sirrus, aluminium on the Sport and carbon/aluminium on the Elite. The elastomer inserts on the Elite cut down further on road vibration. So your money pays for greater agility and smoothness together with a decrease in weight from 11.9 kg down to 10.6 kg.
In addition there’s an increase in the quality of the Shimano drivetrain components across the Specialized Sirrus range. Most people may notice this – many may not. A nice feature of the Elite is the smarter stem and handlebar.
There’s little doubt that all these bikes are really good-looking. Some may even say beautiful. I think I would. All the colours are beautiful. Particularly eye-catching is the black/grey paintwork on the Sport. The welds are smooth, the tubing tapered and curved and with the cables routed inside the tubes, the effect is particularly elegant.
These are bikes aimed at those who want a fast commute to work and to get out on the open road at the weekend. There are plenty of gears to choose from – 21 or 24 – should be enough for anybody.
How do you choose between them? This is difficult to say really. For the money, the basic Sirrus is incredible value, but there’s no doubt that you would probably feel and appreciate the increased smoothness of the aluminium and especially the carbon fork of the higher-specification models. If budget was unlimited, the Elite would probably be the choice. But money is rarely unimportant is it! The value-for-money represented by all these bikes should not be ignored. We think you’d be delighted to own and ride any of the Specialized Sirrus range.
Stephen Bailey is a keen cyclist and contributes extensively to online product review and information sites.
This review of the Specialized Sirrus range is one of many articles on bikes, cycling equipment and accessories that he has researched and written for Tern Cycling Reviews.
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http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Specialized-Sirrus-Range-Of-Performance-Hybrid-Bikes&id=6636762
Cycling is considered as a life time experience especially when it comes to racing or mountain biking. Bicycling develops extreme endurance and passion within the biker that he then focuses only on the end point or the finish line and ignores all the interruptions that pass through the mind while pedaling to reach the destination.
Bicycles are designed in accordance to various kinds of biking sports like the mountain bikes, freestyle bikes, dirt bikes etc. There are a set of bikes available in the market known as Hybrid bikes. As the term suggest, Hybrid bikes are an amalgamation of the best characteristics of both road bikes as well as mountain bikes. This combination of the best of both the bicycles into one bicycle that is sturdy, comfortable and fast altogether put into designing a bike results in a product which is the most ideal bike for riding on streets and even bike paths. One would find it comfortable to perform all kinds of stunts on the road i.e. plain surface and even on rugged roads i.e. bike paths, especially made for racing.
Some of the main features of Hybrid mountain bikes are, these bikes are designed in a way that they have an upright frame, which offers a more comfortable position while riding keeping in mind that it does not hurt the back. Some of the hybrid bikes have a stout frame that can handle more weight may it be the weight due to the rider or the cargo. It is very user friendly and can be handles by anyone who is interested in biking of any form. People need not worry about the tyres and the frame of the bike getting damaged due to potholes as it is designed in a way that it can easily handle the pressures exerted due to rise and drop out of the potholes while on move. One of the best features of these bikes that offer great advantage is that, it has slightly wider tyres for better traction and stability. Some of the features of road Hybrid cycles are that they have lighter rims which allow the rider to ride fast. They have lighter components in the bike and taller gearing allowing the biker to go faster by applying lesser pressure.
The components that are present in a Hybrid bicycles are the combination of best of the components of mountain and road bikes. The wheels of a Hybrid bike are wider like a mountain bike for greater stability and durability along with higher recommended air pressure which is main feature of a road bike. The frame of these bikes are made lighter and are made of steel or aluminum as these materials offers strength and durability as an attribute for the bikers to chose them amongst the rest of the bike present in the market.
Shilpika Ponnappa
Cyclocross Bikes
Hybrid Bicycle
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Loose gravel is always to be worried about, even at intersections on paved roads. On trails that are newly paved, you must be extremely cautious. The trail by our house in St. Charles County MO (the Katie Trail) was originally a railroad bed, was leveled and repaired and then a layer of small gravel put over it and rolled down. This surface was adequate for hybrids and larger tired bicycles, but not overly safe for the smaller tired bicycles. The trail is older now and the bed is compacted and just like a paved surface, but still requires a rider of any type bicycle to be cautious, because it is still gravel.
I used to help with the MS150 here is Eastern Missouri, where bicycle riders would ride 75 miles from Warrenton, MO, the starting point (and ending point), to Mexico, MO. The riders would camp over night, have supper and breakfast, then return to Warrenton by a different route for the final 75 miles. Many of the wrecks that we encountered were from people getting on the gravel shoulder and spilling, along with hitting loose gravel along the route at the corners of paved roads, gravel roads and driveways. Gravel is always dangerous, but when on two wheels, it is even more so. Hybrid bicycles are more stable than a road bike because of the greater tire width, but still requires caution and diligence from the rider. Many road bikes are used on the MS150 because of the pavement, and the number of cycling teams.
During the Moonlight Ramble in St. Louis, Missouri, gravel can be a big concern even on the city streets. The ride is late at night (midnight), thus the name the Moonlight Ramble. Riding while using the city lights can make visibility difficult at least. A bigger concern than gravel are the slotted drain covers along the side of the street. The smaller road bike tires fit right in the slots. The hybrid bike is better, but still can be extremely hazardous.
Bicycling can be a lot of fun, but also dangerous. Wearing the proper safety equipment is vital for your protection against mishaps. Helmets are a must. Even a minor mishap on gravel can cause serious injury. A scraped or broken leg or arm can be painful, but a concussion or head injury can be devastating. When riding a bicycle, gravel is not your friend.
James F. Murley has been a business owner, auditor, truck driver, temporary on several different assignments and avid gardener on patio and in regular gardens. He holds a BA from Harris-Stowe College and a MA from Webster University. His main site is found at www.JamesMurley.Com and his bicycling tips are found at www.HybridBicycleBlog.com. He is currently working on several sites in areas that he considers interesting, which are linked on his main site.
I am interested in buying a mountain bike but the girl was telling me about these hybrid bikes that can be used for both flat and normal trails or take to the off road side but I’m a little scepitical on that.
Mountain bikes is the best you climb a mountain speedest than the others the mountain bike have more power!!!
I commute every day to school and my seat is ok, but was wondering if bike shorts help in making the ride more comfortable. I was thinking about wearing them under my regular shorts.
its a about 3.5 miles one way, and It is on a road bike. I just tend to get a little saddle sore. I weigh about 150.
Man it takes me about 25min to ride that 3.5 mils.. maybe google maps is wrong. In the Texas heat I’m a sweaty mess after riding for 25min in rolling hills for 3.5miles. I ride fast too… 
I’m a believer in padded bike shorts, but I don’t think you need them for a 3.5 mile ride. If you are having any discomfort, it will go away as your bottom gets more accustomed to cycling. You just aren’t on the bike long enough to make it worth the inconvenience of taking the shorts off when you get to school and putting them back on when it’s time to ride home.
HTH
I have looked at a Giant and a Boardman, but they all seem the same to me. I have a budget of approx £500 and am lloking for suggestions on a good value Hybrid bike.
Since I’m terrible at converting English pounds to dollars – all I can say is I love my Raleigh Hybrid bought in the USA. I would imagine the price & quality should be the same "across the pond". I have over 1,200 miles (or 1931.212 km) on mine in under two years. No problems. Link below…
I am 5 foot 5 and would like to buy a new hybrid bicycle. What size of frame do I need? I am only starting cycling after a long time inactive due to illness and was advised to get a hybrid. Are there any sites that have hybrid bikes around £300
You need to ask yourself a couple of questions if you want to buy online. First, you have to know for sure if the bike will fit you, different makes of bikes fit differently, so you have to know if that particular bike will be the same as another in the same size. Second, are you able to assemble the bike yourself, and adjust everything so the gears and brakes work the way they should. The bike will arrive in a box, partly assembled, it will be up to you to put it together. You will also have to adjust saddle height and angle as well as handlebars to fit yourself to the bike. If you can’t do this, you will have to pay to have this done, or rely on a friend to help you. Next, any adjustments after the break in period will be up to you. Cables stretch, brake pads wear, bearings break in, all will require minor adjustment after a few hundred miles. If problems occur, who will honour the warranty? If you buy from a local shop, all these things will be done by the shop, at no additional cost to you, if you buy online there will be additional money spent by you. If you are able to take care of all these things yourself, you can save buying online, if not, the extra you pay at a local shop will be money well spent.
I went to the Marin REI today and test rode a lot of great bikes. Ironically, I liked a bike that I hadn’t heard of before the most- the Novaro Buzz. I liked that it was nimble, easy to maneuveur, light weight, yet sturdy, but also fast and efficient. It was like riding the child of the Marin Muirwoods (urban) and the Marin Hwy 1 (road). However, $800 is more than I can handle spending. Is there something like it- a hybrid/cross btw an urban and a road bike for closer to $500? My second choice for a fun ride would be the Muirwoods.
REI is extremely expensive. Even their discount items are more expensive than most other places. I honestly don’t know how they stay in business. Unfortunately Novara is REI’s house brand, which means you can’t buy it anywhere else. There’s no price comparison between retailers.
However, that being said, the right bike is the bike that fits YOU the best.
I would check out the lineup from Trek and Specialized. This way you can go to 1 shop and test the bike, then call other shops in the area to find the best price. The Trek Sport Urban (SU100/SU200) looks very similar to the Novara. Both are listed under $500, so you should be seeing a price closer to $400.
http://www2.trekbikes.com/bikes/subcategory.php?c=3&s=12
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