Any Bikers??

[00Accord4cyl]

Yeah the feel of hydraulic brakes is so much better than mechanical, but they may cost you most down the road when it comes to tune ups. With mechanical you could just adjust cable tension, but with hyraulic you will have to have the brakes bled around once a year(depending on your riding)

If you end up riding off trails and on paved roads the lockout feature will come in handy. Riding on paved roads for a long distance can be difficult if you front fork has lots of play. It would be especially difficult to climb hills because of the suspension travel up front. so I would recommend getting a lockout if you think you will use the mountain bike off the dirt trails. Of the Specialized and Giant, I would go with the Giant Talon 0 since you are still getting hydraulic brakes, 9 speed drivetrain, plus more suspension travel.

 

[turbo_911]

My friend has that Talon 1 29er and loves it. It's a great bike and can handle a variety of trails, just like any 29er. Are there any bike shops in the area?

Yes we have two big ones that are very popular. Here's the one that I went to

http://www.thebicycleshopinc.com/


What year does your friend has? 2011 or 2012?



Eric, should I go with later model 2010-2011 or with newer one? The only difference I see is the changes in shifter and brakes.

2011 U.S. Average Retail Price: $1,000* that's why they told me they can sell it for $900, kind of too much...
SRAM X.5 trigger shifting and rear derailleur
Giant hydraulic disc brakes
Giant S-XC2 29" alloy rim/Giant Tracker QR15

2012 U.S. Average Retail Price: $860*
SRAM X4 trigger shifting and SRAM X5 rear derailleur
Avid Elixir 1 hydraulic disc brakes
Giant S-XC29 2 alloy rims and Giant Tracker Sport hubs


Which brake company is better, Shimano Altus, Shimano Alivio or Avid Elixir?


I still want to test that Cannondale which they told me will be available in 3 weeks. Also I don't mind changing fluid in hydraulic brakes.
Oh and Giant sounds like Wal-Mart and we have a food store here called Giant lol.

 

[WizadOfOz]

Hi guys. Im leaning towards purchasing a bike and in doing so I can cut the use of my Accord for school and work as well indulging myself in the cross sport. Since they are about 10-20 round trip I expect a good workout for the week and want to make this bike my main way of transportation. I have a friend and she currently has a Raleigh rx 1.0, it's a cyclocross and i've ridden it before. It's a little on the heavy side for me but then again I've been debating whether I want to go for a Cyclocross myself or possibly an aluminum frame road bike.

Some of the brands I've looked up have been Fuji, Raleigh, Giant, Specialized and Cannondale among others. I've been leaning towards Specialized since I like their tricross series. But ive found out that it is no longer considered a cyclocross bike. Diverting from the point, I would like to keep the range of the bike around $1200 and would it be advisable to get a road bike and get a separate set of thicker tires if I wanted to use it for a little dirt trail? I've visited a lot of LBS and done some research, I just want to know the opinion of some experienced riders.

Thanks.

 

[hiddengamer7]

I really like Giant's CX bike, the TCX. SRAM components and a light frame, doesn't get any better than that. My friend has one set up 1x10 with Zipp 303's for Cross season and it comes in at a feathery 16.5lbs

 

[WizadOfOz]

Woah, 16.5 and an aluminum frame. that gives me the chills in a good way. I've seen road bikes with carbon frames that are about ~15 lbs. Incredible.

We'll I might go for a cyclocross, hopefully I can find something I like in the ~1200 range. If not I might just go with a road bike and get a CX come this fall.

Thanks for your post hiddengamer7 : )

 

[WizadOfOz]

So I ended up getting an Elite pro Crux Specialized and I love it. I've ridden it every day since Ive bought it.

Here is a link for the interested:
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=52705&eid=6065&menuItemId=0

I use it for commuting at the moment and should probably switch to a more ideal set of tires but I can't wait for the fall again so i can participate in some cyclocross races. That will give me plenty of time to train.

LEave opinions or questions.

Thanks

 

[hiddengamer7]

I like the Crux model, good choice! Get some good road tires and you'll be set until cross season. Post up pictures!

 

[00Accord4cyl]

Crazy bike design. I do not see how this would even work

 

[fastflyinaccord]

Is that a belt instead of a chain? I wonder how well those brakes work...something tells me they'd take a lot more abuse than having them mounted on the fork

 

[hiddengamer7]

Well, Cannondale has been doing lefty forks for a long time, but I dont think that a one-sided rear triangle would have the stiffness needed for riding. It is interesting that they put the frame between the drive and the wheels, which would help counteract some of the force, so maybe it works? It would certainly make a belt drive simple to install and maintain...