Bicycles...

[Kerbie]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

What do these "urban" bikes weigh?

Heavier than my racer was, but they're not for racing. The Trek FX Sport 4 I mentioned above is 23 lbs with an aluminum frame. If you step up to a carbon-framed Sport 5, it drops to 22 lbs.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

Some of these bicycles look rather heavy. What do these "urban" bikes weigh?

Depending on the bike they're about as light as a road or racer and can get toward or more than 30 pounds if low priced or carrying racks, larger tires and fenders.

My joke but also being serious is never too much. The trend to larger tires adds weight people are glad to push, spin or carry because they improve control, comfort and reliability. Small or important things are less than a pound to maybe a few pounds difference.

It's really about your bike engine and not the bike. Right now my wife, two teens and I share 9 bikes of different types. 4 are nearly identical except for AL vs plastic frames and some fancier parts. The stop watch doesn't really show much difference. My wife prefers the lesser of our same series and make fat bikes just because of the seat and handlebars.

A dear friend 19 years younger than me has his bike as alter ego. Everything is top shelf. One of our favorite bikes cost less than his wheels. It weighs at least 5 pounds more. When I have time to work on my bike engine it really frustrates the guy to have a bike 1/5 the price make him hurt.

We have a hilarious scene at the brewery near my home. A 250 member bike club has regular rides there. At least half of them are carrying 10 to 50 pounds around their waist while they ride 18 to 22 pound bikes.

I've only ridden my custom frame Campy Record and Chorus road bike a few times this year because a general purpose bike is so fun and comfy by comparison.

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by Kerbie

Heavier than my racer was, but they're not for racing. The Trek FX Sport 4 I mentioned above is 23 lbs with an aluminum frame. If you step up to a carbon-framed Sport 5, it drops to 22 lbs.

Interesting that the fame material differences are virtually nil between aluminum and CF.

I guess the bulky look of these bicycles make them appear to be heavier than they really are.

My SC TT is 22 lb. However, on the three main tubes of the frame are 6061, everything else is steel.

[seannx]

Originally Posted by Kerbie

Heavier than my racer was, but they're not for racing. The Trek FX Sport 4 I mentioned above is 23 lbs with an aluminum frame. If you step up to a carbon-framed Sport 5, it drops to 22 lbs.

Yes. Part of that weight difference only being 1 pound could be because of the price point. Typically a carbon frame will be 2 pounds or so lighter, particularly with higher performance models. Wheels and tires can make a difference, too, along with other components.

My favorite bike to ride has a carbon fiber frame by On One, that my bike shop owner son built. It's set up as a "gravel grinder", with road bars, tubeless tires, and a Sram Rival 1 x 11 drive train. It's under 19 pounds, and a really fun, responsive ride.

In the winter here when it gets wetter and muddy on the bike trails, I switch to my Specialized Cross Trail Disk. It's a hybrid, closer to 30 pounds, and fine for keeping in shape.

[Neil K Walk]

My Marlin 7 weighs 32 pounds. I don’t like or need all 27 gears. I live in the top 9. I’m thinking of swapping out the groupset to Shimano Deore 1x11 to simplify the cockpit, stop the chain from coming off and maybe even shedding a few pounds. I’m looking forward to riding over the winter. I’ve hated riding in the heat.

[H165]

I ride a 21 lb aluminum road bike on dedicated paved trails. Over time (and a few bikes) I have found that I like the anti-shock benefits of a composite fork and composite bars. I also like the perceived reliability of aluminum frames (my composite-frame bike was rather early in the history - I've heard later bikes are way better).

[seannx]

Originally Posted by Neil K Walk

My Marlin 7 weighs 32 pounds. I don’t like or need all 27 gears. I live in the top 9. I’m thinking of swapping out the groupset to Shimano Deore 1x11 to simplify the cockpit, stop the chain from coming off and maybe even shedding a few pounds. I’m looking forward to riding over the winter. I’ve hated riding in the heat.

The 1x11 drivetrain is really nice. There’s only one shift lever for me, click right to drop down, or left to go up. So much easier then having both front and rear derailleurs. With the exception of full on road bikes, IMO it’s the way to go, especially for gravel grinders and mountain bikes.

[perttime]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

Interesting that the fame material differences are virtually nil between aluminum and CF.
...

It is very much about what you do with the aluminum. Use cheap thick walled tubing and you get weight. Use high-end tubes that are thicker only where it is absolutely needed, and you save weight.

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by seannx

The 1x11 drivetrain is really nice. There’s only one shift lever for me, click right to drop down, or left to go up. So much easier then having both front and rear derailleurs. With the exception of full on road bikes, IMO it’s the way to go, especially for gravel grinders and mountain bikes.

I’m looking forward to making the change. I’ve all but ignored the front derailleur for 2 months now; I just get up out of the saddle and lean forward on upholds hitting 15 mph thanks to the boost the fork gives me, or over the rear on downhills and hitting upwards of 40mph with the saddle taken out of the equation. The OP has much different needs though. A 1x12 makes a certain amount of sense from a mechanical standpoint but is limiting when cadence is more a concern than bursts of power.

OTOH IMO a 3x9 will all the overlap in gearing ratios is overkill. Nobody needs “granny gears;” they make you put in a whole lot of effort and barely provide enough momentum to even provide steerage. Even Trek has realized this and has switched many of its entry level bikes to 2x cranksets.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by Neil K Walk

I’m looking forward to making the change. I’ve all but ignored the front derailleur for 2 months now; I just get up out of the saddle and lean forward on upholds hitting 15 mph thanks to the boost the fork gives me, or over the rear on downhills and hitting upwards of 40mph with the saddle taken out of the equation. The OP has much different needs though. A 1x12 makes a certain amount of sense from a mechanical standpoint but is limiting when cadence is more a concern than bursts of power.

OTOH IMO a 3x9 will all the overlap in gearing ratios is overkill. Nobody needs “granny gears;” they make you put in a whole lot of effort and barely provide enough momentum to even provide steerage. Even Trek has realized this and has switched many of its entry level bikes to 2x cranksets.

3x groups are disappearing and there are modestly priced wide range gearing options for 10 speed such as the HG500 42t and non-Shimano cassettes. SRAM NX is modestly priced.

There are reasons for a granny and you can achieve it with 10, 11 and 12 speed. Most people don't need it. I feared giving up a granny gear but a poor man's Deore 1x just made me stronger.

With 1x 11 speed on my gravel/tourer bike and 2x 10 speed on my wife's and son's I notice occasional moments when I'm hunting for a gear that doesn't exist but moving a bit high and low works fine. Riding alone or casually, it's just not an issue. Overall I feel simplicity and to some extent weight makes 1x worth it. Trek gets credit for moving some fitness bikes to 2x but a few Kona models show they do what makes sense instead of keep the Shimano or SRAM corporate sales people happy.

BTW, REI also has some great bikes to look at. They and the Kona Dews are 650 wheels where I understand it but I've fallen on the side of wagon wheels or little wheels.

Overall people should get ride of the racer and weight weenie mentality if they're not racing or with very low body fat. Ride on tires that are confidence inspiring and comfy. Go tubeless if you don't mind checking air pressure much like you tune your guitar strings before playing.

[rsmillbern]

I don't have much to add that has not been said, but you might look at the Cannondale Bad Boy (horrible name). I have commuted on one for about 3 years (on a Quick CX for 5 years before).

A couple comments

Fit: #1 point, price, weight, bling, looks, ect... none of it matters if the bike is too big/small

Lights: Get good lights, they don't need to be expensive, but are important

Helmet: Do it, get one that is comfortable and you like or you won't wear it

Weight: Don't worry about weight for this kind of bike, it is not important unless you are riding long long distance, or climbing a lot of hills (not too likely in Florida ;-) )

Bag: The option to add a rack and bags (panniers) is really nice if you wanna bring a six pack along

Lock: Spend the money for a good lock and learn how to lock it properly (bike theft is huge where I live, but most people use crap locks and often only lock the bike to itself)

Have fun!

[MUSICAL HOBO]

As the owner of a 2005 Surly Long Haul Trucker that I've ridden on pavement, gravel and dirt. I've ridden with full touring loads on front and rear panniers for 600 miles and completely empty on roads and improved trails around home.

Experience has taught me that the fist rule of comfortable bicycling is to get a proper set up.correct frame size, bar width, frame material, frame geometry.
The most comfortable frames are those that have some flex in them,steel being the most flexible with aluminium and carbon fiber the most ridged. the most comfortable frame geometry I've found was on steel framed touring bikes, much more laid back relaxed ridding position and a very stable ride, also road vibration was very low compared to carbon fiber or aluminium.

Seats, I've tried a lot of different saddles and finally settled on a Brooks leather saddle. It will take some time to brake in, couple hundred miles,but will give you a perfect indentation of your sit bones in the saddle which mates you perfectly to you bike

Bars, Bar width should be as wide as your shoulders in a style that fits your needs. I've found that I like drop bars which allow for a lot of different hand positions.

Those are the most important points I've found to a most comfortable long lasting bike experience.
Hope this will help get you a bike that fits perfectly the first time.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

Interesting that the fame material differences are virtually nil between aluminum and CF.

I guess the bulky look of these bicycles make them appear to be heavier than they really are.

My SC TT is 22 lb. However, on the three main tubes of the frame are 6061, everything else is steel.

Actually generally about a pound for mountain bikes and half a pound for road bikes, which to me isn't negligible. Components and wheels can also make a huge difference, which can cover up frame weight. Hang cheap components on a carbon frame and the bike will weigh more than a AL frame with top end stuff, but all things being equal CF is far lighter.

CF frames are generally FAR more comfortable. The tubes can be created to be stiff in some directions (side-to-side for performance and responsiveness) and compliant in others (vertical for comfort). Far less road vibration and far better small bump absorption from well-made CF frames. Aluminum can be quite harsh.

For me it's steel or CF every time.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by MUSICAL HOBO

As the owner of a 2005 Surly Long Haul Trucker that I've ridden on pavement, gravel and dirt. I've ridden with full touring loads on front and rear panniers for 600 miles and completely empty on roads and improved trails around home.

Experience has taught me that the fist rule of comfortable bicycling is to get a proper set up.correct frame size, bar width, frame material, frame geometry.
The most comfortable frames are those that have some flex in them,steel being the most flexible with aluminium and carbon fiber the most ridged. the most comfortable frame geometry I've found was on steel framed touring bikes, much more laid back relaxed ridding position and a very stable ride, also road vibration was very low compared to carbon fiber or aluminium.

Seats, I've tried a lot of different saddles and finally settled on a Brooks leather saddle. It will take some time to brake in, couple hundred miles,but will give you a perfect indentation of your sit bones in the saddle which mates you perfectly to you bike

Bars, Bar width should be as wide as your shoulders in a style that fits your needs. I've found that I like drop bars which allow for a lot of different hand positions.

Those are the most important points I've found to a most comfortable long lasting bike experience.
Hope this will help get you a bike that fits perfectly the first time.

That is a great bike. Yes, the steel tourer or all road or adventure - depends on who's marketing department - are like the way I think of a traditional woods OM or 000 guitar. If starting new I would suggest one of the disk brake models and through axles.

For any rider I suggest a MIPS or new generation helmet and for casual rider I suggest a commuter or MTB style that will have a visor and in most cases more coverage at back of the head.

The less expensive Planet Bike tail light I suggested requires the clothing or loop clip to be taken off if you get one but they've made same mount system and often send you parts for free if they see you're a repeat customer or sweet on the phone. The Bontrager is $20 more but I had a police officer tell me he wished everyone having those was the law.

Originally Posted by Dirk Hofman

Actually generally about a pound for mountain bikes and half a pound for road bikes, which to me isn't negligible. Components and wheels can also make a huge difference, which can cover up frame weight. Hang cheap components on a carbon frame and the bike will weigh more than a AL frame with top end stuff, but all things being equal CF is far lighter.

CF frames are generally FAR more comfortable. The tubes can be created to be stiff in some directions (side-to-side for performance and responsiveness) and compliant in others (vertical for comfort). Far less road vibration and far better small bump absorption from well-made CF frames. Aluminum can be quite harsh.

For me it's steel or CF every time.

Some new AL frames are much nicer but that seems to be $1000+ bikes from the companies with much deeper pockets or benches if you apply team roster idea to mechanical engineers. I'm kind of in the Detroit for bike industry, and grew up with one of the best known product people on west coast so friends eat and breath this stuff. Few spec or open mold products have the details but there are Trek, Canondale and Giant AL frames with a lot of sophistication to get a better ride.

My Trek friends have repeated it is about 20% higher cost for inspection and QC that differentiates some of their composite products that can come from same places as cheap stuff. I don't think there's a composite frame in our OP's budget but he might appreciate the more sophisticated Trek AL bikes and my steel analogy.

My steel analogy is a decent steel bike is a like or pleasure similar to what strikes me with the generations old Martin, Gibson & Fender designs. A hard to beat and doesn't break the bank combo of stuff got perfected a long time ago.

Know this about metal frames. People have become so fat and warranty claims noticeable to the extent that many bikes have thicker wall tube sets. Many great new steel frames will not be the soft springs you remember from the 1970s or early 80s. A friend who just had his broken steel frame replaced was warned the new one would ride differently because of thicker diameter but still butted steel tube set. My late model Kona Sutra has thicker tube set than my earlier model or others. You know it's stiffer but if anything it feels more like a plastic frame.

[Scott O]

Originally Posted by CoffeeFan

Oh, I'll be certain to share my results.

I'll probably buy in the next week or two; still doing some research. Trek and Specialized seem to be the two brands mentioned most often by people I've spoken to, and it's probably 3 to 1 in favor of Trek.

They're a quality bike in my price range, so odds are good...

Trek and Specialized are the biggest and they both make a lot of good bikes. However, there's a least another dozen manufacturers that also make very nice bikes that would work for you. Similar to looking for a new guitar - you can find great Martins or Taylors, but there's plenty of other options.

I would seek out every shop within a reasonable distance from where you live and recommend you buy from the best shop. What's that mean? Probably will be different for everyone. Did they pressure you or did they ask you a ton of quesitons to get you the right bike. Are they looking at lots of options for you? What's their support look like after the purchase? Any references from friends or online? What's their process to ensure fit? Are they trying to push you into buying one of their instock models or will they order it for you? (many shops are now in the process of moving off 2019 models and may not have exactly what you need).

Good luck!