Hi there. I am trying to decide what bike to buy and am confused.

I will spend 80-90% of my time commuting on a 12 mile round trip which could turn into a 22 mile round trip when I move in about 6 months time. I am a teacher and I use panniers on my mountain bike at the moment and would use these on my new bike as I always have stuff to take home (generally a set of books to mark). The panniers can be fairly heavy.

I am looking for a bike that is quick on the road, reliable and able to cope with the load of my panniers. It would be good if it could do tow paths as well so that I can put my old mountain bike to bed.

My budget is £400 and I have looked at the Specialized Sirrus, Trek 7300FX and Specialized Crossroads. The Crossroads has a riding position that is too upright for my liking and the frame is fairly heavy. I loved the Sirrus, it seemed light and fast although I am concerned about its durability and the effect on the tyres given my panniers and also I'm not sure whether it would cope with a tow path. The Trek 7300FX seems to be somewhere in between with a fairly light frame and a tyre width in between the Sirrus and the Crossroads and is suitable for tow path and road. However the parts on it seemed inferior in quality to those of the Sirrus.

How much difference speedwise will it make between getting the slick tyres of the Sirrus versus the hybrid tyres of the 7300FX or the Crossroads?

Any advice or suggestions for bikes to look at would be gratefully received as I am desperate to get a new bike but just don't know which one to go for.

Chris
:confused:

There is a review of the Sirrus at http://www.australiancyclist.com.au/showarticle.php?s=4&a=114

It sounds like it should do what you want. I wouldn't worry about the tires too much. You can always change them.

Unless you have a burning desire for a flat-bar hybrid, why not consider a steel touring-style or commuter-style road bike? I realize some people can only be comfortable on a hybrid due to physical limitations. However, some people just seem to be put off by drop bars. If you fall into the latter category, I encourage you to reconsider.

If I were in your situation and wanted to spend ~$725, I would look at bikes like the Jamis Aurora or Jamis Nova. Not sure if they're available in the UK but you might be able to order one online somewhere.

Another good option would be the Bianchi Castro Valley but that might be pushing your budget a little bit. The perennial favorite for this type of bike is the Surly Crosscheck but I think that is definitely outside your budget (unless you opt for used).

General characteristics I would look for: steel frameset, cantilever brakes (for bigger tires), eyelets for racks and fenders, triple or compact crankset. You might be able to find an older bike which meets these criteria in your budget as well as the new options listed above.

- khill

what got yu to decide on "slick tires" ? That's for road bikes. Slicks aren't gonna help your workload.grip to the road better. Get the Conti Gp3000