local bike shops — how to choose

[KelOnWheels]

@TwoWheelsDC 25965 wrote:

it’s worth it though because my aluminum bike shoots up hills compared to my steel bike.

Hmm. Yes. I do not think the movement of my bike up a hill can be described, even charitably, as “shooting”.

[Greenbelt]

@TwoWheelsDC 25965 wrote:

Aluminum sure feels real when it’s rattling the teeth out of my skull it’s worth it though because my aluminum bike shoots up hills compared to my steel bike. The difference in acceleration “feel” is very noticeable…not as much give.

Carbon seat stays!

[pfunkallstar]

4REAL! Carbon seat stays and a carbon fork make for fewer crowns and bridges. Then again, I’ve always somewhat longed to be one of those chill looking guys rocking the full-suspension, 6″ travel frames on the MVT. They are going anywhere fast, but they are getting there in style.

[xmlwave]

On the way home I stopped by Hudson Trail Outfitters per KLizotte’s suggestion, and indeed — there were quite a few bikes in my price range. I didn’t even know the store existed and it is quite close to my work. (ty KLizotte!)

I tried couple of bikes and really liked the feel of 2011 Scott Sub 40. I hadn’t heard of this brand before, but for $380 (+/-) the bike was quite nice. It appears that both Hudson Trail Outfitters (with this Scott) and Performance Bicycle (with the Fuji Absolute 3.0) offer lifetime adjustment service. Both bikes are about the same price, and both feel comfortable to ride. I looked up their specs at bikepedia.com per TwoWheelsDC suggestion, but it is hard for me to decypher which one has better components. Here are some examples:

2011 Fuji Absolute 3.0

Brakeset: Tektro Mini-V brakes, Promax alloy levers
Shift Levers: Shimano Acera
Front Derailleur: Shimano FD-M191
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Altus
Crankset: Fuji alloy, 28/38/48 teeth
Rear Cogs: 8-speed, 11 – 32 teeth
Seatpost: Fuji Micro Adjust, 27.2mm diameter
Hubs: Fuji alloy road
Rims: Jalco DT-21 double wall, 32-hole
Tires: 700 x 28c Kenda K-176

2011 Scott Sub 40

Brakeset: Scott Comp V-Brake brakes, Shimano ST-EF51 alloy levers
Shift Levers: Shimano ST-EF51
Front Derailleur: Shimano FD-M191, clamp on
Rear Derailleur: Shimano RD-M360
Crankset: Shimano FC-M171, 48/38/28t teeth
Rear Cogs: 11 – 32 teeth
Seatpost: Scott Alloy, 31.6mm diameter
Hubs: Front: Scott CO-31, Rear: Shimano FH-RM30
Rims: Rigida DP 2000, 32-hole
Tires: 700 x 37c Continental Sport Contact

So… Same price. Good fit. Which one is better (spec-wise)? Hudson Trail Outfitters vs. Performance Bicycle?

[Mark Blacknell]

Which one rides better? Get that. If that doesn’t work, which one looks better? Get that.

(Really, don’t spend too much time overoptimizing. Get the one that makes you smile the most.)

[lordofthemark]

@dasgeh 25679 wrote:

What surfaces do you ride on? How fast do you go/want to go? How much do you carry?

for my current weekend rides all kinds of things – last weekend I took the bus to the MVT and rode that (and also the bridges too and from DC and a bit of the Canal towpath) Ive riden on the cross county trail, including the gravelly and dirt parts, on streets in annandale, sometimes on sidewalks on Little River Turnpike (varying sidewalk conditions).

The commute I am aiming to do would be from the Pentagon Metro station to corner of M and New Jersey SE.

Someday I would like to take a nice long ride on the W&OD – like to Purcellville and back.

Maybe its not being in shape, or knowing the tricks to riding effecitively (I do want to take a class) or its the heat, but I find I get exhausted riding the mountain bike any length, and I don’t go very fast. Last sunday I did a short ride, maybe 10 minutes here in hilly annandale (to get to the bus) than a ride from the Pentagon around to the MVT and then on the MVT to Rosslyn, and by the time I got to Rosslyn I was tired and sweaty. I assume that would have been more pleasant on a lighter bike with narrower wheels.

I would still keep the MTB for the CCT excursions, and so forth. Or I would give it to my daughter.

[vvill]

@GuyContinental 25966 wrote:

I’m a pretty big fan of supporting thy LBS but Nashbar has two dang good deals right now on a generic steel 105 touring/commuter
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_522412_-1___203588

and a generic Force (or Rival for less) road bike
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_533290_-1___203588

You’d have a hard time buying that Force group (new) for that…

Very true. I had a look at some of their bikes online today. You could always support the LBS by bringing your newly purchased Nashbar bike in for final fine-tuning. Though you might get some side eye.

@lordofthemark 25979 wrote:

Maybe its not being in shape, or knowing the tricks to riding effecitively (I do want to take a class) or its the heat, but I find I get exhausted riding the mountain bike any length, and I don’t go very fast. Last sunday I did a short ride, maybe 10 minutes here in hilly annandale (to get to the bus) than a ride from the Pentagon around to the MVT and then on the MVT to Rosslyn, and by the time I got to Rosslyn I was tired and sweaty. I assume that would have been more pleasant on a lighter bike with narrower wheels.

The first time I ever tried the W&OD/Custis was about 6 years ago when I tried my commute on for size on a weekend. I had a $300 MTB and I was so exhausted, I didn’t attempt riding to work for 3-4 years after that!(only to metro – it was thanks to Bike to Work Day I attempted bike commuting again.)

For a MTB I think the easiest optimization is to get thinner slicker tires, and make sure they are inflated enough. You can get 26″ slicks for <$20 each (they're around 1.2-1.5 inches wide). It's probably not worth the $ trying to lighten a stock MTB. Also make sure your saddle is high enough for decent leg extension. If you happen to have a front shock with lockout it could be helpful to lock it out as well.

[KLizotte]

@xmlwave 25974 wrote:

So… Same price. Good fit. Which one is better (spec-wise)? Hudson Trail Outfitters vs. Performance Bicycle?

I agree with Mark. Go with the one that feels the most comfortable and seems to ride the best. That will make the biggest difference in enjoyment over the long term. If you keep up with routine maintenance and avoid potholes, the components will age equally well. The brands are both well respected. Also which LBS makes you feel the most comfortable and seems most willing to help you out with adjustments?

But it really comes down to whether the bike makes you feel like you are in control, doesn’t hurt any body parts, feels “zippy”, etc. If you don’t want to get off, that’s a good sign. Make sure before you buy that all of the accessories you want to add are doable (e.g., fenders, rack, etc).

[ShawnoftheDread]

Either of those two is going to work find for your intended ride. Based on tire size, the Fuji might be a bit better on pavement and the Scott a bit better on trails with gravel sections.

I second what Mark said. Get the one you like better on a gut level, not analyzing the minor differences between those two component groups. Or buy from whichever store you feel better about.

[xmlwave]

Alright… I got it. I was gravitating towards the Fuji Absolute 3.0, but at the end, I got the Diamondback Insight (Performance Exclusive). At the end of the day, I am still a newb when it comes to bikes, so I decided to start small and eventually build up to a more serious bike. Getting $600 bike would have been an overkill for my needs right now, even though I was sooo tempted (and had the budget). The guys at Performance Bicycle were exceptional, and I would not hesitate to recommend them (Vienna/Tyson’s location) to anyone who is new to biking.

Thanks for all the support here on this forum! Now that I have a bike, I plan to visit this forum for more insight and suggestion on how best to explore the trails around Arlington. There are also more accessories and gear to get, but all this in its own time.

Can’t wait to go out on the trails tomorrow when the rain stops. See you all there!

[KelOnWheels]

@xmlwave 26004 wrote:

Alright… I got it. I was gravitating towards the Fuji Absolute 3.0, but at the end, I got the Diamondback Insight (Performance Exclusive).

Pics or it didn’t happen!

[KLizotte]

Congrats! You will now become obsessed with weather forecasts and radar, at least during the summer. Make sure you have a good lock and lots of water!

Get your hands on the various bike maps the counties put out.

Enjoy.

[xmlwave]

The Insight handles very well. At least compared to my old bike. This morning was drizzling a bit, but I still went out East on W&OD trail for few miles. However, this afternoon the weather was great and I was able to check out W&OD West of here. Looks like commuting to DC on this bike should be fairly easy! This week I will try to get biking gloves and few other accessories to make the commute easier/ more fun.

I noticed some noise from the bike (esp. at higher speeds), but couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. I will probably go back to the store for them to check out the alignment, etc. I am really glad that I got it from a local store vs. ordering it online and having to assemble it myself.

Here is a pic of the bike from this afternoon. [ATTACH=CONFIG]1392[/ATTACH]

[KelOnWheels]

Nice! Happy riding!

[mstone]

@TwoWheelsDC 25964 wrote:

Sorry for the confusion…I was just assuming the 3.0 was the more expensive of the two when I was looking at the specs. Fuji may need to work on it’s naming scheme…

Fuji call the top-end model in each line 1.0, and the numbers increase as the price-point goes down, sorta like “first place, second place, etc.”

[Author]

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