About to purchase a bike...confused with lingo

quintron

hi all,
Stepping into the bicycle arena after a long (since I was a kid; long) absence.. anyway.. was looking at a couple of bikes, both in town (Dublin) and online...
I am torn between two bikes and all the jargon that goes with them.
They are both in the low end of the spectrum.

I am getting a bike mainly for cycling to work, around the city and maybe a little off road at the weekends.. (easing myself into it... :-))

Anyway here are the two links..

This one listed at €429 is from Cycleways.. has the benefits of being in town in an actual shop etc and not online which is good for a novice such as myself... Its a Specialized Hardrock Rigid.
http://www.cycleways.com/store/product/32011/07-Specialized-Hardrock-Rigid/

And this one from chain reaction cycles.. discounted to €410 as its a 2006 model..
Its a Viper TR 3.0 Hardtail, though it looks like it has front shocks.. good or bad? I read here that getting shocks was not really a good option on lower end bikes? However I do like a bargain..
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=10845

I'm not too fussy but I do like the look of the first one (Specialized) being black etc.. but the last thing I'd like to base my purchase on is.. well.. looks alone.

But, truth is, looks are about as much as I can figure out when they start listing all these components ... so I'm turning to the boards for advice.

Any help appreciated as to a steer on the best value!

PS. I'm about 5' 11".. I should be looking at a 20" or 22"?

Cheers!

Morgan

Didn't follow the links, but Specialized have a better brand reputation than Viper.

At your height you should probably be looking at an 18" or 19" frame. MTB frames tend to run smaller than you might think. Make sure the reach (saddle to handlebars) is right for you too - this is probably more important than the quoted size.

milod

I won't even comment on buying a mountain bike when you'll mostly use it on the road...

But, like Morgan says, Specialized are a good brand (I've got a Sirrus Sport and am very happy with it).

However...! I wouldn't buy it from Cyclways and expect any more convenience and aftersales service than you'll get from Chain Reaction cycles. I've had three bad experiences with them relating to shoddy repair work/aftersales. There's one nice chap in there who was very apologetic on each occasion, but three strikes and you're out etc.

Anecdotally, here on the forums and from several mates, they don't exactly sparkle as a dealer. I'd head to the Cycle Inn, or the Cycle Superstore in Tallaght, or maybe Staggs in Lucan if you want decent service. There are a few other threads on here about recommended dealers if you search...

beans

Sorry, can't say much about heights etc, and I don't know the current specs on the Hardrock, but I owned an 02 rigid Hardrock until it was stolen and found it to be an excellent commuter for trips up to around 15km. Solid frame, the components never gave me much trouble, yeah nice enough bike for the price.

No idea how it would work off-road, someone else might shed light on that?

Cycleways should fit you to the right size frame, they're alright. Welcome the wonderful world of adult cycling!

edit - for what it's worth, I found cycleways to be ok, never left me waiting too long for anything, 'not great but not bad' service. That's my experience anyway.

daymobrew

I currently commute on a 2000 Specialized Rockhopper with front suspension. With slick tyres it's a fast commute bike.
My previous bike was a 1996 Specialized Hardrock. Again, slick tyres made is a fast commute bike. I never took it off road, but I would guess it would be good.
Both bikes purchased in California and brought home when I moved back to Dublin.

I'm a fan of Specialized (considering Sirrus hybrid as my next one). Have had mixed experience with CycleWays for service, but in the shop my recent experience wrt accessories/clothing has been good.

Sniipe

daymobrew wrote:

I'm a fan of Specialized (considering Sirrus hybrid as my next one).

To the OP, this is the bike you want. OMG its an animal of a commuter bike. It will even go off road. Mate of mine travelled from Isreal to Ireland on one of these.
Definately 100% the right bike to get. You don't need a full blown off road mountain bike to go off road.

luckat

Your frame size is normally your inside leg length minus nine inches. If it's still available, get Richard's Bicycle Book to read up about all the lingo and understand what you're getting.

If you're getting that dear a bike, get a good lock - Specialized are usually good - and lock both frame and wheels to an immovable object every time.

quintron

Thanks a million for all the info lads!
Everyone is giving a nod to the specialized and I appreciate that, but the Viper is heavily reduced from a list of approx €700 as it is a 2006 model. Can we put that down to creative marketing or maybe to the fact that it actually has better components and is consequently better value in the long run?

Cheers for advice so far. Looks like the Specialized is the one. The most important thing for me now is to make sure I get fitted for the right frame.. (quintron goes off to find measuring tape...).

at1withmyself

quintron wrote:

Thanks a million for all the info lads!
Everyone is giving a nod to the specialized and I appreciate that, but the Viper is heavily reduced from a list of approx €700 as it is a 2006 model. Can we put that down to creative marketing or maybe to the fact that it actually has better components and is consequently better value in the long run?

Cheers for advice so far. Looks like the Specialized is the one. The most important thing for me now is to make sure I get fitted for the right frame.. (quintron goes off to find measuring tape...).

I would say that the viper wins hands down considering what you get for the money. Chain reaction also have a show room so it might be worth calling up to them if you wanna ride the bike.

I ride a specialized s-works myself but I'd still go for the Viper at that price. For correct frame size try using this as a guide:

http://www.bikefitting.com/English/Frame.aspx

Edit:

What about this one:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=10844

Comes with disc brakes for less maintenance and the Fork has a lock out option for when your on the road........

quintron

Cheers at1..
First vote for the Viper..
I think the other one you suggested (2.5) looks good, but would I be correct in assuming the hardware on the TR.3.0 Viper is better than the TR.2.5? Those disc brakes look mad! Both have lockable front forks. Are disc brakes that much better?

I suppose I'm still curious as to the better investment around the €400 mark.

Thanks again!

ash h

The disc brakes on the viper 2.5 aren't great.They are mechanical disc brakes as opposed to hydralic disc brakes.The difference between the v brakes on the 3.0 and the disc brakes on the 2.5 will only be noticable in the wet, where the disc brakes will be better.
The specialized wouldnt be great for offroad as its rigid so you'd feel every shock on the track.

Out of the 3 bikes id go for the viper 3.0.
It has good parts on it.The forks have a lockout for commuting but have 100mm travel for offroad.
As you were talking about the looks of the bikes influencing your opinion the 3.0 looks really nice i think in this picture.
http://www.viper-bikes.co.uk/tr30.html
Hope that information helps.

quintron

Cheers ash, and all.
I've been googling all the various components listed on both the Specialized & Viper 3.0 and, for the money, the Viper 3.0 seems to have a better setup, components et al. I also like the lockable front fork.
I reckon I'll go with the Viper!

at1withmyself

quintron wrote:

Cheers ash, and all.
I've been googling all the various components listed on both the Specialized & Viper 3.0 and, for the money, the Viper 3.0 seems to have a better setup, components et al. I also like the lockable front fork.
I reckon I'll go with the Viper!

You'll not regret it! Let us know how it rides (cycles!) when ya get it...