Hybrids: Specialized Sirrus or Ridgeback Velocity?

Ghost Rider

I'm looking at buying a hybrid in the €500-600 range - mainly for commuting but also for the occasional tour. I've tried the Specialized Sirrus (€600) and liked it a lot, but the Ridgeback Velocity looks nice too and I can pick one up for just under €500.

The Specialized seems to come in for almost universal acclaim but the Ridgeback is a somewhat lesser known quantity. Anyone got any feelings about either? Any advice is much appreciated.

By the way, the specs for both bikes can be found here but I'm not familiar enough with the individual components to say how they compare:

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=22265&bikeTab=techspec

http://www.ridgebackbikes.com/index.php?bikeID=535&seriesID=37&show_bike=TRUE

311

I've a sirrus sport and I absolutely love it.Like cycling on air.:D
Some sirrus come with really soft saddles, not very good for long cycles.

copacetic

i'd go with the spesh too, but the ridgeback bikes have a very good name and are popular among commuters especially in the uk so don't think you can go wrong with either.

have a look for reviews of the ridgeback genesis day 0 or similar online, looks like the rapide range has replaced the genesis range?

Ghost Rider

Yeah, I've heard people mentioning the Ridgeback Genesis bikes but haven't been able to find any reference to them on the Ridgeback site (which is pretty minimal, it has to be said). Suspect they've been replaced alright.

A concern is that the Specialized, being a better known brand, is a touch more "robbable" than the Ridgeback. But maybe that's nonsense. After all, a shiny new bike is a shiny new bike and it'll always be attractive to the magpie thieves of Dublin. What does anyone think?

daveym wrote:

i'd go with the spesh too, but the ridgeback bikes have a very good name and are popular among commuters especially in the uk so don't think you can go wrong with either.

have a look for reviews of the ridgeback genesis day 0 or similar online, looks like the rapide range has replaced the genesis range?

blorg

Had a Sirrus Elite for many years and very happy with it indeed. I think the Sirrus is likely to be a bit closer to a road bike (thinner tyres, gear ratios also although I think only higher in the range) and the Ridgeback closer to a mountain bike (thicker tyres.)

Best ride both and see which you prefer.

Ghost Rider

The Ridgeback does have road bike-style tyres, actually. It's in their Rapide range, which seems to be aimed at the same market as the Sirrus and the Giant OCR rangess.

Will definitely try it out anyway. Cheers.

blorg wrote:

Had a Sirrus Elite for many years and very happy with it indeed. I think the Sirrus is likely to be a bit closer to a road bike (thinner tyres, gear ratios also although I think only higher in the range) and the Ridgeback closer to a mountain bike (thicker tyres.)

Best ride both and see which you prefer.

blorg

Ah ok, web seemed to suggest 700x37 or even 38 as against the 28 on the Sirrus. Any reason you aren't considering the Giant?

Ghost Rider

I guess this would be equivalent in the Giant range, would it?

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=38&idproduct=11339

To be honest, no reason other than that I liked the look of the other two better. Is the Giant significantly better spec-ed?

blorg wrote:

Ah ok, web seemed to suggest 700x37 or even 38 as against the 28 on the Sirrus. Any reason you aren't considering the Giant?

Ghost Rider

On the wheels, I was basing my judgement purely on sight (i.e. the Ridgeback's wheels looked "thin"). Would you say 700x37 is much closer to a mountain bike?

blorg wrote:

Ah ok, web seemed to suggest 700x37 or even 38 as against the 28 on the Sirrus. Any reason you aren't considering the Giant?

blorg

700x37/38 is a lot wider and closer to a mountain bike. I have a Dawes Discovery with I think 38. There is definately a different feel, bumps are a lot smoother but it also feels slower.

I see Rasta has his (large) Specialized Sirrus up for sale in this forum for €350 - I'd seriously consider that option if it's the right size for you.

tywy

I love my sirrus, don't know much about bikes though :P

Ghost Rider

Cheers for that. Took another look at the Ridgeback today (in London doing work so didn't get a chance to ride it) and, indeed, the wheels are definitely wider than the Sirrus. Will keep Rasta's bike in mind, as the size would be right...

By the way, reassuring to see I'm not the only one who posts on Internet forums around midnight...

blorg wrote:

700x37/38 is a lot wider and closer to a mountain bike. I have a Dawes Discovery with I think 38. There is definately a different feel, bumps are a lot smoother but it also feels slower.

I see Rasta has his (large) Specialized Sirrus up for sale in this forum for €350 - I'd seriously consider that option if it's the right size for you.

copacetic

Ghost Rider wrote:

On the wheels, I was basing my judgement purely on sight (i.e. the Ridgeback's wheels looked "thin"). Would you say 700x37 is much closer to a mountain bike?

yep this rapide doesn't seem to be equivalent to the sirrus on the wheel front, the spesh globe range is more its equivalent. the genesis day range were the equivalent but I dunno where they are gone..

Ghost Rider

They must be still making them because the shop I was looking at today in London had a rake of Genesis bikes. Maybe it's considered a whole different brand and therefore has its own website...?

daveym wrote:

yep this rapide doesn't seem to be equivalent to the sirrus on the wheel front, the spesh globe range is more its equivalent. the genesis day range were the equivalent but I dunno where they are gone..

Ghost Rider

Ah, here we are:

http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/

Ghost Rider wrote:

They must be still making them because the shop I was looking at today in London had a rake of Genesis bikes. Maybe it's considered a whole different brand and therefore has its own website...?

copacetic

Ghost Rider wrote:

Ah, here we are:

http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/

aha, they used to be just the one brand, weird!

They are the ones I've seen around and heard great reports
about.

Ghost Rider

Given that the wheels on the Ridgeback Velocity are more MTB-y, I guess the Day 0 is closer in spec to the Sirrus. They're certainly closer in price.

A real worry for me is the rob-ability of new bikes. My current bike has a 5-year old frame made by the (relatively obscure) Merida in an uncharming colour. My gut feeling tells me that the Sirrus is a more "rob"-able bike than either the Genesis or the Ridgeback, mainly on account of the Specialized brand being considerably better known than either of them but also because, being a gorgeous shiny silver, it's just more attractive to bike-stealing magpie apes.

Is this realistic? Or is this just fantasy? Am I caught in a landslide? With no escape from reality?

daveym wrote:

aha, they used to be just the one brand, weird!

They are the ones I've seen around and heard great reports
about.

Itsfixed

well if you can stand it, you could buy the spesh and do what i did with my newish frame: wrap the main tubes in old rubber tubes and black electrical tape. And buy two locks - one a good, mini-U lock and the other a motorcycle lock that you keep at your bike rack at work or wherever in town you regularly leave it. I leave mine at heuston station.

it does detract from the sexiness of the shiny new bike, somewhat.

Turbulent Bill

Ghost Rider wrote:

Given that the wheels on the Ridgeback Velocity are more MTB-y, I guess the Day 0 is closer in spec to the Sirrus. They're certainly closer in price.

A real worry for me is the rob-ability of new bikes. My current bike has a 5-year old frame made by the (relatively obscure) Merida in an uncharming colour. My gut feeling tells me that the Sirrus is a more "rob"-able bike than either the Genesis or the Ridgeback, mainly on account of the Specialized brand being considerably better known than either of them but also because, being a gorgeous shiny silver, it's just more attractive to bike-stealing magpie apes.

Is this realistic? Or is this just fantasy? Am I caught in a landslide? With no escape from reality?

You're probably right, though I'm sure any discerning thief would me more than happy with a Day 0 . You should factor in the price of some serious locks, regardless of which one you go for, and try to find somewhere secure for it.

copacetic

Ghost Rider wrote:

Given that the wheels on the Ridgeback Velocity are more MTB-y, I guess the Day 0 is closer in spec to the Sirrus. They're certainly closer in price.

A real worry for me is the rob-ability of new bikes. My current bike has a 5-year old frame made by the (relatively obscure) Merida in an uncharming colour. My gut feeling tells me that the Sirrus is a more "rob"-able bike than either the Genesis or the Ridgeback, mainly on account of the Specialized brand being considerably better known than either of them but also because, being a gorgeous shiny silver, it's just more attractive to bike-stealing magpie apes.

Is this realistic? Or is this just fantasy? Am I caught in a landslide? With no escape from reality?

I would say the spesh is a bit more desirable but the genesis or ridgeback will be just as inviting. They look expensive and well built so would be a target. tbh I wouldn't commute on anything like these if I didn't have a secure place to lock them, eventually they will get taken or badly damaged in an attempt no matter what you do..

RasTa

Just pop the wheels and lock them to the bike. Works for me.

Ghost Rider

I hear ya. I noticed an awful lot of the couriers in London have tape over the main tubes of their bikes. So many of them seem to be doing it, I started to wonder if it would have the reverse effect i.e. convince a thief that, despite the invisibility of the brand name, "this must be a bike worth robbing".

I already have a good Kryptonite u-lock (with the better designed key!) and a very decent Kryptonite cable lock. Hopefully they'll be enough to protect my new one, whatever it is.

By the way, thanks for all the suggestions, folks.

Itsfixed wrote:

well if you can stand it, you could buy the spesh and do what i did with my newish frame: wrap the main tubes in old rubber tubes and black electrical tape. And buy two locks - one a good, mini-U lock and the other a motorcycle lock that you keep at your bike rack at work or wherever in town you regularly leave it. I leave mine at heuston station.

it does detract from the sexiness of the shiny new bike, somewhat.

ruprect

Ghost Rider wrote:

I started to wonder if it would have the reverse effect i.e. convince a thief that, despite the invisibility of the brand name, "this must be a bike worth robbing"..

Yeah it would convince them, all they have to do is peel it off. I picked my bike partly because it didnt look very special, no disc brakes or suspension, no wheels with only a few spokes or odd frame. However then I got it, it looked more flash than I thought it would. I since went to woodies and got a can of yellow paint and just sloshed it on, all over the frame, wheels, spokes, hubs, components, everywhere! (being careful enough not to ruin any mechanical devices). It now looks appalling! a guy who cycles in work was saying "why did you destroy a perfectly good bike", I was asking how it was destroyed? it is goes just as fast as ever, and should last longer too, since it wont be nicked. Another guy said he wouldnt pay over €20 for it.

It has a few advantages.
Protects against corrosion.
Makes the bike more visible to motorists.
Devalues the bike dramatically, so lowers resale value (I never plan on selling it)
Devalued since it looks crap. People offered it by a scumbag will know it is nicked, they do not know who the previous owner was- they could be cycling in town and risk getting a brick in the head from the previous owner who would recognise it. They risk the police picking them out from a description given to them saying "the entire bike is yellow". The paint job is so bad it could not be sprayed over to make it passible. All the components are painted so it would be a big job to cover them.

Ghost Rider

This reminds me of stories you sometimes hear about people who've been forced to saw off their own leg after getting bitten by a snake that may or may not prove fatally poisonous (i.e. it's probably the wise thing to do but I'm not sure I could bring myself to do it).

ruprect wrote:

Yeah it would convince them, all they have to do is peel it off. I picked my bike partly because it didnt look very special, no disc brakes or suspension, no wheels with only a few spokes or odd frame. However then I got it, it looked more flash than I thought it would. I since went to woodies and got a can of yellow paint and just sloshed it on, all over the frame, wheels, spokes, hubs, components, everywhere! (being careful enough not to ruin any mechanical devices). It now looks appalling! a guy who cycles in work was saying "why did you destroy a perfectly good bike", I was asking how it was destroyed? it is goes just as fast as ever, and should last longer too, since it wont be nicked. Another guy said he wouldnt pay over €20 for it.

It has a few advantages.
Protects against corrosion.
Makes the bike more visible to motorists.
Devalues the bike dramatically, so lowers resale value (I never plan on selling it)
Devalued since it looks crap. People offered it by a scumbag will know it is nicked, they do not know who the previous owner was- they could be cycling in town and risk getting a brick in the head from the previous owner who would recognise it. They risk the police picking them out from a description given to them saying "the entire bike is yellow". The paint job is so bad it could not be sprayed over to make it passible. All the components are painted so it would be a big job to cover them.

Itsfixed

ruprect wrote:

Yeah it would convince them, all they have to do is peel it off. I picked my bike partly because it didnt look very special, no disc brakes or suspension, no wheels with only a few spokes or odd frame. However then I got it, it looked more flash than I thought it would. I since went to woodies and got a can of yellow paint and just sloshed it on, all over the frame, wheels, spokes, hubs, components, everywhere! (being careful enough not to ruin any mechanical devices). It now looks appalling! a guy who cycles in work was saying "why did you destroy a perfectly good bike", I was asking how it was destroyed? it is goes just as fast as ever, and should last longer too, since it wont be nicked. Another guy said he wouldnt pay over €20 for it.

It has a few advantages.
Protects against corrosion.
Makes the bike more visible to motorists.
Devalues the bike dramatically, so lowers resale value (I never plan on selling it)
Devalued since it looks crap. People offered it by a scumbag will know it is nicked, they do not know who the previous owner was- they could be cycling in town and risk getting a brick in the head from the previous owner who would recognise it. They risk the police picking them out from a description given to them saying "the entire bike is yellow". The paint job is so bad it could not be sprayed over to make it passible. All the components are painted so it would be a big job to cover them.

Yes, but people will think that you've stolen it and perceive you as nothing but a scumbag. Can't win really :-)

Not sure that sloshing yellow paint would protect it any more from corrosion than it already is, as the original paint job applied by manufacturers would be much tougher than any rattlecan job.

Ghost Rider

I just went for a test spin on a Giant FCR-3 (from Commuting Solutions). Beautiful ride, I must say, and it's now a serious contender for the new bike. Anyone else got one of these? If so, what do you think?

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/road/125/15209/

The guy in the shop told me Giant bring out their new range around this time of year. I wonder does that mean the "07" version will be discounted shortly...?

Ghost Rider

Just to finish off this thread: I eventually opted for neither the Ridgeback or the Specialized, even though I tried and liked both. Instead I went for a Giant FCR3, which seemed quite a bit faster than the Ridgeback and somewhat more comfortable than the Specialized. It cost €560.

The bike weighed around 10.5kg initially, which felt really light to me. Of course that all changed as soon as I added a pair of decent locks (including an Abus Granit X-Plus 54), a pannier rack and mudguards. But what's a guy to do? As a "sports hybrid" or "flat bar road bike" it still feels considerably faster and lighter than my old hybrid, which was closer to a mountain bike in its components (particularly the wheels).

Looking at the components, I'm also impressed by the ability of the manufacturer to produce a bike of this kind for that money, even though the groupset is at the low end of the Shimano range. Maybe that just shows how dim my awareness is of economies of scale. Then again, maybe the profit margins on bikes like that are genuinely tiny. I can't say. Either way, I'm happy with the bike and it feels like really good value.

Even with that Abus lock and a reasonably thick Kryptonite cable lock, though, I'm still nervous about locking the bike in Dublin city centre...