Recommend new Trek commuter bike please

coolaboola

Howdy folks,

Well, it looks like my employer is going to introduce the new government bike scheme. Which means I'm bike shopping!! Woohoo! And not too soon either, as my current trusty steed is showing her age.

Anyway, can someone recommend a good commuter bike in the Trek range (or other, but I'm favourable biased towards Trek - my current bike (Trek multitrack 721) has served me very well)?

I'm looking for a woman's bike with a comfortabe upright ride (really upright, think high nelly!), preferably equipped. I kinda like the look of the Trek Navigator and 7300 ranges. Or are Trek the best brand for that kind of urban communter bike (or bike path range as Trek call them)?

Comments and suggestions would be most apprceciated.

c

blorg

Treks are good bikes but maybe overpriced for the name. The only other downside with them is they are known as good bikes and are popular with bike thieves. The 7300 is likely to be a bit sportier than the Navigator. What sort of budget do you have? If you were going for the full €1,000 maybe something like the Soho which could benefit from reduced maintenance due to the hub gear.

Gavin

Belt driven too eh. Fancy

blorg

Gavin wrote: »

Belt driven too eh. Fancy

Yeah, no oil either, not that cleaning and oiling your chain is that difficult but many commuters don't seem to do it. Could be a nice low-maintenance commuter.

NextSteps

I'm looking for the same thing (getting the Govt bike scheme too!) so I'll be wathching this with interest. The Navigator 2.0 looks lovely: http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/women/bike_path/navigator20equippedwsde/

blorg

If you like the look of that sort of bike I'd consider the Dawes Diploma (or indeed Graduate.) Not light but could be good for flat around the city and low-maintenance with hub gearing.

NextSteps

blorg wrote: »

If you like the look of that sort of bike I'd consider the Dawes Diploma (or indeed Graduate.) Not light but could be good for flat around the city and low-maintenance with hub gearing.

Gorgeous bike but would it be too heavy for the odd hill? Would 3 or 5 gears be enough? (Actually, this is probably a stupid question. My 12-year-old bike theoretically has 18 gears, but it's a good day if 3 of them work in a a clunky way.So 3 working gears would be heaven!)

Are Dawes a good make?

coolaboola

Excellent replies! Thanks folks.

Noted re thieves and Treks. I'm conscious of that and on that basis probably won't go to the full €1,000 (can always spend the balance on safety and other accessories that can be taken with me when I park). However (and maybe I've just been lucky) my current Trek has survived so I'm confident enough. That and I have a lock that is *enormous* and has out-lived my previous four bikes (and it was a hand-me-down from my Da, so it must be more than 20 years old now!)

I think I saw Dawes in Wolfes a while back. Are they good? I would be a bit put off by excessive weight (my butt is the one excessive weight I'm prepared to lug about!)

coolaboola

Ooh, I do like the look of the Dawes Red Feather (in their City Bikes range) ... not as pretty as the Heritage range but nearly 4 kg lighter! (And I can add my own basket and pannier carrier!)

Anyone any experience of this bike?

(I'm so easily persuaded!)

NeilMcEoigheann

blorg

Dawes are known for making good commuter and touring type bikes. They just wouldn't have such a reputation in racing bikes or MTB. I have an entry-level Dawes hybrid as a hack bike and it has been very reliable for many years. I would say they offer more value for money than Trek in the hybrid/city bike segment.

Regarding the gears, it is more the gear spread between than the highest and lowest that you need to worry about, so while you theoretically have 18 gears there is a lot of overlap. I am not sure what the spread is with those particular hubs although some hubs have similar spread to a derailleur system.

@Neil- I was thinking of that bike myself, it is definately a Trek and a commuter

Lumen

Lots of considerations:

- Frame: step through/low crossbar/mens crossbar (convenience vs weight)
- Gears: hub or derailleur (lower maintenance vs more efficient)
- Brakes: hub, rim or disk (increasing effectiveness and hassle)
- Style: dutch vs traditional vs hybrid.
- Suspension, or not (comfort vs weight).
- Weight: light or not bothered (hills?)
- Mudguards: full vs clipon.
- Chainguard?
- Panniers?

The first question I'd ask a woman is "do you intend to ride this bike with a skirt?".

coolaboola

Dublin is a windy city. Riding a bike in a skirt, one gust and the world's your gynacologist!

Having said that I do prefer a step-through (at least it give the option of windy thrills!) (My sis rides a Trek 7100 men's bike if I'm remembering correctly, and regurlarly does so in a skirt)

As for the other pointers:
Frame - see above
Gears - don't really mind
Brakes - probably least hassel (hubs), I don't go that fast
Style - what is dutch? (Not as in dutch cargo bikes?) High Nelly
Weight - prefer lighter (little bit of hill on way home from work)
Muds - Full
Panniers - yes please

Also: Upright cycling position
Basket on handlebars (its all about practicality for me!)

NextSteps

What she said. I wear skirts cycling all the time and generally have no bother. I wonder if the Cycle to Work Scheme will cover presentable knickers? Safety wear, perhaps!

coolaboola

Heh heh! CTW scheme shopping list:

Bike
Helmet
Visi vest
lights
Basket
Panniers
Pretty knickers!

On the original topic, does anyone know how much a Trek Multitrack 721 (aka my bike) weighs (it would help me in comparing)? Ditto Trek Navigator equipped? The Trek web site doesn't appear to include weight in its bike specs.

coolaboola

Just for pig-iron I called a bike shop to check prices on the Trek Navigator 2.0Equipped which is advertised on line with a recommended retail price of £350.

In the bike shop I called, £350 translated into €539.

(Today's exchange rate is £1 = €1.125, which means that £350 translates as €393, not €539)

blorg

coolaboola wrote: »

Just for pig-iron I called a bike shop to check prices on the Trek Navigator 2.0Equipped which is advertised on line with a recommended retail price of £350.

In the bike shop I called, £350 translated into €539.

(Today's exchange rate is £1 = €1.125, which means that £350 translates as €393, not €539)

Welcome to Ireland :pac:

coolaboola

Indeed!

Wonder would a trip up North be worthwhile? Can anyone recommend a good bike shop up North?

I can't even find somewhere in Dublin that stocks this bike to try it out. Has anyone seen either the Trek Navigator 2.0 or 3.0 WSD Equipped in stock in any Dublin shops?

NextSteps

I've narrowed my search for a good commuter bike down to these:
*Dawes Red Feather (http://www.dawescycles.com/p-88-red-feather.aspx)
*Trek 7300 WSD (http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/bike_path/hybrid/7300wsde/)
*Trek Allant WSD Mostly, admittedly, for the colour and front pannier holder: http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/urban/allant/allantwsdz/)
*Navigator 3.0 Equipped WSD (although it looks a bit little-old-ladylike: http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/women/bike_path/navigator30equippedwsde/)

Actually, I'm really favouring the Allant. All are about £400-£450 rrp, whatever that might mean in euros. Opinions welcome!

coolaboola

And my search has widened too. I haven't managed to find a Trek Navigator 2.0 or 3.0 to try out yet (I like the old lady look! ) So I've started taking a closer look to other options (though still looking for somewhere that has a Trek to try out)

The Giant Expression range looked promising but Wolfe's didn't hav any ladies versions to try so I went to Cycle Superstore in Tallaght. They had two Giant Expressions (N7 and DX) but they were large frame sizes and not upright enough for me (perhaps because they were too big for me).

Anyway, another bike caught my eye, a La Pierre Barcelona ladies bike (interestingly, CCS weren't particualarly pushing the Lapierre). Its a real high nelly. A step-through, Dutch-style with swept back handlebars with loads of scope for perfecting the riding position. A very comfy (though inefficient) ride thanks to loads of suspension. Hub gears and dynamo. And reasonably light too. I likey! €595.

http://bikestocks.es/data/productos/Barcelona-f.jpg

Only problems I can see so far are the crappy teeny, tiny basket (easily remedied) and the design of the pannier rack. Now, you would think the pannier would be easy to change, except that the pannier rack is actually integral to the frame (quite unusual). The problem with it is that, because of the unusal design of pannier carrier, there is nowhere to hook my bungee for lashing my wet-gear bag to the carrier. The other worry I have is that I wouldn't be able to attach my panniers - the carrier is quite chunky - but that's easily tested.

Anyhoo, just another bike to add to the pot for others who, like me, are looking for an upright commuting bike.

Any comments on Lapierre as a brand or indeed the Lapierre Barcelona?

coolaboola

BTW, Trek prices are crazy at the mo due to their 'creative' interpretation of the current exchange rates. According to Trek £350 (list price of Trek Navigator 2.0 WSD equipped) converts to €539 in Ireland. And apparently you can't get Treks shipped to Ireland (I dunno, but that's what the bike shop told me)

neilled

coolaboola wrote: »

BTW, Trek prices are crazy at the mo due to their 'creative' interpretation of the current exchange rates. According to Trek £350 (list price of Trek Navigator 2.0 WSD equipped) converts to €539 in Ireland. And apparently you can't get Treks shipped to Ireland (I dunno, but that's what the bike shop told me)

coola, Trek has a policy of not letting its retailers sell via mail order. Its distributor on the island of Ireland is a company called centro. Interestingly, whilst shops in N.Ireland that get their stock from centro and sell at UK prices, prices in the ROI are much higher, despite both retailers getting their stock from the one place.

Anywhere north of the border will do. My local shop in Enniskillen P McNulty and Sons would probably happily get one in for you. Ditto some of the places in Newry, belfast etc.

coolaboola

Neilled, thanks for that. I had been thinking of heading north of the border to make my purchase (though I have to sort out whether my company will facilitate paying in sterling under the Cycle to Work scheme).

But I'd like to try out one of the Trek Navigators to determine whether its worth going to the bother of sorting that out and making the trip up north. Hmmm.

All in all, its kinda putting me off Trek and pushing me towards Giant (and, since today (I am that fickle), Lapierre) (that and the Trek doesn't come with a full chain guard, a small but handy feature that both Giant and Lapierre offer)