Specialized Sirrus A1 Elite

Price Paid:  $400.00 at webster

Summary:
Overall, i have been extreamly pleased. Comfy. Stylish. It's easy to look after. Reliable. I am not a hero biker, but for joe bloggs it is a great, fast, reliable, fun, easy bike. Bit expensive for me, but i don't regret it.

Strengths:
I have had it for two years ride 5-10 miles a day and needed no new parts expect brake pads. It hardly needs any adjustments.

Weaknesses:
seat uncomfy at first, but fine after a week or so. Can't find a chain guard.

Similar Products Used:
none

Price Paid:  $650.00 at Gregg's Cycle (Bellv

Favorite Ride:
L. Sammamish Loop

Bike Setup:
Aerobar for haulin the mail. Light and Computer mounted on Aerobar. Zefal big fenders. Nite Owl up front. Cat Eye 5-LED Tail light (This is the brightest battery powered light out there.)

Summary:
Great commuter so far (15 m each way). Head's-up position and flat bar are great for dodgin traffic. Handles and climbs great!

26C tires and suspension post smooth ride. No discernable harshness from Al Frame.

105 Derailures Front and Rear. Shifting is smooth so far. Front was set too low and rubbed outer ring. But Gregg's (Bellvue) wrench went through entire bike at 60 days and now all is well. (These guys are great!)

Strengths:
Do anything capability. Best value in a 105 Bike. Good handling & brakes. Easy to mount fenders (a must here) & rack

Weaknesses:
Paint seems kinda soft. Had to chase threads on the fender mounting insert located between seat stays. Shimano chain comes with crap-magnet preservative.

Similar Products Used:
none

Price Paid:  $550.00 at Bob Trotter, York, U

Favorite Ride:
Anywhere to home

Bike Setup:
As it came, with the addition of mudguards, Shimano 434 pedals, and curved bar-ends set almost horizontal, which give a nice high-speed cruising position.

Summary:
I'd bought a Scott Street bike and it had fired my enthusiasm, but I then of course wanted something I could use for longer distances - plus still being practical for commuting in town. So... flat bars, 700c wheels, plenty of gears, suspension seatpost. I bought it after reading reviews here. I was browsing my local Specialized dealer when they mentioned they were giving 20% discount on 2002 bikes in stock; they had this in my size. I pretty much rode it away and haven't regretted it once.

It's light, practical (takes SKS mudguards safely, along with a rack) and is comfortable and fast. My job involves me visiting sites 20-30 miles away and I now regularly use the bike for the journey and enjoy it. Isn't that what a bike should do?

Strengths:
It's got a general feel of quality. The 105 rear mech works gorgeously, the Deore front is okay. Suspension seatpost does just what it should - you don't notice it's there, but you don't notice bumps either. "Body Geometry" seat and grips are comfy. The Ritchey wheels and cranks look good, but....

Weaknesses:
....the 175mm cranks fitted to med frame size upwards are a touch long for me. The (platform) pedals look nice but are far too slippy and have been replaced.

Similar Products Used:
None, other than test rides.

Price Paid:  $899.00 at UC Cyclery

Favorite Ride:
San Diego to Oceanside

Bike Setup:
Stock. Need to get a kit bag and pump!

Summary:
I love this bike! It has the best of everything for the price. Previously, I was commuting to work with a GT Tequesta MTB and decided that a road bike was in order. The people at UC Cyclery were awesome! They encouraged me to test ride it and right away I was hooked. I waited three months in the hopes that I would find a better bike but it never happened. Now that I have it, my commute is faster and I think I look pretty cool on it. =)

Strengths:
Components, Design, Comfort are the strengths of this bike.

Weaknesses:
Only thing I would complain about is the lack of a 105 front derailleur. But that's my $0.02!

Similar Products Used:
Had a Cannondale road bike years ago and think the Specialized beats it hands down.
It all started with a Huffy Dragster in 1970!

Price Paid:  $1140.00 at Pierik's

Favorite Ride:
Hamilton to Montreal

Bike Setup:
Shimano 105
Ritchey Headset, Wheelset, Crankset

Summary:
I've been riding a brodie torque set up commuter styles and wanted to go mountain but still have a commuter bike. hybrids seemed kind of new on the market, but the set up of this bike looked great. i used to be a courier and this is definitely the dream courier bike. Shimano 105, Ritchey crank, head, and wheel set, USE1 suspension seat post. it's been riden over 1500 km in about 5 months and is still a joy to ride every time.

Strengths:
27 speed is great for hills and stretches. the tires are amazing, haven't had a flat since i've started riding. can put panniers on front and back and brake clearance allows for small zefal fenders to fit nicely. flat bar is great for the city and grips are really comfortable. frame is heavier compared to most road bikes, but the extra butting is there for rougher use in the city. v-brakes are perfect for this bike, but the pads wear down quickly.

Weaknesses:
only problem i've had so far is with the ritchey front cranks. the crank bolt and crank arm may loosen depending on how rough you are. be sure to check them often. also, the faux-chrome paint job on the bike looks great, but chips pretty easy. i wrapped the frame in electrical tape to prevent it from getting chipped and/or stolen.

Similar Products Used:
rode a gaint pegasus - wasn't that impressed
use a brodie torque - an amazing machine
cannondale bad boy - i would really love to ride one, they look great