2 similar bikes, so what makes them hybrid and mountain?

Cycrow

Strider590 wrote: »

As for the issue of weight in your original post, my Sirrus weighs about 25-26lb, my Kona Kikapu (full sus) weighs around 27-28lb, admittedly the Kona was a £1500+ bike, but I can't work out why the Sirrus isn't much lighter, I suspect it could be the re-enforced tyres (Nimbus FlakJacket), because the wheels are MUCH heavier than those on my Kona.

i suspect a £1500 bike, part of it would be made from Carbon which will make it lighter

Strider590

Cycrow wrote: »

i suspect a £1500 bike, part of it would be made from Carbon which will make it lighter

The Kona is definitely aluminium
I think I need to get the wheels off and weigh the frames :cool:

Cycrow

Still, your comparing a £1500 with a £500 bike, so theres bound to be better/light components on the more expensive bike.

Generally, the more expensive the components, the lighter they are.

my bike was under £1000 and has Aluminium frame but Carbon forks

ILW

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

Would this facility be absent from the cheaper end of the market? If weight is not that much of an issue then this would be ideal. Most of my cycling is in the evening when I take advantage of clear pavements, thus there's a lot of crossing of uneven dropped kerbs. If I had intermittent suspension, I could easily drop down onto the road when pedestrians appear, and there's also a major grass-and-gravel short-cut I could use. I'm thinking of something like this, but it doesn't state if the suspension can be turned off.

Suspension forks with lockouts tend to cost a couple of hundred pounds for the forks alone.
Cheap suspension is not worth having and will just make riding more hard work.
This is nearly 20 years old, will be a joy to ride and will probably last another 20 years (It is noting to do with me, but I have similar)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1994-Kona-Lava-Dome-Retro-Classic-/171100410721?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item27d6611361

photome

ILW wrote: »

Suspension forks with lockouts tend to cost a couple of hundred pounds for the forks alone.
Cheap suspension is not worth having and will just make riding more hard work.
This is nearly 20 years old, will be a joy to ride and will probably last another 20 years (It is noting to do with me, but I have similar)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1994-Kona-Lava-Dome-Retro-Classic-/171100410721?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item27d6611361

That looks nice for a 20 year old bike.

I have a 6 year old Kona that is also like new

Johnmcl7

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

Would this facility be absent from the cheaper end of the market? If weight is not that much of an issue then this would be ideal. Most of my cycling is in the evening when I take advantage of clear pavements, thus there's a lot of crossing of uneven dropped kerbs. If I had intermittent suspension, I could easily drop down onto the road when pedestrians appear, and there's also a major grass-and-gravel short-cut I could use. I'm thinking of something like this, but it doesn't state if the suspension can be turned off.

That's correct about lockouts not being available on cheaper suspension forks (I can't see a lockout on the bike you've listed and doubt there would be one), a decent entry level mountain bike if you'd like to go that way is the Decathlon Rock Rider 5.3 which does have a lockout on its fork plus it has disc brakes. It also has MTB tyres which will help off road but hinder on road, there's fairly cheap slick tyres or shallow tread tyres you can change it over to.

The usage you've mentioned wouldn't really benefit from suspension unless the bike has a stiff setup particularly as cheap suspension forks are usually not very good. I leave the fork locked out when cycling around town and on standard trails, it's only when the surface starts to get rough I find it worth having the fork enabled as otherwise you can waste effort in compressing the front fork.

John

Kernel_Sanders

OK back to the drawing board then!
This caught my eye on that E Bay link....mmmm, that looks nice and comfy!

Johnmcl7

A recumbent trike, I tried one of them at an event where a company had taken along a variety of different bikes and they had a similar one to that although with disc brakes and a newer shifter. I quite liked the idea of although not on main roads but couldn't find any for sale, only plans for building one. Having said that I'm not sure they would work that well as it felt difficult to get any drive into the pedals.

John

custardy

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

OK back to the drawing board then!
This caught my eye on that E Bay link....mmmm, that looks nice and comfy!

Why?
What happened to going off road?

Kernel_Sanders

custardy wrote: »

Why?
What happened to going off road?

The shortcut I mentioned is too bumpy and hilly to be comfortable without suspension.