Thread: Cycling Thread
View Single Post
Old 03-29-2014, 11:48 AM   #1120
flylock shox
1 millionth post winnar!
 
flylock shox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Now world wide!
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by brocoli View Post
Hey Guys,

I'm looking to get further into cycling and I was wondering if you guys had any opinions on a few bikes (b/c CP never really has an opinions...). I was looking at the Specialized Secteur and the Tri-Cross. Both entry level bikes as I'm trying to see if this is what I really want. I am in rural Southern Alberta, so I do need some durability and that is an issue in this purchase. No gravel, but not smooth roads or the cleanest. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
Both good looking machines.

Spend some time thinking about what you're actually going to use it for. Will you stick entirely to paved roads, or would you like to do light off roading? Will you be doing longer tours? Shorter rides? Do you want to bring lots of stuff with you?

The tricross has braze-ons, so you can add a rack and panniers - a big deal if you want to take stuff with you and don't want to wear a back pack. It also looks more versatile for going off the beaten path. But you may be able to sub out the tires on the secteur for cross tires, which should allow it to offroad a bit too. If you're keeping either bike strictly on the road, consider adding some touring tires for durability.

The big difference for me would be the braze-ons. If you don't need to worry about those, I'd go with whichever feels better.
flylock shox is offline