Help choosing bicycle

[SummitFreedom]

Trek Dual Sport 2 Gen 4

That cycle seems to have a more lower angled metal thing that is the frame that goes toward the seat and rear tire?

The giant seems to be higher up.

When I stood over the cycle while testing it for fit in the cycle store, my balls pretty much touched the frame. This isn't good obviously.

I will be stopping a lot to take in views etc and getting off a fair bit too for the same reason. So it's very important for me that I have plenty of clearance.

So is the trek more lower angled?

[freiston]

The Carrera doesn't have much in the way of frame geometry details on the website so I have no info on that. The Giant Roam Disc 2 has a standover height (from the ground to the top tube - but the top tube slopes down to the saddle, so usually, standover height is taken about half way along) of 756mm for the medium frame, which Giant recommend for riders 170-180 cm tall. The Trek Dual Sport 2 Gen 4 in medium is recommended for riders 165-175cm tall with an inseam of 77-83cm and has a standover of 76.5cm. The large frame (recommended for riders 175-186cm tall with 82-88cm inseam) has a standover height of 80.8 cm (sources linked). I don't know your height, inseam or preference for which frame size and so I've gone for "average" sizes rather than large or small - but the details are on the websites.

With an off-road bike, most people's concern regarding standover is if there is clearance if they unexpectedly come off the saddle and pedals not for stopping and taking in the scenery - clearance for the latter can be smaller than for the former, especially with a sloping top tube, where clearance is greater nearer the saddle, where you're more likely to be when stopping to admire the scenery. For the latter, you only need just enough clearance - a couple of centimetres should be enough, I reckon. Best way to judge is to stand astride the bike and see if there's room (caveat: a change of tyre size could change the standover clearance).

I frequently stop to admire the view etc., have an inseam of 81cm and my bike has a claimed standover of 82.7cm (I haven't measured it); my top tube has no discernable slope - it's pretty much level. With feet flat on the ground, I'm just touching the top tube but can wheel the bike backwards and forwards under me; I have to go on tip-toes to put a gap there but I find it comfortable. I can always tilt the bike sideways and keep one foot resting on the pedal if I want to increase the gap when stopped (but it's not necessary for me to do this).

[SummitFreedom]

The Carrera doesn't have much in the way of frame geometry details on the website so I have no info on that. The Giant Roam Disc 2 has a standover height (from the ground to the top tube - but the top tube slopes down to the saddle, so usually, standover height is taken about half way along) of 756mm for the medium frame, which Giant recommend for riders 170-180 cm tall. The Trek Dual Sport 2 Gen 4 in medium is recommended for riders 165-175cm tall with an inseam of 77-83cm and has a standover of 76.5cm. The large frame (recommended for riders 175-186cm tall with 82-88cm inseam) has a standover height of 80.8 cm (sources linked). I don't know your height, inseam or preference for which frame size and so I've gone for "average" sizes rather than large or small - but the details are on

Where did you find the stand over height for the trek? I can't find it anywhere.

How do I measure my 'inseam' and what is that?

I want at least 5cm clearance when I'm standing over the bike.
When I stood over the giant in size medium in the cycle store, I had about .5mm clearance.

He had me literally on the tips of my toes when standing on the seat. I felt it was too unstable like that and he said you don't want to go lower with the seat height, if anything you want to go maybe 1cm higher. He then went on to explain knee leg angle when pedalling.

I thought I'm supposed to be on the balls of my feet? The part where the toes meet feet?

For me, easy on and off is very important. And stability when standing.

Thanks

[mattsccm]

Just a small point Op. I reckon the person fitting you was being gentle. For a really good cycling position you won't be able to touch the ground with you feet unless you move off the saddle or lean the bike so that one foot touches.
Like many people you are compromising mental security with a good riding position. That's fine but just understand what the person was doing.
You move forward to touch the ground and you only need to get your feet on the ground, just. Steeper angled top tubes may give more space but that shouldn't be a major part of the choosing process.
Finally, remember. If you ask 10 people, you'll get 11 variations of reply.

[SummitFreedom]

Just a small point Op. I reckon the person fitting you was being gentle. For a really good cycling position you won't be able to touch the ground with you feet unless you move off the saddle or lean the bike so that one foot touches.
Like many people you are compromising mental security with a good riding position. That's fine but just understand what the person was doing.
You move forward to touch the ground and you only need to get your feet on the ground, just. Steeper angled top tubes may give more space but that shouldn't be a major part of the choosing process.
Finally, remember. If you ask 10 people, you'll get 11 variations of reply.

But it's not just mental. It's physical. Getting on and off a bike with a lower height of the top bar is so so much easier.

There's even bikes designed for girls for this exact purpose, and I think I saw some by specialised that are for men that also have very very low top bars.

Dutch cycles have those types of top bars too.

Is there a disadvantage to those types of bars on a hybrid?

[SummitFreedom]

Also at Evans Canterbury, the guy there told me I'm in between large and medium and that I should go for a medium.

Whereas this guy at my local cycle store said medium is the right size for me.

[rareposter]

What are you talking about? You know me do you? Also how is Herbert cycles in Whitstable a weird shop?

Sorry, I was referring partly to the previous thread you had on here where the guy at the bike hire place had been talking about tyre pressures and now this one where the sales guy is apparently (and apologies if I've misunderstood) telling you that in order to ride gravel trails you "need" a £1300 MTB.

Some of the advice is probably meant in a reasonable way - if you said you wanted a £400 road bike in order to ride the North Downs Way, it would be quite right to say that it's not an appropriate bike.
But saying "I want a £600 hybrid for some basic off-roading" and have the guy say "no, you need a £1300 MTB" isn't exactly helpful although I get that it may not have been meant in a dismissive way.

Also at Evans Canterbury, the guy there told me I'm in between large and medium and that I should go for a medium.

Whereas this guy at my local cycle store said medium is the right size for me.

That sounds about right - the general rule on hybrids and mountain bikes is if you're between two sizes, go for the smaller one as it's easier to make a small bike bigger than it is to make a big bike smaller!

[Sparky56]

"But saying "I want a £600 hybrid for some basic off-roading" and have the guy say "no, you need a £1300 MTB" isn't exactly helpful although I get that it may not have been meant in a dismissive way."


Had exactly the same happen to me in Fort William in one of the bike shops there....-- they tried to convince me that a £1000+ MTB would be appropriate for my 10 year old daughter, as a replacement for her irreparable Decathlon bike. The salesperson couldn't really comprehend anything other than MTB'ing. Like riding to school.

Walked out and got a hybrid (elswhere) for less than half the cost which worked perfectly for her until she grew out of it...

[Nearholmer]

Also at Evans Canterbury, the guy there told me I'm in between large and medium and that I should go for a medium.

That is probably good advice, especially as some of Evan’s bikes are quite generously-sized for their nominal size; their own-make ‘large’ is quite large.

I’m on the border of ‘medium’ and ‘large’ with some bikes, especially anything “long fronted” like a modern MTB-derived hybrid, and the tourer that I bought during lockdown over the internet, which was really a bit big for me, but very comfortably within ‘large’ on more ‘tight’ frame shapes.

Trouble is, bike sizing is not standardised, and we’re each a different shape!

[SummitFreedom]

Yes. He did say that to ride gravel and the north downs way, I need a 1.3k+ MTB

Start quote
That sounds about right - the general rule on hybrids and mountain bikes is if you're between two sizes, go for the smaller one as it's easier to make a small bike bigger than it is to make a big bike smaller!
End quote
[/quote]

How can you change the size of a cycle?!

[SummitFreedom]

Also at Evans Canterbury, the guy there told me I'm in between large and medium and that I should go for a medium.

That is probably good advice, especially as some of Evan’s bikes are quite generously-sized for their nominal size; their own-make ‘large’ is quite large.

I’m on the border of ‘medium’ and ‘large’ with some bikes, especially anything “long fronted” like a modern MTB-derived hybrid, and the tourer that I bought during lockdown over the internet, which was really a bit big for me, but very comfortably within ‘large’ on more ‘tight’ frame shapes.

Trouble is, bike sizing is not standardised, and we’re each a different shape!

Sorry I meant he said I should go for a LARGE

[rareposter]

How can you change the size of a cycle?!

It's easier to size a "slightly too small" bike up a bit by using a longer seatpost and/or stem than it is to size a "slightly too big" bike down by trying to drop the saddle as low as it'll go. In reality, most people will fit one of the off-the-peg sizes without too much adjustment.

Yes. He did say that to ride gravel and the north downs way, I need a 1.3k+ MTB

The North Downs Way, as a route, is about 150 miles long so I'm guessing you're not going to be riding the whole thing once or twice a week...

There's a bit of a guide to it here:
https://www.cyclinguk.org/route/north-d ... ap-and-gpx

To give the guy in the shop some credit, the western side does have some quite technical bits although it's still doable (with care) on a gravel bike. The eastern side, over where you are is considerably more gentle. Quote from the article I linked to:
The trail provides a wide variety of riding that would suit hardtail mountain bikes and gravel bikes. The Surrey half, with its steep climbs and descents, holloways and narrow wooded tracks is probably best suited to a mountain bike, while the less tumultuous landscape, quiet lanes and gravel tracks of Kent have great potential for swooping along on your gravel bike.

Now have a look at the Wildart Tail - the people riding that are not all on £1300+ MTBs are they?! Much of the woodland, trails, lanes etc around there are perfect for a gravel bike or a hybrid.

It's possible that the guy in the shop misunderstood your questions or translated it a bit too much into what he would ride the North Downs on and there are certainly situations where you do NEED a specific bike (like riding on a BMX track or a velodrome) but to say you NEED a particular price point bike to ride some trails is not helpful for someone just getting into it.

[oaklec]

Sounds like the Carrera in a medium would be perfect

[SummitFreedom]

Sounds like the Carrera in a medium would be perfect

Why

[SummitFreedom]

Thoughts on this cycle?
https://www.cyclesolutions.co.uk/bikes/ ... een__88193

It's got seat suspension.