[psych|ink]

Sorry for any cross-postings but in a rush to decide on a bike before saturday!!

Please help me decide b/w the following. I was first going for the cheaper $579 Crosstrail disk, but the LBS person suggested looking at the ones with the suspension lock out. I'm trying to keep my budget reasonable. I'll be more of a Sunday rider with my son who I bought the Specialized Hotrock 24 21-speed bike

I'm trying to find the best bang for buck b/w the following 3... the LBS rep suggested looking at hydraulic disks too but I think staying with regular disk brakes may be plenty for me. I'm trying to figure out at this price point, is there a major difference b/w cannondale vs specialized specs/quality and what I'll be getting for my $

Cannondale Quick CX3 $799

Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disk $749

Specialized Crosstrail Disk $579


Thanks in advance

 

[AndrwSwitch]

Are you riding off-road with your son, or just cruising around on MUPs?

Hybrids pretty much suck. But they're up to the task of riding MUPs, and some people like them as utility bikes.

One of the problems with hybrids is that they come with really crappy suspension forks. They actually make the ride worse. You can buy a rigid fork, but throwing money at the bike when you could have bought one with a rigid fork in the first place seems silly to me. Have a look at the Sirrus line. In Cannondale, the Quick (not CX) line would be better.

If you're going to go off-road, get a mountain bike. It'll be fine for riding on MUPs too. Hybrids rapidly show their true colors when you try to go off-road on them.