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Specialized HardRock
Hi All,
Thanks for all the replies to my earlier post, asking for opinions on a Specialized HardRock. What I didn't mention is that I do 95% road (Commuting) but do enjoy the other 5% which is mediocre off road. Does that change things much? A friend has a hardrock and rates it even for road use, apart from the tyres! Another friend says to get a Hybrid of some sort as that will be 'easier to ride' for road use. Any ideas? Should I look at something else? I can see this turning into one of those 'the more I ask the more confused I get' things! Simon. |
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#2
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Specialized HardRock
Simon Harris wrote:
Hi All, Thanks for all the replies to my earlier post, asking for opinions on a Specialized HardRock. What I didn't mention is that I do 95% road (Commuting) but do enjoy the other 5% which is mediocre off road. Does that change things much? A friend has a hardrock and rates it even for road use, apart from the tyres! Another friend says to get a Hybrid of some sort as that will be 'easier to ride' for road use. Any ideas? Should I look at something else? I can see this turning into one of those 'the more I ask the more confused I get' things! Simon. mmm, stay away from a hybrid. They are good for no one thing, mediocre at everything else. |
#3
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Specialized HardRock
"Simon Harris" wrote in message ... Hi All, Thanks for all the replies to my earlier post, asking for opinions on a Specialized HardRock. What I didn't mention is that I do 95% road (Commuting) but do enjoy the other 5% which is mediocre off road. Does that change things much? A friend has a hardrock and rates it even for road use, apart from the tyres! Another friend says to get a Hybrid of some sort as that will be 'easier to ride' for road use. Any ideas? Should I look at something else? I can see this turning into one of those 'the more I ask the more confused I get' things! Simon. Get something that feels comfortable and is going to work for how you need to use it. You're the only one that can decide. Unless you plan to do any type of "mountain biking" in the typcal sense, a hybrid would probably work just fine. CG |
#4
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Specialized HardRock
"small change" wrote in message ... Simon Harris wrote: Hi All, Thanks for all the replies to my earlier post, asking for opinions on a Specialized HardRock. What I didn't mention is that I do 95% road (Commuting) but do enjoy the other 5% which is mediocre off road. Does that change things much? A friend has a hardrock and rates it even for road use, apart from the tyres! Another friend says to get a Hybrid of some sort as that will be 'easier to ride' for road use. Any ideas? Should I look at something else? I can see this turning into one of those 'the more I ask the more confused I get' things! Simon. mmm, stay away from a hybrid. They are good for no one thing, mediocre at everything else. True, but why have a mountain bike if you aren't going to mountain bike? CG |
#5
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Specialized HardRock
Thanks for all the replies to my earlier post, asking for opinions on
a Specialized HardRock. What I didn't mention is that I do 95% road (Commuting) but do enjoy the other 5% which is mediocre off road. Does that change things much? A friend has a hardrock and rates it even for road use, apart from the tyres! I used to ride a HardRock on the road a lot. Put some high pressure smoothies on it and it will roll along just fine. Having a mtb on the road means you can hit potholes, jump curbs and do a lot of other fun stuff on your commute without worrying about wiping out a wimpy road wheel. I'll second the opinion that hybrids do nothing well and generally suck. Dave Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams |
#6
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Specialized HardRock
Simon Harris wrote:
Hi All, Thanks for all the replies to my earlier post, asking for opinions on a Specialized HardRock. What I didn't mention is that I do 95% road (Commuting) but do enjoy the other 5% which is mediocre off road. Does that change things much? A friend has a hardrock and rates it even for road use, apart from the tyres! Another friend says to get a Hybrid of some sort as that will be 'easier to ride' for road use. Any ideas? Should I look at something else? I can see this turning into one of those 'the more I ask the more confused I get' things! Simon. Well, I can chirp in here, I guess. In terms of hybrids, here's a couple cents from my observations: My wife picked up a hybrid after her retro bike got swiped by some lowlife scum. As a lot of people here have implied, the bikes are real compromise machines and suffer for it. My wife uses hers on road for getting around town....they aren't bad in that case and the riding position is a lot more comfortable than a proper road bike. That being said, it isn't fast like a road bike, can't handle the local multi-use trails (gravel chip topped) worth squat and forget about singletrack! Myself, I use the same bike for commuting and off road work. Right now, I've got a hardtail with a little more of a cross-country design...kinda like the Hardrock (in fact, I was looking at a Hardrock before getting what I am riding now). It works for me and the riding I do...you'll need to discover what works for you and your riding style. Try to get your hands on the bike you're looking at and ride them. If you think you're going to go off road, I'd recommend staying away from a hybrid. If you're looking at some occasional off road then perhaps a hardtail is the way to go. Myself, I'm starting to look at a full suspension bike as my skills have come up and my riding style has evolved. Hope it helps, Psycho Mike |
#7
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Specialized HardRock
Michael Halliwell wrote:
Simon Harris wrote: Hi All, Thanks for all the replies to my earlier post, asking for opinions on a Specialized HardRock. What I didn't mention is that I do 95% road (Commuting) but do enjoy the other 5% which is mediocre off road. Does that change things much? A friend has a hardrock and rates it even for road use, apart from the tyres! Another friend says to get a Hybrid of some sort as that will be 'easier to ride' for road use. Any ideas? Should I look at something else? I can see this turning into one of those 'the more I ask the more confused I get' things! Simon. Well, I can chirp in here, I guess. In terms of hybrids, here's a couple cents from my observations: My wife picked up a hybrid after her retro bike got swiped by some lowlife scum. As a lot of people here have implied, the bikes are real compromise machines and suffer for it. My wife uses hers on road for getting around town....they aren't bad in that case and the riding position is a lot more comfortable than a proper road bike. That being said, it isn't fast like a road bike, can't handle the local multi-use trails (gravel chip topped) worth squat and forget about singletrack! Myself, I use the same bike for commuting and off road work. Right now, I've got a hardtail with a little more of a cross-country design...kinda like the Hardrock (in fact, I was looking at a Hardrock before getting what I am riding now). It works for me and the riding I do...you'll need to discover what works for you and your riding style. Try to get your hands on the bike you're looking at and ride them. If you think you're going to go off road, I'd recommend staying away from a hybrid. If you're looking at some occasional off road then perhaps a hardtail is the way to go. Myself, I'm starting to look at a full suspension bike as my skills have come up and my riding style has evolved. There are jeep trails and there's singletrack. The OP hasn't given us enough info to judge. -- Phil, Squid-in-Training |
#8
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Specialized HardRock
Per Chris Glidden:
True, but why have a mountain bike if you aren't going to mountain bike? There's "mountain biking" and there's "mountain biking". I've got a mountain bike, but I don't think any serious MTBer would call me a mountain biker. I'm really just somebody that likes to ride a bike but doesn't like to do it around motor vehicles. I'd say that 98% of my miles are on paved surfaces, fire roads, or smooth single track - and probably could be ridden on the average road bike with 28mm tires and a cyclocross tread on the front wheel. It's the other 2 percent that makes the MTB more functional. Jumping concrete curbs, hopping over the occasional small tree, going down stairs, plowing through wet leaves/mud, crossing a field with no path, and so-forth. I have a hard tail and an FS - and the FS gets the nod for all except what I call "road" rides (including the ride to where I'm currently working). Every so often - especially when I'm maxed out on a paved surface and some roadie just sort of floats past me - I get the urge for a road bike. But then I realize that the roadie is just in vastly better shape than I am and a road bike would get me a couple mph more absolute max. The MTBs are just vastly more comfortable, they're more durable, the parts are interchangeable, and the reduced speed doesn't matter because I don't have to keep up with anybody. Besides, riding the hard tail to work on HP slicks takes about an hour - average speed around 13 mph including stops. On a road bike, I'd gain 2 mph absolute max - and getting there five minutes faster wouldn't make any diff to me. -- PeteCresswell |
#9
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Specialized HardRock
And there you have it. Bottom line, it comes down to personal
preference. |
#10
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Specialized HardRock
(PeteCresswell) wrote:
and the reduced speed doesn't matter because I don't have to keep up with anybody. The reduced speed can be an advantage on those cold morning commutes. I've found myself soft pedaling on my cross bike to get down to warmer, and slower, MTB speeds. |
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