# So I think I'm going to buy a Specialized Sirrus...



## aturnipisavegetable (21 Apr 2012)

What do I need to know? I went to the bike shop today and the salesman recommended it, in the cricumstances (which are that I desperately need to lose weight, I'm actually heavier than most scales measure but I estimate around 140-150kg) of me being extremely inexperienced in cycling. Have decided to take a week to think about it.

Like everyone else I cycled when younger, but know very little of the modern day "craft" - EXCEPT I have a dirty habit of enjoying the youtube videos where a motorist does something they shouldn't and the cyclist shouts at them. Thousands of them out there for to you enjoy, but I digress...

My basic plan is on lunchtimes to ride it around the Southern 100 racecourse (
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTQcuOLJosg
- albeit the opposite direction to that these motorbikes are going). 

Over time as my confidence builds up, maybe go other places. It's also possible that at the very beginning I will do even smaller routes but I should think I can manage the above already.

Anyway, I digress. What do you think about this bike and what should I be thinking of in particular about it?


----------



## aturnipisavegetable (21 Apr 2012)

Most importantly - is £370 about right?


----------



## defy-one (21 Apr 2012)

Evans has the Specialised Sirrus up for £370 so bang on the money.
My nephew has the sirrus sport at £450 and I was within an inch of buying one, when my son ( very sensible 16 yo) said " dad use you're Giant for a few months and then buy a fancy bike when you know you'll stick to riding"

I digress - get it mate !!!


----------



## Part time cyclist (21 Apr 2012)

I have a 2011 Sirrus and is the best bike I have ever ridden, I bought a standard one and have upgraded as I went along, IMHO I don't think you will be dissapointed with a Sirrus


----------



## Norm (22 Apr 2012)

My son has a Sirrus for his school run, I use it a fair amount because it's such a great, easy bike to enjoy.


----------



## Banjo (22 Apr 2012)

Sirrus is definitely a good bike and great value for the money .My only thought is that I think the Sirrus has 28c tyres and wonder if considering your weight a bike with 32c or bigger tyres may be more comfortable and less liable to puncture if you hit potholes or whatever.

I have a Trek Hybrid with Bontrager racelight 32c tyres, it rolls along surprisingly quick and the bigger tyres add a lot to the ride comfort.


----------



## defy-one (22 Apr 2012)

Or buy the sirrus and a set of cheaper wheels for now and as you lose weight (no offence intended) , put the originals back on. Saves buying two bikes and will be a great motivation once you have lost a few kg!

I have yo-yo'd with my weight and have found small achievable targets really help in keeping me focused. Good luck!


----------



## James D (22 Apr 2012)

I know several people who have Specialized Sirrus's - They are all very happy with them so I would say it's a good choice. Were you able to have a test ride?


----------



## MarkF (22 Apr 2012)

I have a Sirrus, I was very happy with it. However, I also have a Dawes Discovery too and for the money, the Dawes is a far sturdier bike with better quality components. Just riding the Sirrus was fine, it's a good looking bike too, but this past week servicing it ahead of a tour I've been astounded at the "quality" of it.

One rack point thread crossed immediately.
Setting up the V brakes led to 2 out of the 4 pressure screws turning to cheese......... immediately.
Oiling the cables, the 2 screws holding the plastic gear housings turned to cheese.
I moved my computer spoke magnet, ok, should have undone it really but moving it 5mm stripped the black paint off the spokes.
Changing the tyres stripped the black paint off the skewers, how? By putting them on the floor!

I've taken the Disco apart many times and it's done 1000's of miles and still looks like new, the Sirrus, wow, I am now frightened to touch it again before I head off on my tour. I know it's a not a £1k bike (but neither was the disco) but it's not a £99 'er either, the quality is shocking, it's been a real eye opener for me, my first Specialized will definitely be my last.


----------



## Norm (22 Apr 2012)

Banjo said:


> Sirrus is definitely a good bike and great value for the money .My only thought is that I think the Sirrus has 28c tyres and wonder if considering your weight a bike with 32c or bigger tyres may be more comfortable and less liable to puncture if you hit potholes or whatever.


A good point, but the basic Sirrus comes with 32c tyres - or, at least, the 2011 model did.


----------



## leemo (22 Apr 2012)

Sirrus is a lovely bike. But I'm not sure it can support your weight -- I seem to remember the manual that comes with the bike has a maximum rider weight so check this out.

I think a mountain bike with 26 inch wheels might be better. Smaller wheels and wider rim could be stronger than the ones on the sirrus. If you want to go mainly on road do not get suspension and change the knobly tyres for slicks -- about 35mm wide might be a good idea.


----------



## Banjo (22 Apr 2012)

Norm said:


> A good point, but the basic Sirrus comes with 32c tyres - or, at least, the 2011 model did.


 
Righto, I didnt know that,I thought they all came with 28c.

I think the OP could do with having a chat with gb155 ,Gaz must be the leading expert on bikes for larger men ( Not something he has to worry about any more since his amazing weight loss success.)


----------



## aturnipisavegetable (22 Apr 2012)

I've sent him a PM asking him to contribute to this thread. Is he "famous" on this site for something?


----------



## PaulSecteur (22 Apr 2012)

aturnipisavegetable said:


> Is he "famous" on this site for something?


 
And the rest, the guy is inspiration and motivation too.

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/an-updated-video-on-what-cycling-has-done-for-me.40775/


----------



## aturnipisavegetable (22 Apr 2012)

Wow. Just wow.

I can see myself coming back to his thread in the future gawd knows how many times.

Anyway gaz, since I "called" you over here*  - what clothing did you wear starting out and where did you get it?

*I could easily see it being that there are five or ten of us fatties asking for your assistance every day and if that gets irritating, please accept my apologies!


----------



## gb155 (23 Apr 2012)

Guys, I'm blushing now, Paul and Banjo, Thanks for the big ups 

Mr Veg, First off, Congrats on seeking out help, its the first step and can be the hardest too, At your weight, bike wise, and with the "Route" you're talking, I'd say go for a hybrid with 36 spoke wheels, you will be fine and there will be no suspension taking away your efforts, just dont kerb hop YET, Try it stock, BUT you MIGHT want to add a "Large Boy" Saddle, in the early days, I did, but was done with them pretty quick. 

Clothing, from my starting point at 8XL down to 3XL I wore Polo Shirts and Baggy shorts - without wanting to put you off but being honest to the cause, no clothing is going to make this hurt less, in the early days

From 2XL to XL I wore Lycra shorts and tshirts 

From Xl/L to Medium I wore cycling team kit, I know its not for everyone but it gives me my edge, the reason for me to flight that little bit more each day, I have a jersey to defend, when you honker on up to commute, on a road bike, wearing team kit, everyone thinks your game for being brought down to earth, its my job, to not let anyone pass me on my commute, EVER, that keeps my focus, the weight off and keeps me being a better cyclist every day. BUT as I say, its not for everyone.


I'm always happy to help, I might not always be around, so PM me if there is anything posted you want an answer to, just so I dont miss it.

Check out my blog in my sig, for the before and after pictures....THIS CAN BE DONE, YOU CAN BEAT THIS.

and most of all DONT EVER GIVE UP, Good Luck and go kill it

Gaz


----------



## gb155 (23 Apr 2012)

leemo said:


> Sirrus is a lovely bike. But I'm not sure it can support your weight -- I seem to remember the manual that comes with the bike has a maximum rider weight so check this out.
> 
> I think a mountain bike with 26 inch wheels might be better. Smaller wheels and wider rim could be stronger than the ones on the sirrus. If you want to go mainly on road do not get suspension and change the knobly tyres for slicks -- about 35mm wide might be a good idea.


 

A strong 700c wheel can and is as strong as a 26" wheel

A weak 26" is weaker than a strong 700c wheel

I used to think the way you did, but its so wrong, its untrue


----------



## gary in derby (23 Apr 2012)

im around he same sort of weight and went for the specialized tricross. i love it is great to ride strong enough and a dam site quicker than my old mtb. so might be worth a look. oh and hi to gb still going mate


----------



## gb155 (23 Apr 2012)

gary in derby said:


> im around he same sort of weight and went for the specialized tricross. i love it is great to ride strong enough and a dam site quicker than my old mtb. so might be worth a look. oh and hi to gb still going mate



Hi mate. how's you?? 

Good shout on the tri


----------



## gary in derby (23 Apr 2012)

not bad, i like it, off to do l2b in june and its all your fault, lol.


----------



## gb155 (23 Apr 2012)

gary in derby said:


> not bad, i like it, off to do l2b in june and its all your fault, lol.



Now that's something to be proud to be blamed for


----------



## aturnipisavegetable (23 Apr 2012)

Do you think it would be reasonable to ask for the saddle to be changed either at no charge or for a nominal fee? I see that the "standard" saddle is apparently a a BG Targa Sport. I can't find that specific saddle anywhere, but in the Specialized catalogue there's a BG Targa Saddle which looks basically the same to my untutored eyes. So if I "give that up" in return for the expedition plus saddle, which looks a lot more "beefy", for want of a better way of putting it, do you think I'll be able to get a plain swap? Both of those saddles are teh same price


----------



## gb155 (23 Apr 2012)

aturnipisavegetable said:


> Do you think it would be reasonable to ask for the saddle to be changed either at no charge or for a nominal fee? I see that the "standard" saddle is apparently a a BG Targa Sport. I can't find that specific saddle anywhere, but in the Specialized catalogue there's a BG Targa Saddle which looks basically the same to my untutored eyes. So if I "give that up" in return for the expedition plus saddle, which looks a lot more "beefy", for want of a better way of putting it, do you think I'll be able to get a plain swap? Both of those saddles are teh same price



I'd give the standard one a go first. This I changed it but then I was 35stone. By the time I was your weight I was using standard one 


Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## defy-one (23 Apr 2012)

Worth asking in a local bike shop (lbs) , the big chains are not so flexible and have salespeople that don't have any authority. Also a lbs can be haggled with - maybe get some extras thrown in


----------



## Norm (23 Apr 2012)

[QUOTE 1819460, member: 45"]Interestingly, I was looking at a new Sirrus in Cycle Surgery last week. It's far more similar to my Specialized Crossroads (more of an upright hybrid) than the Sirrus used to be. When I bought the Crossroads (2006), the Sirrus of the day was pretty close to a road bike with flat bars. The current model is much less so, even though the Spesh website advertises it as such.[/quote]
That depends on which Sirrus you are looking at, I think. The basic model is a great bike but it is definitely of the upright variety. Other models are more like the Secteur with flat bars.


aturnipisavegetable said:


> Do you think it would be reasonable to ask for the saddle to be changed either at no charge or for a nominal fee? I see that the "standard" saddle is apparently a a BG Targa Sport. I can't find that specific saddle anywhere, but in the Specialized catalogue there's a BG Targa Saddle which looks basically the same to my untutored eyes. So if I "give that up" in return for the expedition plus saddle, which looks a lot more "beefy", for want of a better way of putting it, do you think I'll be able to get a plain swap? Both of those saddles are teh same price


Don't be fooled by "beefy" padding. After anything more than 30 minutes or so, it'll be all squashed down and rubbing places where you don't want to be rubbed. When riding, you generally just sit on your bum bones. If your saddle supports them, and once you have done 3 or 4 rides to break it in, you'll be comfortable for considerably longer than the beefiest saddle.


----------



## MrJamie (23 Apr 2012)

Having started cycling at 140kg+ myself I dont think theres too much worry of the bike being strong enough  

Id suggest you at least look at a Specialized Crosstrail too, its kind of a road/trails mix in the same price and from memory it means bigger tyres (better for heavier people), front suspension (with lockout for road use and hills and i doubt it's extra weight would be noticable to a big guy ) and wider range of gears (which helps for hills) and a more upright position (more comfy but more drag). As already mentioned the TriCross also offers another set of similar but different options 

I went for one of these saddles http://www.wiggle.co.uk/bioflex-ozone-saddle/ because poor fitness meant i had most of my weight on the saddle rather than legs etc.

Good luck


----------



## gb155 (28 Apr 2012)

aturnipisavegetable said:


> What do I need to know? I went to the bike shop today and the salesman recommended it, in the cricumstances (which are that I desperately need to lose weight, I'm actually heavier than most scales measure but I estimate around 140-150kg) of me being extremely inexperienced in cycling. Have decided to take a week to think about it.
> 
> Like everyone else I cycled when younger, but know very little of the modern day "craft" - EXCEPT I have a dirty habit of enjoying the youtube videos where a motorist does something they shouldn't and the cyclist shouts at them. Thousands of them out there for to you enjoy, but I digress...
> 
> ...





How are you getting on op???


----------

