Should I buy a Specialized Sirrus ?

[SingaporeSyclist]

Hi,

Hoping to get advice on whether it is worth replacing my Marin Larkspur Hybrid with Specialized Sirrus Elite or Pro (or similar) , or whether to just invest in some better pedals, gears, wheels, tyres etc for the Larkspur which is now about 4 years old.

Most of my cycling is commuting 3 days a week in Singapore with a round trip of 20 miles (all on road or cycle path and it is pretty flat round these parts.) I also do the odd round the island trip which is approx 80 miles.

I have a Topeak MTX rack and waterproof bag (which works really well and I would recommend for commuting - even in tropical rainstorms nothing gets wet and I can fit a laptop, iPad and change of clothes plus shoes in) and this would need to go on the new bike if I buy one. I also have sms Mudguards which are a must here.

I am looking to up my commute speed from a current average of 16 mph to 20+ mph through a combination of fitness and a better (or upgraded) bike. For weekend rides I'd like to be able to sustain 25+ mph which is proving difficult with my current set-up.

Any advice gratefully received.

Cheers

SS

 

[funnymummy]

Everyone has an opinion, I have no knowledge of the Larkspur so can't compare the 2 bikes.
But I do own the Sirrus Elite & it is a fab bike - I love mine, I bought it to replace my road/tourer bike after a hand op meant i could no longer ride on the drops.
It's very light & 20mph + is no problem on it, I've even hit 42mph (going downhill) on it

 

[Broadside]

Have you considered getting a drop bar bike? If you are looking to up your speeds to 20mph then i really think you should be considering it, it will help you overcome wind resistance easier and on longer rides you will have better/more hand position options. Admittedly the brakes are a bit trickier to use in traffic than a flat bar bike but you could fit cross top brake levers if this was a problem. A good friend of mine does an 18 mile round trip commute on road and cycle paths in Singapore and he bought a Trek 1.5 which is a drop bar bike and he is loving it.

 

[Broadside]

Forgot to mention about the mudguards etc, I have heard about the rain there...A bike such as the Specialized Secteur has rack mounts so you are sorted there but it cannot take proper mudguards so you have to use Crud Road Racers which are good but in a place where full mudguards are an absolute necessity then I don't think I would recommend them. A better option might be something like the Specialized Tricross which can take a rack and full proper mudguards.

 

[SingaporeSyclist]

FunnyM,

Many thanks for the advice - this is in line with what I have read elsewhere - I'll probably fork out the extra for the Pro which is a bit lighter.

DMoran,

I have thought about drops, but I quite like the more upright riding style with flat bars and the slightly different geometry of a hybrid when I am commuting. Also the fittings for mudguards and racks is really useful on the sirrus. Funny you should mention the Tricross as a mate of my Dad's had originally suggested this, but given what the main use is for the bike, I dont really need the extra cross-country ability.

Of course I could always treat myself to two new bikes and get a racer for the weekend. Mmmm.... Santa could be busy.

Many thanks for the advice.

Cheers

SS

 

[HLaB]

The Sirrus is a great bike but I doubt its different enough from the Larkspur to get the averages you want. If you are fit which it sounds like you are a change to a dropped bar bike may be better. I changed my sirrus with new lighter wheels etc and speeds did go up but not quite to the extent you want; I put drops on the sirrus and I was almost at 20mph averages on the flat. If you need guards and a rack there are a few dropped bar bikes out there that meets the spec, my Kinesis Racelite (a winter trainer) does, as d the Marin Toscana or the Genesis Croix de Fer (the latter two have the benefit of disc brakes for commuting).

 

[YahudaMoon]

Hi I had a sirrus about 12 years ago ?

It was OK though It had a suspension seat post that was poor and unessary. The saddle was poor and it had V brakes that I didn't like. Also the welds on the frame were large and ugly and the paint work was nothing special

It was a long time ago. Maybe it's changed a lot ?

 

[HLaB]

Hi I had a sirrus about 12 years ago ?

It was OK though It had a suspension seat post that was poor and unessary. The saddle was poor and it had V brakes that I didn't like. Also the welds on the frame were large and ugly and the paint work was nothing special

It was a long time ago. Maybe it's changed a lot ?

As of 6 years ago, it hadn't changed much, I ditched my saddle and suspension seat post when I upgraded it, I don't mind the v's or welds though. The paint work isn't exciting but it suits me (mine's grey) as I'm pretty bland too What I dislike about the newer models is that they have down geared them (mine has a 52t big ring, I think the new ones are 50t).

 

[YahudaMoon]

Hi HLaB. I think a 53 is to big for most people. Especially on a hibrid.

.

I remember when Specialized only made MTB. Them were the days of mountain bike madness lol

 

[SingaporeSyclist]

HLab,

Thanks for the other options I will test ride these if I can find them in Singapore - I know that drops will give me more speed - just need to think about whether I trade-off a bit of comfort for this on my commute.

Yahuda Moon,

Thanks - I had read (i think in Cycling Active) that in the last couple of years the new Sirrus models have basically swapped out the gears and groupsets etc for cheaper options. I think they do this in order to keep at a particular price point despite the fact that inflation should mean that they put the price up - or they just want to make more margin on each bike.

Anyway, the advice from you both is much appreciated.

Thanks

SS

 

[Mike!]

I commute on a 2011 Sirrus Comp and love it, very comfortable and quick enough. I'm not fit enough to average over 20mph but would think it's more than capable of that with the right legs and lungs attached!

Not had a single problem but have to take it back to have it's forks swapped out - been delaying that as i don't want to be without it but for safety sake i guess i better....

 

[SingaporeSyclist]

Thanks Mike. To make things a bit more complicated the local Specialized dealer here in Singapore has an AsiaPac specced version called Sirrus Expert which is very similar to the Comp, but it doesnt have the Carbon seatstays with zertz, the seatstays are aluminium and have no zertz. And it thas SRAM Apex gears rather than Shimano 105s - though I think that will suit my riding better in any case.

Cheers

SS

 

[Jezston]

Drops will also give you more hand positions.

I used to ride to work on a hybrid with flat bars. After gradually increasing my commute distance, to occasionally doing a full 20 mile journey home, the fixed hand position of flat bars would get uncomfortable fast, and putting bar ends on was only a limited help because I didn't like having my hands out so wide. I ended up fitting bullhorn style bars (couldn't afford to change brakes and shifters to drop style!) which was excellent.

I'd seriously consider a bike with drops. A modern cyclocross or tourer type will also likely give you top levers as well as on the hoods so you can still ride flat bar style when you want.

What's it like riding around singapore btw?

 

[Beebo]

I put drops on the sirrus and I was almost at 20mph averages on the flat.

HLaB, how did you go about doing this? was it fairly easy, I have considered doing it on my Trek FX which is a very simliar bike to a sirrus and the brakes seem to be an issue.

 

[HLaB]

HLaB, how did you go about doing this? was it fairly easy, I have considered doing it on my Trek FX which is a very simliar bike to a sirrus and the brakes seem to be an issue.

I had to used problem solver travel agents to correct for the lack of sti cable pull, it made a bit better but by no means perfect.