Need help picking a hybrid

[Lady Hamilton]

Hello, yes, Vita is one of the bikes on my short list. I am going to see it today.
I also found a LBS with Jamis. I will go there as well.
so far, my short list is:
Jamis Coda Sport
Specialized Vita
Specialized Ariel
Giant Escape 2 or City
Giant Cypress DX or LX

Looks like my list is too long:-(

[TrekDianna]

My hydrid is a Trek FX 7.3 - I use it for around town and even commuting to work. I ride on packed gravel and on the road and on bike paths. I love it.

[Lady Hamilton]

Yes, I saw Trek 7.3 several times in different discussions. The LBS I am going to tonight has Treks and Specialized, so I will check out Vita, Ariel and Trek 7.3

[Bike Writer]

Hello and welcome to the forums! Not to confuse you any more but I have a Specalized Expedition Sport MSRP is around $520. For it's size and specs it's not too heavy and it's quite nimble for the kind of bike it is. I use mine on bike paths, rural gravel roads and paved roads. I use it for pleasure, exercise, touring, commuting and errands. The gearing on the bike is great for climbing hills. I've added considerable weight to it with fenders, a back rack, touring/accessory trunk bag and sometimes a large wicker basket on the front, those items have not slowed me down. The bike is aluminum. I enjoy the upright position and have not found it to hinder me. I have arthritis and knee joint problems and this works great for me. Good luck in your search, test ride as many as you can, I'm sure you'll find the bike you love.

[Owlie]

The Rapid and Dash from Giant are similar to the higher-end Trek FX line, I think.

Do you have a Fuji dealer near you? Check out the Absolute line as well.

[Lady Hamilton]

I am back from the store.
Well, they only had Vita Elite. It's a beautiful bike, but at over $900 tax in, it really is too much for me to pay.
They did not have regular Vita.
I saw Ariel, it was Ok.
They also showed me Specialized crossroads step over model. I am not so sure about it.
The guy really pushed Kona Dew. It is the same price as Giant Escape 2. Which is a better bike, in your opinion? They looked pretty comparable too. To be honest, I like the look of giant more, but I understand I should not judge based on looks.

So far, I understood only that comparable Specialized are about $100 more that Giant. Correct me if I am wrong.

[Lady Hamilton]

I did not ride any. I went right after work in a dress and flipflops. Not the best riding attire:-)
I will be going back on the weekend though. Elite is absolutely gorgeous (I saw it in purple), light, and stunning. They told me they can swap tires for something that is more packed dirt friendly.
I will be going tomorrow to hopefully check out Jamis Coda Sport.

[deanywalker21]

Hi,

I had a Giant Cypress and replaced it with a Vita. I love my Vita. It has become my go to bike when the MTB and road bike do not quite fit the job. I have a Vita Elite and love it. It handles well and climbs like a dream. I am 5'2" so I can relate to shortness factor. My Cypress had shocks which I found to be heavy and pretty useless. My niece loves her Cypress and rides it on club rides with a bunch of roadies. I have owned Giant and Specialized bikes and have found the Specialized to be a better fit for me. Happy riding.

[TrekDianna]

Darn, now I need that Vita in that beautiful color.

[Lady Hamilton]

Hi,

I had a Giant Cypress and replaced it with a Vita. I love my Vita. It has become my go to bike when the MTB and road bike do not quite fit the job. I have a Vita Elite and love it. It handles well and climbs like a dream. I am 5'2" so I can relate to shortness factor.

see, this is exactly what I do not want to happen. If I get hooked, I will buy a proper bike for whatever I want to do. But in terms of my everyday kind of bike, I want something I love, that I can keep for a long time. My girl is 7, so in a few years she will be able to use it too. When we bought our iMac almost 5 years ago, we thought we were crazy. It was a big purchase, but we loved it. It still works, and we never repaired it.

TrekDianna,
it is an absolutely stunning bike. The stock photo does not give it justice.

[TigerMom]

Hello, yes, Vita is one of the bikes on my short list. I am going to see it today.
I also found a LBS with Jamis. I will go there as well.
so far, my short list is:
Jamis Coda Sport
Specialized Vita
Specialized Ariel
Giant Escape 2 or City
Giant Cypress DX or LX

Looks like my list is too long:-(

Your list is not too long. It is only 3 bike shops and definitely needed for bike comparisons, especially since you are as short as I am.

The Specialized Vita is much lighter than the Specialized Ariel by almost 10 pounds which is very significant in the biking world. Unfortunately, the Specialized Vita can only do paved roads and no dirt trails. The Specialized Ariel can do flat packed dirt trails but cannot do well on packed dirt trails that are hilly ( I know because I had one and the tire grip was terrible compared to a mountain bike).

Hope this helps your decision making. Let us know what you end up getting.