'12 Specialized

Comments:

I don't know what the other reviewer is talking about when he said this bike is cheaply made. I ride a 2010 Cannondale Caad 9 5, one of the last Caads that were handmade in America. I went to our LBS with my father to pick out a bike for him. Out of the entire shop, and it is a huge bike shop, me and my father agreed this was one of the sleekest looking. Of course, that is, excluding all the $6,000+ roadbikes. The components on this bike are exactly like other hybrids/comfort bikes in this price range. The other reviewer mentioned Trek 7.2 and Spesh Sirrus, well they pretty much have the same components. The components are mostly Shimano so they shift reasonably well. The V-Brakes are firm and well controlled - in fact, much better than the cheap Tektros on my Caad9 5. I do have two complaints about the groupo - 1) triple chain rings are kinda heavy and can never shift as smooth/accurate as a double compact. It is not the shifters or the derailleurs fault, and no amount of tuning at the LBS can fix that. 2) the crank arms are silver - against the rest of the bike which is all sleek black, this is an eye sore. I might replace the crank arms with something all black. So yeah, we really do enjoy the all black paint finish - it feels premium, like a higher end bike. All the other offerings in this price range are silver/metallic color with silly designs, and in turn look cheap. This bike is about 1/3 heavier than my Caad9 5 road bike, which is not bad at all. It is got a hi-ten steel front fork, no suspension. My father is so glad that I talked him out of getting a bike with front suspension - they are heavy, and don't work well anyway. For commuting/trail riding, the suspension is really going to nerf your each pedal stroke and slow your acceleration, and the comfort they provide is only slightly better than letting a bit of air out of your tires. Here is something you can't tell my father though - When he's not biking, I sneak out with this bike. It is such a joy to ride. Compared to my roadie, this bike is smooth, comfortable, feels very responsive in handling and accelerating. I can go almost as fast - about 1 to 2 miles per hour slower than on my roadie. I might get a bit more tired riding long distance, but I don't care because it is so much fun to just pound the pavement with this bike! If you are wondering about getting this bike, versus say, a $300 bike from Target, or spend a bit more into the $600 range, stop right there! $200-300 bikes may look almost as good as a $400-500 bike from a LBS, but you get much inferior components, usually where you can't see them - cheap brake pads, nuts and bolts that rust easily, etc. Plus you don't get the support that LBS offers. So your Target bike may ride so-so out of the store, 1 month later when things start to fall apart - wheels no longer true, brakes constantly rubbing against your wheels, derailleurs hold an adjustment for about 20 minutes, etc etc. And those $500-600 bikes? They have the same grade of frame as this bike. Maybe you get an Aluminum fork, but I'd prefer a steel one anyone because steel smoothes out road vibrations, and if I want to upgrade I'd just get a carbon fiber fork. Oh one last thing I wanted to add - the geometry of this bike is women specific, but my father and I both ride it fine. The wheel base is a bit longer than my 54CM caad9, but headset and seatpost locations are exactly the same. This means a more comfortable ride (where shorter wheel base gives quicker turns and accelerations and are more race-oriented), and even if you ride a 54CM roadbike you will be fine on this one (maybe a tad smaller but definitely rideable) Oh and one more thing, stock saddles usually suck. However I do find the women-specific saddle on the Vita quite pleasing. I alternate between this bike and my Caad9, and my buttocks appreciate the wider and shorter saddle shape (designed to suite a woman's wider pelvis anatomy, for giving birth and stuff). In all, the vita is an excellent value - fantastic looking/paintjob, everyday components that get the job done, fun to ride around. I hope this helped!

Comments:

I purchased this bike for my wife who is not an avid cyclist. I looked at several bikes including the Trek 7.2 but purchased the Vita because I have the 2011 Sirrus Sport and love it. Compared to my Sirrus the Vita feels cheap. If I had to do it again I would have spent the extra $50 and purchased the Trek 7.2.