Conference noted::bicycle

    
    Never heard of OFFROAD brand.  If it's a house brand it may be good and
    sell at a cheaper price without fancy paint.  On the other hand, what
    happens if the store goes out of business next year or you move out of
    state- good luck on any warranty.
    
    One hybrid you don't mention is the Schwinn CrissCross.  This is the
    Crosscut's little brother.  They share the same frame & forks, but
    the Crisscross has the '300 components.  The best story of all is that
    it sells for only $299.  One of the bike mags a few months ago featured
    the CrissCross as a steal for the money, and a true representive of that
    often condemned category, the "hybrid."
    
    Take them all for a spin, then choose the CrissCross :-)
    
    	Dave

    FRITZ's Bicycle Shop in West Boyleston is where I have gone for service
    for the past 5 years.  He used to share the building with New England
    Backpacker just outside of Worcester.  He promotes riding, runs
    maintenance courses and has a loyal following.  He is not known for the
    racing market as some Worcester stores, but he does seem to aim at fun
    cycling.  He has done good work for me and with his regular
    maintenance, I have not spent time on the road with adjustments and
    repairs.  
    
    For buying a new bike, I would line up some questions about the brand
    name with special attention to the frame.  The components can be fixed
    or serviced as they are generic.  I have Suntour and am pleased.  Since
    you live in Sterling, I would pursue that bike and get more
    information.

    I really like the Innova I bought a couple of months ago. The shifting
    is very smooth and with the tires at 65 lbs it is good on the road.  I
    have no trouble keeping up with my husband on his road bike and I love
    all the low gears for the hills.  I paid $389 for mine so you have a
    price.  This bike can also support the wide off road tires or to a 
    higher pressure on-road tire according to the dealer.
    
    Good Luck

     As a matter of fact I did look at the Crisscross and it was the
    nicest "looking" bike I had seen. I haven't discounted it, yet to
    be honest I felt that you get what you pay for and thought there may
    have been something that I overlooked.  These bikes are very hard
    to come across (backlogs). I have not seen a Crosscut and the only 
    Crisscross I found was at Gamaches in Fitchburg (maybe this tells me 
    something).
    
    Thanks for the response.
    
    Steve

    A friend of mine has a Raleigh Olympian "cross" bike and is very happy
    with it. It has Shimano components (not sure which group) and I believe
    that he paid about $400 for it. It seems to be very similar to the
    Schwinn Crosscut, but I think the Schwinn has slightly better
    components on it.
    BTW, Gamache's in Fitchburg has a very good reputation for service.
    

    Goodale's in Manchester, NH stocked the Univega Activa atleast a 
    few weeks ago. The Activa 200 has the Shimano 200 series and was
    priced at $300. 
    

    	RE: 1720.6
    
    	Goodale's is in Nashua.
    
    	Scott (Yes, I live in Nashua.)

OFFROAD bikes are made in the Western US somewhere ( maybe California ).
They don't have alot of bikes, but the ones they have are pretty decent.
I think they sell mostly mtn and hybrid style bikes though.  They should
be around for a while.

Let me start by saying that I was looking for a hybrid for a few months,
but eventually bought a mtn bike.  My main reason was because you currently
can't put very wide tires on the hybrids, except for maybe a Fisher that I saw.  So, when they tell you
a wide tire will fit, ask them how wide.

I rode a bunch of hybrids, but the only two I really like were the Bianchi
Backstreet and Offroad Climber.  I basically liked the fit ( I have a fairly
long upper body ) and componenets ( Shimano Deore ) better on these two.
I felt too cramped on the Giant, Univega, and Miyata.

So, here's my advice:
Do you already have a road bike, and if so, are you sure you want a hybrid?

Figure out whether you want 27" wheels ( road bike size - wide tires
questionable on these ) or 26" wheels ( mtn bike size - ask about max width,
could also be a pain on very long rides because more peddaling required ).

Figure out whether you want drop bar or straight bar handle bars.

Decide whether good components are worth an extra $100-$200.  Shimano Deore
is much better than the 200, 300...

Ride a bunch of bikes that fit the above categories to see which one feels
comfortable to you.  As I hinted to above, all brands fit differently
( length - toptube length was more important to me than height - downtube
length ).


Well, I have to go eat lunch before it's too late.

Good luck,

-Cheryl

    I was considering the Raleigh Olympian "cross" bike until I did a
    side-by-side comparison with the Univega Montero. The Univega just
    seemed better built. Welds were cleaner, paint job was nicer, tires
    seemed a bit sturdier for the rare times I'd actually be "hitting the
    mud." Price was about the same. Components were the same too. You can
    compare them at Ray's Cycle and Ski in Maynard.

        I recently bought a hybrid for residential streets.  There are
        times that I'll be on roads with potholes as well as gravel
        and dirt roads.  There are also times that I'll be on longish
        streets in relatively good shape.

        I chose the Giant Innova and just love it.  It seems to be
        perfect for the type of riding that I do.  There is one
        feature that I don't understand, however.  The rear brake
        cable runs down the top tube on the lower right side.  It is
        not directly on the bottom, but is close enough to be in the
        way when I try to carry it by the top tube.  My friends' bikes
        all have the cable running down the top of the top tube.  Are
        there any reasons, advantages, disadvantages to doing it this
        way?

        Doug

    RE: -1
    
    	I recently tried an MTB (or ATB, if you prefer) that had the rear
    	brake cable and the front and rear derailleur cables located on
    	the top tube. The reason for this, I was told, is to keep the
    	derailleur cables clean(er) and they're less likely to get
    	caught/broken on something. Makes sense, I guess...but it looked
    	kinda weird with 3 cables running the length of the top tube.
    	I have seen some bikes with the rear brake cable located underneath
    	or on the side of the top tube...and I don't know of any
    	advantage(s) to this. Seems to me that this would be a disadvantage
    	when it comes to lifting/carrying the bike, as you mentioned.
    

    Does anyone have any info re: how the Schwinn Crosscut and Crisscross
    compare?  I know that the 'Cut has Shimano 400LX components and
    the 'cross has 300LX; also, the entire frame on the 'cut is chromemoly
    vs just the main tubes and forks on the 'cross.  They differ in
    price by about $100.  ANy other differences?  Do the differences
    warrant the extra $100?
    
    Thanks - Mike

    Does anyone have any info/opinion on the Nishiki Maridian?  It's
    similar to the Schwinn Crosscut - Shimano 400LX components.  The
    Schwinn is about 10 bucks more - apparently for a better seat.
    
    Thanks to anyone who has any info - Mike.

    Hmmm. I have an 89 Meridian. It's not a hybrid, tho.
    It has Suntour XCD components, which have worked excellent for
    the 6 months I've owned it. Overall, I'm very pleased with the
    bike.
    John