need help choosing right size

[piper109]

I am looking at getting a Haibike sduro cross. Nearest dealer is about 2 1/2 hours drive away so I am thinking about buying online, perhaps Amazon. I am 70, 6ft, inside leg 32" a little handicapped from accident (tbi) and have trouble swinging my leg over high saddle. My MTB is Barracuda, 18" frame and have had to lower my saddle a little to mount it. Live in mountainous area.
Any opinions on best size Haibike to get? 45 cm, 50 cm or ??...Thanks.

 

[Chris Nolte]

I would recommend the 52cm low step.

 

[Scooteretti]

Piper109,

I agree with Chris the 52cm low step is a good size. If you feel you may want more stability by having a smaller frame (compromise) and you are just riding recreationally then the 48cm would also be an option.

If you need more help certainly feel free to contact us at the shop and we can get into more details for a proper fit.

Hope this helps,

Will

 

[piper109]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions guys. I confess I am a little confused on the sizing. Why are there 52 cm lo step and 52 hi step haibike frames ? I assume the hi step top tube ties into the seat tube higher than the lo step does with the opposite happening to the seat stays.
Does this just mean that the lo step frame is a little closer to a step thru design than the hi step ?
Is the seat tube the same length in both cases? Are there other advantages one over the other? My uses will be recreational, in the interests of fitness and ease of dealing with long hills in the appalachians and the very steep road to my house. Thanks

 

[Chris Nolte]

You're correct in your assumption. The seat tube is the same length, the top tube just attaches at a lower point. Regarding the advantages/disadvantages, they are really the same in all respects aside from the fact that it might be slightly easier to mount the low step version.

Is there a reason you're looking at the Cross over other bikes? I don't want to cause further confusion, but hopefully I can help you make a sound decision.

 

[piper109]

Thanks for your clarification Chris. The lo step frame looks a bit like a woman's bike, hence my questions. I'm looking at the Cross or the Hardseven mostly for cost reasons. I'm a retired engineer and I like the German design but I have to be careful on the price.
I'm thinking the tires on the Cross may suit me better because I will be riding mostly on quiet roads which in these parts frequently turn to gravel then back to pavement, with lots of hills.

 

[Chris Nolte]

Feel free to reach out if we can help. I generally prefer a little wider tire so I would be more inclined to look at the Hardseven. You could put Supermoto X tires on it and it would make a bike great for all terrain.

 

[Scooteretti]

Piper109,

Reading your feedback it sounds like you are looking for the following:

• Mostly riding on hard compact surfaces
• Looking for something with a mid drive system
• Looking to keep the price reasonable
• Looking for a quality bike
• As Chris mentioned above to which I agree with him, a wider durable tire like the Super MotoX is a great option. I am a big fan of this tire and put several thousand miles on my set.

I am not sure if you want just a Haibike but another option that covers what you are looking for is something like the Cube SUV Hybrid Pro. Back in 2015 Court reviewed a Cube Hybrid SL which comes with a belt drive and the Nuvinci Auto shift system. The 2016 Cube SUV Hybrid Pro that I am mentioning is the brother to the this and addresses pretty much every CON that Court mentioned (very few) in his review:

The SUV Pro comes with the following features that seem to be what you are looking for as standard equipment:

- Bosch Performance series mid drive system (*note picture shows the Active series but in fact the North American bikes come with Performance Series drives). An awesome drive system.
- Downtube mounted battery that really helps balance out this bike
- The bike is available in frame sizes 16 -18 and 20" frame sizes. For you an 18" - 20" frame would be the way to go based on your previous comments for your needs. This can be looked into a little further if you like the bike.
- The bike comes standard with the heavy duty Schwalbe Super MotoX tires that are 27.5 x 2.4" wide. And are perfect for the type of riding you mentioned you do and want to do.
- It comes with an 8 speed Shimano Alfine internal rear hub for ultra smooth shifting and is virtually maintenance free and offers the perfect gearing ratios for urban riding and hill climbing as you mentioned. All the maintenance that is really required is to lube your chain, just like on any bike.
- There is an air suspension front fork that you can dial in for your comfort level and it also has a lockout for those times for when you want a stiffer front end (eg.... hill climbing).
- The bike is made in Germany by CUBE so a top notch premium product.
- Only negative on the bike is the hard saddle. You will want to swap that out for sure. But then again most people swap out their MTB saddles for something different for urban / recreational riding.
- One of the big points you made was price. For just under $2650.00 USD ethe components and features on the bike appear to be what you are looking for compared to the models you mentioned. Just the components alone make this a very sweet bike.

hope this helps,


Will

 

[piper109]

Thanks Will for your reply. I was completely unfamiliar with Cube bikes and they do sound very nicely engineered. Quite a detailed description thanks !! You summed up what I am looking for pretty well. I found Courts review you alluded to as well. I have to say however that I prefer the aesthetics of a bike with the larger chainring i.e. Yamaha drive. Somehow it seems more correct and efficient to my probably outdated engineering mind.
I must say too that the gear hub sounds like a repair nightmare but the straight line chain clearly has merit. My hand me down first bike back in 1959 had a Sturmey Archer 3 speed gear hub which worked well but it was heavy. As soon as I could afford it I got a bike with Campagnolo derailleur which was the envy of all my friends.
Coming more to the point, I still prefer the Haibikes and the Cube bikes seem a bit "ugly duckling", a bit dreary but thanks again for your tips and comments which are very helpful !

 

[Scooteretti]

@piper109,

My pleasure, at the end of the day there is no wrong decision as both are great brands. Like anything you have to buy what appeals to you and what you will enjoy riding. I'm guilty of buying a lesser bike last year just based solely on color alone last year!!! Just don't tell my staff that this was my reasoning.

If you do go the Haibike route I highly recommend spending a few more $$ and going with the SL versions vs the SM's just because the SL comes with the great LCD screen and 4 levels of assist vs the LED push button screen with 3 levels of assist. While you can always upgrade to the LED display later on I think it's better to do it right from the get go. Also it comes with a better quality Shimano Deore 10 speed drivetrain vs the SRAM X7 derailleur (pretty basic) 9 speed. Just those two upgrades alone will certainly increase your love for the the bike and certainly your riding experience.



Let me know if you need any assistance with a Haibike and it would be my pleasure to help you out.

all the best,



Will

 

[piper109]

Thanks Chris and Will for the good helpful information from both of you. I ended up buying two Haibike Sduro Trekking SL for my wife and I online .
Left over 2016 inventory. Nice quality Thanks again.