Specialized Sirrus 6.0

The frame design might divide opinion, but the ride quality and performance of the new Specialized Sirrus 6.0 should please all. If you're looking for road bike performance but with a flat bar then this is one you should definitely consider. It's at the premium end of the hybrid marketplace, but it's well specced and looks classy in this gloss black paintjob.

For more affordable options, check out our guide to the best hybrid bikes.

Ride

Specialized's main goal with the frame design of this new carbon fibre Sirrus is compliance (Mat went into the full details back in March) and it has definitely achieved that.

With the tyres pumped up hard, and isolating myself from the exposed seatpost by riding out of the saddle, there is definitely a smooth feel around the lower half of the frame. Not soft, or disengaging, just – well, compliant I suppose.

The Sirrus isn't a road bike, so stiffness around the bottom bracket area isn't as crucial, but it isn't lacking in it either. For hard efforts from the lights or when working my way up a climb, the rear end of the frame certainly felt tight enough.

It might not be a road bike, but the Sirrus does share a lot of characteristics with one. At just over 9kg it feels nippy, and it corners well too.

The geometry isn't hugely different, but the inclusion of the short stem means the overall weight balance feels much the same as a drop bar machine, but with an upright riding position.

The handling is fairly neutral, which makes it a doddle to ride. During the review period I mostly used the Specialized for the school run across town, commuting, and trips out into the back lanes with the kids, and it performed well across the board.

When negotiating the typical urban environment of traffic, phone-addicted pedestrians, potholes and road furniture, the Sirrus skirts around obstacles with ease. It just flows nicely, and with little kicks on the pedals to get around things, it feels surprisingly nimble.

The wide handlebar slows the steering down just enough that there aren't any fears of overcompensating when turning the front wheel quickly. Powerful hydraulic brakes from SRAM also allow you to go for gaps with the confidence that their performance will get you out of trouble should the need arise.

The only thing I'm not a huge fan of is that there is no lockout on the Future Shock. It's basically a sprung-loaded unit that sits between the stem and the headset. When braking hard, the front end can dip noticeably, and it can bob about a bit when you are putting the power down. I'd prefer to be able to turn it off on smooth roads, like you can with the higher-end Future Shock systems.

That aside, it does bring some welcome relief to your wrists on poorer roads, and if you fancy riding on byways or hardpacked tracks it'll really come into its own.

Overall, if you want a bike that zips along and gives you confidence in the bends without the aggressive riding position of a road bike, the Sirrus offers a happy medium.

Frame and fork

The talking point of the Sirrus frame is obviously that bottom bracket area, or the 'Compliance Junction' as it's known.

It's designed to provide just the right amount of flex and forgiveness across the frame without sacrificing performance and efficiency, according to Specialized.

In a nutshell, and quoting Specialized, the modifications 'reduce the vertical stiffness of the bicycle while substantially maintaining or reducing to a lesser extent the horizontal (eg lateral and/or torsional) stiffness of the bicycle'.

As I said in the section above, I find the ride quality to be impressive, though whether it is from the design alone or the use of Specialized's high-end FACT 9r carbon fibre grade lay-up is difficult to say.

Aside from the rear end, things are pretty traditional, with the carbon tubes transitioning neatly from one to the other and things like an integrated headset and internal cabling meaning that the Sirrus has a clean, smooth look to it.

Even with the new frame design Specialized has still managed to get plenty of mounts for accessories fitted, with bottle mounts on the seat tube and down tube and an extra set underneath the down tube. There are also mounts on the top tube for a bento box style of bag.

A rack and mudguards have also been catered for, though admittedly Specialized's own rather than off-the-shelf items.

Tyre clearance is an impressive 42mm, or 38mm with mudguards.

It's available in four sizes, from XS to L. We have the medium, which has a top tube length of 568mm if it was running horizontally. The stack and reach figures are 625mm and 380mm respectively, so nothing out of the ordinary, and the overall wheelbase is 1,065mm.

Groupset

For the groupset Specialized has gone with SRAM, speccing a 1x system that uses a Rival chainset mated to a 12-speed Eagle cassette, controlled by GX Eagle components.

The bottom bracket is a SRAM DUB model which uses a BSA thread to attach it to the frame.

Ratio-wise, you are getting a 40-tooth chainring and a cassette with largest and smallest sprockets of 50T and 11T.

It's a decent spread of gears: it'll get you up the majority of climbs without too much issue, and the 40x11 combo won't limit your high-speed aspirations. It's a little gappy in places between sprockets, but it's no racer, so keeping to a narrow cadence window isn't exactly necessary.

The shifting is crisp, and the trigger shifter is very easy to use.

As I said earlier, the braking performance is also impressive, as with the majority of modern hydraulic systems. With 160mm rotors front and back there is always plenty of stopping power, and you get the usual range of modulation, so you aren't locking the wheels up left, right and centre.

Finishing kit

The rest of the finishing kit is from Specialized's catalogue, with a double-butted alloy handlebar that gets a backsweep of 9 degrees so you aren't too stretched out, and a neat-looking Future Comp stem to keep hold of it.

The seatpost is carbon fibre, a Roval Terra Carbon. It has 20mm of setback and helps with overall comfort as there is a small amount of flex on offer.

Atop that sits a Body Geometry Power Sport saddle. It's a basic model with steel rails, but I like its shape. I like a short-nosed saddle, and with the pressure-relieving cutout and its swooping shape, I found it very comfortable.

Wheels & tyres

The tyres are also from Specialized, its Roubaix Pro 2BRs, which are aimed at balancing durability and speed. The rolling resistance feels minimal for this type of tyre, and I wouldn't be in any desperate hurry to change them for anything else.

Reliability seems great, and I had enough confidence in them that I could use the gravel canal towpath or byway if I wanted to without worry about any fragility.

Reliability wasn't an issue with the wheels, either. The DT Swiss R470s have a 23mm-deep alloy rim and 20mm internal width, with 24 spokes front and rear. Overall, it's a quality set of wheels, if not exactly anything to get too excited about.

Value

The carbon fibre Sirrus is available in two builds: this 6.0 model at £2,400, and the X 5.0 at £1,950, which gets unbranded wheels but comes with a set of 28mm Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready gravel tyres instead.

Many brands don't go this high end with their hybrid bike ranges – or certainly not the ones we've been sent to review. Many have aluminium alloy frames and prices usually top out around the £1,500 mark, with most being closer to £1,000.

Trek's FX Sport 5 has a carbon fibre frame and fork, and uses a GRX 11-speed 1x groupset and similar finishing kit to the Sirrus. It costs £2,500.

Canyon's Roadlite CF 8 is well worth a look, though. It comes with the same SRAM Eagle groupset as the Specialized and the weight is nearly identical. For comfort, it gets Canyon's split S15 VCLS 2.0 CF seatpost, which gives plenty of movement and flex, and you also get some very decent tyres – Schwalbe's G-Ones – included in the £1,649 price. That's a lot of bike for not a lot of money!

Conclusion

I like the Sirrus 6.0 a lot. I love the quirky looks of the frame, and the ride quality is great – as a roadie I like its overall nippy nature. It can't beat the Canyon on price, but if you want a quick bike for exercise, pleasure rides or commuting, and you want a flat handlebar, it's definitely one to consider.

Verdict

Quirky but quick and comfortable, with tyre clearance allowing for some gravel action