Which is the better bicycle company?

Is it Trek (Navigator 400), Giant (Cypress DX) or the Raleigh (40)? I'm going to be using the
bike for asphalt bike paths, parks, and a little gravel. I will be riding the bike for about 3
hours on weekends.

Any feedback from you folks would be greatly appreciated!

> Is it Trek (Navigator 400), Giant (Cypress DX) or the Raleigh (40)? I'm going to be using the bike
> for asphalt bike paths, parks, and a little gravel. I will be riding the bike for about 3 hours on
> weekends.

Speaking as a totally-biased and not-to-be-believed retailer who sells lots of TREK bicycles, I'd
say that, of the three companies you mentioned, TREK is the best in terms of consistently not taking
short cuts to quality and having the best warranty service in the business. That answers the
question in your subject line. However, the best bike for *you* is at least partly dependent (if
most largely) on the quality of the dealer you get the bike from. You should be looking for a shop
that you wouldn't mind bringing the bike back to if there are any issues, such as fit, something not
quite working right, or even advice on where to ride.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

>Is it Trek (Navigator 400), Giant (Cypress DX) or the Raleigh (40)? I'm going to be using the bike
>for asphalt bike paths, parks, and a little gravel. I will be riding the bike for about 3 hours on
>weekends.
>
>Any feedback from you folks would be greatly appreciated!

I think that the advice that Mike J. the totally biased Trek dealer gave you was right on the money.
These bikes are quite similar and buying from a good dealer who will help you not only with pre sale
assistance but will also help you learn to enjoy your bike is the most important factor.

One good thing about buying a Trek is that if you do have problems with a dealer, just mention it so
that Mike J. hears about it and somehow the great Trek God from above will swoop down and magically
fix everything. <You may laugh but it is true.>

Jon Isaacs

>Any feedback from you folks would be greatly appreciated!

At its heart a bicycle is a simple concept brilliantly executed.

Look at the terms we use--shifters, suspension, bearings, lightness of being.

OK, we don't say lighness of being all that much. But we do refer to the unbeable tightness of
bearings. Usually in the context of preload.

What am I trying to say. Who the hell knows. But if you buy a bike you will have one. I can say that
for certain.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________ ------------------"Buddy Holly,
the Texas Elvis"------------------
__________306.350.357.38>>cwhitman@texastwr.utaustin.edu__________

On Sat, 24 May 2003 04:18:50 GMT, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <mikej1@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

>> Is it Trek (Navigator 400), Giant (Cypress DX) or the Raleigh (40)? I'm going to be using the
>> bike for asphalt bike paths, parks, and a little gravel. I will be riding the bike for about 3
>> hours on weekends.
>
>Speaking as a totally-biased and not-to-be-believed retailer who sells lots of TREK bicycles, I'd
>say that, of the three companies you mentioned, TREK is the best in terms of consistently not
>taking short cuts to quality and having the best warranty service in the business. That answers the
>question in your subject line. However, the best bike for *you* is at least partly dependent (if
>most largely) on the quality of the dealer you get the bike from. You should be looking for a shop
>that you wouldn't mind bringing the bike back to if there are any issues, such as fit, something
>not quite working right, or even advice on where to ride.
>
>--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>

Speaking as another totally biased guy who works in a shop who sells all three brands,
Mike's right on.

I'd like to add a few thoughts. Have you ridden all three, for more than a loop around the parking
lot? If not, do it. If so, did one bike or shop give you a better feeling in any way? Did you need a
minor adjustment during a test ride? How did the shop react?

What other services do the shops offer? Free rider / repair clinics? Group rides? Free adjustments
or tune ups? Loyalty programs? Local event info?

Try to compare no more than two at a time.

All three are good bikes, I don't think any of them will do you wrong.

Have fun, Barry

Since you mentioned Raleigh, you might be interested in a very sour experience I had with them. About three years ago, I wanted to buy my wife a birthday present, so I went to my LBS and bought a Raleigh hybrid. My wife is small, and they didn't have her size on the floor, so I stood there and listened while the owner of the store called Raleigh and ordered the bike. They assured him that the bike would take no more than four weeks, which allowed plenty of time before my wife's birthday. At the end of four weeks, I asked the LBS to check with Raleigh. Raleigh not only had not built the bike, they claimed they never received the order. Note that they didn't take any responsibility for losing track of the order; they simply claimed that no order was ever placed. The bottom line is that I ended up not getting the Raleigh -- obviously -- and I apologized to my LBS profusely and went to another bike shop where I bought a Trek. The whole incident left me with a very bad feeling about Raleigh. Too bad, because they offer a lot of value in their bikes.

x-no-archive:yes

<CHUSMA@webtv.net> wrote in message news:27352-3ECEDD81-65@storefull-229...wson.webtv.net...
> Is it Trek (Navigator 400), Giant (Cypress DX) or the Raleigh (40)? I'm going to be using the bike
> for asphalt bike paths, parks, and a little gravel. I will be riding the bike for about 3 hours on
> weekends.
>
> Any feedback from you folks would be greatly appreciated!

I agree with Mike J about the bike shop. When I bought my Bianchi Veloce in 2000, after I took a
test ride while one of the shop's owners watched, he started changing things about the bike. I had
thought that perhaps he was watching to see if I would make off with the bike, but he was looking at
the "fit" of the bike with my body. He switched out the saddle and the stem and changed the angle of
the stem and saddle. He advised me on glove and pump selections, and he didn't charge me anything
for the parts he swapped out. By the time I left the shop, the fit was excellent and I haven't yet
changed any aspect of it. Since then, I haven't been afraid to go back to the shop and ask questions
or have the bike looked at. They didn't even make fun of me 3 months later when I stopped on the
side of a road and left my right foot clipped in---resulting in a fall on the derailleur side and
bending the derailleur hanger (thank God for steel derailleur hangers!).

Bottom line: how you "fit" with the shop is a large part of this purchase.

Pat

On 24 May 2003 23:30:32 +0950, dennisg <
>The bottom line is that I ended up not getting the Raleigh -- obviously -- and I apologized to my
>LBS profusely and went to another bike shop where I bought a Trek. The whole incident left me with
>a very bad feeling about Raleigh. Too bad, because they offer a lot of value in their bikes.

Keep in mind that Raleigh has gone through major changes in the last two years or so, with one of
the previous owners (a real person <G>) of the company buying the company back from the corporation
that owned
it.

Their customer service has improved ten-fold since the ownership change.

Barry