Advice Needed On Giant Rainer '03 vs. Trek 6700 '03

[Randy]

I've come down to my final two options for a mountain bike: Giant Rainer '03 or the Trek 6700 '03.
Any recommendations? The Giant is priced at $729.99 comes with Avid Disc Brakes and Shimano Clipless
Pedals. The Trek 6700 is priced at $749.00 without disc or pedals. I'm thinking the Giant just based
on price and components but I'm a beginneer mountain biker. How does the frame and components
compare? Any help would be appreciated from knowledgable bikers and/or those that have actually used
any of the two.

-Randy

 

[Mike Jacoubowsk]

I can't speak for the Giant, but the TREKs frame is one of the nicer lightweight frames out there,
built in the US out of heat-treated 6061 tubing. The 6700 is also a pretty conservative bike,
meaning that you're not going to have trouble with flaky components. And, as you've probably read
here and elsewhere, TREK is among the very best (possibly the best) in the business as far as
standing behind their product.

Best bet is to try each bike and see what you think. There are going to be differences in geometry
that could make a big difference in which bike will be more comfortable or appropriate for your
riding style. And, of course, the choice of shop can make a *huge* difference. Not only is the shop
responsible for how the bike is initially set up (assembled), but they're also responsible for
making sure it fits correctly and taking care of any warranty issues down the road. Those things can
be worth far more than the difference between a bike with disc vs V-brakes.

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

"Randy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've come down to my final two options for a mountain bike: Giant Rainer '03 or the Trek 6700 '03.
> Any recommendations? The Giant is priced at $729.99 comes with Avid Disc Brakes and Shimano
> Clipless Pedals. The Trek 6700 is priced at $749.00 without disc or pedals. I'm thinking the Giant
> just based on price and components but I'm a beginneer mountain biker. How does the frame and
> components compare? Any help would be appreciated from knowledgable bikers and/or those that have
> actually used any of the two.
>
> -Randy

 

[Waxxer]

TRUE!!!

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I can't speak for the Giant, but the TREKs frame is one of the nicer lightweight frames out there,
> built in the US out of heat-treated 6061 tubing. The 6700 is also a pretty conservative bike,
> meaning that you're not going to have trouble with flaky components. And, as you've probably read
> here and elsewhere, TREK is among the very best (possibly the best)
in
> the business as far as standing behind their product.
>
> Best bet is to try each bike and see what you think. There are going to
be
> differences in geometry that could make a big difference in which bike
will
> be more comfortable or appropriate for your riding style. And, of course, the choice of shop can
> make a *huge* difference. Not only is the shop responsible for how the bike is initially set up
> (assembled), but they're also responsible for making sure it fits correctly and taking care of any
> warranty issues down the road. Those things can be worth far more than
the
> difference between a bike with disc vs V-brakes.
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
>
> "Randy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I've come down to my final two options for a mountain bike: Giant Rainer '03 or the Trek 6700
> > '03. Any recommendations? The Giant is priced at $729.99 comes with Avid Disc Brakes and Shimano
> > Clipless Pedals. The Trek 6700 is priced at $749.00 without disc or pedals. I'm thinking the
> > Giant just based on price and components but I'm a beginneer mountain biker. How does the frame
> > and components compare? Any help would be appreciated from knowledgable bikers and/or those that
> > have actually used any of the two.
> >
> > -Randy

 

[B. Sanders]

"Randy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've come down to my final two options for a mountain bike: Giant Rainer '03 or the Trek 6700 '03.
> Any recommendations?

The Giant is
> priced at $729.99 comes with Avid Disc Brakes and Shimano Clipless Pedals.

The Rainier is a sweet bike at a great price. The frame is light and strong, the brakes are some of
the best available. It's going to be heavier - disc hubs and brakes add about 2-3 lbs to a bike.
I've test ridden the Rainier, and thought I'd probably swap out some things.

> The Trek 6700 is priced at $749.00 without disc or pedals. I'm thinking the Giant just based on
> price and components but I'm a beginneer mountain biker. How does the frame and components
> compare?

The Giant has the better specs, all around. If your dealer is reputable, the Giant and Trek should
be about equal in terms of warranty coverage in the event of failure.

> Any help would be appreciated from knowledgable bikers and/or those that have actually used any of
> the two.

My advice: If you have time, look at more bikes. Test ride them off-road. Find the one that feels
"balanced" and fits you the best. Components should be good quality; but if a few of them are not so
great, you can swap them for better components. If the frame, wheels and fork are good, then that's
most of the expense in the bike. Generally, for the money, Giant makes the best bikes. The Rainier
is very hard to beat for value.

-Barry

 

[Smokey]

[email protected] (Randy) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I've come down to my final two options for a mountain bike: Giant Rainer '03 or the Trek 6700 '03.
> Any recommendations? The Giant is priced at $729.99 comes with Avid Disc Brakes and Shimano
> Clipless Pedals. The Trek 6700 is priced at $749.00 without disc or pedals. I'm thinking the Giant
> just based on price and components but I'm a beginneer mountain biker. How does the frame and
> components compare? Any help would be appreciated from knowledgable bikers and/or those that have
> actually used any of the two.
>
> -Randy

i haven't ridden either bike, randy. my personal mountain bike is a 99 fisher marlin hardtail. i've
heard good things about both of them. a big factor in your decision should be the dealer you are
buying from. they will do the setup, fitting, any needed warranty work, and future service work. i
was a service manager for many years at a kawasaki motorcycle dealership, and our shop and warranty
support sold a lot of new bikes for us. one other bit of advice; if you pick the trek, you might
want to consider shimano 536 clipless pedals. i've had times, eggbeaters, and shimano 515s. the
536s have worked the best for me, unless you plan to do a LOT of mud riding, then pick the times.
smokey strodtman