Buying my first bike. help needed.



dejian007

New Member
Jan 8, 2016
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Hi all,

This is my first post in this forum so any help will be greatly appreciated. I am buying my first bike. My budget is $1000. After looking around I have narrowed down on 2 bikes:

1. http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/city/fitness/fx/7-4-fx-disc/p/1342000-2015

I am getting this bike for about $1050.

2. http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/cross.city.1.disc/18941/77134/

I am getting this bike for about $800.

I found trek to be more comfortable. But I am wondering if it is worth the $350 extra? I will be using the bike for commuting and bike trails over the weekend. Can anyone please help me with this?

I have no knowledge about whose frame and gear would be better.

Thanks
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi All
I checked. For some reason the links dont work.

Trek Specs:

Specification Description

Frame:: Trek FX Alpha Gold Series aluminum
Fork:: Trek FX aluminun, disc
Rims/Wheels:: Bontrager TLR Disc
Hubs:: Formula
Tires:: Bontrager AW1 Hardcase Lite, 700 x 32c
Crankset:: Shimano Acera
Chainrings:: 48/36/26
Front Derailleur:: Shimano Acera
Rear Derailleur:: Shimano Deore
Rear Cogs:: Shimano, 9-speed: 11-32
Shifters:: Shimano Acera
Handlebars:: Bontrager Satellite Plus IsoZone
Tape/Grips:: Bontrager Satellite IsoZone Elite
Stem:: Bontrager SSR
Brake Levers:: Shimano
Brakes:: Shimano M395 disc
Pedals:: Nylon platform
Saddle:: Bontrager H1
Seatpost:: Bontrager Nebula



GIANT Specs:


FRAME
Sizes::
XS, S, M, L, XL
Colors:: Charcoal
Frame:: ALUXX-grade aluminium
Fork:: Composite, with alloy steerer
Shock:: N/A

COMPONENTS
Handlebar::
Giant Connect TR, 31.8mm
Stem:: Giant Sport
Seatpos:: Giant Connect composite, 27.2mm
Saddle:: Giant Connect, Upright
Pedals:: N/A

DRIVETRAIN
Shifters::
Shimano Altus, 27sp
Front Derailleur:: Shimano Altus
Rear Derailleur:: Shimano Alivio
Brakes:: Shimano M355 hydraulic, 160mm
Brake Levers:: Shimano M355 hydraulic
Cassette:: Shimano HG-30, 11-34T, 9sp
Chain:: KMC X9
Crankset:: Shimano Acera, 26-36-48T
Bottom Bracket:: Shimano sealed

WHEELS
Rims::
Giant S-X2
Hubs:: Giant alloy sealed cassette, 32H
Spokes:: Stainless Steel, 14g
Tires:: Giant S-X2, 700x32c


I will be using this bike mostly for commuting during the week. It wont be much because my work is very close to my home. But I want to use the bike for travelling to the city(Approx 10km) and on the city bike trails. On the trails I will be trying to go as far as I can. The reason I have not considered a drop bar is because this is my very first bike. I am not too sure if I will be comfortable on a drop bar for long periods.
 
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FWIW. A generally accepted rule of thumb is that you get more bike for your money by choosing a similarly equipped GIANT than a similar bike from almost any other 'name' brand. Consequently, I seriously doubt that the TREK which you are considering is worth $250 more than the GIANT which you are considering ...

If the one bike (in this instance, the Trek) feels more comfortable, then bring a tape measure ... measure the seat to pedal height ... ditto for the handlebars ... basically, MATCH the orientation of all of rider-bike contact points to ensure that it isn't just how the one bike was arbitrarily set up before it was set on the showroom floor compared with another bike.

And then, see if matching the EXACT configuration on the other bike (including air pressure in the tires) yields a similar ride OR continues to feel less comfortable to you.
BTW. If you won't be commuting in wet weather AND/OR if you don't plan to ride in wet conditions when you are not commuting then you probably do NOT need a bike which has disc brakes.

BTW2. In the Lower-48, a 2015 bike should be ~75%-or-less of the MSRP ... it is technically over a year-and-a-half old ...

Like automobiles, you can consider the model year to begin the September of the preceding calendar year ...

BUT for bikes, I think that July 1st (the beginning of the 3rd Quarter) is when I think you can actually consider a bike to be a year old because hints of the next year's bikes will definitely be out-there AND in the Southern Hemisphere, it's whatever Winter you have (i.e., "off" season).

That's right, a 2016 model could be considered to be a year old in less than six months from now AND you should consider the price you pay to be for a NOS item at the near-future date.​

As others have noted in numerous threads, most bicycle frames are now fabricated in either Taiwan or Mainland China ... so, the REAL difference (after the actual specifications which the manufacturer wants for the frame with regard to geometry & quality of welding) may only be the decals ...

So, if by chance you are in ANZ, then you should probably try to avoid the surcharge duty which is apparently imposed on "foreign" brands (e.g., definitely TREK) AND simply look for a comparably equipped bike (i.e., the frame type & level of SHIMANO components) which is sold under a domestic label (e.g., Merida? Apollo?) ... that is, if you are in Oz-or-environs, then the fore mentioned rule regarding the benefit of buying a 'new' GIANT bike from a retail dealer (i.e., bike shop) may not be applicable.​

BTW3. Since I don't have a problem with the concept of riding a bike with fenders AND because you may be using your bike to commute, I think you may want to steer your eyes toward the GIANT Cross City 2 Equipped bike if only to use as a benchmark against which you judge the possible bikes to choose from ...

I realize that MANY people think it is wrong-thinking to replace components on a new bike, but $200-to-$450 can go a long way toward replacing this-or-that component which you may deem to be unsatisfactory in the future AFTER you have ridden the bike for a few weeks/months/years.
Having said ALL of the foregoing, because a person's personal aesthetic sensibilities ARE a factor, if you like the way a particular bike/(whatever) looks when compared to whatever the option might be, then it can be an over-riding factor.
 
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Hi All
I checked. For some reason the links dont work.

Trek Specs:

Specification Description

Frame:: Trek FX Alpha Gold Series aluminum
Fork:: Trek FX aluminun, disc
Rims/Wheels:: Bontrager TLR Disc
Hubs:: Formula
Tires:: Bontrager AW1 Hardcase Lite, 700 x 32c
Crankset:: Shimano Acera
Chainrings:: 48/36/26
Front Derailleur:: Shimano Acera
Rear Derailleur:: Shimano Deore
Rear Cogs:: Shimano, 9-speed: 11-32
Shifters:: Shimano Acera
Handlebars:: Bontrager Satellite Plus IsoZone
Tape/Grips:: Bontrager Satellite IsoZone Elite
Stem:: Bontrager SSR
Brake Levers:: Shimano
Brakes:: Shimano M395 disc
Pedals:: Nylon platform
Saddle:: Bontrager H1
Seatpost:: Bontrager Nebula



GIANT Specs:


FRAME
Sizes::
XS, S, M, L, XL
Colors:: Charcoal
Frame:: ALUXX-grade aluminium
Fork:: Composite, with alloy steerer
Shock:: N/A

COMPONENTS
Handlebar::
Giant Connect TR, 31.8mm
Stem:: Giant Sport
Seatpos:: Giant Connect composite, 27.2mm
Saddle:: Giant Connect, Upright
Pedals:: N/A

DRIVETRAIN
Shifters::
Shimano Altus, 27sp
Front Derailleur:: Shimano Altus
Rear Derailleur:: Shimano Alivio
Brakes:: Shimano M355 hydraulic, 160mm
Brake Levers:: Shimano M355 hydraulic
Cassette:: Shimano HG-30, 11-34T, 9sp
Chain:: KMC X9
Crankset:: Shimano Acera, 26-36-48T
Bottom Bracket:: Shimano sealed

WHEELS
Rims::
Giant S-X2
Hubs:: Giant alloy sealed cassette, 32H
Spokes:: Stainless Steel, 14g
Tires:: Giant S-X2, 700x32c


I will be using this bike mostly for commuting during the week. It wont be much because my work is very close to my home. But I want to use the bike for travelling to the city(Approx 10km) and on the city bike trails. On the trails I will be trying to go as far as I can. The reason I have not considered a drop bar is because this is my very first bike. I am not too sure if I will be comfortable on a drop bar for long periods.
The specs of the bike looks wondeful. The rims and the tires are of very high quality. Most of the parts are of Bontrager and I think it's an awesome brand.
 
The specs of the bike looks wondeful. The rims and the tires are of very high quality. Most of the parts are of Bontrager and I think it's an awesome brand.
Yeah, I have used many brands and I must say that this brand is awesome. You can easily find the parts and they are available in almost all the bike shops. The best thing about this company is that the price of the parts is very low and I think everyone can afford it.