Giant Cypress or Trek 7200

fbcflame said:

I'm a youth pastor in rural Missouri, so $400 is my budget. I've looked at the two bikes mentioned above. They are at two different bike shops. Both are around $360, but the Trek comes with a free lifetime labor warranty, and I have to pay $50 for the warranty on the Giant. So it puts them at $360 for the Trek and $410 for the Giant. It seems that the components are a little better on the Giant. Are there other Hybrid bikes in that price range that I should be looking at? I am completely new to this, so any advice would be great!

I have a Giant Cypress AND a Trek 7300. I got the Giant when I decided to get back into riding, then the Trek when I was recovering from a motorcycle accident (My wife took over the Giant when I was in the hospital). Both have similar geometry, but I think the Giant is a better buy at the same price (even if you have to shell out 50 bucks for a warranty). I'd drop the warranty as a consideration if either bike comes with free adjustments. There's not much that can go wrong on these bikes....

But also, think about what you want to use these bikes for. If you're never going off-road, think about getting a non-suspension fork (like the 7300 FX or 7.3 model from Trek). That'll save you at least a pound in weight. If you plan on going long distances, think about a traditional road or touring bike - I can ride my 7300 about 50 miles, but that's about it. I've since picke up a Giant OCR C2 for long/fast rides, and the Trek 7300 is now my offical 'commuter' bike. I put fenders and a rack on it, and will likely swap out the suspension fork for a rigid one.

I bought a Specialized Globe Sport. I have to admit that the reason was a little bit shallow. It was a little more (440 after taxes, the store had a buy-one-get-the-second-half-off deal going, and me and a friend both bought one.), but it was a little sportier looking. It does have a rigid fork, and the rapid fire shifters. Anybody have any experience with this bike? I'm pretty excited about getting into riding. This is my first "serious" bike. Maybe when I'm older and more financially established, I can think about some nicer bikes, but for now, I think this will be a good starter.

Quoted post said:

It does have a rigid fork, and the rapid fire shifters.

Yes, that's the way to go. 😄

Next, some better tyres. 😉