Quality overview: Trek vs. Giant?

[vegasbabee]

Hi , My name is Ken and I'm new here. I haven't bought a bike in about 25 years and alot has changed. Alloy frames! My last cycle was a Takara 10-speed with a lug frame and it was considered a hell of a cycle in it's time. Alas, sombody stole it while I was in college, I graduated , bought a car, and haven't had a 2 wheeler since. I used to rollerblade alot for exercise, but since I moved from the awesome oceanfront bikepaths of Florida to Las Vegas, the desert sun wreaks havoc on the pavement and there just aren't many nice places to skate away from the maniac drivers we have out here (no beaches, obviously), so I'm getting into cycling again.

I have narrowed it down to two choices: a Trek 7300 or a Giant Cypress DX with a 25" frame (I'm a lanky dude). The Trek is slightly more $$ than the Giant and I'd like to know the overal feeling of component quality between these two major bicycle companies.

Thanks everybody!

 

[Doctor Morbius]

... and there just aren't many nice places to skate away from the maniac drivers we have out here (no beaches, obviously), so I'm getting into cycling again.

So you think cycling will be a better way to avoid the maniac drivers?! Stick around on these boards for a while and listen to some of the horror stories that we have to cope with. Unless you have a very controlled environment cycling can be very hazardous to your health. I lived in Atlanta Georgia for 5 years and after about 2 months of trying to play it safe I decided it just wasn't worth it and gave up. Fortunately, where I currently live isn't anywhere near as bad.

I have narrowed it down to two choices: a Trek 7300 or a Giant Cypress DX with a 25" frame (I'm a lanky dude). The Trek is slightly more $$ than the Giant and I'd like to know the overal feeling of component quality between these two major bicycle companies.

Thanks everybody!

Both of those models have a pretty upright riding posture and an adjustable stem so it shouldn't be too hard to dial in a good comfortable fit. The Trek 7300 has slightly better components but you have to ask yourself if it's worth the additional $70.

Take them both out for extensive test rides and see if one of them handles better. If they both feel about the same then get the lesser expensive one.

The Trek may seem a little quicker but it also has thinner tires so keep that in mind when test riding.

 

[biker7]

I can relate on many levels as I am a lanky dude who is a distance roller blader who also likes to cycle for supplemental fitness. You cannot go wrong with either bike. Both are reputable names. Personally I prefer Trek bikes in name over Giant but there are many on this forum with Giant bikes and they love 'em.
Giant has been gaining some street cred of late as well and offering bikes at a terrific value in terms of what you get in content/component level etc. Go with what your heart tells you as at the end of the day, there is more than a bit of emotion involved in a bike purchase...kind of like buying a car. Consider your purchase carefully because once you pull the trigger, that will be your bike for quite a while. I would therefore buy the nicest bike I could afford.
Good luck and welcome back to the sport,
George

 

[vegasbabee]

Thanks guys. I see that Lance Armstrong endorses Trek. Wonder what his endorsement fee is? Could be why Treks are more money than Giant...

BTW, does any Cycling big-shot endorse Giant? Not that it matters but just curious...

 

[serenaslu]

BTW, does any Cycling big-shot endorse Giant? Not that it matters but just curious...

FWIW, I guess you could say that Ullrich, Klöden, Zabel, Vinokourov and the rest of the T-Mobile crew do for starters.

 

[triguy98]

Thanks guys. I see that Lance Armstrong endorses Trek. Wonder what his endorsement fee is? Could be why Treks are more money than Giant...

BTW, does any Cycling big-shot endorse Giant? Not that it matters but just curious...

His "endorsement fee" is all the R&D that Trek does for him and his bikes. One could argue Lance rides some of the most advanced rides out there. At least, the most researched rides.

I'd buy Trek over Giant. Trek is a made in USA company. That's not important to some. I prefer to think I am sending my money to feed an American, not some dipsh!t over seas who bad mouths our country all the time.

 

[boudreaux]

I'd buy Trek over Giant. Trek is a made in USA company.

Not all of them.Choose wisely.

 

[vegasbabee]

His "endorsement fee" is all the R&D that Trek does for him and his bikes. One could argue Lance rides some of the most advanced rides out there. At least, the most researched rides.

I'd buy Trek over Giant. Trek is a made in USA company. That's not important to some. I prefer to think I am sending my money to feed an American, not some dipsh!t over seas who bad mouths our country all the time.

I Dind't know Trek was USA. That's not to bad a price differential from the Chinese(?) Giant.

BTW, I'm a guitarist and an Amercian Fender Stratocaster is $900.00+ and an overseas one is about $300.00 . Now that's a difference!

 

[dhk]

I Dind't know Trek was USA. That's not to bad a price differential from the Chinese(?) Giant.

BTW, I'm a guitarist and an Amercian Fender Stratocaster is $900.00+ and an overseas one is about $300.00 . Now that's a difference!

Like boudreaux said, Trek is a US company, but only their high-end bikes (eg 5000, Madone) are made in the US now. The low-end (eg 1000) is made in China, while the mid-priced come from Taiwan. I don't know the exact cross-over points in the line up, but the Chinese bikes have "Made in China" stickers on their headtubes.

Not saying Trek is bad in any way for outsourcing their lower-priced bikes to Asia. Probably a necessary strategy to compete again the Taiwanese Giant and all the other asian brands at the most price-sensitive end of the market.

 

[lohsnest]

Like boudreaux said, Trek is a US company, but only their high-end bikes (eg 5000, Madone) are made in the US now. The low-end (eg 1000) is made in China, while the mid-priced come from Taiwan. I don't know the exact cross-over points in the line up, but the Chinese bikes have "Made in China" stickers on their headtubes.

Not saying Trek is bad in any way for outsourcing their lower-priced bikes to Asia. Probably a necessary strategy to compete again the Taiwanese Giant and all the other asian brands at the most price-sensitive end of the market.

Although Trek's high end frames are made here, aren't their carbon tubes still made in Taiwan and imported here for assembly?

 

[Doctor Morbius]

I Dind't know Trek was USA. That's not to bad a price differential from the Chinese(?) Giant.

BTW, I'm a guitarist and an Amercian Fender Stratocaster is $900.00+ and an overseas one is about $300.00 . Now that's a difference!

Gaint is based in Taiwan. At least they are a democracy of sorts. China isn't and probably never will be.

Giant has some new factories set up in China to take advantage of their low (slave) labor costs.

According to a couple people I know that work in bike shops, many Treks are made by Giant and all Specialized bikes are made by Giant. I don't know if this is true or not but that's what they've told me.

 

[biker7]

other thing I will add is I often see Taiwan as referred to a second class place to make bikes. Couldn't be farther from the truth. Taiwanese manufacuturing practices in general are some of the most evolved in the world. Bikes made in Taiwan is a good thing not bad. The decision to outsource to Taiwan is much more than purely economic. The work ethic and manufacturing expertise of this growing society is as good as any.
George

 

[boudreaux]

Although Trek's high end frames are made here, aren't their carbon tubes still made in Taiwan and imported here for assembly?

No.........

 

[vegasbabee]

other thing I will add is I often see Taiwan as referred to a second class place to make bikes. Couldn't be farther from the truth. Taiwanese manufacuturing practices in general are some of the most evolved in the world. Bikes made in Taiwan is a good thing not bad. The decision to outsource to Taiwan is much more than purely economic. The work ethic and manufacturing expertise of this growing society is as good as any.
George

This is all nice to know. I'm married to a girl who was made in Taiwan and has quality components!

 

[biker7]

I'm an engineer in the auto industry and have traveled there and seen their manufacturing capability. As you know if your wife has taken you to her homeland, that country has grown by leaps and bounds in the last ten years. And quite right...many Taiwanese women with nice components
George

 

[Briguy]

I do believe Treks 2100 is hand made in Wisconson.

 

[lokstah]

I'm an engineer in the auto industry and have traveled there and seen their manufacturing capability....
George

I'm going to chime in with agreement, here. Politics aside--that may be a valid factor for some when making a purchase, but economics and patriotism aren't tech issues--the reality is that a gargantuan number of bike frames of all classes, high and low -end, and all materials, colors and intended uses, are made in Taiwan.

Locally-made has its appeal, but there's no blanket assesment of Taiwanese-built frames accurate enough to be useful. A well-designed, well-assembled frame is a well-designed, well-assembled frame.

Unless the political issue is important to you, let other factors govern the Giant v. Trek comparison. The companies size frames differently, for one; they spec them differently as well. Most would characterize a typical Giant and a typical Trek as handling and feeling a little different on the road. Reliability? I wouldn't worry too much about one over the other.

 

[artmichalek]

[size=-1]"Five years ago, I never would have thought I would be announcing plans to build bicycles in Taiwan. But the quality of Taiwan's manufacturing is undeniable, and to be competitive, you need to be open to new ideas." - Ernesto Colnago

More here:
http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/7695.0.html
[/size]

 

[biker7]

If I am not mistaken my new Bianchi Veloce was manufactured there. The fit and finish on the bike is as good as anything I have seen.
George

 

[boudreaux]

If I am not mistaken my new Bianchi Veloce was manufactured there. The fit and finish on the bike is as good as anything I have seen.
George

You need to get out more.Compare it to an IF or similar someday.