FORUMS > Cycling Forum Rules

I've just about decided to go ahead and get a road bike and it seems Trek has the lock on this type (and Specialized is all about mtn biking). Anyone have thoughts about this or are they both just equally good?

I don't know if either one is truly better than the other. My first serious road bike was a Specialized Epic Allez (carbon) that I loved and it fit me perfectly (i had a specialized Stumpjumper -oversized steel- that also fit me perfect). But _fit_ is the key thing you should be looking at. All bikes have very subtle differences in geometry that can effect how the bike feels when you ride it. That plus the choice of material and construction play a role. Some people like carbon fiber bikes, others can't stand them because they don't feel as responsive as steel. Aluminum has a reputation for being stiff and unforgiving to ride (Cannondales and Klein bike being examples). I think the trek carbon bikes are great, if you got the cash. Some questions, what type of riding are planning on? Competitive? Triathlon's? Tooling around town? Do you want something really light weight or something that when you start a sprint won't feel noodly when you push really hard on the cranks? Do you like to ride stretched out or more upright? There are lots of great bikes out there, some very niche, Trek and Specialized just happen to be very prominent. My personal favourite bike would be a litespeed (if i had the funds for it)

Hey Gig -- I had a Mongoose, and a Trek. The trek 3700 wins my vote, hands down! It was the most awesome bike I ever rode. My son took it, so I'm going to get another ASAP!

I got the aluminum frame, but this time, I think I'm going to get a carbon-composite frame. Lighter, if you have to carry it for some reason.

God, I miss it SO badly!

Steve

Im actually working with the Hincapie brothers on a business venture(George races for the discovery team and was recently in the tour de france)...I can ask them if you'd like....I know nothing about bikes myself.

Wrustle, others, thanks for the feedback.

I've been doing mainly mountain/trail biking and was really trying to decide if I wanted to upgrade to a full-suspension for trail riding or go for a road bike.

I think I've settled on keeping my current bike for trail riding and getting a decent road bike for the speed.

And yeah, I'm toying with training this fall/winter for races in the spring so something that would be good for competitive purposes is also key but not a make or break.

If your going for a road bike then they are both the two brands that I would recommend. They are great quality and great warrenty.

The high end bikes are not your typical taiwanese frame picked from a catalogue and given a new paintjob.

I have riden on a trek since 2001 and I enjoy it.

The Hincape brothers would probably recommend Trek since Hincape is part of the Discovery Team that rides on a Trek and are sponsored by Trek, so it's a biased opinion.

Thanks for the info can. Now to more specifics. Does anyone have thoughts experience with "hybrids" versus straight up road bikes and mtn bikes? Are they good for someone who can't commit and isn't serious about one or the other or are they legitimately functional in both arenas?

Hell no. Everyone needs at least three bikes.

BTW: Don't the Hincapies also own a piece of Team Slipstream, which rides Felt? Now that Disco is no more, who knows where self-interest may lie.

Mindgarden, I'd LOVE for you to be here when I try to make that argument to my husband! And then there's the space issue - my 'sports stuff' is starting to overflow the joint!

There are zillions of ways to store bikes.
examples: http://www.bikerackshops.com/groupgaragestorage.html?gclid=CJ3HmqWoy44CFQflhgodFF3gCA

TOO cool! I might just have to look into those. Between my bike(s) and his, we'll have them all over the place. And remarkably, some of those racks look totally suited to an apartment on the fourth floor as we are. Thanks!

I personally ride a Serotta for my road bike and couldn't be happier. Just go to the bike shop and try it all on for size.

as was mentioned above, the production line bikes aren't bad: trek or Specialized. Perhaps consider the long term and therefore go to a framebuilder. custom bikes are the way to go. really not that expensive overall. Mariposa was my frame builder-excellent choice.
I prefer the tighter frame for hill climbing and the distance riding.
My first decent mtn bike was a Fat Chance, had the revelutionary bottom bracket of the day.
happy trails

I have a specialized road bike. probably would have gone for a hybrid, but there's the factor of lugging it up the stairs in a manhattan apartment. i know, lazy. this thing weighs less than the locks i use...

...miss my stump jumper though, and riding through the Wissahickon Park outside Philly....stopping with sunny boys in shady places....

All I can add is that I know a gay that works for Trek, so support the gays...

I work for Trek so my opinion is obviously bias, but overall it is a great company with a ton of other gays employed there and still family owned unlike Specialized. The products we make are almost all better than specialized and our warranty/replacement policies embarrass them. As a cyclist and a person in the industry the best advice I can give is to find a bike shop that treats you well and buy a bike they sell and support.

Unless you're looking for a simple townie cruiser I think you should steer away from a hybrid bike. They aren't beefy enough to take on a serious off-road trail nor are they fast enough for any long-distance road riding.

Trek and Specialized both make fine road bikes. However, there are a number of other road bike manufacturers that make quality bikes as well.

My road bike is a Felt F55. I think it's a solid value for money. Bianchi USA also makes solid road bikes (and good MTB single speeds).

Hope this helps.

Go with the strength, and get a Giant. With there buying power you get more bang for bucks.My roadie is TCR1 comp, and my MTB is an XTC2 disc. I'm not sure if they are sold in the US (I.E those particular models), but I can vouch for there quality. I just got back from a charity ride from Phillip Island, Victoria to Sydney N.S.W. 1165km in 12 days. Yep my butt hurts but the bike didn't miss a beat.No wonder i can't bulk up

I've ridden an old school french Motobecane for years. The steel frame is velvety, the components are decent. It's heavy. I don't care. I'm not racing, I'm riding. As far as mtn bikes go, I love my fat Giant full suspension with discs. Again, it's heavy, but I have more fun per pound than most of my friends. All of my weight conscious riding companions prefer Specialized, for road or mountain. Just go ride everything, in the right size, and buy the one that YOU love!

I would love to buy a Trek roadbike but they are too damn expensive. I currently own a bianchi brava roadbike and I am very satisfied with it. My bianchi roadbike has gotten me around Buffalo and its suburbs with very few problems.

Trek has a "lock" on the largest piece of the market, perhaps, but I'd be much less likely to say that they have a "lock" on the best road bike.

Trek is undoubtedly a very strong manufacturer of bicycles, and per capita probably has the most bikes on the road. However I am not so quick to say that just because everyone has one it's the best.

Trek's edge on the market comes much from word of mouth. Someone knows someone who adores Trek, so they buy their first bike: a Trek. They fall in love with cycling and get their brother to do it and tell him that Trek is the only way to go... without ever having ridden another brand.

I ride a Motobecane Le Champion SL 20-spd. Yes. I got a bike factory direct from a Taiwanese manufacturer. And yes. I got all your $2600 components for $1100. This is my second Motobecane. Do I say that Motobecane is the best out there? No. Because I haven't owned anything else.

Remember that "best" is very subjective. I've test-ridden Trek, Specialized, Orbea, Bianchi, Giant, Felt, Litespeed, and others. All feel different.

I'd say that Trek vs. Specialized vs. anyone else is not so much a universal law so much as it is what YOU want.

Patrick

Gigaram saidThanks for the info can. Now to more specifics. Does anyone have thoughts experience with "hybrids" versus straight up road bikes and mtn bikes? Are they good for someone who can't commit and isn't serious about one or the other or are they legitimately functional in both arenas?

Hello Gigaram: I've been into bicycles for 50 years. They have always been my favorite toys. I bought a Trek 9000 aluminum mtn. bike for my 40th birthday in 1991. I still have it and it works beautifully. I wanted a bike to commute that was lighter and faster than my Trek. I bought a 2005 Giant FCR-1 back in November 2005. It sold for $1,100. It is essentially a road bike with flat bars. It would not work off road. I looked at a Trek 7700 FX, but it was heavier than the Giant and a few hundred dollars more. My bike has a carbon fiber fork, chainstay, seatpost, and headset. It has over 5,000 miles now and still works great. I replace the chain every 1,000 miles with a Shimano Dura Ace chain. It saves the chain rings and rear cassette. I ride 7 1/2 miles each way to work and back. I get 75 miles in weekly just commuting. On the weekends, I usually go for a 20 - 30 mile ride somewhere. I'm riding the Tour de Palm Springs next month (See the thread for more info).

Now about the bike that you want next: The big question is how much do you want to spend. That will dictate your best options. I have 2 friends that bought '07 Trek Madone 5.2 road bikes during the past year for $2,400 and $2,000 respectively. They really dust me going up the hills. Trek redid their entire Madone line this year. I would like a Madone 5.5. They go for $4,200 list, but the Trek San Diego store makes some great deals.

To me, the money is well spent on a good bike. Get something lightweight and fast. Screw the mtn. bike - you already have one. Trek also offers 1 year same as cash if you want to buy a more expensive bike, but can't afford it. I highly recommend Trek.

Have fun bike shopping!

BenjaminLee saidI work for Trek so my opinion is obviously bias, but overall it is a great company with a ton of other gays employed there and still family owned unlike Specialized. The products we make are almost all better than specialized and our warranty/replacement policies embarrass them. As a cyclist and a person in the industry the best advice I can give is to find a bike shop that treats you well and buy a bike they sell and support.

I didn't know that! Must be my broken gaydar at work. Have been a loyal trek customer since 1983. I currently ride a 6.5 Madone...love it.

Welp, after going to shop after shop, I ended up back at the shop that did a great tune up on my mtn bike. They let me hop on different bikes and it took me about 2 spins on a Specialized Allez to be sold. So. Much. Fun. So, now on to a fitting and then seeing what she can really do on a long open stretch of trail and hills!

I am saving up to get a Specalized Allez myself. I sort of wish I would have gotten it a couple years when I got my new mtn bike. Then I could have had matching colors. How gay would that be? I have a Specalized Epic Mtn Bike and it ROCKS! I love the brain and it makes riding Cross Country very nice.

I love my Specialized. It's great for what I need it for. I say go with specialized.

indulge me, it's a good campaign:

DirtTriSEA saidUnless you're looking for a simple townie cruiser I think you should steer away from a hybrid bike. They aren't beefy enough to take on a serious off-road trail nor are they fast enough for any long-distance road riding.

Trek and Specialized both make fine road bikes. However, there are a number of other road bike manufacturers that make quality bikes as well.

My road bike is a Felt F55. I think it's a solid value for money. Bianchi USA also makes solid road bikes (and good MTB single speeds).

Hope this helps.

I ride a Santa Cruz Superlight ... Smooth and silky.

Hummm, I still have my Trek and have over 2000 miles on it. I know the frame is not ideal, but I love it.
I have some Trek fames that make me foam at the mouth, I would suggest you just shop and enjoy it.

1969er saidindulge me, it's a good campaign:

LOL..that was cute.

I just recently purchased a Schwinn Madison in this color.


I'm quite pleased with it and since it was a 2008 model I got it on sale. I loves me a sale!

I have tried Specialized, Jamis, Giant, Scattante, etc. I actually returned a Giant (don't remember the specific model) because it was a 27 gear over priced pain in the neck. I spent nearly $1,000 and the chain was popping off and when I took it to the bike shop the first time I was told not to use the "these gears toward the left and not to use the ones to the right." I was like, "WTF?" I paid this money and now you're telling me I can't use it the way it was intended? So I returned that piece of crap.

I spent half that amount on my new Schwinn. It rides fast and it feels great.

I had a Jamis years ago and it rode pretty well. But it was stripped clean once where I locked it up. So much bike theft in Chicago it's ungodly. I've had so many bicycle stolen in this town. I now keep my current bike in my apartment.

muchmorethanmuscle saidI just recently purchased a Schwinn Madison in this color.


I'm quite pleased with it and since it was a 2008 model I got it on sale. I loves me a sale!

I have tried Specialized, Jamis, Giant, Scattante, etc. I actually returned a Giant (don't remember the specific model) because it was a 27 gear over priced pain in the neck. I spent nearly $1,000 and the chain was popping off and when I took it to the bike shop the first time I was told not to use the "these gears toward the left and not to use the ones to the right." I was like, "WTF?" I paid this money and now you're telling me I can't use it the way it was intended? So I returned that piece of crap.

I spent half that amount on my new Schwinn. It rides fast and it feels great.

I had a Jamis years ago and it rode pretty well. But it was stripped clean once where I locked it up. So much bike theft in Chicago it's ungodly. I've had so many bicycle stolen in this town. I now keep my current bike in my apartment.

Oh my god, baby blue......sweeeeet.

Trek is my bike now - and I love it. I've had a lot of the best bikes in the world and liked most of 'em - but this Trek will be with me from now on!

I love my Specialized Allez!

LutherGooch said.

Oh my god, baby blue......sweeeeet.

It actually looks more like sky blue in person.

Baby blue. You razz'n me?

BMC !!! CERVELO !!! RIDLEY!!! Go with something different other then a Trek OR a Special Ed.

muchmorethanmuscle said

LutherGooch said.

Oh my god, baby blue......sweeeeet.

It actually looks more like sky blue in person.

Baby blue. You razz'n me?

But hell, I would love a baby blue bike...how cool is that?

I cannot afford either a trek or a specilized roadbike so I really don't know which one is better. However I own a bianchi brava roadbike and it has been a very good roadbike as far as I am concerned.

My Spec Rockhopper will be 10 this year and as tight as the day I picked her up...Can't justify a separate road bike so I use the hard-tail for everything.
Hey it can be fun to blast by road bikes on a clodhopper. Even if it doesn't happen very often.

I have a Raleigh. It's really nice. Look that brand up

LutherGooch said

muchmorethanmuscle said

LutherGooch said.

Oh my god, baby blue......sweeeeet.

It actually looks more like sky blue in person.

Baby blue. You razz'n me?

But hell, I would love a baby blue bike...how cool is that?

What color is yours? My actual bike is a tad darker in person. It does look like baby powder blue in the photo here.

DirtTriSEA said

My road bike is a Felt F55. I think it's a solid value for money.

I totally agree with dirt. Felt F55 is awesome!

Although I think it wouldn't matter now as this forum was started more than a year ago.

I wonder what he bought?

My first road bike is a 1987 trek which rode okay...sorry but Cannondale makes awesome road bikes than the two brands, made very light and packs lots of speed also rides up hills with ease...i know i purchased a Cannondale caad 5 r500 recently...perfecto!


http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/05/CUSA/large/5rr5tblu.jpg

bikethere said

BenjaminLee saidI work for Trek so my opinion is obviously bias, but overall it is a great company with a ton of other gays employed there and still family owned unlike Specialized. The products we make are almost all better than specialized and our warranty/replacement policies embarrass them. As a cyclist and a person in the industry the best advice I can give is to find a bike shop that treats you well and buy a bike they sell and support.

I didn't know that! Must be my broken gaydar at work. Have been a loyal trek customer since 1983. I currently ride a 6.5 Madone...love it.

I may get the 4.5 Madone, the price is better.

I'd owned Trek, Specialized & Cannondale, and all were good bikes, I don't think anyone can go seriously wrong with any of them. Some particular models from a given manufacturer may be marginally better than what other brands offer, plus personal preferences are a factor, too.

For instance, I like touring bikes, and right now Cannondale has the better product of those 3 brands, what I currently have for daily use. But in 1984 the Specialized Expedition touring model was superb, and I rode one of those. For a carbon road bike the Specialized Roubaix SL with Dura-Ace components is perfect for me here in flat Florida, combining the longer wheelbase I like with a shock-absorbing frame.

But I bought my 2 sons a pair of Trek mountain bikes when they were younger, reasonably priced at less than $1000 each, since as kids I knew they'd be rough on them, just play bikes and not for serious competition.

So be a discerning shopper, not committed to a single brand name. And as BenjaminLee advises, a good bike shop is also an important consideration that can influence your selection of a bike. When differences between individual bikes are small, the dealer support you get can be the tie-breaker.

I checked them all and you need to go Trek.

Totally be a discerning buyer. I had a different experience. I did my first full 26.2 marathon in Hawaii a year ago...maybe it was two years ago...anyways, so after that I wanted to start training for a half-traithlon, eventually completing a full triathlon in the next 5 years. So I was shopping around for a road bike, and for me it basically came down to the associates at the stores. I went to all the stores and told them I was a new biker looking to buy, and so one stores' associates weren't that interested, and another wasn't informative, even though I did massive amounts or research via the internet. Finally the store that sells Specialized bikes was both helpful and interested. I'm not saying that associates at stores are the reason to choose, that's just my experience. I love my Specialized road bike...it's a beginner bike, but it does the job. I do admit that I am a brand person...not that I can afford a lot, but once I find a brand that I like then I'll usually stay with it. So in that regards I'm looking to buy a Specialized mountain bike this summer to go off-roading with..can't wait!

trek is losing on this deal.