Originally Posted by Quadzone.com
Well I went and checked out a trek 4300 with disk breaks front and back. But I found out I have a buddy that has a cannondale jekyl that is about 3 years old that he would sell for about $450.
Would the used Jekyl be that much better??
Depends on how the bike was maintained and used/abused. If there are only cosmetic damages (scratches, etc) then it's probably much better. It's kind of like cars: you can get a new Kia for 15,000 or a slightly used car that is much nicer for the same price.
As for disk brakes at your price point, be careful. Sometimes low-end disc brakes will actually work worse than cheaper v-brakes. As an example, the Hardrock Sport Disc uses really crappy tektro disc brakes, and they are garbage. They tend to rub a lot, and get knocked around out of position easily.
As for my eariler comment about Trek vs. Specialized, I'll back up my claim with my own personal experience. Frame-wise, I think the specialized frames are stronger and more intelligently designed, w/ stronger weld designs/surfaces. Specialized also uses SRAM components, vs. Shimano for Trek. I have no preference either way there, but it's just something to note. I also think that you get more "bike" for your money with specialized than with trek.
In the end, though, both brands are fine, especially if you're comparing them to no-name brands from X-mart, or even mid-level brands like Mongoose--they'll be many steps up in quality. But I still believe, mostly from assemblying 100s of bikes from each brand and riding quite a few, that Specialized is better. And if you disagree, well, that's your perogative.