Commuting - trek 7700 fx or jamis coda elite

Which would you rather have as an all-around leisure bike in NYC????

I like steel, I like Jamis. I don't know much about NYC.

That Jamis is so nice, plus the components are better. Steel is going to be more comfortable in the city. The Trek is a ripoff at $1489. Disc vs v-brakes. The choice is yours, but obvious.

I rode the Jamis Coda and would buy it right now if and when my Univega Hybrid frame brakes in two which I don't expect to happen in the next hundred years! The Coda has a Low level Reynolds frame but gave a very good ride. I didn't want to stop test riding that's how bad I wanted it.

Dahon.Steve,

I wouldn't call Reynolds 631 a low level steel. It's made of the same tubes as 853, just not heat treated. From what I gather in terms of feel, 631 is not as stiff, therefore an even more forgiving ride than high end steel and certainly aluminum.

I would go the Jamis for the disc brakes. The ride is nice.

Was in the same shoes as you.

Trying to decide between Trek 7700fx or Jamis Coda Comp (i.e. Coda Elite without the disk brakes).

I test rode both, and bought the Coda Comp without even a second look at the trek.

Wasn't even close.

Only thing. If you plan to use rack and pannier, the soft steel wiggles a bit so you need to balance the panniers and get used to the wiggle a bit.

I have a jamis coda elite ive had for about a month and I love it. Would highly reccomend it but I havnt rode the trek.

I got my Jamis Coda Elite last August after looking at a lot of hybrid bikes. The Jamis was my choice because of the forgiving steel frame, flat hadlebars and disc brakes. One modification that my LBS suggested, that has really paid off, was to put taped bar ends on the handlebars. Being able to change hand positions frequently makes for a much better 9.5mi. commute.

There are some drawbacks, though. I wanted to put 700x23c tires on the wheels for summer riding, but the LBS cautioned against it because the width of the rims would make for a high pinch-flat probability. When I started talking about a second wheel set for the bike the $$$ amount made me reconsider. Moving from 700x28 down to a 700x25 has helped a lot, but my steed is still slower than the average road bike.

Despite my unwillingness to part with funds for a second set of wheels, bought a Burley Rumba (Tandem) to take care of my need for speed, having a disc brake equipped bike for commuting has been pretty good.

I have to go with the Jamis. See below. :)

I like steel, I like Jamis. I don't know much about NYC.I own a Coda, and love it! And I love NYC!

Everyone's already laid out the best reasons for buying the Jamis... but I'll add one more reason, albeit a less-obvious one. Trek is a huge conglomorate that sells a bazillion bikes a year based on name alone. Jamis is a smaller company that most people have never heard of. Their product is every bit as good (if not better than) what Trek is selling for more money. Support the little guy! :) There's nothing in the Jamis lineup that makes me go "what an overpriced piece of trash"... Trek, on the other hand... :o