Road Cycling - Giant or Trek?

I have been looking at both companys the past couple of days. I can get the links up of the bikes if yall want to see them, just let me know. Whats the difference between the 2 companys, both seem about the same price. Also when i go to my LBS, do they finance? I know it sounds crazy but the bikes are expensive and im not made of money. Just thought id ask both i go in there sounding ******** lol Thanks Guys

giant is a taiwanese company that makes very good bikes. trek is an american company that makes very good bikes. few bike shops will offer financing -- though i think litespeed will finance some its bike. you can use your credit card, which is pretty much the same thing as financing.

I have been looking at both companys the past couple of days. I can get the links up of the bikes if yall want to see them, just let me know. Whats the difference between the 2 companys, both seem about the same price. Also when i go to my LBS, do they finance? I know it sounds crazy but the bikes are expensive and im not made of money. Just thought id ask both i go in there sounding ******** lol Thanks Guys

Giant only offers a few sizes, small, medium, large and xlarge where as Trek offers several sizes based on actual measurement.

Second, I trust Trek more for customer service, especially warranty service.

My LBS offers a "90 days, same as cash" type of financing, but I have never heard of one that does the standard financing like a car. You might try a credit union or bank.

Giant is a great company, especially in the last few years. I have not heard a single issue with a warranty from anyone that has a Giant. As for their fit theory, it's different with roadie bikes, yes, but it seems to work. A buddy of mine that rides about a 61c bike fits just fine on his Giant, even with the compact geometry.

As for financing, a shop I worked in offered it, but the rates were stupendous. If you can work a credit card into the equation and it has an interest rate less than 25%, you'll probably be better off. Or a personal bank loan. Most financing through shops is rough.

I would avoid using any kind of credit card or financing since you'll pay more the bike after interest charges are compounded onto the original loan. A $1500.00 dollar Trek becomes $1800.00 dollars after you put it on a credit card taking two years to pay it off.

Take it from experience, don't fall into the credit card trap like tens of thousands including myself. I'll be credit card free in 8 months. Remember. Buy everything (excluding your home) in cash and you'll be a much happier person.

Start a savings account or have money removed from your checking account each month. After 7 months, you'll be able to buy a brand new Giant. It won't be top of the line but at least you won't be in debt. In the meantime, get a used bike for less than $100.00 until you have money for a new one.

I am a very happy Giant owner. Some LBS do offer some types of financing just gotta check around. I am one who likes to earn my flyer miles so I charged it and yes I am still paying for it.

I agree with Steve. Don't fall into the credit abyss. Buy what you can afford. Cycling is a great sport and I feel your enthusiasm. But shop wisely. Both TREK and GIANT are quality bikes. Components are all Shimano anyway so that evens the playing field a bit. Figure out what you can really afford. Do your homework on the bikes. Read these forums. Then go to your LBS. Be straight with your sales person. Tell him what you can afford. Ask him questions. There are no stupid questions. If there is, you need a different salesperson or worst case senario different LBS. Then test ride some bikes. You won't wind up driving the latest and greatest right now. Get a start. A good quality bike(IF YOU TAKE CARE OF IT!) will hold some of its value. Next year you may consider trading it in for a better model or selling it towards the same goal. The point is to get the best bike you can afford, build your skills and go on from there. Its not unlike anything else in life. Unless you have a rich uncle or hit the lottery, you have to work at it. However, if you have to do the work, chances are you'll get alot more out of it.

Keep the rubber side down.

Jim

You really need to ride the bikes you are interested in.
In some models Giant offers xs,s,m,l,xl. My wife 5'3", my coworkers 5'6",5'9",6'4" and myself 5'11" all ride Giant TCR's. The trick is getting someone who knows how to fit, set you up.
Giant has the best warranty of any company I have worked with. If we warranty a frame(In three years I have only had to warranty four or five frames) they send us a new one within two to three days. I have a customer with a three year old Trek MTB that has cracked at the BB and they want the frame stripped and sent to the factory before they will authorise replacement. He will be without a bike for at least two weeks.

Awesome guys, thanks...I guess ill start saving now and when spring rolls around Ill have me a bike!...I think ill go with Trek, if they are basically the same i might as well go with the company i want to go with. Ill keep learing!

i personally like the made in america thing. if i've got a chunk of money to spend on something, i'd just as soon it stay here, especially if it's an equal or superior product. just my 2 cents.

While Trek is a US based company, most of their frames are welded and the bikes assembled overseas. Giant has, in the past made frames for Trek (and Specialised and others) and may be doing that now.
Regardless of the manufacturers origin, a fair portion of the money you spend in a local shop benefits the local people that work in that shop.

While Trek is a US based company, most of their frames are welded and the bikes assembled overseas. Giant has, in the past made frames for Trek (and Specialised and others) and may be doing that now.
Regardless of the manufacturers origin, a fair portion of the money you spend in a local shop benefits the local people that work in that shop.
I thought it was only the lower end frames (1000, 1200, 1500) that were assembled in taiwan (at least that's what mine said) while their bikes with carbon (2100-Madone 5.9) were built in Waterloo

Get the bike that feels the most comfortable. Giant's have a compact frame with an extremely sloped top tube. Trek's are more of a traditional design. See which one fits you best.

Some bike shops do offer financing. Supergo is offering 0% financing for 1 year for in-store bike purchases. But, I think the closest supergo to you is in Arizona.

Sometimes it can be hard to tell, Specialised is a little sneaky with where their stuff is produced sometimes.
I do not know where Trek makes their carbon bikes but I would bet the alloy ones are made overseas(I had a sheet with where everyone gets their frames but I can't find it), it is just so much cheaper, it would be hard to be competitive otherwise. Look at Cannondales pricing compared to similar spec'd bikes from other companies

Not sure if they've retained the same production, but at least in 2000 some of the alloy frames were produced here. http://chainreaction.com/trekfactory.htm

First...TreK is in Waterloo Wisconsin. Bikes OVER $500 retail are assembled in Waterloo. Under that, they are actually made in a co-habitated factory with Giant in Asia. On Treks, over $500 you look on the right chain stay and it will have an American flag and say it was assembled in the USA. Under $500, on the head tube right above the fork is the country of manufacture.
Trek makes carbon frames in Waterloo.

Both Giant and Trek make great bikes. But the geometry is different. Giants are "averaged" in size and you finish them out with the seatpost sizing. Dealers have the specs on how to do this. The large bike, for example, starts at 55 cm. The medium starts at 50 cm.

Trek is different in that they measure their bikes center to center, not center to top. So, you cannot ride the same size bike with Trek vs. another brand. DeRosa, for example, measures to the top of the seat tube insert. So, note that when looking at sizes, you need to know what that size represents.

The Giant and the Trek ride differently. When I put riders on new bikes, I have them try both. The compact geometry, due to the shorter seat tube tends to be a bit stiffer...

Bottom line, you need to be sized for both and test ride both. Some really like the Giant...some do not.
Giant is the largest manufacturer in the world. The OCR series is more touring and casual riding, the TCR a bit more elite and racing...the TCR composite is about the equivalent of the 5200/5500 Treks.

I sell both and they are both great bikes...I tend to find that the OCR series fills a nich for the individual who wants a drop-style bike and does not want to spend a ton of money. Trek's entry in this class, the 1000, is about $550.

Hope that helps.

Start a savings account or have money removed from your checking account each month. After 7 months, you'll be able to buy a brand new Giant. It won't be top of the line but at least you won't be in debt. In the meantime, get a used bike for less than $100.00 until you have money for a new one.

Outstanding advice! Plus, as you save, you have time to shop, compare, test ride, read...

After riding my current beast almost every day for a year, my wife said I could get a new bike. Instead of running out and slapping it on a card, I started to save. I put a little aside every month, save my change every day, and every extra dollar I find goes into the fund. I have also become adept at spotting change lying in the streets!

One of the benefits is you can stumble on some extra cash and improve your selection. Had I bought when I first decided, I probably would have spent about $1500 or so, including shoes and pedals. Now, by scrimping on somethings and giving up others, I will have a little more than double that when my purchase month rolls around next May.

In the interim, I have done extensive research, shopped at every LBS within miles (going miles + tomorrow to another one) and have test ridden a bunch of bikes.