Hybrid Bicycles - Specialized vs. Trek

I like to ride on bike trails, around town and would like to get into a bit of road riding...nothing hardcore, mostly 10 -15 miles at night for excercise.

I'm going to upgrade to a hybrid and am deciding between a Specialized Arial and a Trek 7.2 FX. Links to picks and specs of the 2 below.

Any suggestions!!!

http://www.speeds-cycles.co.uk/hybrid-bikes/2009-trek-72fx-wsd-hybrid.html

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/ariel-2010-womens-hybrid-bike-ec019778

" I'm going to upgrade to a hybrid "

I like your choice of words - which happen to be exactly how I felt coming off my road bike.... LOL

I like to ride on bike trails, around town and would like to get into a bit of road riding...nothing hardcore, mostly 10 -15 miles at night for excercise.

I'm going to upgrade to a hybrid and am deciding between a Specialized Arial and a Trek 7.2 FX. Links to picks and specs of the 2 below.

Any suggestions!!!

http://www.speeds-cycles.co.uk/hybrid-bikes/2009-trek-72fx-wsd-hybrid.html

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/ariel-2010-womens-hybrid-bike-ec019778

I know a lot of people will recommend the FX but I like my Specialized though its not the Arial. We almost went with the 7.3 but in the end I wanted a bit wider tire and hubby liked the front suspension(with the ability to adjust it ) on the one he chose.

I really have nothing bad to say about either but if you can test ride them both I'd go with the one that feels best for you:)

Yup. Both good bikes. Ride whichever feels best.

The new 2010 Trek 7.2 FX is constructed around their alpha-Black aluminum frame. These are cold-formed butted tubing and considerably lighter weight than the 7.2 from this year - 2009. Find out if they are selling the 2010 - or the 2009.

<EDIT> - I looked again and see it's the 2009. Oh well. Buy the one that rides the best in your opinion.

I have a Specialized and love my bike, so that's what I would recommend. But really you need to go to a bike shop and test ride both of these. Even if you don't buy it in the shop and you buy it online, you need to know how they ride compared to each other.

Before you decide on which feels best you need to decide first where you want to ride. Choose the bike that is most suited to where you will ride the most. I have 400 kms of paved bicycle path outside of my door, all within the city. I don't own a car so my bikes tend to lean towards bikes built for the pavement.

In the world of hybrids the Ariel leans more towards the dirt with things like front suspension, 45c tires, V-Brakes, mountain bike drivetrain componets.

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq334/Masifan/8202-61_l.jpg

The Ariel is the female version of the Crosstrail. Here is a picture of the Pro version of the Crosstrail that is sold here in Canada but not in the U.S. These bikes are really really good at their intended purpose. They are hrbrids that are capable of going off the path and into the forest for light trail or single track duty.

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq334/Masifan/9292-15_CT_pro_brn_blk_56_l.jpg

Specialized has over 25 years of experience taking people off of the beaten path and building off road bikes. Here is an example of one of their top end carbon holy cow it's fast trail bikes.

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq334/Masifan/9795-17_SW_SJ_HT_natural_red_stripe.jpg

Which way do you lean in where you want to ride? The road or the dirt? What did you mean by trails?

I know nothing about Trek bikes so maybe someone else can fill us in a bit but the 7.2FX that I see on Trek's website is very clearly a bike intended for street and pavement use. I could see using it on gravel roads perhaps but it would be unlikely for me to take it on a single track trail leading off the road. Probably an awesome bike but has a slightly different intended use. The Specialized leans towards dirt the Trek toward pavement. Which way do you lean?

I thought this was a Trek VS. Specialized thread. No other insights?, humm interesting.

I love my Specialized Crosstrail - so there you go!

I have a crosstrail too. I did not go for the Ariel look. The crosstrail is great.

Red Rock

I'm a Specialized fan myself, with a 2009 Sirrus just purchased tuesday. I would say go with the ariel, if you dont mind the WIDE tires it has. Ive seen the crosstrail in person, which as you know is the mens version, and the tires are pretty wide for dedicated street use. Since you mentioned riding mostly trails and around town, Sounds perfect. If you need to hop curbs, you WILL appreciate wider tires and suspension fork :) Same with ruts and stuff on bike paths.

The trek FX line are good bikes, but will be a bit rougher over bumps. Unless you only have smooth bike paths and streets with no potholes ;)

also, It looks like Specialized made the geometry of the Ariel a little more upright than the crosstrail, something you might like or might not. Definitely go to a bike shop and test ride a few models, see what fits your style the best!