Hybrid Bicycles - Jamis Commuter I vs Trek 7000 vs Fuji Absolute 3

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post on this forum, even though I've been reading for a while. I am in the market for a new bike and I don't know anything about bikes. I am 5'10'', 200 lbs student, who is planning on using the bike mostly for commuting to school ~7 mi one way.
I am in the $300-$400 budget and the $400 is a hard limit. Craigslist is not an option in my area and I am hesitant to buy off of bikesdirect, mostly based on things I've read here. I also don't feel like I have the required bicycle knowledge to purchase a bike online.

I've gone to my LBS and I've narrowed down my selection at his store to Jamis Commuter I or Trek 7000, both are right at $400
I might be wrong, but component wise it looks like the Jamis is the better bike (like I said, I don't know much about bikes).
Unfortunately, he doesn't have either one of these in the store and he will have to order them in order for me to test ride them.
He said that's not a problem, but I would still feel uncomfortable if he orders two bikes, I test drive them and I still buy a bike from performance(my last option)
Performance has Fuji Absolute 3 on sale right now for $399, with %10 off through their club membership, that would make it $369.

I would say that the customer service both at the lbs (blue ridge cyclery charlottesville, va) and performance has been pretty good.
I like the fact that at the LBS I deal with the owner, who happens to be very nice, but the guys at performance have been nice too and also seem quite knowledgeable.
I should also mention that I do prefer giving my business to local businesses, rather than corporations, but in this case having a nationwide lifetime service with performance is a nice deal since I will be moving out of town after college and the LBS I assume wouldn't be able to cover me nationwide.

How would you rate the bikes as far as components go?
What would you do if you were in my situation where both bikes that I am looking at need to be ordered before I can try them out?

Here are links to the bikes:

Jamis Commuter I: http://jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/street/commuter/12_commuter1_spec.html
Trek 7000: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/town/recreation/hybrid/7000/
Fuji Absolute: http://2009.fujibikes.com/LifeStyle/RoadPathHybrid/Absolute30.aspx

Note that the Fuji is 26 lbs and the Jamis is 32 lbs. The Trek doesn't have the weight listed, but I would assume it's around 30.

An added thing going for the Commuter is that it already comes with fenders, which I would need anyways.

Thank you soooo much for any help.

You need fenders and a rack so the Commuter is the answer. I like the Fuji if you could add those two things.

Hi: One thing to consider is how hilly a commute you'll have. The Jamis only has 7 gears, probably adequate at the extremes, but it'll give you less room to fine tune in between. My preference would be be for more gears. On the other hand, depending on your patience a/o mechanical abilities, integrated fenders may be the way to go.

The rear derailleur (matters more than the front) on the Fuji is better than on the Trek or Jamis, though properly set up I'm not sure how easily you might detect that.

I would definitely test ride the Fuji if you haven't already, really at the lowest price, just looking for a reason not to get it, other than the fenders. My wife has a commuter 1 (likes it, but much shorter commute than yours), and the fenders are functional but really flimsy. So if you buy $30 fenders for the Fuji, equalizing the cost, you probably will have much better fenders for your money. The Fuji doesn't appear to have fender eyelets up front, and may not in back. But with some p-clamps and zip ties you should be able to get something adequate rigged up.

And personally, I would only have the shop order the 2 bikes if I were definitely going to buy whichever of the two I ended up preferring, and probably only have them order one, again, if I were planning on buying it barring something really unexpected. But that's between you and the shop.

Good luck!

I guess the fuji has slightly better components but the trek has a suspension seatpost.... Id nix the jamis and testride the other 2. without a testride Id choose the fuji based on looks

No questions ask. Get the Fuji. The Fuji has better everything when compare to the other two. The Trek has the lowest of the low derailleurs and components. The Jamis has only one 44t chain ring. The Fuji is built for speed and has about mid level components. 8 speed, 30/42/52 chain rings, 28mm tires for better speed and uphill climbing. Plus is way lighter than the other two. You'll always get more for your money when you get a Fuji.

I think the Fuji is the best option for your situation and budget. Make sure the shop gets the size that fits you best.

Wow, thanks for the replies. I didn't expect this many. This is interesting, the LBS guy was trying to tell me that the Trek has better components than the Fuji. He was saying that Fuji has fuji name brand stamped on their components, which doesn't mean anything and the other bikes have all Shimano parts, which are better. He was also saying that the Jamis Citizen I has more gears than the Fuji. A high number of gears isn't that important to me. From what I understand I won't use all of them anyways and I might just get confused having so many gears to chose from. Adding fenders myself is not a problem for me. I am a computer engineer by trade, but I don't have a problem holding a wrench.Would you say the Citizen is better than the Commuter? I am trying to understand why he would say that the Citizen has better components than the Fuji. Here is a link to the Citizen: http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/street/citizen/12_citizen1_spec.html

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, there are some hills in the area. I live in central Virginia.

The Fuji link you sent says the bike has Shimano Alivio components.

I wouldn't over think this, all of the bikes you mentioned are pretty good and at your price point, you're gonna get an entry level bicycle. Fuji doesn't have the same advertising budget as Trek, so they can give you more bike for the money. It's also lighter, which doesn't hurt. I'd rank them Fuji, then Jamis, then Trek. I've seen the Fuji at a local bike shop that caters to a university near me and it's perfect for students who just need to get around. Bikes are stolen from universities, so don't spend more than you need and make sure you save enough extra cash to get a good lock.

Hi Teicher, I didn't realize that the bike on Fuji's site differs from the one on Performance. Here is the actual bike sold by performance bikes. http://www.performancebike.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?mpe_id=12754&catalogId=10551&langId=-1&partNumber=31-0462&storeId=10052&utm_source=retail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=120503Fr&utm_campaign=product&cm_mmc=Email-_-Retail-_-120503Fr-_-product&cm_em=alagenchev@yahoo.com It has a SRAM RDX3 read derailleur.

The Trek and the Jamis' have more components branded Shimano and Bontrager, which the guy at the shop is suggesting are inherently better than any Fuji branded components. But where it probably counts the most- the derailleurs- the Fuji is better. I would expect zero increased longetivty out of, or enjoyment from, a Bontrager Approved handlebar vs the Fuji Alum. (though the fuji will weigh less). Likewise on the entry level cassettes, stems, etc.

Hi Teicher, I didn't realize that the bike on Fuji's site differs from the one on Performance. Here is the actual bike sold by performance bikes. http://www.performancebike.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?mpe_id=12754&catalogId=10551&langId=-1&partNumber=31-0462&storeId=10052&utm_source=retail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=120503Fr&utm_campaign=product&cm_mmc=Email-_-Retail-_-120503Fr-_-product&cm_em=alagenchev@yahoo.com It has a SRAM RDX3 read derailleur.

Ah. A bit harder to compare derailleurs SRAM vs Shimano, all at the low end. Again if they have one at performacne in your size and you can test ride you can see if shifting is good enough. You could let them know that's an important point for you and that it should be properly adjusted before you ride because otherwise you'll assume they're crappy components and look elsewhere.

Otherwise the bike you link to has nominally better tires (kenda) and brakes (tektro), and says in the specs it has a rack though there isn't one in the pic.

And like teicher said, a decent u-lock may set you back another $30, but essential.

The Fuji is more of a flat-bar hybrid than the other two but it would be my choice. Trust me when I say 7 speeds and twist shifters will get old fast on a hilly commute. Here's the proper link to the Fuji:

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1120655_-1___

Besides the low end components on all the three bikes. The Fuji is still a grade higher in performance. Lighter, faster and has 8 speed cassette. The Fuji is a performance hybrid. The other two are more towards a slower type hybrid/comfort.

The tourney and altus derailleurs are found on Walmart bikes. Plus I believe the Sram X4 shifters on the Fuji are trigger shifters.

The Fuji is more of a flat-bar hybrid than the other two but it would be my choice. Trust me when I say 7 speeds and twist shifters will get old fast on a hilly commute. Here's the proper link to the Fuji:

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1120655_-1___

I second this. 7 speed with twist shifters are found on entry level bikes. With a 7 speed, you may find yourself wanting more. With the Jamis, it only has one 44t chain ring. You'll be stuck on a very steep hill.

Just a note: I have the Sram 3.0 front and X3 rear on my 2011 Jamis Allegro 1, they shift well but are a bit "clunky" next to the Sram X5 or a Shimano Acera or Alivio derailleurs, jmho, ymmv.

Another vote for the Fuji. Better components and lighter, but test ride it first to make sure it fits you well. I have a Fuji Roubaix road bike and it is a great bike,

I bought the Fuji today after a test ride. The bike feels awesome. The only thing I kind of don't like is that the seat feels like I am sitting on a rock. I am going to give it a couple of more weeks to see if I'll get used to it. It could be just me being out of shape. I went for a ten mile ride today and I am totally happy with the bike. It shifts smooth, it rides nice and it's super fast. I also test drove a $700 scatante road bike and I definitely like the fuji better. I also noticed that I have to be especially careful with the aluminum frame. I took my left hand off the bar to signal a left turn today and I don't know if it was just me, but I almost lost control of the bike. Thanks you all for the invaluable advise. I hope I continue enjoying the bike as much as I did today.

I bought the Fuji today after a test ride. The bike feels awesome. The only thing I kind of don't like is that the seat feels like I am sitting on a rock. I am going to give it a couple of more weeks to see if I'll get used to it. It could be just me being out of shape. I went for a ten mile ride today and I am totally happy with the bike. It shifts smooth, it rides nice and it's super fast. I also test drove a $700 scatante road bike and I definitely like the fuji better. I also noticed that I have to be especially careful with the aluminum frame. I took my left hand off the bar to signal a left turn today and I don't know if it was just me, but I almost lost control of the bike. Thanks you all for the invaluable advise. I hope I continue enjoying the bike as much as I did today.

Glad that you enjoyed the bike. Most people usually swap out their factory saddle for a better one. Usually the saddle and swap out the factory handle bar grips to a wider and fatter handle bar grips, if it didn't come with some. I recommend Serfas RX saddles. I have the Serfas performance RX model saddle on my 2010 Fuji Absolute 2.0 and it has been great. As long as you set it to the right spot, it should be pretty comfortable. Most people have Ergon brand handle bar grips or similar.

Thanks ChowChow, I'll most definitely try it out. I don't want to feel miserable on the bike, as that could be a reason to give up riding.

Sometimes it may be that the seat needs adjustments. Seat height, angle etc. The factory seat should be good for up to 10 miles or so, but I would recommend it for more than that. Also it may be that you need to get use to sitting on a bike saddle, if you've been not riding for awhile.