Specialized Crosstrail Disc vs. Trek 7.2 Disc
 

Both bikes have simiar specs and both are considered decent starter bikes but I wanted to get opinions for the bike community and from people who actually know these bikes.

Thanks in advance!



http://bikestoponline.com/product/13...c-172627-1.htm
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes.../7_2_fx_disc/#

both have similar components, except that specialized has a funky cheap springy-fork, and the trek doesn't. thats +1 for the trek in my book. I'd say your highest priority should be which bike fits you better, has the better riding position.

disc brakes are, IMHO (and others will undoubtably disagree) pointless on a mostly street bike like either of those. they add weight, and cost more to maintain. you get a little sand in them and they will be noisy as heck.

in that price range, you might consider
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bik...us/sirrussport
or
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...ss/fx/7_3_fx/#

where you're getting an alloy fork (lighter), lighter wheels, and 3x9 speed gearing with a 26T granny in front (instead of the 28T on those two bikes you linked).

Thanks for you insight.

I've test riden the Treke 7.2 and the 8.2 DS but I have yet to test out any Specialized. My wife pointed the Specialized dealer here in KC so I'm going to check them out this weekend.

I agree with pierce. Definitely avoid the fork with suspension. Disc brakes are an advantage in snow and very wet conditions, otherwise they don't offer a lot of advantage over rim brakes for general riding. Go do some test rides, including one bike above your price range for comparison. One of them will probably appeal to you more than the others. Pay attention to the gearing; I'm not fond of my Trek 7.3 because the gear spacing is really large.

Around Seattle, you would be crazy not to have disc brakes on your commuter bike. More weight but you stop quickly as long as you have good rain tires. Make sure you get th ebike you really want and as others have stated - rigid fork for a street bike.

Love my Cannondale Bad Boy but also like the:

Scott Sub series and Specialized Sirrus would be a good pick.

Hybrids are awesome for commuting and general all around bikes. Can add racks, go shopping, ride 30-60 miles, and cruise around the neighborhood.

re the gearing, cost me $11 for a 13-26 8-speed cluster to replace the insane 11-34t that came on my hybrid, and the local shop charged me $5 to install it when I brought them the naked wheel. 48:13 is plenty tall enough of a gear (ok, I'm spun out going down a steep hill at 35mph) and 28:26 is plenty low enough for me to climb my fatt butt up back that same hill (I live on it)

I do hope eventually to find a 48-36-26 front to replace my 48-38-28, mostly for weight and rigidity, stock crankset is a cheap shimano M191, and has a riveted steel chainrings), but also for looks (M191 is fugly cheap looking).

re: discs vs rim brakes in the rain... long as you have good brake pads, rim brakes work just fine in the rain, just remember to lightly apply them every couple minutes or right after going through a deep puddle to keep the rim semi dry, or you'll have a 1 full wheel turn delay before maximum braking (which is about 6 feet). keep your rims clean of rubber build up and such, and your brake well adjusted. disks are great on a fat tire knobby bike in the dirt, coming down a steep hill in mud and muck, but IMHO total overkill for a 700x35-ish hybrid wheel. disks require the bike to have much stiffer forks and chainstays which ruin the ride and are heavier.

I'm in the same boat, looking for a starter bike and was also considering the Specialized Crosstrail. I'm just starting my research and will be going to my LBS after Christmas to try a few out, but I just assumed that a front fork with suspension would be preferable. 90% of my riding will be urban commuting and joy-riding, but I also plan on taking it to the metroparks and going on the trails (includes paved and dirt paths). Sounds like no suspension would be better for my needs then?

IMHO, the suspension forks used on most hybrids are junk. The 'good' ones like Fox Float as used on high end mountain bikes cost nearly as much as the whole hybrid.

My $.02:
Crosstrail Pros:
Fat tires/suspension for comfort,good for snow or weekend trail use.

Crosstrail Cons:
Heavier weight.
Non-locking suspension will make climbing harder,effect handling.

FX Pros:
Lighter weight.
Quicker handling.

FX Cons:
Less tire clearance.
Not optimal for off-road.

If you're going to ride in snow,or want to play in the dirt,get the Crosstrail. If you're staying on the street,and will rarely/never deal with snow,get the FX.

Switched to discs on my commuters after getting snow in my V's and glancing off a car. Most of my bikes are disc. I've worked on 750+ bikes at my farmer's market bike clinic;about 95% were rim brake. Discs are much easier to set up and maintain,and the pads last much longer and are easier to replace(no toe-in). You also don't need perfectly true rims for optimal performance. Once had to disconnect my front brake to get home after I tacoed the rim. A friend had to taxi home after her front wheel got messed up and we couldn't spread the caliper brake wide enough to keep the pads from hitting. As for noise,Specialized went with mini V's on the one model of Tricross for a year so they could do some re-engineering to eliminate the squeal from the canti's. Finally,you don't have to disconnect discs to remove a wheel,or forget to reconnect them afterwards(friend pulls his front wheel to lock his bike,almost tagged a car when he forget to front brake).

Or run discs and just squeeze when needed.

Plenty of disc bikes give a comfortable ride. Above you rec'd 2 bikes with straight blade alloy forks;now there's something that gives a crappy ride. I've owned several bikes with them,and my wrists told me if I ever get another one,they're bringing the carpel tunnel back with a vengeance. Straight blade alloy forks and 10sp drivetrains are my two favorite rants.

Not to hijack a thread, but since the Sirrus was mentioned, looking at the components is there much of a difference between the base Sirrus and the Sirrus Sport? The Sport would be right at the top of my budget for a first ride.

well, lets see.

• same frame
• sport has alloy fork (regular is steel fork)
• same stem, handlebars
• same brakes
• same shifters
• sport has acera derailleurs (vs altus)
• sport is 3x9 gearing, regular is 3x8
• sport has nicer crankset with 48-36-26, regular is 48-38-28
• sport has nicer pedals
• same wheels ...
• ..except Sport has presta valves with 28c tires vs shraeder valves with 32c tires
• same seat

so.... big differences: 3x9 speed, a little bit better derailleurs, nicer crankset, nicer pedals. the grips might be different, hard to tell. the alloy fork is lighter, but might be a bit harsher riding. the lighter tires will definitely make the sport faster, easier to climb, but the 32c tires are a little nicer on rougher surfaces, will give you a little more security on hardpack dirt trails.

Thanks Pierce, appreciate the insight. It'll be at least a month for me but I'll update with my choice

You can always ask the dealer to swap tires for fatter ones before buying...... Get the Sport with bigger tires. That's a no cost option for the dealer.

I bought a Crosstrail Sport earlier this year, and the front suspension does lock. However, I find myself riding with the suspension locked ~90% of the time, making me question whether I should have just gotten a solid fork bike.

^^^The bike in the link didn't have locking suspension. Also,FYI,it's not good to ride most suspension forks locked all the time. It prevents the seals from being properly lubed and can put stress on the sliders. If you really don't use it that much,then it would be a good idea to swap for a suspension-corrected rigid fork.

You're right. The locking fork is one of the upgrades going from the Crosstrail base model to the "sport". Thanks for the info on the suspension fork, I'll have to make sure to unlock it for a bit on each ride to keep it working. I might end up getting a rigid fork in the future, but the next thing on my list are SPD petals and shoes.

Great feedback on these bikes! I am a "roadie" planning on her first self-led cross-country trail ride with a buddy. We are going to ride the GAP and the C&O next year (335 miles). We will be riding about 40 miles per day. So, first on the list is to get a bike that is best for trails. LBS's offer the Giant Verve 3 (hybrid) rental bikes, but the thought of being on a new bike and saddle for 335 miles doesn't seem smart. I am looking at the Specialized CrossTrail Sport Disc and the Cannondale Quick CX to start. Does anyone have experience on these trails and have advice on the type of bike I should be looking at?

No issues at all with the suspension fork on my Crosstrail Disc (2016 model). It's locked on smooth trails, but when riding in an urban environment (especially on our crap roads in our area), it's indispensable to keep my joints from hurting and carpal tunnel from acting up. Just because some riders hate them is no reason to be putting something down that increases comfort and makes a bike livable. Sure I'd like the Specialized Epic with its "brain" suspension but it also costs 5x as much.