Only1KW

I'm currently looking to purchase a new bike. I have test-ridden several bikes and have narrowed my decision down to three

• Giant 2011 Dash 2 (2011)
• Trek 7.4 FX (2014)
• Specialized Sirrus Elite (2015)

In the short distances I've ridden them all, I can't tell a significant amount of difference between the three. From talking with other people, it sounds like the differences are most noticeable for longer distance rides and as the bikes age. The bikes are close in price to each other (~$50). Does anyone have any opinions on which one may be better than the others?

yashinon

For the 2014 Trek, you might be able cut a nice a deal with LBS. Comparison shop between different LBS if you can. All good bikes, however you really have to ride to determine which one fits you best.

Wanderer

If they are all the same to you, which one trips your trigger? The Dash 2 is a really nice looking bike, has slightly better components, and is geared more to the road. That is the difference between those three. How wide tires will the Giant take?(easily changed, but more cost) The others appear to take up to 32 or 35s, and have better hill gearing..(which is easily changed, but more cost) and start out with wider, more comfortable tires.

What is your proposed use? Location, MUPs, Hills, Roads, Dirt, Gravel, etc?

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...ss/fx/7_4_fx/#
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/bik...us-elite#specs
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/...specifications

yashinon

@ Wanderer you always provide good technical info. How do you know when a bike is geared more for the road? Has better hill gearing, etc?

Bill Kapaun

For the most part, it's the cassette.
Something like an 11-32 is more for hills, while a 12-25 is more for flats.
The chain rings also influence this, with smaller tooth counts being "more mountain".
Then there's the hybrids which often make poor sense in gearing for the typical typical user. Gearing that covers everything, but not real well, with gears few would ever use (48:11) to gears that could climb walls if you could get the traction, with rather wide gaps in between so that the gear you're in is either a bit too high or a bit too low, with the adjacent gear much worse.

MRT2

The hybrids are trying to be all things to all people. On the other hand, many road bikes are geared too high for the average newbie. The problem is, the Giant is geared way too roadish for a hybrid, while the Trek is geared too wide and low. The Trek should have the Giant's chainrings, while the Giant should have the Trek's chainrings.

The Giant Dash, for example, looks to be a road triple gearing. That is the exact gearing my wife's Jamis road bike has. Closely spaced gear ratios, but you will need to use the triple while climbing hills unless you are extremely fit. The low gear of 30 x 25 is 31.7 gear inches. Not bad, and probably adequate if you live in an area that is relatively flat to moderately hilly. that said, for a triple, that is still geared a little too high for my taste, and I would frankly prefer using a different chainring combo, like 26 - 36 - 48.

On the other hand, the Trek has a 26 - 36 - 48 chainrings, which is nice, but mated to a huge 11 - 32 cassette. This is frankly a ridiculous range of gear inches from 21 gear inch low gear (not useful at all except for extremely steep climbs) all the way to a high gear of 115.1, which is equally unusable. With this chainring, a more useful range would be a 12 - 27 cassette, or maybe a 12 - 30.

Only1KW

I have been doing comparison shopping between different LBS, that's how I came up with the list that I did. Those are the bikes that they recommended for me in my situation that I test rode and liked the best. Unfortunately, I doubt the one shop in my city that carries Trek is going to be willing to go down much from what they told me.

Only1KW

I really don't care much about a bike ascetically; I'm much more of a function-over-form kind of guy. As long as the bike isn't hot pink, I can live with it. I just want to be sure I've got a bike that will last a long time and will let me do the most stuff for the longest amount of time possible (within a budget).

I'm not sure how wide of tires the Giant will take. My spec sheet says it comes with 25s.

My proposed use is vehicle replacement in-town (on whatever surface is available there) and longer rails-to-trails on the weekend 95+% of the time, but I still would like a bike that I can use on gravel roads or crushed limestone trails if I so desire (but no off-roading). I don't live in the mountains but neither do I live in the plains. I want to be able to handle the occasional hill as it comes up, but don't plan to explicitly go riding in hill country.

Honestly I was already starting to lean away from the Dash 2, and what you wrote about it is just making me want to lean away from it more. It's the other two I'm still stuck between.

Wanderer

Buy the Sirrus - I love mine, even though it's old......... MHO, the Trek looks too industrial.......... the Sirrus looks sexy and fast.

altondavis2

I have a Sirrus, its great. Rides on 32's which are a lot more
comfortable than 25's. I'm also a big fan on the Trek 7.4.
Ride both of them, make up your mind. You can't lose.

ColonelSanders

That Sirrus is a very, very sexy beast.

In Australia, we have the option of getting the 7.4FX in the same lovely black colour scheme of the 7.3FX in the USA, so that evens things up, but in the USA, you have a blandish white & a horrific khaki colour for the 7.4FX.

Grey.

My opinion for what it's worth, is that the lower end of Specialized's Sirrus range offers diminishing returns, it's not until you get to their carbon framed bikes that you really start to get good bang for your buck.

It came to a point where I was between the 7.3, 7.4 and Sirrus Elite and in the end I didn't feel like the Elite was 210$ "better" than the 7.3, which is what the price difference was. Most of the money is going into the frame, which is very nice but all that means is it weighs a bit less, and on a bike with an MTB groupset I don't really see the point in being a weight weenie. The 7.3 has the exact same drive train as the much more expensive Sirrus Elite, just to put that in perspective. What you're paying for is the "Premium" aluminium frame and the Carbon fork.

badger1

Don't see where 'diminishing returns' come into it. The fair comparisons are (2015 lineup) 7.3 to Sirrus Sport; 7.4 to Sirrus Elite. Pretty close in price; pretty close in 'features', including drivetrains. The one difference that jumps out to me is the frame in the 7.4/Elite pairing: 7.4 shares its frame with the 7.3; the Sirrus Elite (at $40US more) has Specialized's E5 frame. That (a difference that includes a true sealed-bearing headset), to me, is worth far more than the difference between a couple of relatively inexpensive drivetrain components. But everyone's priorities are different.

Grey.

Well, I thought I was fairly straight forward. The Elite is an 810$ bike and has the exact same drive train as the 600/650$ Trek 7.3, it's just a fact. Acera Crankset/FD, Alivio RD, X9 Chain, HG30 Casette. The brakes, tires, handlebars, etc. are all pretty much equal, so what you're paying for on the Elite is the frame, as I said, and you seem to agree. Unless i've missed something, the only thing the Premium E5 frame does is weigh less. 810$ goes a lot farther with Trek or Giant than it does with Specialized in terms of practical, tangible benefits. IMO.

AlmostTrick

All three will provide long lasting service. None have an edge in that category.

This is a likely case where you haven't ridden enough to know what you prefer. I much prefer the tight gearing on the Giant*, over the ridiculous 32 tooth mountain cassettes on the other bikes. As long as the Giant can fit 28-32 tires (and I'd be really surprised if it couldn't) I'd get that and swap out the tires.

Oh, and it also looks the best.

*It has a triple chainring. 12-25 cassette will be more than fine.

swoodjr1

I vote The Giant. You should be able to get the Giant Dash 2 for a deal since it is a 2011!

badger1

It wasn't and isn't a disagreement at all, so much as a different perspective.

If an individual sees no tangible, practical benefit to the difference in frame/fork/headset between the two bikes in question, then absolutely: the Trek 7.3FX is by far the "best buy" of the two (7.3FX or Sirrus Elite) for that individual. Agreed.

However, I could care less about components in this comparison (drivetrain, wheels/tires) so long as they are more or less equivalent, which they are as you quite rightly say. Those are all, over time, consumables. What I do care about is the 'heart' of a bike -- the frameset. From my perspective, the Sirrus Elite is clearly 'better' in that respect: the frame is fabricated from a stronger, lighter alloy. It has more butting/tapering/shaping, which in turn will tend to give a better 'ride quality'. It has a carbon fork -- ditto. It comes stock with a proper sealed-bearing headset -- durability. So from my perspective -- just me -- the Sirrus Elite would be well worth the $200 or so price difference for that reason alone. I'd go so far as to say it's actually better value for money.

If I were thinking of loaded touring I might think differently; but I don't do that. For me, the Sirrus is a 'flat-bar road bike'. Much depends on perspective.

Oh, and yes -- full disclosure ... a Sirrus (2010 Comp) is my main bike

Grey.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Sirrus, but personally if I was going to buy one i'd skip the aluminium framed bikes and get a full carbon frame, I just don't think their aluminium bikes are that much better. The Trek "Alpha Gold" frame is butted and hydroformed, it's made from quality aluminium. The Sirrus may be made from better aluminium, but how much better is it, really? You don't see the Trek bikes turning into hunks of rusted junk after 5 or 6 years and it's plenty durable, so I don't know. You understand what i'm saying though, right? The Sirrus might be more durable but if the Trek is already durable enough for typical use as a fitness/hybrid bike, you're paying a lot for something that may never be useful. As for ride quality, I honestly don't know. Maybe you're right?

I'd also want to point out that I was just using the 7.3 as an example because it's what I have the most experience with, the OP is interested in the 7.4 which actually has better components than the Elite, and an equally good carbon fork, while still being cheaper. So the advantages of the "premium" aluminium become even slimmer in that case. Just my opinion, of course.

ray.garza

I'm biased to the Sirrus. I have the 2014 Sirrus Limited and love zipping around town. I now have a rack and panniers and use it to commute to work whenever I have a chance.

yashinon

The "khaki" or sepia as Trek calls is horrid! I picked the '14 7.4 with matte black and blue. Looks very nice!

Wanderer

If it has been quite awhile since you bought a bike, you will be amazed at the lightness of even the aluminum bikes. The ones you are looking at, will all be amazing rides, and carbon forks do an amazing job of taking the buzz out of the ride.

I'm also biased toward Sirrus, because they fit me the best, and are the most comfortable for me to ride. I'd buy a new Sirrus in a heartbeat, and would even consider full carbon. The Sirrus Elite will be an amazing bike to ride, whether in disc or rim brakes. If rim, put a set of Kool Stop Salmon Pads on there right away - kind to rims, and amazing stoppers wet or dry.

Whatever you decide on, it will be an amazing bike - considering your choices. MAKE SURE IT FITS!

badger1

Hi Grey,

Seems to me there's no right/wrong here (at least in our discussion) at all -- just different perspectives deriving from different operating assumptions.

ColonelSanders

Yep, the 2014 7.4FX was a nice colour.

The 2015 colour was so horrid, that not only did it put me off even considering the 7.4FX Disc, but made me look much closer at other brands.

I guess for that I should be grateful, as they helped me lose so much of my Trek fanboyism and effectively opened up my options significantly.

Wanderer

LOL,now there is something that the marketing folks at Trek didn't count on.......

ColonelSanders

Hah, true.

I myself am surprised by just how badly I felt let down by Trek releasing one of their more interesting readily affordable models in only that one horrific colour.

Would love to know the sales figures on bikes in that colour, as the 8.2 DS is also sold in that colour, but one has an option of that or a better colour.

But yes, Trek's marketing has helped to push me into the arms of Specialized, Giant, Jamis & Merida.