Originally Posted by
BearcatBengal
There seems to be a lot of recommendations in the ~400-450 price range. Am I getting a lot more value going with these as opposed to a bike in the ~300-350 range?
Also I frequently hear that people are unsatisfied with their bikes seat comfortableness. They end up buying gel seat/pads. I would prefer that whichever bike I buy have a comfortable seat so I don't have to spend the extra money for a seat upgrade/gel pad. Unless of course this will make the bike a lesser overall value or significantly more expensive.
I was looking at this Jamis Coda:
http://www.bikeshacksonline.com/prod...etacpg=2009JCC
I noticed that they brag a lot about how the Reynolds Alloy Chromoly Steel is superior to aluminum in terms of road-feel/bumpiness. Is this just propaganda or is their truth to this? I remember reading somewhere that in a blind test riders could not identify steel vs. aluminum.
according to sheldon brown (late, respected bike guru) - you can have any riding property with either al, steel, or carbon. the tubing will be different. al will have larger diameter tubes. it is a common misconception that a bike made of al will have a harsh ride compared to steel. al has different tubing to make up for its properties and give you good ride quality. the key determinant in how harsh or smooth your ride will be is TIRES! skinny tires have harsh ride whereas wider tires with lower pressure have cushy ride that absorbs road vibrations. some claim that fork makes a big difference too but that's beyond my limited knowledge. the 7.2 fx has steel fork.
it's nice to know that trek's have high resale value. they are tried and tested. if a bike below $300 or whatever gives you lifetime warranty and you like it and you like the fit - go for it. to be honest, my bro's older fx has straight gauge aluminum whereas i have double butted al and i can't tell the difference. so i guess alpha black aluminum (double b) isn't that big of a deal. even a trek 7.1 or 7000 should have lifetime warranty and great customer service.
make sure that your stock tires are wide and cushy enough for you and that the handlebars are high enough for you due to geometry and an appropriate stem i.e. 100-120 no more than 10 degrees.