Originally Posted by
janda
Great tips on the box store - that is true about the fit...I will go with my LBS. Another question i have is i noticed the giant roam has 700x40 tires and the crosstrail has 700x45....is that a huge difference?
Not a big difference. Perhaps the extra width could make the crosstrail slightly better on rough terrain, but only by a bit. The 45mm wide tires can also absorb a wee bit more shock and smooth the ride out a bit more, but only a little bit more than 40mm wide tires. 40mm wide tires are also relatively wide tires compared to what is found on most other hybrid/cross bikes.
Both will be fine. Tires are easily replaced, too... so if he gets the bike that fits better (which he should) then the tires can be changed later on if he finds the stock ones are lacking in some way.