I'm an older newbie who just rides around the neighborhood a little, but these are the two bikes I considered, in the women's versions. I had decided on the Cypress ST, but neither of the two Giant shops that were within reasonable distance ever got one in in my size (XS), and honestly weren't all that friendly. I visited a Trek shop and they were so much more welcoming and helpful, and they had a 7100 in my size on the floor. I went back a couple of days later and bought it along with a pump, helmet, odometer, and some chain lube. They included some good service perks with my bike purchase.
As a short newbie who hadn't ridden in decades, and not much then, both of these bikes seemed tall to me at first, but I am really enjoying my Trek 7100! It's a very comfortable bike on my admittedly very short rides, and seems to want to go faster than I'm inclined to go. LOL From the forums I visited and zillions of questions I asked, these are both good entry level bikes. Don't make any generalizations from my bike shop experiences as to which are the better dealers--just depends on the people in each shop. Ride both bikes if you can, and get the one you like best. If you like both, go with the shop that's more helpful. Good luck with your decision and purchase! Let us know how it goes.
Last edited by goagain; 08-16-11 at 07:41 PM.