Originally Posted by
Willbird
The TREK 7.1 FX is a kind of cool looking bike to this old retrogrouch :-)......it is geared a lot like my bike but 7 speed not 8...same front rings......or go with the 7.0 and have enough cash to buy a seat pack and enough stuff to allow you to fix a flat on the road. It does come with 36 hole rims too.
Bill
Giant Escape 2 retails for just $420 and you get 8 speeds for that price. It doesn't make a huge difference, but the Escape 2 seems like a better bike for the money.
The thing is, if OP is looking to ride gravel/dirt trails mostly, the Trek DS or Giant Roam (or an old Specialized Rockhopper or Trek 830 would do just fine as well.) might be a better choice.