I was looking for a new bicycle that will replace my current hybrid Giant that has lasted me for close to 20 years (been riding it since middle school). I have been looking around for a minimalistic bike to replace it (since less stuff on it means less stuff can break on it). I ended up with these two bikes:

Trek 7.2 FX (also available in the disc brake version)
The Trek seems to get good reviews on the internet.

Giant Escape 1
As I've already had good experiences with Giant, I looked at their bikes as well. This one seems to get good reviews as well.


My question: both bikes have an aluminium frame, but how do I know which one is the best? Both companies claim to use some sort of high-tech aluminium that's amazing. Which one is more likely to last me another 20 years? Bonus question: With the Trek bike, I am also looking at the slightly more expensive disc brake version, as I heard that disc brakes put less stress on your wheels. Is this true?