Originally Posted by mr. bobbart

We are considering purchasing a performance hybrid that we can use on the road generally, but also on packed gravel trails and to do some touring, and that is durable. We have checked out the following bikes generally in the $600-$700 range: Trek 7.3FX, Trek 7.5 (a bit more expensive), the Jamis Coda Sport, Specialized Sirrus, and the 2007 Fuji Absolute LX (at a good price of $599) -- which do you recommend?