Originally Posted by jeff-o
I chose the 7500FX over the Cypress SL because it was $300 less at my LBS. The 7500FX had better wheels and a nicer paint job, but the Cypress had a better fork, an Ultegra shifter and a carbon fiber seatpost (I think). They were just about the same weight. It wasn't worth $300 for an upgraded fork and shifter, but downgraded wheels.
I hope I made the right decision, but I can always upgrade components later if I want to.
I think you made the right decision. The Bontrager Select wheelset is superior to what comes on the Giant. Assuming fit is equal, my order of importance when comparing bikes seems to be:
- Frame
- Wheels
- Fork
- Drivetrain
- All other components
A new high-quality CF seatpost will cost $100. The one that comes on the Giant is probably worth around $75. A CF fork of higher quality than the one on the Giant can be had for around $200. So if you wanted to, you could have used the $300 difference and upgraded to beyond what the Cypress SL offerred plus you'd still have the better wheels. And FWIW, your bike actually came with better shifters than the ones on the Cypress SL.