I have recently moved and am finally in a position to bike to work. A nice short ride (1 mile) on even ground. Obviously it's also walkable, but there is a dedicated bike trail which is so much faster than walking. Said bike trail also extends dozens of miles in all four cardinal directions, connecting me to neighboring towns and places to go. There are up and downhills along the way. One of the directions is a packed dirt trail, rather than paved. In other words, I now live in a house that's perfect for getting around on a bike. So I should get myself a bike.

I have looked around and done my research and narrowed it down to two finalists.

Contender Number 1, wearing orange:
A Trek FX 7.4. The LBS is selling a 2016 with a cosmetic scratch for $700. (+$50 to add fenders)

Likes:
Lightweight
Carbon Fork and ergo grips (A little more comfy for the hands)
Mega brand = easy accessorizing down the line. (E.g. Blendr and Duotrap sound interesting)

Dislikes:
Derailleur and Chain (dirty and require lubrication and other maintenance)
Trigger shifter (I like twist better)
Two shifters because of the transmission. (I've always found that confusing)

Contender Number 2, wearing grey:
The Priority Cycles Eight. Obviously to be had directly for $800.

Likes:
Belt, IGH, Twist shift (easy to use and maintain; less dirt; good for an 'ordinary rider' IMHO)
Hydraulic disc brakes (total overkill for me, but hey, technically that's a pro)

Dislikes:
A little bit heavier.
ALU fork and standard grips (so a little less comfy on the hands)
Brand with no track record, no nifty attachment systems, and I wouldn't be buying from the shop I would be using for maintenance.



I am really on the fence here. Both bikes are extremely strong contenders for what I want. Oracle of bike forums: thoughts?

Hydraulic brakes are somewhat more complicated to maintain. For flat lands, rim brakes will do fine.

Chain drive is as good as it gets for bicycles IMO.

Trigger shifters are good and one gets used to them in no time.

Grips are cheap to replace with whichever you like.

If it was my choice for a commuter bike I like the Priority. The features that sell it for me, fenders, IGH, Gates Belt Drive, hydraulic disc brakes and stealth colour. All these are great for commuting.

One must "speak" to you more than the other.

Good luck.

Thanks for all the advice. After spending some time in the Trek LBS, irony of ironies, it was the Domane that 'spoke' to me. Which is very different from what I thought I wanted.

I guess the lesson is, sometimes it's better to analyze less and ride more.

That's like a twist ending of a movie! I am glad you found something. Happy riding.