I am looking for a bike to commute around campus in the $500 price range.

The rough will be somewhat rough, with gravel, grass, and bumps. What drew me to the 4500 was the front suspension, but it did seem heavy at the shop. WOuld the 7.2 have a better performance and be faster in these conditions? Are they of comparable quality?

Thanks, and suggestions are welcome.

The 7.2 could handle those conditions. However, determining which is better depends on the majority of your riding. Will there be some of that and a ton of road?

I have a 2004 4900, similar, I think to the 4500 thats on the market now. I think it works great, and I take it on the dirt trails for fun on the weekends. I think its great, not really too heavy for me.

There will be mainly pavement and asphalt, but I may have to cut accross grass and gravel daily on the way home. I was settled for the 4500 but I heard it is kind of slow, I would rather have something faster and slick. Quality wise, how do the two match up?

If you're gonna stick on campus & ride on the street, sidewalks, & asphalt, I'd go with the 7.2. My wife has a 7.2 & it's quick, light, & a great ride.

You won't need shocks if you're gonna stick to pavement, which suprised me when I upgraded from my 820. They're really not necessary & only add weight.

If you're gonna hit a few dirt trails, I'd go for the shocks, but otherwise the 7.2 is a GREAT buy.

Yeah, if you on on pavement most of the time, why carry the shocks? +1 on test4eric

Price wise, the 4500 seems to line up with the 7.5, can you get the 7.2 cheaper than the 4500?

7.x > 4x00. At least for what you're doing.

Yes, about 50 bucks cheaper. Anything above 7.2 is more expensive than the 4500.

I think there is something like a $100 msrp difference. Talk them down on the 7.2. How much are they asking for each?

What are you talking about? They are asking for $499 on the 7.2 , $559 for the 4500, and $629 on the 7.3 fx (which is way out if my range). Are those reasonable prices?

I don't think they will be budging on the price any time soon. I was trying to negotiate on the 4500 the other day and the guy was like, "Noo, we are not really looking to dump these out." I asked for tax free, best price, free accessories and the only thing I got was 10% on fenders. Maybe I am a bad negotiator, but they are not giving any cuts as I see it.

I have a 4500 and a 7.5fx. I ride the 7.5 to work on rough roads, gravel and grass with no problems. I use the 4500 when I mountain bike (not often) and really don’t care for it much. The components are crap. The derailleur hesitates when sifting, the brakes suck and the crank arms fallen off a few times. But if you inflate the tires you can get some speed on it. I loaned it to a friend who hasn’t biked for a while and he kept up on a 15mph average, but exerted a lot more energy doing so. I got a great deal on both bikes and had to take them. The 7.5 was 500$ and the 4500 was 350$.

WHOA, where did you buy these bikes?

I got the 7.5 from spokes, va as a closeout in the winter and the 4500 shortly after a friend bought it only to realize he was too old to kill himself mountain biking. That’s why you might want to wait a few months if you can.

If you are riding on top of sharp bumpy things, do you really *want* to be fast?

You may be right, but I have no guarantee that the prices will go down in the following months and I need the bike for school. Even if the price is reduced, who knows by how much.