Hi guys,

So I could really use some help. Over the last couple of months I have been surfing the web, talking to friends, posting on boards (this one included) and talking to people shops about which bike is the right one for me. I have narrowed the options down to 2 bikes that I feel will work for me but I am now stuck and could really use some help.

The bikes are:
- Giant Defy 2

- Trek 1.2


I could really use some advice about which of these would be best for commuting/touring/fitness, which one would be more reliable and which one would be better value for money?
Any help, thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Pretty big price difference. The Giant is less then $400, and the Trek is almost $1,000.

The Giant is what we would call an upright comfort bike or hybrid. The Trek is basically an entry level road bike. In this case I think the Trek bike would be a little bit more fun to ride just because it's going to be a much faster bike and I also think it's more versatile because you can easily upgrade the components little by little to even 'top of the line' road racing parts without any hassle.

Both will get the job done for fitness and commuting. Neither is particularly well suited for long 'expedition' type tours, but I do give the edge to the Trek because drop bar bikes give more hand positions and tend to be more comfortable over longer rides. Upright bikes meanwhile tend to be super comfortable for shorter rides. In fact, I actually prefer them for shorter rides around the neighborhood.

Overall though, I think it's pretty hard not to choose the $1,000 bike over a $400 bike.

Need a little more info on what type of riding you plan on doing. The Revel 2 is a mountain bike and the Trek 1.2 is a road bike, two completely different types of riding are done with these two bikes. If your answer is mostly/all on path and road, then you need to look at the Trek, and compare it to other road bikes in that price range and specs. If your answer is mostly/all trail and off-road, then look at the Giant and compare it to other mountain bikes or hybrids that can handle some off-road duty. No meaningful comparisons can be drawn between the two bikes mentioned.

Sorry sorry guys, For giant I meant the Giant Defy 2. It was 3am here, I was tired

My prediction: Instead of providing any strong consensus on either bike, you will instead be presented with at least 6 other choices.

Neither is really designed for commuting or touring but both can do the job (as long as it's light touring). Take each one for a test ride and decide which you like best.

Sorry about that, thanks for the feedback and I hope you are willing to give me more feed back now that I am making sense

These are both road bikes.
as others have mentioned, they can certainly serve as commuters, but are not really as practical as many other choices.
For example, you will be very limited on tire choices - 23 or 25 mm most likely - which require higher pressures (less comfortable) and will call for more care in "choosing your line" to avoid imperfections and debris.

I'd like to hear more about your personal circumstances (level of fitness, commuting environment (urban, rural, mixed), commute distance, quality of road surface, etc.

These things make a tremendous difference.

In general, sporty road bikes make decent "fast day" fairweather commuters, but tend to be a bit limited for broad applications. If your personal preferences, fitness and commute specifics align with road bike strengths, then I'd personally choose the Defy 2 (good specs and reviews seem consistently good). If you are not certain that a road bike is the answer, I'd suggest test riding some "fast urban" bikes (Trek Fx series, Scott Sub10, etc), cyclocross and touring bikes to see if they might pose some viable options.

. . . one of which will be invariably a BD bike.

OP, if you'll provide the links to the bikes (make it easy) and a little more background on your needs as others have requested, you'll probably get more responses.

A guy that I work with is currently riding a Defy 2 and really likes it. I'm with TJ however, anytime someone is looking for advice on a bike purchase, you get advice from a ton of people who likely will be validating their own preferences. I commute on racing bikes, it's right for me but certainly not for everyone.

So, do as TJ stated and embark on some test rides. Visit a bike shop or two and hopefully one of the shops will be decent enough to let you take a couple for extended rides. The really good bike shops I know of will take the time to talk to you and ask some questions to see where you're headed. Then they'll give you a range of options and allow you to ride them. Turn on your BS meter, some shops will look for the quick hit on some model that they can't get rid of. Once you've taken some rides and gotten some information, go home and search the internet for reviews on the bikes that have piqued your interest. Reading reviews is like judging figure skating however, throw out the high and the low, and look at the middle. They are likely the most realistic.

Ok so ask requested I'd best explain what I am looking for. I'm 6'1" and a big lad, big build I mean so I need a bike the right size for me. Plus I have some weight on me atm due to some injuries and this is actually partly why I am getting more into cycling.
So I am going to be doing some small tours around Ireland, well I start off with a cycle down to EP for Temple Street hospital but later on it Sept I intend on doing a 5 day tour around Co. Clare (around 350km) and I hope to do more, like Wicklow and Waterford, Kerry and Donegal over the next year or so. Plus I will be hoping to use the bike daily commuting and travelling in and out of the city (Dublin) from Cabinteely.
I am looking for something good and reliable (clearly), light, no suspension, fast and comfortable. I think I might want it all
Oh and I have never been a racing style handle bar bike so probably a straight bar or something, not sure

Hope this helps

From your comments above, this might be more what you're looking for. If you're doing some actual touring where you have to carry your own gear, it's likely you'll want the ability to throw on a rack and some bags. There are a ton of choices out there, and this one is probably on the more expensive end of this type of bike, but it has a lot of nice features.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...t_city/mendota

But I would also give a true touring bike a try (with drop bars). Drop bars give you the advantage of 3 different hand positions; you don't always have to be in the drop portion, in fact I rarely use this portion of my bars.

Do you expect to be carrying all the necessary gear with you while you're on those 5 day tours? If so, I'd recommend an actual touring bike.

The problem with both the 1.2 and the Defy is that they're not ideal for carrying alot of stuff. You'll also be limited to skinny tires which may not be so great if you find yourself on roads that are in poor condition.

The 1.2 and Defy 2 would be good choices if you were looking for something fairly fast to get around on, either for commuting or just for fun weekend rides. They'd also be good choices if you wanted to do some casual racing or group rides and you're on a budget.

Between the two, the Defy has the better components. The Tiagra shifters can be shifted easily from the drops or from the hoods while the Sora shifters on the 1.2 are harder to operate from the drops.

to be honest the gear is not an issue. I have been on the road a lot (camping, treking and so on) and I normally carry a lot less gear than most. I am not worried about that as I would be carrying low light gear and never more than 5 or 6 days trips at a time. Plus the tours will be the least of what the bike will be used for. I'm happy to have the bike restrict my tours if its better for my other needs and wants

Or a Surly LHT or CC.

OP, given your size and intentions, I'd really consider re-evaluating your choices. You'll want something that has clearance for wider tires- to both aid in comfort and to hold up to your weight or cargo. The handlebar set-up will be up to you, but you'll have to spend more than just a quick spin around the parking lot to figure it out.

And might as well point out the Vaya and the Fargo...