I finally went out looking at some hybrid bikes today. Narrowed it down to 2 bikes. I don't know enough about bike components to make an informed decision.

I'm looking at either a GT Transeo 1 or a Trek FX 7.3. Both are the same price ($600). Both felt comfortable to ride on. So I'm hoping someone could comment on the specs and let me know which has the better components or might give the best service.

Thanks,
Rut

Trek:

Sizes 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25"
Frame FX Alpha Black Aluminum
Fork FX Alloy w/tapered wall thickness, straight blades, Clix dropouts
Wheels
Wheels Alloy front hub, Shimano RM30 rear hub; Bontrager Nebula, 32-hole rims
Tires Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase, 700x32c; 60tpi
Drivetrain
Shifters Shimano EF60 trigger, 8 speed
Front Derailleur Shimano C102
Rear Derailleur Shimano Deore
Crank Shimano M361 48/38/28 w/chainguard
Cassette Shimano HG40 11-32, 8 speed
Pedals Nylon body w/alloy cage
Components
Saddle Bontrager Nebula
Seat Post Bontrager Nebula Basic
Handlebars Bontrager SSR, 25mm rise, 6 degree sweep
Stem Bontrager SSR, 10 degree
Headset Aheadset Slimstak w/semi-cartridge bearings, sealed
Brakeset Avid SD-3 w/Shimano EF60 levers
Extras Bontrager Satellite Plus grips


GT

Headset: 1/8” Sealed Mechanism
Pedals: Alloy One-Piece Trekking
Brakes: Direct Pull w/ 110mm arms
Frame: GT 7000 Series Aluminum w/ Sport Fitness Geometry
Seatpost: GT Design Alloy Seat Pillar
Grips/Tape: GT Dual Density Comfort
Chain: KMC
Rear Shock: NA
Stem: NVO 1 1/8”
Levers: ProMax Alloy w/ reach adjustment
Wheelset: Rims: Jalco Double Wall Alloy, 32H; Hubs: Shimano M475 Alloy QR w/ front Montegue
Handlebar: Ritchey MNT Flat Bar, 25.4mm
Saddle: Selle San Marco Ischia K Trekking
Front Derailleur: Shimano Deore
Shifters: Shimano Deore RapidFire 9-speed
Rear Derailleur: Shimano LX
Crankset: Shimano Non-Series M521 Hollowtech Octalink Black w/ chainguard, 48/36/26T
Bottom Bracket: Shimano Octalink
Fork: SR NCX-D LO, 50mm travel, disc mount w/ preload adjust, speedlock mechanism, lockout and fender/rack mounts
Cassette: SRAM, 11/32T, 9-speed
Tires: WTB All Terrainasaurus, 700c x 35

Whenever I have to choose between two, I always go for the blonde, you only live once.

Have you ridden them both? I would definitely do that. One might feel better than the other, which generally trumps component differences. Also, make sure whichever you get is sized to fit you properly.

All that being equal, I would go with the GT. The drivetrain is better on that one. You might want to upgrade the brakes, but that would be fairly cheap to do.

I have the Transeo 1.0, and I can tell you for a fact that those brakes (Tektro came on mine) are awesome, no upgrade needed in terms of function. Also, when I got mine, the hubs were also disc compatible, which is a bonus if you want to upgrade later. Great bike.

Yep. Rode them both and they both felt good. The Transeo's wheel's are disk ready. Jut not sure I need them. Unfortunately, neither are blonde

Disk wheels are inherently weaker and disk pads are dearer to buy.

Why is that? If anything the "look" beefier.

The front wheel is weaker because one side of the wheel is dished to make room for the disk.

The rear is weaker because the hub flanges are very close together.

Both wheels are structurally more at risk because the braking is at the hub not at the rim.

Once compromised (buckled or a spoke gone) a disk wheel is far more likely to deteriorate or collapse because of the braking forces transmitted to the rim via the spokes.

Rim braked wheels are stronger, more likely to stay true and lighter.

Thanks for the scoop!

Don't ride Disk brakes- except on the Tandem and the quality of those wheels are not in doubt.

In the cheaper range of bikes- comparing disc over rim brakes- I would not be too bothered about the quality or strength of the wheels as neither will be top quality. But there is nothing wrong with "V" Brakes at all. They are basic and work efficiently. A cheap set of "V"'s will work better than a cheap set of disc brakes and cause less mechanical problems.

I would test the bikes and if you still cannot decide- toss a coin. But looking at the forks- Cheap suspension forks do not last long. If you are mainly riding on the road- then get the Trek. And if you want to go offroad with the bike- then get the Trek- Those forks on the GT let it down.

That isn't true.

For the same quality the rim brake wheels will be stronger for the reasons I've already listed.

I'm not sure I entirely buy all of this. Most high-end mountain bikes use disc brakes and mountain bikes aren't generally known for their weak wheels.

I do note that disc wheels are heavier, and I wouldn't doubt that it is to compensate for the above.

If they're Tektro, that's probably OK. The lack of brand name listed in the specs gave me pause. The unbranded parts I've had have generally not been good, but Tektro makes decent brakes.

Heavier = more material.

More material cannot compensate for a narrow hub.

It's a weaker design. Live with it.

Well, I ended up going with the GT. It was an 08 model on sale $700 list, on sale for $549 and got an additional $80 off. So for $469 I don't feel like I could have gone too wrong.

Thanks for all your input.

Rut

I don't buy ANY of this. Discs vs. rim brakes will always be a hot issue but the structural difference (I know mechanism structures, it's what I do for a living), is not an impact to this decision, by any means.

Disc barkes are the "new" technology for a reason. Like them or not, they have great positives. If you're a world class racer, and weight wienie (sp?...how does one spell wienie?), then sure, discs suck. But, if you want to stop with far more reliability, power, wet/dry, etc., discs are the bomb, bro.

You did GREAT. Enjoy!

That's a good price of $600 for the Trek, is it a 09' model?

Don't buy ANY of it then.

It won't affect me or affect reality.