making my final decision
 

hi,

I'm looking to buy my first bike and I've looked at some online and at shops, and would like to know your opinion on the ones I'm considering:

bike 1: Cannondale quick 4 @ 599
has aluminum body with carbon fork.
uses shimano cs-hg40 front derailleur and sram x-5 rear derailleur and shifters.
it has the wider tires at 700x35c.

bike 2: Fuji absolute 2.0 @ 675
also aluminum body w/ carbon fork.
it has Shimano Deore m531 components and sl-m530 shifter.
it has the thinnest tires, 700x28c.

bike 3: trek 7.3fx @599
it is all aluminum, with Shimano Deore and c102 front and rear derailleur and ef60 shifter.
it has 700x32c tires.

I'm 5'9" 200lb and my ride style would be some laps around the neighborhood to start, maybe
go to the park and when I'm comfortable, maybe start commuting 6mi each way to work by next
summer.

so, here's what I'm thinking:
I've found a thread on another forum saying the trek frame is better than Fuji because it's
double butted(don't know what this means). also the Fuji has the thinnest tires which would be
less comfortable on bike trails, and it's also the most expensive.
is it safe to scratch out?

now, the cannondale has the carbon fork and wider tires. I've read some good reviews about
the Trek, but can't find a good comparison. since they're the same price, which would you
get? which components are better?

I can't much rely on salespeople for bike comparisons because they recommend
their own brand (shops around here only carry one or two brands).

thanks :)

also a newbie
 

Hi there I was also looking for my first city bike the last few weeks and I also looked at the Trek fx7.3 and the Cannonadale quick 4, I did not look at the fuji. So I cant comment on that. But if you want a good alternative to these selections look at the Kona dew series, I would look at dew plus or above. In the end I basically narrowed it down to the Trek and the dew plus but ended up buying a 08 dew deluxe for less money then the other 2. And I love it. But remember the only way to know for sure is to test ride it. It sold me on the dew.

Mark

Thinner tires are typically lighter and faster than wider ones, and personally, 700x28 is not too thin - I've found 700x25 to work fine for commutes.

What year are these bikes fall in to? If all are 09' models, the Trek is a deal, i paid $695 with tax for mine.it's an awesome bike for the money.

i know the cannondale is '09, not sure about the trek, i saw it at bike world. i think it is on sale from 659.
it's also far away, what if i need it serviced? i've never used shifters on a bike before.
the cannondale is very close to home, and it comes in grey or blue. the trek is black or red

I run 700x28c on my commuter, but that is in part because it is the largest I can fit with fenders. Just because the Fuji comes with 28mm wide tires doesn't mean you couldn't fit larger ones on it. IMHO, 32mm is about as wide as you would want to go.

The Trek and the Fuji have a slightly more aggressive geometry to them. I think you would prefer this long term. I *think* both the trek and the fuji have can support fenders and a rack. Double check this before you buy one.

EDIT- The trek is all aluminum, which *might* be more durable than aluminum + carbon long term. Double butted means that the tubes are thinner in the middle than where they are welded together. This makes them lighter but just as strong (at least when done correctly). If it were my money I would probably buy the trek.

* My advise is worth what you paid for it.

My wife has the Trek 7.3 (2008) and I can attest to it being a nice bike. The 2009 is a bit upgraded as well. Personally, I wouldn't care for a carbon fork at any price, but especially at this particular price level. Carbon = disposable as far as I'm concerned, but I'm a steel fan.

Ken