Which is best: Trek, Giant or Specialised
 

I need to know because I am buying a bike.

Thanks. :)

You forgot Cannondale (and a few others). ;)

Ok, then. What's the best brand to buy? :D

Cervelo R5CA is the best brand.

I really think its a "Ford or Chevy" thing. You are gonna find fanbois of each brand.

The more important questions are:

1) whats your budget?
2) whats your fitness level?
3) what kind of riding are you planning on doing?

Technically, at any given price point they are practically the same. I guess I should have said that at any given price point the bits that make the bikes work are of the same, or very close to, that of a similarly priced bike.
Decide your budget then go test ride some bikes.

The real question is which brand does your best local bike shop support.
At any mid-level pricepoint they are all comparable, made in similar Taiwanese factories, draped with identical Shimano components.
There may be some difference in sizing, useful if you are an inbetweener for one brand but Ok for another.

Giant

Aaron :)

It really depends on the bike.

And depends on type of bike you are looking for.

Nobody rides Treks anymore; they're too popular.

Yogi?

Indeed.

The one that fits.

Marinoni
Hasa
Merlin
Santana
Fuji
Shogun

Brand is pretty far down on the list of things you should be considering when looking for a bike.

They are all the same quality wise especially once you get passed a certain pricepoint. You have to realize that almost all mass produced bikes like Wreck, Specialized, and Giant are made in about a handful of bike manufacturers in China and Taiwan. Giant is the biggest one of them all and even makes bikes for other companies like Specialized or at least they use to. The thing that makes them different is the design of the frame and the geometry. One company may make one size 1 or 2cm longer or shorter than another making that a better fitting bike or a seat tube angle is more steep or shallow than the other, etc. etc. So, get the bike that fits you the best. Design wise, Specialized, is the leader in my opinion with their forward thinking frames than the other two companies in recent times.

if at a certain price point they are all practically even, what price point is that?

if we are talking about entry level, what would be "best"? I know it depends on what kind, its just a question i think the OP (and me :D) would like to know...

jdaykin73 and johnj2803 ... neither of you have answered the first basic question yet:

1. What do you want to do with the bicycle?

Do you want to commute? Tour? Ride long distances? Race on the road? Race mountain bike events? Ride trails casually? Ride with a partner?

First you need to determine what you want to do with the bicycle. Brand means nothing at this point. "Best" means nothing. I could tell you what I think is a good choice for an entry level road racing bicycle, but that would do you no good at all if what you want to do is to ride trails or commute.

Answer that question and the responses in this thread could become a bit more informative. But until you answer that question, we'll continue to be vague.

Oh yeah! that question. :D I don't know with the OP but i would be riding roads and light to medium trails for exercise and leisure :D

For that sort of riding, I'd suggest something in the touring or sport touring (often called "Audax" or "Randonneuring") or maybe cyclocross range. A road bicycle with a somewhat more relaxed geometry and the capability of taking somewhat wider tires.


When I looked for my sport touring bicycle, I let my fingers do the walking first. I looked up websites for all sorts of bicycle companies to see what they had in that type of bicycle. Unfortunately a lot of bicycle shops don't actually stock that sort of bicycle ... they tend to stock either racing bicycles or mountain bikes. So part of your decision making might be to find out what your shops will order, or what you can order online ... what's available to you.

Troll.

Thanks for the info... I went to some shops and when I asked for a hybrid they offered me a giant Sedona... But I was more interested in the dx version where you can lock the front suspension


Is this directed at me?

From what you've indicated ... roads and light to medium trails ... you probably don't want a hybrid. Have a look at cyclocross bicycles in particular ... maybe drop into the Cyclocross forum and browse through some of the threads there: http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl.../23-Cyclocross

Surly.

+1

That's what I think too.

Shop for a bike shop first. There's bigger differences among bike shops than there is among bike brands. When you find the one that has the people that you feel most comfortable with - that's it. Buy a brand that they carry and support and you'll never go wrong.

If you think that you'll ever need service or advice or accessories who do you want to talk with? If you ever have a warranty issue, who do you want working for you?

Probably below color;)

You are working at two different purposes. A road bike makes road works best on the road while a mountain bike works best on trails. You can use one on the other but the results are seldom desirable. A mountain bike does far better on the road than a road bike does on the mountains, however.

If you are new to either aspects of bicycling and want to expand your horizons and abilities, buying a bike that will do both will quickly lead you to exceed the abilities of the bike in either area.

If I could only own one bike, I'd take a hard tail mountain bike over just about anything else. Yes, they are slightly heavier than road bikes, although not too much heavier than a cross bike. They are slower on the road but more off-road capable. If you get one of sufficient quality to have a lock-out on the fork (most mountain bikes have than feature now), you don't have to deal with fork bob while riding on hard surfaces. I would make sure it has a suspension fork rather than go rigid. A suspension fork is more then just a luxury for off-road riding. Because the fork has give, it improve control tremendously for off-road riding.

When choosing a bike you should look at price first. Pick a price range you are comfortable with and then start looking.

Second, you should look at components. Get components as high up the quality scale as possible.

Third, you should look at fit. Once you have decided on a price range and a component range, try different bikes to see which ones fit the best. There is only a little variation in the different brands...much smaller than many people think:rolleyes:...for a given price range. Try a bunch of different brands of bikes to see which one you like.

Fourth, pick a color you like;)

Fifth, and finally, look at the name on the downtube. By this point, that name is probably not too important:thumb:

I'm a newbie, but I thought for road (not racing or very long rides) and light trails, a hybrid was the type for those kinds of riding (casual). ???
I'm also looking at Cypress and Sedona, both the cromo and the aluminum models. Leaning toward the cromo without the suspension fork.

The problem with hybrids is that you quickly outgrow their capabilities on- or off-road. If you never want to progress, i.e. ride harder trails or faster on the road, a hybrid might be a good choice. But if you find that you want to progress to a higher level of skill, fitness or enjoyment, a bike that is more specialized towards what you want to do is a better choice.