Hey all,

So I'm new to biking, and to this forum (although I've been reading a lot here lately). My sweet fiance just got me a Trek 7.2 FX for my birthday, which is my first "real" bike. My fiance wants to ride with me, so we're looking at getting a bike for her too.

She rode a few bikes at the local Trek shop she got mine from and liked the 7.2 FX WSD a lot 7.2 FX WSD - Trek Bicycle. She is 5' tall, so a 13" size fits her well. The models below the 7.2 only go down to 15", so they were out. She likes the white color with blue accents in the 7.2 FX WSD.

We've been going around to other bike shops and looking at and trying other options too. Another LBS has the Liv (Giant) Alight 3 in XS, and it comes in a teal/green color which she likes a lot. Alight 3 (2015) (2014) | Giant Bicycles | United States. She rode the Alight and it also fit her well and she liked it too. It's more on par with the Trek 7.0 FX Stagger than the 7.2 FX, so there is a $140 price difference between the Alight 3 and the 7.2 WSD before tax.

So she likes both bikes, likes the look of both, but there are some things about the 7.2 FX she likes a bit better over the Alight 3. It's a little bit lighter, has nicer pedals, has a bit nicer drivetrain that shifts a touch smoother (Acera/Altus vs Tourney derailleurs), and flat resistant tires.

We'll be riding around where we live some on the bike lanes, sidewalks, and mostly paved bike paths. We're just casual riders and will be doing short rides for fun here and there.

So the question is, for her first real bike is it worth the $140 price jump to go to the Trek 7.2 FX WSD over the Liv Alight 3? They both come from good local bike shops that both offer lifetime free adjustments. The Trek has a lifetime warranty on just the frame, but the Giant/Liv has a lifetime warranty on frame and fork. Are the upgrades on the Trek worth it if both bikes feel pretty good to her, or would it be better to go with the cheaper Giant/Liv and maybe even get some accessories like fenders, kickstand, rack, etc? The LBS with the Giant/Liv offers 15% off accessories for 30 days after bike purchase. I've been doing a lot of reading and research, and we're just not sure which way to go.

Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance for any help/opinions.

I would be more inclined to get the Trek. As long as the $140 isn't a major problem, if she likes the Trek a bit better, she will be happier in the long run. I'm not saying that as a bike expert, but as someone who has been married for 26 years. Since you just got another bike there, they would probably give you a deal on accessories when buying a second bike. Taking both bikes back to the same shop for service would be easier. I wouldn't worry too much about the fork warranty, since it is steel.

GET THE ONE SHE LIKES THE MOST !!!!! End of story, period!

To be fair, the Giant model that compares more closely to the Trek FX 7.2 is the Liv Alight 2. That said, the Alight 3 should be fine for what you are planning to do. I am, though, a proponent of a little bit of future proofing, and so spending an hundred fifty or so for components a step above entry level strikes me as money well spent so I say get the Trek or if you are so inclined, the Liv Alight 2.

edit: What I mean by future proofing is, consider where you are now as a cyclist, and where you might be in 2 or 3 years if this cycling thing catches on with you and your fiancee. For short rides on a bike path, the entry level Giant will be fine, as will the Trek 7.2. But, who knows what else you might want to do. Charity rides? Join a cycling club? Bike touring? Not saying you won't eventually look to buy a different bike if you take any of those routes, but at least with the upgraded components, you might be able to do more with the slightly upgraded bike. And while you can upgrade components on an entry level bike, it is always more cost effective if you just buy better bike to begin with.

All that stuff doesn't matter, if you don't get her the one she wants.........................

For me, the components on the Liv 3 simply aren't good enough for me to be happy with, whilst the components on the Trek 7.2 are good enough.

The reason for her wanting the Alight 3 instead of the 2 was for the teal color.

We've been riding and testing more bikes and she wants to go back and ride the Alight again then she'll decide between it and the Trek. I'll take the advice of the seasoned veterans here and let her get whichever one she likes the best

If your budget can handle it have you considered the 7.3? It comes in teal. 7.3 FX WSD - Trek Bicycle

Thanks for the suggestion. She likes the darker/greener teal of the Alight better than the one on the 7.3, although it looks really nice too. I think the 7.3 would be over budget though unfortunately.

You've come to the right place! Plenty of good advice available here and great learning! I side with MRT2, hopefully cycling will turn into something more! Regarding your statement "The LBS with the Giant/Liv offers 15% off accessories for 30 days after bike purchase", most any LBS should offer a percentage off accessories at the time of a new bike purchase. They will even give you the difference in tires if you want to swap out the OEM tires for something else. Try your best to negotiate!

Otherwise - ride and keep riding! Each bike is different and will feel different to each person! Pick the bike that feels best!

Any bike from a manufacturer like Trek or Giant is a solid purchase. If she really likes the way the Alight looks, it's probably the safer purchase because she'll want to ride it more and it's still going to be a good bike.

You win! Her choice, is priced great! And Giant makes nice bikes!

Thanks for the help everyone.
To make things a bit more complicated we went and test rode more bikes today, and she really liked the Fuji Silhouette 1.9 too. So now it's down to the Alight 3, 7.2 FX, or Silhouette 1.9. We're going to go ride some of them again tomorrow so she can decide. We've been having a lot of fun going and checking out and riding all these bikes, haha.