I am looking to but my first bike and I have it narrowed down to a trek domaine AL 2 and a Fuji tread 1:5. I felt as if the trek was much more comfortable but the Fuji was faster. Any thoughts on these bikes?

Comfort over speed for me every time.

That's what I'm thinking. Thanks !

I think you'll find that you ride the more comfortable one more often...unless you're actually racing somebody. If for casual/recreational/fitness riding, I'd choose the one that fit me best vs. one on which I could average a faster speed.

Awesome! Thanks

I'm likely in the minority here, but I would get the one that you are going to grow into. A true road bike will never feel comfortable to a new rider, it takes time to train new muscles so it is comfortable. Sure, a hybrid will feel better at first, but where will you be a year from now?

I totally agree with what you're saying, it really depends on what kind of riding the OP will be doing. If its a casual ride once or twice a week, I would just stay with the "comfy" bike, but if its a 4-5 times a week 100 mile minimum a week then yes, go with the road geometry. (My comment is based on riding on mostly paved surfaces.)

Very true.

Overall though, it depends on what he considers uncomfortable and what is causing it. If the bike just does not work for him geometrically one would suspect it never will feel as good as the other regardless of how much they ride it. He could also "speed up" the slower bike with narrower tires, adjusting tire pressure, changing handlebars/stem, or drive train components. Interesting facts about growing into a bike as you use it more, good to know. Learned sumthin today already

I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that every rider aspires to be on a road bike one day, and that hybrids are merely a stepping stone in that direction. A road bike and a hybrid are for different uses, and their entire biking culture is different in many respects. Hybrids do many things that road bikes don't do well, and road bikes do many things that hybrids don't do well. Different tools for different uses. Very much like how some hybrids are sometimes compared with 29er MTBs; they sometimes share some characteristics, but the differences are in the nuances, and they're both optimized for different purposes.

The hugely popular hybrid market exists expressly because many people don't want either extreme, but rather a "Goldilocks" or a "just right" somewhere in the middle.

In any case, both of the bikes mentioned in this thread are very much "road bikes", and the roadie forum might indeed be a better place to get good feedback about those two models in particular.

I don't think the message was that everyone will "aspire" to change over to a road bike, it was that flatbar road bike geometry will feel different than a typical hybrid and will take some time to get use to and/or dialed in. I know that when I first rode a FXS6 it wasn't very comfortable and felt weird, but the more I rode it, (and got my stem height and length dialed in and was properly fitted to it), the bike feels wonderful. Now when I ride my Fuji Crosstown it feels very bizarre and sluggish but it certainly has more of a relaxing upright riding position.

I'm sorry -- I should have quoted. I was responding to [MENTION=3379]MikeOK[/MENTION]'s statement, "get the one that you are going to grow into", followed by, "Sure, a hybrid will feel better at first, but where will you be a year from now?"

I read that as inferring that the outcome is likely to be a road bike anyway, so the person might as well start there. In this case, though, both bikes in the OP are road bikes with drops (no flat bars), so I guess it's a bit of a tangent anyway.

I'm with you on differences in feel. My 750 and Verve feel COMPLETELY different. The Verve feels like driving a 7-passenger van after stepping out of a Mazda. And they're BOTH hybrids. I enjoy both bikes for different reasons. I know the difference between these and a road bike will also be dramatic.

Ha ! I know what you mean, I have a Nissan 240sx that I race on the weekend, after driving it all day then jumping into my truck feels like Im driving a moving van.

Off topic, but I once had a '95 Nissan hardbody with the KA24E engine. Tough as a boot. It had a relatively slick (worn, probably) 5 speed manual transmission and it was one of my favorite of the little trucks. Your 240 probably has the DE twin cam engine. The trucks didn't get that until the '98 Frontier. Ahh...memories.

Wow, you know your engines ! Yup its a rare stock 240sx with a upgraded suspension, the DE engines are just so stout, solid cast iron block with a aluminum head. Ive had it for close to 10 years, and I do well with it autocrossing.

PM sent, Scooty.