strutz52

alright, ive narrowed my choices down to the: Trek 1200 or the Giant Defy 3.

ive never riden a rode bike before (just the cheap target bikes) and i want to get a road bike to help out with my cardio endurance since i play football. i really dont wanna spend over 900.

are these good choices, or do you guys recommend something different?

any help is greatly appreciated!

Kurt Erlenbach

Typing lessons.

Lazyass

Ride both and see which one you like better, and ignore the stuck up comments posted by the resident dorks.

roccobike

Giant and Trek are two very respected brands. IMHO, Buy from the shop that gives you the best advice, offers the most incentives.

strutz52

well i like the giant defy 3 better, it seems to ride a lot smoother, but the store that is only like 10 miles away from me doesnt handle Giant. and the store that does, is like 100 miles away. i think they are both great for help and repairs and stuff....the only thing is i dont wanna drive 100 miles everytime i need something. but i like the giant better, so i rely cannot decide. ugh

DaJMasta

That's a tough call, 100 miles is unacceptably far for routine repairs, but comfort means a lot when riding, especially for long distances.


Honestly, I would go with the Giant and try to work out a deal with the shop nearby for tuneups or just do the work myself. Provided you're not riding it in bad conditions much, you probably won't need frequent maintenance and doing a little stuff (being able to fix flats, cleaning the chain regularly, etc.) can go a long way in staving off maintenance checkups. I see your perdicament, but I can't recommend to go with a bike you don't like as much when they're priced similarly.

Out of curiosity, what brands does the local shop offer? Maybe there's another model which you could try out and which you may like.

gv1256

none, if you want to increase your cardio you'll be better off just buying a pair of running shoes and putting in miles that way.

af2nr

Does Trek even make a 1200 anymore? I don't think that bike has been available new for a couple years now? That would be my first question/concern. Having said that there is nothing wrong with seeing if the local shop carries something comparable to the Defy, if not then there is nothing wrong with buying the bike you want a one place and still using the other for maintenance and accessories...

jonathanrules

wow what a ******.

anyway, i say the trek 1200 because i'm very trek biased. i'm on my third trek and have no reason to switch to another manufacturer! good luck

under18cyclists

Look at they specialized allez it's a great bike too, if any of your LBS's carry it.

acaurora

*cough* Specialized Allez Sport */cough* *points at his sig*

strutz52

the only thing they cary is Trek and some other kind of wierd lookin bikes, but they do repair everything, its just warrenty that im worried about, if something happens to it and a differnt place has ben workin on it, is it still covered?

strutz52

i run 2 miles everyother day right now, im jus lookin for that extra edge.

strutz52

i think they still make the 1200, its the 1000 that they dont make anymore.

roccobike

If you buy used, you have no warranty. If you buy new you usually have a one year warranty on everything and lifetime on the frame as long as you own it. That's typical, but not all manufacturers adhere to that so you need to ask to verify. If another bike shop works on your bike, it should not be a problem with the warranty. If your freind or you work on it, maybe not depending on what you did. A lot depends on what you did to the bike.
I saw a guy take his almost new road bike on a mountain bike trail. I mean a real technical trail with logs, jumps, streams the whole package. Somehow I don't think his warranty will be honored.

strutz52

alright then, i guess ill have to ask about the warrenty thing.

so really i should go for the Giant since i like it better, and then jus have the local bike shop do the repairs, if they will work on Giants.

cc3chan

Since you are a newbie to road bikes, hence road bike maintenance as well, I would suggest buying the bike at the shop that gives you better service.

af2nr

According to Trek's website they haven't made the 1200 since 2006? At least it doesn't show in the current models and using the archive search that was the first year it showed up. They now have the 1 series bikes, which appears to have taken the place of the 1000 series bikes? As far as warranty issues go you can do your own servicing or have it serviced somewhere else and it is still covered. Some shops can even do warranty claims on brands they don't carry...

strutz52

well, i decided to go with the Trek 2.1, ya thats rite, not the 1.2 but the 2.1! the local bike shop gave me a really good deal on it and i couldnt resist, so the 2.1 it is!

embe

Own a Giant Defy 2 myself, I love it. Ride and feel are great, but my bike is far from stock in the 2 months I've owned it. Upgraded to all ultegra and replaced the saddle and am now very happy with the performance. If you can afford it, go for the Defy 1, the upgrades to the drivetrain are a necessity if you plan on riding your bike seriously.

I was a noob about 2 months ago and have learned all of the maintenance and torn apart and rebuilt my bike completely already.. if you're technically proficient they're very simple to learn. Read all of sheldonbrown.com and parktool.com's maintenance/repair section.

Good luck and welcome to road cycling, it's a lot of fun.

Mike

PS Look into any bike clubs or groups in your area that you can ride with to learn and get help from. People are usually pretty forthcoming with advice and will be pleased to help you.

under18cyclists

You would make this thread complete with some pics.

strutz52

of my bike?

hendrick81

yes

screaminDOHC

There we go, the nomenclature has changed for Trek. It's not "1200" anymore, it's 1.2, same for "1500" is now 1.5, etc...Good score on the 2.1!

mustang1

If you need service (you do, you're new) then get Trek from the shop that's 10 miles away. Driving 100 miles just to get a bike fixed up is a waste of time, money, fuel. If the Giant *really* is better, then that's the one I'd go for, and then just get it fixed up at the closer (10 mile) shop.