Quoted message said:I am going to be buying my first 'NEW' bike since taking up riding
again as an adult. I am going to be replacing an old Trek steel
hardtail mtb ( boat anchor ). I pretty much have the idea in my head
that I like the hybrid designs, they seem to be a pretty good mix of
road / mtb bikes.
There are two bike shops here in town, one just sells 'Giants' and the
guy there was showing me the 'Cypress DX' he claims it's as good as the
Trek 7300. They certainly do look similar. And most, if not all the
components are the same. Or so he says. The other bike shop deals in
Trek (I really like the Trek name), Raliegh and Cannondale and also Sun
Recumbents. I have bought stuff from the seconds shop, and they don't
have the bike I really in my size like in stock, but will special order
it for me, at no extra charge. The Trek 7300 is the one that I really
like, and they are willing to sell it to me for a little bit under MSRP
which I think is $429.00 I can get it for $399.00
The Trek 7300 is a very nice machine; we sell quite a few of them. However,
it's still possible the biggest difference between the Trek and Giant may be
in the dealer that sells them. That dealer is responsible for assembling it
properly, making sure it fits right, taking care of the 30-day check, and
just generally doing what they can to make sure you really enjoy your bike.
Quoted message said:
The guy at the first shop also said that 'Giant' makes about 60% of
Treks frames, most of the ones under about $600.00
Giant is one of a couple of suppliers who make bikes for other vendors. When
Trek first switched some of their lower-end production from Merida (another
Taiwan company, but not big enough to handle the volume Trek required as
they grew) to Giant, quality was non-existent. The lesson quickly learned
was that Giant will build to whatever exact requirements someone asks, and
if there were opportunities to save money and do something poorly (but
"acceptable" because it wasn't something clearly specified), they would.
Trek now has full-time employees in the overseas plants building their
product, which has resulted in substantial improvements in quality. As Trek
builds their higher-end product domestically, they know a lot about frames
and wheels, and go to great lengths to make sure that their overseas vendors
build to a very high standard. This can mean that a Trek coming out of a
given plant might be of higher quality than the plant provides for its own
name brand. Of course, it can also mean that the plant's own brand improves
as well, as they learn from what Trek demands.
Realistically though, it's an extremely competitive retail environment for
both Trek and Giant, and they're both going to keep an eye on each other and
make sure they're competitive. That's why, in many cases, it will be the
dealer that makes the difference.
Quoted message said:So my question is, if Giant does make the frames for Trek, should I
just go with the Giant and save about $50.00??
You're only saving money if the total package is equal. If there's something
about the Trek you prefer, something that might make you want to ride it
more (including a better dealer), then that's the better bike. And obviously
the reverse is true as well- if the Giant dealer seems like the better place
to bring your bike back to if something's not quite right, that might tip
the scale in their direction.
Quoted message said:
Ken
--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
