Hi folks, I have a hybrid but want a road bike. I'm doing 20 plus miles rides at the moment but want to do even longer and want better performance and faster. My budget is from £1k to £1500 tops. Two different cycle shops have either Trek bikes or Specialised. What are you thoughts? Thanks so much.
Trek/Specialized - which one?
- Thread starter GMLbike
- Start date
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Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
There is little point choosing on the basis of brand. With Giant making making bikes for a host of brands the two might have have been made in the same factory.
Better to make a list of your requirements and see which closest matches your needs.
In the end it might just be a case of "We've got this one in stock in your price range and dize", do you want it or not?
Better to make a list of your requirements and see which closest matches your needs.
In the end it might just be a case of "We've got this one in stock in your price range and dize", do you want it or not?
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CanucksTraveller
Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
- Location
- Hertfordshire
I have an irrationally low opinion of Specialized but it's only because: (1) Just about every cyclist around here seems to ride one... 2 of the LBS are stockists and they're therefore about as unusual as a Vauxhall Astra in Luton, and (2) the spelling sets my teeth on edge.
I like Trek bikes, I've got a hybrid and my daughter has an MTB. Some people seem to dislike them because an American man once took a lot of drugs and rode one in some races against some other men who took drugs. 🤷♀️
In reality they're both decent and you can't really go wrong... I'd have a Trek purely because they're a bit rarer and I personally find their road frames to be more aesthetically pleasing.
I like Trek bikes, I've got a hybrid and my daughter has an MTB. Some people seem to dislike them because an American man once took a lot of drugs and rode one in some races against some other men who took drugs. 🤷♀️
In reality they're both decent and you can't really go wrong... I'd have a Trek purely because they're a bit rarer and I personally find their road frames to be more aesthetically pleasing.
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I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
Why do you want/need a new bike to ride further? I spent 8 years riding my hybrid for commuting and long distance rides of 100 miles and more. I also had excellent drop bar road bikes but would still often take the hybrid as it was so good to ride.
It's not necessarily about the bike when riding longer distances and your existing bike may be perfectly suitable as it is or with some minor changes. Of course, if you are hankering for a new bike and have the money burning a hole in your pocket then I am not going to stop you
It's not necessarily about the bike when riding longer distances and your existing bike may be perfectly suitable as it is or with some minor changes. Of course, if you are hankering for a new bike and have the money burning a hole in your pocket then I am not going to stop you
I have to confess been biased to Trek, I tried my first Trek bike back in 2004 and rest as they say is history
.
I always think a sign of a quality product is how well they last the test of time. I invested in a lightly used Trek Madone all the way back in 2012, than family time took over and the bike was left un-used till very recently.
Having done literally nothing to the bike for the best of 7 years I was able to literally give it a clean, oil and have really been enjoying it in the last few months.
The proof though is in the riding, today I managed to match my previous PB from 2013 on the steepest hill near me.
I recently weighed it, with pedals at 7.8kg which is still half decent compared to a brand new road bike today.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to upgrade to a newer bike with internal cable routing, more aero features, or integrated stem/disc brakes. But the reality is my 2011 Trek Madone is still a fantastic bike, which is an absolute joy to ride, it's as fast it was nearly a decade ago despite never having been properly serviced. The limitations of the bike remains the same it did when I first bought it, my legs.
If I was looking for new road bike I would find it hard to look any other brands other than Trek.
.I always think a sign of a quality product is how well they last the test of time. I invested in a lightly used Trek Madone all the way back in 2012, than family time took over and the bike was left un-used till very recently.
Having done literally nothing to the bike for the best of 7 years I was able to literally give it a clean, oil and have really been enjoying it in the last few months.
The proof though is in the riding, today I managed to match my previous PB from 2013 on the steepest hill near me.
I recently weighed it, with pedals at 7.8kg which is still half decent compared to a brand new road bike today.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to upgrade to a newer bike with internal cable routing, more aero features, or integrated stem/disc brakes. But the reality is my 2011 Trek Madone is still a fantastic bike, which is an absolute joy to ride, it's as fast it was nearly a decade ago despite never having been properly serviced. The limitations of the bike remains the same it did when I first bought it, my legs
.If I was looking for new road bike I would find it hard to look any other brands other than Trek.
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Awesome, thanks for taking the time to comment! Appreciate it.
Firstly, major apologies for only getting a chance to reply now. I'm bowled over by your comments and thoughts. Thank you for taking the time to give some really good sound advice. I'll let you know which one I go for in the end. Cheers!
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Lovely story @gzoom but if you'd have put a Specialized, Cube, Cannondale or any other major brand next to your Trek I can guarantee the result would have been the same. It's marketing gold of course for the manufacturers who want you to continue to buy their products which is why they make them to the highest standards which in turn benefits us all.
Kestevan
Last of the Summer Winos
- Location
- Holmfirth.
Either will be a decent bike (as will the vast majority from decent manufacturers).
When I was first in the market for a road bike I tried several models from both Specialized and Trek... I quickly found that I was much more comfortable on the Treks. The Spec geometry really didn't suit me, others may well find the exact opposite.
The only way to know is to get a test ride on anything you're interested in.
One other consideration at the moment is that I was at my local bike shop (LBS) over the weekend (major Trek dealer), and they were saying that there were no bikes available from Trek or many other major manufacturers for the next few months. Everything except demo stock had been sold (and most of the demo bikes were promised to customers too). Last time i was there 3 weeks ago,, the whole shop floor was stacked 2 deep in delivery boxes waiting to be assembled.
When I was first in the market for a road bike I tried several models from both Specialized and Trek... I quickly found that I was much more comfortable on the Treks. The Spec geometry really didn't suit me, others may well find the exact opposite.
The only way to know is to get a test ride on anything you're interested in.
One other consideration at the moment is that I was at my local bike shop (LBS) over the weekend (major Trek dealer), and they were saying that there were no bikes available from Trek or many other major manufacturers for the next few months. Everything except demo stock had been sold (and most of the demo bikes were promised to customers too). Last time i was there 3 weeks ago,, the whole shop floor was stacked 2 deep in delivery boxes waiting to be assembled.
