This isn't for me...for my bro who's buying a bicycle as a birthday gift for his wife. Straight up, she is not an avid road or trail cyclist that rides 75-100 miles per week...just wants to casually stroll around the block with their 6 year old daughter and sometimes get on a solid dirt path often found in neighborhoods. Therefore, and I agree, they've decided on a Hybrid with a budget of no more than $700.

So now brings up the eternal argument of cyclists that will never end... Trek vs. Cannondale (it's like 9mm vs. .40S&W). If there were 2 Hybrid bikes of equal price and style, which brand would offer "more bang for the buck"? Trek or Cannondale? I've kinda leaned toward Trek, but what do I know...I don't know diddly about a Hybrid and my road bike is an Orbea.

So what opinions do we have here? I know they don't want anything through e-bay or Craigslist...they want to see it, touch it, test ride it at the store, so no 2nd hand stuff (unless found in the store) despite there being some really good deals out there. I believe he is also looking at the REI Ghost (I think), which I am totally unfamiliar with. But he said the nearest REI store is like a 2-3 hour drive, so REI would probably need to REALLY outshine Trek and Cannondale for him to drive that far.

So what do the masses say?? Any and all opinions are appreciated...thanks!

What about their other brother; the 10 mm (ie, Specialized)?

Unusual gripe.

Back in the day when I was more conversant in such things, I would have said Trek, as Cannondale had a lot of proprietary parts, and some funky tubing sizes that made after market accessories difficult to find or install.

Today, I don't know if they are more standardized so I don't know if that old hit on them is still valid.

Trek always seemed to make a good bike for the price.

I also like Giant, as they (are/were) one of the main frame makers in the bike market. Lot's of bikes used white label Giant frames, and like Trek, are a good value.

Out of those two, given equivalent components for the price range, I would go with Trek. There's a guy on YT that measured a bunch of frame manufacturing tolerances, in relation to bottom bracket bearings, and he lists Cannondale as having crap tolerances. This was for higher end carbon bikes, so I can't imagine they would be better on lower end models. Granted Mom cruising the neighborhood with daughter is not likely to stress much. I don't know anything about the Ghost, but REI is a no go with me.

Between those two? Trek every time.

I own a Felt, two Specializeds, and several Treks. I have never considered Cannondale to be equivalent to any of the other three.

Your budget is very appropriate to get her a great bike. However, the absolute KEY to buying a bike is to ride several and buy the one that feels the best. Even if it's "just a hybrid" that will only see light use, it still has to fit her right and have controls she's comfortable using. She may like trigger shifts over grip shifts, she may like a suspension seat post over a springy saddle, there's a lot of differences to consider.

Here's three that are right in the range you're looking. All of these have pretty slack geometry that will allow a super-comfy, stable, upright ride.

Specialized Roll Sport
Trek Verve 2 Disc Lowstep
Cannondale Adventure Women's 2

Looking at the spec-sheets, right off the bat, the Cannondale doesn't have disc brakes. Disc brakes are a major safety upgrade, the suspension fork that the Cannondale has (and the others lack) is a minor comfort upgrade.

In the end, a $700 hybrid will be a nice bike, but it might still be a nice bike that she hates riding. Take some time to find the "right bike" for that price, rather than just "a bike."

Oh, and I wouldn't drive 2-3 hours for an REI house-brand bike. I'd buy the Cannondale over that.

I've been looking at hybrids in that price range for myself for a few months. I like Giant or Specialized. I bought a Specialized Crosstrail mechanical disc for my son. The step up has hydraulic brakes and would be around $650. I also like the $670 Giant Roam 2 for its 700x42 tires.

Really, she needs to go ride them to see what works for her.

I still have a Trek 560 road bike from the 80s when they were Handbuilt in America. Waterloo, Wisconsin specifically. Trek is mostly a marketing company now based in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. They don't own much if any manufacturing capacity. Neither do any of the other brands mentioned except Giant which I believe is the world's largest bicycle manufacturer. They made my Bianchi cyclocross bike from the 90s.

Well, I’m on my 2nd Trek FX3 hybrid. Love it. The bearings in the wheels are really something. I can get some speed up then coast for damn near forever on it, was really surprising.
I ride bike trails (paved), busy streets, and commute to work on occasion over some rough patches of road and sidewalk, it’s a very versatile bike.
That Verve looks like it would fit the bill nicely.

Whichever bike it ends up being, be sure to get fitted. Her riding efficiency will increase exponentially.

I still own a Cannondale hybrid (Fifty-fifty) which I rode for over 4000 miles. I never had a problem swaping out factory components for after market. I was very satisfied with Cannondale.

Why not go to some of the bike stores or rent a bike to see what she likes.

You can go to Walmart and get a decent bike for $100 or less. Then she can get a better bike if she still has interest.

Personally, I always preferred Cannondale, but it's like buying a gun in a sense. You have to find what fits you best.

I've had 2 Cannondale road bikes in the past & both were trouble free. Current bike is a custom build on a Romeo frame.

When I biked a lot, I always had a Trek or two. My internet opinion, let her pick the bike out by riding them both or maybe even another option you didn't list. The geometry/riding position is very subjective.

Thank you all for the feedback so far!! I'm just forwarding those to my bro in e-mail...

Well, I am compelled to recommend Cannondale as they were a sponsor for almost 10 years. But I am biased. She should ride both and go with the one that feels right for her. They will both be reliable, good brands.

If it is a tie go with the shop that seems to be more committed/interested.

It doesn't matter. At all.

No bike manufacturer that you've heard of makes their own bikes. The frames are all outsourced to one of a handful of vendors in Taiwan or China. The parts are all Shimano, SRAM, or Tektro. And everything else is pieced together by a few low skilled technicians.

Buy the one with the prettier color. That will probably matter more than geometry or fit for that type of rider, that price point, and those distances.

The Specialized Roll Sport, as noted above, is what my wife rides. While she may not win any road races, she absolutely loves it for cruising and long distance exercising (when I could ride we’d ride a 15 mile path. I ride ahead and turn around at the end. Wherever she is when we meet, she turns around.

quote:

You can go to Walmart and get a decent bike for $100 or less. Then she can get a better bike if she still has interest.

No, you can't.

They LOOK like decent bikes, but they are not. Brakes, chains, derailleurs, handlebars, wheels, etc. will go out of alignment or fail on a ride which will frustrate her, and they are damned near impossible to fix due to the quality (lack thereof) of the parts.

I have a fair number of specialized bicycle tools, and tried to fix a nearly new Wal-mart special for a neighborhood kid as a favor. They are truly junk, and she will hate it.

quote:

Originally posted by 41:

You can go to Walmart and get a decent bike for $100 or less.

I have a $150 Walmart bike. It has it's place, but decent it is not. I misread the bike rental information at Ft. Desoto. I thought it was $8 a day and it turned out to be an hour or $30 a day. I figured for $8 a day I'd leave my bike at home. Of course, my youngest learned to ride that trip, so I needed a bike. No way I was paying $30 a day, so that's how I wound up with my $150 Wal-Mart bike.

I rode the $560 Specialized Crosstrail I bought my son for Christmas. It's 10 times the bicycle my $150 Wal-Mart bike is.

^^^^^
Thanks guys. Wally World was NEVER an option in my bro's plan for the exact reasons y'all stated...lipstick on a pig, as it were.