Trek 7.3fx vs Cannondale Quick 4

[TDJ]

Hi,

I am new to this forum but I am hoping the knowledgeable folks here can help me with some questions. I am looking to buy a hybrid type bike that I can do some road distance on (30-60 mile trips). I am not fond of a drop handle bar road bike so I hope to find something with a flat bar. Currently I am riding my son's old mountain bike and I would like to get something a little better for the road.

I have been looking around a bit and have seem to settled on either a Trek 7.3fx or a Cannondale Quick 4. The Trek seems to have slightly better overall components but the Cannondale has a carbon fork.

How important would the carbon fork be for riding on roads and sidewalks to dampen vibrations? The research I have been doing has me slightly scared of the failures with carbon forks.

Does anyone have any thoughts about either of these two bikes, or the carbon fork vs better overall components? Or some other bike suggestion around the same price point ( $500-600)? Would these type bikes work for an upcoming 150 mile charity ride I hope to do?

Thank you.

[Owlie]

Welcome to TE!
Giant has the Dash/Rapid series in varying levels of componentry, though I can't remember off the top of my head how much they cost.

In response to your concern about the carbon fork:
It depends--on you and your roads. Different people are differently-susceptible to "road buzz." You won't really know until you ride. It also depends on your road surfaces--if you have chip-sealed roads, a carbon fork is probably a plus!

If you've been researching carbon forks online, keep in mind that no one is going to report instances of their fork not failing! There are lots of carbon forks out there these days. Mine has a carbon fork. DBF's bike has a carbon fork (and is probably...seven or eight years old at this point) and still going strong.

Take them both out for test rides and see what you think. If you want to do a ride of that length, I'd strongly recommend saving for a nicer flat-bar road bike for the future--or buying a bike whose frame would be worth upgrading. Happy bike shopping!

[TDJ]

Thanks Owlie.

So the scary reports I am reading about carbon fork failures are not commonplace? I will mostly be riding on sidewalks/paved bike trails that are not real smooth so the bike will be subject to some bumps every day. I am doing 30 miles about four times a week right now but I have to step it up and build my mileage up within a few months so I really need to get off the mountain bike.

I do not think I will be doing these really long rides a lot. This could be a one time occurrance though I have always enjoyed biking riding and typically do 12-15 miles at a time. The last time I bought myself a bike was 25 years ago and I hope that this bike will last the next 25 years!

You mentioned saving for a 'nicer flat bar road bike". What makes a bike 'nicer' - components? weight?

Thanks for your help.

[badgercat]

Welcome to TE!

I have a Trek 7.2FX that I've been very happy with. I've made it into my commuter, so I ride it the most often of my bikes. Before that, though, I rode it in charity rides, etc (up to 60 miles).

If you're worried about bumpiness, you could also consider bikes with chromoly steel frames (for example, Jamis Coda). I have a steel Jamis road bike (with a carbon fork) and it floats over bumpy roads. :) Jamis dealers aren't as common as dealers of the other brands you've mentioned, but if there's one in your area, Jamis might be worth a look--they tend to give you a decent amount of bike for the money.

Is it legal to ride on the sidewalk where you live? In many municipalities it is not, so if you're not sure, you may want to check! I know people get written tickets for that around here, but we also have a very well-established and accessible system of bike lanes & boulevards, and it really is more dangerous to ride on the sidewalk than the street.

[Owlie]

+1 on what Badgercat says. Check out some steel frames. I've never ridden one, but there are plenty of people who love it on here. (Enough that I'm considering a few for my next bike!)

What I meant by a "nicer flat-bar road bike" (for that charity ride) was mostly in the components. I'm not what you'd call a weight weenie--all I care about is that I can pick up the bike and move it around without too much effort. Lower-grade components tend to require more tweaking, and on a long ride, that could be a problem. (Shifting is also nicer, I feel, with higher-grade components.) Since flat-bar bikes tend to use components that I'm not familiar with (no idea what Shimano's MTB components are!), I'll let someone else answer that.

(Badgercat, that Jamis Coda is pretty sweet!)