Giant vs. Specialized

So I ventured out to the other LBS in town and I'm so glad I did! They sell Giant and Specialized. I LOVED the Giant Dash 3 but the guy working with me seemed to think more highly of the Specialized Vita is this somehow a better bike? Better components? Better something I should know about?

In addition to that is a Dash the same as a Rapid? I didn't see a Rapid in the store but I was mooning over the Dash :P On the Giant website it says the Dash pedals are caged w/clips. Does this mean I would need to replace the pedals if I'm not riding clipless?

Lastly, does the Specialized Vita have a carbon fork? He suggested I go with the Dash 2 to get the carbon fork but I don't have the budget for that.

Are these the bikes?

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/...port%2FFitness

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/....3/7299/44121/

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Originally Posted by Glory

I LOVED the Giant Dash 3 but the guy working with me seemed to think more highly of the Specialized Vita is this somehow a better bike? Better components? Better something I should know about?

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I'd say that the Giant has better components. I checked the base Vita and Vita Sport and both essentially have bottom end mountain bike components. The Giant at least has lower end road bike components.

On the Giant you'd be able to replace the chainrings if needed. On the Specialized you'd have to replace the whole crankset.

The sales guy might have a higher profit on the Specialized.

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Originally Posted by Glory

On the Giant website it says the Dash pedals are caged w/clips. Does this mean I would need to replace the pedals if I'm not riding clipless?

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You'd need to replace the pedals if you were wanting to go clipless. The pedals it comes with are platforms (aka cages) with toeclips (aka clips). Toeclips can be removed if you don't want to use them, though I don't know if the pedals themselves are double sided.

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Originally Posted by laura*

Are these the bikes?

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/...port%2FFitness

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/....3/7299/44121/

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Yes, those are the same bikes I looked at today. I thought that was a really silly question about the pedals but now I'm glad I asked. :) I did stop by the library today and pick up a bicycle repair manual, trying to learn some bikespeak.

which specialized vita are you looking at? componetry wise, the specialized vita elite (the $700 one) is much better than the dash 3, and has the carbon fork. yes, it's got a mountain bike rear derailleur, but that's so that it can have a mountain bike rear cassette - and it's got a deore rear derailleur.

The dash does have road bike gearing, while the specialized is more mtb or touring gearing - it depends on how you're going to feel on hills.

I'd say even the specialized vita sport at $550 has slightly better componentry than the dash, just 'cause they're at least components that I've heard of the names of.

But. Which one did you like better on the test rides? Which fit better?

which specialized vita are you looking at? componetry wise, the specialized vita elite (the $700 one) is much better than the dash 3, and has the carbon fork. yes, it's got a mountain bike rear derailleur, but that's so that it can have a mountain bike rear cassette - and it's got a deore rear derailleur.

The dash does have road bike gearing, while the specialized is more mtb or touring gearing - it depends on how you're going to feel on hills.

I'd say even the specialized vita sport at $550 has slightly better componentry than the dash, just 'cause they're at least components that I've heard of the names of.

But. Which one did you like better on the test rides? Which fit better?

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Originally Posted by Cataboo

... specialized ... yes, it's got a mountain bike rear derailleur, but that's so that it can have a mountain bike rear cassette - and it's got a deore rear derailleur.

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The Specialized models have MTB brake/shift levers, MTB linear pull brakes, and MTB derailleurs front and rear.

The Giant has the following road components: flat bar shifters, brake calipers, and a Tiagra level front derailleur. The rear derailleur is listed as 2300 level, but the picture shows a Sora.

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Originally Posted by laura*

The Specialized models have MTB brake/shift levers, MTB linear pull brakes, and MTB derailleurs front and rear.

The Giant has the following road components: flat bar shifters, brake calipers, and a Tiagra level front derailleur. The rear derailleur is listed as 2300 level, but the picture shows a Sora.

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From the dash link that you posted, it says the dash has:
Shifters Shimano R221, EZ Fire
Front Derailleur Shimano R443
Rear Derailleur Shimano 2300

I don't see tiagra or sora listed as the derailleurs on that.


I'm really not sure why you would think mountain bike or road components at this level make any difference? It's a flat bar road bike. Trek went with mountain bike components on its equivalent bike (trek fx). http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...th/fx/73fxwsd/

I would trust a deore rear derailleur more than a sora rear derailleur to shift correctly, since on mountain bikes you put stronger springs because it's a lot more critical when you shift to make the shift. And because I'd use deore on a mountain bike, but I wouldn't use sora on my road bike.

It comes down to a gearing difference, basically. The only practical difference on these bikes with mountain bike or road components is that the ones with mountain bike componentry have more gears. Flat bar road bikes aren't quite as efficient in position as a road bike with drops, so smaller gears to compensate for that is perfectly fine, especially since most of the people who buy the bikes are new riders that likely will need them.

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Originally Posted by Cataboo

Front Derailleur Shimano R443
Rear Derailleur Shimano 2300

I don't see tiagra or sora listed as the derailleurs on that.

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FD-R443 = Tiagra level, ie matching the previous generation 44xx Tiagra.