Trek 7.2 FX vs Jamis Coda (WSD)

[caligirl2]

Hello and Happy New Year!

I am a fitness rider who avgs about 60 miles on a good week, I ride on a paved trail only. I have been searching for a flat bar bike and have narrowed my choices down to the 2 above.

The Trek is aluminum and the Jamis is steel....Is there really a difference in the way the bike handles, esp on a paved trail?

Both are priced about the same, the Jamis being a little bit more.

Any input would be most helpful....Thanks

[KnottedYet]

What I noticed most when I was testing Jamis Aurora (pretty similar to the Coda, "dressed" as a road bike) was how beautifully it absorbed road buzz compared to my aluminum Kona.

Which one (Jamis or Trek) did you feel more comfortable on? Did one of them feel instantly like it was meant for you?

What matters most is how you feel on the bike. "Fit, function, and true love are all that matter."

Which bike did you love?

[caligirl2]

Knotted:

I am sorry to say that I have not tried any of them yet. I just wanted to research as much as I could before I headed out. Since most LBS's locally only carry Giant...I will have to travel further.

I spoke to a neighbor of mine who rides an older model Bianchi and he says the same thing about the steel....I am assuming since I have carpal tunnel pretty bad, I will lean towards the Jamis....but your advice is true....go with what feels right.

I cannot wait to get out and do that, kids go back to school next week. I think that is when I could escape for a bit.

Thanks for your input.

[Bruno28]

I like the Trek, as I said on the previous thread, but I have noticed that quite a bit of vibration comes through the handlebars, so that's a factor which you'll want to consider. I ride mostly on surfaced trails and some dirt tracks. I've never riden another bike for any length of time, so I don't have anything to compare it with.

If you have a problem with carpal tunnel you'll want to test the bikes carefully.

Good luck!

[Duck on Wheels]

I tried the Jamis Coda and the Trek 7.6 last Spring. The Jamis rides smooth as butter! However, for me it felt too tall. The Trek was a close second in terms of absorbing road buzz, maybe not butter, but ... hm, marzipan? A bit of "graininess", but still sweet. For me the riding position felt more comfortable, so I went with the Trek. I love my Trek, but you would have my blessings to go with the Jamis if that suits you better once you've tried it out. Give them both a ride and see what feels best.

[KnottedYet]

Yeah, the Jamis do run "tall". I was riding a 50, which was just crazy because normally a 50 would be waaaaaaay too small. I loved that bike, went back and test rode it 2 more times. (then Flossie appeared on the TE "For Sale" forum, and the rest is history!)

Duck, I love your butter/marzipan analogy!