[jrstudman81]

Which bike overall is the best for hybrid purposes, Cannondale, Specialized, Trek, or Giant? I'm totally confused with all the manufacturers as to which bike brand I should choose for my first hybrid bike. Who makes the best aluminum frame out of the 4 listed here?

[rola643]

I am by no means an expert but I believe all the brands you have listed are of good quality and would do you well. I would suggest riding them all and whatever fits and feels the best and fits your budget would be the way to go. To me it's like a Ford vs Chevy thing in the automotive world. At a certain level / price break they are pretty much gonna have the same quality of components and comparable design. I happen to like Trek and own several from hybrids to road bikes while you might find Giant fits your taste and needs better.

In the end I don't think anyone can answer your question but you! Good luck and keep us posted on your decision

[Jahwarrior]

Nicely put Rola! I agree
Hard to say, you need to ride the various choices and pick what feels best.

I am personally a Trek guy myself, but I can't say that the reason I like Treks are the same reason you would.

Hit the local Bike Shop, test ride them- even riding around in circles in their parking lot you will be able to tell if the bike is a good fit for you or not.

[bjjoondo]

That is the best advise, ride many, many different brands and frame metals, I ended up perfering a "chrome moly" steel frame, (520 Double Butted) as the "ride" seemed a lot smoother than aluminum, (jmho,ymmv). I bought a 2012 Jamis Coda Sport in Sept. and really like the bike. Now I didn't ride any "carbon fibre" framed bikes as I didn't have the funds but if your not cash strapped, RIDE some of them too.

BTW, I do own a Aluminum framed Trek T-900 TANDEM and it's fine bicycle, if you stick with the major brands you'll find a machine you "have to take home", ENJOY the search!

[qmsdc15]

Giant Accend or Cannondale Bad Boy would be my choice.

I don't like typical dual slider suspension forks on my hybrids because I ride 98.7% on pavement. I prefer rigid forks over normal suspension forks because the weight saving is more important to me than the shock absorption benefits.

On the other hand, the Cannondale Headshok and the similar headset bumper on the the Giant Accend and the Accend's pivotless rear suspension won't add too much weight (nor offer much travel, but enough to smooth rough city streets a little).

It's unfortunate the Cannondales with Headshok are so expensive, but the Bad Boys that lack the Headshok look like nice bikes too.

Sorry I can't answer which brand makes the best frames. I believe those four are the biggest in the US market and they all make good products. You can't go wrong with them unless you select a model ill-suited to your needs. There are many other brands that make good bikes, too.

The answer to "best bike" question is very subjective. As the others have advised, shop around and buy the one you like the most. It's not only about the ride. The features, and the appearance matter too.

[LateRider]

Like Rola, I have Trek Road and Hybrid Bikes. Both are excellent Bikes. I live near an great LBS and it is a Trek dealership so my decision to buy Trek included the fact that I would have excellent support when I needed it.

[Dubgurl]

I seem to be the minority in this thread but I'll say I happen to like Specialized. Like everyone said it's all a matter of sitting on a bike and turning the pedals a few times. You'll know what you're looking for even if you can't describe it to the salesperson.

[LateRider]

Totally agree with dubgirl. It is how you feel on the bike. When I was the market for a road bike, I thought of the Specialized Roubaix since I am an older person and really wasn't wedded to Trek and thought I'd try something else. The LBS let me try several Specialized bikes but I really wasn't comfortable on them even though the sales staff made every effort to fit me. Just for laughs I tried a Madone figuring that if I didn't like the Roubaix I would be even more miserable on the Madone. But it was just the opposite. The Madone was really fun to ride. Just to make sure, I waited a week and tried both the Roubaix and Madone again and went with the Madone.

I think Trek bikes are good but there are others, like Specialized, that are equally as good. It is matter of personal preference. Next to the bike, having a reliable LBS is also a really big plus

[photosbymark]

So many things about a bike are personal that a brand is just almost impossible to be considered at "the best". Even then if you could the next question would be the best at what??? Anyone do any jumps on a $6000 road bike lately?? If so I want to see the video but I am guessing it didn't work out too well. There are some many different uses for a bike and so many different people that ride them that traditional brand loyalty might be difficult.

One thing that would set one company apart from another is customer service and how well they stand behind their product. It's easy to say it has a lifetime guarantee, but when push comes to shove to they actually mean it. In another thread a poster had a problem with a Raleigh frame from 2006, and they sent him a new 2010 to replace it. Another had a problem with a Trek (sorry rola) and had to go through hoops to get them to do anything. Though Rola was far more fair with them than I would have been, ended up having to pay to get his bike working again.

Now if I am faced with a choice between Trek and Raleigh, which do you think I am more likely to favor all things considered? Working with steel, aluminum or carbon fiber is a constant. Most anyone can do that or be taught to do so fairly easily, and with any sort of quality control (which with some I wonder if it exists) the odds are you will not have a major problem. Someone once told me that its how you deal with the problems in life that make you stand out.

[IHATEICECREAM]

I had a trek mountain bike loved it. Bought a Specialized hybird because they where the only manufacturer that had anything yellow. I wanted a yellow bike. I live in the middle of nowhere so LBS is 35-40 miles one way for me and there are a couple to choose from. Love my specialized.