[wild]

I don't want to hijack the outher Absolute thread so her is my question

2010 or 2009 what way would you go ?

The 2010 has Shimino mechnical disc brakes BR-M495 and weight is 2# more than the 2009

The 2009 has Tektro brakes 926al min-V, with modulator and I can get it for $200 less than the 2010

Allso I was wondering about the disc brake mounted on the carbon fork ?

The only outher differences I see are, wheels , seat, and the MSRP of the 2010 is about $100 less than the 2009.

[telliemj]

I'm not going to tell you which way to go but I have read some reviews on the mechanical disks that come with this bike and I will not say that they aren't going to be better than the V-brakes but I will say that you might want to look into finding out whether the mounts for these disk brakes and the avid bb7 brakes are universal because you may want to upgrade after having the bike. It is hard to know what is the right thing to do. I suppose you should ask urself if you can wait that long and if u can than wait and if you can't or you don't think you need the disk brakes than you could save the cash and put it towards a computer or something else.

[wild]

Come on a little HELP please, someone must have an opinion on this.

[telliemj]

Here is my opinion. If you are hell bent on disk brakes then go ahead and wait. But while you are waiting I would look into the versatility of the mount placement on these forks because once you do finally get this bike you may find that you are not happy with this braking system as I have heard that this disk system is very entry level. I must admit though that I do not know what you will be doing with this bike and you may find when you get it that the brakes work great for what you need them for. But in my opinion if your gonna spend $1100 for a bike it would be good to know that if you dont like the brakes, you could upgrade them to a better set without adding new mounts or w/e else.

Another thing to consider is that typically disk brake systems cost more than v-brake systems and if the preous years bike was being sold at the same price there is a good chance that the components got cheaper from the 2009 model. If you can save $200 or w/e and get better components with only lossing the entry level disk brakes you may be happier going that route as well.

I think you know what each bike represents and the components and prices that go with them, and its just a matter of determining what you are going to use it for and if the disk brakes are worth the price differance between the two bikes as well as the possibility that the components will be lower grade. I do not know that for a fact but you might want to check to verify. I know the 7.6 FX components changed a little bit and so did other models from other companies.


Ultimitely no know can tell you what to do which means your going to have to make a decision. I tried to get people to make up my mind too in my thread and I only ended up with more questions. Good Luck!!

[IanHighfield]

Buy the cheapest model year. There is not enough difference in the two to get worked up about.

How's that for getting at it!!!???

[telliemj]

What is ur opinion on the 2009 7.6 FX trek, the Giant Rapid 1 and the Giant Rapid 2!! Let me know what you think and also why you think that way if you would.

[wild]

I have not looked into the Giant or Trek bikes as the bike shop I use does not carry those brands.
I think the 2010 has some better components but the quality may not be as good on some.
As for what I want to do with the bike I just ride on the roads out here 10 or 20 miles not a lot of stops 5 or 6 miles between roads. sand it the thing we get a lot of on the rim brakes and it seames to tare up the rims that is the main thing I wanted the disc brakes for.
I want to thank those that posted I still have not made up my mind so keep the coments comeing.

[KShep]

I might try cleaning the pads after each ride to keep debris from building up on them and damaging the rims. If you can complete your loop with minimal braking then the damage to the rims should be insignificant over 10 to 15 miles.

I get the impression that you would prefer the mechanical disc brakes. If so, that's the bike you should buy. Maybe if you ordered one from the LBS it would arrive sooner.

[IanHighfield]

the Trek has better name appeal but the Giant is a better value. That said, both are fine bikes and you would not be making an error in riding either.

I have mechanical brakes on a MTB and would not be without them. I think discs of any type are superior to pinch brakes if weight is not a big issue. I don't feel the need for discs on a road bike but they do good work there too. Again, buy discs on your roady if that is what you like.

I do not own a hybrid but have ridden the Giant Rapid in its lower price presentation. It had perfectly workable componentry and a good stiff ride. It has innovative alloy trapezoid frame members and it looks good. As you go up the bits get better and the wheels a tad lighter. I would be perfectly happy with the low end model as hybrids are not built for ultimate speed in the first place.

They are very useful as commuters and day riding in the country.

Pick the bike model that calls to you. Hard to make a mistake with current modern design and construction.

[KShep]

Originally Posted by telliemj

What is ur opinion on the 2009 7.6 FX trek, the Giant Rapid 1 and the Giant Rapid 2!! Let me know what you think and also why you think that way if you would.

IIRC the 2009 Trek has a better component group that the 2010 model.

The Rapid One has a double CR so it would be good if your terrian is mostly flat or you're a masher. The Radid Two has a triple. Trek has a triple.

The Trek 7.6 wheelbase is 105.9 cm. Rapid wheelbase is 101.5. Trek chainstay is 2 cm longer. I have no idea how these geometry differences affect ride or handling.

The tires on the Rapid are 700x25....it's gonna ride a little rougher than the Trek. I have 700x32 rubber on my 7.7...ditched the OE 700x28.

Some folks have had issues with the Bontrager paired spoke design wheelset that came on the 2009 Treks. The 2010 models sport more tradiitional lacing.

If you can grab a 2009 Trek 7.6 FX I would take it over either Rapid, assuming a good fit.

If it's a 2010 I'd want to ride all of them before deciding.