Which bike should I get?

Looking to do mainly road with a little bit of off road trails. I’ve narrowed my bikes down to two models either the Trek 4300 Disc for $729 or the GT Avalanche 3.0 Disc for $599. I think the trek a lot of the money is going to the brand name. With the Gt the salesmen said there is equal parts and the shifters are better as well as the rims on the bike.

Personally, I prefer the Trek frameset. I know a lot of folks who have ridden them for years without problems. The GT “triple triangle” design is more gimmick than function. (But both frames should come with a lifetime warranty, so in the end it isn’t a big deal.)

Component wise, the bikes look pretty similar. The brake-set on the Trek looks a little higher-end (hard to be sure, since the GT website only provides a brand, not a model number). Note that the Trek has integrated shift-levers. Good on weight, bad if you ever want to upgrade. And both bikes are pairing brake levers for V-brakes with mechanical disks – not an optimum configuration. That would push me towards the GT for components, since you can replace the brake levers if you want to.

I realize that I haven’t given you a decision yet. If I were you, I would base the decision on how you feel on the bike. If the bike isn’t comfortable, you aren’t going to want to ride it. This is a decent investment in a bike, and you want something that you want to ride! If you can’t tell the difference in fit, then buy the less expensive bike. This will give you some money for upgrades down the road (clipless pedals and shoes, tires, grips, bar ends, saddle, etc.).

Mountain Bike Trail Riding Tips & Tricks : How to Do a Bunny Hop on a Bike: Part 1

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