Mark Cho is looking to get his first bike, but can't make up his mind which bike to buy, which is quite a regular problem! He is considering either a Trek 2.3 or the Fuji Roubaix, both good bikes so it will be difficult for us to choose between them, but here goes
Question:
Hi!
Which is a better road bike for me to purchase...the Trek 2.3 or the Fuji Roubaix? This will be my first bike.
Thanks for your help.
Mark Cho.
Hi Mark,
Your first bike is important as you need to have a good fit so that you are comfortable and you enjoy your riding and so you can train properly to improve your fitness, the bike also has to please you in other ways, cost, looks and image. So lots of things to think about. OK to your choice of bikes:
Trek 2.3
The Trek 2.3 frame is made of 6000 series aluminum which gives strength, rigidity and lightness and will not break the bank. It's made of Alpha Black aluminum with TCT carbon stays and Bontrager carbon forks with an alloy steerer. The equipment is a mix of Shimano Ultegra and 105 with 10 speed shifter and a choice of either a compact or triple chainset. Wheels are from Bontrager as are the tires and some other bits and pieces.
It's a great bike to get if you are not sure if you will stick to cycling; it's not expensive and comes in eight different sizes and two chainset combinations. A very good first bike with class, good equipment and should give you a good feeling ride.
Trek 2.3
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Fuji Roubaix
The Fuji Roubaix has also Alloy main tubes, Fuji Altair 2 custom butted aluminum and carbon seat stays, the forks too are carbon with an alloy steerer. The equipment is a mix of Shimano 105 and Tiagra with FSA compact chainset and Fuji branded parts, wheels from Alex and tires from Continental.
The Fuji is a very nice looking bike with great colors and comes in six sizes. Again not expensive, around the same price as the Trek 2.3. The Fuji is a sporty bike that would fit in any bunch.
Fuji Roubaix
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Our Choice
As usual this is tricky, the frame on the Fuji looks good and is sportier, but the equipment lets it down when comparing it to the Trek. Both are very good bike for the price, but in the end I would have to go for the Trek 2.3 in the end.
Let us know what you decide and how you get on, Mark.
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One would be: How much do you want to get into cycling? If it's a first bike, and you have not been logging miles and you may find it boring or not enjoy as much as you thought, then dropping $1500+ on a bike may not be the best way to go about it. The Trek does have nice components, and that is what makes up a lot of the jump in price as you go up the bicycle food chain.
Having said that, there are definitely a lot of very strong opinions in the bike world (just pose a question about triple versus double ;-) Some folks say get the best you can afford right now. Some say start with a good but basic frame and upgrade components as they wear out. As an example, wen my cassette, chain and large chainring needed to be replaced on my Giant SCR3, I used the opportunity to upgrade the whole group. I had a lower outlay at the beginning, got to know that I really liked cycling and the upgrade has made it feel like a whole new machine. Of course, I then complemented it with a new set of wheels, again an upgrade over time instead of a new machine. The other advantage to this is that if, after the summer, you find it s your niche, then getting a newer/better bike means that you have a winter trainer already on hand. Yes, my Orca stays inside in the nasty winter weather ;-) You also have a heavier bike for training so that when you ride a sportive on your race machine, you will feel like you are flying.
One last note: LBS, i.e. local bike shop. Sure, buying over ebay is cheaper, I got my Speedplay pedals, among other components, on ebay. The thing is, the local bike shops are the ones that support you, do the repairs, fit you properly on a bike, advise on components. There's not really a big margin on bicycles (unless we count Serotta and the like). You're probably going to find that the LBS is where you get a lot of useful info, see/feel new products, get ideas. I have always found my LBS to be supportive, especially with warranties (and things do occasionally go wrong in manufacturing) Maybe that's why they've been around so long.
If you have your heart set on one of these two, I would say go for the Trek, and consider the triple. If you are starting and have hills near you.... you will appreciate it.