*the only difference that stands out on the 3700 frame is the semi-integrated headset. it looks cooler and is probably a little stronger.
*the 3700 has a fork with more travel, 100mm versus 80mm on the 3500. both are still cheap forks that might not last long and are not worth servicing.
*the 3700 comes in one larger size than the 3500- 22.5". if you are extremely tall, that would be a deal-breaker.
*both have 36-spoked wheels, which will be very sturdy from a structural standpoint, but the single-wall rims might not hold up to long-term abuse. keep your tires pumped up!
*nicer rear derailleur on the 3700, but still low-end.
*3700 has a nicer disc brake caliper, but both of those brakes kind of suck.

I think the longer-travel fork is worth the extra $40 if you are going to actually ride trails on it. however, if you're going to ride aggressively, neither of these bikes is going to hold up long. the fork and single-wall rims are not going to last and the 21-speed drivetrain is going to leave you wishing you had a lot more gears to work with. if you're a heavy-set rider, you'll wear out all of these things a lot more quickly. if you get an entry-level bike like this, bring it back to the shop for minor tune-ups often.

 

Perfect... thank you for taking the time to help me. I will tell you more about me and then I will trust your opinion. I am 6' 1 1/2" with an athletic build. I do not plan on traveling to trails that would be HARD. More beginner to Moderate trails locally. I love riding trails more for exercise than for the sport of it (who knows where this will take me), but for now it's for fun / exercise. So now what do you think?

save a little $, you'll need it later for new tires and all kinds of other stuff

Since I went into wanting a bike between $300-$400 and slowly realizing that wouldn't be safe.. I am already over my budget and I need to purchase all of the essentials. I just didn't want to look back and say "damn I wish I spent the extra $40." The guy at the store said the components in the 3700 are not enough for me to feel the difference (more because of my experience). He suggested to stick with the 3500 disc. And I know this sounds stupid, but I liked the Matte Black color on the 3500 better. That is where my mind set is with bikes HAHA. COMPLETE beginner. Obviously I would choose the better bike if it was that important, but he said it wasn't.

Looking forward to hearing more of your guys thoughts.

 

save a little $, you'll need it later for new tires and all kinds of other stuff

 

Yeah I am really curious to hear about this. Hopefully more people will respond.

 

let me simplify it for you:

• cheap
• light
• strong

pick two, because you can't have all three. to get a bike suited for riding trails, expect to spend at least $700 on a new bike. you can get a better deal on a used bike, but that's a crapshoot because you don't know exactly what condition the bike is going to be in and it might not fit you right. you can get a bike online, but then you have to pay to have it assembled or risk assembling it incorrectly yourself, and you will not have a local bike shop to maintain it. most shops will have some sort of "free" maintenance with the purchase of a bike from them.

I meet a lot of people in your situation and I have to tell them "tough." you have to pay to play. change your priorities, save some more money, budget your spending elsewhere, and make the extra money come together for the right bike so you don't waste money on a bike that won't hold up for you. these bikes are SUPER cheap compared to what they could cost. all of this stuff is made in Taiwan or China (mostly China) and is mass produced faster than you can imagine. (not Trek specifically but all the major brands manufacture all their stuff in China. I hope that's not news to anyone...) a few years ago, all of the technology that goes into a $300 bike would make it a $1200 bike, but the tech trickles down.

 

To your original question: the $40 is worth it even if they are slight improvements.

Now to clear up the magic exploding entry level bike controversy; it is a mountain bike, built as a mountain bike, equipped with mountain bike parts, and intended for off road use.

Will it last forever? Absolutely not. Will it self destruct if you run over a root? Hell no. Entry level bikes are not meant to be your last bike, the parts attached to them are cheap and as such they won't last as long as more expensive ones. If you are diligent about keeping the bike working properly, have it serviced at least once a year, and replace things before they completely wear out, you will be surprised how long that bike can last. Should you take that bike to go hit the ski lifts out at Diablo? No, that will murder it. Be smart, take care of your bike, and it will last as long as it takes for you to decide to buy your next bike. My first bike, a $430 1996 GF Tassajara was my mountain bike until about 2004 then again for 2008/09. I put a lot of money into it over the years but I also rode the living hell out of it.

 

Now to clear up the magic exploding entry level bike controversy; it is a mountain bike, built as a mountain bike, equipped with mountain bike parts, and intended for off road use.

go look at a Trek 3500. there's a sticker on the down tube that reads "city/trekking bikes." now go look at a 4500, the sticker reads "mountain bikes." there's a reason for that. i don't want to get anyone's hopes up beyond a reasonable expectation that their $400 bike is going to be the best use of their money if they want to get into mountain biking. for someone over six feet tall who is going to use a 3500 Disc exclusively for singletrack riding, it's going to let him down in the long run. it's a bad "investment."

however, for someone just getting into mountain biking, you can start out with a low-end bike with the understanding that you're going to have to pour twice what you paid for the bike in upgrades over the next two years or so, or you are going to out-grow the bike's purpose quickly and want to spend more on it. so it's cheaper in the long run to start out with a nicer, more expensive bike. when you get the bug, you will find ways to afford this. you will find ways!

 

Well that sucks. I ride on moderately technical trails and have had no issues YET... but the guy at the LBS told me that the trails here in KC are not too rough for it.

I weigh 200 lbs. so this may be an issue if I get into even more technical riding.

All in all its my fault for not being informed but I have looked for this info and could not find it anywhere.

Does anyone know where this information could be found. I am not doubting any info in this thread but I may need to take the bike back to the LBS and get something more fit for the type of riding I would like to be doing.

Sorry for the hijack OP.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

 

if it's holding up for you, just keep going. i would be pissed that the bike shop misinformed you about the components though. I meet a lot of people who give me a budget first and I can't find a bike that will suit them within that budget. so i show them bikes in their pre-determined price range and inform them of the shortcomings of those bikes for their purposes. sometimes it works, other times they buy the under-equipped bike anyways and come back a month later with a dozen things broken on the bike because they didn't listen to me the first time.

 

Oh trust me... I am already saving for my next bike!!!!

I will probably just ride this one out and get some experience. I cannot imagine the bike will not last at least a year... I will just stick to the medium difficulty trails and off the rough stuff.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

 

Go get a 4300 over 3500 or switch brands. It seems that the low-end Trek bikes give you lesser components for more money than other brands. If the 4300 is too much money, look @ the specialized hardrock or giant revel line. More bang for your buck.

 

These posts are simply genius and are truly helping me. I hope they are helping others as well. I wouldn't put too many miles on the bike. I would only really be able to go out on a trail 2 maybe 3 times a month! I have a very busy schedule.

After reading what everyone is saying.. use the $40 and get the better components. If I decide to get "hardcore" into this. I will sell it and put it towards another bike.

NOW.. with all of that being said.. I really don't want to get too off track here. And I feel like the $$$s just keep going up and up from my original intent of.. "get a bike and go ride some simple trails for fun." (I don't live near mountains haha).

Let's take this to another option. My friend works at a specialized store but I walked out because I thought the pricing was too high. This guy below triggered my train of thought and I would love to know what you guys think.



Should I look more at this? Specialized... Specialized Bicycle Components : Hardrock Disc

Or this? Giant... Revel 1 (Charcoal/Red) (2012) - Bikes | Giant Bicycles | United States

 

Hey Joey, I see from your profile that you're in Wilmington, DE. Call the Performance Bike in Newark and see if they have the GT Avalanche 3.0 in stock. Online they're selling it for $399. It's a 3x8, dual-wall rims, Alivio derailleur, looks like generally higher level of equipment than either Trek 3xxx you're considering.

 

Hey Joey, I see from your profile that you're in Wilmington, DE. Call the Performance Bike in Newark

my experiences from the inside of Performance Bike have been less than stellar. cheap bikes. lousy place to get service. just my $0.02.

 

I rode the Trek 4300 disc, spec. hardrock disc., giant revel 1 and 2, hardrock hardrock, before deciding I liked the feel of the Revel and saw that the Revel 0 had much better components than the countparts, which the extra $80-90 was well worth it. I just picked up a revel 2 for my girlfriend, she got on it and she said, I actually like riding this bike. Was sold on that. At this level, the frame/component difference is minimal, so fit IS key. For us to tell you one bike is better than the other may end up in you getting a bike you would dislike. That is why everyone is urging for you to ride them. I prefer the Giant because that what was comfortable to me. Some people live and die by Trek brand. Others prefer Specialized.

 

Anyone else feel free to chime in!

IMHO save your money and get a bike within your original budget and be happy

You are buying it as a beginner to ride the easy/moderate trails in the first place.

Once you figure out what type of trails you like to ride on (smooth and flowy or rough and bumpy) then you can buy the type of bike that suits your riding style best.

In any case, that Trek 3500 frame is pretty solid, it would take a tremendous hit for you to damage it. And if you do happen to wreck it by riding on the trails, you need to be looking at the AM forum for opinions on your next ride!

 

after working at a few bike shops, I have found from experience that the shop you buy from can be just as important as the bike you buy. when I was at Performance, a customer would have to wait 2-3 weeks to get a bike back for a minor tune-up. mechanics were on the clock from 8 am to 9 pm and there was never enough time to get the workload done. I saw a lot of customers walk into the store while I was busy, wander around for 30 minutes trying to track down an employee, and never get help because the place was so under-staffed.

with the trek dealer where I work now, we know most of our customers on a first-name basis and usually finish tune-ups on the same day, no longer than two days later. you will never get that kind of attention at Performance.

as for the bike, the Avalanche 3.0 has an 8-speed drivetrain, which is an improvement over the Treks. As a beginner, you might not notice or care. I think the fork is about the same as what's on the 3700 with 100mm travel. the GT also has some wide, aluminum bars, whereas the Treks have narrower steel bars. the main advantage of that GT is the double-walled rims. however, the Treks have 36-spoked wheels while the GT has 32's. i can't speak from experience which will be stronger- a 36h single-wall wheel or a 32h double-wall. I think that overall, the GT is built more for trails with the fatter tires, wide bars, (probably) stronger wheels. if you can get past dealing with Performance, it might be a better deal. if I remember correctly, those Avalanches are pretty darn hefty. probably not impossibly heavy, but you will appreciate a "light" bike when you try one after a few months on a porker.

ask the Trek shop what they have to offer in terms of benefits, maintenance, discounts on gear, how they are involved in the local cycling scene, etc. Performance offers cheap prices on bikes and that's about it. I hate to turn this into a "big box store vs. LBS" debate, but i want the OP to be aware that the distinction makes a difference in the experience he will get.

 

A well-reasoned reply

after working at a few bike shops, I have found from experience that the shop you buy from can be just as important as the bike you buy.

as for the bike, the Avalanche 3.0 has an 8-speed drivetrain, which is an improvement over the Treks. As a beginner, you might not notice or care.

One important difference may be that the Treks have freewheels, while the Giant has a cassette. I don't know that for a fact, but that's often the case with 7-sp vs 8-sp.

+1 on all of your points, +rep!

 

See Sheldon Brown's article about freewheels vs. cassettes. The main difference to a 1st-time bike buyer is that cassettes can be upgraded later, 8 speed can be replaced with 9 speed or even 10 speed cassettes. With a 7 speed freewheel, you're stuck with 7 speeds.

As a matter of fact, any first-time bike buyer should read as much of Sheldon Brown's site as you can get through!

 

So I am getting from both of you that "technically" Cassettes are better? I did read that article. I mean I'm TRYING to stay up to you guys, but it seems like the Cassette is better that you can upgrade but the Freewheels you can completely change brands.

Is my final conclusion correct that the Cassette would be the better way to go since it has more room for improvement based on moving up gears?

 

Well then right now.. I am leaning towards the Giant. I am going today after work to check out a local shop that sells them and get their 2 cents on that Giant vs. Treks. It appears to me that the Giant has better parts than the Trek 3700 and for the same price. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

You will hear a whole story about how Giant makes everyones frames and what-not. I think the main best difference is the wheel/tire setup. The kenda block 8's are an awesome tire for what you want to ride as you can fill them up to 80psi and you have the strength of double wall rims. The 3 series trek has single wall so drops/curbs/somewhat technical trail riding may become an issue.

 

I decided to call the shop before I go down there today and he said that he would recommend a Raleigh Talus 4.0. He has it for $400. Any opinions on that bike?

 

Head to head comparison

Here are the specs on the Talus 4.0:

Sizes
14, 16, 18, 20, 22
Frame
Atomic 13 SL Custom Butted Aluminum, Formed Downtube, CNC Machined Headtube
Fork
SR Suntour XCT 100mm w/Preload
Cranks
SR Suntour XCT V3 22/32/42t
BB
Sealed Cartridge
F.Derail
Shimano TX-51
R.Derail
Shimano Acera
Shifter
Shimano EF-51 EZ Fire 8spd
Br.Levers
Shimano EF-51
Brakes
Tektro Novela Mechanical Disc, 160mm Rotors
Gear
Shimano HG40 (11-32t)
Rims
Weinmann XC260 Double Wall
Tires
K-879 26x1.95
Pedals
Avenir ATB Resin Platform
Handlebar
Steel 25mm Rise x 620mm, 25.4
Stem
Alloy Ahead 4-Bolt 20º
Seatpost
Alloy Micro Adjust 27.2x350mm
Seat
Avenir 200 Series Mountain
Headset
Ahead 1-1/8"
Colors
Pewter, Matte Hunter Green
Spokes
14g Stainless Steel
Grips
Avenir Single File

Here are the specs on the Giant Revel 2.0:

Sizes 2XS, XS, S, M, L, XL
Colors Black/Blue, Silver/Black
Frame ALUXX-Grade Butted Aluminum
Fork SR Suntour XCT V3 w/ Preload Adjust, 100mm Travel
Shock N/A
Components
Handlebar Steel, 50mm Rise
Stem Alloy
Seatpost Alloy, 30.9
Saddle Giant Sport MTB
Pedals Nylon Platform
Drivetrain
Shifters SRAM X.3, Trigger
Front Derailleur Shimano C-102
Rear Derailleur SRAM X.3
Brakes Alloy Direct-Pull Cantilever
Brake Levers Alloy, 2 Finger
Cassette Shimano 14x34, 7-Speed
Chain KMC Z51
Crankset SR Suntour XCT V2, 28/38/48
Bottom Bracket SR Cartridge
Wheels
Rims Giant XC Alloy, Double Wall
Hubs Alloy, 32h
Spokes Stainless Steel, 14g
Tires Kenda Small Block Eight, 26x2.1

Here are the specs on the GT Avalanche 3.0:

BOTTOM BRACKET: Tange sealed
BRAKES: Tektro Novela, cable disc, with 180mm front rotor and 160mm rear rotor
CASSETTE: Shimano CS-HG30-8, 8-speed, 11-32T
CHAIN: KMC Z72
CRANKSET: Suntour XCT-30V2-T2, 42/32/22T
FORK: Suntour XCM-V3-HLO, 10mm travel, steel stanchions, aluminum leg, with lockout
FRAME: 26" 6061 aluminum GT Triple Triangle design with hydroformed top tube and downtube, zero stack head tube, disc mount and replaceable derailleur hanger
FRONT DERAILLEUR: Shimano Acera FD-M360
GRIPS/TAPE: GT dual-density ATB
HANDLEBAR: All Terra 6061 aluminum riser, 685mm width, 25mm rise, 31.8 clamp
HEADSET: Tange Seiki 1 1/8", threadless, zero stack
LEVERS: Tektro
PEDALS: GT slim line flat
REAR DERAILLEUR: Shimano Alivio RD-M410
REAR SHOCK: NA
SADDLE: WTB Pure-V Sport
SEATPOST: All Terra alloy micro-adjust
SHIFTERS: Shimano SLM310, Rapid Fire
STEM: All Terra 1 1/8" threadless, 4-bolt with CNC face plate, 5-degree rise, 31.8mm clamp
TIRES: Maxxis Mobster, 26x2.35, 26x2.10
WHEELSET: Rims: Alex DC25, double-wall, 32-hole; Hubs: All Terra alloy disc with quick release

Analysis:
Giant is 3x7, Raleigh and GT are 3x8 +GT & Raleigh, -Giant
All three have the Suntour XCT fork, GT has lockout +GT
All three have Suntour XCT crankset tie
Talus has Acera rear derailleur, Giant has SRAM X.3, GT has Alivio. +GT
All three have Tektro brakes tie
Giant has Kenda SB8 tires, GT has Maxxis Mobster, Talus has bo-bo no-names. SB8s are the absolute best for dry hardpack, Mobsters look better for wet & mud, don't know anything about the tires on the Talus.

I'd sit on each of them, see which one feels better. If it came down to the Giant vs the Raleigh, and they fit the same, I'd probably go Raleigh on the 8-speed, or else compare how the bike shop treats you. Other components are comparable.

The GT seems to be a little bit better equipped, but if dealing with Performance Bikes is a deal-breaker, then I'd go Talus.

 

Analysis:
Giant is 3x7, Raleigh and GT are 3x8 +GT & Raleigh, -Giant
All three have the Suntour XCT fork, GT has lockout +GT
All three have Suntour XCT crankset tie
Talus has Acera rear derailleur, Giant has SRAM X.3, GT has Alivio. +GT
All three have Tektro brakes tie
Giant has Kenda SB8 tires, GT has Maxxis Mobster, Talus has bo-bo no-names. SB8s are the absolute best for dry hardpack, Mobsters look better for wet & mud, don't know anything about the tires on the Talus.

I'd sit on each of them, see which one feels better. If it came down to the Giant vs the Raleigh, and they fit the same, I'd probably go Raleigh on the 8-speed, or else compare how the bike shop treats you. Other components are comparable.

The GT seems to be a little bit better equipped, but if dealing with Performance Bikes is a deal-breaker, then I'd go Talus.

Awesome analysis! And to think to think I was going to lean towards Giant. I will be on them both today. I have read some bad reviews on the Raleigh and I can't really find anything bad on the Giant. HOPEFULLY I will come to a decision very soon. Can't thank you guys enough.

Again.. the more opinions the better before I join the MTBR family.:thumbsup:

 

Oh and another thing.. any big difference between a 7 speed and an 8 speed?

 

Just make sure it's a cassette, not a freewheel.



Ask the salesman to confirm for you that it's a cassette.

 

Hi,
Try a test ride. It makes a difference. I test rode canondale models and trek models and loved the Trek. Its a personal thing. What about clearance on 2011 models? I see 30% discount on some 2011 bikes in UK store. You might also need to pick up some accessories and might want to factor that in.

 

I am new to mountain biking and to this forum, but, I would echo what many others have said. Just a week ago I purchased my first real mountain bike. I didn't have a budget to stick to and knew little about them. I went to a LBS that my son has done business with for years and they were very informative, friendly and answered all of my questions to my satisfaction. No BS.

With that being said, what lead me to the bike I brought home was the feel. I tried out six or seven bikes of different manufactures. Made adjustments to them. In the end, the bike I have now just felt right and is a joy to ride.

Could I have gotten a better bike with nicer parts? Yes.
Could I have spent month on the Internet doing research? Yes.

I'm glad I got the bike I got. Will it be my last bike purchase? If this hobby is like all the others, the answer will be NO! But I am having a blast riding.

Hope this helps!

 

You know what's funny?

I get there and he tries to sell me the Raleigh. NOPE. But then I realized the shifter. I like the SRAM shifter where you only use your thhumbers. I always have my fingers placed on the break so I really like that grip. That pretty much did it for me. I am almost def. going with a Giant Revel 1. Waiting on pricing and then I decide! I know you guys are going to lose sleep over this haha jk Can't thank you enough for all of your help.

 

You know what's funny?

I get there and he tries to sell me the Raleigh. NOPE. But then I realized the shifter. I like the SRAM shifter where you only use your thhumbers. I always have my fingers placed on the break so I really like that grip. That pretty much did it for me. I am almost def. going with a Giant Revel 1. Waiting on pricing and then I decide! I know you guys are going to lose sleep over this haha jk Can't thank you enough for all of your help.

I'm not really understanding the beginning of your post. What was wrong with the Raleigh? What kind of shifters did it have?

 

The SRAM triggers are sweet for the left hand downshift and the righthand upshift, super quick.

 

That's what I was thinking. So that pretty much knocked off all of the bikes I was looking at BUT the Giant. I think I am going to go with it, just waiting on the quote!

 

When looking for a bike for my wife we looked everywhere, Giant, Trek, Spec..... When looking at Trek my wife said the 3700 disk 19" frame fit her the best over other manufactors. I agree the 3700 lacked in parts ( fork, shifter, crank, brakes). I tryed to get her on the 4300 but she kept the 3700 becuase she did not think she would like to ride singletrack and just keep to crushed stone. After finding out she love single track I upgrade the fork, crank, shifters, brakes and she loves the bike. I put all used on for about 300$ and some spare parts from my stock. get the 4300 or Giant and with being taller look at a 29r

 

I've got a 2011 3700 Disc and it's been a great bike. I bought it as an entry level bike and it has yet to let me down. I too read all the posts and saw everyone saying "save your money and buy XXX". Get what feels good to you and is in your budget. I ride my bike 2-3 times a week on the same trails as guys/girls on $3k bikes and do just fine. I've ate it quite a few times and the bike has yet to fail me. Biggest thing is getting out there and riding. Once you get better on the bike and decide it's something you'll stick with you can upgrade to something nicer. I just ordered a Fuel EX8