Trek 4300 '07 or Carrera Fury '07

Noodle10000

Hi,

Just after a bit of advice. I am taking up biking to get fit, currently riding my Dad's 10 year old Raleigh. I ride mainly on the road, but do a little bit across parkland and through woodland (over tree roots, small rocks etc).

I was set on buying a Carrera Fury '07 for £425 (I get 15% off bikes at Halfords thanks to a deal at work).

But then I saw the Trek 4300 at Evans for £270. And to be honest, I just like the look of it. And the Trek name on the downtube... The component spec is nowhere near that of the Fury, but would probably be fine for the type of riding I will be doing.

So - any advice on which one to go for?

supersonic

Ask for a little test ride on each bike. The Fury blows the Trek away on spec, but for your riding, that may just be fine. Main differences are the fork and brakes - both hydraulic on the fury which makes a big difference off road.

Noodle10000

One other question relating to this - the Trek comes in two flavours, one with rim brakes, one with mechanical disks.

My understanding is that mechanical disks don't offer a huge improvement over the normal rim brakes. But if I was to eventually upgrade to hydraulic am I better off going for the disc model in the first place (which is £30 more)?

supersonic

Yes. As the wheels are disc ready, this is one less thing to worry about, though you might need new shifters. mechanical discs come down to precise set up and maintenance, but offer advantages in the wet over a V.

Noodle10000

Thanks for the help - in the end I bought a Trek 4300 '07 from my LBS for £250 (rim brakes). Had enough cash left to get all the other bits I'd need - spare tube, small toolkit, lights, pump etc etc!

Ridden it a few times since then Seems like a great bike to get started on.

Frumper

My first post, resurrecting an old thread.

I have decided to buy a Trek 4300, usage will also be road, parkland and through woodland (over tree roots, small rocks etc).

I am now torn between rim brakes or Disc brakes. General opinion seems to be, at this price range, avoid cable disc brakes although I'm not entirely clear why they should be avoided.

At this price range are they just not of high enough quality to do the job? Do they break easily? Or is it the opposite, at this level of biking they require more care and maintenance that an amateur biker is generally prepared to put up with?


The brakes on the Trek, the Shimano M415's, have a positive comment in the bike review below, so are they an exception to the 'avoid' rule in terms of quality?

http://www.bikeradar.com/commuting/gear ... t-08-28151

Any opinions would be appreciated.

supersonic

Set up is key - and they generally offer more predictable wet weather performance. However a V brake in the dry can be exceptional - and to start with I'd pick a better fork over the better brakes ie the Trek 4500.

BlackSpur

IMO Vs are lighter, easier to adjust, cheaper to maintain and can offer better performace in the dry.