Which road bike: Trek 1.1 or Specialized Secteur Compact?

[Vegarchy]

I have done a lot of research on which road bike I would like and I have narrowed my choices down to two choices: the trek 1.1 and the Specialized Secteur Compact. I am having trouble deciding which bike to get between the two.

The Specialized bike is about $100 more expensive but both bikes have a reasonable price tag and I am going to pick the one that I like best regardless. I think the Specialized is more of an endurance bike and is a little more upright and has a slightly longer head tube. The Trek, on the other hand, seems to be a little more aggressive. Both have aluminum frames with limited lifetime warranty. The Specialized has a carbon fork with an alloy steerer. Most of the other components on both bikes are alloy or aluminum.

I am using this bike for commuting, fitness, and fun. I am a beginner and probably will not get into serious racing and competitions. For me, a long ride is 30 miles so i do not necessarily need an endurance bike. However, I do value comfort and I believe an endurance bike will be more comfortable. On the other hand, I enjoy and value speed. I'm not quite sure which bike is faster but I would guess the Trek is while the Specialized may be more comfortable. Since I am not racing, I'm leaning on the Specialized and hoping that the speed isn't really that much slower. Though I have test rided both, I havn't done it one after the other so it's hard to determine (doing tomorrow). Also, I am a fan of durability and function. I prefer the alloy components because they are very strong (taking advice from the durianrider) but this is pretty standard for my price range anyway. I am a little concerned about the carbon fork on the specialized but I think the alloy steerer might accommodate for that.

I wanted to get peoples opinions on which bike they think is better based on their descriptions and experience. The Trek has a lot of good reviews but many people complain about the uncomfortable seat, though i suppose I could just buy a better one if i need to and it would still be cheaper than the specialized. The Specialized doesn't really have many reviews so its tough to find any opinions on it. Please share any positive or negative experience you have had with the bikes, if any. Also, If you have any suggestions for a different entry level road bike please list them. I would prefer a lifetime warranty frame if possible.

Here are links to the bikes:
Specialized: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bik...rcompact#specs
Trek: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...1_h2_compact/#

Thank You!!!

 

[Afrank]

How fast the bikes are would really depend on how fast the rider is, there probably wouldn't be a whole lot of difference between these two in terms of speed.
My first bike (now my commuter) was the Trek 1.2, the next one up from the 1.1 and it was a very good bike. I used it for racing and for a couple longer distance rides and it performed great in each. It was quick, accelerated well, and was comfortable enought without sacrificing speed for comfort.
I would also look at the components of each bike, my one complaint about the 1.2 is it did not have very good components and the shifter up by the thumb did get slightly annoying at times (don't know if the 1.1 has the same sora). The Trek is also pretty durable, I haven't had a whole lot of problems, except for the normal wear and tear.

 

[Kiara is a rational girl]

The prettiest one or the cheapest one, depending on where your priorities lie. If there's any tangible performance difference, the only way you'll find out is if you buy both. Since that's probably out, the best thing you can do is get the right size.

Other stuff: there's nothing at all wrong with carbon fiber, nor is it reasonable to 'prefer the alloy components because they are very strong' without qualification. It's all good, dude.

 

[Parera]

Buy a bike from the shop you like more.

 

[Notso Swift]

Either bike as long as it fits you and is comfortable, here is a clue, if it isn't comfortable after 10 min, it is wrong.
If the budget is tighter it may be the cheaper one plus spend extra on a few extra's like a better saddle, longer/lower stm (if that is what you need)
And as above, buy from the shop you like and who will continue to service you.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Buy a bike from the shop you like more.

What he said. No such thing as a bad bike, just bad bike shops.

 

[rgmerk]

Likely nothing wrong with either

I can't comment on the Trek but I just spent a week riding the Secteur and was pretty impressed.

It doesn't feel anything like as sharp as my race bike (Giant TCR Advanced) but had vice-free ride and handling, including on some very fast alpine descents.

As for speed, it's the engine, not the rest of the bike.

I'd be perfectly happy with it as a bike for general riding, even over long distances. As others have mentioned, find a good dealer who will fit the bike properly.

As for carbon forks, they're a pretty mature technology these days. Just make sure that if you have a crash you get the LBS to check that your bike is OK.

Saddles are a very particular thing, and the odds of a particular bike coming with a saddle that you like are not that high. If you possibly can, just factor the cost of a saddle into your budget.

 

[durianrider]

Both have a lifetime warranty so both are contenders.

For me it would be more of a factor if you can find a properly fitting bike shop and then mark out your measurements post fit with a liquid paper pen.

 

[Benotti69]

Both have a lifetime warranty so both are contenders.

For me it would be more of a factor if you can find a properly fitting bike shop and then mark out your measurements post fit with a liquid paper pen.

the liquid paper pen is the clincher.

 

[Vegarchy]

Thank you all for helping me decide. I have chosen the Trek 1.1 because the bike store seemed a little better since they offer a free lifetime service for bike tune-ups and free fitting with a bike purchase and were really helpful on helping me pick a frame size. The Trek was also cheaper and I was more comfortable buying it since it had so many good reviews whereas the Specialized had hardly any reviews good or bad.

Unfortunately, I can't get the bike until the 2013 version comes out since Trek is out of stock of the 1.1 in my size (I test road a higher version of the 1.1). So I'm going to have to wait a bit and then I will get to test the bike and buy if I like.

(btw, sorry for the double post in the General Road biking section)

 

[Notso Swift]

Unfortunately, I can't get the bike until the 2013 version comes out since Trek is out of stock of the 1.1 in my size (I test road a higher version of the 1.1). So I'm going to have to wait a bit and then I will get to test the bike and buy if I like.

Ah, if you are waiting you may be able to pick up the 2012 in the higher spec on run out, for about the same price if nothing else you can suggest it to the shop when they are rady to churn their demo...