Trek 7200 vs. Trek 3700

11-19-2004, 11:07 AM

We're looking to buy a bike for our almost 10-year-old, tall-for-her-age
daughter for Christmas or her birthday. Based on what's in stock at our local
bike store, we've narrowed it down to one of two bikes: the Trek 7200 (a
hybrid) and the Trek 3700 (a mountain bike).

She'll be using the bike almost entirely just to ride around the neighborhood,
maybe to school and back, and will do very little if any off-road riding. I'm
favoring the 7200 for that reason. My husband has a slight preference for the
3700, but I think it's mostly because mountain bikes are more common and that
is probably what the other kids she knows would have.

I've already read through the Google archive on the tradeoffs between hybrids
and mountain bikes. Does any have any information on these particular two bikes
so that I could better compare them, specifically?

Also, one other question. One guy at the cycle shop asked my husband how long
my daughter would be riding at a time. (My husband answered 1/2 hr to 1 hr.)
The guy said that if she'd be riding it for an hour or more, we should get a
mountain bike because it would be uncomfortable to ride that long on a hybrid
because of the hybrid's more-upright seat position. Any opinions on the
accuracy of his statement?

Thanks!

beeswing