I have a Trek 7200, and my wife has a Trek 7100. Both of us do the majority of our riding on rail trails. We are both very pleased with our Trek hybrids.
I believe that the 7700 runs about $1,200. It does have top components, but that is a lot of money. I paid $349 for my 7200, so I would check other options before taking that big a financial plunge. Just a thought.