General Cycling Discussion - trek 7.2 fx...a good starter bike for longer trips?

Is Trek's 7.2 fx a bike that I will like when I take it on multiple day trips as long as 300-400 miles long (50-70 miles a day)? I realize there are better bikes out there but my budget is tight and I know that I wont spend much more money on a bike...at least until I KNOW that I will be doing many more miles a summer. So, what do you think about the bike for this purpose?

Thank you SO much for your help.

It will work. Get some bar ends for an extra hand position though.

I was in a similar situation. I think you would be better served with a trek 1.0 pilot or a Giant ocr3. I have seen ocr3's on clearance for $499 and ocr2's for $649

Don't get caught into the trap of thinking a road bike is less comfortable than a hybrid. I test rode both 10+ miles and it was clear to me which was better after the first 30 minutes or so. YMMV

The Trek 7.2 will work just fine. +1 on the bar ends for some additional hand positions.

I was in a similar situation. I think you would be better served with a trek 1.0 pilot or a Giant ocr3. I have seen ocr3's on clearance for $499 and ocr2's for $649

Don't get caught into the trap of thinking a road bike is less comfortable than a hybrid. I test rode both 10+ miles and it was clear to me which was better after the first 30 minutes or so. YMMV

In another thread the OP mentioned an ambition to do loaded touring. The hybrid would be better for that than the road bikes you mention.

In another thread the OP mentioned an ambition to do loaded touring. The hybrid would be better for that than the road bikes you mention.


Well yeah, but then a touring bike would be better than a hybrid as well...



Check out the touring forum if that is what you plan on doing. The crowd there put in some SERIOUS mileage.

I also think the Trek FX will work for long trips. You might want to spend a little extra to outfit it with a new saddle tho, like a Brooks B17 perhaps. I have a Trek FX, and although the saddle that came with it isn't bothering me as much as it did initially (maybe my ass tissue has toughened up), there is no way I would be able to sit on it for 50-70 miles per day for several days. It is possible though, that your anatomy might react more favorably to the stock saddle, and you'll do just fine with it.

The Trek FX will work well for long trips. But only you can tell if you will like it.

The bar ends are a must with riser bars. Here is a picture of how I set up my FX bar ends.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/edp773/Trek7.3.gif

^^ what model is that? 7.3fx?

I personally think the 7.3 is a better buy than the 7.2. I think these would do the trick for ya.

Is Trek's 7.2 fx a bike that I will like when I take it on multiple day trips as long as 300-400 miles long (50-70 miles a day)? I realize there are better bikes out there but my budget is tight and I know that I wont spend much more money on a bike...at least until I KNOW that I will be doing many more miles a summer. So, what do you think about the bike for this purpose?

Thank you SO much for your help.


The 7.2 isn't a bad touring bike but it's not a real good one either. Some of the problems:

1. Flat bars. You have limited hand positions and can end up with numb hands...been there done that. But that's an easy fix with bar ends.

2. Heavy, cheap components. The frame is probably light enough and you can replace stuff as needed. Ditch the chain guard when you get the bike home...that just looks goofy;)

3. Chainstays are a little short. 17.5" is longer than some touring bikes but shorter then the really good touring bikes (Cannondale T800, Surly LHT, Trek 520, Fuji Touring, Rocky Mountain Sherpa, Gordon BLT) but those bikes start around $900 and go up from there.

4. The wheels are 32 spoke. If the wheels were 26" they'd be fine but the 700C need to be 36 spoke or more to keep from breaking them on a regular basis.

5. I'd ditch the saddle and probably the seatpost. The marshmallow they ask you to sit on will make you numb inside of 5 miles:eek:

The bike does have good touring gearing and it does have rack mounts front and rear which is a plus. Overall, it could be used as a touring bike. Some things can be fixed while some can't but it's not a bad place to start. You could do worse. For the price, you probably can't do better, unless you find a used one but that comes with its own problems.