Touring - Converting a Trek 7.2 FX for touring...shopping list.

Hi everyone,

Been planning on converting my Trek 7.2 FX for touring, and figured I would be making the purchases sometime in the next month. The bike is stock except for Shimano SPD pedals and a computer have been added. I want to use the bike for fairly long haul solo touring, as I am taking it with me to Africa when I leave for the Peace Corps in November. I want to buy everything I need in one swoop since my LBS has 0% financing for purchases over $500.

Here is my list so far:

Front/Rear Racks
Front/Rear Panniers (The LBS is recommending JANDD mountaineering Panniers, anyone use these?)
Front/Rear Fenders
Bar Ends
Handlebar Bag
Headlight/Rear Flasher

Anything else obvious that I am missing? Would like to have everything purchased and worked out by the end of summer.

Thanks for the help.

I actually spent most of the past 6 months trying to convert a 7.3 FX for touring. I eventually gave up and ordered a 2009 LHT, but the FX is still a great touring bike with some modifications:

#1. Planet Bike Full Hybrid fenders work awesome and only run about 35 bucks, I highly recommend them.

#2. The wheels on the lower end FX models are crap. I would strongly look into different ones.

#3. You're going to want to a mount a pump on it. Look into the Topeak Morph if your LBS sells it.

Other than those things, the one concern I'd have is the componentry. The 7.3 FX was about as low as I was willing to go, the 7.2 has some really low-end stuff on it unfortunately. Of course some people here will tell you that you need Deore XT/Ultegra stuff at the minimum, and that's nonsense, but both the FD and RD, and the rims on this bike all scared me off when I checked one out.

I am not beyond buying a better set of wheel, any recommendation for something reasonbly priced yet durable?

Also if you can recomend a FD and RD I wouldn't mind looking into them too. Worse comes to worse I can always move them to another frame later.

I am not beyond buying a better set of wheel, any recommendation for something reasonbly priced yet durable?

Also if you can recomend a FD and RD I wouldn't mind looking into them too. Worse comes to worse I can always move them to another frame later.

If you want a good wheel sets at a reasonable price you could do Mavic A319 rims with DT Swiss Comp Spokes and brass nipples (go 36 hole) laced to Shimano XT hubs. Cheaper if you go all silver. Price for a hand build wheel from Universal Cycles online is only $240.15 That would be a very nice hand built wheel set for a value build. You could step it up to Mavic A719's and the build is around $290. This is all assuming your FX 7.2 has 135 rear spacing (which I believe it does) Universal Cycles is great to deal with and if you do the build thru them you will notice that the build price is basically removed if you buy all the wheel parts from them. You won't see the typical $30-40 per wheel labor cost. Just a suggestion... Use the wheel builder program on their site. Tab on center of the page from homepage.
http://www.universalcycles.com/wheelkit.php

I'm not really sure it makes sense to put 250 dollar wheels on a 350 dollar bike.

Try the Alex Adventurer rims. http://www.ride-this.com/index.php/alex-adventurer-29700c-rim-36h-black.html

They're 36 hole and thoroughly mediocre rims. Not great, but they're stock on the LHT and they're fine for most touring uses. A lot of people say hand-made or nothing but again, it's not really necessary when you're on a tight budget.

I'm not really sure it makes sense to put 250 dollar wheels on a 350 dollar bike.

Try the Alex Adventurer rims. http://www.ride-this.com/index.php/alex-adventurer-29700c-rim-36h-black.html

They're 36 hole and thoroughly mediocre rims. Not great, but they're stock on the LHT and they're fine for most touring uses. A lot of people say hand-made or nothing but again, it's not really necessary when you're on a tight budget.

Sorry, don't know too much about the 7.2. I thought $250 ish was a good deal. Thought the bike was $800 plus!

Sorry, don't know too much about the 7.2. I thought $250 ish was a good deal. Thought the bike was $800 plus!

Hmm, well the ones at my LBS are 250. The MSRP is actually 480! I assume that means most places sell 'em for like 450 or so, I guess.

So I guess 250 for a wheelset isn't all that bad, the rim I pointed out is 30 bucks but you'd need spokes and I'm not sure if the hub would work with those rims (assuming it would, but who knows)

If you can re-use the hubs on the 7.2, I'd still go with the rims I suggested, but it's all up to you mtclifford. The wheels really can make or break a touring experience. As for front and rear deraillers, look at a Deore RD and a Sora front one. That's about as low as I wanted to go in terms of componentry.

Even if you do nothing else, GET RID of that C102 FD. That's what I had on my 7.3FX, and it was infuriating. It simply won't stay adjusted. We tried replacing it several times so it wasn't just a dud.

That is a wonderful bike, but not for Africa. Getting bike parts in Africa will be difficult or impossible. Finding a good bike tech in Africa who is experienced in repairing a 24 speed bike will be difficult.

The ideal bike for Africa would be a beach cruiser with "easy" gearing. The "cheap" Trek beach cruiser with a steel fork and steel frame is ideal. Install thorn proof tubes in the tires, attach a beefy rear rack and you are ready to go.

The Kona bike company sells an "Africa" model. The Kona AfricaBike was designed for the realities of Africa. For every two AfricaBike models sold in the USA, the company donates one Afrika bike to AID's health workers in Africa. The three speed version sells for $450 and comes with a three speed hub, fenders, rack and front basket and built in lock. It is a great bike for "around town" here in the USA.

That is a wonderful bike, but not for Africa. Getting bike parts in Africa will be difficult or impossible. Finding a good bike tech in Africa who is experienced in repairing a 24 speed bike will be difficult.

The ideal bike for Africa would be a beach cruiser with "easy" gearing. The "cheap" Trek beach cruiser with a steel fork and steel frame is ideal. Install thorn proof tubes in the tires, attach a beefy rear rack and you are ready to go.

The Kona bike company sells an "Africa" model. The Kona AfricaBike was designed for the realities of Africa. For every two AfricaBike models sold in the USA, the company donates one Afrika bike to AID's health workers in Africa. The three speed version sells for $450 and comes with a three speed hub, fenders, rack and front basket and built in lock. It is a great bike for "around town" here in the USA.

It's a great bike for around town, and it's got a very noble cause behind it. However I wouldn't take that thing on a 50 mile "tour", never mind for "long haul solo touring" as the original intent is stated to be.

It's a great bike for around town, and it's got a very noble cause behind it. However I wouldn't take that thing on a 50 mile "tour", never mind for "long haul solo touring" as the original intent is stated to be.

I will have access to some parts and can repair a lot of items by myself. I would not want to do anything long distance on that kind of bike. I got to ride with spinnaker over the weekend and saw what he did with his 7.2 and it gave me a lot of good ideas!

My wife has been touring with the 7.2 wsd for several years without any problems. We had to get mudguards, replace the saddle and gears.
More pictures and details on our page.
http://www.geocities.com/bike_journeys/hers2.jpg

You know what is funny is I always think the WSD bikes look so much nicer than the standard designs, you think if trek could make bikes that look as nice as they do they would make them for all their bikes :)