Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Looking for a fork upgrade for the 7.2

Any ideas? I was going to just sell the bike and get a road bike but it's not financially very likely as of right now. So I've decided to keep it and turn it into a better version of the bike I do love so dearly. The one thing I'd REALLY like to upgrade is the stock fork. It's a heavy chromo fork and I'd love to go carbon. At 207lbs I assume I'm safe to do so. I don't know what style of fork to go to however, whether or not I need a road fork or cx fork or the like, so any advice would be fantastic. If I go away from the eyelets is the change as simple as just replacing the brakes with something more road oriented? Are my noobsticles showing?


ps. I lean heavily towards the road side and the bike sees nothing but asphault and sidewalks, just incase width or clearance is an issue. I've got 28's on it currently and would even like to step down to a 25 or 23 with a wheel change in the future.

On second thought this may not have been the right forum to ask. I didn't know if mechanics pertains to upgrades, and the roadies are just gonna poke fun at my hybrid. If a mod wants to move it to a more appropriate location, please do.

On second thought this may not have been the right forum to ask. I didn't know if mechanics pertains to upgrades, and the roadies are just gonna poke fun at my hybrid. If a mod wants to move it to a more appropriate location, please do.

Oh contraire my friend, we are certainly an appropriate group to ask questions pertaining to upgrades to :thumb:

While I'm no mechanic I consider my general knowledge to be suitable to answering a few questions you have regarding your upgrade to the 7.2.

First, you mention you want to upgrade your fork...why? Upgrading your fork is going to be expensive and not really bolster any improvement to your speed. It might help a smidge with your comfort as the carbon will help soak up some road chatter but probably not much more than your cro-mo fork already does. In addition you will lose the utility of the eyelets. Going to a carbon road fork will more than likely force you to buy a new set of road bike brakes because the new fork is unlikely to have the bosses for mounting V-brakes or canti's. You probably will have trouble getting a road bike caliper brake around a 700 x 32 tire which I will address below:

Being that you are attempting to "roadify" your FX I am going to guess you are trying to squeak some speed out of her. For starters (if you havn't done so already) didtch the 700 x 32 tires that came stock for a set of 700 x 23 or 25's in a slick pattern that run in the neighborhood of 120psi. Personally I like the Vittoria Zaffio's, they wear great and have pretty good puncture resitence. This will probably make the single largest improvement to a stock 7.2FX. Also ask your shop if they have any road bike wheel stock wheel sets that people upgraded from before the bike left the shop. You might be able to score a set super cheap if your shop will allow this.

Next, get yourself a set of clipless pedals and shoes. This will allow you to also "pull up" on the pedals which will help your climbing and your spinning as you can focus more on making circles instead of thrusting.

To improve your hand comfort try out a set of treking bars. You could install traditional drop bars and it has been done around here, but unless you got a bunch of spare parts laying about it is going to get expensive in a hurry. Your biggest cost will be a set of brifters and brakes as road levers really do a cruddy job actuating V brakes because they don't pull enough cable. Yes, a tentioner pulley can be used but they are a pain in the rear. Ask me how I know this! Course you could go with drop bars, a regular set of brake hoods, tentioner pulley, and bar end shifters. You could probably do that for give or take 100 dollars. A set of treking bars in comparison could be done for 30 give or take when Nashbar has them on sale for 15 bucks, other 15 is for bar tape.

Or you could just leave your bike as is and continue to save up.


Bau

Well I'm already running some bontrager racelite hardcase in 700x28 and it definitely made a difference. I also have a set of 105 clipless on it with affiliated footwear. The biggest weight loss has to happen with me and that's what I'm working on more than anything. Luckily that's also the most cost effective method. I am certainly trying to speedify, but it sounds like more work than it should be. The rims measure at 19mm wide and from what I've read I shouldn't go any lower than a 28c on them. I'd love to have a set of lighter narrower wheels and tires but everything I can see says wheels are unbelievably expensive, unless I'm just looking in all the wrong places.

I'm an upgrader and everything I own from guns to cars gets tinkered with. I can't help it. I've got a disease.

ps. Trekking bars? A quick search has me looking at tt/bullhorn type bars. Is that what you were talking about?

ps. Trekking bars? A quick search has me looking at tt/bullhorn type bars. Is that what you were talking about?

Nope...bullhorn bars are different. Harris Cyclery has trekking bars (http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/handlebars/index.html). I'd pretty much agree with Bau, too. In fact, I bought a Trek 7300 and rose it most of last summer. I considered similar upgrades (especially getting rid of the forks), but eventually ended up just saving until I could afford a bike that I really wanted.

Go with the wheel change over a fork swap. The cost is about the same, but the instillation is easy enough to do on your own if you can change a flat. A shop may need to swap the cassette or freewheel over for you.

Ohhh ok. Those are pretty interesting looking. Well I will continue to save until I can afford a decent road bike, but I do intend to keep the trek and would like to do a few small things here and there to it to make it a little more road friendly. I'm certainly not looking to try and build a road bike though, as I know it would be a waste of time on this frame.

Go with the wheel change over a fork swap. The cost is about the same, but the instillation is easy enough to do on your own if you can change a flat. A shop may need to swap the cassette or freewheel over for you.


What would your wheel recommendation be? I'd like something I could run a 23 on. The bike has a shimano 8spd setup with sram cassette. I believe standard shimano 9/10spd rear hubs will work with this, yes?

I had this fork on my 2005 Trek 7200FX:

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_175019_-1_200299_200276_200456

I had a posting in these Bike Forums some time ago of all the stuff I changed on the 7200FX. Shaved 5 pounds. I had mounted the 28mm tyres on some road wheels, an extra set of Trek 1000 road wheels. Believe I saved the most weight with wheel and tyre change. I wanted a lighter trail bike. Discovered a few years ago you need at least two bikes. Road bike and a trail bike. The 28mm proved to be too narrow for limestone trails. Anyway the 7200FX is hanging in garage, fork moved to the Nashbar Cyclocross frame. Currently using 7200FX wheels with 32mm tyres till I get some disc only wheels.

I managed to grab a nice wheel set from ebay for about $120 with freight. Black Mavic CPX22 rims, 32 spokes, shamano 105 hubs. I'm 245 lbs. Over 4400 miles on wheels, still straight and true.

What would your wheel recommendation be? I'd like something I could run a 23 on. The bike has a shimano 8spd setup with sram cassette. I believe standard shimano 9/10spd rear hubs will work with this, yes?

Yes it will. 9 speed cassettes were engineered to work on the wider 8-speed freehubs.

Ahh ok. So if I decided to go to a 9spd cassette with a little closer ratios I could? Florida doesn't really give me any reason to need the 32. In fact I never drop below gear 4 (16t if I read it right) regardless of wind or the occasional overpass. Middle up front and 4 in the back is pretty low.

Believe 9 sp cassette will require a 9/10 speed chain, and of course a new 9 sp shifter. Add in the wheels and fork. Did U replace the suspension seat post yet? Or at least tighten it to lock it. Save some weight with a regular stem in place of the adjustable. Seems to me your replacements are going to run as much as a used road bike. I sold my 2004 Trek 1000 road bike for $320. Just saying.

The 7.2 doesn't have a suspension post or adj stem. I know I'd need a 9sp chain, I was just asking more for hub compatibility.

Just buy this and you're all set. Just jesting of coarse, but for my money I would stop tinkering save the money you are going to spend on making a hybrid fast and buy a roadbike. It will be cheaper in the long run believe me I was there. By the way the bike is a Trek 6 series Madone with internal gears and belt driven. Cost????????
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__zKwqNweQ6A/SfcZdPY2KzI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/Sw5tyfqgmss/s1600-h/09seaotter_trekSS1.jpg

The madone's are gorgeous and I think the new 4's are a little cheaper. I don't remeber the 4 series madones being 2000 flat. The majority says save for a road bike, I'll save for a road bike. I just want something in time for 2010's tour de cure. By then I plan to make the century ride in orlando. Believe it or not, I'm not looking to do it on a 26lb hybrid with flat bars. BUT the 7.2 is a lot of fun and I use it a lot for short local trips or errands, so I imagine it will still eventually get a little love.

The madone's are gorgeous and I think the new 4's are a little cheaper. I don't remeber the 4 series madones being 2000 flat. The majority says save for a road bike, I'll save for a road bike. I just want something in time for 2010's tour de cure. By then I plan to make the century ride in orlando. Believe it or not, I'm not looking to do it on a 26lb hybrid with flat bars. BUT the 7.2 is a lot of fun and I use it a lot for short local trips or errands, so I imagine it will still eventually get a little love.

I was in the same boat as you. I got a 7.2 FX as my first "real bike" and loved it, still do, but wanted something faster. I ended up going with a canondale carbon which is probably more than I needed. If you want to stick with trek a 1.2 would be a great bike to save up for. Currently my 7.2 is being turned into a bike for touring, the amusing thing is the rack and pannier set cost more than the bike.

I was actually looking at jumping on the caad9 bandwagon. Cannondale's frames are absolutely gorgeous and for a full 105 set on frame that nice, the 1299 they want for a caad9 5 is hard to complain about.

ps. I entered the 2010 tour de cure in orlando. Is it some sort of solicitation or against forum rules if I post a link to my support me page?