Hybrid Bicycles - Century on a Trek FX 7.3

Hello all, im new to this forum but i have a Trek FX 7.3 that i commute too and from work and with a saturday morning ride I average about 140miles a week.

My bike is bone stock with no upgrades at the moment.

I want to use my Hybrid in a 109 mile ride here in tucson in late Nov. I plan on getting some clipless pedles ASAP but my question is what type of handlebar extentions or grips should i consider getting? I'm pretty sure i will be one of the few out there on a Hybrid but i think its doable.

thanks for any suggestions...

Welcome!

You may want to check out the thread starter earlier this week about centuries on a hybrid...a number of folks posted with their experiences. A century on a hybrid is definitely doable.

I used a Trek 7.3FX for a century just this past weekend. I think you'll definitely want to use a grip that has bar-ends, so you can vary your hand position over the course of the ride. I use Ergon GR-2's on mine, and find them to be very comfortable (and they come in large or small, so you can tailor them a bit to your hand size). I often loop my hands over the base of the bar end in a manner similar to using the brake hoods on a traditional road bike, but they're also handy when you want to get out of the seat on a steep climb.

Good luck on your ride!

Hello all, im new to this forum but i have a Trek FX 7.3 ......
My bike is bone stock with no upgrades at the moment.
I want to use my Hybrid in a 109 mile ride here in tucson in late Nov. I plan on getting some clipless pedals ASAP but my question is what type of handlebar extentions or grips should i consider getting? I'm pretty sure i will be one of the few out there on a Hybrid but i think its doable.
Thanks for any suggestions...

Me too!! and I hope to do a metric century this fall yet, and a 'real' century next year.

As per the advice of my LBS, I'm making changes to my bike where I touch it - grips, saddle, pedals.

Ergon GC2-L grips replacing stock ones that I had to twist back to the right postion every 10 miles (and more often on warm days).
A hand-me-down saddle with a slot in the middle (the price was right). Biking shorts that cost about $1 for each mile you want to ride. $30 shorts won't feel good at the end of a century. :(
One-sided clipless SPD pedals so I can still ride to the hardware store in tennies. MTB shoes with cleats for the 'real' rides. I've only fallen over once on each ride, so far. :rolleyes:

Longer rides have gotten more comfortable and easier with the changes and more training time on the bike.

HTH!

You can't beat the Ergon GC-2 grips. I use them and wouldn't consider anything else.

Thanks guys...appreciate the feedback, ill look into getting some Ergon GC-2 bar-ends...

Thanks guys...appreciate the feedback, ill look into getting some Ergon GC-2 bar-ends...


FWIW...the GC-2 has a shorter bar end than the GR-2, if that matters to you. I found the bar end on the GC-2 to be too small for my hand. Really just a personal preference issue, but something to be aware of when you're shopping for your grips.

..... I often loop my hands over the base of the bar end in a manner similar to using the brake hoods on a traditional road bike, but they're also handy when you want to get out of the seat on a steep climb....
That's what I do, as well as grip the extension. I also have a technique of "rolling" my hands to the rhythm of my peddling, shifting from the outside edge to the heel of the thumb, bit like a massage.

If I can do a century on an old steel Trek 750, at 53 without training for it, you should have no problem on a FX 7.3, especially with the amount of riding you do.

FWIW...the GC-2 has a shorter bar end than the GR-2, if that matters to you. I found the bar end on the GC-2 to be too small for my hand. Really just a personal preference issue, but something to be aware of when you're shopping for your grips.

I noticed that too while looking...thanks for the info...

i need some change, my hands keep falling asleep at around 15 miles..ha

would something like this work on a Trek 7.3

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160361134278&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

I have had good luck with Ergon GC-3's LARGE size.
See thread

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=581377

thank you, ill check it out