Hybrid Bicycles - 7.5 isn't hybrid enough for me. trying to upgrade.

Hi! first post here, so please, please, try to use words I'm supposed to know, and as little abbreviations as possible. Thanks!

After losing 3 bicycles (thives... I live in Tel-Aviv, Israel, and there's a saying that goes : "here, you don't actually buy a bike, you rent one, 'cause you never know when it'll be gone" ), I started to consider my fourth, and took some real thinking time. I don't need a mountain bike, cause I don't ride mountains... I drive on the pavement, on the road, more or less "in town".

read about hybrids, dug it, bought the 7.5fx (all original pieces besides seat, the only thing that stays with me everytime I lose a bike), they're great, really, so light I carry them home (third floor, no elevator) everytime, fast, beautiful...

still, everytime I hit rough road... potholes, mud, rain, even sidewalks with high edges... I dismount and walk the bike across. I feel like it's too fragile. the wheel, the tire... even the frame.

I started thinking about changing something... and remembered that the frame is the Alpha Black, same on my late trek 4500.

here's my questions... what can I do to make them more... durable? besides chaning the tire to something with a higher profile for rough roads? can I install front suspension fork on it? will the wheel take it without breaking? will it look stupid to ride with a white hybrid bike with a suspension fork?( I don't mind the weight... it'll still be lighter than any MTB I had). I know they have it on the 7300 model, but somehow that model still looks more ... mountain bikey than mine.
If I install front suspension and change the wheels... (to thin town tires, something like 2.0 ) , well than.. I'll eventually just have a mountain bike, right?

any suggestions?

I am a "clyde" rider and face similar issues with heavier equipment.

I would recommend getting as large a tire as possible that will fit, i.e. schwalbe marathon or big apple and running lower pressure. The only gripes I have with Trek hybrids are some of the tires they put on are thin and very slick in the rain.

Also find a bike shop that does wheel building, owns a spoke tension meter and will raise and equalize the tension of the spokes. If you start breaking spokes, look to replace the wheel with a quality touring or 29'er wheel that has 32 or 36 spokes. You are more likely to have issues with the rear wheel than the front.

I weigh 255 lbs/115kg and would have no issues with using the frame or fork as is. Trek has no listed weight limit on their frames.

If you are 180lbs or less, I would just put a larger tire on the rear and ride the heck out of it.

thanks for the reply.
I weigh rougly 80Kg, and for some reason I feel I'm a little heavy on the bike. it's a 20" frame, and even when the tires are fully infalted, I get the feeling I'm heavy on them.

are you recommending large tires along with a front suspension fork? or just the large tires? though I live in Tel-Aviv, and is litteraly surrounded by bike shops (I work in an industrial area, close to "bike town"...) , I'm not sure any of them have such advanced services. I'll check. I thought about replacing the wheel too, but finding a stronger wheel with the same weight... aren't we talking about composite metals that cost me more than the bike itself?

Thanks!

Leorio:I'm the original "Customized 7.5 FX Freak" on this forum - which I also was a voice in it's formation. And I appreciate your situation. I began a customization project withing a month of riding my 7.5 home in June of 2008. And my first target was the wheels. I was NOT impressed with the "toy-wheels" supplied. This, I found, was an industry-wide problem - good & strong frame. Wheels that belong under a mouse in a circus. So I built new wheels. Mavic A719's with Shimano Ultegra hubs and 32 3X DT DB spokes. Bomb-proof. I opted for Rivendell Ruffy Tuffy 700 X 27C tires. Nimble & fast on pavement and dirt/gravel. Perfect. I then went to town and rebuilt the entire bike. Ultegra triple crankset. Thomson stem. Kept the handlebars & headset - they work nice! Everything - yes EVERYTHING else is custom by my wish.

These bikes lend themselves beautifully to such a venture. Let's see what YOU can come up with! I am a pro bike-mechanic, which helps, so it was easier for me - but still a challenge as hybridizing a hybrid is a new field. So I can't wait to see what you cook up!

My creature:


http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp323/nagognog/IMG_0485.jpg

Ok, first... thanks for joining the discussion.
Second, since I'm not a pro bike mechanic, the first thing I liked about your bike is the color! nice nice color. I hate my white flashy bikes that scream "steaaaaaaaaaallllllll meeeeeeeee", but that's all they had when I needed one.

Ok, most of what you said, technically sounded like gibrish to me. but I figure I can google the parts and figure out which goes where. Than I got to the end of the post and realized you don't want me to copycat your creation, but instead try to make something of my own.

Well, if you handle rough riding with your bike, I figure I don't need suspension for mine.

So... as far as I know , I need 3 items: wheels, tires, some kind of piece to extend/lift up my stem.

from re-reading your post I figured you actually built the wheel itself using piece by piece construction. since I'm not a pro mechanic (nor am I a novice mechanic) (actually, not a bike mechanic at all, took me a couple of tries to seperate the handlbar from the stem to realize I can't just "pull it" higher), I need a quick fix. one item that has decent proformance. like I said earlier, I'm trying to find pieces that cost LESS than the actual bike, and you have to remember I'm in Israel, so... parts are hard to find, and when I do find them, probably a lot more expensive than you think. Also, we have poor selection. if you have your bike shop (or bike Ebay section) and you have 500 brands to choose from, I'm guessing I have something in the area of ... 10 brands. So with all these considerations, can you recommend...

1. Wheels ( consumer item, as one piece, with the spokes, with the hubs, probably from one company altogether, but something that'll do better than the original one's ) (by the way, anyone want to buy the original ones? not here, huh? )
2. How do I extend my stem? I need the handlebar to just a tad higher....
3. Tires. Tires I think I can find. I saw some bontrager, continental, maxxis, I'm sure I can find something not as sleek as the ones that are on the 7.5fx, just a little tougher for sidewalks and rough road, and also fast enough.

That's it. sounds simple, huh? and I was about to take an old front suspension fork (80mm , red) and somehow connect it to my current rig.

Hello,
From what I read, it sounds like your concern on the bike is base on "feeling". I didn't see any accounts of the 7.5fx breaking a spoke, wheel or made you crash. I don't know if changing for change sakes is worth it as you have noted earlier that your ride on paved roads only. If comfort is what you are looking for, just get some fatter tires.
Also you might want to learn how to "lighten" yourself when you come across potholes or ruts.

Ready-made wheels, some of very high quality, are available. The question is: Will they ship overseas to Israel? One outfit that turns out good and reasonably priced wheelsets ready-to-ride are the people here:

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/home/

I'd send them a question about shipping. Then I'd start asking myself/others questions about what a good choice for wheels would be for your style and location of riding. Now as for the stem-issue: Figure out how much a rise you need to be comfortable. 1 inch? 3 inches? Etc. This is usually accomplished by getting a stem with a sharper angle - they can be flipped upside-down, you know? - and some photos of the front of your bike would help this cause greatly. The Bontrager Select stem that came with my former <koff> 7.5 FX has a gentle rise. I replaced it with a sharper rise - thereby raising the handlebars a notch. Stems can be quite affordable, or they can drain your bank account into poverty! The choice is yours - go shopping around on the internet to get an idea of what all is available.

Tires come in many flavors. You're bike came with Bontrager 700 X 32C tires that are quite strong actually. So you need to figure out what amount of width would suit you: 35C? 40C? Etc.

I'll pop in later and see how it's going.

<poit!>

You might want to take your bike to your LBS to see if they have any ideas to fit the bike better to your riding style.

You also might want to check with Alfred E Bike on a wheelset. I recently got a set of hand spun Velocity Dyad 36h with LX hubs laced with DT 2.0 spokes for just over $200 shipped for the build I am doing on a Trek 750.

Shalom Leorio...if you live in a high theft area I would caution against over-investing in wheels. They will not stay with you for long. I have a 7.5 too and I suspect your perception of fragility is driven by the responsiveness of the bike -- it is light and rigid, and you feel everything. That doesn't make it fragile. I don't know what year your 7.5 is but if it is one with the "paired spoke" wheels then I think you feel it even more. I'd suggest you ride the sucker for a while and get used to it a bit. Going to some wider tires -- those rims should take up to 38's I'd guess -- might help, as would riding with the tires at a lower pressure (you made a reference to tires fully inflated above, that will give you a harsher ride). Cheers, Matt.

Wow, ok...

I've read everything and thought about it hard.
I'll start by actually riding some more. hey, it's been two months, and not even a flat tire... maybe I'm just over sensitive.

Then I'll probably switch to fatter tires, and in case I start braking spokes... than I'll reconsider getting different wheels.

hopefully, I'll get to ride these enough before they do get stolen somehow (last ones lasted two months.).

Thanks all!

You can swap tires easily. You can put a fatter tire on the back - with what you have going now up front. I suggest trying this first. You can always change your mind and put another thicker tire on up front. But this method may save you some shekels in the process.

Enjoy!

Wow, ok...

I've read everything and thought about it hard.
I'll start by actually riding some more. hey, it's been two months, and not even a flat tire... maybe I'm just over sensitive.

Then I'll probably switch to fatter tires, and in case I start braking spokes... than I'll reconsider getting different wheels.

hopefully, I'll get to ride these enough before they do get stolen somehow (last ones lasted two months.).

Thanks all!
I ride an '09 7.5 FX and haven't had any problems with with the wheels or tires, and I'm heavier than you are (197 lbs.). No flats and the wheels are straight and true. I bought this bike because it's quick and responsive, not for comfort, so I've learned to "float" over bumps. I need all the efficiency I can get so no suspension for me! :) Good luck and have fun with it!

A little off topic here but what kind of locking strategy are you using? Befor I would spend any money on another bike I would get at least one good lock. I know high end locks are expensive but so is buying another bike. https://www.kryptonitelock.com/OutletProducts/Products/list.aspx?cid=1001&scid=1000&page=2