Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - My new bike - Trek 7.2 FX

I haven't reported in for awhile, but here are some great pix of my new Trek. I added new grips/ bar ends - the pannier/bag and a Brooks B-17 saddle.

I love this first one because it shows my transformation. I used to eat at this Burger King so much that they gave me a discount card, since I was a "frequent flyer". No more - I haven't eaten fast food since 2009.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p180/Powergeckos/Trek.jpg

This next picture is taken during a break from a little biking in Nisswa Minnesota. Beautiful country - great bike trails.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p180/Powergeckos/Trek72fx.jpg

It's interesting to see those bar ends. I have a co-worker that is a new bike commuter. He was on the web looking at bike parts last week and I saw him looking at drop bars. He was saying the new drop were more than the bike was worth. (I also had to break the news that his twist grip shifters wouldn't work very well on the drop bars. . .) He decided bar ends might be a good option. He saw those and asked my opinion. I told him not to get that kind. My logical/well-reasoned argument was that they "look weird". He went with another type. Did I steer him wrong?

Does it look weird? Perhaps. Do I like them? Yes...

That's all that matters to me - it gives me another position to put my hands. I actually would like them just a tad longer...

<<SNIP>>I actually would like them just a tad longer...
I think that is the thing that makes them look odd to me. I think they look more like some type of knob than a handlebar. To me they look like something I would want if I was doing alot of sprinting or climbing where I would want to be more aggressive. The ends I have look like they are built for comfort.
I am not trying to put you down for having them. I had seen them in bike shops but have never seen anyone who actually used them.

you could be correct. I really like the ergo-grips - they are extremely comfortable. I think that longer ends would be more comfortable though.

That's the fun thing about cycling, I've discovered. There's always something new and/or interesting to purchase and install...

We have the same grips. I like them a lot.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/67583_1554027423088_1607271639_1297070_1691218_n.jpg

I have the same ones on my Fisher. They work well, but yes, they could be longer. It takes a little leap of faith to get out of the saddle to climb when holding them, just for that reason. But once you get used to them, they're OK, and their relatively short length is easily worth it as the price of admission to get Ergon grips, IMO.

They would be a huge asset in climbing situations. I would NEVER use my longer bar ends for climbing. I'm too afraid that the force combined with the leverage I would have because of their longer length would cause them to shift. I just have this vision of one of them slipping and me losing the grip on the bar while standing. So, the ergo grip, with its center mount, would seem much more stable--at least in my imagination.
But, given all that, I still like the extra length.

I haven't reported in for awhile, but here are some great pix of my new Trek. I added new grips/ bar ends - the pannier/bag and a Brooks B-17 saddle.

I love this first one because it shows my transformation. I used to eat at this Burger King so much that they gave me a discount card, since I was a "frequent flyer". No more - I haven't eaten fast food since 2009.

You just amaze me in what you have done with your life. From the pics I last saw that is awesome. By the way, I have eaten at that Burger King a few times in my life. Another place I used to cherish was the Long John Silvers. But I don't go to them places anymore either. Keep biking and maybe someday if I ever get over in that area again I may see you on the trails.

Mongo: really like that color. I was in Charleston. Ill today and stopped by the Trek store to check out a Fx. The salesman said "We've never sold one." For you Database guys. Select * from salesman where clue > 0; "No records returned"

I have been looking at the Trek FX line as a commuter/tourer. How do you like the 7.2? Do you wish you would have gone with another 7. one? I have been looking at the 7.6 or the 7.9, just not sure the 7.9 is worth the extra money. My LBS said they were going to be getting an FX in next week that I could try out, not sure which one they were going to get.

I have a 7.3 and love it -- well worth a look at the FX line.

I have the same ones on my Fisher. They work well, but yes, they could be longer. It takes a little leap of faith to get out of the saddle to climb when holding them, just for that reason. But once you get used to them, they're OK, and their relatively short length is easily worth it as the price of admission to get Ergon grips, IMO.

When I consulted my shop about the bar ends, I was asked if I did climbing out of the saddle. When I said no, they recommended them and when installing them adjusted the positioning to keep my wrists in a neutral posture.

I really like my bike, although I also liked the Specialized Sirrus too - this one just came up on Craigs at a killer price. I remember talking to one bike salesman who claimed that the 7.2 is in the price sweet spot that the 7.3 should have been - implying that it was a lot of bike for the bucks. I guess I'll leave that judgement up to you experts.

I will say that the front end is really stiff - I feel a lot of bumps and I heard that the Carbon Fiber forks are easier on your arms...

@thcri - I ate at every Fast food drive thru in the city of Mankato. It was so pathetic - I'm glad I've put that part of my life behind me. I still struggle - it will be a constant thing - but I know now there is a better way to live without food being some sort of god in my life.

I'm still a rank beginner with this bike deal - but I'm growing to enjoy it more and more. I'm planning a 2-3 day trip up north later this summer - lots of really great bike trails up there. I may do the Itasca State Park to Brainerd trip - that's a beautiful stretch...