Road Cycling - Upgrading from a TREK 7500FX Hybrid

I need help. Last year I upgraded from a Department Store Mountain Bike to a TREK 7500FX Hybrid. I had thinner tires, seat & pedals changed. I rode about 3000 miles last year... Just love riding. Now I'm thinking about a road bike. I don't really have the money this year, but will next year. Should I buy a used road or wait?? Has anyone bought a bike off E-Bay. I don't know what is a good buy?? Or if I should get fitted at LBS. I tried a Bianachi, and felt cramped--and the gears(??) deraliur(??) was buzzing. whatever.,, Can anyone help me?? I went to Sheldon Browns website to see what size frame I needed. measured myself--looked for several volunteers for help at work with the measuring. And now, two days later--I had to have the average of several measurements (I'm a female so there were a few offers of help) I ready to shop. Any ideas?? I value your opinions, I've been hiding and reading posts as a guest for over a year but have recently declared myself.

I bought a Raleigh hardtail MTB bike, Giant NRS frame and Fuji Team frame all off eBay over the last 12 months. I paid fair prices and received excellent equipment.

However . . . you must be an informed consumer before buying off eBay, since there is rarely post-purchase service, or return priviledges (unless the item was defective or was poorly represented in the auction).

My most recent road frame purchased off eBay was made only after I found a frame whose dimensions matched my existing frame - especially top tube. I rode the old frame for 3 years so I knew it fit me, and I wanted a like fit from my new frame.

I have 300+ buys and sells on eBay over the last 5 years, and I've never been stung. I've bought everything from cameras, to bike seats, to vintage books. EBay works, but you must know what you want.

For a first-time bike purchase I suggest you visit your LBS. Take a test ride(s). You'll be able to judge fit, you'll get, hopefully, good advise, and you'll have a properly working bike when you walk out. And, should the bike not be working correctly when you get home, you have someone to bring it back to.

Good luck!!

The more you ride, especially longer distances, the more important fit becomes. If you really know the geometry of a road frame that will yield perfect fit, then it's possible to buy a bike sight unseen that will be satisfactory, although you'll still know nothing about its ride quality, stiffness, handling, etc.

At the very least I would suggest test riding as many bikes from different manyfacturers as possible. Keep in mind that the way the bike is set up can make a difference as well. That Bianchi may have felt "cramped" for a number of reasons: too-short a top tube; too short a stem; bars too low; frame too small; saddle too far forward. So just jumping on a bike and riding it isn't enough; you need to at minimum do a generic saddle setup (adjust saddle height to yield slight knee bend at bottom of stroke; set fore-aft position to yield knee-over-pedal-spindle position with forward crank level to the ground); saddle level.

Now you're in a position to judge whether the bike has potential for you. If the reach to the bars is wrong, is there a commonly available stem that will bring it yo the correct position? If the bars are too low, can it be fixed by using a stem with more rise, or can the shop order the bike with an uncut fork so it can be custom-cut for your needs?

Is the crank length appropriate? Is there sufficient standover clearance? How's the saddle?

The best bike shops will guide you through these questions and not let you buy a bike that doesn[t fit and isn't comfortable. And if something needs to be fixed or changed later, they'll be there to help you out. Buying over the internet is a crap-shoot.

Look at and test a lot of bikes and you'll start to understand the differences, and your preferences. That hands-on experience is really important. Take your time; you have a big advantage in already having a decent bike that you know works for you.

RichC

Thanks for your help guys. What is the difference between a road bike and a hybrid, except for the handlebars? What I'm trying to do is get more speed for club rides. Will the only advantage be in the aerodynamics? I've been trying to "train", well not get stuck in the "no where zone", so I'm working at intervals with hr at 80-95% on hells (that is not a spelling error), or until my asthma kicks in. I'm doing easy days, then hard days, endurance days. I'm also trying to loose weight this year. Last year I rode because I loved it so much, but I'm tired of trying so hard to keep up with others, and some days I'd like to ride with other people, rather than get left behind. One thing I noticed, is that I don't have any problem with the saddle, stem height or butt pain till after 50 miles, that's when I decided to change things. I still don't wear chamois shorts and jerseys unless its hot outside or the ride is over 50 miles. Soo..... it must be the bike.

I start using cycling clothes for rides of 1hr or more, whatever the temperature.

You will probably go futher and faster on a good roadbike, but what style of roadbike depends on what you need, and your size.
Smaller roadbikes are often bodged to make the big 700c wheels fit. Many serious smaller riders go for smaller wheels (650c for racing, 26"mtb for fast touring).
Racing bike users generally use clipless pedal systems, which increase efficiency. What type of pedals do you use?
Aerodynamic positions help when you are riding fast, esp when you are on your own (ie not in a big group of riders). For slower riding, it matter less.
Most roadbikes come with higher gears for use at racing speeds. For more leisurely riding, or climbing hills, lower gears may be more useful. You current bike will indicate which gears you like to use.

A roadbike wont make you fitter than using your current hybrid, but may make riding more fun.

Originally posted by outashape
Thanks for your help guys. What is the difference between a road bike and a hybrid, except for the handlebars?

Your 7500FX is closer to a road bike than many hybrids these days, if only because of its rigid fork and aero wheels. The road bikes will still be appreciably lighter, and have much narrower and higher-pressure tires than the 700x37c tires that come stock on the Trek. They will have higher gearing as well. Road bikes are more comfortable for most riders who do long rides for several reasons: You can change the positions of your hands/wrists and hips/back frequently, and you change your weight distribution on the bike by shanging your position.


Originally posted by outashape

One thing I noticed, is that I don't have any problem with the saddle, stem height or butt pain till after 50 miles, that's when I decided to change things. I still don't wear chamois shorts and jerseys unless its hot outside or the ride is over 50 miles. Soo..... it must be the bike.

If you can ride 50 miles on your current bike without discomfort, a whole new bike may or may not improve things with regard to saddle discomfort. It may just be the saddle, or some tiny subtlety of saddle positioning.

But there's little doubt in my mind that a road bike makes long rides much more enjoyable, and encourages even longer rides. Hybrids, even stripped-down versions like the 7500FX, are still general-purpose machines. There's no substitute for a bike that's designed specifically to go fast for a long time, if that's what you want to be doing.

RichC

Test ride! test ride! and test ride some more, :beer: