Recreational & Family - TREK 7100: Good for 40-60 mile rides?

I am considering a Trek 7100. Would like to know how this would compare to the older 10-speed road bikes I used to ride on a long trip. Do not want to get this if it sounds like there will be too much resistance(Wind/Road) I am finding that the hunched over position on a road bike is not very comfortable! Hands get numb also. Age?? :D

The key to enjoying a 60 mile ride is the fit of the bike to YOUR body. It you are properly fitted, a Trek 7100 would be ideal. You might want to put on 28mm light-weight slicks instead of the "stock" tires, which are designed more for "comfort", and are a bit heavy.

A 7100 can be set up to give you a riding position almost identical to that used by Eddie Merckx during his riding career. He often rode with his saddle about an inch lower than today's "fashion" and his bars two or three inches higher than today's fashion. The result was a comfortable position that allowed him to put in long days in the saddle...and staying in the saddle is the key to covering a lot of miles.

I have a 7700FX, which I ride frequently - I find as I get older I like the more upright position, but my hands still do tend to fall asleep, I do miss the various position drop bars or my extender bars give me on my road bike. ButI don't tend to ride more than 2 hours at a time.

I am starting commuting tomorrow with my 7700FX (2 years old) - I finally have a job that I can ride 12 miles to each day (and 12 back). I am really looking forward to it.

If you are planning for longer rides and putting miles on the bike, you may want to opt for an upgrade to the 7300/FX or better yet, the 7500/FX. the components are better quality and I think you would immediatley notice a difference on long rides.
Good luck
Rick

Properly adjusted, and properly trained, you should be able to ride a 7100 for as long as you like, just not as fast as a road bike.

I've ridden my '03 Trek 7100 on some longish rides (40-50 miles). The only problem was with the saddle, which is rather bulgy and soft. After about 30 miles my rear was getting very sore. It may not bother you, but I know that's one of the consistent complaints about that bike. I don't know if they've changed the stock saddle since '03. Otherwise, there's nothing to prevent you from riding those distances, or more, on a 7100.

I own a Trek 7100 and enjoy it immensely. I will agree with the saddle issues posted above, mine leaves a little to be desired, but then again I weigh a little over 300lbs and at my weight finding the "right" saddle is a little more difficult.
I took the bike out for 14 miles on Sunday, spent a little less than 1:30 in the saddle and took a 5 minute break after 10 miles just to stand up and get off my butt a little. When I got home I wasn't worn out or "too" sore. If I were lighter, ~250 lbs, I'd probably cruise this puppe 40 miles or more, it does seem like a comfortable bike for long rides, but my experience with differant bikes is not so great.
For the price I paid I feel it was a great investment. I plan on turning it into my main commuter bike after I am able to buy a few things, and in the future I'll probably replace the fork to something stiffer, but that is my preferance.

I have a mid 90's Trek 7600 that I have done numerous rides of that length on. Like the previous person said, fit is important. The bike is up to the job. I rode my stock 700x38 Trek System 3 tires until they wore out, and then I switched to a slightly smaller commuter type tire. It has worked well for me. :)

I have a Trek 7500FX which I guess is somewhat similar to the 7100, and I have taken it on rides of around 60 miles. A big concern I had was the flat bars which do not give as many hand positions as road bars. I added Cane Creek bar ends which are ruberized and fit my hands nicely. This lets me move my hands around so they don't cramp up. Many styles of bar ends are available, and will help on long rides. I chose a bike without front suspension as I like the stiffer ride - I would suggest trying bikes with and without suspension to see which you like.

That's a good point about the bar ends. I have them on my stock flat bars for the same reason. I have the stock Tange ChroMo solid front fork on my 7600, but I do have an aluminum SoftRide suspension stem which helps quite a bit, and is a little lighter than a suspension fork.

:)
Thanks for all the ideas!!
Based on all the feedback, I think this bike will do the trick.
I will be picking it up this Friday!! I will try out a couple
different frame sizes. The new shipment arrived today. I had a chance
to try one out. Seems alot more comfortable than the
old 10-speed road bike I have been using!!

Thanks again!

I will post pictures if there is interest. I can get some nice clear
closeups too.

Please post pictures when you get the bike. Make sure the bike store does a proper fitting for you, so that you end up with the correct frame size, correct seat position and so on.

If you want an upright riding position, make sure they set you up with the handle bars as high as the seat, or perhaps a little higher. The store can do the by swapping stems to give you the correct postion for your taste. I mention this because I've found that a lot of bike store guys like to set everybody up in a racing position with the bars well below the seat. Only 2% of us are bike racers. Many of us prefer a more comfortable riding position. Here's an interesting article on this subject: http://www.rivendellbicycles.com/html/rr_raisestem.html

I bought a Trek Navigator 200 this year which is the 26" wheeled version of the 7000 series. I'm finding it to be a fine bike for longer rides. My longest ride so far on this bike is 55 miles. I did change the seat to a flight saddle. The Trek 7100 should be a fine bike as well. I would suggest upgrading to the 7200. It only costs slightly more but you'll get an 8 speed cassette hub instead of a 7 speed freewheel hub. The upgrade to Shimano Alivio components for the rear hub and derailleur is also significant. These will prove to be much more reliable over the long haul. As others have stated try a lot of saddles. So called "comfort" saddles are terrible on any ride more than just around the block.

Buying a new bike is always exciting. Good luck!
Brian Daniels
East Nassau NY

Have spent most of the weekend on the new Trek 7100. Put on a total of 60 miles. The bike works well except for the saddle. Many of you had the same issue. I am attempting to link in some pictures.
Thanks for all of the valuable info!!
:)

Nice bike! I think I might have the same front fork on my Trek Solo Ride 300. It looks like they went to a cushier seat since my Trek 7600 was made in the mid 90's. My System 3 stock seat is very small and firm like a road bike so I never changed it, and still like it 8 years later. Enjoy!

The 7100 is a great bike, I also agree with the saddle issue, don't let that stop you though, just get a different saddle and you are set.

TP

If you're looking to ride long distances on a hybrid, I would recommend changing the wheels out with a lighter wheelset and something close to 700-28 tires. Smaller, lighter wheels will significantly reduce the effort required to travel long distances. You don't need anything super light, but a wheelset in the $150 range would help tremendously.

just looked at this thread for the first time. I think you chose an outstanding bike. I specially like the megadrive rear cogset, and the comfort features. The key to long distance riding is comfort. Components can be upgraded or replaced when they wear out, which will probably be a long time from now.


enjoy

You certainly made a great decision - I've been riding a 7500fx for around 4 months now and love it - apart from the saddle, which I'm going to change for the summer. The weather has been so terrible here though that it hasn't really has as much use as I would like - the days I tried to go out in howling winds I ended up feeling very faint. Can't wait till the summer!