pingzing

I'm currently in the process of purchasing a new bike to replace my 15 year old expensive mountain bike. I'm looking for a really good bike that I can use for fitness, but be comfortable. I live in a city that has a 20 mile paved bike trail that has some curves and peolple walking on it, so I thought I would look at a flat bar road bike to ride around that. So far I've ridden a Cannondale bad boy ultra, Cannondale road warrior 2, Kona PHD, specialized sirrus, and finally the trek 7.6 and 7.7. I really thought all of them were really nice bikes, but my LBS is running a 20 percent off sale this weekend on both 08 7.6 and 7.7 treks. I can get the 7.7 for $1279 or the 7.6 for $879. I think i might jump on one of those, but i would like to get some feedback from any owners of the treks to see if i'm making the right decision. I'm athletic without back problems and i've thought of maybe a road bike, but i thought it would be easier to ride these flatbar bikes on curvy trails with people. Any help would be great!

envane

I noticed your other thread about bar ends. To my mind, bar-ends are a work-around to the problem that flatbars are uncomfortable as hell for long rides, especially when you don't need the leverage they provide. So, this would suggest you should look at drops. You can make them comfortable by setting the top of your drop bar about equal to your saddle height. Roadies will laugh at you but that's how I roll.

You should not be riding full-speed on paths with lots of people (I hope you're not talking about the lakeshore trail in Chicago...). A flat bar will not help you see people, or take curves.

pingzing

It's a bike path with a few people running here and there...I wouldn't be riding out of control fast. I don't see too many reviews on the trek 7.7, so i'm hoping to get some replies with some current trek 7.7 owners to see if they are worth the money.

LittleBigMan

I have bought 2 Treks and love them both, my last was the 7.3 FX.

But if I had $1200, or even $850, I would have skipped the flat-bar option.

You're used to a flat bar on your mountain bike, but if you have $1200 to spend, open your mind and ride everything in that price range. There's a whole world of great rides out there, not just flat-bar bikes.

(BTW, I absolutely love my Trek 7.3 FX, though it's heavier than what you're thinking about (I use it for commuting 15 miles each way.)

daredevil

I like the price on that 7.6. For a 20 mile bike path, I don't think drops are a necessity. Put some bar ends on it, lean em forward enough, and you have some more hand positions as well as an ability to get a little more aero.

You could be like a lot of us though and get BOTH a flat bar and drop bar bike.

uh, and a couple commuters and a single speed and...

pingzing

I'm worried that i'll be one of those that rides a flatbar rode bike for a few months and then wants to move up to a drop bar road bike. I don't ever see myself as one of those guys that rides 50 miles out of town and back on the highway, so I hope i will be satisfied with a Flatbar machine. I only see myself as riding the 20 miles around the bike path and to the gym every night which is 8 miles.

I have to say that I do get distracted looking at the Cannondale Synapes and Trek pilot series bikes sitting next to the trek 7.7

Andy_K 

So, take 'em for a ride already.

no1mad 

Actually, if you're willing to spend that kind of $$ on A bike for the occasional ride on a bike path, then I think you should buy two bikes. Get a 7.3 FX for the flat bar and get a Giant OCR3. That way, you are not out any more money if you get curious about a road bike...

Torrilin

For me, 10 miles on a flat bar is painful. 20 is very unpleasant. More, and I want to replace my wrists. Anything that puts my wrists in a neutral position makes life better... north roads, mustache bars, drops. My wrists don't care, just so long as they're neutral. For me, the difference is very noticeable, even on a 5 mile test ride.

I'd try doing 20 miles on your mountain bike to see how sensitive your wrists are. There are people who are happiest on a flat bar, and you might be one of 'em. But you won't know without checking, and most shops won't be comfortable with a 20 mile test ride.

LittleBigMan

I got the flat bar because it offered everything in my price range--except drops.

Then I spent like $35 and wrapped some tape around my new $25 trekking bars. The Shimano rapid-fire shifters fit perfectly (they won't transfer to any bar that forces them to move across a bend.)

Take your time, shopping is fun.

(...then I added lights, Brooks saddle, fenders, etc...could have bought a low-end bike for what I spent on accessories... )

envane

Far cheaper to convert drops to flats than the other way around.

Also, the Trek 7.7 is not worth the extra $400.

pingzing

I finally got a chance to ride the trek fx 7.7 today. I first woke up and rode the 20+ mile bike trail with my old mountain bike. I then went into the store and took the 7.7 out for a quick ride around the parking lot. My old mountain bike was pricey in it's day, so the xt and xtr components can still party with some of the new products, but the things i noticed were the smooth shifting, better overall seating position, nice brakes, and it seemed to take corners really well too. I'm just not too sure that it's worth 1200 bucks. I rode the fx 7.5, which was the only other fx they had left and i could really tell the difference in components. Well, cannandale badboy, specialized sirrus, and trek, top of the like fitness hyrids all seem to be nice, but i'm still trying to talk myself into paying for one of these things. BTW - took a road bike for a test ride and I'm definately not going to go that route for a good while. The tires seem even smaller than the hybrid tires and the roads around here, even the bike path, will knock your teeth out.

Torrilin

Not all road bikes have the same tires. Ones meant for road racing may have tires as narrow as 23mm wide. A more commuter or touring oriented one might have tires in the 32-40mm range. That's in the same range as the tires on my hybrid, since I've got about 38mm wide tires.

BillyBob

I would suggest a cyclocross bike. I have a Lemond Poprad and it is the favorite of my 4 bikes. It is also the one that I ride the most often whether it is around town or on 50 mile rides.

Cyclocross bikes are beefier than racing road bikes and can accommodate wider tires.

I am running 32mm tires with fenders and could go a little wider if I wanted to.

The saddle is level with the handlebars so it is very comfortable. It has cross levers so I can brake from any hand position. My only quibble is that I bought it right before they became available with disc brakes.