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Bought a Trek 7.2 FX - Upgrading but..

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Bought a Trek 7.2 FX - Upgrading but..

Old 04-26-12, 11:22 AM
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Bought a Trek 7.2 FX - Upgrading but..

Hi everyone, I'm a new member and have been reading as much as I can before I finally decided to join in the conversation. I was dead set on buying either a 2012 Trek 7.3FX or Cannondale Quick4 after a month of research but luckily I found a slightly used Trek 7.2 FX for $150! The dealer told me someone traded it in earlier that day and that it was ''last year's model'' but I cant really tell since there arent any stickers on the bike describing what year it is.

It is a Red/Maroon bike with Bontrager tires/seat.


I took it on a 14 mile ride (7 to and 7 back) this past weekend and I cant say that I enjoyed the ride too much. Maybe its because I havent been on a bike for years and decided to do a 14 mile trip too early. I tried playing around with the seat height to get a slight bend on the knee when the pedal is all the way down but nothing seemed to help much. The Bike felt slow..and I say this because last year I did ride my brothers bike (Schwinn Tourist from Target) and I didnt feel tired so quickly or slow ..even if it was a heavier Target Bike. Maybe its just me and I need to get in better shape first.

Anyway, I have been reading that a set of Ergon grips and bar ends may help in comfort but I can't seem to know how to order them correctly. All I see on most websites is "small" and "large" nothing specific about the type of bike or anything. The bar grips will probably have to be replaced? I dont see much space for bar ends without cutting the grips in half. Has anyone installed this on their 7.2? What would be the appropriate size? Are there any other specific upgrades I can make to the bike to maybe be a bit faster or more efficient? I believe its all stock as it is now. Any advice would be great!! Thanks everyone!

Last edited by sandplasma; 04-26-12 at 11:29 AM.
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Old 04-26-12, 07:06 PM
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The 7.2 FX is my wife's bike of choose- go figure. If you bought the bike from an LBS I will assume that the frame is the correct size and you should have the LBS set the seat height for you.
As far as speed goes do you have the tires inflated to 80 pounds? I believe the 7.2 has 35c tires, you could go down to a 25 or 28c tire and should be faster.
Before you get grips make sure the 7.2 you have is the correct frame size and the seat is set correctly. Maybe even consider gel insert biking gloves.
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Old 04-26-12, 09:59 PM
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Thanks for the reply. I did buy it from a LBS but it was a used trade in so I wsnt asked many questions on fitment. I'm 5'7" with about a 30 inseam. I read somewhere that the bar should have from 1-1.5 inches under your crotch. It is about that much away. I'm guessing its a 17.5" frame. The tires are pretty wide, I will have to look into that. Thanks!
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Old 04-27-12, 03:10 AM
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That sounds like the right size. The problem with hybrids is that they don't offer many hand positions. Ergons or other bar ends will offer more hand positions and prevent had tiredness. What don't you like about the ride? If we know what you didn't like, we might be able to offer advice.
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Old 04-27-12, 09:46 AM
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Originally Posted by a1penguin
That sounds like the right size. The problem with hybrids is that they don't offer many hand positions. Ergons or other bar ends will offer more hand positions and prevent had tiredness. What don't you like about the ride? If we know what you didn't like, we might be able to offer advice.
Well, like I said above, I kept comparing it to the Schwinn Tourist which felt a lot faster. I even remember doing 25mph down an incline on the Schwinn. It did have thinner tires but can that be what made such a difference? I would expect the Trek 7.2 to be better than a Dept Store bike. The Schwinn felt a lot faster than this one - I felt like I kept peddaling and the bike would move very little. Gears work fine. My knees were also hurting a little - this is when I adjusted the seat a tad. Maybe I was just in better shape before ?

Bike has 700x35C tires.

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Old 04-27-12, 03:34 PM
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it may need to be tune up since it is used and the person before you may never had done that. Did you check to see how smoothly the wheels spin when you hold it up? As for comfort make sure the stem is the right length for you and the handle bar angle is correct for you, also make sure the seat angle and front to back distance is correct for you body. I had to change the stem and bar angle on my 7.3 to make it more comfortable on my rides.
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Old 04-27-12, 09:43 PM
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Yes, tire size can make a big difference in how the bike feels. As will tread and tire pressure.

According to Trek, you can go down to a 700x28c size tire. If you're riding only on pavement, go with slick tires.
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Old 04-27-12, 10:05 PM
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Originally Posted by shouldberiding
Yes, tire size can make a big difference in how the bike feels. As will tread and tire pressure.

According to Trek, you can go down to a 700x28c size tire. If you're riding only on pavement, go with slick tires.
I have a 7.2 and when the tired are ready to be replaced....I will be putting skinnier tires on it.
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Old 04-29-12, 09:46 AM
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thanks guys, I will check my tire pressure first. I thought they were up to normal psi but I checked it with a car tire pressure checker that only went up to 50psi and I know they need to be near 80psi. I went ahead and bought a better one. If that doesnt make it feel faster I may get some 28c tires. I believe that is what the tourist bike had.

thanks!
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Old 04-08-14, 06:09 PM
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Did you ever switch the 700 28 tires? I'm interested in this because I am thinking about doing the same thing to my 2013 Trek 7.2.
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Old 04-08-14, 07:41 PM
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Skinnier tires are not necessarily faster. Could be slower. Generally less comfortable.
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Old 04-09-14, 07:04 AM
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Originally Posted by 2 Piece
As far as speed goes do you have the tires inflated to 80 pounds? I believe the 7.2 has 35c tires, you could go down to a 25 or 28c tire and should be faster.
Skinnier tires won't make you faster.

Faster tires will make you faster.

(Meaning, tires designed to have lower rolling resistance will make a huge difference. Just going skinnier won't help. There's no reason to go that skinny on tires.)
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