TStwahine

First off a big thanks to Rider98Glide for being a huge help and contacting the seller for me. You were awesome. Also to everyone else in my original thread I really appreciate your suggestions.

This is what I'm coming from:

A 10+ year old diamondback outlook mtb (I put slicks on it) where the chain skipped..a lot, not sure what the technical term is for it. I call it "the unmanning chain slip" which for guys it would have been worse I'm certain but in my case it's just a bruising of the lady bits . Plus I think it was just waaaaay too small for me.



After months and months of stressing out on whether or not I would find a bike that i liked at the price point I was comfortable with I finally got one. I test rode it and loved it; gears switched easily, the height was just right, everything felt very good, and natural. It came with a mirror, bell, and computer.

Man compared to the beater bike I was using previously it's quite like going from a dilapidated chevy cavalier to a nissan maxima... can't even begin to put into words how different it feels, I may just end up liking this!

I have a few things that I want to do to it now though. I'd like to add a rear rack and some fenders, any suggestions for some decent ones that don't break the bank?
Bike uses-->rack/panniers?
-to class (2 miles hilly)
-to work (2.5 miles hilly)
-gym (1 mile, down hill there, huge hill back)
-possibly grocery store (1.5 miles-3 miles depending on the store)

I am not a fan of riding a bike with a backpack on so if I can find a way to avoid that I'm all on board. I had heard of a backpack rack but can't find the link for it anymore.

*Also maybe a silly question, should i worry about the computer being stolen at all? I don't plan on leaving the bike out all night or anything but some of my classes go from 1130am-915pm where I only have about 40 mins in between so I tend to stay on campus... should I remove it?

Also a few photos...

Sorry for the quality of the pics, I was pretty rushed so I could only snap a few photos... man, I need to sweep the garage.













Yay me! This is a big deal, I rarely splurge on myself

ColombianGT

Dude thats a very nice bike, I never came across any nice ones like that at my LBS baxk in May... loving the color - sort of reminds me of my bike.

As for the Maxima comment, I AGREE I love Maximas! I'm at 357,000 miles and still rides better than an 04 cavalier with 70,000

TStwahine

Thanks I'm pretty excited about it, I've never owned a bike this nice, I'm a rather frugal person so i don't usually splurge so this is a big deal for me!
Nice ride! That's the gen after mine, I have a 98' maxima SE with 155K and she's going strong, only thing I've ever had to replace (other than regular maintenance is the cv joints (I blame that on iowa ) great gas mileage, does everything i ask it to do, including the 9 trips I've taken to california and back.

Now just to get a rack and fenders...

ColombianGT

Actually mine is also a 4th gen like yours (95-99) mine is a 95 but I have a 93 and 97se as well

TStwahine

ahhh, I looked at this super early in the morning, you have the later gen rims then don't you? I don't know why I thought that except I seem to have focused on the rims... school and work are killing me, and its only the middle of september.

AdelaaR

Cool bike.
Please use the "FX" behind the "7.0" though.
It could easily be mistaken for a "Trek Speed Concept 7.0" ... which is a whole different story

Rider98Glide

Yo! That sure looks like a sweet ride. Is that the one they wanted $260 for? As long as that bike was listed I hope you got a break on it. I got some fenders if you want them. Is it cold up there today? 95 yesterday and 55 today down here in SO MO.

qmsdc15

$260? It's funny to read that you think spending $260 on a vehicle is splurging when you have a car that cost about 100 times that much.

Congrats on the new ride. It will pay for itself quickly if you use it instead of the car to go to work, class, gym, and grocery store.

ColinL

There's a variety of good rear racks you can use. If your books are heavy I would suggest the ones that clamp on the seatpost *and* chainstays (the lowest tubes going forward from the rear wheel).

ColombianGT

Woah! $260? That's a damn good price! Where the Hell was this bike when I was searching?? Seriously.. my budget was $300-$400 I ended spending $510 out the door for mine which was originally marked at $699.99 and on sale for $549.99 but received 15% discount. I still ended going over my budget.

TStwahine

Well I bought my car used 8 years ago and spent 5 years paying for it... so yes it was very expensive, 40 times the cost of the bicycle but it's paid off and has been for 3 years. I don't plan on buying another car until the wheels go square on this one and really would just prefer to live in a place where a car isn't required. But as I'm a full-time student who has always had to pay their own way it absolutely was a splurge. Granted I say spending $50 on shoes is a splurge too I'm just very frugal.

I'm super happy with the $250 I paid for it (I offered 230 but she said she was selling it because she was broke and couldn't go below 250 because of bills and I just realized I wouldn't feel proud of walking away for $20 difference, especially when the LBS was telling me I was going to spend $500 at least out the door before a rack and fenders).

And I never knew there was another trek 7.0, sorry.

Our weather just decided to get colder today as we barely hit 60 and had a steady 20mph... Winter's are long in Iowa but I'll try to stick it out as long as possible!

Any suggestions on brands that are good for fenders and racks? I keep running into topeak and bike planet (something like that).... I want sturdy first and formost.

I do want to share something that I saw today while I was walking to class and I must admit, I liked their thinking...

TStwahine

I did luck out. although I have been looking for months now. I hear ya about the whole LBS pricing where you are spending over $500 with markdowns and no extra gear. I about had a heart attack the first time I went into a shop. I was sort of laughed at for not knowing that, and I was especially afraid of spending that much money when bikes are stolen so much here (as I have had two stolen from me). Not this time though, I'm double locking it. I really like the mirror on it as well... I'm not entirely certain what the bicycle computer is going to do for me, she mentioned something about the internet but I just wanted to get out there and ride my new lil beauty.

One slightly dumb question. Any suggestions on the best way to lock up your bike to deter theft? I have a U-lock and will soon be buying some sort of cable lock (suggestions?)... any photo examples? I plan to pretty much always use two locks... I'm not chancing it. Also one thing I notice around here a lot is I hear of people getting their bicycle seats stolen, is this something i should be worried about... I guess people are now taking them off and putting them in their backpacks while in class.

ColinL

LOL, my sister in law has a ton of those damnable tidy cat tubbies. I have to admit I have some dog food in one, in fact.

But there is no freaking way I would ever put them on my bike.

bjjoondo 

Planet Bike, brand fenders are fairly inexpensive and check with "Performance Cycles" for their, TRANIST rear rack, a lot of times they have them on sale for $20.00. We've used both of these on several styles and brands of bikes and they work very well. FYI, YMMV.

AdelaaR

No need to be sorry at all ... I was just mentioning it
The "FX" series is Trek's hybrid series so it makes more sense to say that you've got a "Trek FX" than to say you've got a "Trek 7.0", especially since the "7.0" is in indication of the quality of the components and once you start upgrading those you no longer have an actual "7.0" but simply an "FX".

To give you some perspective of how little $250 is for a bike ... for that kind of price you have just one Dura Ace rear derailleur.

About the saddle being stolen ... you seem to have a quick release saddle holder there.
Ask yourself the question: do I need to be able to quickly change the position of my saddle? The answer most probably is: not at all.
In that case get a fixed saddle holder with a bolt ... thieves will at least need an allen key then to steal it.
To make even more sure you could change the bolt out for some type of security bolt, for which a special tool would be required ... like the triangle bolts or the hexagonal bolts with a pin in the middle.

Rider98Glide

I will give you some fenders if you want to pay the shipping. They are light so I wouldn't think it would cost that much. $10 maybe? The biggest problem with the Tidy Cat saddle bags is that the person who is riding around with them is promoting the ownership of having a CAT! You did very well paying $250 considering the shape it is in.

TStwahine

Thanks for the suggestions guys! And Rider98 I actually do have a cat (and my roomie has a dog) but she is pretty awesome. She acts more like a dog than the dog (husky/austrailian shepherd mix) which is why I chose her breed specifically. Siberian cats are the 2nd largest cats next to maine coons and they are known to have dog like personalties but even more important people with allergies can tolerate them because they tend to have a lower Fel-D1 protein count in their saliva (Im allergic to cats) so she is the first cat I haven't run screaming to the bathroom to wash my eyes out after petting and accidentally touching my eyes. You can actually vacuum around her, she's not particularly shy or scared of anything. I love dogs, but at this time in my life a cat is far easier to take care of and if i leave to CA its not hard getting someone to take care of her (not many friends want to walk a dog in the dead of winter)... I probably wouldn't ride around with the tidy cats either, but I liked where their mind went and how they were rather innovative.
I will check with performance cycles... Im willing to spend a little more to get quality and sturdy... are these any good?
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...01?PID=4003003
I didn't want to go over $30 but I will if there is a significant difference between that and the other one.

Rider98- that would be awesome! I could easily paypal you some money for that, you have been so incredibly helpful, if it wasn't for you I actually wouldn't even have this bike so if anything I should be sending you something (perhaps one day I'll be able to repay you somehow).

Back to studying chemistry, I love how they show examples of the test breakdown from the previous year and over 91% of the students (688) in the class got a question wrong... 639 choosing one particular answer...and only 6 getting it right... what does that tell you? The things we do to try and become doctors.

bjjoondo 

I've got a Topeak HD rack on our tandem and it's great and can handle a heavy load with ease. For that price, I'd say, go for it if it's afforadble! Yes, it's a better unit than then Performance Transit, although if your not hauling heavy loads or touring, the Transit Rack will do you just fine, jmho, ymmv.

Rider98Glide

Hey TS get off probation so you can PM me where to send the fenders.

TStwahine

I'm workin' on it I promise!

Rider98Glide

No worries as they are just sitting around waiting.