Hi Guys! I have been reading here for a couple weeks now and have come to a point where I really, really want to purchase my first bike. I am about 280lbs and 6'. I was looking at the trek 7.2 FX and the trek 7.3 fx. I am going to end up using the bike in MN in all seasons to bike into and out of town (about 4 miles round trip) and also take 1-4 day bike trips with my friends. Am I going in the right direction? Budget is 600 for the bike assuming I will need about 300 in accessories to start, including tools, tube, rack for the car etc. So 900 total.

I'd suggest you test ride both bikes before making any decisions. For myself, I've found in the past that aluminum bikes were a bit punishing on the less-than-perfect roads where I ride. Admittedly, I've heard that the latest generation of aluminum bikes are better. If you're on a budget, you might consider a used bike. Chances are that you'll get a lot more bike for the same amount of money. And when you decide that you need a completely different bike, you can always re-sell it without losing a whole lot of money.

I had the 2004 Trek 7200. I was very pleased with the bike. It gave me nearly 4,000 miles before I moved up. I think this is a good starter/ mid-level bike. Go ride 'em and see if you like them.

I have the Trek 7.2 FX and would recomend it. I have been riding it since the beginning of April with no problems.

You definatly picked out two nice little bikes, go ride em and pick the one you feel best on. The main differences between the two bikes is componet setup which the 7.3 (go figure) has the upper hand er pedal. You'll get better rims, tires, shifters, and derailures for an extra 150 dollars. I would seriously consider the 7.3 if it's in your budget, if not the 7.2 will make a dandy steed that can be upgraded as your skills progress.

Whatever you choose get out and ride ride ride! Take some eye candy pics and post em.

What size frame should I go with?

I would just ask your bike shop-they will be able to tell you better than we could in here. Buy a rack off of Ebay or Craigs List, that will save you some money. Nashbar bike had a heckuva a sale going on a week ago where they had a 100.00+ tool kit for over half off. Tubes are tubes pretty much-tires, well a 70.00 tire isn't necessarily better than a 30 dollar one. Basically, don't buy the most expensive of whatever just because the shop says so.

I would guess an 18-20 depending how long your legs are. When you go to the bike shop they will fit you to a frame so no worries

Hey Alathea, was the simu post as good for you as it was for me?

*lights cigarette*

I took a look at both of these bikes before settling on the 7.3. The biggest reason was the quality of the components was up a notch on it. It just seemed a lot smoother overall.

As for sizing, the LBS should be able to fit you. However, I learned a hard lesson there. All my LBS did was check seat hight. As a result I ended up getting a frame one size too small. I should have gotten the 25 instead of the 22.5. Hopefully your LBS is more thorough.

Good luck and enjoy your new ride.

Maahhhhhvalousssssss.

I took my fried last month to go look at bikes. He tried the Trek 7000 series and the Trek FX 7.2 and 7.3. After doing a little looking the 7.3 was clearly the better bike for only a little more money. Most of the key components were a nice step up without getting cray in price. I can vouch that the Deor rear derailler is excellent and holds up well even after daily Winter use here in Buffalo NY.

Definitely ride the bikes to find out what fits your body. MY friend's wife was intially pretty adement that a Wallmart bike would be fine. He figured his wife might "kill" him after find out what the bike cost. After she came with him to the store and taking a few bikes for a spin she agreed that the FX7.3 was excellent and wanted a matching biek for herself. It is not a cheap bike, but certainly it is not expensive either. I definitely could see one getting 20+ years of use out of the bike as long as you take care of it in a reasonable way. I ride my bike in all weather. All I have to do is make sure the chains stays lubed properly and every so often clearn the chain to prevent a build up of crud mixed in with the lubriucant. This much more of a problem in the Winter than the Summer. Even in the Winter I usually only get to clean the chain once a month just because of weather restrictions. I am NOT cleaning a chain outside when the temperatures are below 25F.

Happy riding,
André

Thanks to all of you for all of the informative posts....really! I know how annoying it is to get n00bs posting in the forum all the time. I have made a decision...I 'm going with the '09 7.2 FX in Gold. Since this will be my first I am going to try to take baby steps as much as possible. If I enjoy this bike and decide to upgrade to the nicer components later I will do so then. It will be ready for pickup on Wednesday and I am supppper excited!

I just have a few more questions.

What sort of bike racks should I be looking at for my Acura MDX 06 (already have a ski rack on top), also since I am going to be using this bike for weekend trips that involve carrying my camping gear, what cages/devices are reccomended for attaching to the bike?

Thanks again for all of the help!! As soon as I get it set up I will snap some picks!

Not sure about your Acura, see who made your ski rack, some racks are convertible for different purposes by swapping some pieces. However if you convert your ski rack, measure from the ground to the highest point on the rack, get a hunk of hot pink card stock and print on it, CAUTION extra height (whatever) clearance needed. This goes on the dash whenever your bike is loaded, Nothing like trying to go under a 6'6" barrier with a bike on the roof that needs 8'3" to wreck your whole day......

On bike racks depend, some bikes have a screw hole behind the rear wheel mounting, this is where a rack will attach, along with to the back of the seat stay. Bikes with disc brakes or without the rack mounting tab need a special rack, a company called Old Man Mountain has them, they are not cheap though Some forks have rack mounts as well, many suspension forks do not, and you need a special rack for those, The same folks that have special rear racks sells them for forks as well. There may be other sources.....

But there are plenty of cheap racks that will attach to the seat stays with clamps, or accommodate bikes with disc brakes. Topeak makes a disc-brake compatible rack that's pretty cheap and seems reasonably solid.

Nice choice. Don't let the aluminum frame harshness trolls get to ya' because the tires are fat enough to take care of that. The 7.2FX is a mighty fine bike.

I contend that most people couldn't tell the difference between an aluminum frame and a steel frame without using a magnet. There are many other factors that play a more important part in how a bike feels than the material of the frame. I have three bikes (actually, two bikes and a trike): One bike is steel, one is aluminum, and the trike is aluminum. The harshest riding on rough surfaces is the trike. Next is the steel bike. The smoothest ride is the aluminum bike. The trike has 20" 100 psi tires, and no suspension. The steel bike has 24" 50 psi tires, and no suspension. The aluminum bike has 26" 50 psi tires, and a suspension fork. It's not the material of the frame that makes the difference. Aluminum is the basic material for bikes these days...it's lighter than steel, and less expensive than composites and titanium.

I love (as I've stated in the past) my Trek 7.3. Been a great commuter bike for going on two years with no mechanical problems.

Haha! I went and took some more time with both bikes and actually changed my mind. For the extra cost I think that the 7.3 FX is a better buy and I really wanted a black bike so I am getting exactly what I want. I am having to order it through the shop so it might take up to ten days to get hear....but as soon as it does I am hitting the trails!! :-) Thanks for all of your help!

I don't understand this comment. Help!

have the fx 7.3 and the only change i made was a brooks b17 saddle....works fine

Simu post = Simultaneous post... look at the times (same minute).