I took my bike into the shop on my way home (hey, an extra 4 miles lets me avoid the hill and get to the bike shop.) The guys there say it's an older 7100 (they are thinking a 2004), but what they picked out as different is the effective top tube length is a couple inches longer on FX, the head tube length is shorter, the wheel base is shorter. It takes me from a very upright position to a more forward position, with my knees not coming nearly as high pedaling and getting comfortable extension. The gearing is a Superlow 13-34T. They said the WSD does add weight (or as I was told 'geometry suggests that a straight line between two points is going to require less material than a curved line'), but that Trek doesn't publish frame weights, so they can't really say how much (they think the 7100 stripped would weight it at a little below 40.... they had told me it was really heavy before fenders and racks went on it.) The only thing they thought I could do to really lighten it up is to remove the rack, possibly replace it (suggested a $70 rack), drop my front light (but I do often end up commuting at dusk and night), drop my handlebar bag. They suggested the other issue might be that the specific road is canted to shed water better and tends to hold a lot of sand and clay particulate. They said that the sand and the red clay particulate in this region are the reasons I shouldn't drop the fenders. They checked the tires, didn't think anything was off about them, or the brakes. I can return a bike if I buy it within 30 days.

It sounds like the general advice is don't bother getting a different bike because there won't be any real difference in weight, size, or positioning. The guys at the shop are, of course, happy to sell a bike, so I'm not sure if their evaluation that it'll improve the ride is valid. I am frustrated, and I apologize for my frustration. I just realize that I am at the end of my own abilities, and if there isn't any option other than 'don't carry the stuff you need for school and try harder,' I'm at the giving up point (I'd love to use electronic texts, but the electronic texts cost as much as the hard copies, between $250-$800, and are only accessible for 1 year, and our laptops are required standard issue). I realized on the ride home from the shop that I am not enjoying riding on roads because I'm frustrated, I thought after two years, it would get easier, but instead it's getting harder. Maybe it's time to ditch this, get a mountain bike, and bike the occasional weekend, since I'm finding that enjoyable. I wish I understood why I can't balance on this bike standing, I think if I could figure that out, it might be enough to provide the extra force for the hill. Maybe I'll strip the bike down this weekend and try it completly stripped.