Originally Posted by
Bearonabike
Semi-FAIL.
Fast would be a proper road bike. I've owned a 7100, 7.3FX and 1200 (now a 1.2) and found the FX to be unsatisfactory. It doesn't know what it is. None of the comfort of the 7XXX series and little of the road bike speed.
Of course the 7.3FX isn't going to be as fast of a bike as a true road bike, but it'll certainly be much faster than the 7xxx series, and a whole lot lighter in weight.
As for comfort, the FX series isn't too bad. But if you must have a plush ride, the 7xxx has that gawd-awful suspension seatpost and crappy front suspension fork on it. You'd be doing well to average more than 10mph on that bike, whereas on the FX 10mph is no problem.
To the OP: Give this tire a try:
http://www.bikeauthority.com/ablecom...0x32-P459.aspx
700x32 Race Lite. It's a slick tire that offers good durability and speed, while maintaining a bit of plushness. You can run up to 110psi in this tire to make it extremely smooth rolling.
I also recommend that you ditch the suspension seatpost. It won't make a huge impact on comfort, but it will allow you to put the power down a bit better and shed about a lb of weight compared to a normal aluminum or carbon fiber seatpost. I've setup a 7200, 7.3FX, etc. for family members and little changes, such as tires, aluminum/CF seatpost, etc. make a big difference in how a bike rides.