Hey guys/gals,

I just bought a Trek 7.1 and I go to pick it up tomorrow. Well alot of people said I should have went with the alpha gold frame 7.2 because it's more upgradable.

What exactly does this mean? Can I put new or better class derailleurs on the Trek 7.1 or am I stuck with what I got? I'm happy with the purchase and for my needs will do fine but if I ever wanted to take the Acera and Tourney's up to Alivio/Deore, or something... Can handlebars be changed out on it? Basically what does it mean to have a more upgradable frame?

experience 50 years of various mechanics and jobs in Bike-Shops..

Ask the Dealer..

or just ride the bike and be satisfied..
nothing, you can strip down the bike to just the frame and put other stuff on it.

but retail for all those parts is more than just buying what bits you wanted
on your bike in the first place
because the assembly factories buy by the truck-load.

In general, it means that putting higher-end components on it isn't a waste of money. As an extreme, a Walmart bike isn't worth putting Ultegra components on it, as the frame will still give you a crappy ride.

Cannondale and others will "create" several models by using the same frame and putting different grade components on them. For example, I bought the T600 model of their touring bike, which was quite a bit cheaper than the T1000 model of the same year. The frame was the same but components quite a bit different. As stuff wore out, I upgraded to higher end components that eventually outclassed what would have come on the T1000, resulting in a really nice bike. If it'd been a cheap frame, the better components wouldn't have necessarily made it a better bike.

ricky: Hindsight is 20-20 and you will always be able to find plenty of second-guessers who will be glad to tell you what you should have done and how to spend your money. It's a new bike and you should be able to get many years of satisfaction out of it just as it is with just routine maintenance. Why don't you try riding it for a while and see if anything bothers you about it before you try to find more ways to spend your money? I'd invest in a good helmet and lights before anything else.

The most significant differences between the 7.1 and 7.2 are the shifters--7x3 for the 7.1 and 8x3 for the 7.2--and the rear wheel--7-speed freewheel for the 7.1 and 8-speed freehub for the 7.2.

What this means for upgrading is, if you want to convert the 7.2 to 9-speed, you'll need 9-speed shifters, a front derailleur, and a 9-speed cassette; if you want to convert the 7.1 to 8-speed, you'll need 8-speed shifters, an 8-speed cassette, and a new freehub rear wheel. Also, if you ever find yourself wanting to do a wheel upgrade on your 7.1, your choices will be limited because upgrade quality wheels with freewheel hubs are generally no longer made.

On the other hand you could just ride and enjoy your 7.1 and save your money for a Madone should you get the itch for something fancy. The 7.1 is really one of the most rugged, most versatile, and most fun bikes you can get for not much more than $400.

Comparing the 7.1 & 7.2, the rear wheel is the major difference, and is the only thing really worth getting the 7.2 for over the 7.1. Saying that, both are budget bikes (way above BSO' tho), and for the vast majority of users, they will do the job they were purchased for fine.

For the general question of upgrading, unless you are talking about a high end bike / frame, for the majority of users, unless something wears out upgrading won't improve a bike significantly. As others have mentioned, get some lights, a good helmet, and a decent lock & enjoy the bike

Thanks guys I appreciate that. I ordered it with a rack and have a Giro helmet from Amazon.com ordered as well as a PB Blinky 5 rack light. Any suggestions on front lights? My commute is 14.5 each way and I'll probably be riding in the dark some.

If you are doing a lot of night riding, you need decent lights, modern hub / LED dynamos are great. Another option is a battery powered LED light, Dinottie make nice ones, as well as many others, what ever option you look at, it isn't going to be cheap, but 14.5 miles is a long way as well.

I run a pair of Planet Bike Blaze 2W lights in front and a pair of PB Blinky Superflash in the rear. I use NiMH rechargeables. I use them in "Superflash" mode day and night since most of my riding is in suburban areas and I use them to be seen rather than to see. New Jersey drivers are noted for their disregard of cyclists and my "light show" really gets their attention. I would definitely choose something else if I rode in dark areas but the serious light volume required would call for a big step up in battery capacity from AAs.