dfwotx

I recently picked up a used Trek 7100 just to get a little exercise. I've been enjoying it and thought I might get something new and a little nicer. Mainly, I wish I had something that felt a little more sturdy, or heavy duty. That, and I don't think the front fork is helping at all.

I'm not opposed to a mountain bike, but I'm not sure that's what I need. I'm wondering if there's a hybrid type bike out there for someone my size that would feel a little more substantial then the 7100.

I'm 6'4" (34/35" inseam) and weigh ~290.

Most of the riding I do is poking around the neighborhood, paved trails, just riding for fitness. I don't ride fast or aggressively.

Just looking for some suggestions...

phlydude

I have a Trek navigator 1.0 - no suspension in the front fork or seat post
I don't ride fast but getting above 18MPH with only 7 gears is tough unless going down hill

But it serves its purpose for the time being

6"0 - 31" inseam and 301 lbs (bought it when I was 325) - no issues with it

But there are many opinions out there...

magohn

Im 6'0 and 285lbs and love my Trek Fx 7.3. Great bike!

dfwotx

how is it going uphill?

mgw189

Love my Trek 7.3fx its great... I use it for commuting and will be buying some studded snows here in the next week or so since the cold weather is coming and we sometimes see snow by the end of October. I am 5'9" 30" inseam and about 280

Allen55

the Trek 7000 is a hybrid. I have that one. Does well for me, but Im short at 5-7 280.

Mr. Beanz

Sorry man, but having 7 gears has nothing to do with going over 18 mph. Fitness does, not number of gears.

Funny, I have had other riders tell me that they couldn't keep up because they only had 8 gears and not 9 like my bike. The funny part, I was riding my 39 ring up front and they were riding a 53 up front, my gear was much smaller and I spinning a higher cadence, but they thought I was in a big gear.

Might do you some good to read up on some gear info on sheldonbrowndotcom or similar. Never hurts to educate oneself on gear combos and such.

Just and example:

an old 6 speed from the 80's has a high of 53 in the front as well as a 12 in the rear but only 6 speeds.

a modern 10 speed has a 53 in front and 12 in the rear but has 10 gears......................Eventhough one has 6 and the other 10, they share the same high end gear inch combo.

phlydude

Not that there are a lot of hills to conquer around here in the Atlantic Coastal Plains, but each one I have climbed so far, it has done alright on

phlydude

You obviously have never ridden a Navigator 1.0

It is a good bike for getting around but a speed demon it isn't. The crank is small and has 1 sprocket - the rear is where all 7 gear changes reside.
This bike once you get it over 18-20 MPH feels like you are over pedaling - sure, you can keep the revs up but you aren't going any faster
Take a look at the specs and tell me what you think after seeing them (and give the reviews a gander, I'm not the only one that complains about there being a top speed on this bike).
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes.../navigator_1_0

I spent not a whole lot in the scheme of things to get a decent quality bike but with the desire to stay away from front suspension (which bottomed out on each bike a tried) and staying away from road specific bikes (for the time being), this is what my local LBS suggested and I agreed with.

wfournier

The bike is probably a little different than what most are thinking of, that being said with the top gear of 42-14 at 80 rpm your hitting 18 mph and at 90 you hit 20. 80 rpm is certainly not an overly high cadence. That being said if you are looking to ride at 18 mph+ on a regular basis you are probably better off on a road bike.

As far as the OP's question, can you expand a little bit on why you feel you need something more "heavy duty"? I think we all understand the weight concerns (I started at 325 and am now 280) but there is no reason the 7100 should not be a "sturdy" bike. It might make sense to replace the suspension seatpost, seat and make sure the adjustable stem is tight but other than that I don't see any reason why it can't work. Unless the case is you just want something new, which is ok too. Something from the Trek FX series (or similar) would probably fit the bill for a more road oriented hybrid if that is what you are looking for.

phlydude

Yeah - the cadence isn't overly high but for someone that hasn't biked in 18 years and just getting into it again, it isn't fun and not something you can maintain for an extended period of time either...
I equate it to a car, you could keep it in 3rd gear and run @ 5000 RPM to get to 75 MPH but when you have 4th, 5th (and possibly 6th) at your disposal, why not use them? This bike is lacking the 4th, 5th and 6th gear - it is like a 1970's 3 spd automatic - not meant to go much more than 65 MPH (could be why all the speedometers on those GMs only went to 85MPH)

hounds2

hello, i am 55, 5-10, 305 lbs and i went from a trek pure to a gary fisher hybrid manona. i love it. i did a 40 mile railtrail with it last sunday and loved it. it carries my fat hind end really well and was reasonably priced too. i looked at its specs and it says its supposed to my made to take 300 lbs. i also hear that people like the trek 7.* hybrids too. i looked at one but they didnt have it my size and the fisher was a year old and cheaper. that style of bike works well for me. good luck.

jethro56 

I'm with wfournier on this The 7100 is sturdy. The components are inexpensive. I have a 7300 that I've had to replace the rear deraileur after 2500 miles. (b-tension adjustment too loose for a 12-25 cassette). We need to hear more about what you'd like to upgrade on this N+1.

Mr. Beanz

I see the bike is a bit different but again, I run a 39/14 at about 95 rpm. And by your own statement, it seems you agree with me that it is your fitness holding you back.

But I have to say a road bike would be much better at 18.

phlydude

Sure, I won't deny that I am not the most fit person...hell, I was 500 lbs a little over a year ago.

But when the resistance disappears from the pedaling motion, it feels like I am out of gearing to keep that pace up...like when you shift down too quickly because you know a stop is coming up...pedaling like the chain came off the sprocket

Bunnicula

Get a Navigator 2, better bike than the 1. But no, it's not a speed demon by any stretch of the imagination. It IS sturdy, comfortable, and well balanced.

dfwotx

Well, this Trek is the only bike I've been on in the last 25 years, so I don't have anything to compare it to. Maybe I'm just a big guy and expected to feel a little more sturdy (for lack of a better term). I just thought there might be something out there more over-built, maybe meant for a bigger rider.

dfwotx

Is there something out there that might be a little heavier/sturdier than this 7100?

dhender02

6'0 - 230lbs, LUV my Trek FX 7.3. But then again, the only thing I can compare it to were the dept store type bikes I had in the past. Almost everything is an improvement over those bikes..