zen-girl

Hi there,


Y'all helped me before when I needed help with hubby biking to work..Now I want to buy him a bike so he CAN do this Mostly because last night it took him 1.5 hours to walk home and he ended up with HUGE blisters on his feet..poor guy.


We know that he wants a Trek bike. He will be biking on paved roads with some hills. Personally I'm getting myself a 7.2fx but what would you recommend for him He'd also be using the bike for leisure biking with me and possibly hauling a trailer at times.



TIA

krazygluon

I'd say the 7.x FX or 7x00 series hybrids would probably be a good match for him too if he wants trek and wants to do leisure riding with you. Definitely stay in the hybrid category. While it is possible to take a mountain bike and convert it for commuting, if he's getting new it'll be easier to get a hybrid/road/commuting design and jump right into to things.

Now if he watched as many stages of the Tour as he could find time for, the Trek 1000 might not be a bad option.

manual_overide

I just got a 7.3fx and it's wonderful. I was able to ride up my hill with it the other day for the first time! I should say climb my wall instead though. I live on a very steep hill where 4 or 5 roads have been converted into stairways because they are too steep for traffic. My 7.3 made it up in low granny gear, but I was still able to climb up it. It also has a full compliment of mount points for fenders, rear AND front racks. Your 7.2 will be much the same as my bike. Buy 2 of them and ask the LBS for some discounts or goodies because you are buying 2 bikes at once.

gerv 

I think most bikers in your area stick with mountain bikes. The wider, knobby tires are a little more comfortable and stable in slushy Spring and Fall conditions. Also great for curbs. Unfortunately, the wide tires mean you travel slower.

Whether a mountain bike or hybrid, make sure you get something with a granny gear (ie, 3 chainrings in the front.) so you can get up the steepest hills.

You should probably get some advice from folks who commute in your area. Also you should try to get him a bike that fits. Visit a bike shop!

nelson249

First place, I would go to look for a bike is Bill's Cycle on Long's Hill and talk to Rhonda. I am not sure what they are carrying as far as brands are concerned (last time I was in they were carrying Norco), but I had both my Mongoose and my Bianchi in for service there repeatedly when I lived in St. John's and found them to be superb. The store doesn't look like much from the outside, but their staff has been in the bike business for eons and they really seemed to care about the customer.

Oh yes, buy fenders... you'll need them

Best of luck

zen-girl

Hi there,

Thanks for letting me know about Bills. We found treks at Canarys but will see what Bill is carrying.

Luckily we wont be doing the steep hills around downtown..I'm still too much of a wimp for that..cant even walk up them to get home yet. lol. Mostly for the outter areas of St. John's and for hubbys commute to Mount Pearl.

zen-girl

Hi there,

Thanks...we have visited a couple of LBS' in our area. We for sure wont be tackling any steep hills, not for awhile at least. I'm a big wuss right now and the downtown area hills are VERY steep

Will check into the Mountain bikes also

shakeNbake

Wow, he's a lucky guy!

Another vote for the FX, I rode one. Really comfy, but at the same time nimble & fast.

nelson249

Yup, hills around downtown can be a real bear. I really did not enjoy the high gearing on my old Bianchi.... Geez, I thought I would die.....

nasiralpharia

Yes another vote for the trek FX series. I own a 7.2fx and I think its a good beginner bike. Good gearing, good brakes, and mounting points for rack and fenders. Of course, now I want 5 more bikes, one for each task, but their will always be a place for my FX.

SDRider

Man, I have to hide my bike purchases from my wife.

jyossarian

Just make sure whatever he gets he's comfortable on. Nothing worse than an uncomfortable bike.

zen-girl

Thanks again everyone for the advise Buying for him means that we can both indulge a bit in a soon to be obsession of course I can imagine it wont be a cheap obsession either but I'd rather get a good bike to start than a Wal-Mart back to school special . I've been wanting a bike for awhile now. We are car free and the public bus system here isnt the best. They dont even have bike racks on the buses. Man I miss Portland Oregon


Will keep everyone posted. I'd like to try and get him a bike by next weekend.

( I must be a good wife; I sold off a bunch of personal colletibles of MINE for his bike fund)

nasiralpharia

Your not the only one man... She complains, but I use a tip I learned off BF... I threaten to start driving everyday. If I did, she knows that I would need a car real soon because mine is on its last legs. That would be way more expensive obviously.