Hi all,

As per my last post, I have been searching for a replacement to my 90's cromo marin larkspur which I use for 2 purposes

5 mile daily office commute (all on road)
weekend light trails with childseat (and 2.5 yr old) on the back wheel

I feel that a hybrid is the way to go, not too sloppy on the road, but sturdy enough on light trails with my daughter on it too.

I have seen a 'used once' trek 7.3 fx for sale locally for 60% of the new rrp...

What are your guys thoughts on the bike? Is it up to the job?

Crucially will it suffice in all weathers (silly snow excepted!) whilst still being relatively pacey?

Sorry to ask, but given that I had a 20 yr old hybrid, and have built a fixie using a 70s 431 tourer, I am a little behind the latest...

Many thanks

Any trail that you are willing to take with a child in a child seat will be fine for the bike. They also make incredible commuters and lite touring bikes. Enjoy

I cannot judge the service schedule that you plan, to keep that low mileage bike

up to the same reliability, going forward in time.

assembly attention to detail and service after the sale, is one thing that makes a 'bike' better or lesser.

These Urban/Fitness bikes seem very popular for commuting here in Chicago, as I see quite a few locked up all over the place. My girlfriend has a Specialized Vita (which is in this category) and she commutes, has a rack/pannier and does weekend rides and it seems to be working fine for her.

The 7.3, being part of this category, I think would suit this purpose, though it is not going to be as fast as a road bike, it will be better than a cruiser/upright hybrid. If you want to go a bit more aggressive you could also consider a cylocross bike, which are also popular with commuters, though I have no experience with a child seat on this type of bike.

I have a 15 mile commute and the trek 7.3 is fine.

At first I thought it was a little too slow, but I realized that it wasn't really the bike but:
1) The engine, as I have gotten in better shape since i bought the bike a few weeks ago
2) The heavy load and 5lb lock that I bring to work - I have since done my best to leave clothes and shoes at work if I drive and pack a lighter lunch if possible.
3) Not enough tire pressure as I was trying to get a more "comfortable ride". Now I just max out the pressure and it feels fine.

The bike works great for me. This is my fourth week commuting. The first week I rode 2 times. The second 2 times. The third only once because of a work deadline, and this week I plan on riding monday through thursday (not feasable Friday). It's comfortable to me. Yesterday after my 30 miles round trip commute I went another 10 miles round trip to the store and I didn't even want to get off the bike afterwards.

A benefit that I enjoy from a hybrid is that when I am riding my mother or girlfriend, slow riders, it is a lot more comfortable than riding slowly on a road bike (I used to own an old roadie4 or so years ago in college).

Yes, it's probably a little slower than a roadie, but I can do a 14.5 mile ride in 58 minutes if I limit my load to about 7 pounds or so. 61-65 minutes with significantly more weight. While I'm 26 and eat a very healthy non-processed food diet, before riding 280 miles in the last 4 or so weeks, hadn't ridden much in years. I'm all for the Trek 7.3, but then again I haven't commuted long on a different bike.

Thanks all, your feedback is much appreciated. If I 'win' the bike I will add in an update. For now I am loving the commute on the fixie, but missing the Marin (and the marathon plus tyres which I highly recommended) for weekend rides with the family. Fingers crossed!

Great commuter. My favorite of that genre was the Giant FCR, but the Trek will do the job just fine.