Help on getting a new bike
05-14-20 | 09:04 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Estrada or Nada
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
From: Herndon, VA
Bikes: 2007 GT Zum 5.0
Help on getting a new bike
I am having trouble deciding which bike to buy, and was hoping I could get some input. Being totally practical, I should buy this bike: Co-Op CTY 1.3 $1200. But I have been stopping at a bike shop with a brewery (Bike Lane in Reston, VA) a lot lately and I am just lusting after either the Trek FX 3 Disc in rage red ($800), or the Trek FX Sport Carbon 4 ($1700) in aqua. It feels like if I get the Co-Op, I'm getting a solid Accord, but with the Treks I'm getting a dream Corvette! Those Treks are just friggin beautiful - perfect blend of style and substance (IMO).
The big reason I am considering the Carbon 4 is NOT for the carbon frame, but for the 1X crankset. I have been riding a 1X for 15 years now, and I feel like getting the FX3 with the dual will get on my nerves after the initial excitement wears off. So, on to my questions:
1) If I get the FX3 (dual crankset), can I (later) have a shop convert it to a 1X for $4-500 or less? Will I also have to replace the cassette? It has 9 speeds and should be fine for my kind of riding if I was to have like a 38-42 crank on the front. Will this drivetrain be reliable? Any more than $500 to do this and I might as well go all in and get the Carbon 4.
2) If option 1 is not viable, is it cheaper and more reliable to change the larger of the dual crank from 46 to 40? That would at least enable me to generally keep it on the larger crank most of the time and only shift the front on serious uphills.
3) Has anyone switched from a 1X to a 2X and been fine with it? Right now I love not ever having to worry about cross-chaining. If it's too hilly, I downshift, and vice versa. Nothing else to worry about. Does dealing with a front shifter just become 2nd nature after a while?
3) If I decide to go balls out and get the Carbon 4... Is the Shimano GRX drivetrain more "frail?" I ask this because I know at a certain point with expensive road bikes, the components are built more for performance and light weight rather than utility and reliability. (The FX3 has an Acera derailler, which is coincidentally what I currently have on my old bike -GT Zum 5.0- and it has been pretty solid)
4) For me to consider a carbon frame is a little silly, considering my needs, but if I get 15 (or more) years of enjoyment out of it, the additional cost does not concern me. Assuming no major accidents, this bike should last me as long as an aluminum frame? I am guessing riding hard-packed trails is not a problem?
I really want to get the Trek FX3 as it is the cheapest and has the wow factor that gets me excited about spending money on a new bike. (Unfortunately, with quarantining and bikes selling like hot cakes, it is backordered, but I'm patient). But, as I stated, the dual crank is holding me back. TIA!
The big reason I am considering the Carbon 4 is NOT for the carbon frame, but for the 1X crankset. I have been riding a 1X for 15 years now, and I feel like getting the FX3 with the dual will get on my nerves after the initial excitement wears off. So, on to my questions:
1) If I get the FX3 (dual crankset), can I (later) have a shop convert it to a 1X for $4-500 or less? Will I also have to replace the cassette? It has 9 speeds and should be fine for my kind of riding if I was to have like a 38-42 crank on the front. Will this drivetrain be reliable? Any more than $500 to do this and I might as well go all in and get the Carbon 4.
2) If option 1 is not viable, is it cheaper and more reliable to change the larger of the dual crank from 46 to 40? That would at least enable me to generally keep it on the larger crank most of the time and only shift the front on serious uphills.
3) Has anyone switched from a 1X to a 2X and been fine with it? Right now I love not ever having to worry about cross-chaining. If it's too hilly, I downshift, and vice versa. Nothing else to worry about. Does dealing with a front shifter just become 2nd nature after a while?
3) If I decide to go balls out and get the Carbon 4... Is the Shimano GRX drivetrain more "frail?" I ask this because I know at a certain point with expensive road bikes, the components are built more for performance and light weight rather than utility and reliability. (The FX3 has an Acera derailler, which is coincidentally what I currently have on my old bike -GT Zum 5.0- and it has been pretty solid)
4) For me to consider a carbon frame is a little silly, considering my needs, but if I get 15 (or more) years of enjoyment out of it, the additional cost does not concern me. Assuming no major accidents, this bike should last me as long as an aluminum frame? I am guessing riding hard-packed trails is not a problem?
I really want to get the Trek FX3 as it is the cheapest and has the wow factor that gets me excited about spending money on a new bike. (Unfortunately, with quarantining and bikes selling like hot cakes, it is backordered, but I'm patient). But, as I stated, the dual crank is holding me back. TIA!
