Replace or upgrade?
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Replace or upgrade?
Hi all, I'm looking for some advice.
TLDR: bought a trek fx 7.1 last fall for a good price but I really don't like it. Trying to decide between spending money on upgrades or buying a different bike.
Last fall I got a deal on a 2015 Trek Fx 7.1 ($290) at an LBS. The problem is that I hate it. I was previously riding a single speed with a chromoly frame, but the city I live in now is way too hilly for that. I find the trek to be too heavy and slow--the rear gear is 14 instead of 11 and I find I spend most of my time in the hardest gear. Going downhill it's not easy to get good speed. The bike might also be too big for me. I'm 5'8 with a 33 instep and have a 20" frame, but have dropped the handles for a sportier feel.
I'm thinking of selling the trek and buying a new bike - giant escape 1 or 2 (probably 2). I feel dumb doing this as I should have just bought a different bike last fall. The alternative is to upgrade my trek.
So do I sink money into the Trek or buy a new bike?
TLDR: bought a trek fx 7.1 last fall for a good price but I really don't like it. Trying to decide between spending money on upgrades or buying a different bike.
Last fall I got a deal on a 2015 Trek Fx 7.1 ($290) at an LBS. The problem is that I hate it. I was previously riding a single speed with a chromoly frame, but the city I live in now is way too hilly for that. I find the trek to be too heavy and slow--the rear gear is 14 instead of 11 and I find I spend most of my time in the hardest gear. Going downhill it's not easy to get good speed. The bike might also be too big for me. I'm 5'8 with a 33 instep and have a 20" frame, but have dropped the handles for a sportier feel.
I'm thinking of selling the trek and buying a new bike - giant escape 1 or 2 (probably 2). I feel dumb doing this as I should have just bought a different bike last fall. The alternative is to upgrade my trek.
So do I sink money into the Trek or buy a new bike?
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Your city is hilly. You find yourself in the hardest (highest) gear. You want an 11T cog but the Trek comes with a 14T as the smallest. You live in a hilly city. There is some incongruity in what you are saying here.
Do you want a lighter bike that can handle hills better, but with high enough gearing to go fast on descents? Is this right?
Do you want a lighter bike that can handle hills better, but with high enough gearing to go fast on descents? Is this right?
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Your city is hilly. IYou find yourself in the hardest (highest) gear. You want an 11T cog but the Trek comes with a 14T as the smallest. You live in a hilly city. There is some incongruity in what you are saying here.
Do you want a lighter bike that can handle hills better, but with high enough gearing to go fast on descents? Is this right?
Do you want a lighter bike that can handle hills better, but with high enough gearing to go fast on descents? Is this right?
Edit: I'm also concerned about cost because I'm a student, and I don't want a road bike because I work in a high theft area.
Last edited by goosegooseduck; 06-02-17 at 11:28 AM.
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Wouldn't take much to change the cassette, other than that, if you don't like the bike you should find a new one.
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Having bought it for $250 you could probably sell it for that much or more. Use the proceeds to buy a bike that you do like and that fits properly.
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It sounds like your primary problems are gearing and fit. Gearing can be changed easily, but fit cannot. If the bike is not a good fit, then I don't think I'd put a lot of money into it. I will say that Trek claims the FX weighs about 27 pounds -- that's not all that heavy. I think you'll be hard-pressed to find something that's appreciably lighter. You might ask your local bike shop to weigh other bikes in the same class to see if you'll achieve a significant weight savings by switching to another bike. If you do decide to sell it or trade it, I'd advise something with a carbon fork. That's going to be your best chance of finding a package that's noticeably lighter.
Best of luck!
Best of luck!
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Hi all, I'm looking for some advice.
TLDR: bought a trek fx 7.1 last fall for a good price but I really don't like it. Trying to decide between spending money on upgrades or buying a different bike.
Last fall I got a deal on a 2015 Trek Fx 7.1 ($290) at an LBS. The problem is that I hate it. I was previously riding a single speed with a chromoly frame, but the city I live in now is way too hilly for that. I find the trek to be too heavy and slow--the rear gear is 14 instead of 11 and I find I spend most of my time in the hardest gear. Going downhill it's not easy to get good speed. The bike might also be too big for me. I'm 5'8 with a 33 instep and have a 20" frame, but have dropped the handles for a sportier feel.
I'm thinking of selling the trek and buying a new bike - giant escape 1 or 2 (probably 2). I feel dumb doing this as I should have just bought a different bike last fall. The alternative is to upgrade my trek.
So do I sink money into the Trek or buy a new bike?
TLDR: bought a trek fx 7.1 last fall for a good price but I really don't like it. Trying to decide between spending money on upgrades or buying a different bike.
Last fall I got a deal on a 2015 Trek Fx 7.1 ($290) at an LBS. The problem is that I hate it. I was previously riding a single speed with a chromoly frame, but the city I live in now is way too hilly for that. I find the trek to be too heavy and slow--the rear gear is 14 instead of 11 and I find I spend most of my time in the hardest gear. Going downhill it's not easy to get good speed. The bike might also be too big for me. I'm 5'8 with a 33 instep and have a 20" frame, but have dropped the handles for a sportier feel.
I'm thinking of selling the trek and buying a new bike - giant escape 1 or 2 (probably 2). I feel dumb doing this as I should have just bought a different bike last fall. The alternative is to upgrade my trek.
So do I sink money into the Trek or buy a new bike?
Spin faster. 100rpm is a good baseline cruising speed. A 46x14 will hit 30mph at 120rpm. As for downhill max speed, I usually just pedal til I spin out
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Thanks for the advice everyone! I've decided to replace my bike. I think with a pretty significant upgrade to a Giant Rapid 2 or a Rapid 3.
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