Timber_8

I have been reading & have had it suggested to change my stock tires out for Skinner road tires. I am running my stock tires that came with my Trek 7.2 and I believe 28 X 700 is the skinniest tire I can use on my stock rims.

The bottom line is will it make enough of a difference to bother with the expense

10 Wheels

I did that 35's to 28's
Easier to pedal, harsher ride.

leob1

1. yes
2. how much of a load are you going to carry? 28 are still pretty beefy.
Make the switch.

trinamuous

Correct.

Immediately noticable. I have the same bike. New tires was my first change...it made for a much more spirited and efficient ride. At least for me...I like to accelerate quickly and ride at a brisk, high-cadence pace.

I commute with a 13+ lbs on the rear rack. I add 10 psi to the rear when loaded. Only flat (overnight slow one) I have had was from neglecting to remove embedded road junk before I know any better. Granted, depending on a rider's weight, maybe a 700x32 is better. My 13 lbs of gear is added to ~150 lbs of rider.

You didn't mention how long your commute is. I forget, but, as I have suggested before, I believe it is long enough to warrant a more efficient tire. It doesn't necessarily need to be a smooth 700x28 tire, but something better than the treaded bricks (i.e., heavy) that comce stock on the 7.2 FX.

FWIW, I recently went back to the 700x35s during winter for a bit. Really hated them at first, but then found out I needed to inflate the rear a bit more when loaded (60f/90r). The improvement was significant, but I still much prefer to ride the 700x28s if I can. I'm debating trying a fairly light, 700x32 tire when the 700x28s wear out...not sure what.

Timber_8

My commuteis 15 miles each way and I am about 180 lbs now

Wanderer

Doesn't that Trek come with 32s?

If so, I think it will ride harder. And you will notice it. I have a 40 on the rear, and a 35 on the front of my Crosstrail, and can really tell the difference when I had a 35 on the back. zit rode much harder. It was manageable, just harder, and not as "nice."

On the front, it's unlikely that you will notice anything but quicker and more precise steering. If you put much weight on that front rack, you might notice more harshness in the steering.

Would I "might" switch to more narrow tires? Sure, but I have two each of the Marathon Supremes in both 35 and 40 width (actually, speced 37 and 42 erto- but labelled 35 and 40) to wear out, and I really like the softer ride of the 40 in the back. That's noticeable! Maybe, after wearing the 40s out, I'll try a 28 on the front, with a 35 on the rear. I'll have to see what sizes Schwalbe offers, when the time comes.

Timber_8

I think I will just run these tires out, The all aluminum bike rides hard enough, I feel enough bumps in the road. I'll max out my air pressure and see how that will do. I tend to air the bike once a week, maybe I'll try checking the pressure daily, funny how the obvious doesn't cross your mind sometimes. The last thing I want to do is make ride any harsher than it is.

trinamuous

The 7.2 comes with 35s. Comparing Marathon Supremes to the stock Bontragers isn't very fair That's a pricey "best of both worlds" tire.

Timber, make sure you don't overinflate. Both under- and over-inflation have consequences. Check out https://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#pressure if you need a starting point. After trying max, low, and in-between, I settled on 60f/80r and 60f/90r on the 700x35 Bonts when unloaded and loaded, respectively.