live311

I have the 7.1FX. It's a great bike for recreational riding on rail trails and tooling around town. If you're looking for something more for fitness I would save up for at least a 7.2. The 7.1 has been great but the cheap Mega-Range cassette doesn't suit my taste. Also the seat is built more for comfort riding than performance. I've also heard that the frame on 7.2 and higher is higher quality than the 7.1, though the 7.1 has performed just fine for me.

common man

very true for guys like you who do thousands and thousands of miles. people who don't ride as much (like me ) will probably not wear out deore components for such a long time that it becomes irrelevant.

dynaryder

Incorrect. As long as you are talking same manufacturer(Shimano,SRAM,Campy) most components will play well together. I own/have owned bikes that mixed road and MTB components with no issues. Somthing like trying to use an 8sp rear with a high-end(DuraAce,Red) front derailleur might cause an issue,because of the width of the chain,but in this instance,the OP can run a Deore,LX,XT,or XTR front with no issues.

Yes it is.

All you'll have to upgrade is the derailleur.

Done. You could also post this question to the Mechanics Forum.

You're not really going to get anything out of upgrading the front derailleur. If you upgraded to say,XT or XTR,along with the rest of the groupo,you would,but just swapping the front derailleur isn't going to net you anything noticable.

Also,for the OP,at the level of these bikes,comparing the framesets and components is really splitting hairs. The Novato has discs;if you're going to do alot of riding in the rain,or if you'll be riding in snow,than these will be of benefit over the other bikes' rim brakes. Otherwise,it's how the bikes fit you,and how you feel riding them that you shold be judging.

common man

whoa whoa whoa...that's a direct contradiction to what my lbs told me. i have a trek 7.2 fx 2008.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/archive/72fx

i wanted to upgrade to front ($30) and rear deore derailleurs ($30). i did not because lbs told me that i'd have to upgrade the other components that i talked about.

so you're telling me that i can get crisp, reliable, deore shifting by just buying the front and rear derailers? i don't care if the shifters themselves are plastic or if the pedals are nylon instead of metal. the crank is stiff enough. that's awesome...i'll have to visit another lbs soon.

apologies for spreading incorrect facts

dynaryder

^^^If that's your bike,then yeah,you can upgrade to Deores no prob. If you had alot of mileage,then the shop might've thought it was a good idea to swap the chain,and maybe the cassette and rings too,but that would be to replace worn parts,not make things compatible(unless they were upselling you). Also realise,the actual indexing for shifts occurs in the shifter,not the derailleurs,so running the stock shifters with upgraded derailleurs wouldn't net a big improvement.

How many miles on the bike? It might just need a good tuning and cable lubing. Otherwise,I think you'd do better to swap the shifters and rear derailleur,and leave the front,unless you were planning on going up to LX or better. Nashbar,Performance Bike,and REI(in store) occationally have some sweet deals.

common man

so isn't it pointless to upgrade the front derailer (such as lx or xt) without upgrading the shifters? or are you saying that the front derailers all perform similarly unless going to xt, xtr, etc. i've heard that the cassette sprockets make a big difference in shifting too and perhaps this is also why my lbs suggested changing them. if this is the case then literally compatibility is not an issue but in terms of desired performance (the point of the upgrade) there is an issue with previous components like the shifters.

dynaryder

This. Front derailleurs are pretty much the same unless you're comparing one end of the spectrum to another(Deore vs XTR).

High-end cassettes have better-shaped teeth for cleaner shifting,but again,as with front derailleurs,it's only noticable between high and low end.

Like I said,how old is the bike? If it's high-mileage,then things could be worn out. Otherwise,they may just need a good cleaning and adjusting.

common man

thanks for all your help. the trek has seen 500 miles only. i guess it just needs a cleaning & tuning.

Wanderer

500 miles is still brand new - yes, you would notice much better shifting with a good cleaning, lubricating, and adjusting - you could just be dealing with "cable stretch" which is really just bedding in of the cables.

NOTHING on that bike should need replacing, at this stage. And, keeping the drivetrain clean and lubricated will make it last a very long time - oil is magic!

Tornbacchus

I have a Brand new shimano tourney RD TX 31 that I bought a couple weeks ago.

Is the Shimano Tourney rear derailleur better than what is on the 7.1 FX? It looks a lot more heavy duty than what is on there. If it is better, I am thinking of asking my LBS to put the shimano tourney on instead of the stock acera rear derailleur.

Does anyone know which one is better?

Thanks

Wanderer

Leave the Acera on there - when it craps out, you have a good replacement. it will be fine if kept clean, oiled, and adjusted.

dynaryder

+1 on what Wanderer said;if the bike is that new you're prolly just having the cables bed in.

Tornbacchus

Alright well I ended up buying the Trek 7.1 FX last Monday and have put almost 200km on it in 6 days. It runs great, no problems at all. Just have to take it back in for adjustments to get the cables tightened back up.

Thanks for all your help. I'm happy I got the Trek.