toni_k

Hi all,

I'm trying to decide on a new bike and was wondering if anyone can provide some advice. I ride exclusively on bitumen/asphalt bike paths for recreation and to stay fit and always ride in nice weather. I'm currently using a Fuji Nevada mountain bike but would like to get something more suitable for bike paths. Looking through the web I think I've narrowed it down to 3 bikes:

Trek 7.6 FX - https://www.trekbikes.com/au/en/bikes...ss/fx/7_6_fx/#
I started looking at the Trek because a friend of mine has an older model and is very happy with it. I've read somewhere that the 7.6 is quite heavy though. Their website unfortunately doesn't specify the weight. The bike paths I ride on can be quite busy on weekends and thus require lot of slowing down and speeding up so weight of the bike would be a factor.

Giant Cross City RX 0 - https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/...7451/#overview
Giants seem to be very popular and this model has the Shimano 105 derailleurs which I think are better that the models offered on the other 2 bikes.

Scott Metrix20 - https://www.scott-sports.com/global/e...0-solution-xs/
Scott is the only company of the 3 that specifies the weight of the bike and at 9.84 kg it sounds fairly light, compared to my mountain bike at least. I also like the look of this bike.

As mentioned before I always ride in nice weather so I don't need disc brakes. I'd like the bike to be fairly fast but not too uncomfortable thus I'm looking at flat bar bikes. Most of my rides are 1-2 hours long. Goo quality smooth shifting is also important to me.

Many thanks in advance for any advice you can offer,
Toni

Dunbar

I wouldn't get too obsessed with weight on a hybrid. They're probably all going to be within 2-3lbs. of each other which will make zero difference to how fast you ride. The Giant is a better deal than the Trek. I don't see what Trek has added to the 7.6FX to justify a $200 price premium over the 7.5FX. I would honestly recommend buying a used hybrid at this point that you can resell in 6-12 months for little to no loss. A lot people in your position move on to road bikes and you'll take big loss when you got to sell the bike. And if you want to get an expensive hybrid in the future you can do that too.

no1mad 

Welcome to the Forums! And now for my $0.02:

-Any of those bikes will serve your purpose.
-Don't get your heart set on a model that you see online- your LBS may not be able to get it for you (distribution restrictions) or your size could be out of stock.
-Don't base your opinion solely on the listed weight. The reason is because a) parts/components can change and affect the total weight and b) some manufacturers will list the weight for the smallest frame size instead of for each frame size.

a1penguin

I like that Giant. I had really nice components and they use road components. 105 is excellent quality components. It's also geared more like a road bike. I would call that bike a flat bar road bike. The one think I don't like about the Trek (I hate mine too) is the rear cassette is 11-36. The spacing between the gears is too large and unless you are riding 15% grade all the time, you won't want something that low. The Scott has Sora components; those are road components, but are two levels below the 105. Unless you can get a really good deal on the Scott, I'd go for better components. Hybrid bikes will weight a bit more than road bikes; they are also a bit cheaper. In that price range you can probably might be able to find road bike in the 20 lb range if you shop around.

Ride each bike and see which one calls to you. Given the description of your riding style, I would say the Giant has specs that will fit requirements.

pierce

that Cross City RX 2.0 doesn't appear to be on the Giant US site (you linked to the Australian site).
It does appear to be the same bike (or at least very similar) as the Escape RX.0, here https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/...0/11659/55826/

$1275 is getting pretty rich for a hybrid.


p.s. bike manufacturers almost never specify weight. even for the exact same bike it can vary a fair amount depending on the size of the frame, and any minor changes in the details of the bike. I wouldn't obsess over weight, unless you're racing A class..

entshah

All great bikes. I personally just went through exactly what you did (replacing a old mountain bike with a hybrid / flatbar road bike). I had a few I liked, but narrowed it down to the Trek models as that's what my preferred Local Bike Shop carries. I wanted to have my LBS do all the service (and my preferred LBS does free adjustments for life if you purchase through them). If you're in the same boat as me then that might help you decide. If you're going to maintain it yourself then your LBS does not matter.

I had narrowed my choices to the Trek 7.5FX and Trek 9th District. There are many differences but the one of the main differences is that the 9th District has only one gear up front (with 9 gear cassette in the back) thus limiting the available gear range and ratios. Depending on where you ride a 9-gear bike may be enough - in FL that's plenty. So, I decided on the 2013 9th District and am very happy with it. If you are curious the 54 cm size weighs in at 22 pounds (a pound lighter than the 2013 7.5FX 20 inch size - I'd venture to guess that the 7.6FX is similar weight). Be careful about posted weights on manufacturer's websites: the 9.84 kg probably refers to the XS size for the Scott bike. So, as Dunbar has already pointed out the differences in weight will probably be very small indeed.

Other things I considered (mostly superficial reasons): how prominent the bike branding was on the bike frame (I did not want to be a moving advertisement for Trek), internal cable routing (makes getting on-off bike carrier a little easier), ride quality (probably the most important thing anyway), and price.

Good luck!

toni_k

Thanks for all the feedback guys. The bikes I listed are all Australian models as I'm from Melbourne.

I just tried a Kona PhD in a shop near by which is on sale for $1300. Very nice bike to ride and quite aggressive riding position. It was a 56 cm frame (last one) and it felt just a tad too small. The guy in the store put it on a scale and it came in at 9.3 kg.

I then also rode a Trek 7.6 FX in 20" in another store and that felt more upright and comfortable and also better in size. The guy from the store actually suggested a lower spec 7.3 FX as a starting point that doesn't break the bank at $550. I'm going back there in couple of days to try it in a 20" size. The weight of the bike felt similar to the Kona so I don't think weight will play a big part in the decision.

Cheers,
Toni

pierce

yeah, if you're riding for fitness, don't take the weight too seriously, as long as the bike rides well, given that you're limited to 1-2 hour rides... I'm on the wrong side of 200 lbs, and my bike as currently kitted out weighs about 33 lbs. (fenders, rack, water bottle, lights, rack top bag, lock), and does me just fine on 1-2 hour rides of 12-20 miles.

ok, thats 95kg (me) and 15kg (bike) and 20-30km

DowneasTTer

I'm probably late to the party. But just did this as I wanted to replace a couple of 18 year mongoose crossway 850's. Tried most of the hybrids in the $1 -1.5k range and decided to buy a couple of Giant Escape RX 0's (which appears to be the same as Cross City one in AU). Hope to pick up from my LBS later this week. My short list also had Cannondale Quick SL 1s but the LBS was 40 miles away and I didn't know them well. The local guy is a Giant dealer and has worked on my bikes since we moved to town. Like others here have posted anyone of these fine machines will more than meet your needs. Buy from the dealer and bike you feel most comfortable with.

Enjoy your new ride.

Mudgut

I recently decided to upgrade my 90ish Spec Crossroads and tested the 7.5, Sirrus, RX0, and Jamis Allegro. All very nice bikes but ended up with a Felt F65X CX bike. I never thought I would like the drop bars but on a CX bike. The riding position is more relaxed than on a road bike and the bars offer more hand positions than a hybrid. To me it rides much smoother than the RX0. It was a tossup between the F65X and the Spec Tricross but nobody had a Tricross locally. I can now ride longer and farther without numbness in my hands and shoulder.

lilpoindexter

I was contemplating a Trek 7.3 or 7.4 a week ago, when I discovered the Fuji Absolute 1.4. I thought it looked better than the Trek's, to me, and It also seemed like a better value. It sounds a little shallow, but if you like the looks of the Scott, get that.

Baggyone

Got the 7.2 fx from trek. Wonderful machine. Imho it's all about the ride position rather than a particular componant. In time, all bits will get replaced anyway.

DJ Shaun

I agree, the ride position is very important. That's why I ended up with a Giant Rapid 2 last year. It was one of the few hybrid models the LBS carried that came in a M/L which is the perfect size for me. The others felt just a bit too small or a bit too large.

It's true that the components will all get replaced over time. My Mountain bike from 4 years only has a few original parts left other than the frame: front derailleur, front chainring, crankset, shifters, brake levers & rear brakes.

pierce

it really depends on the bike. my mountain bike from 30(!) years ago, ALL I've replaced is the front wheel because the old one was scrunched by a car in a driveway in the early 90s, the seat cuz the old one wore out, the chain (numerous times for wear), tires (duh!), and the rear Suntour Moun-tech derailleur because I totally wore out the upper idler cogs on the original. oh, and it came with nasty mafac cantilever brakes which I promptly replaced with Deore cantis circa 1984.

DJ Shaun

True. It certainly depends on the bike and also its use.

The fact that my mountain bike is of moderate quality and that I converted it to a quasi-hybrid and then to a winter bike has certainly hasten the replacement of parts.

My hybrid on the other hand I only upgraded the pedals (SPD) and tires (Gatorskins). Next spring the brake pads for sure and maybe the chain/cables. Typical wear & tear items. I don't foresee any other changes since it's a much better quality bike.

pierce

yeah, tires, pads, chains, cables are regular maintenance items.

said 30 yr old mtn bike



its now up at my son's college as a rainy day commuter so he can save his nice road bike. It was a 3x5 speed, heh, although I had to put a 7 speed on it when the original freewheel wore out, and redish the rear wheel.