trek 7.2 fx vs 7.2 disc
 

I have decided to purchase a trek 7.2 fx but I can’t decide / fully understand, the difference between the trek 7.2 fx with rim brakes vs. trek 7.2 disk. And what is the quality of the disc brake vs. rim.

Thank you

The rim brakes will stop you great. The disc brakes will stop you great even when you've been riding in water. And over a few thousand miles the disc brakes won't wear out your wheels.

Also, disc brakes weigh more.

I rode the trek 7.1 for 3 years (before I started riding a road bike) and loved it.
Question - A fellow cyclist I know was trying to figure out if the components on the disc brakes were as good as the rim brakes, or if trek is skimping on a tad on the quality of disc brakes to give you the "best technology" - don't know...maybe someone else out there has an idea....

Discs are the future of bicycle braking.......... to me it would be a no brainer................. IMHO

DISC, DISC, DISC...Don't go with rim brakes...it's so 20th century ;-) Disc brakes give you better stopping power, wont ruin your rims, will last much longer, will look much better... If you worry about the weight difference - just eat few less raisins before the ride.

Interesting. I looked up the two bikes. Trek used to spec their FX Discs with alloy forks,now this one has a Cro-Mo one. And the plain FX has a Hi-Ten one. So it looks like they've upgraded the fork on the Disc model.

Aj Art: the two are pretty much the same except for the fork and brakes. The discs will add some weight,but the fork will be a tad lighter,so weigh between the two is a wash. If you're only going to ride in nice weather,and are on a tight enough budget that $50 means alot,then the plain FX will be fine. If you're going to ride in all weather,the Disc model is worth the extra dosh.

Disk all the way. I just got my first set of DB's on a new Trek 3500. Rim style is history for me. They stop sooo much better and are much more predictable wet or dry. Also, that "heavier" issue is a Non issue IMHO.

I don't commute with the bike---only for leisure. That means I don't bike when it's raining out. With that said, disc brakes don't offer me anything. low end disc brakes suck, let's be honest. If you need your bike to withstand all weather conditions, by all means get the disc brakes.

+1.

Low end v brakes with kool stop pads work far better, are far lighter and far easier to keep in adjustment. All for a much lower price.

Get some kool stop salmon pads instead of mechanic disc brakes.

I have the 2013 model 7.2fx Disc. I initially didn't really care about the disc brakes and the only reason I chose it is because that's the only model the LBS had in stock. I'm happy with them so far and have been riding in all weather for about a year now with no complaints. I see why people might worry about the weight of them but honestly if you aren't racing i don't think that would be a problem.

Is is worth the additional $110 for the disc break upgrade between the two?

Seems hard to justify.

I don't have discs on my 2 bikes, but I was curious-
How susceptible are the disc to getting bent/dinged up when servicing bearings, changing tires etc?

Where are you riding? Flat, rolling hills, mountains with long descents? Rim brakes are fine and work well but if you are planning big hills/mountains, then get the disc brakes, otherwise ... save your money IMO. After about 2000 miles on my 7.3 FX with rim brakes last year I would not consider disc brakes.

Neighbor has the 2014 7.2 FX w/disc and the braking is nothing special...doesn't feel any better than my 2014 7.4 w/standard brakes. So other than if you are going to be riding in rain/wet weather, I don't see the ROI on a 7.2 disc over 7.2 standard. If your a fair-weather rider, I'd take the extra $ and spend more on better lights and stuff that will help w/your safety/comfort.

Yeah, I'm deciding between the fx 7.2 with or without disc brakes. It's a big difference in pricing. I could use the extra funds to get extra supplies needed ( new helmet, computer, seat bag, etc). With living on the eastern shore, MD, is fairly flat here. But i do travel frequently and will start taking the bike on trips with me, yet don't really think at this point spending the additional $110 is worth it.

I have heard that disc brakes puts more pressure on the forks, rims and spokes. With already being a 300+ lbs rider, I don't need that extra strain on the bike.

If you are not planning to ride in the rain or snow, there are advantages to rim brakes:

1) lighter
2) simpler
3) parts and/or replacements more readily available

While I can understand the wear on a rim is an issue in the long term for rim brakes (based on the multitudes of responses that mention it), l have ridden thousands of miles on gravel rail trails etc, and I have yet to get any noticeable wear on my rims. For some vintage bikes I have seen, the anodized rims still have their thin layer of color after thousands of miles. Remember, you only use your brakes when slowing or stopping, and if you are like most of us, this is a very small proportion of your riding time.

Until such time as disc brakes cost the same as rim brakes, I have decided I will probably never use them unless I decide I need a bike to ride in the wet, muck and grit. But, I could be the exception. :)

Actually,neither of those are correct. I own a fleet of disc(and other) bikes,and have wrenched north of 1K bikes at my clinic. Discs are less futzy to set up and adjust,require fewer adjustments(hydros basically require none),and the pads last much longer. Finding parts is no different than finding parts for any other standard brakes. FYI,if you're going to go on tour through Africa,you'll have just as many problems finding canti/V brake parts as you will disc parts.

Disks blow

Sounds like you've never had a good set then.

While I've riden Mt bikes with Xt and XTR brakes and yes they are very good the hydro disk brakes on my 8.4DS were better. Not to say I couldnt toss myself over the bars with good rim brakes the effort required to do the same on discs was less.

Personally given the the option I would never go back to rim brakes....Ever.

Buy a couple pair of kool stop pads. You'll save a lot of money and weight and the brakes will be just as powerful, if not more so.

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Personally given the the option I would never go back to rim brakes....Ever.[/QUOTE]

My exact sentiments for disc brakes for a road bike. But, that is the beauty of it all....the market has solutions for both you and I.

Repair parts may be just as common if you are near a bike shop, but in a pinch, I can get replacement pads or cables at a lot of big box stores in an emergency for rim brakes... There is also no need to bleed traditional brakes, so complete replacement can be performed in the field. But, then again, I have had so few catastrophic failures of any components on rides that I am probably being too pessimistic.

And while I often respond (honestly) that I think that discs aren't essential, I often find myself drawn to bikes that have them. :)

Maybe I will need to look closer at disc brakes to understand their workings so that I am comfortable with them, since I may find it easier to take the plunge the next time I buy a bike.

You do realize that MTB's use hydro discs? As do motorcycles and trucks ridden through events like the Paris-Dakar and Baja 1000? Not to mention military vehicles. If something happened on tour that would cause an issue with a set of hydros,you'd also prolly be looking at a damaged bike as well.

The future is electric shifting with a dyno hub and hydro discs. A bike equipped with these would require almost zero regular maintenance. You'd pretty much only put air in the tires and replace things that wear out.