shawk

1st thanks in advance for your replies...
Looking to upgrade my 10 year old Schwinn hybrid for something a little more smooth and nicer. We ride maybe once a week at a clip of 20-40 miles.... with and without my kids who for there age can really kick it (age 8 & 11) on their FX7.2's. I may use my bike for short rides back and forth to work occassionally (10 miles on smooth hard surface trails) but will honestly be used mostly for riding with my wife and kids... I just bought my wife a 7.3. I want to be sure I get plenty of bike but yet don't want to get waaay to much bike. I road the 7.3, 7.5 & 1600 at the shop. I liked all... the 1600 absolutely GOES!! The FX's do too... I can get a sweat deal on the 1600 but yet, if not needed I can get the FX7.3 for half the price... I've been doing a lot of reading here up to this point... this is my 1st post. Great site!

Is it a myth that the road bikes are more uncomfortable? Any and all other thoughts??? Thank you!

all 2007 models
FX7.3 $449 sale
FX7.5 $649 sale
FX7.6 $899 sale
1600(10) $899 sale

masiman

I'd say go for the 1600. My reasoning is that you already have a workable Hybrid bike that can do the trails for you. You can keep that bike for when you want to cruise along, but now you will have a road machine where you can do longer road rides much more efficiently than with the Schwinn.

In that vein, before you decide on that 1600, I would try out a few other road bikes in that price range. Especially since it sounds like you do not have alot of road bike experience. You may find something you like better. And at that price, it will pay to know what you want and what you are getting. I would encourage you to try out other frame materials if possible. I personally find aluminum too harsh of a ride. I prefer steel and Ti. I have not tried a carbon frame in a very long time but they sound like they have improved from the sloppy feel they use to have.

Sometimes you just get the bug though and you can't help but purchase the bike !

Good Luck.

shawk

Thanks for the quick reply MM.... I originally thought the same about having 2 bikes... UNTIL I road the new bikes . Huge difference from my old Schwinn to the new FX line or 1600. So I know for a fact my Schwinn will hang in the garage as a spare and probably never be ridden by me again once the new bike comes home.... So I'm looking for one bike that can be ridden all the time. I'm torn... For 1/2 the money the FX7.3 is a far better bike than my old... but the 1600 is really nice and actually rides more comfy than my Schwinn hybrid. I never realized how hunched over I was on the old bike. The FX series does it's job getting you in a more upright position. The 1600 is pretty much the same riding position as my Schwinn. I would want the "cheater" brakes on top as well if I go 1600... I don't think I would do the 1600 justice with riding time... but also don't want the urge to upgrade when riding my new FX7.3. The narrow tires are also a bit of a concern for me. On occassion I'm sure I'll find myself on light gravel with my kids or in between trails which aren't as nice....

madfiNch

I saw a brand new Trek 7.3 FX locked to a bike rack downtown the other day. I thought it looked awesome. I've been trying to help my boyfriend find a new bike for a while and I immediately went home and showed him the bike online (the websites do it no justice, it's a really nice looking bike in person). I think he's now seriously looking at the 7.6 or 7.7. I say, go for an FX. If you're going to be riding on dirt roads, you might want to put off buying a road bike for a while. If you really love your new bike and you're riding it all the time, then you won't have any problem with buying yourself a second (and less versatile) bike later on. If you really want a road-type bike that can handle more conditions, then maybe try looking at (and test riding) some touring or cyclocross bikes. They're more rugged than straight road bikes, and have thinner-than-MTB-but-fatter-than-road tires and drop bars.

Personally, I think that road bikes can be just as comfortable as a non-road bike. It just has to fit you well. Find a comfortable saddle. You'll find that you have lots of different positions for your hands on the drop bars, which is huge for being comfortable. Thinner tires and rigid frames make for a bumpier ride, though. That's why a touring/cross bike might be a good compromise.

shawk

Thanks Madifinch... love your Avator btw...
I took the 1600 home today and put about 40+ miles on it with my wife. Very smoooooooth bike, and yes my tush felt just about every bump in the road unlike my current hybrid. Though it absolutely halls.... it clearly is MUCH faster than my old bike. I must admit though that my wife was close to kicking my tail on her FX3... her bike runs out great as well. It really made me wonder if I should go that route instead. I have 30 days but won't put the 1600 on the road more than one more day if I'm going to exchange it. I'm leaning toward swapping for an FX. I purchased 3 bikes from the shop in the last month so I guess I shouldn't feel to guilty swapping out bikes. The 1600 seems to be a good fit but the FX will probably (???) do everything I need as well and may be a little more fit for me. I was thinking the same thing as well about getting a true road bike down the road if I really get into it...

decisions, decisions....

Thanks for the reply.... appreciate it

All the best....
Steve

doghouse

I am a little surprised that you felt every bump on a 1600 with a carbon seatpost. Oh well, I know only one person who still uses the stock Bontrager saddle.

If I lived in Iowa, I would get the road bike. You will eventually anyway.

shawk

Yeah... I thought in the end I would end up with a road bike so I thought I may as well make the plunge now. Comfort wise, I think I could run the tire at a slightly lower pressure and alleviate a little of the stiffness. Keep in mind when I mentioned the stiffness that I'm coming from a hybrid with MUCH bigger tires that a just a step below mountain bike tires.

The saddle may have to go.... we'll see. My next concern is the narrow tires (700x25)... The shop will exchange them for 28's but I don't know if that would be smart or worth while. I'm a little concerned about flats or just maintenance period. I will have stretches of unpaved trails now and then when riding with my kidos... any thoughts? Would the 28's absorb any more of the shock?

doghouse

Perhaps the 28 would absorb more, but I don't think I would notice it. You might.

I am 6'1'' and 201 lbs. I run 23's on my road and 35 on my hybrid.

"Unpaved trails" are not great road bike territory.

madfiNch

You know, I was going to add, "But the 1600 for that price seems like a really great deal to me," but it seemed so contrary to all the sensible stuff that I was saying, so I cut it!!

You clearly went with the bike that you really wanted, so now go out there and make sure that you have some fun with it!

DieselDan

Flat bars are for wussies. Be a man and get the 1600.

shawk

Doghouse... Good to hear what others are running for tires. I did a serious amount of searches today on what others are running on their road bikes. Thanks for your reply.

Madfinch... for now it looks like the 1600 will probably stay. Another day on the road today and boy this bike is fun. I would love to think an FX series would run nearly as good and be more comfy but now I'm not so sure. This road bike is more comfortable than I thought it would be. I've found the handle bars nice in that you can continually change hand positions as needed as opposed to the straight handles on a fitness/hybrid bike. Ideally I should probably pick up a FX series bikes as well.... ... That's not going to happen though... at least for now

Dieseldan.... ... hmmm, I wasn't aware that was how I was defined... better hang onto the 1600...

doghouse

For what it is worth, my hybrid is a 7500fx from 2003 and my roadie is a 2005 Specialized Allez upgraded to full 105 components. My youngest rides a 2005 Trek 1500. We have experience with the bikes you are looking at.

You will grow to love the 1600!

Hope this helps.

shawk

Thanks Doghouse... so which of the two is your favorite ride? Obviously they're two different bikes but which would go if you could only have one? Thanks....

doghouse

I started to answer that quickly, but found myself really having to think about the answer.

I have ridden 50 mile charity events on both so I know either will run the flats or climb some hills and not beat me up. The Shimano shifters show me the gearing on the hybrid which is nice, but the addition of the FlightDeck did the same for the roadie.

I ride the hybrid when speed doesn't matter; in the cold, when it is wet, or when I want a real workout from pedaling a heavier bike up the hills around here. Or if I don't want to change shoes. It's pedals are platforms on one side and spd on the other, so I can just step on and ride if I want.

The roadie is fun; faster, more responsive, climbs much better than I do. Its drop bars provide more hand positions and much better relief in the wind that the straight bars with bar ends. I like the forward lean riding on the hoods that actually feels better on my lower back. But then I have to change shoes to clip in.

Since I have bad knees from running hurdles, am diabetic with an insulin pump and only get to ride maybe 6 days per month due to work, both bikes have triple chainrings. I don't use the small ring much anymore, but it is there if I have problems with the hills and/or headwinds . With the available road cassettes, 12-23, 12-27, 13-30 I can run on the flats or spin up hills as necessary. (The diabetes tour de cure runs up Mont Eagle mountain, and the Jack and Back MS150 climbs into and out of Lynchburg. The Sunrise Century is all out flat.) Truthfully, I'm only fast in my mind.

I don't ride off road, and most of my rides are city streets or paved county roads, not chip and shot gravel. I don't carry packages or groceries. I could literally ride 100's of miles of Tennessee and Kentucky back roads (Nashville is 40 miles away by interstate) and never get in a car to drive somewhere to start, just roll out of the subdivison and keep going.

That should give you a picture of where and how I ride. With all that said, if I could have only one I would pick the road bike. Way too much fun and since I got it dialed in, it has been a dream to ride!

The last card to play, my favorite ride is my 1973 Schwinn Super Sport with a well worn Brooks saddle. But I would never ride more than 25 miles at time on it.

My next event will be to collect the parts and build a carbon road bike.

Probably built you a watch to tell you the time, but I hope it helps.

shawk

Good stuff Doghouse... Thanks so much for the reply and time taken. After another ride yesterday (caught in the rain ) I'm absolutely sold on the road bike as well now. Good luck with your next project .

doghouse

You are more than welcome. Enjoy!