GatsbyGlen

I currently have a Trek FX 7.5 and I really do enjoy this bike. It's quick and light. I generally average about 12 mph moving speed (according to Google Tracks) - I haven't put a computer on this thing yet.

I'd like to go on longer rides though, perhaps several hours. The one thing I don't like about the position is that my hands start to go numb after an hour or so, and really ruins the experience for me. I thought about upgrading to a road bike, e.g., the Trek 520. I'm relatively new to biking and looking for ideas on what kind of road bike I could upgrade to. I live in Southern California and the weather is nice for biking all year round, so this isn't just a summer thing

I suppose I can keep the hybrid - it's great for a quick trip to the grocery store, but beginning to think it's not so great for long rides.

Thanks for any feedback!

RJM

I had a Trek 7.5 fx and thought it was a great bike. If you want to spend as little money as possible, you could do what I did and add some mountain bike bar ends to the handlebars. That gives you one or two more hand positions. Also, adding some aero bars could be beneficial, especially with getting your speed up a little.

The 520 is a nice touring bike; once you get it set up for yourself you should be able to ride all day in comfort.

datlas 

If you are married to the Trek like, I think you might enjoy a 1.5 better than a 520. The 520 is better for really long tours.

Either way, get an entry level road bike and save the hybrid for trails or a backup.

MRT2

Hmm. Though I personally prefer drop bars, there is nothing wrong with the FX 7.5. It is, in fact, not a hybrid but a flat bar road bike. You should be able to complete longer rides on it. It could be you are putting excessive weight on your hands, putting excessive pressure on the ulnar nerve.

Do you use cycling gloves? Maybe look into getting a professional fitting, if you have not already done so. They may be able to advise you further as to what to do, from saddle position, bar position and height, to handlebar shape (flat bars put the hands in an unnatural position. Sometimes a bar with a bend from 15 to 45 degrees can help the problem), to adding bar ends (to take pressure off the ulnar nerve on longer rides).

GatsbyGlen

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I do not use gloves. I think I'll take a trip to the local shop I purchased it from and talk to them as well, and to check out the Trek 1.5.

I lived in Wisconsin for many years, so I am a bit partial to Trek ;0

a1penguin

I agree that you might want to consider trying Ergon bar ends (these are receommended in the Hybrid forum frequently) to provide additional hand positions. But don't let that stop you from test riding a road bike while you are at the LBS.

The 520 looks like a great touring bike, but the 1 series might be a better choice. The 1.5 is a nice bike; Tiagra components and a typical road gearing. I find the 7.5 gearing to have widely spaced gears, which I am not too fond of compared to the narrower spaced gearing typical on road bikes.

Ghazmh

I steer away from the 520 unless overnight camping/ touring with it is in your near future. Take a look at the crossrip. It's a bit more rugged than a true road bike. I almost bought one but I ended up with a 520 as I do overnight tours with it.

loimpact

Definitely give some bar ends a try first. I came from hybrid as well and just rode all over your area yesterday for about 2.5 hours. I used to go numb in my hands too. (In fact, my pinkies used to go completely numb after about 2 hours.) Gloves helped with that and when I went to the road bike, the various hand positions virtually eliminated it but *I* never did get ergons on my hybrid.

Grab yourself some gloves, though, regardless of what you do. I used Pearl Izumi Select half-gloves and they work well. There may be better gloves out there too but I could blindly buy the PI's again and be happy.

rumrunn6

congratulations on the new bike! :-)

Stucky

Go and test-ride some road bikes...it will be a revelation. (For the same effort expended, you'll likely be 25-30% faster; more comfortable on long rides; and the feeling of nimbly gliding effortlessly through the streets will make the hybrid feel like a tank by comparison....)

rms13

Google Tracks? You better get on Strava if you want to post around here

Jax Rhapsody

I'd also like to add, some ergo grips, and don't hold the bars like they owe you money, a tight grip will make your hands sore in no time.

GatsbyGlen

Thanks for the tip

GatsbyGlen

I'm going to the LBS tomorrow night to do another fitting and to take a look at the 1.5 series, although they don't have one in stock. They just have a 1.2, but I think it should give me an idea of what the bike is like.

Thanks again for the feedback!

GatsbyGlen

Haha, that's what I see now. I feel like I'm moving pretty quick on the FX 7.5, but then see all these other people blow by me on their road bikes

Stucky

I know I'll never forget the first time I got to ride a road bike. What a revelation! That was 30 years ago- but I never forgot. If it hadn't been for that experience, I probably wouldn't be riding today. I always thought "A bike is a bike"...until that fateful day. It's like knowing nothing but driving tractors...and then getting into a Ferrari.

WARNING: May be hazardous to your wallet! You'll find yourself unable to resist buying a road bike!

Eprobungs

Couple of years ago I replaced worn grips on my hybrid with
something thick and cushy thinking it'll make for more comfort. Wrong I was.
After that, my hands always became numb on rides longer than 1.5 hours.
Re-replacing the grips with thin flange-less BMX grips solved my hand numbness issue.
Can't say for sure but, your grips may be the culprit.


I can do long rides(6hrs+) on my hybrid so, I think you can as well.
I also have a road bike. I find it more efficient. It takes less energy to cover the
same distance. Having a drop bar makes a huge difference in going against head winds.


I think keeping your hybrid and getting a road bike is the n+1 way to go.

GatsbyGlen

If I get a road bike now, it will be three bikes all together. I also have a Schwinn Panther 2014 Beach Cruiser, which I modded and put on an electric rear hub motor (Bafang 48V/500W). It's got a cup holder and bottle opener on it for crying out loud. It's a fun bike, gets a lot of looks, but impractical. With the motor and battery, it's extremely heavy! When you're on it, you don't want to pedal - just lay on the throttle the whole time. Perhaps I can sell that and get the road bike

goenrdoug

definitely get some gloves. I've used the PI ones, some FOX ones and now have some pretty thickly padded Specialized ones I've settled on. Specialized Bicycle Components

One thing about a drop bar is that you have multiple hand positions available to you.. You go from one position to another from time to time and it minimizes hand pain...

Good luck in your bike search!

willydstyle

Before you buy anything, try tilting your saddle back one notch. A lot of the time, pressure on the hands will come from the saddle being tilted too far forward, so you get more weight on your hands than your butt.

GatsbyGlen

So I did go to the LBS and we did some adjustments to the saddle height and position. I'll be biking more on it this weekend to see what change it might have.

While there, the sales rep was listening more to what I might like in a road bike and he suggested the Domane 2.0 as any entry level bike which can easily be upgraded later. Thoughts? As you can tell, I'm new to all of this

a1penguin

One doesn't upgrade bikes, one buys new bikes. Kind of like cars; you don't upgrade the engine in your car. I think if you decide you want a road bike, you determine how much you want to spend and then see what the options are in that price range. The Domane 2.0 is MSRP at $1400. It's Tiagra level group. For $1400, you might be able to get a 2014 10 speed 105 bike. The reviews on the higher end Domane have been very positive. Keep reading bikeforums and you'll get a better idea of what is out there. Generally, you get what you pay for and the industry is competitive and you get similar bikes from different manufacturers. Road bikes generally cost more than hybrids and I would say that a decent road bike will start around $1000.

During my last bike purchasing experience, I discovered that Specialized seems to charge about 10% more for similar equipped bikes, Giant and Fuji about 10% less and Cannondale, Trek, Felt in the middle. Shop around for sales and 2014 bikes.

The best time to purchase a bike is later in summer at the end of the model year when bike stores are looking to sell their remaining inventory. You might not have as many choices.

I hope you are happy with the adjustments to your hybrid.

GatsbyGlen

Thanks for the info. I rode 36 miles on it this weekend. It felt better. Someone mentioned Strava, but I tried MapMyRide today. Works well enough . I also have a Vivosmart activity monitor (Garmin Connect), but doesn't really integrate well with MapMyRide. I think I'll return it to Best Buy. I suppose a dedicated GPS device and heart rate monitor would be better, rather than using a phone. If you have ideas, please let me know.

Today's ride was good, but lots of stops and starts. According to MapMyRide my best mile segment was 16.2 mph.

GatsbyGlen

Yea, I'm thinking of getting a Domane 4.5 ... and I really want it!!

Shuffleman

i

I bought a hybrid and rode it about 12 miles a day for 2 months. I borrowed a neighbors road bike one morning and the bug bit me. A week later the road bike was in the garage. I still ride the hybrid to tool around but love the road biking.
good luck.