Sixty Fiver

+1

I keep my tools hanging in the garage... when I want to go fast I take down the Cooper as although my roadified hybrid is pretty fast... the Cooper is a rocket.

KShep

I'm gonna have to stick with the [] roadified (roadifyed?) hybrid. ....and maybe roadify it a tad more.

sh00k

roadified hybrids - the best of both worlds, imo.

MorganRaider

Option 4 ?? - get a Trek 7.6FX. Like jarelj - I too have one and it moves; accelerates quite well. I run 120 psi in the tires. No mods except for some Egron GC3 grips on order and a Terry Liberator Y saddle. It is pretty smooth riding with carbon fork and road damper insert on the rear main stays.

Another one to consider Trek 7.5FX, about $300 cheaper that way if you decide you want a road bike after all, you have not sunk a fortune into the hybrid.

common man

find a "performance fit" madone and at least try it out. you're in the Big Apple so you should be able to find a bike shop that has it.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes..._and_geometry/

i know racer madones are mad expensive but i *think* this model is cheaper. how much cheaper i don't know but i'd bet you can get it in the price range you quoted or haggle it down.

sh00k

^ excellent idea on the performance fit. im going to go to my LBS this saturday and ask! i will also be trying out the orbea diem that they are building in my size....


morgan - i considered the 7.6 but since i live in manhattan and dont want/have space for more than 1 bike, i wanted something a little higher end. i feel that the price of the 7.7 is justified by the jump to bontrager race wheels vs. the 7.6's ssr. there is nothing wrong with the ssr's though, i am sure it's a quick bike. i want something that i dont have to upgrade for a while. with 'higher end' components, it'll keep my future upgrades to a minimum right off the bat...

i have seen people riding road bikes on manhattan streets and, to me anyway, they look way too uncomfortable (having to check all sides for cars, pedestrians, etc).... i prefer the upright position like im sitting on a chair. LOL. but i am going to consider a performance fit madone too...

meanwhile

You could get the same geometry - or even friendlier - as the PF Madone from almost any damn road bike just by buying the right mixture of frame size and stem...

If you really want to look at a drop handle that's closer to a hybrid, look at a cyclocross bike like a Tricross. If you fit Salsa Bell Lap handlebars you'll have drops, but with more steering ability and ease of vision than stock bars.

But you are simply not going to go faster without adopting a lower position. Other than by changing draggy tyres for fast ones, which doesn't require a change of bike.

WeeHooker

Not saying it's rigth for you but I figure I'll pass on my recent experience. I started out convinced I wanted a flat bar road bike ( and nothing else) but ended up with a cyclocross ( which I will re-shoe.) An extended ride on a flat bar showed me that the limited hand position can become tireing. The relaxed position of the cyclo with the drop bar option was actually less fatiguing.

Panthers007

I'd say to look into Nashbar Trekking handlebars, but I see they've taken them off their website - again. But keep an eye out for those - many people swear they are the best for hybrids.

sh00k

since i cant sleep, i might as well do something productive....


Pros for the Trek FX 7.7 --
- has the bontrager race wheels i want - one reason i am considering this over the 7.6 or lower models... so i dont have to get the bike and immediately feel the urge to swap out to 'higher end' wheels....
- i can get it for about $1650 (after taxes, delivery, etc)
- it has all the same components as the 7.9 (shifters, derailers, brakes, etc all the same)
- aluminum frame = lifetime support from trek and i dont have to worry *as much* about the integrity in case i crash (when compared to the 7.9's carbon frame)
- lower price, so i can spend more on mods (trek computer, etc)

Cons for the Trek FX 7.7 --
- if i get this model, i'll always have that 'what if' question in my mind.... 'what if i had gotte the 7.9.....'
- a little heavier than the 7.9... Im only listing this since i have no other con....
- since i was quoted a pretty good price on the 7.9, i would feel stupid getting the 7.7 instead... i normally jump at better deals and offers..... if you're going to go crazy for a bike, might as well go 100% crazy and not 90%.........


Pros for the Trek FX 7.9 --
- quoted a price of about $2300 for the '10 model after taxes, etc. one of the biggest reasons im considering it
- lightest fx model - i love really riding hard on the pedals at a green light... the 7.9 would do 30mph after 2 pedal-strokes =P lol
- i really only want 1 bike in my stable so i want it to be the highest end one i can find... i dont have the space for 3-4 diff bikes...

Cons for the Trek FX 7.9 --
- one wreck on the carbon frame and i probably wont be able to use the bike =/
- i would feel like im riding on an eggshell... but they make carbon mountain bikes... so maybe im worrying for no reason...
- after digging around, trek only gives you support up to 5 years in case anything happens to the carbon frame(but lifetime if nothing happens). support for aluminum is LIFETIME plus it's less likely to turn into a $2,000 heap of technology after one bad crash...
- i would be nervous as hell to ride this thing around 'carelessly' - i'd have to watch everything i did so i would not wreck....



*subject to change apon the update on the trek website to the 2010 model specs...

Panthers007

A 'Hybrid' is a bike that is designed to travel on both pavement and dirt/gravel. They have aluminum-frames which are responsive and nimble over both surfaces. I average 14 - 15mph on gravel paths going for many miles.

The carbon-framed 7.9 costs more. And I wouldn't feel safe or secure running it at a relatively high speed on dirt/gravel. Would you?

If you are going to, or want the option to, ride on varied terrain - get the 7.7. If you are going to ride solely on paved surfaces (with few potholes) - get the 7.9.

Better still - go 'carboniferous' all the way and get an all-carbon frame/fork and build something. It would likely save you some money.

I live where both surfaces are commonplace. I ride steel and aluminum.

bjoerges

Trek's lifetime warranty does not apply in the case of a crashed frame. While the aluminum frame would likely hold up better than carbon in the event of a crash, were you to destroy either frame from crashing it would not be a free replacement. Trek does have a pretty good crash replacement policy in which you get a new frame at a much reduced price.

Check out their warranty page here: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/suppo...ited_warranty/

The weight difference between the two bikes is almost negligible. They are within about a half-pound of each other. The weight loss doesn't translate to a huge speed benefit, but the switch to carbon does improve on the comfort of the ride. However, if you are going to be riding in jeans, a pair of padded bike shorts would be far more effective in adding comfort than the frame material differences.

My vote: 7.7FX, padded shorts. (Bontrager, PI, and several others make shorts that look like street clothing but have a padded insert if you don't want the spandex look)

Lastly, ask your dealer about Red Shield. If you ride a lot, the program is well worth it, especially for high-end bikes.

meanwhile

The idea that a carbon bike has to be thrown after a crash is FUD. Trek advise you to have the bike inspected at a dealer after a serious crash (this is free, afaik). If your frame is found be cracked, which is when you'll have a problem,and which should take a lot of doing, then they will then sell you a frame at something like cost:

https://www.trekbikes.com/faq/questio...?questionid=45

In the real world you should probably worry more about aluminium steerer components failing from metal fatigue...

But switching to carbon is pointless for anybody but a racer who needs every weight advantage possible and the ability to run thin tyres semi-comfortably for the extremely marginal - and to the OP irrelevant, if he has a brain - advantages.

Otoh, the whole idea of a magic go-faster upright bike is silly anyway...

Timber_8

I think it is an awful lot of money to spend but then a lot of money for 1 person is not for another.

sh00k

update --

1) I ordered a stunning white 2010 Trek fx 7.7.... i saw the color and i jumped at the 7.7......

2) the 7.9 comes with two ultegra components -- sorry, i dont remember which ones. i was at the dealer and had a quick peek at them.

i am stoked. the bike should be in this week sometime...

Panthers007

Now that you have decided on the 7.7 F - here's my personal opinion: I think you did the right thing. Reading over the Trek carbon-warranty, I noticed that after 5 years they sign off the frame-replacement lifetime warranty - which all non-carbon framed bicycles have. So assuming you haven't had to sweep the 7.9 frame into a Hefty Cinch-Sack, after 5 years is up, Trek won't so much as loan you a dustpan.

But on the positive side - if you rode the 7.9 FX as a hybrid and went down dirt trails and gravel roads, I'd wager the 7.9 wouldn't still be intact in 5 years. So you'd get your warranty fulfilled. Maybe it's just me, but I just don't understand why they even make off-road bikes and mountain-bikes out of carbon. It seems like you'd be courting a disaster everytime the bike left the pavement for the woods and fields.

jarelj

I don't think you'd really want to take an FX bike too far off-road. I know mine doesn't seem overly adept at handling rough surfaces, I don't think I'd want to trek (pun intended) down a gravel road for very far on it. My old Trek 7500 was much better suited to that. Trek seems to have the FX series positioned as a road bike, they don't even mention offroad capabilities in the description of it on the web site:

"Road bike speed and upright comfort join together for aggressive fitness rides or long commutes. Available with lightweight TCT Carbon or hydroformed Alpha Black Aluminum frames, rigid performance forks and fast-rolling 700c wheels."

KShep

Outstanding! I'd like to have heard your first hand impressions of the Obrea but I too think you made a wise choice all things considered.

MorganRaider

Congratulations Sh00k - I am sure you will love that bike. Get some pics up when you get a chance.

sh00k

thanks to everyone that helped with their input and advice - i really appreciate it!

the orbea -- the reason i didn't consider it - it's a carbon bike that comes with a $200 wheelset! if i got this, just because i am compulsive, the 1st thing i would do is try to upgrade the wheels... and $700 later, i'd be over the cost of an fx 7.9 .....

panthers -- that 5 year stipulation on the carbon frame was one of the biggest cons against the 7.9 after i read about it about 2 days ago. what use is it buying such a high end product when the warranty has less support than models below the 7.9? didn't make sense and i decided against the 7.9.... at the dealer today, however, he was offering the 7.9 to me for $2300 - taxes, shipping, etc included.... i considered it but then stuck with the 7.7.

my 7.7, just like my 7.2 which i had for a short time, will only see paved trails and little manhattan street use. i hate riding in traffic - especially in manhattan, so my street riding will be strictly limited to the 5 minutes it takes me to get to and from the westside bike trails... the remainder of the time will be on the paved bike path which has absolutely no dirt areas. the westside trails run the length of manhattan and are about 13 miles long from north to south.

the white 7.7 looks soooo clean... i did see the fx 7.5 in black/red that someone mentioned - it looks insane!!! the 7.6 - like the pic i posted - has that same/similar gray color like last years 7.7 did. the 7.7 this year is white and only white - no other options. the 7.9 looks identical to last years with the exception of the seat post and ultegra components... there are probably other differences but again, i looked at the specs for only a couple of minutes...

I will definitely be posting pictures and my first impressions the day i get it. the LBS is about 8 miles from my place and i plan on riding it back to get a feel for it. ;-D

sh00k

some 2010 model pics i found via google.


here us a pic of the 7.3



here is a pic of the 7.5


here is a pic of the 7.6

Panthers007

There's a wonderful gravel & dirt path here that goes on for 4+ miles with Lake Champlain about 15 feet to either side. It was an old railroad bed. But the town of Colchester pulled the rails up and now it's an MUP. Funny thing is: It doesn't connect. Near the end of the 4+ miles, there is a 200-foot gap. In the summer there is a private ferry-service for bikes, but it's sporadic as to how often it runs. So it's a 4+ mile dead-end! And boy is it ever pretty out there!

I took my Trek hybrid-custom on this several times. Trying to ride slow sort of fizzles. The Trek wants to go at an average speed of 14mph down this through the dirt and gravel. I feel as though I have complete control on it and could run it faster, but I hold it down to 14mph - as best I can. But I can see you're point: I wouldn't feel safe and in control if I was riding on the original wheel-set that were on a Trek 7.5 FX. I tried that once and both wheels rapidly went out of true. Now I'm running on Mavic A719's 3X laced to 32H Ultegra hubs. With Rivendell Ruffy Tuffy tires at 700 X 27C and 90psi.

The ride feels great!

TinyCycler

Congrats on your new bike. Hope you enjoy it for decades to come.

sh00k

Thanks Tiny. For the price I am paying, I better enjoy it for decades to come LOLOL

Panthers007

We Want Pictures! We Want Pictures! We Want Pictures!