maximum01

Hello again. After the great and informative replies to my previous post on touring with a road bike I've now come around to the idea of using my Trek 7300fx as a tourer instead, and just buying a road bike for its designed purpose - fast rides.

My question is, will this bike suffice as a decent tourer? My first tour will be a 2 week credit-card tour of Japan. All I'll need is some spare parts, clothes and a few gadgets (mobile, camera ect). I already have a rear rack fitted and get no problems with my feet clipping the panniers.

Specifically, will this sytle of hybrid geometry be comfortable for eating up large distances?

Many thanks again.

enzed

My current bike is a Trek 7100fx.
Last month I used it on 560Km organised bike tour (with 8 days cycling). The bike held up to the challenge with no problems. The gears were low enough to comfortably manage the various hill climbs.
Although not the fastest cyclist on the road, I kept up a comfortable pace, even completing my first metric century (109Km to be exact!).
So yes, I do think that Trek FX bikes make good touring bikes.

mtnroads

I have a Trek 520 that I use for tours, and a Trek 7500Fx that I use for fitness rides and around town. I have also considered the Fx as a possibility for touring since it has eyelets on the fork for a rack. The problem with the flat bar position is that it is not the best for leverage or into headwinds. So you may find yourself getting more fatigued, although it would work for shorter distances. In addition, I get numb hands if I ride it for more than 2 hrs at a time, since you can't move them around, so I would suggest either aero bars or bar ends (or both) to give some variety in hand position.

jkmartin

I use a Trek 7200 for touring. Get some bar ends and you should be fine.

enzed

I found that by lowering the handlebars a bit (in relation to the saddle) and by using some bar ends the ride was more comfortable than I thought it would be. Though my Trek will never be as fast as a road bike, it's fast enough for me.
The next state organised bike tour is in Feb next year. For that, I might get some thinner tyres than my 35 x 750 tyres I'm currently using. And I might get a larger saddle bag to carry the things I'll need during the day.

xilios

What kind of racks are you using on your 7200?

jkmartin

A Blackburn EX-1 on the rear and the cheapest Nashbar lowrider on the front.

maximum01

Thanks guys. I think you've persuaded me. On my Trek 7300fx I've already performed the following upgrades:

- Bikehut bar ends
- Carbon seatpost
- Toe cages
- Bontrager race lite hardcase 700x28 tires.

The drop from 35 to 28mm tires made a nice difference to the ride.

Has anyone considered adding a touring style handlebar?

xilios

My wife just ordered the 2006 7.2FX WSD with these butterfly handle bars for more hand possitions changed the front sprockets to 42/32/22 and bought a Brooks Flyer womans size.
I'm also considering this type of handlebar for my Gazelle playa (hybrid).
Almost forgot, this picture is inverted. It's actualy mounted with the ends on the bottom, also the brake levers and shifters are near the ends of the bars.