Tanya
02-27-2011, 08:45 PM
Hello everyone,
I'm new to this site, so please bear with me. A few months ago I decided to get into biking as a fun hobby and alternative to being stuck in the gym. I have been riding my old mountain bike for rides, and it's time to plunk down some bills to get a real bike. I don't want an actual road bike yet because I'm intimidated by the posture that the curled handlebars would make me take, and the thinness of the tires.
My rides will mostly be at the beach, around town, on bike paths, and on the road for casual, organized rides (not races). I recently completed the 25 mile ride of the Tour de Palm Springs on my old mountain bike, and would like to do similar rides, increasing the distance to 50+. I'm not sure if I'll ever want to do a century ride, but who knows. I've decided that the best bike for me is a hybrid, and have liked the Trek's FX series.
Now, for my dilemma. When I first started looking for bikes, a shop near me had the 7.5fx from 2009. I fell in love. I was only going to get a 7.3, but I loved the design of the 2009 model of the 7.5fx WSD--It is matte black with gold script and is slightly feminine without being overly so. It was a good, comfortable ride, and not surprisingly, much lighter than my mountain bike from circa 1996. :p Unfortunately, that store didn't have my size.
In my neurotic and relentless search to find the 2009 7.5fx WSD bike in my size, not only did I find this bike, but I found a 2010 7.6fx WSD for about the same price. Now, I'm torn. Getting the 7.6fx WSD in a newer model for practically the cost of the 7.5fx WSD is a major bargain. But, I hate the colors of the 2010 7.6fx WSD. The font is a limey yellow, juxtaposed on a blue that's not too bad, but can't be appreciated due to the 80's-esque gleam emanating from the font.
But, technically, according to the specs, I'd be getting a better bike in the 2010 7.6fx WSD. I test rode the 2010 7.6fx WSD and honestly, I didn't notice a difference. Perhaps I would only notice a difference on long rides, versus the brief test ride? The gears seemed to shift the same--both were clean. I did notice that the wheels were thinner on the 7.6, but I'm not sure if that will benefit me, or put me at greater risk for tumbles.
With all of that said (and sorry for the novel!), what do all of you experienced riders think about the 7.5fx WSD vs. the 7.6fx WSD? Would I notice a difference between the two, given what I'll be using it for? Is the 7.6 a very superior bike to the 7.5? I'm so careful with my money that it seems wasteful to buy a "lesser" bike for almost the identical price of the better, newer bike. Argh. I'm so confused!! Thanks in advance for your help in the resolution of my internal struggle. :)
I'm new to this site, so please bear with me. A few months ago I decided to get into biking as a fun hobby and alternative to being stuck in the gym. I have been riding my old mountain bike for rides, and it's time to plunk down some bills to get a real bike. I don't want an actual road bike yet because I'm intimidated by the posture that the curled handlebars would make me take, and the thinness of the tires.
My rides will mostly be at the beach, around town, on bike paths, and on the road for casual, organized rides (not races). I recently completed the 25 mile ride of the Tour de Palm Springs on my old mountain bike, and would like to do similar rides, increasing the distance to 50+. I'm not sure if I'll ever want to do a century ride, but who knows. I've decided that the best bike for me is a hybrid, and have liked the Trek's FX series.
Now, for my dilemma. When I first started looking for bikes, a shop near me had the 7.5fx from 2009. I fell in love. I was only going to get a 7.3, but I loved the design of the 2009 model of the 7.5fx WSD--It is matte black with gold script and is slightly feminine without being overly so. It was a good, comfortable ride, and not surprisingly, much lighter than my mountain bike from circa 1996. :p Unfortunately, that store didn't have my size.
In my neurotic and relentless search to find the 2009 7.5fx WSD bike in my size, not only did I find this bike, but I found a 2010 7.6fx WSD for about the same price. Now, I'm torn. Getting the 7.6fx WSD in a newer model for practically the cost of the 7.5fx WSD is a major bargain. But, I hate the colors of the 2010 7.6fx WSD. The font is a limey yellow, juxtaposed on a blue that's not too bad, but can't be appreciated due to the 80's-esque gleam emanating from the font.
But, technically, according to the specs, I'd be getting a better bike in the 2010 7.6fx WSD. I test rode the 2010 7.6fx WSD and honestly, I didn't notice a difference. Perhaps I would only notice a difference on long rides, versus the brief test ride? The gears seemed to shift the same--both were clean. I did notice that the wheels were thinner on the 7.6, but I'm not sure if that will benefit me, or put me at greater risk for tumbles.
With all of that said (and sorry for the novel!), what do all of you experienced riders think about the 7.5fx WSD vs. the 7.6fx WSD? Would I notice a difference between the two, given what I'll be using it for? Is the 7.6 a very superior bike to the 7.5? I'm so careful with my money that it seems wasteful to buy a "lesser" bike for almost the identical price of the better, newer bike. Argh. I'm so confused!! Thanks in advance for your help in the resolution of my internal struggle. :)