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I want a road bike, but am thinking as I want an extremely upright position, that the Trek FX road bike might be a great fit. Even the women's compact bikes with more upright stems still don't give me the upright position I want.
Anyone own a FX? How do you like it?
Lisa :)
I have one. I think it's the 7.3 from 2006. I bought it when I first started to ride again as an adult. I used it for about a month before I decided I should have gotten a road bike instead. I ended up buying a Bianchi road bike and haven't ridden the FX since. I loaned it to a friend of mine and she's now riding it.
If you really want an upright position, then it's a fine choice. What kind of riding do you want to do and what kind of distances? Is there a reason(s) you want to be in a more upright position?
I own an older hybrid Trek 7500 FX, aluminum. Probably not the same style of FX that you are considering. FWIW, it is my "beater bike." The one I take on limestone trails, in the rain.... It is quite heavy compared to my road bike but it takes repeated abuse and just keeps going. Notwithstanding how heavy it is and it's wider tires, I actually did a couple of MS-150s on this bike, and survived both.:)
I have a 7.3 fx, got it last summer, when I was just starting to ride a lot again. I love it dearly, and it was absolutely the right bike for me at the time, but I've kind of out-grown it. It's still my in-town, errand-running bike, but I have a traditional road bike too, now.
In my experience, the positives of the fx: the upright position is great in traffic, it's sturdy, and stable. The negatives: it's heavy, slower, and not as nimble as I would like. And the flat handlebar does a number on my hands...
That having been said, I've put a lot of miles on my trek, including rides up to 50 miles. And although I've moved on to another bike for long rides, I still put 40 miles on my trek last week just running around town....
My brother also rides a 7.3 fx (his is a bit older) and he's never felt the urge to move on to another bike. But he rides a lot less than I do-- mostly rides under 10 miles, in town, on weekends.
So it all depends-- how much you ride, how much do you expect to be riding in a year's time, and where do you normally ride, would be the questions to ask. And also if your LBS has any sort of trade-in policy for if you want to go to a traditional road bike in the future...
The responses you've gotten so far are from owners of older or lower end models.
I have a brand new 7.6 and I think it's great , but that's me.
We're all different.
Because we're women:rolleyes:and because it's higher end there probably won't be a shop that has one built up for you to try.
If you decide you want one try to find a shop that will order it and take it back if you don't like it or has a wide selection and will let you exchange.
This is the bike that really got me into riding. I've had it for almost 2 years and have used it a lot - it's lighter than a mountain bike, but still comfortable and upright.
But now, I'm in the market for a "real" road bike. And, although I'm sure it's more comfortable on a trail than a road bike, it still isn't quite as comfortable as a mountain bike with a front shock and bigger tires.
So, I bought a Trek 4500 mountain bike on Craigslist a few months ago, which I use for trails and to ride with my daughters, when I am not trying to go fast. It's a fun and comfortable bike.
If I would have jumped straight to a road bike, I think I would have been apprehensive about using it, so the fx was a great start for me. I would never even have looked for a forum like this before I owned my fx. So, I can't say I'm sorry that I bought it, but I feel like I've outgrown it now.
I have a 2008 7.2 fx.
If you want the "extreme" upright position you should get the one that is NOT FX. The FX means "performance" if I remember correctly, and rides a little bit more aggressively.
Enjoy!
I have a 7.2fx. It's my around town, Katy Trail bike. If I had it as my primary road bike, for longer rides, etc, I would certainly go up to at least the 7.3fx, and even higher if you can swing it. Different fork, better frame and components. You may not want extreme upright. The upright on the Trek fx is really enough. Far more than a road bike with drop bars, but not as much as a comfort bike. A real good all-around bike.
Yes, I'm looking for a performance bike, as we typcially ride 25+ miles at a time. I just think that even with the compact WSD bikes, that the stretch to the hoods will still have me fairly stretched out. I suppose it depends too on what modifications they can make with the stem and stack height.
Lisa
I have a Trek Pilot 5.0 and before I lowered and rotated the handlebars it was quite upright. I also saw a woman with a Trek Pilot 1.2 today that had even taller handlebars. It was very upright, but still had the drops for multiple hand positions. I'd say the stem was a good three or four inches higher than the seat. A bike shop might be able to do that for you.
I'd also check out some touring bikes like the LHT from Surly.
If I were doing long rides, I'd worry about being able to have multiple hand positions. Flat handle bar bikes don't really allow for that.
You should go try one out. I have really long legs compared to my arms and typically need a wsd bike, but my fx is just the regular one. I had a 90mm stem put on it and I don't feel stretched out at all. Of course the fx bikes are straight bar, and I'm sure that makes a big difference. Any trek dealer should have one, give it a try!Quote:
Originally Posted by itself
I had to order the 7.6Quote:
Originally Posted by uforgot
Last year I almost bought one, got a Giant OCR 3WSD instead. The only reason that led me away from a FX was the flat handlebars and the possibility of numbness, only having one position for your hands. In a way I wished I would have gotten an FX - I don't ride my road bike that much, I feel too self-conscious on it(I'm heavy - 210# and feel I'm almost too heavy for it) and ride my Trek 7100 more. I would test ride one. The specs are great, its like a road bike with flat bars. IMO you can't got wrong with a Trek.
I have the 7.3fx and I love it. My husband has to wait for me some, but we do centuries together. I needed something more upright than a road bike because of my shoulder injury. I have gone through some potholes that had no effect on the wheels, where my husband's got some broken spokes and ended up at the shop. The 7.3fx is a real workhorse, but a good compromise for me.
I don't know what you have in mind when you use the term "performance bike".Quote:
Originally Posted by itself
Many bikes that aren't termed 'performance bikes' will easily take you twenty five miles.
Most riders rarely ride in the drops. Multiple hand positions are an easy fix with these