New rider question about bike choice and frame size

[gbunker]

Hi,

I am a relatively new rider- I have been commuting to/from work in Portland, OR for about 5 months on a second-hand Electra Royal 8. It's super comfy and I haven't had any aches/pains with it. I live in a reasonably hilly area, though, and I am constantly getting passed by folks on their zippy road bikes. I'm thinking about getting a second bike for commuting on days when I am picking a hilly route, am in a hurry, or am tired of being passed folks on motorized scooters. I'd also like to start doing some longer recreational rides on the weekends.

I don't think I want to go so far as to get a drop-bar road bike, as I do like being comfortable and seeing where I am going. I do want something that feels pretty different than my Royal 8, though, since I already have an awesome comfort bike that I enjoy. I visited a local store yesterday, and I liked the Trek FX 7.3 and 7.5 WSD models. Would this be a good choice for the type of riding I do?

Also, I am 40 years old, 5'6" tall, and my torso is on the shorter side, though not extremely short. The bike store put me on a 17 inch, which felt fine. Would the 19 inch model be too big for me? There's a secondhand FX 7.5 WSD nearby that would fit the budget better than a new one.

Thanks for any advice you can give me!

[Owlie]

Welcome to TE!

If your torso is short, the limiting factor isn't the stand-over height (since this is pretty fudgeable anyway) or seat tube length. Your limiting factor (and mine!) is the top tube length (or effective top tube length, considering these have sloping top tubes.) What's your inseam? I'm a little taller than you (5'6.75"), and I have a ridiculously long inseam (nearly 32"!), so I personally would have to go with the smaller bike in order to be comfortable. If it's not so ridiculous, you might find the 19" works for you. Can you test a 19" out? (I know it's not easy to find one...)

The FXes are nice bikes and should work well for what you want to do, provided they work for you. Plenty of people on here have or had one.

[gbunker]

Hey, thanks for the reply!

I'm not sure what my inseam is- I think jeans with a 32 inch inseam would run a little long on me, and 30's would be a little short. I can pop over to the local bike store and test ride both models, though.

Dumb question- will it be apparent from a short test ride whether or not the bike fits? What am I looking for? They both will feel pretty foreign to me, since my current bike has a completely upright seating position. Am I checking to see if my arms have to lock to reach the handlebars? Pressure on hands/wrists? Whether my back hurts?

Thanks!

[radacrider]

If you can and depending on where the LBS is, try to ride the bikes for a bit longer than around the block. Maybe see if there is a hill or two, definitely try different positions like standing, starting and stopping, turning.

This is all to get a sense of comfort, responsiveness, fun , how the bike makes you feel riding it.

Welcome to TE from another PDX commuter.

[gbunker]

Thanks- I'll check those out!

[Velocivixen]

I HAVE A 2011 Trek FX 7.3 WSD that I might sell! I live in Beaverton!!! Seriously. I bought it October 28th, 2010 and now have purchased a Surly Cross Check with drop bars and have wondered what I'm going to do with "Scout" (that's her name). I have all receipts, paperwork, etc. It's a 19" and I am 5'6" also. It's not too big. It has SKS chromoplastic fenders in silver, and a Crane bell.

Send me a private email if interested and I'll send you my home email.

If not, no worries. Have a great time on your bike.