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!