As new as you can get

[PamNY]

I have a Trek 7100 (not fx) and it is definitely a "casual riding" bike. I love my Trek and consider it the perfect "starter" bike for me, but I would love to upgrade to an fx. They are very different.

There's a discussion on Bikeforum about the difference in fx and non-fx; if you are interested you could probably find it with a search.

Pam

[abejita]

Also, right now is a good time to buy a bike because lbs are trying to move out last year's models and you can get a better deal. I had found a 2008 trek fx 7.1 for $350, but I messed around deciding what to get and by the time I figured out I wanted the trek, it was gone. I ended up with the 2009 trek fx 7.1 (which I love) for $439.

Make sure you try lots of bikes and don't hurry your decision. I originally bought a gary fisher tiburon. Very pretty bike, but I never felt comfortable on it. I figured that was because I hadn't been on a bike since college and I had to get used to it. In the meantime, I was still test driving bikes with my husband, who was still looking for his bike. The first time I got on a hybrid with more aggressive saddle, it was so comfortable. I ended up going back to my lbs and trading in the gary fisher for the trek.