is this the right bike for me & my needs? complete newbie :)

[snapdragen]

Very well said chakra.

ridingmybike - if you like your new Trek and have fun riding it, that is all that matters.

I would say that the Trek your BF chose is a lovely first bike to get you riding, especially if you are not completely at ease on a bike. As for the comfort of soft seats, that is a very personal choice. I still love the soft seat on my townie, and have done longer rides on it feeling just fine! Not every cyclist is going to get into group rides, centuries etc. You have to give yourself time to figure out what your riding style is.

So I would try this bike out for the month, give yourself a chance with it - I got totally obsessed with trying the buy the "perfect bike" that I would "grow into" and I think it can be a mistake to get too caught up in doing that.

When you first start riding, you really don't know what your needs/wants will be. I thought it was wimpy of me to want the townie, but when I tried a road bike back then, it felt all wrong and not safe. Now I love having the Surly LHT, but it would not have been the right first bike for me.

I'n not saying that the Trek your BF bought is absolutely the best first bike for you - but I do think that it might be a good start. If after a week of riding it quite a bit, you really don't feel comfortable, or you really want a more exciting ride, than I would absolutely explore other options.

Bottom line: your first bike should, above all, be a fun bike that you really WANT to ride, a bike that will get you out there. It doesn't have to be anything more than that. It should NOT be scary, intimidating, "too much" or too expensive - this is because for sure, no matter what you buy, you'll eventually want something different/something else too!

Mitra

[ridingmybike]

thanks SO much for all of your feedback! Once you start researching bikes, its so easy to get caught up in trying to find the " perfect" ride. And like all of you have said, I'll most likely not be able to do that with my first (adult)bike, seeing as I have no idea what my biking needs will be a year, or even months down the road!
You all are great & SO educated, I hope in time I'll know even half as much as you all do about bikes/riding!

[Trek420]

Ah shucks, thanks. We just know a lot because we've made all the mistakes.

Stick around, read, post ... before you know it you'll know as much or more than we do.

Long live TE

[elk]

If you go to the Trek site and read the reviews for the 7000 you will find a ton of people who LOVE that bike.

My DH has one and he is very comfortable on it.

If you are the patient type...:you might want to put some miles on it and then see what you want from having had the experience. Or you might find that you love the 7300!

depends on who you are...
(IOW....are you more drawn to Zen's advice...or Chakra's....hmmmm I sense a connection...)

[chakra]

(IOW....are you more drawn to Zen's advice...or Chakra's....hmmmm I sense a connection...)

Hee hee! I'm amused, because on these boards, I am often very drawn to Zen's advice myself - and I am a Zen Buddhist and South Asian (of Indian origin) too!

Chakra

[ridingmybike]

im still getting used to the feeling of riding on a bigkid sized bike .
I rode a bike as a kid ALL of the time, and when i was an early teen, but i had never been fitted for a bike, so im sure i was riding bikes too small for myself. I'm 5'8" so riding a bike thats made for someone my height, everytime i sit on it im like woaahh i feel high! But after riding it for a few minutes, it feels totally comfortable.
Im also getting used to all the gears, and trying to understand them! I never even KNEW that there were specific safe gears, that arent hard on your bike, i thought hey if my left gear is on 3, my right one can be set on whatever i want it to be...wrong.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yeah I too hadn't ridden since I was a kid, then got my adult road bike.
I felt like I was riding on a giraffe! So tall!
And of course I had a hard time with the concept that you couldn't just put both feet on the ground when you stopped, or apply the brakes 'Flintstone style'.

[ridingmybike]

ok ladies, help needed!! Went to the bike shop and tried the 7.3fx wsd. Help! I like my 7300&the 7.3fx. The obvious difference is that the 7300 is more comfortable, it is afterall a comfort/hybrid bike, but, I'm thinking the 7.3fx may have more to offer me.
Any input you all have would be greatly appreciated!!

[elk]

what does the fx offer you? I mean YOU, not just anyone....
and is that what you want? Comfort on a bike is so important...it'll keep you riding.

I spent about a month on a hybrid before I realized I really really missed my steel road bike...but I had no idea and wouldn't have known if I hadn;t ridden for that month on something else.

The advice I got here was to wait until I knew what I really wanted before I upgraded...which is what I did.

But it's such a personal decision. You can always sell a bike and get another...or like SOME people here...just keep buying them...

e

[queenridingbee]

Try taking the fx for a test ride and see how you like it. Since you get 30 days to return the 7300 maybe you can ride it another week or so and try to figure out what about it you would change. Or take the fx for a few test rides, longish ones not in the LBS parking lot, and see what about it you like more than the 7300.

It does take a "while" (loosely defined) to know what you want or don't want in a bike. My LBS offered to buy back my 7000 at full price after I'd had it for 2 months because I wasn't sure if it was the "right" bike for me. It may turn out that you have more then the 30 days.

Q

[chakra]

ok ladies, help needed!! Went to the bike shop and tried the 7.3fx wsd. Help! I like my 7300&the 7.3fx. The obvious difference is that the 7300 is more comfortable, it is afterall a comfort/hybrid bike, but, I'm thinking the 7.3fx may have more to offer me.
Any input you all have would be greatly appreciated!!

Don't underestimate the importance of "more comfortable."

It sounds to me like you are maybe questioning if your bike is "sporty" enough, or will "grow with you" enough. But no one bike is the "perfect" bike - bikes have many purposes, which is why some of us have more than one

I think the bike you will love, and stay in love with (for at least a the first year or so ), is the bike which feels great to ride. THAT bike is the one that will get you out there even on cold, rainy days and at inconvenient times, just because it feels good and makes you happy. So you'll ride more, which is the general idea

It is easy to get caught up in the chase for the elusive, perfect object. Even if you do get the fx, well, a few months/year from now, you'll probably want a different bike for some other purpose

Also, with experience, your tastes will change. Until you have more experience, you cannot predict HOW your tastes will change.

And I'll put in a personal plug for having a bike you can wear a skirt with, and which you don't have to heave your leg over. Which looks cute with a girly basket But that is a personal opinion! I'm very happy with my purely recreational/commuter status!

So finally, go with the bike that brings you joy to ride, and not with the bike that others think you should have, or that you think "offers more;" because you bring yourself to the experience of riding whichever steed you buy.

Chakra

[mimitabby]

I don't know where you live, but if there are any hills you are going to have to go up and down, that should be a factor too. I would hate to have to deal with a heavier bike on the hills I encounter just when I step out my door. But if you live in a flatter area, it's a non-issue.

[sundial]

ok ladies, help needed!! Went to the bike shop and tried the 7.3fx wsd. Help! I like my 7300&the 7.3fx. The obvious difference is that the 7300 is more comfortable, it is afterall a comfort/hybrid bike, but, I'm thinking the 7.3fx may have more to offer me.
Any input you all have would be greatly appreciated!!

I went through three bikes before I knew what I wanted. I started out on a '91 Schwinn mountain bike with grip shifters, then a '96 Terry Symmetry, then a '05 Specialized Sequoia. I splurged on a zippy road bike last summer and saved the Sequoia for my rainy day/back-up bike. Talk to your mechanic, don't buy on impulse and go with your gut feeling.

Oh, another thing: see if your bike shop will allow you to take both bikes out to ride on familiar territory.

[Condor]

I am a 50 yr old male getting back on a bike after 20 years. I did my research and settled on an Electra Townie 7 or 21. Went to the dealer and they didn't have exactly what I wanted but did have a Townie 24. A young salesman/rider steered me to a Cannondale Comfort bike which is very close to a Hybrid. I took the Cannondale out back and really liked the feel. Then I road the Townie and knew my instict was right. I felt steadier with the ability to put my feet down. An older guy who did all of the maintenance, etc came out back and we talked about the differences in bikes. He said to buy the one that feels right and "makes you smile". He said that is the one that will get you riding every day which is important. They had a ladies Townie 8 and told me to ride it to check out the gears. I did and loved the ease of use. Then I rode the Cannondale Comfort again and the Electra Townie 24. I didn’t enjoy dinking with 24 gears and liked the ease of use and ability to shift the Townie 8 when at a dead stop.

So, I then went inside and ordered the Electra Townie 8. Can't wait for it to arrive next Monday.

Bottom line is the older guys advice was the same as Chakra's. When I read her post I saw the wisdom in it and just wanted to share my experience and decision with you.

Good luck with your decision.