Trek Hybrid vs. Urban vs. Fitness.

First of all Hello! I've been reading/lerking for quite some time. A little background on myself. My work is moving locations and I am moving too! Hopefully within 15-20 miles from work. So I figured I could ride to work. The good news is that I have at least 6-7 months to get ready and work my fat butt into shape.

So back to the topic at hand. I went to the LBS and started talking about commuters. The clerk showed me a few treks, giants and specialized. I really was taken with the 7.3fx (mostly because of the price). The 20 inch model wasen't a right fit for me though so the trial ride was a bit off. However that was the only model they had in stock, I was sold however. I put down the deposit and I pick it up this weekend.

After I left I started mulling over the numbers and models I had seen and I have to ask whats the different between these types of bike in the Trek line-up? They all seemed fairly similar to me. Particulary between the urbans and fitness models.

Thanks for reading.

 

Alittle help here?

 

I have not ridden any of these bikes except for the 7200 and Navigator 200, but here is my evaluation based on the published specs and photos. There is a continuum between mountain bikes and road bikes. The various Trek hybrids, fitness bikes, urban bikes, and comfort bikes represent different points along that line.

The FX 7.x series are closer to road bikes. They have mountain bike shifters and derailleures, but have a wider range of gearing than either a mountain bike or a road bike (lower than road bikes and higher than mountain bikes. The Fx 7.x series lack suspension forks, and have 700x32c tires (larger diameter and more narrow than a mountain bike - same diameter, but wider than a road bike). They also have road bike style saddles, but they have flat bars like a mountain bike. The riding position is similar to that of a mountain bike.

The 7000 series has a suspension seat post and fork and 700x38c tires (wider than the Fx 7.x series, but not close to mountain bike tires). The 7000 series also has a saddle that is more like that of the cruiser style bikes. Other than that, the 7000 series is very close to the Fx7.x series. The riding position is more upright than that of the Fx 7.x series, road bikes, or mountain bikes.

The Navigator series has gearing more like a mountain bike and 26x1.95" tires, which are the same diameter, but lighter than true mountain bike tires. They have a front suspension, but are not as rugged as a true mountain bike. The riding position is like that of the 7000 series - more upright than either a mountain bike or a road bike. The Navigator series have a cruiser style saddle like that on the 7000 series.

The Soho is similar to the Fx 7.x series, but it has a different saddle, and small differences in components. There are also differences in the frame geometry compared to the Fx 7.x series, which will make the ride feel different.

The Sport Urban is similar to the Fx 7.x, but with a true road bike saddle and 26x1.5" tires, which are the same diameter as a mountain bike tire, but not as wide as those on the Navigator. The riding position is lower than that of the Fx 7.x, but not as low as a road bike.

The bottom line is that you should ride as many of them as you can to see which fits you best. There is no real difference in quality, but they will feel different when you ride them. It is all a matter of preference and where and how you want to ride. The Fx 7.x series or the Soho would be best for riding on roads (although not as good as a Pilot or other true road bike). The 7000 series is not going to be as fast as the 7.x or Soho, but the 7000 would be better on trails. The Sport Urban and Navigator would be slower than the 7000 series on the road, but would do better than the 7000 on sand, gravel, or rough trails. The worse the conditions are, the more the Navigator would out perform the Sport Urban, but even the Navigator is not up to true mountain bike riding (rock hopping, stump jumping, etc).

 

First of, you said that the frame wasn't the best fit for you. This is more than enough reason to return the bike. Never buy a frame with the wrong fit, you'll regret it in due course.

Be patient and wait for a bike that has the right frame size for you!

As for the category of bike, I'd say they are all segmentation by marketing people and the definition varies by company and model. Work out your type of riding and ask and read up on the benefit of each eg. Suspension vs carbon fork, fat vs thin wheel/tyres, MTB vs road bike geometry, flat vs drop bar, caliper vs V brakes, weight considerations etc etc. After getting these cleared up, then you can go and find a bike that has all the features you want and forget what category the bike company put the bike in.

In my experience, assuming you don't have a lot of bad roads or have to go seriously off-trail, a road bike with a flat bar is the safest and fastest for city commuter riding. A MTB with suspension will just weigh and slow you down. And for 15-20 miles, you'll want something that's fast and taxes you the least physically. At that distance on a daily basis, you might even want to consider a true road bike with drop bars.

 

Ok, I should have been more detailed.

The LBS only had the 20 inch frame for the 7.3fx. It was a bit too big so I ORDERED a 17.5 7.3fx. I left the ordered part out, my deposit was for the ordered bike.

Big plus though, I got the 2007 7.3fx for the price of the 2006 7.3 they had on the floor. I think the clerk got all the numbers mixed up. So new 7.3fx for $450.00

 

At this point I am not quite sure what to do. Trek hasen't shipped the new 2007 models yet and it'll be another 2 weeks by estimation. My order is for a 7.3 fx, but waiting wasen't something I was planning for. the shop owner gave me a few substitution options but he dosen't have anything in that I can atually ride.

Can anyone comment on how the SU200, and 7.3fx compare?

 

Don't know where you are but here in the Washington DC area, I got the 2007 7.3fx in September. I like it alot......shifting is very good, ride is comfortable and all in all, i'm happy with it. Got it at my lbs at the 2006 prices (compared to Trek's website pricing). Can't help you with the other option.

 

Yeah I don't know what the deal is then. I live in Southern California so it would seem that they just keep running out of supply?

 

Trek should be shipping the 2007's in most of the FX series. I would wait a little while for the bike if you have to. I will try and post later to let you know if the 7.3FX is definitely shipping in a 17.5". What color?

 

I think the only options is black. Which is fine.

 

2007 options for the 7.3fx are black or a blue .......mine is a 17.5" black......they had both in stock but I wanted black.......I think the 2006 only had the orange color available........

 

2006's also had grey available. The reason for "What Color?" was due to Trek only having one color available before the other color option sometimes. I take it that you would prefer black over the blue?

 

The LBS had the 20 inch 2006 grey model. I liked that too, but I guss I am waiting for the new 17.5?

Can anyone give me a 7.3fx vs. SU200 comparison? Aside from wheel diameter and disc brakes should I expect much difference performance wise between the two bikes? The shop owner said he would give me a deal on a 07's SU200 if I wanted to switch them and get the SU200 sooner.

**EDIT** Also I can't make heads or tails of the hardware here. How do I know what is better? Also are the frames the same between the bikes?

 

First off, the wheels and tires are going to make a huge difference in performance. The 7.3 FX has 700x32c tires and the SU200 has 26x1.5" tires. The 7.3 FX will accellerate much more quickly than will the SU200. 32 mm tires are good for light off-road use, too, but are not as good on gravel or mountain trails as the 26x1.5" tires. Since you want the bike for commuting, I would definetley go with the 7.3 FX.


As far as the components, the chainrings, casettes, shifters and front derailleurs are the same. The 7.3 FX has the Deore rear derailleur which is a step above the Alivio rear derailleur on the SU200. I have experience with both. Both work well when they are adjusted properly, but it is far easier to adjust the Deore and to keep it adjusted properly than it is the Alivio.

I have not ridden either bike, nor have I seen a SU200 in person, but judging from the photos, the frame on the SU200 looks heavier than that of the 7.3 FX. Again, for off-road use, the SU200 looks like the better bike, but for road and well groomed trails, the 7.3 FX would be the better bike.

Unless you are riding a fair amount of the time in rain and mud, there is no advantage to the disc brakes, so again, it appears that the 7.3 FX is designed more for road use and the SU200 more for off-road use.

 

Ok so more fun details. I was in a five car pile up in August (I was in the middle) and my 30 days of rental car coverage has ran out, since my car is smashed up badly. So my orginal plan of getting the bike ASAP and returning the rental is starting to cost me money. It sucks too because the metrolink station is only 6 miles from me. I also don't want to settle for anything less then what fits me right as my plan in the end is to skip the metro and make the 14 miles commute on the bike.

Oh well, anyone have any available Trek 7.3fx in Socali?