A few caveats based on what I was saying yesterday:
- All things being equal, according to what I've read, tread matters little but tire width matters a little more. Unless the 7.3 & 7.5 have tires composed of a better material (they are not readily advertising as such), the primary difference is in rider preference - 32's or 35's. An upgrade will give you a different flavor. I wasn't suggesting that a lower end bike came with better tires - but I also don't think 32's are default 'better', it depends on the rider.
- Carbon forks significantly alter a bike (or so I'm told). This isn't an upgrade as much as it is a change in bike class. Going with a 7.5 might well be the right decision - but in that case you might want to compare the 7.5 to other carbon-forked bikes, not the 7.2 & 7.3.
- Personally, I'm a strong rider because I spent most of my life pushing my endurance on bikes which were not optimal decision for everything I needed to do with it. Obviously you get what you pay for...but if you're returning to riding after a couple decades off, you might need a couple seasons to begin to be in a position where you can utilize the better features. The world is full of veteran, 'pro' commuters who do 60 miles a week on modified mountain bikes. By choice. A higher end bike might make that easier or faster or even less maintenance intensive, but the average rider does not pay 7.5 prices for 60 miles a week of riding. Maybe some would if they could afford it, but many wont.
More power to anybody who falls in love with a bike they can afford, any bike - but watch out! You've potentially just doubled your expenditure before you've even left the show room. If your prepared to do that, check bikes outside the FX series also.
Last edited by cranky velocist; 06-10-11 at 06:42 AM.