jemerson

I just bought a Trek FX Sport 4 fitness bike which I like a lot but I'm riding on roads a lot more than I thought I would. It seems like it takes me forever to get up hills on it though. Would I see a demonstrable difference if I upgraded to a full-on road bike?

Recommendations?

Maelochs

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...ort-4/p/21559/
That's a great bike there.

I don't think you would gain anything by going to a "real" road bike--by which I assume you mean a bike with drop bars?

Basically, you have the same bike, just with flat bars. I don't see any unnecessary weight on that bike. Unless you are riding an hour or more at a good clip, the aero advantage--or rather, the comfortable aero advantage---of drop bars won't mean a thing.

I used to do a lot of commuting, camping, etc. on a flat-bar biek. You can get down low (aero) but it is harder on the flat-bar bike, and on drop bars, there are a lot of different hand-holds to you can ride lower with more comfort .... which doesn't matter a lit until the first 10-15 miles are done. So ... how far do you ride?

Otherwise, you are looking a t a basic Al frame/CF fork disc bike with a Tiagra drive train .... the shape of the handlebars doesn't matter.

As for hills, that is not the bike, it is gravity. And gravity doesn't go away when you buy a road bike---take my word for it. Hills are tough. Best thing to do is build a basic level of fitness, then start experimenting with technique---try different cadences (how fast you pedal (Not trying to talk down to you---not sure how much you know so i'd rather say more than less)) And try using the gears differently.

I weigh more than an elephant, so hills are particularly tough for me (plus I am in lousy shape.) Technique matters a lot in my case. I have learned how fast and how hard I can pedal for how far so I can hit a cadence and hold it up a hill ... it is important to shift early, so you can keep the pedals spinning. Some folks mash---use a big gear and stomp harder (if your knees can take it, why not?) but that takes a lot of leg muscle ... and even so, shifting before you lose too much speed is important. Once you lose speed, .....

Practice doesn't make perfect but it helps. Ten-speed Tiagra offers you a lot of ratios--try shifting into the small chain ring (front gear) and higher cog (rear gear) as you approach the hill, so you can drop down in small steps as you tire out as the hill continues---that way you can use the max number of ratios and don't have to shift the front, which is much harder on a hill (takes longer, can't be done well under load, and when you slow your pedaling to shift, all your speed disappears.)

I am not saying you shouldn't buy a new bike---two bikes are more than twice as good as one. But .... you will probably find that the most important part of the bike is identical no matter which bike you ride.

rumrunn6

try one & see. maybe you can borrow, rent or test ride one. be sure to have your test ride on the hills in question

joelcool

Nice Trek!
My input is only my experience. I have a Priority 8 (no longer made), but it's a belt drive commuter. I suspect it's a bit heavier than your Trek, but has flat bars and disc brakes like yours. I also have a rear rack. I've never weighed it but it's considerably heavier than my road bike.
I'm about 2-3 mph slower when riding my Priority, and climbing hills is frustrating on that bike. The feel is more than 2-3 mph though. The only time I ride my Priority is when it's raining or I'm going for a very slow social ride.
Try a road bike and see for yourself, you may feel different.
Fit of a road bike is very important, so bear that in mind.

jemerson

Thanks for the advice. I started thinking I'd be happy to do 15 miles on a flat trail but I'm up to 35 miles (and feeling like I can do more) on the road so I just wasn't sure if I was on the right bike for that. I see others on road bikes that seem to glide up hills a lot easier and I figured the engineering had to have something to do with it.

I guess I'll just have to keep practicing and get better the old fashioned way.

firebird854

I actively seek out hills and love them, my main reason to bike is to go uphill (although I'm not a fan of downhills, as they can get a bit scary). If your goal is to improve your ability to climb, remember the phrase "Don't attack the giant's feet" which essentially means, save your power for the steep parts, if it's a consistent gradient try to go a bit easier at first so you don't blow yourself up before you're even 2/3 to the top (this is known as a negative split).

Cadences and "Technique" are all very individual, if I'm trying to KOM a hill, I'll be in the drops, pedaling 110+RPM, and going so hard I'm fighting back vomit. If I'm trying to enjoy the hill (which is what I recommend, especially since you don't have drop bars and likely don't care about KOMs) I typically spin around 85RPM, sit-up as tall as I can, make a mental effort to relax my shoulders, hands, etc. I also focus on taking very full, deep breaths (with the belly) and pace a slight negative split, maybe opening a bit of a sprint over the top to maintain speed.

Realistically, your bike isn't holding back your capability to climb (as it's often recommended that you sit-up and use the flat part of the bar anyways on a drop-bar bike, because aero benefits aren't really going to be there on, say, a 10% grade) but in my experience, spending fabulous amounts of money on a new bike will get you to bike more, and if you bike more you'll get better!

grayrest

Your bike is fairly close to what a similar priced road bike would get you. Most people with hybrid bikes have cheaper bikes that aren't as directly comparable. If someone looks like they're having a much easier time with the hills it's because they've put in the time. For overall speed, having a lower body position can make a significant difference. I switched to loop handlebars on my folding bike (Origin8 Strongbow) and that got me into a low enough position that I think it's an acceptable substitute for drops if you don't want to go through the expense/effort of moving to brifters.

MinnMan

"Just bought"? Well then, enjoy it. Put a few thousand miles in. The hills will get easier with fitness. If your enthusiasm continues. you'll go to n+1 soon enough. We all do.

Jrasero

It really depends how serious you want to get about cycling. As someone who only switched to a drop bar road bike a week ago I can tell you weight, feature, and performance can be much better than a fitness/hybrid bike however you have to ask yourself do I actually need a 16lb bike with Dura-Ace or even just a simple aluminium drop bar bike when my bike is getting me by? Honestly there are some really good fitness bikes out there like the Sirrus Expert Carbon and FastRoad Advanced 1 which both have Shimano 105 but are $2000. Your bike was probably $1200 new while you can find a carbon mid tier road bike with 105 components as low as $1000 new sometimes but the more common range is $1300-$1700

I would say keep your bike since you without a doubt loose hundreds of dollars trying to unload it meaning any road bike you do buy you will be throwing hundreds more into just climbing hills better slightly.

Maelochs

Bikes don't climb hills; riders do.

RShantz

The engine is the main thing to get better pace up hills. However, a more aero position would likely give you more speed at the base of the hill & therefore more momentum going up the hill - so likely a bit faster.

In any event, I think if you really like cycling & want to regularly do 30-50 mile rides you'd be happier on a drop bar bike. Go spend some $ and keep this economy moving!!!

motosonic

Well in my honest opinion, the TREK is nice. But, the biggest difference between that Trek and a Bona-fide Road bike would be the groupset and the drop bars. To me that makes a difference. To others it may not.

I started out in the very same way you did. Except with a Specialized Sirrus. Within 5 months I had already sold it and switched to a Road bike. The Road bike was lighter, geared differently and had a slightly more aggressive geometry (which for me, meant getting my extra....mass in a more aerodynamic position, lol).

But what made the most difference was the groupset and it's gearing and the overall weight difference of the bike. I climbed better, I descended better. My results may not be typical, but take it for what it's worth.

smashndash

Before switching to a road bike, consider swapping out the tires on your current bike to something race-oriented and tubeless like the GP5000 TL 32mm. It’ll dramatically change the feel of your bike and make hard efforts FAR more rewarding. I remember that switching to race tires immediately boosted my sprints because sprinting was less of a chore and I actually enjoyed it. Experiment with pressures once you set up tubeless - the fastest pressure is rarely the highest pressure you’re willing to run. This is the cheapest and most effective thing to start with.

Are you running clipless shoes? Those are one of the biggest upgrades you can make. And those work on every bike.

Are you wearing lycra? It makes a huge difference in terms of comfort and aerodynamics.

If you’re really savvy, you might be able to get away with swapping to drop bars on your current bike. Look at the geometry chart for your bike and another drop bar bike. If you can find a drop bar bike that has similar geometry to your current bike, you might be able to switch to drop bars (and probably a longer stem).

I personally don’t recommend that as it’s quite the investment for relatively small gains. You might consider a longer stem and narrowing your bars to simulate the aggressive position of a road bike. Your bars are currently 600mm - that’s MTB territory. Road bikers use 360-440mm bars. And they generally err towards the narrower side. You can either get new bars or chop your current ones.

If you find your butt getting uncomfortable when you roll your hips forward to get into a lower position (necessary in order to adequately weight the pedals and for aerodynamics), then invest in a proper saddle. Many people have had success with the specialized power saddle but that is on the aggressive side. A road saddle with a wide central cutout is a good start for getting more aggressive.

what is your fit like? Road cyclists will frequently have their saddles high and forward, while hybrids will have their saddles back and low. The road position is excellent for aggressive riding, but not great for comfort at lower power outputs. The hybrid is the opposite.

Hope this helped

Silvestru

true that!

Dave Mayer

I've been riding stiff-soled cycling shoes with clipless pedals for many years. The other day I decided to jump on the bike with tennis sneakers for a test spin around the block. I was surprised at how much power I was losing due the deformation of the shoe soles. With flip-flops, it was far worse. On a modest hill it felt as if I had geared up 5 cogs. Plus my feet were getting tired after a few minutes.

Re-learned lesson: cycling shoes are have zero flex - for a good reason.

Second recommendation: the greatest performance gain to be derived from a bike (that already fits perfectly) is by shedding weight on the wheels. Start with lighter tires with minimal tread or lugs.

jemerson

Thanks for the great advice.

carlos danger

fwiw maybe not!!

I read about one guy that saved 1 minute in 1h by going to road bike from his old mtb with slicks. its the motor not the bike...

if you put road tires on you current bike you might go faster. i recommend gp4ks and gp5k. continental. 25-28mm

and if you buy a dedicated road bike you might go even faster than that. but you also might not.

I personally can go a lot faster on a road type handle position than a mtb/straight bar one. a lot. several km/h in average.

Its up to you basically. How much do you want to spend? at about 7-800 or so (look for last years models) they start to become usable. then factor in new bars/saddle/stem, at least 100-200.

come back when you bought it. and we can suggest what to do with it. for your type of use.

downhillmaster

More Freds will wave to you if you are on a road bike

Cyclist03516

I don't know your financial status (nor do I care unless you are stupid loaded and need a long lost nephew) but just buy one. If its not your thing, sell it. I am getting back into cycling for about the third time but, now I am thinking of cross training so to speak. I, too, suck at climbing (safely in clydesdale land also)so now I am thinking I need a mountain bike and go find hills to climb. Only way to be a better climber is , well go climb.