klein7862

The kickstand I added does add quite a bit of weight so I might remove that. Recommend Upland I use their kickstand on all my bikes About 2 grams

littleArnold

Hi new to biking and the forums!

I just started riding a Trek Hybrid 7.2 FX. I wanted a Trek for years and finally decided to get one. Although it is not considered as fast as a road bike, this bike can fly on the bike path. I own a Huffy, a Schwinn Mountain Bike and now a Trek Hybrid FX. The Trek has the best fit for me, I am a smaller frame rider so I think having the store pick out a Trek bike that was perfect for my body dimensions helped. The Schwinn is nice but it is a little big for me I'm only like 5'4" and it was a 28 inch bike.

I can really fly on the trails on the Trek. I noticed a big difference in how much faster I can fly in the trails compared to the Schwinn and Huffy. Even pedaling in higher gears is so much easier on the Trek. On the Schwinn mountain bike I had a hard time pedaling on the 3rd big gear and in the higher back gears without getting winded very quickly. On the Trek Hybrid I was able to pedal with the gear on the 3rd big gear and on the highest back gear with ease. The Schwinn and Huffy seemed to tire my quads too easily, but on the Trek I feel my hamstrings and glutes working more and I feel less emphasis on the quads. This translates into more leg stanima on the bike path and I can comfortably ride in the higher gears now without getting winded so quickly. I think the other bikes didn't fit my smaller frame very well and this bike fits me perfect so I am guessing my legs are bending at the proper angle when I am peddling on the Trek.

I love the Trek Hybrid 7.2 Fx it feels almost like I am cheating, cycling is so much easier now on the bike path and I feel like a speed demon now I am a newbie to cycling, don't know that much about bikes.

CadenceBoy

Glad you found the right sized bike Arnold.
If you have pictures of the bikes maybe we could confirm they are too big/small/ just right

Nyimbo

Im reading this post several days late however I don't see anyone's rep,y so I'll give my thoughts as I have an FX and a touring bike of another bike that is almost a clone of the 520.
First, why are you thinking of switching? They are very different bikes built for different purposes. The fx is onderful for recreational riding trails and an all around commuter. It can easily take a rack if you are commuting and need carry a bag. It can also be set up for touring but that is not the best use unless you are doing credit card touring where you are sleeping in homes and hotels and are not taking tents and bags and cooking equipment. It's a great touring bike for that style of touring.

The 520 is a full fledged touring bike. I remember when I test rode the 520 I told the salesman I felt like I was riding a truck. It isn't as much fun for all around riding but like a truck when you need one a car won't do. It is heavy, longer studier framed, bike with room for front rack as well as rear rack for front and back panniers and will carry heavy loads all around the country.

Boondocksaints

Thanks for the info!

I mainly want to get another bike because I'm giving the Trek to my bro to try and get him into biking with me.


Thus, I need a new bike! And I feel I might as well get a touring bike made of steel. It can do everything a hybrid can do and more.

Nyimbo

Unless you are planning fully loaded touring (which is what you i do with my touring bike) I wouldn't recommend a 520. I found mine is perfect for going across country. But the rest of the year at home it remains unridden. I use my road bike for road riding and my fx for trail/road or when I need to go shopping. But the tour bike no. I have three bikes, but if I could only have one I'd stick with the FX, unless I was really doing bikepacking and cross country touring. Try checking the Adventure Cycling Association website to see where the tour bikes are being used.

Boondocksaints

Thanks. Yes I've read classic-style touring bikes may be too on the heavy weight side.

However, there are the newer style tourers like the Specialized AWOL or Jamis Aurora I am considering.

Either way, I have to get a new bike. Just can't decide what!

pehare

as to the comment about the 520 - I bought a trek fx3 last year & as my fitness improved & my rides got into the 2-3 hr range there weren't enough handlebar positions to keep me comfortable for that long. That & the local Trek shop did a lousy job fitting me for the FX3. What I would up doing is going to another LBS & getting measured & fitted for a Soma Saga touring bike which is a few pounds heavier but way more comfortable for me & more suited to my needs & future plans.

snuboy360

I just found this forum but I’ve been looking at the Trek FX 3 for a few weeks now. As of the new year I’ve been trying to lose weight and I’m now down to 332lbs. I’ve been looking for a good fitness bike to get into biking but with the weight limit of 300lbs on the Trek website I’m wondering if I’m still too heavy for this bike. Are there any heavy riders out there that are over 300lbs that are using the Trek FX series, and if so how is that gong?

anthony.b

Hello my fellow Trekkies. I just purchased a gently used 2010 FX 7.3 a few weeks back and I think i'm in heaven. It was a steal on Craiglist (but i confirmed that it wasn't stolen). I hadn't ridden a bike since I was in high school (38 now). Back then I would switch between my mountain bike and my dad's road bike with drop bars. I originally purchased a Trek Verve 1 (used) and it was smooth but I realized quickly that it wasn't exactly the fast bike I was looking for. I usually just ride the bike trail from Playa Vista to Manhattan Beach. It's all paved and there are some stretches where you can really pick up speed, but the upright position of the Verve really wasn't cutting it. I was torn between the FX3 and and something with drop bars, but as fate had it I ran across a great deal and didn't pass it up.

So far i'm loving the bike. It's light, fast, and looks great. I've replaced the stock bontrager grips with ergo grips that have small bar ends for additional hand placement. When the tires go, I'll most likely replace the current Bontrager Race Lite Hard-Case to Gatorskins. From what I can see not much has changed except for the paint jobs and the carbon forks on the newer FX3's so I don't feel like i'm missing out on too much.

anthony.b

One thing I forgot to mention is the stock pedals stink. Any suggestions for something with a little more grip?

NormanF

If you like the FX and want wider tires - get the DS instead and have the dealer put on a rigid fork.

Craptacular8

The 520 is a hair under 29 lbs. Typical 7.2 is 25.6

There are a lot of endurance/sport touring bikes I would choose before going with the 520 for anything other than loaded touring.

Boondocksaints

Some examples?

Craptacular8

Salsa Vaya, Surly Crosscheck, All-City Spacehorse, Specialized Diverge, Trek Crossrip, Giant Anyroad, Jamis Renegade series, Raleigh Willard, and I know I've missed a bunch more. These all take racks and fenders, are a little, or as much upright as you want for comfort, but should ride unloaded as well. I mean you don't have to leave the hybrid/flat bar genre to have a bike that will tour, as nearly all of the flat bar hybrids have forks/rear stays that accept racks and fenders too. Bar ends, Jones H loop bars, or some trekking bars, and a flat bar can do the job quite decent.

Dcwrider

Hello forum! Nice to be here and thank you for your expertise.
I purchased a new 19" FX 7.4 WSD in White in 2012. I've ridden the heck out of it, daily 6 mile (each way) commute to work during wam weather and many long 20+ mile rides on weekends. I added a more comfortable seat, a pannier rack, put faster road tires on it and upgraded the handlebars. But it rides hard and I often feel like, for being an experienced city/trail rider, I can't get enough power out of the bike. It's currently in the shop with a broken rear wheel spoke spoke, a rear wheel out of true and sticking brakes (second time rear wheel brakes have been sticking/wheel out of true.). I may end up having to replace the rear wheel, waiting to hear - I did a hard 38 mile ride this weekend w/o knowing the spoke was broken. The first shop I took it to said this bike was not built to be ridden as much as I do.
My main issue with the bike is the frame is heavy (to me.) as I get older, especially with my back, I feel the weight of the bike when I am lifting it onto my house rack or car rack, etc.
I have chronic lower back pain due to a minor, long-tolerated stress fracture in a lower vertebrae. so I'm wary of transitioning to a road bike - I like upright handlebars. What I want is a lighter, higher-performing version of this bike. I've looked for comparison specs - are the later model FX 7.4s lighter than my 2012 model? I can't find the weight of my current model to tell if a new FX has come in noticeably lighter.
Thank you for any knowledge and input!
Tara

Tommy1955

Try going to one of your local bike stores that carry Trek and try lifting the new FX3. I think you'll be amazed how light it is. I did have to get the 15" though because I have a short stand over.

ColonelSanders

Most of the weight in your bike would be in your tyres/tubes/wheels and in your cranks, you could look at replacing/upgrading those and losing some pounds that way.


If that is all too much trouble, then you are probably better off looking at the FX S 4, rather than what is equivalent to your bike, which using today's name scheme is the FX3.


At best I suspect the FX3 would be 2lbs lighter than your bike and the FX S 4 is 2lbs lighter than the FX3, so losing approx. 4lbs would definitely be noticeable.

Dcwrider

Thank you both for the advice on the FX 3 and S 4 - I am definitely going to consider those models - did they change the frame style from '12 to now for weight or shape? Glad to be part of the forum!

Piratebike

I am a little different. I have a few bikes, pretty much one for every kind of riding I do. I even added a Duel Sport recently to hit the "in between" times. But if I had to get rid of all mine but one, I would keep the 520. First off it fits me like a glove, not that the others don't this one is just a little better. It rides like a Cadillac. Yes it is slower than my Madone. Yes it is heavier than my FX or DS. And nomit cant go where my mountain bike can go. But I ride mostly on the road, I don't care about going fast. I just care about going. With its racks I can commute or run errands. It rides smooth. Has gears that can handle pretty much an road condition. And it's a tank with relatively simple components to fix.

Nyimbo

I thought about your post and will agree it makes sense. For me If I only had one bike the answer would probably change over time depending on circumstances. But the best choice for me is to have three bikes. If that isn't an option for budget reasons or limited storage space reasons then I guess some fun choices have to be made...

lulubell

I recently bought a gently used 7.2 fx and want to mount a rear rack on it. Today I rode to the hardware store to get bolts because the bolts with the rack I have don't fit the dropout braze-ons. Alas! M5 was too big and M4 is too small. M5s do fit the upper mounts though. Does anyone know why Trek would make these different sizes? Don't know the year but could check later. I know I'm not just going crazy, I've seen a post in some other forum with the same complaint. Is it a bad idea to use the M4 anyway, even with a nut? Please help! Thanks.

rumrunn6

might just be paint in the holes? try scraping it out with a skinny pocket knife or paint thinner?

anyway try a bike shop or scavenge from your water bottle cage. you don't need that do ya?

lulubell

Aha! You were right, rumrunn6, thanks. It just needed some extra elbow grease to get the screws in... Well now I just feel silly!

rumrunn6

freaky tho, right? feels like you're doing something wrong. I had to hassle w similar issues on a cpl bikes this winter installing fenders. was looking all over for another screw that would work better. but I was hassling w a threaded hole on a front fork on 1 side but the other side was fine. wutz w bike frame painting anyway? nowt very consistent of you ask me ...