gb2

I cannot post pictures yet (newbie) but I figured out a mount for my Trip that works quite well. I’m still envious of the low flush mount for Garmins.

gb2

Does she like it? I got a good deal this winter on a lightly used FX4 Sport while waiting on a new one to come in. Same color as your wife's. I swapped out the pedals and switched to GravelKing SS Plus, 35c. I love this bike. Fast and diverse.

jaxgtr

Yes she does. She was riding a Cannondale Quick 4, but I wanted to get her something more modern. I hate, hate, hate V-brakes and after replacing the brake pads recently, I was determined to find something else. I picked this up on the used market and it was only 7 months old, so I saved a boat load of cash, which I instantly put into new wheels. I grabbed some Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37's TLR that my LBS had in stock. I had a store credit, and I know it was probably overkill for this bike, but hey, you only live once. They are really nice wheels that will last her a long time. The weight of the stock wheels less tires are stunningly heavy, somewhere in the 2100 gm neighborhood. The Aeolus with tires are still lighter than the bare stock wheels.

I replaced the brake pads this afternoon, the prior owner was using it as a gravel type bike and the resin pads were pretty worn, I also changed the cassette, we are in a flat area, and an 11-42 is useless, I had the 11-34 I pulled from my Domane, so I put that on there, but ultimately, I am going to put a 14-28 on it. I am also going to put on a new chain, just waiting for them to get here. I left the Bontrager R1 tires on for now, but I want to replace them with something a lighter. I have the 32 Bontrager R3's on my Domane and I really like them, so I was thinking of getting those, but they are out of stock locally and online, so I am looking for alternatives. Now she just needs to find a saddle that will work for her.

It is really a nice bike, I am glad a friend of mine gave me the heads up on it.

SEATrek

Thanks but I really don't do Facebook...

gb2

Those wheels! Nice customizations.

jaxgtr

Thanks. They are very nice. I have the Pro3v's on my Domane, and really like them, and these are pretty much the same except they have DT Swiss 340 hubs and a little narrower inside rim width.

She took her first ride of any real distance yesterday and she was ecstatic with the difference compared to her old bike. She told me she was always happy with the old bike, but now understands my desire to get her something else . Luckily, we have a friend of hers that had been looking for a different bike as she only had an 50 lb big box bike and never wanted to ride. She and her husband rode with us yesterday and she told my wife she had no idea riding a bike could be so nice. . They took the bike home and I got some cash to offset the new bike. Win, Win, Win.

gb2

Not bad:

gb2

Yeah. I mean, I don’t have a bike on par with the Domane, but when I ride with friends who are still using their college bike and they come up short, I’m like, it’s your bike. Are your tires even properly inflated? And, although it’s early in the year, I want to ride longer on my FX4 Sport. Might need better wheels. 😉

brucedelta

I recently got an FX4 Disk and am new to the whole bike thing, but would like to learn some more. I was just trying to understand the idea of changing the cassette. If I understand correctly the 11-42 stock uses the larger numbers when climbing hills which you do not really have in your area. But the lower numbers are when you want to go faster with one crank rotation spinning the back wheel more times. But going to an 11-34 or 14-28 just seems to me like it would narrow the gap/difference between each gear selection. While you get no more uphill pull by eliminating the higher count rings, I would think you want to make the lower count lower so you could get more push.
Maybe I am just not a good enough rider, but so far I have not felt the need for an in-between gear on my FX4, but I have found myself on the smallest ring more of the time than I originally expected. Bottom line if I were to opt for a change I would think a 9-42 or something could be desirable(if they make such a thing as a 9 tooth sprocket), but I am asking to understand how the 14-28 is beneficial. I would think making the front crank larger would have the desired effect.

raymellott

I also dumped that useless rear 34 and put on a 13-25. Rode that for a buncha miles until it wore. But by then, there were no replacements available at all... it seemed, anywhere except in the UK. So I bought and installed a 14-28. A little easier on the climbs, but also a touch slower, I think. I'm still, though finding myself, at this point in my life, wishing I had a rear end with some one tooth changes between cogs... Instead of the two.

I recently dumped the Bongrager tires and put on Continental 5k's. Love them. You might want to check them out as an alternative.

jaxgtr

The main reason for me moving her to the 14-28 is that while she is not going to be a speed demon, she will never use the 11, 12, or 13 tooth cogs which are going to be harder to pedal with the single chain ring up front, and to deal with the wind. Her general avg speed never typically tops 14-15 mph over large distances, and as the tallest "mountain" we have around here is called a bridge, and is 108 ft at the summit, the 28 tooth is plenty of climbing gear for her. The wind can get pretty strong here and notorious for switching directions mid ride, and I like having single tooth gap to deal with it, versus having 2 or 3 tooth gaps. I do not race, rarely if ever used the 11,12, or 13 locally anymore, have no worry about spinning out going down hill on a 108 ft bridge, and usually, just casually riding at an 18-20 avg mph. The 14-28 cassette works perfect for that scenario. If the wind kicks up in my face, the one tooth difference can make all the difference in hating life or enjoying life and I like to keep my cadence consistent. Now if I plan to ride with a group I know if going to be going fast, I can bring out my Emonda and use a 11-25 or 28 I have, but as I approach my 60's, riding 24/25 avg over 40 or 50 miles in not something I am doing on a regular basis, so for me, the 14-28's are exactly what the doctor ordered.

jaxgtr

Yea I rode the Conti 4sII for a while and I liked them, very nice tires. I have been leery of them with them being tough to mount and do not want to have to take 30 mins trying to put a tire on. I am thinking I am going to move her to tubeless, I have enjoyed it, and while the R3's are not the lightest tires, I do like they way they ride. I am also looking at some Vittoria's, I rode them for many years and they were always a good tire for me.

Edit: The 13-25 is a 10 speed cassette if I recall, and her bike is an 11 speed, so the 11 speed version would have been the 12-25, which I looked at, but yea, same concept.

raymellott

When I got the new Conti's I also had difficulty mounting them, until (lightbulb) I decided to hold steady the tire bead in the wheel with one hand and the plastic doohickey; and then used the second plastic doohickey, sliding the bead into the wheel. And of course it worked. Tire 1 took about 15 minutes. Tire 2 about 5. I still, though, don't get how you use that hook the doohickey has. I'm guessin' it has something to do with hooking it onto a spoke, but I didn't use it in that way; and I was still successful... All the best.

AuGanymede

Hello,
does anyone have some experience with mounting fenders/mudguards on his Trek FX Sport 5 or 6? Does any particular brand and model fit the frame (SKS maybe?)?
I would be grateful for some advice in this matter as I don't want to buy them just to send them back in case they don't fit.

jaxgtr

The Bontrager fenders\mudguards actually are really nice and are designed to fit the Treks bikes. I have some on my CrossRip as I used it for a Commuter\Rain bike. They also will fit my Domane and will work on my wife's FX4. You will just need to make sure the tire size you are running, work with them. There are 3 sizes. The one I use for my CrossRip work up to 35's and I am running 32's on it.

AuGanymede

Thanks for the suggestions, but there is one problem. I live in the EU, Poland to be precise and it's impossible to buy them here, they are out of stock everywhere with no ETA for restock. Therefore I'm looking for some alternatives.

By the way, how do you mount the front fender/mudguard on the Treks FX 4 carbon frame?

jaxgtr

Ahh, yea, that would be a problem. SKS would be good, the Bluemels will fit the bike, just find the correct size for your tires.

brucedelta

I guess I will have to pay more attention to the differences between teeth to get a sense when I ride. I rode at the Jersey shore this weekend and the wind along the beach can be more powerful than a hill I think. As a new rider also approaching my 60's, I doubt I could get to those high speeds. What cadences are normal for a bike ride? When I ride the Peloton (which is how I got into this) I think of 80 as my normal cadence, but so far I have a tough time getting that high on a real bike.

Now that we are discussing the rear cassette I was putting my bike in the car and looked at the rear closer than before. Is it normal for the teeth to have different shapes like you see in this picture or with some flat and some pointy or am I damaging them somehow? The bike is under 2 weeks old and has less than 100 miles on it, but I was surprised all the teeth did not look all the same. Is this anything I should be concerned about?

jaxgtr

Sorry, I forgot to answer this....the mounting points are at the base of the fork, and on the back side of the fork near the crown.

jaxgtr

Yea that is normal for the teeth.

Cadence will be based on your fitness for the most part and how you ride, do you like to spin quick in a lower gear, or more of a grinder in a higher gear. Like I mentioned, I try and find something comfortable based on conditions and most times, I will be in the 16 to 19 tooth cassette while in my 50 tooth chain ring. I almost never use my small ring, unless the wind\heat has just beaten me to death and I an just trying to make it home and don't care about speed.

raymellott

The teeth on your cassette are perfectly normal. That's the way they are shaped so facilitate the teeth on the chain when changing gears.

geekmom

New 2021 Fx 2 disc owner (Alpine blue), brought it home yesterday! I am a runner/triathlete who needed a bike to ride around while I'm spending time in Florida helping my parents. Took my maiden ride yesterday and was pleasantly surprised at how good this bike feels (for reference, I ride a BMC Timemachine at home). The one thing I'd like to swap is the pedals. I don't want to clip in, but need something better than stock. What is everyone using on their hybrids?

gb2

I went with a set of Bontrager Line Elite MTB pedals. I like how the sole of my shoe settles in and stays connected for most if not all of the revolution. Might be too much for casual riding. Seem heavy too if that’s a concern.

DorkDisk

I can recommend these pedals:

These VPs are good and cheap.

RaceFace Chesters are a great mid range option that is often imitated.

If you want to spend more and get an alloy body, the RaceFace Aeffect is nice

MrWasabi

I like the Shimano Saint PD-MX80 pedals a lot. I got mine a few years ago for my Fuji Traverse. They seem to be hard to find/more expensive these days though.