prtyich

Hello all, been a long time since I've been here. I am again in the market for a new bike as a beater/bender for use on vacations. I already have a Specialized carbon sirrus sport which is my regular bike, but we are splitting time in two states now and I don't want to travel with it for several reasons. My plan is to leave the new bike at my 2nd property and use it when we are there.

Anyway, I have narrowed my search to two decent hybrids for my purposes, a Trek FX2 Disc:

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...rCode=greydark

and a Specialized Sirrus 2.0:

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/si...=322026-200206

Both companies make very good bikes (my Sirrus Sport Carbon is a great bike and my wife has a Trek FX 7.2 which is also very good). I tested a Trek and it rides quite well, and am going to see if I can get a hold of a Sirrus 2 to test out as well. I assume other than weight - it is about 2-3 lbs heavier than my carbon - the sirrus 2.0 should be a comparable ride to my sport carbon.

Both are within $5 of each other, but I am heavily leaning towards the FX 2 as it has a wider gear range and seemingly slightly better specs.

I'd guess either will be a good choice, but just wanted to see if anyone has looked at or purchased either bike, and has any thoughts. TIA.

SteveInConverse

I have an FX1 and am partial to Trek. I think you would be served well by the FX2.

RiddleOfSteel

The slightly better specs are nice. Looking at the geometry, specifically Stack and Reach (the top point of the head tube, along its center line), the Sirrus 2.0 is longer and lower across the board than your Sirrus Carbon Sport (assuming 2017 geometry is applicable to yours). Trek FX geometry by and large has remained consistent through the years, and the FX2 is no exception. Compared to your current Specialized and the one you're considering, the Stack/Reach situation is more favorable to you being able to adjust it to your liking. I've long thought/said that you can always 'grow' a bike [taller seatpost, longer stem, etc], but it's really hard to 'shrink' a bike. If you're able to test ride the new Sirrus, that will be immensely helpful. Good luck!

prtyich

I’ve ruled out the specialized and am now considering the FX3 disc vs the FX2 disc, both 2022 models which have some differences from their 2021 counterparts.

The slightly lighter weight, carbon fork and single drivetrain front derailleur of the 3 might be worth the extra $200 stretch…

Trav1s

Before purchasing my Quick 1 from a friend, I tried out the FX2 and FX3 and found a significant difference between the two with the FX3 being a much more comfortable ride, even with the 700x30C tires. Sounds like the present version has some nice upgrades since I tried one out. I'm really curious about the 1x setups.

RiddleOfSteel

The carbon fork upgrade over the aluminum or steel forks is very noticeable as carbon is naturally good at absorbing impacts and road buzz. It's not as "bothered" by things. That being said, a steel or aluminum fork with the right shape (curved blades) and thinner walls can do very well. Since this is a Trek FX we're talking about, and it's a 1) hybrid (not a road bike) 2) not ridden by 130 lb Pro Tour riders over the Alps 3) needs to carry gear/racks/fenders, it's going to be built with more strength and durability in mind. I've had stiff carbon road bike forks before and they weren't the most fun, but you have to spend money to get that or find a great deal used (what I did).

Carbon that isn't built to within an inch of its life for stiffness and lightness can be really nice, hence what I think is happening here with the FX3. My FX 7.3 with its aluminum fork is down to party over big hits/crummy roads, which I figured would be the case, hence my desire to go 7.4 or higher (or FX3 etc). Finding it in a 25" / XL size secondhand on CL or Marketplace will be another matter. A tire size increase, using a quality tire, at proportionally lower pressures, can mitigate the effects of a stiffer/harsher fork pretty well. That extra air volume can be clutch. The larger tire, if large enough, can make things sluggish or the steering weird (lower speed 'flopping' tendency to one side or another), at least in a drop bar conversion like I've done. If you're noticing a ride quality difference straight out of the box, that's fantastic. It gives you much more flexibility in riding and choosing future tires, in addition to not beating you up over any length of ride. We want riding to be enjoyable.

prtyich

Good posts so far, much appreciated. I've settled on the FX3 disc, which appears to have the best components I've seen amongst the major four manufacturers for its price point.

One last question; it has a 1x10 drivetrain - I'd think this would have several advantages such as less parts/possible front derailleur issues, lighter weight, simpler shifting, etc., as it has a wider gear range at 11-46t than most. That said, are there any disadvantages to having only a single gear up front instead of the more common two?

Mojo31

The weight of a derailleur and chainring is not going to be meaningful. Disadvantages of a single chainring is fewer gears that are more widely spaced.

Also, you can’t just look at the cassette and say it has a wider gear range. It depends on the chainring and how the ratios compare to a 2x drive system.

msalvetti

I was wrestling with the same questions a few months ago. I ended up calculating the gear inches of the FX 3 and comparing them to the gear inches of the gears I used most often on my old Mongoose. I was typically using the 7 highest gears on the Mongoose, and the FX 3 only had 5 gears in the same range. Then I looked at the FX Sport 4, and that had 6 gears in that range (it is 1x11).

I ended up with the FX Sport, and I don't find the gear spacing a problem. But I am aware at times that the spacing is wider than the Mongoose. I have a feeling if I had the 1x10 of the FX 3 I would not like the much wider gear spacing.

You could do the same calc and compare to your Specialized and see how the gear ranges compare.

Mark

DowneasTTer

Back in 2018 I had the same question, I was about to jump ship from the typical 2x11 Shimano set up on my then current Giant Fastroad CoMax to a Sram Force 1x11 on a Canyon Roadlite 9LTD. Still have both sets of bikes but love the 1x system and the Canyon in general so much so that while shopping for new bikes for our 50th anniversary (yes I'm THAT OLD) I settled on a couple of Lightspeed Cherohala City bikes with 1x11 Shimano. They should arrive within the next couple of weeks. Now to plan for what set of wheels for our 75th....

prtyich

The place I will be riding the bike is almost uniformly flat, and my budget for this secondary bike is $1K or under. I also already have a carbon frame which I prefer not to travel with, and want a cheaper bike that I have to worry about less if it gets scuffed or heaven forbid - stolen. The gears on the FX3 might be wide enough, I plan to test ride one in the next few weeks (months?) depending upon weather and availability.