Thanks anyway

They look like this but are alloy and only cost £25 on ebay 2nd hand.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=26976

I haven’t changed the brakes or gear shifters because thay would be quite expensive and I think it would make more sense to save my money towards a proper road bike instead.

I’ve also got a Trek 7.3 fx. I’ve cut down the width of the handlebars to 44cm and added bar ends to get a more aerodynamic position. I was interested to see you’ve swapped your original bars for aeros- could you tell me which brand you bought? And also, did you change the gear shifters and brake levers?

Completed it in just under 35 minutes.

Next event was March 6th by which time I had spent to much time on ebay and now had clipless pedals & aero bars.
Time 30.30, over 4 minutes quicker.
Then this week achived 29.40.

And thats still with original tyres, full mud guards, lights, saddle bag etc.

I have a charity bike ride coming up in May and after that I’m going to go smaller tyres and see what I can do.

Great article, loving my bike, but considering getting a more dedicated road bike at the end of this year.

I used to work for Navisite, a MA based company based in Andover. Too cold for the Caribbean blood, so I moved to San Francisco and fool myself that earthquakes don’t exist.

I will update here once I’ve done a few rides if the weather permits (New England).

Thanks again.

I’d wait a month or two before starting to make modifications if any. Get over any buyer’s remorse on the base model. You can easily spend thousands upgrading a bike $20 to $100 at a time. The less emotional and financial attachment you have to the bike at the beginning, the more you’ll enjoy it as a newbie.

That said, Trek really needs a model between 22.5″ and 25″, so you may need to purchase a slightly longer seat post or new handle bars that rise up to match the seat if your body dimensions are in between the two frame sizes. There are also head tube extenders that you could investigate, so you may not have to buy a new set of bars.

The other recommendations in the post are good options too, and the more pricey ones would be better spent on a used bike than a brand new one. That way the discount paid on the secondhand bike matches the additional cost of the upgrades.

Wait for now, and only do the upgrades when you know you are hooked on cycling.

The local store ordered it and I should have it early next week.
Any mods you recommend?

In my experience the handle bars shouldn’t be more than about an inch or two below the level of the seat. Any lower and your wrists will hurt. Fortunately slightly upwardly curved handlebars are a relatively cheap upgrade. About $20.

Don’t buy what is in the store unless it really fits. If not you will find yourself adding bits and pieces to the bike to make it more comfortable. Eventually you’ll realize that you made a poor investment but by then you would have spent a small fortune in money and time. It has happened to me, and I only got true satisfaction with my road bike when I bought a custom frame. The large framed FX was OK as the frame was fairly large to begin with.

Over extension of the seat and the use of handlebar risers can make your bike unstable.

Would you mind advising me regarding choosing the proper size for the FX.
I’m 6’3″, 180 pounds, my local store recommended I go with a 22.5 frame instead of a 25.
Do you think that 22.5 is big enough for me? I’m concerned on the long run it will feel small.
I did try a 22.5 FX 7.2 on the store and it felt ok but I’m a total newbie, this is my first ‘real’ bike.
I’m concerned the store is just trying to seell inventory, I didnt feel the guy was very into sizing a bike for me at the moment.

Thanks again.

I just sold my 7.3 disk brake model on craigslist. “Very well used” is the comment from the buyer. I put a tremendous amount of miles on this bike. I was catching roadies towards the end. This was my first real bike and thought maybe I was missing something.

I was gearing up for the purchase of the 7.6 model, but now after reading your post I’m thinking maybe I need to go back to the 7.3!

Damn your insightful post!

Thanks for quick replay and advice. Since this is my first race the goal is to complete the race in a decent time. Actually winning a race isn’t even on the radar yet. So I’m definitely leaning towards spending the minimum until after the first couple races. I want to see how much I like the experience and how well my body with stands it. If I start doing more Tri’s than I’ll probably end up investing in a true tribike. Like you said the amount spent on upgrades at a certain point stops making sense.

Thanks,

Ezra

I have gone through the super light component phase and I found the friendships made through the sport to be more important to me. So I have begun to invest in a more comfortable bike with a lot less concern for weight and more interest in economy.

Until you are sure of what you want to achieve, I’d spend minimally. Go with the thinnest tires your existing wheels will take, try an entry level set of aero bars for the handle bars and enjoy life. You can spend $500 to $1,000 on entry level competition wheels. When you feel that urge it’s almost time to invest in a new bike.

I purchased my 7.3 in July of 2008. This is my first decent bike. I’ve been commuting with it for nearly a year and I have no complaints. I recently signed up for an Olympic triathlon which will include a 24mile ride. One of the trainers said I can use my Trek as long as I upgrade the wheels. I was considering replacing the tires and tubes and wheels. Do you think the gain in speed and time will justify the expenditure?

Thanks,

Ezra