Review - TREK 7.9 FX 2011 Carbon Hybrid Bicycle

[twinturbo111]

stupid question: if in the rare occasion i want to put a child seat to take my 2 year old son with me, can i do that? or is it way too unstable / road bike like?

[JogBird]

@twinturbo111 i guess you can do it in a pinch. they make specific "transport" bikes to support extra loads and such, which would be more ideal (stable).. but, if youre doing it occasionally i guess its ok... i really havent thought about it much though.. this is strictly an exercise bike for me.

[bim2x4]

How much does this thing go for?

[JogBird]

@bim2x4 mrsp was around $2900, but, negotiable of course. its been discontinued for 2012.

[twinturbo111]

Hi , Thanks for the review of the trek FX 7.9 - quick question: what is the total weight of the bike? thanks

[JogBird]

@twinturbo111 i dont know off-hand. but, its not much lighter than the aluminum 7.7. its actually heavier than my previous Marin Fairfax hybrid aluminum. instead of of trying to save weight with carbon, they really beefed up the frame for ride quality. if you notice the down tube, its massive.. probably 2x wider than the 7.1-7 frame. if they had simply remade the 7.1-7 frame in carbon then there would have been more weight savings, but, that was not the priority. it not heavy tho.

[TheIncridibleOne]

Is it comfortable? Comfort is very importent to me.

[JogBird]

@TheIncridibleOne its comfortable in terms of road-hybrids. but, you dont need this level of bike for comfort since a lot of the cost doesnt contribute to comfort (e.g. ultegra gearing). there are tons of really good options like the 7.3 FX or hyrbids from other makes. i would also look into getting one with fatter tyres (700/32) and maybe front suspension too... and maybe a bit more upright riding position, depending on you.

[TheIncridibleOne]

@JogBird thanks! After 5 years i'm thinking about a new bike. After my Trek 5200, i want something comfortable and quick. I thought of the 7.3 FX as well.

Heard that front suspension is useless on hybrids. It causes much weight and it only works offroad. If i buy a FX, the best option of upgrading comfort is to use bigger tires.

[JogBird]

@TheIncridibleOne cool! you should check out Marin as well.. i used a Marin Fairfax hybrid for about 5-6 years before this one. it was a super fun bike to have. youre probably right about the front suspension.. the wider tires would probably be more practical. things like disc brakes arent really necessary either (actually, neither is carbon fiber..lol)

[TheIncridibleOne]

@JogBird the Marin Faifax looks pretty good. Perhaps i'll get one for a test ride.

How about titanium bikes? have you ever ridden one?

[JogBird]

@TheIncridibleOne never tried a titanium bike. although, if youre looking for a comfortable hybrid, i would just stick to aluminum or even steel.. the exotic materials make more sense when you get into performance oriented bikes.

[lucioscp3]

a dream bike...hope buy one like that six months/one year!

[kryark]

I'm thinking of the 2012 7.7 FX and have been informed it's slightly less weight but also has gone from 30 speed to 20 speed. Anyone that can provide any guidance on the pros & cons between these and other aspects of the 2011/2012 7.7 question would be appreciated. Apologies if this is a little off topic, but looking for prompt guidance and finding it hard to get it.  People here sound like they think about things in a way that is meaningful to me. Thanks!

[JogBird]

@kryark its gone from a triple to double crank, which should be fine i think (i wouldnt mind).. its more compact and its still a 105 level crank. for the 2011 model they had a 105 cassette, but for 2012 they downgraded to Tiagra level.. if this matters then its easy enough to replace it with a 105 or higher. everything else looks like a carry over from the 2011 year..so, if you can get a new 2011 for cheap, i dont think you would miss much

[kryark]

@JogBird Thanks for the feedback. Was able to take a look today at the 2011 & 2012 side-by-side. I'm not bike savvy enough to provide the sort of feedback others would be expecting, so most probably I'll just post some photo or video later, if there's interest. For now the 2011 is not being marked down and remains at a slightly higher price than the 2012. For price and some other reasons, I'm thinking the 2012 model is right for me. Thanks again.

[kryark]

@JogBird Thanks for the feedback. I went ahead and purchased the 2012. Will provide more feedback in the future. First impressions... very good!!! Thanks.

[JogBird]

@kryark Awesome! Hope you enjoy it. Im not a winter biker, so, mine is suspended until the Spring.

[antonioqb]

I dont want to sound ignorant but are bikes in this range really worth the money? they might be a bit smoother, comfortable, lighter but can it really justify spending hundreds more than a decent £400 bike. can it really make that much more of a difference?

[JogBird]

@antonioqb its like asking if a BMW is worth it over a Camry; they both do the same thing basically. 95% of folks would be perfectly serviced with the Camry. i actually have a beater bike that i use for regular commuting.. it was around $600. its great for around the city, i can throw it on a bike rack, lock it up, etc. but, if im going out for a 40-120km ride, im taking the 7.9... thats where the difference really shows.

[antonioqb]

@JogBird oh alright i get you. thanks for the info, im looking to get a bike but dont know much, i think ill just go for a mid-range.

[JogBird]

@antonioqb yea, you really dont have to spend a lot; its really if you get into biking longer distances or maybe training. i regularly do 100+ km rides during the summer weekends, so a commuter bike wouldnt do... if i didnt do that, then the bike here (7.9) would be total overakill not to mention theft prone. mid-range makes perfect sense.

[Tommydog2012]

@antonioqb I have a Trek 7.7FX. It is a joy to ride. I'm 60 and will sometimes take it on the train in the morning to work and ride it home, so I appreciate it's light weight lifting on and off the train. I also appreciate the more upright riding position. I'm not trying to do major road trips, but I will sometimes ride it 30 miles on a weekend. Check Craig's LIst or other online sites where someone might be selling a top quality bike that they haven't used much.

[antonioqb]

@Tommydog2012 its good to get a genuine reviews from a real users of the bike, it sounds great and i'll definitely look to see if i can find one thats hasn't been used much. thanks

[halo2pc]

That video reminds me on my Gary Fisher bicycle called SUPER CALIBER. Paid almost £ 2000.- for it, back in 2003 I think it was. Guess what, one year later it was stolen. I almost fainted.

[JogBird]

@halo2pc oh man that sucks, ive had a few bikes stolen in my lifetime, none of them were as expensive as this one, but i knwo the feeling. the 7.9 is my exercise bike and i only use it for that purpose, so im never off it and its locked down even at home. i have a beater bike that i use for commuting, if someone steals that one, its not as big a deal.

[RAYPBCHZ]

you sound like the kind of good bitch that would consider a carbon frame for a hybrid. also madones are not even fucking remotely entry level.

[mustafac1979]

great review thx

[markmartel]

Any idea where you can get one of these now in a 15" size? Trek's not making this bike any more.

[JogBird]

@markmartel oh thats gonna be tough, most manufacturers dont make a lot of the smaller size frames in carbon fibre (theres no easy way to mass produce complex cf structures) since they concentrate on the midrange sizes. i know when i ordered mine from trek directly, they said that 15.5s were out of stock in their entire system, i.e. they had no stock of 15 frames in the summer. you might want to try a 17, which is what i have. my last bike was a 15. i guess you can look at other makes as well

[bluemystic7502]

Holy shit, I just saw how much this bike costs. You should've just purchased a great carbon road bike and just converted the handle bars, shifters, and brakes while saving yourself a grand on a faster, lighter bike. It sounds like you like it though which is all that matters.

[JogBird]

@bluemystic7502 i had thought about getting a madone. the lowest madone with ultegra level components was the 4.7 which is actually a bit more expensive. the problem is that i live in the crappiest most dangerous cycling city in the world and i need the upright position of a hybrid as a safety measure... if i lived in say ottawa i would have gotten the madone since their trail system is pretty good. even with flat bar, the geometry is of the fx is a bit different.. i also didnt pay full price :)

[c4r6amd01]

Hey, that was a really great review. I have noticed that the 2012 models seem to have discontinued the 7.9 model. I would be happy with the 7.7 abd will probably get one this ywar, but I would like to know that I have the 7.9 as an option. Perhaps a local vendor will have one on clearance.

[JogBird]

@c4r6amd01 yea, this time of year is clearance season, although, the 7.9 are usually arent usually stocked, i had to order mine without even riding it. the 7.7 is a great bike though, i test rode that. for 2012, i noticed that some of the components in the 7.7 are downgraded (e.g. Tiagra cassette instead of 105).. although i dont think its too big of a deal. im pretty sure there will be a 2012 7.9, they probably just havent released it.

[JogBird]

@law7002 awesome, theyre both awesome bikes, i dont think you can go wrong either way! if you get the marin, you shoud do a video once youve put a few 100 km on it, it would be good for others researching the same bikes.

[JogBird]

@law7002 I only tried the 7.7fx and went for the 7.9 without trying it, its hard to try all of those bikes out, theyre all flagshig hybrid models and generally not in stock, esp. for smaller frames. I would consider the marin and cannondale since their components seem ok ( rode a marin fairfax for 6 years), but, the sirrus uses all specialised components.. and not sure about the orbea. on paper, the 7.9 is the best of the bunch, but, im sure they all ride great.. hope this helps.

[airgreek]

@JogBird

I own the 2010 Marin Highway One.  I went for the Marin because it uses the BEST components of the bunch and that is a FACT. Go to bikepedia website and see for yourself

[JogBird]

@airgreek i dont know about the 2010's, but, in my mind the 7.9 has the best components of the 2011 models. but, definitely stay away from the specialised sirrus pro.

[airgreek]

@JogBird

yes for sure the Trek FX 7.9 2011 has the best components out of the 2011 models. Marin took a major step backwards from 2010 to 2011. They shaved off $1,000 MSRP and in the process put in much cheaper components. As far as Specialized I feel like they have the best carbon frame out of Trek and Marin.

[zebra3567]

@airgreek glad you own a bike that you like... however: "BEST components" ? I just inspected the 2011 Highway One model.... Acera brake levers, SRAM PG-950 9 speed (!!), FSA crankset. I'm sorry those are good components but not the best of the bunch.

[mebattin]

very nice, one question does trek offer any internal gear hubs ?

[JogBird]

@mebattin check out the Soho deluxe which uses the Shimano Alpine 8 with a belt drive.. i know some of their other models use it too, but, its not used in performance road bikes i dont think.. the technology isnt there yet, the range of geariing is good enough yet

[bldroptopbeast]

I got the 7.6 fx. How would you compare it to the 7.9? as far as speed, going up hill, quality, over all. What would you recommend for me to do to make my 7.6 ride like a 7.9?

[JogBird]

@bldroptopbeast The two are actually quite far apart, on paper at least. Everything from the wheels, components, frame, etc are different. In terms of matching the ride, TREK fine tunes the different combination of components to make them work well together.. you cant just upgrade one part (e.g. the Tiagra to Ultegra derailers) since it may not work well with the existing parts. The 7.6 is already a very good a road/hybrid, so youre likely to get small gains with any upgrades.

[bswift5]

Orbea Diem check it out

[breaker0021]

@bswift5 it's a $2000 bike with a $300 shimano wheelset. wtf? a bikeshop tried to sucker me into buying one but i went with the trek fx 7.7 instead. at least my bike has the same wheelset from the $3500 madones!

what's the point of having a carbon frame with a crappy wheelset for $2,000? no thank you.

[plaarb]

Did you ride the Sirrus Pro? If so, what were your impressions compared to the 7.9?

[JogBird]

@plaarb I called around and they were not in stock and i was told that specialized wasnt producing anymore for 2011 (not sure what that was about).. but, no i did not try it. i tried the 7.7 at the store and it felt great, but, i got the 7.9 anyways. these types of bikes are always special order, so, it shard to actually try one. also, the sirrus pro and 7.7 are about the same price, i would get the 7.7 over the sirrus because it uses better components

[BrendanMKerr]

What a great bike. Thanks for the detailed review - very informative!

[PADEROLIS]

Thanks for the review; sounds like a great bike!!