I'm certainly not a mechanic, but I think the main differences between the 7.5 FX and a road bike run deeper than just the handlebars. Other differences include: wheels, gearing, shifters, frame geometry, and overall weight.
Wheels/tires: A typical width for road tires is 23mm. The 7.5 FX has 32mm. Many people feel this affects rolling resistance. Gearing: The 7.5 FX has a 48/36/26 tooth triple chainring. This could be used on a road bike, but it is significantly lower than you will find on any new road bike. The closest "normal" configuration I am aware of is 53/39/30. Shifters: The 7.5 FX appears to have mountain bike shifters, which are not really practical on drop bars. Most road bikes have the shifting controls integrated into the brake levers. Another approach is to have shifters on the downtube of the frame, and off the handlbars completely, but I don't believe any new bikes are sold with these anymore. Frame geometry: Someone else may know more about this than me, but while drop bars would put you in a lower position, the headtube and seattube angles of hybrid-style bikes are typically more relaxed than a true road frame. I think. Overall weight: I suspect a "real" road bike would be lighter. As for the higher cost of road bikes, I'm not sure why this is, but I think this also has a lot to do with weight. One feature that people value in road bikes is light weight. Unfortunately, that tends to make things expensive. Other more knowledgable people can probably add more, but that is what I know about the subject. On 6/12/06, Rob Sanheim <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Hi all, I'm about to get back into riding after being away for too long (since my teenage years). Madison is too good a city for biking to _not_ be into it. I've been testing some bikes and am just about ready to buy, but I just wanted to throw some questions at the group. My riding will be a mix of general commuting trips and longer rides around the lakes or out on the trails and paths around the city. My wife recently got the Trek FX 7.3, which seems like a nice around-town bike, and I've tried the next step up (7.5) and liked it a lot. I think that is what I'm going to go with, but I just have a couple concerns. One is that I'm a big guy - 6'2", 250 - and I'm worried it may not hold up over time or be comfortable for longer rides. Also, I like riding fast, and I wonder if I'll outgrow the less efficient position of the "fitness bike" too quickly? If I just swapped in dropped handlebars down the road, would it be pretty close to a full road bike? Also, we have looked at child carriers, and seen that it comes down to Burley vs Chariot. Any experience with that? And finally - one thing that many people have mentioned but noone has really explained - why the cost disparity between decent entry level mtn/hybrid bikes and road bikes? I've been told $400 - 600 will get you a decent hybrid type bike, while you need to look at least $800 - 1000 for a road bike. Is it just the popularity that has come from Lance and the tour? Thanks! - Rob -- http://www.robsanheim.com http://www.seekingalpha.com http://www.ajaxian.com _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
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