Converting a Trek 7.5FX to drop bars?

bigtom71

I have started doing a good bit of cycling lately and seem to have caught the bug. I have always done a 10k commute in and out of work, but decided to sign up for the Ring of Kerry in July. I have now decided to do the Wicklow 100k in June as well and am loving it on the bike.

I have a Trek 7.5FX which I enjoy but with the longer bike runs my shoulders and back are getting sore and I think it's from the flat bars. I'm wondering if it would be worth my while putting drop bars on it. I don't want to spend a fortune but, equally, I don't have the money for a second bike. I could spend maybe two or three hundred euro on it, tops, but want to get decent gear at the same time. Would the gear/brake combos work with the 3 at front/9 on back gears, and v-brakes that are already on the bike? I need new tyres as well and the rims are a little worn, so am wondering if I should be getting narrower rims at the same time and turn my city bike into a nearly proper roadie? I'm 6'2" so might get away with the stem I have on the flat bar.

Loads of questions! I am handy enough with taking a bike apart and would be happy putting it together myself once I knew what stuff to buy. The choice seems endless on any of the bike websites. I like the 7.5FX frame as it is good for taking a bit of abuse on the commutes but is light enough for the longer runs too.

bogmanfan

This would involve changing bars, shifters, groupset, wheels. Lots of work. I think you'd be better off selling the 7.5 and picking up a used road bike instead.

bigtom71

Well, a friend of mine has a 105 groupset to spare (he just went up to Ultegra on everything) that he is happy to give me. So that might make it a bit less painful.

smacl

You'd certainly need bars and shifters, but looking at the Trek 7.5 specs you may be able keep the rest of the drive train albeit that it would be an unusual one to end up with on a road bike (Deore/Sora compact). If you need new wheels too, then you're probably not keeping enough of your original bike to warrant an expensive upgrade to what will end up as bit of a Frankenstein's monster.

Could be worth ringing around some of the local bike shops to see if they'd do a deal for you, as they may well have the 2nd hand bits knocking around from another customer upgrading. Buying whole groupsets online seems expensive, and buying just shifters even worse. Another idea would be to stick a wanted add in the adverts section here to see if you could pick up the parts second hand and do the work yourself.

Darkglasses

I completely understand why you would want drop bars for those events, but for the back and shoulder pain you could probably improve your bike fit for next to nothing. But still you would probably want to get a drop-bar bike for those events.

lennymc

with 300 quid id buy a second hand road bike. I would imagine it would be much better as a package than changing lots of parts on the trek

07Lapierre

bogmanfan wrote: »

This would involve changing bars, shifters, groupset, wheels. Lots of work. I think you'd be better off selling the 7.5 and picking up a used road bike instead.

Groupset? Wheels?? Why?

You will have to change the Bars and Shifters, as long as the shifters are compatible with your current chainset/cassette, you should be fine. Shifters (new) are expensive though

dave_o_brien

There could be issues with standard v-brakes too. I use mini v's on the cyclocross bike, but the travel for them is different to standard v's.

Plus the geometry would be pretty odd. The Trek's a commuter hybrid; short and upright. It would be even more relaxed than the most relaxed of sportive bikes. You may end up with a bike that still does not satisfy your needs. Second hand seems sensible enough.

Lumen

As Dave says, braking is likely to be woeful and handling a bit odd.

Since you have a free 105 groupset and need new wheels, you really are better off buying a used road bike (maybe with a decent frame but low-end or worn groupset) and swapping your free groupset on to it.

dave_o_brien

Lumen wrote: »

As Dave says, braking is likely to be woeful and handling a bit odd.

Since you have a free 105 groupset and need new wheels, you really are better off buying a used road bike (maybe with a decent frame but low-end or worn groupset) and swapping your free groupset on to it.

Or a cheap frame, like the Dolan Preffisio:

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/Aluminium%20Road%20FrameSets/Preffisio%20FrameSet/Dolan%20Preffisio%20Frameset

Tonyandthewhale

You'll need to replace the v-brakes (which are good) with canti brakes (which are shite), you might be able to find a travel adaptor to make the v-brakes work with drop bar levers but I don't know how well they work. Converting a hybrid to drops makes sense if you've got a road-bike orientated hybrid like the giant rapid, claud butler levante or lapierre but the trek fx is closer to a mountain bike than a road bike.

Mycroft H

Tonyandthewhale wrote: »

You'll need to replace the v-brakes (which are good) with canti brakes (which are shite), you might be able to find a travel adaptor to make the v-brakes work with drop bar levers but I don't know how well they work. Converting a hybrid to drops makes sense if you've got a road-bike orientated hybrid like the giant rapid, claud butler levante or lapierre but the trek fx is closer to a mountain bike than a road bike.

Brake levers. Problem solved

And hey, cantis are great!

kuro_man

+1 Get a road bike, keep the trek for commuting
you could do all the work and it could be still uncomfortable

Do some core strength excercises, drop bars probably won't fix shoulder pain (may even make it worse).

Lumen

BX 19 wrote: »

Brake levers. Problem solved

Shifting?

Mycroft H

Lumen wrote: »

Shifting?

Ahhh. Forgot about that. I don't use brifters.

Barcons?

Lumen

BX 19 wrote: »

Barcons?

Makes sense for a tourer (there's a lovely Dawes one parked outside my office) but on a proper road bike (as an upgrade from a hybrid) it'd be madness.

bigtom71

Thanks for all the replies. It seems that there's little value in putting drop bars on my bike, which is a pity. I'll tweak it a little and see if I can get a better fit that's more comfortable, and I'll get parts to build myself a roadie at some stage soon.

Mycroft H

bigtom71 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. It seems that there's little value in putting drop bars on my bike, which is a pity. I'll tweak it a little and see if I can get a better fit that's more comfortable, and I'll get parts to build myself a roadie at some stage soon.

What about a different type of handlebar?

No need to change any of the shifters of brakes with theses ones

bigtom71

BX 19 wrote: »

What about a different type of handlebar?

No need to change any of the shifters of brakes with theses ones

Thanks Bx. Interesting handlebars. Where can you get them? It might be worth a try.

Mycroft H

bigtom71 wrote: »

Thanks Bx. Interesting handlebars. Where can you get them? It might be worth a try.

http://www.roseversand.com/article/xtreme-handlebar-free-tour/aid:26200

Rose have them. Others like CRC/Wiggle might do too.

All you really need is handlebar tape too. Rest of your bits and pices just bolt on.

bigtom71

BX 19 wrote: »

http://www.roseversand.com/article/xtreme-handlebar-free-tour/aid:26200

Rose have them. Others like CRC/Wiggle might do too.

All you really need is handlebar tape too. Rest of your bits and pices just bolt on.

Perfect, thanks. A bit sore and feeling sorry for myself this morning as I came off the bike on my way in. The front wheel got caught in the poxy train tracks on the road near the Point Depot!

jaqian

Read a similar thread to this recently where a lad had his trek 7.2fx converted to a roadie for €150 by Little Sport in Fairview. Dunno how good it was but should find the thread easily enough.

bigtom71

jaqian wrote: »

Read a similar thread to this recently where a lad had his trek 7.2fx converted to a roadie for €150 by Little Sport in Fairview. Dunno how good it was but should find the thread easily enough.

I'll pay them a visit. I pass by them every day and often get bits there.

Rob A. Bank

BX 19 wrote: »

What about a different type of handlebar?

No need to change any of the shifters of brakes with theses ones

If you don't enjoy the view of the tarmac when touring long distances and want a more upright position, you can also mount the 'Butterfly' or 'Trekking' handlebars like this. (which is the more common way to use them)

Lumen

Eh, this thread has gone from completely sane recommendations about sorting out your discomfort on the bike you have or switching to a proper road bike to completely insane recommendations involving gordian-knot style handlebar arrangements.

Lots of people have done the likes of the WW200 fast on conventional hybrids with flat bars, and many more on conventional road bikes with drop bars. Both are fine if they're set up right and if you build up steadily and take care of your structural fitness.

jaqian

bigtom71 wrote: »

jaqian wrote: »

Read a similar thread to this recently where a lad had his trek 7.2fx converted to a roadie for €150 by Little Sport in Fairview. Dunno how good it was but should find the thread easily enough.

I'll pay them a visit. I pass by them every day and often get bits there.

Let us know how it goes

Rob A. Bank

Lumen wrote: »

Eh, this thread has gone from completely sane recommendations about sorting out your discomfort on the bike you have or switching to a proper road bike to completely insane recommendations involving gordian-knot style handlebar arrangements.

Eh ???

The op essentially asked about changing his bike from flats to drops because of discomfort when cycling distances over 10k. As pointed out, this would be a huge and expensive hassle because of the need to get new shifters, brake levers etc, and then retune derailleurs.

With butterfly bars all you need to do is move the controls which is by far the sanest cost effective option to solve the problem IMHO.

They are very popular on the continent with long distance tourers because of the many hand and body positions they allow, and are often recommended as a possible cure for pins.n.needles in the hands and the shoulder/back pain (which the op complained about) when cycling long distances.

Apologies if I discombobulated some in the spandex cycling monoculture who predominate here with a suggestion which did not involve buying a new ’proper’ road bike…

bigtom71

Well, I called into Little Sport to see what they had to say and they backed up some of the comments here. Basically, while the conversion might work well on some Giants, which are almost a road bike frame, the Trek 7.5FX is a short mountain bike frame and it wouldn't work well. It would cost a couple of hundred euro with the new shifters, etc., and the handling would probably be crap on it (someone here mentioned this too).

LS recommended putting 700x28 or even 700x25 tyres on it, which will make a big difference to the speed. He has Continentals which he regards as the best. I found specialized Armadillos myself online which I might get, although I am still on the lookout for black&red slick (700x28c) tyres for the bike, which seem to be impossible to get.

I might yet get the mad-looking handle bars to see what they're like. The cost if it doesn't work won't kill me. On my bike fit, I have been doing a little basic research into fitting, and I am pretty sure my saddle is a little too far forward, putting unnecessary pressure on knees, quads, etc. I'll measure it up properly when I get home tonight. So, fixing that may make a big difference.
Thanks to everyone on this and if anyone knows where to get decent redwall tyres, let me know. I'll make what minor modifications I can to my current bike and if I am still into the cycling after the Wicklow Challenge and the ROK, then I'll consider investing in a road bike.

kavanagh_h

Hi i have a trek 7.5 fx and have been riding it for the last four years with aerobars. You wouldnt believe the difference they make when you are cycling up the big hills. They give you an extra spurt of energy as though you are using differrent muscles in your legs whe you change to them half way up a hill. I recently bough a specialized road bike and im afraid it didnt improve my sore shoulders or neck. Plus its really not that much faster than the trek and to be honest i cant bring myself to sell the trek. I only now realize how much more comfortable the bontrager saddle is too!!
H.

bigtom71

kavanagh_h wrote: »

Hi i have a trek 7.5 fx and have been riding it for the last four years with aerobars. You wouldnt believe the difference they make when you are cycling up the big hills. They give you an extra spurt of energy as though you are using differrent muscles in your legs whe you change to them half way up a hill. I recently bough a specialized road bike and im afraid it didnt improve my sore shoulders or neck. Plus its really not that much faster than the trek and to be honest i cant bring myself to sell the trek. I only now realize how much more comfortable the bontrager saddle is too!!
H.

Yes, Bontrager saddle is definitely a plus - for me anyway. I've refitted the Trek a little and found that I have a lot more power in my legs as a result. The problem now is that my lungs have to catch up!!

I'm going to get the aerobars as they're only €20 on Amazon, so I can't go wrong. If it doesn't work out, it's only half an hour to put the old bars on.