New Bike Day! After logging over 600 miles on my Trek Verve+, I was much more experienced and ready to move into a more long term bike. I had ridden the Verve+ long and far enough to know what I liked about it and what I would change if I could.

Trek FX+ 7S

Scott started looking at long term bikes before I did. But, as always, when he starts chasing that rabbit, I have to follow. As we looked at all the different options available, I quickly realized that the last 6 months of riding gave me the ability to make a much more informed decision about my “main” bike purchase.

The Trek FX+ 7S really checked every box for me. There were a couple of things that I changed after purchase, but the stock bike was pretty much perfect for me. It was way lighter, still accommodated large knobby tires, and had the computer integrated into the top tube. It had the MIK rack already installed, as well. The only thing I would change about this bike is that it lacks enough mounting points for water bottles, bags, etc. But that was easy to work with since I sew my own bags. I am able to make custom bags that fit the frame I have.

The first thing that was totally different about this bike was that it was a traditional style bike, not a step through. This meant that I had to learn how to throw my leg over the seat like most normal bike riders would do. The only way I was able to accomplish this was the installation of a dropper post for my seat. This was a game changer! I use it constantly and am not sure I would ever have another bike without one.

The second thing we changed was the rise and position of the stem and added new handlebars. The straight bars that came on the bike were way too forward and low for me and I found that my hands quickly went numb when riding due to the weight load I was placing on my hands and wrists. I love the upright sitting position of my Verve, so we had a repositionable stem put in the stem tube and then installed Jones Bars. This brought the height of the bars way up and then we were able to position them back toward me on the seat so I could sit more upright. With the added sweep of the Jones Bars, this worked like a charm.

The photos above show the bike as it was when we first picked it up. All the additions were added in the next few weeks to come. This is my favorite bike of the two and the one I ride 99% of the time now.