Submitted by
John Hill
a Recreational Rider
from Windsor,ON Canada
Date Reviewed: August 26, 2001
Strengths: Apearance, good quality for the money, sensibly equipped. Very comfortable on and off the road.
Weaknesses: Have yet to find any.
Bottom Line:
My first impression was its appearance--its beautiful to my eyes. The components suit its intended purpose. I think it would be a terrific commuter. It handles rough streets, roads, with ease. I do believe one should not get too rough on it off road though. I suspect those wheels would not stand the abuse. I intend adding bar ends for windy conditions. I am going to take an extended trip in the near future. I believe it is an ideal bike for the average rider under most conditions.
Strengths: lightweight, surprisingly fast, nice components, crisp shifting, nice feel to the brakes, the electric green color is really cool!
Weaknesses: Like other reviewers, I thought the "Supersoft" seat would be more comfortable than it is. I can't really tell that the shock absorber seat post does that much. Other than these minor details, this bike has no weaknesses.
Bottom Line:
I love this bike! I'd been bikeless for about 5 years and decided that it was time to get rolling again for fun & fitness. After owning 10-speed racers in the past, I thought I'd try a mountain bike this time around but I got to thinking, "How often DO I ride off road?" Answer: It isn't often. This Trek 7500 is the perfect blend of both machines. It's a light and surprizingly fast, yet very sturdy & solid machine. The thinner 28mm tires help alot to reduce rolling resistance. The rather upright riding position is ,under most situations, comfortable. The trade-off is that just produces too much drag when boring into a stiff headwind. My next bolt-on will be a set of Triathalon bars, that should help. I like the fact that the stock handlebars adjust back & forth as well as up & down, making an exact fit easy. The shifting is crisp & exact. The green paint really looks cool. Even the kickstand is lightweight, solid & dependable. Other than the seat not being "ideal", I'm hard pressed to find anything I don't like about this bike. For the recreational rider needing a bike for fitness or just tooling around town doing errands or exploring neighborhoods, this bike is ideal. It combines the right components and geometry that when mixed together, create the magic that makes you, (like the Energizer Bunny) want to keep on going and going and going...
Favorite Ride: The beach bike path-Santa Monica to Redondo Beach
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At: (barely) used through Recycler.com
Similar Products Used: none
Bike Setup: bar ends, cycle computer, rear rack, previous owner switched to thinner, more road-friendly 700x28 tires
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Lorri
a Recreational Rider
from Oconomowoc, WI USA
Date Reviewed: June 14, 2001
Strengths: Everything. Rides smooth, shifts smooth. takes rough roads and city streets with ease. I like that the handle bars are adjustable back and forward as well as up and down. This is an outstanding bike.
Weaknesses: The only thing I don't like is that the next model year they made the 7300 the same color as my 7500. I also wish that there were more colors available!
Bottom Line:
The next bike will be a Trek 7700. They just don't know how to make a bad bike! A great bike makes all the difference in the world on how much you want to bike. I bike 40 - 50 miles per day.
Similar Products Used: The only thing I can honestly say is similar would be my old FUJI touring bike which took plenty of abuse for 6 years.
Bike Setup: Stock, but with a salvaged seat from my old(neglected) mtb.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
G-Man
a Recreational Rider
from Atlanta, GA, USA
Date Reviewed: March 28, 2001
Strengths: - Excellent quality and durability - Lots of quality components for the price - Effortless speed and long-distance riding: light weight, excellent gearing
Weaknesses: - Brakes could be a little crisper - Stock Bontrager FS saddle uncomfortable - Brake levers contact frame if handlebar allowed to spin back too far, leaving unsightly scratches (my fault, though, for letting the bar go when lifting the bike; so I wrapped the handle tips in electrical tape)
Bottom Line:
(Note: this is for the 2001 7500FX. It's quite different from the 7500.)
You can't go wrong with the Trek 7500FX. I've had mine 5 months now, and I absolutely love it! Very smooth riding, very rugged construction. (Although I wouldn't venture too far off the road, since it IS a hybrid.) And so light! It's no effort to load/unload it from my car's roof rack.
It's very nicely loaded, too. Bontrager seatpost and handlebar, Shimano Deore derailleurs and Nexave crank, Rolf Vector wheels. It's a lot of bike for the buck, hence the 5-star value rating.
I wasn't happy with the stock Bontrager saddle (this is a matter of preference, I'm sure some of you might like the saddle), so I upgraded this at the time of purchase to the Terry. Also, the Trek catalog is slightly inaccurate: the stock tires are non-Kevlar 700x35c's, not Kevlar-lined 38s. But this, too, was a free upgrade for me when I bought it.
I do lots of long rides on bike paths, and around town. The bike is light and efficient enough for the paths, and rugged enough for pot holes and bumps. It's such a joy to ride, I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!
Bike Setup: Mostly stock (so many good components already), upgraded seat to Terry Liberator, upgraded tires to Kevlar 38C. Added Topeak toolkit seat wedge, Blackburn frame pump, Cateye head and taillights.
