If you would have ever seen a Lamborghini car at close range, you would have definitely been awed by its carbon fibre construction. You might even have seen a carbon fibre laden Kawasaki Ninja H2R touch 400 kmph. But what happens when you have carbon fibre on a bicycle? We got to tackle just the question when Trek delivered their FX Sport 5 cycle to us for reviewing.
The Trek FX Sport 5 is a hybrid cycle which is meant for both everyday city use and also for a run down the fast lane. The more sports oriented cycles come with drop handlebars but this one comes with a conventional and much more comfortable flat handlebar. The overall designing of the cycle is not flamboyant. The dark grey paint gives it a very condensed and understated look and I had no problem with that. What I really liked was how neat the cycle looked and how well it was finished all over. There were no ugly weld marks either or nuts and bolts jutting out. The seat is pretty decent although not the most comfortable and I would recommend getting something more soft if you intend to use it for extensive riding.
The frame of the cycle is made of 400 Series OCLV carbon which has been developed in- house and exceeds aerospace standards. Yes, you read that right! Now take a moment to let that sink in. This obviously makes the cycle light and subsequently fast. But when using it in your daily life, what I think people would admire more would be how light the cycle is to lift and carry around. At just 10.16kgs, even someone as skinny as me could lift it with just one finger. Whether you find yourself stuck in traffic or if you have to carry your cycle to the 3rd floor of your building, this one will be a piece of cake to handle.
The carbon construction not only reduces the cycle’s weight but makes it mighty sturdy as well. This is evident by the fact that the cycle can carry 136kgs of load which is more than 13 times its own weight. There are no shock absorbers on the cycle but Trek has added some shock absorbing materials and a decoupling technology to absorb shocks from the road as best as possible while still providing good handling. You can clearly see that in the material wrapped around the handlebar grips. While these might not be at par with the conventional suspensions, they do offer more comfort than riding on a bare frame while still being agile and predictable than the cycles with forks and springs to dampen the rough roads.
The 2X10 gears from Shimano are nothing less than the best in the business and you also get a chain keeper which makes sure that the chain does not accidently slip off as you shift the gears. Those who have had to put the chain back on a cycle with gears know how hard it is when compared to conventional cycles. There are two shifters on the right and left of the handlebars. The operation is akin to conventional 2X10 system in that the right shifter controls the 10 gears bolted on the rear wheel and the left shifters switches between the two cogs at the front.
I have experienced Shimano gears on other cycles and they impress everytime, the Trek FX Sport 5 being no different. Shift a gear as you encounter a slope or a plane and you will feel the change in response from the cycle in almost no time. The slim Bontrager tyres come with a sealant which, as the name suggests, seals punctures as they happen. Not having to worry about a flat is a boon especially if you are in a mood for a morning of enjoying a long ride with your buddies or by yourself.
Just like most high end cycles, the Trek FX 5 Sport does not come with a bell or fenders or a side stand. But all that can be easily added on and I guess if you are paying such a high amount to buy a bicycle, you would not mind sparing a few more bucks. The cycle does give you loads of option for more attachments and accessories. There is a Blendr stem on the centre of the handlebar for mounting things like a light, a phone holder or even a camera mount. The best of all is a neat space to house the DuoTrap sensor within the frame of the cycle to measure the speed without interfering with the overall aerodynamics of the cycle. You can connect it to any Bluetooth or ANT+ device which itself can be mounted on the handlebar using the previously mentioned Blendr stem.
The Trek FX Sport 5 offers a lot of innovative features and an enjoyable and thrilling ride for its hefty Rs 1.54 lakh asking price. It may not make sense to the average folks and for such people Trek does offer more affordable yet very functional solutions as well. This one, however, is reserved for those few that realise the potential of this cycle and can exploit it fully. The carbon construction is the highlight of the cycle, making it blazingly fast on flat roads and around corners.
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