Trek doesn't want to weigh much. At least its electric bikes. With this FX+ 7, the American brand has designed a model weighing around 18 kg in size M (the one we tested), a significant argument when you know that the vast majority of e-bikes on the market weigh around 25 kg. A philosophy similar to the Verve+ 1 LT that we tested a few months ago, but in a much more high-end version. The FX+ 7 costs a whopping 4,560 euros, which is the top of the range on the urban e-bike market. Here is our opinion on the bike after several days of testing.
To justify this price, Trek has not skimped on the qualities of the frame, components and equipment of this model. The bicycle is indeed perfectly equipped to face the daily rigors of the city. The luggage rack is compatible with MIK and Ortlieb 3.1 systems for quick attachment/detachment. When it comes to night riding, the Herrmans Nordic MR9 headlight is powerful enough to illuminate the road ahead very well — even in darker suburban environments — thanks to its 190 lumen output.
Well integrated into the stem, it is topped with a Quad Lock mount that wirelessly charges the smartphone attached to it. At the rear, the integration of the position light into the luggage rack is perfect and elegant. Finally, the mudguards are effective and the one on the front wheel goes down low enough to protect your feet from splashes. If we were initially afraid of flat and almost full pedals, it turns out that they grip the sole enough to never slip.
The elegant geometry of the Trek FX+ 7
The all-aluminum frame sports a very elegant geometry, despite its visible welds. In its closed version of our test (it is also available in an open version), the top tube descends low enough from the stem to find a perfect alignment with the seatstays, giving the bike a racy profile. The silhouette is however noticeably weighed down by a reinforcement connecting the seat tube to the down tube just above the bottom bracket. This is also where the charging port for the integrated battery (360 Wh) is located. Housed in the down tube, it is irremovable, as is often the case with Trek.
A choice that has a definite advantage in terms of security (it is impossible to steal when the e-bike is parked on the street), but which makes it difficult to recharge if you do not have a dedicated place to park and plug it in. It is less easy to lift your bike into a lift than just your battery. Also on this down tube, two eyelets allow you to attach a bottle cage or an additional 160 Wh battery sold as an option for 550 euros.
Sensations and comfort
To accompany this frame, Trek has chosen a fork not made of aluminum, but of carbon. A material that not only reduces the weight of the whole, but improves the behavior and precision of the machine. Equipped with 28-inch wheels mounted with 40 mm section Bontrager H2 Hard Case Lite tires, it turns out to be a real treat to ride. With this forward-curved handlebar that allows you to adopt a semi-leaning position, you find yourself at the controls of an ultra-dynamic and lively model, with extremely healthy behavior.
The FX+ 7 responds to the finger and the eye in a very reassuring way. On this point, in addition to the high-performance tires, the Shimano hydraulic disc brakes (180 mm at the front, 160 mm at the rear) help to feel like you're growing wings, because they are reliable and efficient in all circumstances. Even when reaching 50 km/h on a long descent, the bike remained stable and stopped quickly once the red light was reached. With a handlebar width of 640 mm (680 mm from size L), the e-bike slips perfectly into city traffic. In short, you really have fun on the saddle of the FX+ 7.
The latter, a Bontrager Verse Comp, is also very comfortable despite its road bike saddle profile, particularly thanks to its length cut to relieve the perineum. It perfectly complements the overall comfort of the bike, which is completely rigid. But the carbon fork helps to effectively filter the roughness of the asphalt, as do the tires. We had inflated them according to the manufacturer's recommendations based on our weight: 2.6 bars at the front, 3 bars at the rear. Enough to obtain an excellent compromise between comfort and performance. The ergonomic handles complete the set and allow you to rest your wrists while being able to keep two fingers permanently on the brake levers.
Our opinion on the engine
These dynamic qualities are brilliantly complemented by a top-of-the-range engine/transmission unit. On the transmission side, a Shimano Cues U6000 GS derailleur was chosen, accompanied by a 46-tooth chainring and a 10-speed 11-48 cassette. A perfect combination for tackling the steepest hills and never feeling like you're pedaling through semolina on the way down. The whole thing is responsive and precise, we get caught up in the game of constantly juggling with the selector to best adapt our effort to the profile of the course, thanks to a meticulous staging.
Above all, we are supported in this task by the excellent TQ HPR50 engine. Trek likes to vary the pleasures on this point, if the Verve+ 1 LT is equipped with a Hyena motor on the rear hub and the Marlin+ 8 with a Bosch Active Line Plus mid-drive motor, this FX+ 7 uses exactly the same motorization that we had already been able to appreciate on the supersonic Domane+ SLR 6 AXS. Very compact, this motor also has the advantage of weighing only 1.85 kg. Its torque of 50 Nm is perfectly adapted to the lightness characteristics of the bike, but it is above all its behavior that seduces here, as was already the case on gravel. The engine of the German brand TQ is a delight in terms of responsiveness, fluidity and support for effort.
We simply have the sensation of having more powerful pedaling without ever thinking that it is the engine that is helping us. Once 25 km/h is exceeded, the resistance is zero and allows us to ride without too much effort up to 27/28 km/h. All this is done in almost absolute silence; we barely hear a slight whistling in calm environments and at low speed when the wind is not yet blowing in our ears. This "small engine on a light bike" approach has not remained unknown to Bosch, which recently released its Performance Line SX with almost equivalent characteristics (a little more powerful, but slightly heavier) to supply manufacturers wanting to reduce the weight of their VAE.
Autonomy test: en retrait
To control the motor, you can use the two buttons located on the handlebars to navigate between the three assistance powers. The intermediate is largely sufficient for use in the city on gentle slopes. We simply regret the screen located on the horizontal tube which requires you to lower your head a lot and its size which prevents you from displaying enough information at once.
For example, we would have liked to be able to know our speed and at the same time the remaining autonomy in kilometers. However, this can be supplemented with the Trek Central application, which allows you to navigate (with a reliable estimate of the battery percentage on arrival), but also to refine the motor settings (maximum power, assistance and trigger speed).
With its modest 360 Wh battery, the FX+ 7 is not the most autonomous of urban e-bikes, but we still managed to reach around forty kilometers with maximum assistance. In intermediate mode, we can expect around 50 km. Out of curiosity, we tested the autonomy with all the power sliders at full speed on the application. Despite some very steep hills on our route (200 m of elevation gain), we managed to reach 30 kilometers. The 4 A charger, however, allows the battery to be recharged fairly quickly in about two hours.
0 Comments