Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
You are in luck. I have commuted and toured on both. My Trek 7.5fx (1999/2000 vintage) has the stronger frame so can carry heavier loads. The Specialised Sirrus (2003 vintage) frame although good starts to flex a bit more when carrying a heavyish load. When I say load I mean the panniers loaded up front and back plus bar bag and lifting the bike is quite hard. Of course it is better to travel light but there are some things one cannot do without.
Also I noticed a few months back that the tube wall thickness of seat tube of the Trek 7.5fx frame is like twice the thickness of the Specialised Sirrus seat tube which might explain why the Sirrus frame seems to flex just a little more than the Trek.
Both bikes now have a pair of good handbuilt wheels on them. Although I still do have the original wheels. The original Sirrus Alesia deep rim I use as a winter wheel. It has been rebuilt with DT DB and plain gauge spokes though as the factory wheel was cack. I believe that the modern variants of these bikes may now offer carbon forks or more race orientated wheels with fewer spokes which might present a problem if you intend to use them mainly for touring carrying a load as the wheels will not be strong enough as not enough spokes and being factory built wheels they WILL NOT be as strong as handbuilt wheels. Both my bikes came with 32H 700C factory built wheels. IIRC the Trek 7.5FX rear wheel kept pinging spokes as well soon after purchase so I had that rebuilt as well foc.
I think the Trek came with 32C tyres - Kenda not great but then not totally crap. The Sirrus had awful tyres which I swapped immediately for Armadillo All Conditions. I use 25C and 28C tyres depending on where I am going and the load I intend carrying. Currently I think I have a 23C Armadillo All Condition Pro on the front of the Sirrus and the Alesia winter rim on the back with a 28C Armadillo All Condition. I think the max tyre size for the Sirrus might be 28C. It might take 32C at a push as there does seem to be a little bit more space. The Trek will easily take 32C, 35C even up to 37C tyres I think. On this I have Conti Travel Contacts which I have been very happy with. No punctures and good grip. It was supplied with 35C tyres iirc, but again you will have to check the modern variants to see if this remains the same.
When buying a bike in the past I have always tended to look most at the frame and considered the components next then accessories as the components are invariably of cheaper pedigree which will wear out after 2 years.
But of the two bikes I would use my Trek 7.5fx for more serious touring as the frame is just stronger IMHO. The paint job is also 100% more durable as the Specialised paint chips off sooooo easily. The Trek frame paint finish is so much better IMHO.
To both I have fitted adjustable Pro stems so I can very easily vary the height and angle of the handle bars. I also fitted bar ends. I also fitted road triple chain sets ditching the cheap and nasty MTB ones they were supplied with which soon wore out anyway. Names to avoid Ritchey (on the Sirrus) crank snapped and I think Truvativ on the Trek although Trek may have now upped the spec. Both bike BBs gave up after 2 years. They now have decent ones installed which will probably outlive me and if they need replacing I have spares.
In terms of load I do not like to place everything in rear panniers and on the rear rack of the bike for the simple reason there is already one's own weight over the rear wheel to consider. It makes for quite light steering which I do not like and can make the bike resonate at higher speeds particularly when descending. So I spread weight around when ever I can.
5 days touring is quite a short time away. If you were heading off RTW to really inhospitable places then maybe you might consider a dedicated expedition bike such as a Roberts, Kioga or Thorn on 26" 36H wheels with at least 35C tyres, full carrying capacity and even a trailer ................
HTH.
