£1,100 Another 1x hybrid with Shimano Deore and all the extras as standardWeight 12.38kg (M) Frame Aluminium Fork Carbon Gears Shimano Deore 1x10 (40t, 11-46t) Brakes Shimano MT201 hydraulic disc, 160mm rotors Wheels Bontrager alloy rims on Formula hubs Finishing kit All Bontrager: Comp stem, Satellite Plus IsoZone alloy handlebar, alloy seatpost, H1 saddle and H2 Comp 32mm tyres; plus rear rack, front and rear lights, mudguards and kickstand
Trek makes numerous FX models, including a standard FX 3 Disc for £1,025, but this Equipped version lives up to its name with a full line-up of fitted accessories that are usually extras. These include a rear rack with a generous 25kg carrying capacity, mudguards, lights and a kickstand. Throw in the 32mm tubeless-ready tyres, and you’ve got a bike that looks like an ideal commuter machine, with enough versatility for longer, more adventurous rides come the end of your working week.
Familiar frame design
The FX 3 frameset features a familiar combination of a semi-compact aluminium frame and carbon fork. The frame profiles are also quite familiar, with a flattened, sloping top-tube, oversized down-tube and slim(ish) seatstays. The build quality seems fine throughout, with chunky, strong-looking welds. There is just one set of bottle bosses on the down-tube and one on the seat-tube and, unlike the Specialized, there’s no chain catcher around the single chainring to prevent the chain coming off over bumpy terrain. However, the fork has rack fittings.
The Trek has extremely similar geometry to the Specialized Sirrus, with only a few millimetres’ difference here or there, save for the FX having a noticeably lower stack. That said, it still has a pretty upright riding position and its tube angles are designed to give stable, rather than sharp, handling. Stability is boosted by the long wheelbase.
Apart from its bonus accessories, the FX has a decent range of parts, including a full Shimano groupset. The Shimano MT201 disc brakes are, quite simply, excellent, while the 1x Deore gearing uses the same 40-tooth chainring as the Specialized, but with a 10-speed 11-46t cassette offering closer ratios and a wider range of gears. The large 46-tooth sprocket was a welcome addition to get me up the 11% hill on my commute home.
I got on very well with the wide and short Bontrager saddle, while the flattened IsoZone grips proved extremely comfortable. The mudguards were an equally welcome addition, keeping me much drier and cleaner than I would have been without them. The li
