trek fx2 frame size

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Trek FX 2 Disc Equipped review: Unspectacular but effective

The trek fx 2 disc is a versatile all-rounder with surprising levels of comfort and stability.

Cyclingnews Verdict

Built around a frame with a superb balance between responsiveness and comfort, the Trek FX 2 Disc Equipped will tackle any task required of a hybrid bike in an effective, if unspectacular, manner

The frame has a great balance between responsiveness and comfort

Equipped for night riding, bikepacking or commuting

Can carry a decent amount of weight

Stable ride for long distances

Would need a drivetrain upgrade to become a serious fitness bike

On the heavy side for a rigid frame

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

A hybrid bike can and will mean different things to different people. But sometimes it is simply the bike that fills the gaps, that doesn't do any one thing but in fact does it all. Purists may scoff and say to compromise is to ruin the essence of life: if you are not something, you are nothing. But Trek has offered a repost: if you can't be something, be everything.

That certainly appears to be the aim of the Trek FX 2 Disc Equipped. It's the jack-of-all-trades, odd-jobber of a bike. It comes, as the name suggests, fully loaded with a pannier rack, lights, mudguards and even a kickstand but what elevates it to a place among the best budget hybrid bikes available today is that, as part of Trek's fitness range, all that versatility does not come at the cost of all rideability. 

And that's a crucial element. Just because a bike has more practical functions – going to the shops, commuting, family bike rides etc – doesn't mean it can't be fun, have its own personality and leave us looking forward to running that next errand.

Trek's FX range of bikes is quite extensive, starting at the £500.00/$599.99 FX 1 and going all the way to the full-carbon £3,050.00/$2,799.99 FX Sport 6. The FX 2 is available with a step-through frame – in both the Equipped and standard versions – and has been updated for 2023, with the main difference from the 2021 model being a move from a 3x8 to a 2x9 gearing system.

The FX 2 Disc Equipped is priced at £740.00 - it's not currently available in the USA - which is £90 more than the FX 2 Disc standard (£650.00/$799.99) which foregoes the rack, lights, mudguards and kickstand. Although it does come in a couple of extra colour options.

Design and specification

Recognising alloy frames' bad reputation for comfort compared to steel and carbon, Trek set itself a goal to "build more compliant frames that retain the acceleration and affordability that have always made aluminium popular" – and it is the fruit of that labour that the FX 2 Disc Equipped is designed around. 

The Alpha Gold Aluminium frame, while not the lightest, does offer a great balance between responsiveness and comfort. It is also strong: according to Trek, the FX 2 Disc can take weights of up to 136kg (for bike, rider, and cargo combined), which fares well compared to other hybrid bikes in the same class such as the Merida Speeder 200 (120kg) and Scott Sub Cross 50 (128kg). The pannier rack that comes with it is also very solid and suitable for carrying loads up to 25kg despite weighing less than 600g itself.

My size large test bike as a whole weighed in at 13.4kg with pedals. The rack, lights, mudguards, and kickstand account for just over a kilogram of that weight but it's still a touch on the heavy side for a fixed-frame hybrid in this price range. 

While the focus is on the practicality of the frame, it is by no means ugly – especially when stripped of all the accessories – with internal cable routing, a gentle curve to the top tube that is reminiscent of the Specialized Sirrus (one of the classic beauties of the hybrid world) and the choice of a striking Viper Red or classy Lithium grey colourway. The geometry is pretty much what you would expect from a hybrid, with perhaps a slightly longer chainstay length adding to its stability. It is not as upright as, say, the Sirrus but similar to the Cannondale Quick 3 – which is a good bike to use as a comparison in general.

Like the Quick 3, the Trek FX 2 comes with a Shimano Acera/Altus 2x9 drivetrain and has an integrated mounting system in the stem, as well as the ability to track cadence and other metrics using an integrated wireless sensor. 

Trek's Blendr stem system is designed for easy installation of computers, lights and other accessories to your cockpit. It does, rather annoyingly, require an additional base to be purchased (which plugs into the stem) and then a further mount for the specific accessory (which attaches to the base) but that does allow for a wide range of options to suit all needs.  

The DuoTrap S is a Bluetooth/ANT+ sensor that integrates into the chainstay and wirelessly transmits to a smartphone or computer to track cadence and other metrics. Again, it requires a separate purchase, but the frame is set up for it to be attached without the need for zip wires or other ungainly fasteners.   

Trek has made an effort to include ergonomic grips on the FX 2 Disc Equipped, although they are a little on the basic side, especially compared to those on the more expensive models in the FX range. 

The lights, however, are far more impressive, particularly the AXA Greenline 35 headlight. USB-charging, it has a wide beam, is also designed to be visible from the side and is discreetly mounted on the top of the fork, which avoids cluttering the cockpit.

The Tektro HD-R280 hydraulic disc brakes are pretty standard now for mid-range hybrids. My test bike came with Bontrager H2 Comp 700x32c tyres but with the mudguards fitted there is room for up to 35mm and Bontrager H2 Hard-Case Light 700x35c tyres are listed as an option on the spec sheet. Without the mudguards, Trek says the frame can accommodate tyres up to 38mm in width.

Performance

Trek deserves credit here for really delivering on its aim of a responsive-yet-compliant frame. It's one thing coming up with the jargon, but another bringing it to fruition at a genuinely affordable price. While the FX 2 Disc Equipped might come across as a bit of a plodder on paper, in reality, it has a surprising amount of responsiveness. Loaded up with a carry pack on top of the pannier rack, I was happy overtaking other cyclists on reasonably fast country roads, knowing I had the acceleration to get past and back across to the side of the road in ample time.

Yes, it's no speed demon – it doesn't have the playfulness of the Boardman URB 8.9 or the lightweight climbing ability of the Merida Speeder 200, two bikes at a similar price point – but where it completely outscores both is in comfort and stability, even with a rack, mudguards, light, kickstand all bolted on. 

Interestingly enough, I took it for a ride with all those added extras stripped off and, while significantly lighter – making an obvious difference on climbs – there was not a huge noticeable change in its performance on the flat. 

My test bike came with a slightly-different-to-advertised Microshift Marvo front derailleur instead of Acera T3000, which is roughly equivalent, and I had no issues with it. However, as a whole, I did find the drivetrain to be under-par for a fitness bike. It's perfectly functional and will get you pretty much wherever you need to go, but it is a little clunky and I noted that the next bike up in the FX range, the FX 3 Disc Equipped , comes with a 10-speed Shimano Deore groupset which, in my experience, is a huge step up in performance. 

In particular, I could not get to grips with the drastic change when switching chainrings on the 46/30 chainset. If I didn't downshift on the 4th sprocket or earlier I found myself spinning out – and this is perhaps a rare example of the FX 2 Disc Equipped coming a little unstuck wanting to satisfy in all areas. That 16-tooth difference in the chainrings (the same difference as a 50/34 compact road chainset, for example) means the bike has the range to get up steep hills while also having enough gas on the flats, but the user experience is compromised a little in doing so. 

Where it doesn't compromise, however, is in its comfort and handling, whether I took it on potholed roads, bike paths, or light gravel it felt so balanced and stable. I was even happy taking it on the grassy, rutted track of a nearby nature reserve – and this was all with the standard 32 mm tyres it came with. Even when there was a little rattling, you could tell it was coming from the rack, fenders, and lights rather than the frame. 

Taking it out at night in light rain did little to change my faith in its dependability and the lights were superb, particularly the wide-beam fork-mounted headlamp – a marked improvement from the usual glorified-torch-on-the-handlebars setup I usually use. Neither front nor rear light offered an intermittent option but, having been driven to distraction on long night rides behind blinking bulbs in the past, that was no great loss to me.

I took the Trek FX 2 Disc Equipped on rides around the countryside, trips to the shops, rides with the kids, rides at night, in the rain, for exercise, for errands and more, and on every occasion, it delivered. It is solid and dependable without feeling clunky or cumbersome. It's not sexy but it's not ugly. It's not overly fun but it's no chore to ride.

It will do what it needs to do in almost every situation you will need a hybrid bike for. Not necessarily to the highest level, but to a high enough level that you won't feel like you are missing out. 

Yes, I did find the Altus/Acera groupset to be restrictive in terms of performance but drivetrains can be upgraded, along with wheels and grips and seatposts etc. Having a top frame is such a great building block. I would stress, however, this frame still has a ceiling to what it can do as a fitness bike, even if it were upgraded in all those areas. It is built for sturdiness as much as anything else and the fact that its performance was similar with and without the rack, fenders, kickstand et al is quite telling. I'm not going to use it to take on the Brecon Beacons in the Dragon Ride but I might choose it over a more expensive performance-oriented bike for a long-distance overnight ride such as the Dunwich Dynamo , where comfort, stability and safety are the overriding priorities.

Tech specs: Trek FX 2 Disc Equipped

• Price Trek FX2 Disc Equipped : £740.00 / $N/A
• Price Trek FX2 Disc : £650.00 / $799.99 
• Sizes : S, M, L, XL
• Weight : 13.4kg (actual, size L, with pedals)
• Frame : Alpha Gold Aluminium
• Fork : FX Alloy
• Shifters : Shimano Altus M2010, 9-speed
• Front derailleur : Microshift Marvo
• Rear derailleur : Shimano Altus M2000
• Crankset : 46/30
• Cassette : Shimano HG200, 11-36, 9-speed
• Brakes : Tektro HD-R280 hydraulic disc
• Wheels : Bontrager Connection
• Tyres : Bontrager H2 Comp, 700x32c
• Saddle : Bontrager Sport
• Seatpost : Bontrager Alloy, 12mm offset
• Stem : Bontrager Comp, Blendr Compatible, 7-degree, 90mm length
• Handlebars : Bontrager alloy, 31.8mm, 15mm rise
• Extras : Rack, Eurofender Snello mudguards, Spanninga SOLO rear light and AXA Greenline 35 headlight, Bontrager Satellite grips, kickstand

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Ben has been a sports journalist for 16 years, covering everything from park football to the Olympic Games. As well as cycling, his passions include podcasts, tennis and speaking enough Italian to get by on his snowboarding trips to the Dolomites. A DIY rider who is almost as happy in the toolbox as he is in the saddle, he is still trying to emulate the feelings he experienced as a nine-year-old on his first Peugeot racer – he couldn’t fathom the down-tube friction shifters then and he’s still wrestling with groupsets now. When he isn’t making a beeline for the nearest Chiltern hill, he is probably tinkering or teaching his kids how to clean a bike properly. He rides a heavily modified 1980 Peugeot PVN10 Super Competition (steel is real) when the road is smooth and dry, and a BMC Alpenchallenge when it’s not.

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Trek FX1 vs FX2: Which Bike Should You Choose?

Hybrid bikes , Other , Senior cyclists

Updated: April 25, 2023

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Trying to choose between Trek’s FX1 and FX2? Then you’ve come to the right place.

Trek’s FX range of hybrid bikes is fantastic, and I’ve previously looked at various models in the lineup: comparing the FX2 vs FX3 , the FX3 compared to the FX4 , and the jewel in the FX crown, a review of the FX6 . I’ve also compared the FX to the other range of hybrids manufactured by Trek, the Dual Sport .

Today though, we’re focusing specifically on the FX1 and FX2. There’s a big price difference between the two bikes (around $200) and I’m going to take a look and see whether the extra is worth paying for or whether you’d be best to save the money and go with the base model, the FX1.

First off then, I’ll do a head-to-head comparison of the specification for each of the two bikes. Next, I’ll review each bike separately and see where Trek is investing the money. Lastly, I’ll give you my recommendation as to which bike I believe is best value for money.

If you need an answer quicker than that, here’s my opinion. I say go with the FX2 . Why? Well, the FX2 is substantially lighter, it’s got much better brakes, and a superior front fork. All of which, in my view, justify the higher price tag.

Stick around, if you can, and we’ll go through these two great bikes in some more detail.

Overview of the Trek FX range

I’m a massive fan of hybrids like the FX and strongly believe that they’re the invisible backroom girls and boys of the biking world.

Hybrids are the bike for every occasion. Ideal for grocery trips with a backpack or paniers. The perfect transport on smooth pavement to the ocean. Great for cruising into the office along bike paths and city streets on your daily commute.

On the spectrum of bikes, you’ve got road bikes at one end (they’re fast, but not necessarily that comfortable to ride) and mountain bikes along at the other end (rugged and great for hitting the bike trails, but not great on smooth paved roads). These bikes are real specialists though. In the middle of the bike spectrum we have a large area that’s the domain of hybrid bikes. These are bikes that are versatile, dependable, and will go anywhere and do anything you ask of them.

They’re also brilliant fun to ride and to be honest they’re my go-to when I’m not chasing a personal best time or hitting some gnarly bike park.

Trek have been producing bikes since the mid-70’s, so they know a thing or three about these machines and that shows with their awesome FX hybrids. Ride style is upright and comfortable letting you watch the world go by – not hunched over like a road bike rider. The aluminum frames are light and strong – and a light bike means that you can go further, faster and with less effort. Component specifications are good at every price point in the range and, at the top of the tree, you get FX models that will rival many expensive road bikes.

The FX range boasts fourteen variations, incorporating three different frame styles. There’s a unisex/male with a horizontal crossbar, a female version with a slightly-sloping crossbar, and a step-through with a steeply-sloped crossbar. Entry-level is the FX1 (which we’ll talk more about in a moment) and the range goes up to the FX Sport 6, which swaps out the aluminum frame for carbon fiber and a top-flight list of components.

Let’s turn or attention specifically to the FX1 and FX2 and see how they measure up against each other, so we can determine the one that’s best value for money.

Trek FX1 Review

If you’re new to cycling and on a limited budget (aren’t we all!) then my view is that the FX1 is a great buy. For less than $500 dollars you get a lot of bike for your money and that translates to a lot of smile on your face.

Both the FX1 and FX2 have many similarities. Each bike has, at its core, an aluminum frame. This gives a bike which hits the sweet spot of being both strong and light at the same time (the FX1 clocking-in at 27.7 lbs total weight). The tires on both are the Bontrager H2 Comp, at 700x35c, this is a fast-rolling tire that also has enough width (and therefore air in the tube) to soak up and lumps and bumps in the road surface.

The drivetrain on the FX1 (which is the gear shifter on the handlebars, gear cogs and derailleurs) is a combination of good quality Shimano and SunRace components that are smooth and responsive. Total number of gears that the FX1 has is 3×7 = 21. Enough to get you up hills with ease, before you cruise fast down the other side.

Brakes on the FX1 are Tektro linear-pull. What does this mean? Well, linear-pull brakes are the style where you pull the brake lever and brake pads pull against the metal wheel rims in order to slow and stop you. Linear-pull brakes are seen as ‘entry-level’ in the world of cycling – vs the hydraulic disc brakes that the FX2 has – but they have important advantages. It’s all down to maintenance. Linear-pull brakes are easy to adjust by yourself (you just need an allen wrench and a little YouTube knowhow) and, when the brake blocks wear down, they’re simple and cheap to replace.

In summary, the FX1 is a great bike and offers excellent value for money. If you’re just getting into the sport, or want an ‘everyday’ bike for shopping errands, office commutes, or beach trips, then you’d struggle to find a better option.

Now, let’s compare the FX1 to the FX2.

Trek FX2 review

We’ve already seen that the FX range is excellent and the FX1 is a great first bike for everyday use.

I started off this article by saying that my favorite bike of the two is the FX2. So, let’s take a look and see what the reasons are for this.

The FX2 Disc (to give it its full title) is a step up from the FX1 in both price terms and components. The two bikes have the same aluminum frame, and they look similar, but there are some important differences.

First up, the front forks. The steel forks on the FX1 are replaced with alloy forks on the FX2. The big benefit of this is an overall weight reduction on the FX2. 27.72 lbs for the FX1 drops by around a pound and a half to 26.34 lbs on the FX2. That ‘lightening of the load’ means that you can cycle faster and more easily, getting where you want to go sooner and with less effort. Have a rummage around in the pantry for a bag of sugar or flour and you’ll see what this difference in weight actually feels like – it’s substantial.

We’ve looked at the linear-pull brakes that the FX1 has. In contrast, the FX2 has hydraulic disc brakes. These work differently to linear-pull. Instead of pulling brake blocks against the wheel rims, these use hydraulic brake fluid (like your car) to pull brake blocks against a separate metal disc by the wheel hubs. This gives much better stopping power, particularly in wet or muddy conditions as they’re not reliant on having dry wheel rims like the FX1 brakes. NB. If you like the sound of hydraulic disc brakes, but can’t justify the price of the FX2, then there’s a middle ground option with the Trek FX1 Disc – check it out if you like .

Of the two bikes, the FX2 Disc is my recommendation based on the list of components. The ride is fast and fun, and the price upgrade from the FX1, in my opinion, is fully justified by the component upgrades with the forks and brakes. Whichever bike you opt for though, I’ve got no doubt that you’ll have many years of enjoyable riding on it.

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Review: Trek FX+ 2

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If you come to me and say, “I’ve never ridden an electric bike before,” I am probably going to take a few factors into consideration. The first is safety. If you’ve never built a bike, I’m probably not going to recommend a mail-order one you have to assemble yourself. You don’t want to discover that you've failed to tighten a screw when you’re going 20 miles per hour down a hill.

You also probably want a bike that’s reasonably priced, comfortable, and convenient to ride. In fact, you might want one that’s as close to your first human-powered bike as possible. Trek’s FX+ 2 hits all the sweet spots. It’s made by a reputable manufacturer with a wide retailer network. The reasonable base price includes all the commuter components, like integrated lights and fenders. Most importantly, it’s light and maneuverable.

It’s not a 65-pound “starter” ebike that will crush you if you stop on a hill or forget to charge the battery. Nor is it a smart bike that makes you spend 20 minutes walking through an app before you can ride it. I've been testing ebikes at home for years, and this is the first one my 60-year-old dad has felt comfortable grabbing and using to chase after my kids. “Sometimes I don’t even turn it on,” he remarked the other day. That’s the whole point.

The FX+ 2 comes in two configurations and three different sizes. The default model has a regular step-over top tube, and the FX+ 2 Stagger has a step-through top tube. Both come in a variety of colors and have small, medium, and large sizes. I’m 5'2" and the small-size Stagger fits me well. However, if you’re smaller than 5 feet, you might want to look at a different bike.

The cables, battery, and motor are inside the frame. The only clue the FX+ 2 Stagger is an ebike at all is a small unit with only three buttons on it: a power button, and plus and minus symbols. When you turn on the bike, its lights turn on, and two light meters show how much battery you have left and what level of pedal assistance you have toggled on.

That’s it. There’s no bright LCD display and no throttle. This might seem like a downside, but I use my electric bike for commuting and running errands. When I lock it up on a rack, it gives me peace of mind to know that no one’s going to spot a lone ebike in the wild and immediately try to steal it (or the battery).

I also appreciate the clarity in the controls. I’ve tried other electric bikes with a one-button toggle, but I could never remember how many times to press the button to toggle the level of assist, or what light indicated how much battery I had left.

The FX+ 2 has a 250-watt Hydrive rear hub motor, which is the European standard. That might seem slightly underpowered to Americans looking to power up huge hills, but the bike is so light and maneuverable that having a smaller motor doesn’t matter much at all. The medium frame size weighs 40 pounds—almost 30 pounds lighter than my own Tern GSD S00.

Not only is it easy to scootch up hills, it’s also easy to maneuver onto crowded bike racks when I’m out, or to lift onto our hanging bike rack in my garage. Also, for the past two weeks, it’s the first bike both my dad and I have grabbed to run errands around the neighborhood. The stated range is 35 miles, but we’ve put at least 10 miles on it by now, and the battery seems largely untouched. The fast 45c road tires didn’t hurt, either.

It does lack a few features we're used to seeing on higher-end ebikes by now, like a low-maintenance carbon belt drive or a continuously variable shifter. Instead, it has a regular bike chain on a nine-speed Shimano shifting system, with a derailleur that, yes, you may have to adjust occasionally.

But honestly, this was more than fine by me. I didn’t have to learn a new shifting system or figure out how to calibrate the gearing with the assist levels. I wasn’t riding a bike that was trying to predict how much assist I’d need and when—I could simply toggle on more or less as I rode. In that way, it felt much easier and more natural. 

It also has a lot of accessories that may be equally important, especially as the weather here in Oregon has grown cold, gray, and wet in the past few weeks. The 120-lumen headlamp is incredibly bright. The bell is incredibly loud. The fenders have kept my jeans relatively dry, and I’ve been able to bungee items onto the rear rack. A kickstand keeps it up in the garage for quick access, and hydraulic disc brakes work even when the rain is pouring down.

The price point may seem high compared to direct-to-consumer bikes from Aventon, Lectric, or Rad Power. But once you start adding up the cost of quality components, labor, and accessories, their prices start inching up. Mail-order companies are able to offer much lower prices on base models because their motors are cheaper. With a nicer motor, a mail-order bike like the Ride1Up Prodigy is priced comparably to the FX+ 2, and you have to assemble and safety-check it yourself.

Over the years, I’ve seen bicycle manufacturers debate and then struggle to add or subtract features that will make electric bikes more attractive to people who haven’t biked before. Extremely low step-throughs! Weird shifting systems! Apps! Huge tires! Maybe the best way to get people on an electric bike is the same way you get people on a regular bike—by making it fun, light, and easy to ride.

• 1 Description
• 2 Dual Format
• 3 Operation

Description

The Moskva-5 (MOCKBA-5 in cyrillic writing) was produced by KMZ ( Krasnogorskii Mechanicheskii Zavod or Krasnogorsk Mechanical factory) in the 1950s. Earlier models of the Moskva were copies of the Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta C , but it makes more sense to call the Moskva-5 an adaptation. Unlike the Super Ikonta, its solid top plate has a built-in rangefinder and a dual-format viewfinder . The best thing about the Moskva-5 is the coupled rangefinder. A lever with rotating wedge-shaped prisms is fixed to the lens plate. Turning the lens to focus rotates the glass, thus adjusting the rangefinder: a very sophisticated device inherited from the Super Ikonta, with no mechanical linkage between the lens and the body. The two windows are 6.5 cm apart for accurate focusing. The separate viewfinder has a larger field of view, which helps composing the picture. As stated above, a sliding frame in the viewfinder selected on top of the camera can be set to 6×9 or 6×6.

The back of the camera showing the year of production (1958), two red windows for 6×6 and 6×9 numbering, the rangefinder window (left) and the separate viewfinder window (right). The symbol to the left of the serial number is the Krasnogorsk company logo.

Dual Format

Super Ikontas were made either for the 6×9 or 6×4.5 format. The Moskva-5 is a 6×6 and 6×9 camera. Since it has a fixed 105mm Industar lens, at 6×6 you have a mild tele at your disposal. To use the 6×6 size, you need to set the viewfinder to the square format. there is a lever to select the right window so you can see the numbering on the film back. The pressure plate does not need to be removed. The 6×9 red window is now blocked, so there's no room for confusion.

As a last step, the 6×6 mask has to be inserted. The camera locks right into its holes. Close the camera and you're ready to shoot.

The Moment 24c is a leaf shutter with speeds of B, 1 to 1/250s. To fire it, the film needs to be transported or the release button will be blocked, indicated by a red window on the top plate. The shutter isn't set by advancing the film; it has to be cocked at the lens by a lever. To take a picture, press the button on the left of the camera top. The button on the right is for unlocking the front plate when the camera is collapsed. Before folding the camera, you shouldn't forget to push down the lever with the polarised glass window.

• Moskva-2, -4 and -5 user manual at Butkus.org
• Tips for using the Moskva at Photosensitive
• Moskva 5 archived bulletin-board discussions, formerly at Robert Monaghan's Medium Format Photography Megasite (archived copy dated 8 May 2006, at Internet Archive )
• Locating light leaks in a Moskva 5 at Nelsonfoto forums (archived)
• Fixing light leaks (in french) at Dirapons'site
• Flickr image
• 6x9 rangefinder folding
• 6x6 rangefinder folding
• Soviet cameras
• Image by Dries van den Elzen
• Image by Siim Vahur

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Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Dec 28 2016

7 First Impressions of Moscow, Russia (From a Street Photography Perspective)

At over 12 million people, Moscow is the second largest city in Europe by population. It’s an urban, cosmopolitan city of the highest level, with more than enough glitz to cater to the elite, but without losing its fair share of roughness around the edges. It can be fast paced, brash, busy, and trendy like other big cities, but it has its blend of European and Russian that makes it stand out on its own. And the most beautiful subway system you’ve ever seen.

So here are my first impressions of Moscow, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…

7 First Impressions of Moscow  (From a Street Photography Perspective)

1. big city with so much to discover.

It’s no secret that Moscow is a big city, but it can feel even bigger with how spread out much of it is. This is especially true if you compare it to cities outside of Asia. If I compared it to cities in Europe, I’d probably say only Istanbul would warrant more time to really discover the depths of this city. Most only explore around the Red Square and surrounding area, but that is such a small part of the city. Although, that central area does give you plenty to see on its own. 

Fortunately, I had a good friend living in the city to show me around, but it opened up my eyes even more to how much there is to discover in Moscow. It’s a big city with a variety of atmosphere that can take you from “east” to “west” and trendy to rugged depending on where you go. I’d imagine you’d have to live here a while to really know the city.

2. Museum Metro

The Moscow metro system was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union and today includes 203 stations across 340km of routes. The elaborate system has some of the deepest stations in the world too, with escalators that seem to go on forever. None of this is what makes it so special, though. Many of its stations feel like stepping inside a museum, making it without a doubt the most interesting and beautiful metro system I’ve been in.

When built, Stalin wanted to make the metro stations “palaces for the people” with marble, chandeliers, and grand architecture. The best part is the variety of architecture and styles used, making many of the stations a completely different experience visually. You could easily spend a whole day traveling the stations and there are even tours available for people who wish to do just that. My advice, though, would be just to buy a ticket and hop on and off at different stations, while exploring different lines. The museum-like surrounding mixed with the crowds of characters can make for a great photography experience.

Since there are so many stations, here are some of my favorites to definitely check out:

• Novoslobodskaya 
• Mayakovskaya
• Elektrozavodskaya 
• Komsomolskaya 
• Ploschad Revolyutsii
• Dostoyevskaya
• Prospekt Mira

3. Not as walkable as Saint-Petersburg

While Saint-Petersburg feels very walkable for a city its size, Moscow can feel very spread out, even for its bigger size. Outside of the Red Square area, you can have a lot of walking before getting anywhere very interesting, so you’ll need to take the metro a lot if you really want to explore the city. Maps are deceiving here too, it will always be further than it looks.

Another reason it’s less walkable than Saint-Petersburg is its completely different set-up. Moscow’s streets are mostly contstructed in rings with narrow, winding streets in-between. This is common with medieval city cities that used to be confined by walls, but you usually don’t have it in a city this massive. Saint-Petersburg has a more grid-like pattern that also uses the canals to help you know your way around. When it comes to navigating on foot in Moscow, it can be more difficult, so bring a map and take the metro when needed. It’s why Moscow’s metro carries more passengers per day than the London and Paris subways combined.

4.  Gorky Park is like a Russian Central Park

One of the most famous places in Moscow is Gorky Park. The official name is Maxim Gorky’s Central Park of Culture & Leisure, which gives you an idea of what goes on here. When built, it was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. Divided into two parts, it stretches along Moscow River. One end contains fair rides, foods stands, tennis courts, a sports club, a lake for boat rides, and more. This end brings more active life due to its number of attractions, while the other end is more relaxed, where you’ll find gardens, trees, older buildings, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Gorky Park attracts mostly locals so it’s a good spot to capture the non-tourist side of Moscow life. Muscovites come here to escape the city and unwind in a picturesque setting. The park remains alive outside of the warmer months too, especially when the lake turns into the city’s largest outdoor skating rink. I’d recommend taking the metro out here to spend at least half a day exploring the massive park’s life with your camera.

5. Half the city under construction

European cities in general seem to be filled with more construction than usual lately. But while this won’t be true forever, Moscow was filled with the most I’ve ever seen. Moscow already has the most skyscrapers in Europe, with many being less than a decade old. In only the last few years, the three tallest skyscrapers in Europe have opened here, giving it five of Europe’s ten tallest. The 2018 FIFA Word Cup is bringing much of this on, but the city is pushing to complete a skyline here than will rival any in the world.

The recession has slowed down the construction some, but the government is pushing it on. So all over the city, there were sidewalks covered with wood boards and lined with striped construction walls. At first, it was a little disappointing from a street photography perspective to see so much blocked by construction. After a while, though, it became something to capture. The striped construction materials and signs are colorful and all the workers created some interesting activity. It will be interesting to see what the city looks like when everything is complete, but for now, the construction provides interest itself.

6. Learn the Russian Alphabet

Much of Moscow, including the metro system, doesn’t use english. The Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which if you aren’t familiar with it and don’t know the sounds, it can be hard to decipher the words. This is most important for street names and metro stops when trying to get around. It can save confusion and make it easier getting around if you learn the basic alphabet. At the very least then, you can sound out the words to see which are similar in the english conversion, which can help matching them to maps. When out shooting street photography, getting around is as important as anything. So save yourself some time and frustration by learning the Russian Alphabet.

7. Where East Meets West

Modern skyscrapers mixed with amazing architecture, a world-class metro system with a museum-like beauty, trendy fashion and chic clubs, Moscow is a rich mix of Russian culture and history in a more European package. There is a push to keep the Russian culture, while pushing forward with a modern metropolis the whole world will envy. This comes with an impressive skyline and modernities with soviet emblems and atmosphere mixed in for good measure.

It’s East meets West, modernizations meets Soviet nostalgia, and a whole lot more.

Russia’s Metropolis

Moscow is famous around the world, but it might not be completely what you expect from Russia’s capital. The city’s name brings a certain mystique, but once you’re there it brings something changed over time since its Soviet days. It’s big and sprawling, but beautiful in many ways. Most might say it feels more like a European capital on a grand scale, but you can definitely find its Russian side in there.

The urban sprawl of Moscow can be intimidating, but give it enough time and you’ll be rewarded with plenty to discover. All with the world’s best metro system to take you around.

If any of you have been to Moscow before, tell me about your experience and impressions of the city and country in the comments below! And stay tuned for more on Moscow, including some of the best Street Photography shots I captured while there.

Click Here for More First Impressions on Cities Around the World 

(from a street photographer’s perspective)

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