Noob here to the forums. Just found this site and I have spent more time here than I ought. I am 53 years old and want to start biking again for fun and fitness. Tender knees and tight back have knocked some of the fun out of sports, so biking has been my choice for summer fun.

I want to upgrade my ride from the early 80s Myata hard tail Ridge Runner to something a little easier pedaling. I have been reading and visiting LBS and I am now trying to choose among a Trek 7.3, a GT Tachyon 2 and a Specialized Sirrus Sport.

I will be riding mostly on hard dirt bike paths, some roads, (…but they make me nervous in my middle age…). We have goat head thorns here in Colorado, so some tire modification/supplementation may be required.

i have ridden all three. I like responsiveness of the Tachyon, but being more "roady" seems like a negative. The Trek was nice, meh. But it seemed "sturdier" maybe. The Sirrus seemed more responsive than the Trek, not as much as the Tachyon, and more "bike path comfortable".

What say you all?