These are all very nice bikes. The Trek would be the one that would better fit the rails2trails rides. But not so good for riding on the road. Even if it has a lock out front fork. The tires and the added weight of the fork would be an issue. I suggest doing what I did. Instead of spending all your money on one bike, look for two. I have a Specialized Crosstrail, similar to the Trek. I bought that as my first bike. But realized it was not good on the road. I then picked up a Diamondback Insight2 for road work. That was a good bike for road work. But ultimately, I ended up purchasing a true road bike. I kept the DB for casual rides with friends.