Obviously there's no bike that can do it all. Here's the breakdown of how I plan to use it:
50% flat paved suburban trails for exercise
35% those same paved trails but with a 2yo on the back (Topeak child seat quick release...and one day moving to a trailer)
15% light singletracks in flat Florida
OK, now here are my needs & specifics:
I have a herniated disc so PRIORITY
#1 is an upright position.
Under $600ish
Must be able to fit my Topeak child seat and must be able to then pull a trailer (when our 2yo outgrows the seat)
I'm 5' 11.5" and weigh 188 lbs.
Not looking set speed records on the road but don't want to get passed by everyone either.
Light trails (greens and blues). No crazy jumps or downhills.
Here are two youtube vids of the MTB trails I'm my area that I'm talking about
:
Mountain Bike Park Tampa Florida Morris Bridge Road Main Exit Trail - YouTube
This one is more advanced but would only be doing the trails up to the 6:00 minute mark of the video
Alafia River State Park - Mountain Biking in Florida - YouTube
Now on to the bikes. Only been to one LBS so far and really liked the fit/feel of the Raleigh Venture
Raleigh Bicycles - Venture 3.0
Also, looking at all the other usual suspects, I came across the Giant Sedona DX
Sedona DX (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States
So, any insight on those, or any other upright bikes that can fill my needs? Obviously it's the desire to do some light trails that make my search a little harder so what components/build do I need to look for to handle those trails.
Remember, leaning further forward isn't really an option for my back.
Thanks in advance for any help!