Originally Posted by
DougG
Good choice. I have a Specialized Crosstrail, which is the Specialized equivalent of the DualSport. It's one of three (now two) bikes that I own, but sees the most mileage by far. I ride mainly on paved and unpaved rail-trails, but do make forays onto off-road trails and dirt roads and have done a few tougher, hilly "gravel grinder" rides. It's also been across Missouri on the Katy Trail and from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. on the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal trails.
And I'm not quite ready for an e-bike yet, but if I were getting one now it would be the Trek DualSport+.
Being out of biking for 20 or 25 years, I did a lot of research before making the trip to the bike store because so much has changed.The Specialized Crosstrail and the Sirrus was on my list but the local store had neither. The Sirrus along with the Trek FX made the list because, in my research, there was a lot a negative talk (controversy may be a better word) about the front suspension of hybrids...the main negatives being the extra weight, little travel and being an entry level component. I can't deny any of those things. Most of the time mine is in the locked out position. However if I hit a rough patch, uneven pavement, dirt, grass or gravel and such, I reach down and turn it on. I find it nice to have if I want to smooth things out a bit and weight isn't a big concern for the kind of riding I do.
Geeze, I say it again, you "old" guys that do this long distance riding really impress me. My 15 mile (occasional 20) exercise rides, even if it is very hilly around here, pale in comparison. We live in the tri state area of Ohio, KY and Indiana (on the KY side). Nearby Ohio has an extensive Rails and Trails system which we often use for day rides. My wife briskly walks a lot (1 to 2 hours per day) but does very little fitness "stuff" on the bike. For exercise, I'm usually on my own with the bike. When we do Rails and Trails she prefers doing what I call a "smell the roses" pace (7 to 9 mpg). I'm OK with that because we're doing it for fun and to simply enjoy the scenery with exercise being more of a side benefit. 30 miles + or - is the usual for those.
E bikes could be in my future. Besides fun, one reason I got back into bikes was a right knee (arthroscopic surgery years ago) which is starting to give me problems. An orthopedic Dr. suggested that I exercise to build muscle in order to help support the knee and stave off knee replacement. I have good range of motion with it, don't limp but it does ache a bit but my drug of choice theses days, ibuprofen, settles that down. Anyway, I won't rule out an E bike when / if the time ever comes.