Originally Posted by
ZDHart
I place a lot of importance on tire selection. And, I am a big fan of comfort on a bike; maximizing speed capability is of lesser importance to me - hence my question about running 27.5 x 2.0" tires, these are very comfortable to ride on.
The Future Shock head system is something I would avoid, due to the ongoing maintenance requirements and unnecessary complexity. This is a deal killer for me. I would prefer to obtain a more comfortable ride through tire selection, rather than through a shock system built into the headset.
From all that I can see, for a hybrid bike, it looks like the Marin DSX 2 offers the best combination of features and sensible pricing. And the DSX can run 700cx50 tires, which I like.
Yes comfort on a bike is important and the FutureShock does make a big difference in that. From what I have seen from working at a Specialized dealer (well I guess two now) for 11 years is the FutureShock is pretty low maintenance. I don't think we have had to do much to them in the many we have sold over the years except maybe replace a few boots here and there and add a new collar for an old warranty recall they had but that wasn't a really big deal. However the reason to go for the 4 is way way way way less about the FS but quality of components and a much better fork and overall a more modern practical bike vs. just a bike based in lower cost.
The DSX 2 is not a bad bike either and having wider tire clearance is always great. I think wide tires do make a very big difference but having a carbon fork if you are doing an aluminum frame is also quite handy as well.