Made my first post in this forum earlier today to introduce myself.

I was going to sell my Brompton C line 6-speed, 16" wheel folder and buy a Brompton G line with 20" wheels, but a G line starts at $3,300, has 8 speeds, and is heavy at 30+ pounds, and that got me to thinking, "Why not two bikes? I have a garage and with the folder folded, there is room for another bike." So what I am looking for is a non-folder for my longer rides which are currently 35 miles on a paved bike trail, thrice weekly. I suspect the bigger wheels will allow me to up that to 50 miles.

Which brings me to the point of this thread. A bit of research landed me on the Trek Verve 3 Gen 5 "Verve 3 Disc is an easy-riding hybrid bike designed for comfort on roads, paths, and city streets. The highest-end model in the Verve family features a Shimano CUES 10-speed drivetrain, stable puncture-resistant tires, and vibration-reducing handlebars and grips that make your ride even more comfortable." LBS has it on sale for $800.

I am going to continue to search but in the meantime if anyone reading this would like to recommend a bike - or, really, point out any fallacy in my reasoning above - it would be most welcome. Hybrids seem to be the most obvious choice for me but what do I know?. I plan to go to the LBS mid-week, when there are presumably fewer customers. I am in the WDC area and a search for most friendly bike store landed me on one in Rockville, MD.

An aside: I get a hoot out of it when young adults refer to me as a boomer! Age wise, as a member of the Silent Generation, calling me a boomer is complimenting me by taking me for a much younger man.

My wisecrack re: upright bikes. All my bikes have dropped handlebars and low stems. But I make it a real focus to ride them all upright (in the sense of the motorcyclists' blessing "keep the rubber side down and shiny side up"). And I wish the same for those who ride upright bikes!

There are some bikes with drop bars that will give you a upright comfortable position. A Specialized Roubaix is one of them. Maybe even more upright than the Verve. Depending on what size models you try. Hybrids, like road bikes with drops, come in sporty geometry that give you a more aero leaned over position. And other hybrids that give you a more upright position.

So don't rule out a bike just because it has a handle bar style that gives you more options for where you put your hands.

And for me, I found out after over 57 years of riding with my bars and saddle about the same height. That I really like the aero race position that my new, in 2020, Specialized Tarmac gives more than I did the other bikes I had for so long.

Welcome to BF and the old geezer sub-forum.

The best thing for you to do is to visit a couple of bike shops and try test riding different bikes to see how they feel to you.

I went to the LBS today just to look and ran into the last day of a terrific sale on Trek bikes. I got one of the last XL Trek Verve 3 Disc Gen4, normally $999 on sale for $450. A deal I could not refuse. Got it in blue, it is coming from the Trek warehouse in NJ and should be road ready by Wed. or Thur. I took one for a test ride and the difference between those 700C wheels and my 16" Brompton wheels was simply staggering. Nice, upright riding position for an old fart.

I have a Verve 2 and love it. I hope you have the same experience.

I looked up the Tarmac. Gorgeous bike. You must be one of the younger members of this forum or in great shape and very flexible to ride in that aero position. That just would not work out for someone my age and my current level of flexibility.

I'll report back after a couple of rides.

I went looking for reviews of the bike yesterday afternoon and found the only negatives were weight and "the stock saddle and tires might not meet every rider's preferences".

A summary of one article noted: **Who Should Consider the Trek Verve 3 Disc?**

The Verve 3 Disc is ideal for riders prioritizing comfort over speed. It’s a great choice for:

- Casual riders exploring city streets or bike paths.

- Commuters who need a dependable bike with rack/fender compatibility.

- Those venturing onto light trails but not requiring a full mountain bike.

...which exactly describes what I was looking for in a bike.



For fitness enthusiasts focused on speed or long-distance road rides, alternatives like the Trek FX series may be better suited.

Hope you find your dream machine

I'm having a BLAST riding my 1999 DAHON Mariner 20" wheel 5speed that I modified with a 60 tooth 1x chainring + 12/30 Ultegra 10 speed cassette + Deore RD + SLX shifter + Profile Aerobars. March 1st rode 101 and have hit 26.8mph.

Very nice bike! I also looked at a Trek Verve 3 (step through) was also on sale here in Canada for $649 (CDN) pls tax down from $1049 - a BIG price drop. But then I took the Dual Sport 3 gen 5 out for a spin and I fell in love! More money in the end, but happy I pulled the trigger on it. The bike has a (slightly) more aggressive geometry, but still OK with me. If it ever becomes an issue, I can always at an adjustable stem to the bike. Nice that your bike comes with that, and a suspension seat post Enjoy!

Just looked at photos of that bike and it looks very nice indeed. I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy it.

I still ride my Brompton to the gym several times a week and to a men's coffee once a week and I have to agree, a nicely made folder is simply fun to ride. I found a wonderful bike trail surfaced with crushed limestone a 30' drive outside of town and it's way easier to fold that Brompton into the back than it is to try and wrestle that ungainly TrekVerve into the back and so I take the Brompton on those 35-mile rides every two weeks.

I'd just comment on the idea of "comfort bikes," and I don't know, maybe on the idea of selling people what they think they want, always a good idea, right? But the fact is that bikes which are ridden long distances always feature a bent-over riding position, torso at about 45°. Why? Because our backs hate getting jarred, but they love being bent. Upright is like a pile driver as the bike goes over bumps. Bent-over, the spine just flexes and it likes that. Bent-over isn't about speed, it's about comfort. Anyway . . .

I disagree with everything that you just said. I have never experienced any jarring on my back from upright riding position and I do ride off road on rough terrain a lot. Humans are upright creatures and it's unnatural to sit on a bike with a bent back and hunched over position for hours on end. The position you describe is strictly for performance and aerodynamics and has nothing to do with comfort and health, bending your lower back and spine all the time is a bad thing. Not everybody is interested in performance, some people just ride for fun, general fitness and enjoyment. Your one size fits all riding position is just wrong.

Koga, a well-respected European manufacturer, offers a surprisingly wide range of expensive touring bikes. Every one of their touring bike models has upright bars.

Given that Europeans have a long history of bikes being ridden by adults as a matter of course, I think the Koga designers know what they're doing.

I like the front and rear kickstands. Makes sense on a bike meant to be used for loaded touring.

(Looking at the picture below, it reminded me of a scene in the first Crocodile Dundee movie: "Call that a knife? This is a knife!")

Trekking bike

Upright position is Ok if you have a spring saddle. i can ride this bike for hours. Not very fast, but....

Ergotec created this guide to cycling postures that folks might find useful.

https://hr.ubc.ca/sites/default/file...duced-size.pdf

Otto

I have a 2013 Specialized Roubaix Comp. It has a more upright riding position than a pure road or race bike.
It is classed as an endurance bike and is designed to be more comfortable on long rides. Trek’s Domane is similar.
I bought mine used and since I don’t compete or ride in rain I don’t mind rim brakes. Newer more expensive bikes have disc brakes so a bike like mine is more affordable.

I looked at photos of a 2013 Specialized Roubaix Comp and with those drop handlebars I assure you that I would be in a much more bent-over position than is the case when I ride my Trek Verve.

I ride mostly on the hoods, at least until I lose my aerobelly. 😎

Not to change the topic, butt....

Many riders often go from a sporty/racy upper body position to a more upright position (often stated as = due to a 'less flexible' back or saddle concerns). How many consider a recumbent? I know they are unwieldy to transport, but since I ride from home almost always - I may go that way. Only ever ridden 2 recumbents.
This looks comfy and not too low. Long wheelbase model if stability is an issue.