Hello All,

This is my first post here and I desperately need some help!
I am planning to get my first bike (since high school). I recently got some reward points awarded at work and on the rewards site I see the following options in my range.

Trek DS 1 Dual Sport Bike (~$500) -
Trek Verve 3 (~$600) -
Trek FX and Trek FX3 (~$300 and ~$650) -
Trek Marlin 5. (~$450)

As I am starting out I plan to ride mostly on roads, some paved paths and light trails (though i have no experience in trail riding).

Personally I had shortlisted DS1 because of it front suspension (help in trail riding) and Verve 3 (for its wider tires) but i am unable to make my mind. I test drove both and was really not able to figure anything out in that short ride.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks a lot!!

I have never ridden the verve but I love my DS 4.

Trail riding and road riding is two different bikes. These two bike both arnt great for riding any distance on the road. Maybe dual sport if it had lock out suspension.

Depends on the amount of bumps you encounter along your path which one you want the bike to excel in. The shocks will help save arms and neck and prob be faster in excessive bumpy spots but in sacraice of agility on smooth roads.

The Trek DS3 was a super nice ride, it was more comfortable than the Marlin 6 i demo'd alongside it for me. Any means to ride one at a local dealer? Their geometry is different enough i thought.

If you want the DS with a rigid fork, its certainly possible to have the shop upgrade it with a nice carbon fork.

It boils down to how you want to ride: everywhere with the DS or on the road and light trails with the FX.

I have experience with some of these bikes, though earlier model years where the equipment was a bit different. My dad has a 2015 DS4 and I have a 2015 Verve 3. Both of these have Suntour suspension forks with preload adjustment; only the DS has a manual lockout. I bought my particular bike without having ever ridden anything with suspension, and I probably won’t go back to rigid, at least not for my primary bike. It’s THAT comfortable to me. I ride probably 50-60% paved trails and probably 40-50% dirt/gravel two track. Even if I rode 100% on the road, I’d still take the suspension. Look, I’m 235 pounds (and dropping!); the one pound I save with a rigid fork is FAR outweighed (literally) by my weight and that of my clothes, gear, etc, and is also FAR outweighed by the increase in rider comfort -- for me. That is certainly a personal choice, though.

I like the DS series bikes, but do you also have the option in your buying program of the DS2? The DS2 is going to net you some significant advantages, including an 8-speed cassette freehub and Acera derailleur. The DS1 comes only with a 7-speed freewheel and an Altus rear derailleur. There is a $110 difference in MSRP between the DS1 and DS2, but I think it’s very worth it to step up.

At that ~$650 price point (of the DS2) is the Verve 3. Unlike my 2015 model, the current ones don’t have suspension forks and, instead, use wider 45-622 tires to aid in comfort. In exchange, you’re getting a 9-speed Alivio drivetrain on the Verve 3 for the same price as the 8-speed Acera on the DS2. Whether or not you want to trade suspension for an extra rear cog is up to you. Of course, the bikes have different geometry as well, so I highly advise you go ride them all in any event. The Verve series does use an adjustable quill stem, which I generally prefer over the threadless stem on many modern bikes, including the others in your lineup. They’re not as easily adjusted as something with a quill stem.

I don’t have experience with the other two Treks on your list, though I know the FX is highly respected. I don’t know much about the Marlin series.

To your comment that you like the DS’s front suspension and you like the Verve’s wider tires, my dad has 29x2.1” tires on his 2015 DS4. They just BARELY fit, and they’d be too tight for me. But the point is, you should be able to easily fit the 45-622 tire size on a DS bike. The Verve’s tires are smooth-tread Bontrager H5s, anyway, which would not be appropriate for much “trail riding” – you’d probably want to buy new tires in either situation. Your Trek dealer might offer to swap tires for you to something else they can order. In that case, you might have a pretty good choice of a number of different brands, depending on what, exactly, they sell.

Good luck!

Thanks to all for valuable suggestions. I went to a good LBS yesterday and I tried all the Trek bikes there. I ended up deciding to buy FX 3 because i loved how fast it was. I have to figure out how it will perform on trails but since i'll probably not venture into anything too adventurous, it should be fine. First bike in after 15 years. Stoked! Cant wait for it to be delivered!! Will post some pics once i have it!

Congrats on new bike! Sounds like a perfect bike for what you described you want to do. I loved my fx 7.1 rode it till the frame cracked. Becareful though that bike is fast in places you probably shouldnt be riding fast like on bike paths. I almost rode myself into serious accidents a few times...cars not stopping where they should. (To be expected)

Congrats on the new FX3! Happy riding!

Congrats on new FX3. I love mine big-time!