I'm 25 years old and for the past 12 years or so I have been riding a ~15 year old Apollo mountain bike. Today I bought myself a new Trek DS 8.5 to replace my Apollo, which is on its last legs. I mainly use my bike to commute to/from work during the week but I also like to ride trails whenever I get the chance, which is why I chose a hybrid bike.

I literally bought it in store this morning so I have only had the Trek for a few hours, but already I'm a bit concerned about it. Riding this bike feels 'stiff' - even on an even road surface I'm finding I need to put more energy into my ride to achieve the same pace I could by barely pedalling on my old bike. And keep in mind my old bike was no cruiser - it was getting old and stiff itself, which was the entire reason I decided to replace it. I'm also having a hard time finding a middle ground with the new gears; they either seem to offer too much resistance or not enough.

My question is whether this is considered normal for a new bike or is this simple the nature of a hybrid? I haven't ridden a brand new bike since I was a teenager so I'm wondering whether I've just forgotten what a new bike feels like, but I really don't recall ever experiencing a bike that feels like this. Are there any adjustments I could/should make or should I consider going back to a mountain bike?

Spin each wheel to make sure the brakes are not dragging.

I imagine the gearing on the DS is different from the Apollo as well (and I imagine the Apollo a 21 speed bike, and the DS is a 27). I noticed when I got my FX earlier this year, that I suddenly felt I was always in the wrong gear, either too low or too high. What you need to do is stop looking at the number on the shifter and just pick one that feels right for the conditions. Seriously. Once I learned to do that I discovered that I was usually in an appropriate gear and I was also going a hell of a lot faster.

It should be a notable improvement going to the DS ------ ck your riding style, or visit the dealer to get it sorted out.

Dealer will be there to help you with the bike they sold you talk to them .. I dont see you and your Bike , they can

are you not feeling a suspension fork making the ride like butter?. they really dont work like that.

FX w/o the suspension is nice too

I was in a similar situation a couple of months back. I came from riding a 10 year old GT hardtail.
When I bought a Trek 8.6 DS it felt kind of strange. Really rigid feeling ride. And of course the gearing is much higher.
I have done over 800 miles on the bike now, and enjoyed everyone of them. The bike feels really solidly built and fast.
Its probable that it may feel odd riding a new bike being so used to riding your old one, plus factoring in doubt that creeps into somebody's mind when making an expensive purchase.
In my personal experience the DS felt great from the off. And feels even better now my fitness and leg strength is improving since coming from my old MTB.
Would be good to hear how you're getting on with the bike after a few more miles.

Hi Matt, are you sure you lock the suspension when you ride on the paved road?