Hi, does anyone here have any personal experience, views or personal opinions on these two bikes? I've narrowed my purchase choices down to these two. I know they are two different style bikes, but I plan to test ride them both and then decide. But, in the meantime if anyone has any personal experience or suggestions I'd love to hear them. Information (good or bad) can only help.

1. Trek 8.1 DS (Gary Fisher Collection) – 2014 17.5-inch
3. Trek Verve 3 – 2015 Trek Black/Cosmic Black, 17.5-inch

Thank you,

Eddie

Did you look at and rule out the Giant Roam 3?

Roam 3 (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States

It has a better fork than the Verve and better running gear than the Trek 8.1 DS.

Hi Colonel, I had not considered this, but will now. Thanks for the lead and the info.

What makes these components better? Thanks!

The fork on the Giant Roam 3 has a hydraulic lockout vs the no lockout on the Verve, so there will be times when you are stuck with the efficiency sapping nature of a non-locked out fork on the Verve, when you would like to be able to lock it out. Also the fork is clearly a lower model from the Suntour range, than the fork on the Roam 3.

With the Trek DS 8.1, the front derailleur & rear derailleur are one step below in Shimano's component range, than the components found on both the Verve & Roam 3.

What do you all think of the 7.5 FX - Trek Bicycle ?

That is undoubtedly a pretty good bike and a clear cut above the bikes that have been mentioned previously in this thread.

It is also a roadbike inspired hybrid, whereas all the previous bikes have been mountain bike inspired hybrids.

So the 7.5FX will undoubtedly be a quicker bike on the road than any of the bikes already mentioned so far, but won't be as robust for going off the pavement.

The logical competitors to the Trek 7.5FX would be :

• the Giant Fast Road SLR 1 FastRoad SLR 1 (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States
• the Specialized Sirrus Elite Disc Specialized Bicycle Components
• the Specialized Sirrus Comp Disc Specialized Bicycle Components
• the Cannondale Quick Speed 1 Quick Speed 1 - QUICK SPEED - FITNESS - FITNESS & URBAN - BIKES - 2015

Thank ColonelSanders... I'm trying to explore all options and saw the 7.5 and considering it as worth a look. We'll see when I get to see up close and personal. Trek states "FX is fitness simplified. It offers a best-of-both-worlds combination of road bike speed and city bike comfort and versatility. It’s a perfect fitness bike, and so much more." Given that my off-roading is limited to some minor dirt paths, sand, gravel and seashells and my road riding is in small towns with lots of curbs to hop, it "may" be worth a closer look.

I'm not sure if the tire size differences are significant or semi-close - 700x28c on the 7.5 vs. 700x35c on the verve? Sorry for the rookie question but is that a huge deviation?

A 35c tyre is 25% wider than a 28c tyre, assuming the tyres in question match the designation(some tyres may be marketed as 30c, and could be closer to either 28c or 32c), so I would say on tyre width alone that is significant, but that difference will pale into insignificance compared to the different geometry and forks of the two bikes.

Also the tyre pressure differences between the tyres that come standard on each bike, would be quite significant too, I would imagine, with the 7.5FX likely to have a much higher tyre pressure.

A Verve and a 7.5FX are very different bikes and would not be considered rivals.

The curb hopping is where an FX bike might not be the best choice, depending on how vigorously you do hop on and off the footpath.

I would imagine something like the Trek DS 8.3 would be a better choice than the Verve 3, if you are looking to get a Trek.

It would be faster, much more dynamic bike that would be better at handling any rough stuff you throw at it, whilst still providing a very comfortable ride.

Ck out the Fuji Absolute, as well. Good value for the money. Just join their "club" before you buy, so that you also get 10-30% cash back. Performance has really good sale prices if you are patient.

FX minus the sus fork is Lighter.. than the DS with one..

I have a 2014 Trek Verve 3, and have been having a great time with it. The DS and Verve serve somewhat different purposes, but some of the differences really seem more like splitting hairs. The Verve aims more towards the comfort end of the spectrum, with a more upright seating position, riser handlebar, wider saddle, and suspension fork and seat post. The DS seems more aimed at speed, with a flat handlebar, and narrower saddle. Trek does pitch the DS as a "dual sport" bike, for both road and trail riding, while the Verve is marketed more as a recreation and city bike.

I've had my bike for about two months, and worked my way up to 20+ mile weekend rides. I bought the Verve because I wanted a more upright seating position and some trail riding capability. Since my wife has a mountain bike and prefers riding on trails rather than on streets, I wanted something that could fare reasonably well on trails. The hybrid bikes with knobby mountain bike tires I tried seemed slower than I'd like on pavement, which narrowed the choices down. The Verve 3 seemed to balance well with the speed on pavement, and enough tread and puncture resistance to ride on gravel.

Took the Verve on a couple of gravel and dirt trails over the weekend, and it did quite well. The back end started to fishtail a couple of times, but the bike never felt out of control. The Verve's tires are wider with some knobs on the side, but they're definitely not mountain bike tires.

Now that I'm working on longer distances, the riser handlebar seems a little on the high side. I'll try adjusting the angle, or maybe even look into a flat handlebar in the future if that doesn't work. For the time being though, I'm still getting used to the bike and have not done any fitting beyond the height adjustments the bike shop did when I bought it. My last outing on a road bike several years ago did not fare well with my back, and so far, I've not had any back pain at all with the Verve. So, I might be looking to see how low I can go before my back says something.

Up to this point, I've outfitted the bike more for errands and urban riding. I added a rear rack, handlebar bag, rear lights, a U-lock bracket, and a bell/compass. And now I'm looking into rear trunk bags.

With Trek's hybrid bikes, the two extremes are the FX and the Shift. The FX is more like a road bike with a flat handlebar, while the Shift is basically a Verve with 26" mountain bike tires.

Also, if you decide on the Verve 3, you might want to see if your dealer has any 2014 closeouts left. Just from the spec sheet, it looks like Trek downgraded a couple of the components on the 2015 Verve 3. https://www.bikeforums.net/hybrid-bic...015-model.html

Woochifer, thanks for the input here. I agree, if I go the Verve 3 route I'll definitely look for the 14 model if available. I have not had a chance to ride any of the bikes so far but plan too and the Verve 3 is on the list to evaluate. The bottom line is that I have to make a choice based on trade-off's including speed, stability, purpose etc.

I've read a ton here on this forum and beyond. I can't thank you all enough for posting your experiences. It's all fantastic info for decision making.

I read in one thread here that a gentlemen riding a DS had to keep breaking so he wouldn't pass his friends on their rode bikes, and that no way a DS was insufficient for the road or trail. I'm obviously paraphrasing not quoting here, but the point he made hit home for me.

I'm used to a wider tire on my Bridgestone, so will likely feel more at home on the Verve or DS. But the FX is taunting me as I am into fitness on indoor RealRyder International bikes. The more I read, I'm starting to think I might want to leave speed and fitness where it is in my life (which is in the gym) and get to know outdoor riding for pleasure.

My bike ride back and forth to the gym is 4.4 miles. Town rides for errands and such are .5 to 2-6 miles tops. And the Cape Cod rail trail is only 22 miles long. This will be my kind of riding reality for a while... and we'll see where that takes me.

If anyone has any experience, I'd love to hear more reports on the DS as well.

Still, the test ride will be the decision maker for me.

8.4 DS - Trek Bicycle

FX - Trek Bicycle /

Trek Verve 3 - Landry's Bicycles


Thanks again for all the responses here and in other forum threads...

Ride Safe!

Eddie

From another recent thread on bike weights, I found the below quote to be very interesting, in comparing the FX range to the DS range.

Thanks for sharing that info Colonel!

I think I read in another thread that you were also looking to buy a DS as well. I'll look forward to your report out on it.

I'm not sure if I will end up with a DS or not, but it is on my shortlist and I will definitely be taking one for a ride later on this year.

I just purchased a 2015 Verve 4 and I love it , I only took it out a few times so far but I love the upright position.

I ride the Trek 7.5. Mine is a 2014 and I have 1500 miles on it. I think it is a great riding bike and I enjoy it every time out. Handles well, reasonably fast and smooth. Mine has a carbon fork and the Iso-zone rear seat stay. It makes a difference on bumpy surface. Mine is stock and the components function perfectly. I have the stock 28mm tires which I find are great combination of speed and ride. I haven't even changed the cassette. I find the gear range very good with the compact drive. The only negative I can think of is I am not too wild about the seat. Overall I highly recommend it. You can't go wrong with the 7.5 FX.

How about something like this entry level Kona Rove?

KONA BIKES | 2015 BIKES | FREERANGE | ROVE AL

Or this Jamis Coda Comp? https://www.myjamis.com/SSP%20Applica...cat_grp=strt_2

Or this Surly Ogre?
https://surlybikes.com/bikes/ogre/bike_specs

Take that marketing puffery with a grain of salt. The FX line are fine bikes, but the truth is, all bikes strike a balance between speed and comfort, weight, price and durability. The FX line seeks to strike a balance, but nothing is perfect. If riding mostly on pavement is your thing and you want a hybrid or flat bar road bike, the FX series might be for you.

Since you are still in the research phase, take some time and explore the many options out there, what you hope to do with your new bike over the next 2 to 4 years, and finally, don't lock in on just one brand. Trek markets a fine bike and though they make lots of bikes, but they are not necessarily the best in every segment and price point. So take some time and explore the possibilities. Once you narrow down the type of bike you want, narrow it down to 3 or 4 bikes from different brands, and make your choice after test riding and getting a feel for which shop seems to meet your needs post purchase.

As a previous member suggested, whatever you pick out ask about getting a closeout price on a 2014 model. I have been agonizing over a bike choice for weeks now. I was down to a Trek CrossRip LTD, Felt V85, Trek DS 8.6 and a Trek 7.4 Disc. I was focused on a Disc brake set up as I almost killed myself last year up in the Mountains on a ride when there was still some slush on the road and my wheels and brakes got wet and I was going down a long windy run to the river....scared the HJ out of me as my brakes were almost gone. After riding all of them, I gave up on the drop bar because of my back and that left the 7.4 disc and the DS 8.6....test rode both of them. The 7.4 felt lighter and had more road oriented tires (my sirrus has 23s on it), but I did ride a little on a more bumpy dirt road and the DS with its switchable shock was sweet and kind to my back. It also was more upright (stock) and felt better to ride. When it came time to buy one...I saw that the 2014 8.5 was only $800 and there weren't significant differences in running gear (yes it was a little better, but the stuff on the 8.5 was all quality gear) the only difference that I could see in the two year groups were the integrated sensor slot on the 2015 and the tubless rim set up on the wheels. I have always run puncture liners in my tires and will go down in size to treaded 28s anyways, so I decided to save the $500 and go with the 2014.

If you're not going to go off-road, or if your "off road" is mostly hard-pack paths, I'd suggest you skip the front suspension models - unnecessary extra weight/complexity that you don't need.

The Trek 7.4 FX is a good option - carbon fork, decent components, rides/shifts very smoothly, and feels quick. I just got a 2014 model for $629 on closeout, about $110 off normal price. That leaves a lot of budget for other things I wanted like a new light, etc.

Thanks for all the replies. I bought myself a 2015 Trek 8.4 DS and for my wife a Trek Neko SLX. I'll let you all know how they ride this spring.