redfoxdogs

Just a quick question...if you have switched out the pedals on your DS or Neko could you tell me why? Do you all ride clipless? I don't think that's something I want to try, but Im curious. I don't have a problem with my pedals, except for the occasions when I forget that they have sharp spikey metal grips and I shred the back of my calves!

jbw57

I have a DS3 and found the stock peddles to narrow, my feet seemed to always land a bit past the outer edge of the peddle and constantly having to adjust. Went with Shimano MX-80 and they made a big difference, my feet land square on the peddles with out effort, they support the entire foot and grip much better. Well worth the $60 IMO.....there are many to choose from and really not all that costly, I'm sure many would agree.....you should give them a try.

ColonelSanders

Most pedals that come installed on bikes are cheapies that are usually too small for many people, that is why they so often get changed out and often just for other flat platform pedals.

jase33

I switched pedals as I also have wide feet. Nice wide Shimano flats.

Karmajack

I never even gave the stock pedals a chance to be honest. By the looks they seemed too small...and I also didn't like the way they looked. I went with Wellgo MG1's. They were the only pedals in my top of my list that my LBS had in stock. Quite satisfied with them. Grip is phenomenal, they spin quite well, and fit my size 12 feet very well. Plus they match the bike nicely. 376 grams with sealed DU bushings. They're double sided platform flats. Kinda glad they were out of Bontrager Line Pro's as those were twice the price.

clarkbb

Has any swapped the suspension fork for rigid? If so - what fork did you use and how do you like it?


I am considering buying a dedicated mountain bike, and would keep the DS for road use only. Please post pictures as well if you have done this swap!

jase33

Why not keep the original suspension fork locked out? I'm just curious not trying to talk you out of it.

clarkbb

That's pretty much what I have been doing. Just curious if others had swapped it. Plus it should save some weight, not that I'm racing anyone on a ds... just something different.

The Snowman

New forum member here. Purchased a 2017 DS3 about a month ago and have put approximately 110 miles on it so far. Like it overall, but I have had several motorcycle road racing crashes and have carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists, so I'm a "special needs" person when it comes to ergonomics and comfort, especially my shoulders.

To date, I have replaced the stem with a Bontrager Elite Blendr 90mm/25 degree, the pedals with Xpedo Detox magnesium platform pedals, and the saddle with a Selle Italia Gel Flow. The stem helped with my leaning on the bars too hard, which made my hands fall asleep and my shoulders ache. So, to get even more upright, I have a set of Renthal 30mm rise Fatbars coming. I also like to change hand position, so I also have a set of Ergon GP2 2-fingered bar-end ergo grips coming.

I bought the bike for fitness w/ the wife, but also to supplement my inline speed skate training. Spin classes were getting a bit stale, so I wanted to get out in the open air. I love the bike for what it is. It's solid, shifts well, has a great range of gears for anything I have done (so far).

At the same time, I also bought my wife a Trek Neko 2 and she loves it. Her only complaint was the hardness of the saddle. So I also got her a Selle Italia Gel Flow saddle. I purchased both saddles at ProBikeKit, which is over in the UK. But getting $300 worth of saddles for $135, shipped was appealing enough for me.

We're both reasonably active, so this complimented what we already did. It just created a together activity, since my thing is skating and hers is equestrian.

cycling705

I've spent time reading through this thread. I'm considering picking up a used 2015 Trek 8.3 DS (with suspension lockout).

When it comes to the off-road aspect, what is a realistic expectation for what this bike can handle?

Thanks everyone.

clarkbb

Hi, I got your PM but could not reply as I do not have 10 posts... anyways to answer your question- The suspension is nice to have if you are going through grass gravel, dirt path etc. but I find myself on the road ~90% of the time and usually have the suspension on lockout. It is nice to have the option if you aren't concerned with weight. I can't speak much to the offroad capability, as I have not tested in much in that regard.

Karmajack

If you go back through the history of this thread, there have been a couple of examples of DS owners switching to rigid forks. Though they may be a couple years old, and not sure if those folks are still around. Back on page 29, there is an example of a 2015 DS 8.4 22.5" frame with a Crossrip Elite Carbon Fork. The owner reported loosing .5 inch in the height in the front with his fork swap, which is something you should keep in mind.

Karmajack

Got some new goodies for the DS3 recently. Had a chance to take some pics after my ride...


CC Thudbustet ST and Charge Spoon Saddle.


Here's a decent look at the Wellgo MG1's.


I know how much the Colonel likes this angle. Also shows the Mirror and Ergo GP3's I got recently.


And just another overall shot.


Not sure if I'm going to stick with the Charge Spoon. I'll give it more time to break in, but after 26 miles today I'm pretty beat up. The Thudbuster arrived after my ride, so hopefully that helps. Still want to get a new tail light, a Duotrap S and a Garmin Edge 25 (mounted on the Blendr). If that free's up room on my stem, and there's enough clearance, I'll get the Quadlock to relocate my phone.

Also saw a fellow DS3 owner at the trail head today. He had aerobars and these fenders . Made the bike look quite interesting. We chatted it up a bit about the bikes and parted ways. I kick myself for not thinking to grab a pic.

ed h

new member to the forum here. picked up a 2017 DS3 last night. Currently have three Trek mountain bikes but this is my first dual sport bike. First thought was to get the DS4, but I really liked the color of the DS3. Figure down the line will do some upgrades. So far very impressed with the bike. Coming from a dual suspension mountain bike it definitely has a different feel. Surprised in that being a few lbs heavier than my mountain bikes, its actually very responsive on the road. So far all I did was change the pedals. Looks like lots of good info and reading in this thread here

Wanted to post a photo, but being a new member not allowed to yet.

Karmajack

Welcome Ed!
I honestly made the same decision as you with the DS's. I liked gloss over black. Not to mention the price tag. The gloss black also matches my car nicely when in transit.
Being relatively new here as well, I agree this thread (and the hybrid section) has plenty of good info relating to our bikes. I'm glad it exists to discuss modification and maintenance related to our specific line.
What pedals did you go with? The pedals are indeed one the biggest day one upgrades on this bike. Good move.

ColonelSanders

I do like that angle as it shows what the rider gets to see as he looks down at his bike as he is riding along.

Your bike is really looking great.

BTW. What brand of mirror is that?

Karmajack

I got the mirror from Amazon. It's branded Venzo, though I've seen several similar going by different names. I'm not fond of the bar end mirrors adding more width to the bike or bars. This one doesn't extend too far past the grips. It also looks better to me. I did have to move the levers over a bit to mount it, but that little bit doesn't interfere with my shifting or braking grab at all. I did similar on the right side to fit the Knog Oi Bell knockoff. That taper on the handle bar doesn't leave many options. Don't think I'd have room for remote fork lockout, or anything else. Only slight issue I have with it is the clearance between the mirror and the GP3 bar end. There's not a whole lot of room there, so I do have to be careful when switching hand positions to avoid knocking the mirror. It takes a minute to get it aligned for proper rear view, but once you get it, you can tighten everything down and keep it. On my previous bike I had it mounted upside down and that worked just as well. That bike had GP5's.

The phone somewhat blocks the gear readout on the right, but I've not had a problem as I hardly ever need to look at the numbers to know what gear I'm in. Though I do plan on some re-arranging when I upgrade from the Cateye computer. The Blendr Stem capabilities interest me and I plan to take more advantage of them. I've been using the phone for Samsung Health, Google Maps GPS, and iHeartRadio/Pandora. I haven't really gotten into MapMyRide or Strava as of yet.

ed h

Karmajack - I went with the Waterloo blue color. Have a black Trek mountain bike, so I figured I'd go for a different color.
Nothing fancy with the pedals, just a pair of Forte ATB comp pedals. I'm used to riding with toe clips, so on went a pair of toe clips. The Forte pedals are inexpensive, lightweight and seem to hold up quite well. Have the same Forte pedals on two different mountain bikes and never had any issues with them.

RideWitTheStorm

Hey all, looking for some advice on replacing the fork of my Trek DS 3. Have been riding it for three months mostly commuting and doing longer weekend tours, and now I think I would like to switch out the front fork with a rigid one, I have been looking at the Surly ECR as a replacement. Wondering if anyone else has done this and has any knowledge of what works and what doesn't, Thanks!

Karmajack

Got some new stuff.

I've been running quick local errands a bit lately on the bike. Like grabbing food or small groceries, etc. Was using a backpack, and that got annoying. So I decided to get a rack and bag. Bontrager Disc and Deluxe Bag with Interchange. I honestly almost bought fenders as I keep getting caught in the rain, or post rain-wet roads. But I figured I'd get more use of the rack, and that would deflect enough splash. Also in the below picture is my new saddle. the Terry Liberator Gel. So far this one's a winner. Only put about 30 miles on it so far, but it's been smooth. More than half that on a single ride. Every other saddle gave me red flags much sooner. Though I believe my Baleaf padded undewear may be a culprit of discomfort I was having as well. Tech Performance drawers, the Liberator, and the Thudbuster seems to be a good combination for me.
Also in the below image is my new Hotshot 100 tail light. I had it on the seat post shortly before the rack was added. Moved it to the bag. I'll move it again to the back of the rack soon. There's a neat and cheap little rack mount adapter for it that I have coming.


I liked my Ergon GP3's, but I liked my old GP5's more. So I swapped those in. Having even more hand positions available is much nicer on my longer rides. Problem was I couldn't use my old mirror with the GP5's. I grabbed a Myrricle for now. I don't prefer it. I've mentioned before that I didn't want the extra width on my handlebars. Though I still find any mirror invaluable. So I settled (for now). My other option is the EVT Safe Zone Helmet Mirror. Which is more expensive, and I'm really not sure I'd like the helmet mirror setup. We'll see. I may try it. I dunno. I do admit, the Myrricle is of good quality. It is very sturdy and the convex mirror offers a better field of view than what I had previously.

The Road Morph G Mini Pump was something I still had, so I decided to mount it on last week. But now that I have the rack bag, I may un-mount it and just throw it in the bag. Less clutter. I still have a CO2 kit in my seat bag. When I ever opt to not use the rack bag, I still have the seatbag with it's necessities that I can snap on. I really like the Bontrager Interchage stuff for that kinda thing. Quick on and off. No fuss. Also not clear the in pic (better noticed in the previous pic) is the Camel Back 21 oz Podium Bottle. Replacing the cheapo LBS bottle. I haven't needed the insulation factor just yet, but I really do appreciate the function of the cap/nozzle. I found riding some terrain gets bottles quite dirty. Especially the packed gravel of one of my favorite trails. I'd go to take a drink, and the nozzle is covered in dust. I was having to negotiate wiping the nozzle, unlocking it with my teeth, then suck on a dirty nipple. With the Camel Back, I just point and squeeze. No contact. Great design.

And below is the overall shot of what she looks like right now.


Today is her 2 week birthday to me. I revisited the same trail as I did the day I got her today. Though a different stretch. The weather was quite similar that day as today. Post rain, wet grounds, overcast, and slightly chilly. Little to no traffic. Another day that reminded me how much better this bike is from my previous Wally World Schwinn. Another day that I just jumped on new section of trail and just rode til I found a good enough turnaround/destination.
I've really come to love my ride. Most of my work week is looking forward to my bigger weekend rides, while hoping to get a quick couple short rides in during the week after work. I'm a fool for waiting til my 40's to start enjoying this hobby. Six months ago, I was glued to this computer playing video games. Wasting away. Over eating. Chain Smoking. Noticing my health decline, but not doing anything about it. Turns out I'm a textbook midlife crisis scenario. Woke up one day trying to correct things and get on a better path. Adopting cycling is the center of life change for me. The first big dominio. I'm off my arse, going to the doctor (and following instructions). Paying attention to my physical and mental health. From actually being concerned with my future and what footprint I leave, my point of view is drastically more aware and positive. Life changing.
A lot of that comes from being on this bike that I love. I was starting to feel these things on that POS I was riding, but it's really kicked in on the DS 3. I still had that half assed feeling and outlook that hung over me for so long til I got the Trek. Now it seems like everything is falling into place and on track. Does it seem silly for me to suggest this specific little bicycle is really rocking my world? Perhaps, but it is what it is.

I've been eyeballing some light MTB trails and spurs I've come across. The time is soon coming in which I test those out before my cycling season ends. I have a family friend who's an occasional MTBer hobbyist. He's expressed interest in showing me a trail. Though I question if the DS, and myself can truly handle that just yet. He's the (younger) kinda guy that will want to put you to the test. While showing off and beating his chest. My current enjoyment on cycling is hitting a comfortable trail and just cruising at my own pace, enjoying the scenery. Though I'm not opposed to new experiences out there.
There's also some indoor park the grand kids visit in the winter I'm curious about. Again, more MTB related. I can see myself checking it out, as my bike will be otherwise collecting dust as the snow falls.

Rambling and rambling now. Just got back from a ride and blood is flowing.

Anyway, just wanted to give an update to my life with the DS.

hokiefyd 

Great update, and perspective on riding and how it can change your life.

I love the sign in the background of one of your pictures. Is there really an at-grade cloverleaf intersection like depicted?

Karmajack

Indeed there is. It's a fun curve to go down. It circles around and under itself. Speeds of easily 20mph+ on a non pedestrian day. It's pretty much at a trail head which is also located at some scenic/touristy waterfalls, so some caution is still to be taken. First time I took it though, there were ill informed walkers on the wrong side on a blind curve which caused me some some re calibrating in navigation at a fast immediate pace. A few other times I've taken it with less population (usually on a poor weather day), and it's really a fun twist with further downhills ahead. Coming back is not as fun.

BTW, I noticed the Trek site has the 2018 DS's up. I honestly can't tell if there's any changes. I now regret not taking full detailed note of what my 2017 came equipped with to compare.

Edit* I found the spec's on the 2017 DS 3, and I don't notice any changes whatsoever. Though, there may be changes to other versions of the DS.
A couple other things to note. My local Trek dealers aren't showing inventory of the 2018's yet. When I purchased my 2017 two weeks ago it was stickered at $879 in store, but $749 online (they honored the online price). The 2018 DS3's are listed on the Trek site for $749.
Going by that, I might assume the 2017's (DS 3) to be dropping in price, perhaps sub $700, as the 2018's hit the LBS's showroom anytime soon. Might be a good time coming soon to pick up a good 2017 since no downgrades seem to have happened.
For what it's worth, I'm glad I got mine when I did. Discounted or not, I needed that bike in my life when I got it. And it was worth it.

ed h

Karmajack - Looking at the Trek website, the crankset for the 2018 DS3 is listed as Shimano Acera M371. The 2017 DS3 I just picked up has an FSA Dyna Drive crankset. Interesting in that all the 2018 DS prices are now less that what the 2017s were.
Wonder if the 2018s are really new, or just remaining 2017 bikes ?

Karmajack

Oh good catch ed. I didn't see that. Is the newer crankset cheaper components? Even if, I don't get why 18's are so much cheaper.

The Snowman

Finally finished with my modifications: 2017 Trek DS3 & hardware
Spank Spike Race 50mm riser bars
Bontrager Elite Blendr 90mm 25 degree stem
Ergon GP2 grips/bar ends
Selle Italia Gel Flow Man saddle
Xpedo Detox flat pedals

I went through the stock bars and 2 sets of risers (after purchasing the higher stem) to get comfortable ergonomics for my shoulders and neck. I love the Spank bars. I had to cut them down from their 800mm original length to 660, or the GP2 bar ends were too far out to be comfortable.

Some photos:




and the popular "cockpit" view: