My first ‘nice’ bike: Trek Dual Sport 2 Gen 5

[Klutch9]

Bought on Saturday and picked up this morning. I previously rode an old, very heavy, cheap Huffy MTB. We have a huge trail network in our area, paved and smooth gravel, so a MTB isn’t necessary and I wanted something lighter and a bit easier to ride.

Walked into our local bike shop in town just to get a baseline knowledge of what to look for, since I know very little about bikes, and they recommended the Dual Sport line. Really liked them from the start. They also had a DS2 in Galactic Grey with a small dent in the frame. They think it happened at the factory before painting, because there is no scratch. No structural issues. But because of that, and because this is the earlier Gen 5 (2023), they were selling it for an absurdly low price. And it was my size! I couldn’t pass on it.

Evidently Trek doesn’t label their bikes with years any more for general listings, they use generations. This bike is a gen 5, but the salesperson said Trek recently came out with an updated gen 5. The only difference is it’s a 1x9 instead of a 2x9 now, different derailleur, different colors, maybe different brakes but I can’t remember. Everything else is identical and weighs the same. The Trek website doesn’t even really differentiate between them. They’re both gen 5s. Super excited to ride this when the snow melts. The ease of which this thing moves and stops is in another league compared to my old bike.

 

[97prizm]

Nice. In Colorado we're spoiled as I think there are four or five bike manufacturers. However they are all high end and not cheap. My complaint about Trek is that they came in, bought up and ruined the companies that they acquired. Looks like a good bike for your needs. If it doesn't have a front suspension fork they have become very affordable and a worthy addition.

 

[AZjeff]

That's a great bike! You'll see a world of difference riding a quality bike compared to a big box bike. Agree suspension forks are affordable but aren't necessary on paved and smooth gravel trails and it adds weight, and the 1x9 vs 2x9 is a wash for your riding. You're really going to like riding it.

 

[Klutch9]

I actually didn’t want front suspension, because of the added weight. The trails around here are usually very smooth so I don't think I’ll miss having it.

 

[y_p_w]

Nice. In Colorado we're spoiled as I think there are four or five bike manufacturers. However they are all high end and not cheap. My complaint about Trek is that they came in, bought up and ruined the companies that they acquired. Looks like a good bike for your needs. If it doesn't have a front suspension fork they have become very affordable and a worthy addition.

Depends on how a bike manfacturer is defined. I remember the days when I rode, there were lots of small boutique companies that made bikes. For road bikes there were often just steel frames made from round tubing from one of the major manufacturers (Columbus, Reynolds, Tange, True Temper, Ishiwata). Aluminum was different.

Not sure what's left out there from when I used to ride. I'm trying to look up what American companies still exist. Cannondale, Trek, Schwinn (yeah I get that their reputation has suffered), Diamondback, Specialized. But I bought a Columbus SL tubing road bike with money I got from a summer job during my college years.

But I'm trying to figure out what happened to pioneers of the mountain bike industry, which started in Marin County. Looks like Gary Fisher sold out, but remained with his company until Trek bought them. Specialized is obviously still in business. I guess Marin Bikes is still in business. It looks like Tom Ritchey is still in business.

 

[97prizm]

Depends on how a bike manfacturer is defined. I remember the days when I rode, there were lots of small boutique companies that made bikes. For road bikes there were often just steel frames made from round tubing from one of the major manufacturers (Columbus, Reynolds, Tange, True Temper, Ishiwata). Aluminum was different.

Not sure what's left out there from when I used to ride. I'm trying to look up what American companies still exist. Cannondale, Trek, Schwinn (yeah I get that their reputation has suffered), Diamondback, Specialized. But I bought a Columbus SL tubing road bike with money I got from a summer job during my college years.

But I'm trying to figure out what happened to pioneers of the mountain bike industry, which started in Marin County. Looks like Gary Fisher sold out, but remained with his company until Trek bought them. Specialized is obviously still in business. I guess Marin Bikes is still in business. It looks like Tom Ritchey is still in business.

Kona is looking for a buyer and will probably be gone soon. Apparently they sold a huge amount during the pandemic. I had the chance to meet Gary Fisher in Boulder many years ago but was exhausted from a long day at work and ended up heading home. Trek did Fisher dirty. It became the "Fisher collection " by Trek. All Trek wanted was their 29" and Genesis Geometry patents. Greg Lemond same deal. Colorado had two Denver small bike companies but they folded. Moots, Dean, Yeti and one other are still kicking but they are custom and expensive. My big complaint was that up untill 2005ish all Fisher bikes were hand welded in Wisconsin. After trek took over the are assembled in Taiwan. Shouldn't the lower cost of assembly trickle down?

 

[y_p_w]

Kona is looking for a buyer and will probably be gone soon. Apparently they sold a huge amount during the pandemic. I had the chance to meet Gary Fisher in Boulder many years ago but was exhausted from a long day at work and ended up heading home. Trek did Fisher dirty. It became the "Fisher collection " by Trek. All Trek wanted was their 29" and Genesis Geometry patents. Greg Lemond same deal. Colorado had two Denver small bike companies but they folded. Moots, Dean, Yeti and one other are still kicking but they are custom and expensive. My big complaint was that up untill 2005ish all Fisher bikes were hand welded in Wisconsin. After trek took over the are assembled in Taiwan. Shouldn't the lower cost of assembly trickle down?

I remember the days of round steel tubing in investment cast aluminum lugs. I think even a few mountain bikes were made that way, although welded construction became the norm - especially with aluminum tubine. I guess it's very different with monocoque carbon fiber. That was rare in my day. I only remember Kestrel and Trimble. There were a lot of lugged carbon fiber made with round tubes. There were a lot of boutique frame builders who could custom build a geometry, but others that built standard geometries on an assembly line, but with similar standards of hand building. I knew someone who was in the industry and founded his own bike company. Said he designed the frame geometries and specifications, but had them built for him in Taiwan (might have previously had some stuff made in France?). The guy's name is Josh Deetz, and he was quite a character. He was a mechanic at a local bike shop, but he moved on because he had a lot of ideas.

Gary Fisher sold out in the early 90s though, but yeah the brand eventually got in the hands of Trek. My research is that Trek bought the brand in the 90s.

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/ind...-fisher-having-fun-being-gary-fisher-eurobike​

Trek acquired the Gary Fisher brand and hired Fisher in 1993. It marketed Gary Fisher-branded bikes as a separate line for about 17 years, then brought the brands back together with "Trek Gary Fisher Collection" bikes in 2010. The Gary Fisher Collection has been gone for several years now. In recent years Fisher has consulted with the company and represented it with dealers and distributors around the world. In 2021 he published "Being Gary Fisher, and the Bicycle Revolution," a trippy autobiography that recounts his life with bikes and the wider world.​

Speaking of Boulder, isn't Andy Hampsten still making bikes? I guess not in Boulder, but I thought that's where he's from.

 

[RhondaHonda]

Not bad. That dent probably happened at the shop, hopefully the tube doesn’t collapse when you take it off sweet jumps.

My wife has a Trek, I’ve got a Cannondale and my oldest daughter rides a Specialized. Anything is better than a department store bike. Enjoy!

 

[y_p_w]

Not bad. That dent probably happened at the shop, hopefully the tube doesn’t collapse when you take it off sweet jumps.

My wife has a Trek, I’ve got a Cannondale and my oldest daughter rides a Specialized. Anything is better than a department store bike. Enjoy!

Sure. However, there are some bicycles that are pretty good and available at sporting goods stores. But the biggest issue might be the quality of the assembly and service compared to a specialty bike shop. Some of the brands I've seen at sporting goods stores were also available at bike shops. Even if they're mostly assembled, a good tuning and fitting can make a lot of difference.

 

[LouC]

Nice bike! had a department store mountain bike (heavy steel frame, but full suspension) with 3x7 gears, which can be a pain to keep in adjustment. Gave it to a relative and now ride a Trek Marlin 6 with a suspension front fork and a suspension seat post. A good compromise for trails that have roots rocks drops etc. The older you get the more important suspension is. The other really nice thing about it is the hydraulic disc brakes.