Originally Posted by
kld182
I've been researching a hybrid bike to purchase. I will use it primarily for family bike rides and fitness. I live in an area with many wonderful paved bike trails, but very often they switch to dirt or gravel abruptly. I want a bike which will handle this terrain well.
My local bikes shops are all very low on inventory due to COVID-19 demand. I found a very good deal on a used 2018 Trek FX 3. I'm tempted by it, but it doesn't have disc brakes and the tires are narrower than I think I want. How important are disc brakes? Could I put wider, knobbier tires on the FX3?
I'd love personal feedback from owners of this bike about how it handles dirt/groomed gravel trails. Thanks!
You probably will not like this answer; but, it depends on you.
Consider the following: that geometry was used on off road race machines, V brakes were on XC race rigs, and cyclocross has a 35c tire limit.
I ride gravel on my 28c road bike with caliper brakes. MTBs are easier, gravel/cross is more fun on the same trails; but road bikes clears it all as well.
Disc brakes? I wouldn't buy a new bike above a certain price point without one but I buy and have plenty old bikes with rim brakes. V brakes were a bigger deal than disks, true story.
Don't buy a bike you don't like. If you want fatter tires and disks, get that. Don't fall for pressure sales.