Well, my 'new bike day' didn't work out so well. The bike is incredible but with the fork and that geared hub, it's a little heavy, plus I would want a lower gear in it. I took it on a 14-mile ride and it certainly was comfortable and those juice brakes are incredible. The hub was flawless and shifted smoothly and quietly. The spring fork was not 'mushy' at all but soaked up the road shocks. I just couldn't get over the 'road-hugging weight' of it which was aggravated by the need for a lower granny gear.
So, I changed tires on the Trek again, this time to a smaller tire with a smooth 'road strip' in the center with knobbies on the sides for dirt. Yesterday I took the Trek to the ride which was to be 16 miles this time, and I loved it. So now I'm stuck with a $620 bike that I'm sure somebody else would love. My fault entirely as I acted rashly and without sufficient thought in buying it.