Palden

nice pics !

The Snowman

The Selle Italia Gel Flow saddle wasn't doing it for me. Longer rides hurt my sit bones when I started pushing hard. I opted for a Brooks Flyer Imperial. Haven't taken it out for a ride yet, but puttering around my neighborhood felt better.

Tikaani

I was ready to post pics of my new DS, but got hit with the "You need 10 posts" message. So this is merely a gratuitous post in pursuit of that goal.

kbarj

Bummer you're one short... does that make you sad? Of course responding to this, solves the problem.

Tikaani

I was sad, but the Red Sox won so I'm good.

Tikaani

Here's my Trek Dual Sport 2. You may notice mismatched rotors. I was unimpressed with the stock ones, so bought a Alligator Wind-Cutter at my LBS to try out on the front. Big improvement, so I'll be going back for the rear one this week.

rrscott135

Interesting, can you tell us what the improvements are?
Thanks,
Scott

Tikaani

Grabs the pads better, easier to modulate, much stronger overall.

I had initially thought my rotors or pads were contaminated, but I cleaned them with no improvement. It could be I just had some mediocre rotors from the factory.

zurcenegue

nice pic

The Snowman

I've done a 14 mile ride on the rollers and a 15.5 mile ride on a local rail trail since changing to the Brooks Flyer Imperial and I love it right away. It will need a little break-in, but it's already more comfortable than the previous Selle Italia Gel Flow saddle that I was using. I read more about lacing and ended up lacing all of the holes to prevent the edges from moving out from the pressure above. I opted to use the red, white, and blue laces and love the look:

Tikaani

Those seats are gorgeous snowman. Been thinking of trying one out.

Is the spring mounting very effective at absorbing shocks?

The Snowman

subtone

I really love the new 2019 dual sport 2. Great ride and affordable.

Question: Is the dual sport 3 worth the extra $200.00 ??

Thanks

The Snowman

You get a few upgrades. The components are a little better. The rims are a little better (the hubs are the same on both bikes). The tires are a little better. The DS2's tires use the standard schrader valves, while the DS3's use the presta. If your household pumps have only standard schrader valves, you'll need to get a new pump if you go w/ the DS3. You also get an additional gear on the DS3 cassette, giving you 27 speeds on the DS3 to the DS2's 24. The saddle and grips are also slightly better. (I ended up replacing both on my '18 DS3, so that's not a big deal)

Is it worth the extra $200? Depends on your point of view. My wife has an '18 Neko 2, which is the women's version of the DS2 and she loves it.

travbikeman

Just checked the U.S. site and the 2019 DS3 is only $140 more than the 2019 DS2. That to me is a worthy upgrade. But the red in the DS2....hmmm... red is better!

Bikendad

Hi all, first post here. Just bought a 2019 DS4 21" XL and put some miles on it last night. Love the bike except the bars are too low causing a crook in my neck. I'm 6'1" with a 32" inseam, so long in the torso. The bars are well over an inch below my seat height. Wondering what some of you may have done with the stem to alleviate this "problem"? Thanks in advance.

The Snowman

Photo of my '18 DS3 is in post 1552 of this thread. I had shoulder & neck issues and swithced out my bars, stem, and grips and it made a HUGE difference:

Spank Spike Race 50mm riser bars
Bontrager Elite Blendr 90mm 25 degree stem
Ergon GP2 grips/bar ends

The rest of the bigger mods, which also helped with riding efficiency and comfort:
Brooks Flyer Imperial saddle
Pedaling Innovations Catalyst 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.

Better photos of the bars & stem:

Sunnytadpole

DS3 all ready to come home! Unfortunately I had an unexpected surgery this week that has me grounded for possibly 2 to 3 months. But hey, at least its home for me when it's time to get going!

Bikendad

Installed Elite 25° stem along with ergo GP4 grips, re-adjusted seat and everything. The world is a better place now. Don't know why a hybrid comes with such a low stem (DS4), it's not a racer!

vignesh_ce

I am bit confused between DS3 and DS4. My requirement is to have a bicycle for weekend ride of around 50 km. I am getting back to cycling after 10 years.


DS4 is 250$ expensive than DS3. As an amateur rider, will I feel much difference between these two? I test rode DS3, it was quite comfortable, but unfortunately, there was no DS4 at my local dealer. So, I am not able to appreciate much on the difference between these two.


I appreciate your thought on this.

good4u

I think either would be OK for rides of that difference. But use the Trek compare app to see the individual differences and whether each item matters to you. What kind of terrain or roads will you ride? How hilly? How rough? Why do you want the front fork? Would you trade the front fork for a lighter bike without a front fork?

You can use the price difference to add accessories or change parts like the saddle if it isn't comfortable after a few weeks.

vignesh_ce

good4u

The remote lockout is a convenience but it wouldn't sway me either way. I usually have my front locked out based on where I ride. The DS 3 has three chain rings, 3x9, while the DS4 is 2x10 but is of the next level of quality/price according to the Groupset Wiki. How varied is your elevation on a ride? Being from flatish NE Illinois I stay in one ring in front but regularly bounce around in back. Don't feel cheated with only 20 gears v 27. The DS 3 shifting would be fine but the DS 4 might be more subtly nice over time.

Maybe the saddle on the DS4 is superior but that is such a personal thing that takes time to determine. I agree that a color other than black/gray is more pleasant to look at and that might actually make up my mind. Do you need the $250 for accessories and a possible replacement saddle?

In the end the DS4 is slightly nicer but mildly so and the DS3 has some color.
*

vignesh_ce

good4u

1. A helmet if you don't already have one.
2. One or two water bottle carriers and water bottles.
3. A pump to inflate tires. Nice if it has a gauge.
4. Consider a spare tube and tire levers and pump/C02 depending upon whether a phone call will get you and the bike home. And a small saddle bag to carry if you go this route. It really varies based upon riding conditions including likelihood of glass, screws, thorns and how big your rocks and holes are and how hard you hit them. I rarely hardly ever almost never flat but prefer to remain self-sufficient especially when I get further from home.
5. Perhaps a small multi-tool for tightening or adjusting things like your seat height and tilt. You may this around the house already.

Enjoy the ride!