Originally Posted by Fenny07

So the family is finally at the age where we can start biking as a group. I have 4 kids (4, 8, 13, 16yo) and a wife who enjoys cycling as well. Over the next few years we will be doing more and more as a family now that the kids are getting older. We currently trailer the 4yo for the family rides but next year we'll be starting him on his own bike and doing a mix of bike/trailer. I am not a pro or knowledgeable on bikes, I'm currently riding an old Schwinn Mesa Dune, that has served me very well for many years...but it's now time for something new and the mesa will be passed down to my son. In the Barrie area (Ontario Canada) quality bikes are sold out until end of summer so I'm in no hurry, it will be a purchase in prep for next summer. Used bikes actually seem to be going for more than retail these days so I'm not even looking at that option right now. In the meantime I've been doing research to get caught up on the industry and narrow down my selection. As I can't try out any bikes in person due to shortage and lockdowns, I thought I'd pick the brains here.


About myself: 5' 11", around 200lbs moderate shape but would like to loose 10-15lbs over the next year, I was about 220 last summer and have been slowly getting into better shape. I do spend time in the gym, but almost exclusively with the weights. What cardio I do is on a spin bike as I hate jogging and find most cardio stuff boring, as a general rule. At least on the spin bike I can watch a show. I have no desire to get out on a road bike for cardio, as I find that kind of pointless. Just not my thing. I would like to get out in the woods for cardio runs but I don't have any close easy access from the house and would have to either bike there or take the bike by car. I have 2 jobs, 4 kids and a historic home that takes up A LOT of my time to maintain so I don't really have time to drive out for a cardio run when I could just spin in the basement.


So most of my riding is paved paths (60%) and hard packed dirt (30%) with the family. We've been doing shorter runs (1-2 hours) but they are getting longer as the 8yo gets better on the bike. I, on rare occasions, get out with buddies to try more rigorous trails, but I'm over 40, have no time for racing and these buddies are both moving away next year. I know my wife would be good to go out on the more challenging trails, but it would be about 10% of the time as getting away from the kids is a big limiting factor. However, over the next couple of years this will slowly increase as the kids get older and as we can get out on our own more. I'm actually looking to plan a 3 day weekend getaway for my wife and I once COVID runs its course (2022) with the focus being trail running on the bikes. We both enjoy casual, but challenging, trail running over distance road riding. With that said, we're not looking to do anything craze, ie. jumps, crazy terrain, down hill, etc... but do enjoy decent speed through the woods, roots and stuff is fun. My wife is pretty hard core with exercise and enjoys pushing herself so we are good for being aggressive, within our limited skills and experience.


In my research I was looking at the Trek Dual Sport 3 and the Marlin 6 as two options. I like the higher gears options for road/casual running for longer destinations vs the single gears and so these two models fit that bill. I like the DS, but my one big concern is the front fork for when I do get out, getting over taxed. I like the lockout on the Marlin 6 for all the road running, but at the same time I wonder if I should be focusing more on a more road focused bike. I feel like the marlin 6 is more future proof for mountain biking, but at the same time, my future plans are not set in stone and the DS better addresses my current needs. Essentially my gut is saying Marlin 6 and my head is saying DS 4. As I can't test run either one, any thoughts?


My second question is 27.5 vs 29 tires. I've read through the various pros and cons of each and although I understand the textbook purposes of each I was curious how it would best apply to my specific needs. I'm leaning towards the 27.5 simply because speed and aggression are not top priorities of mine. I feel the 27.5 would probably best apply to my current situation. Thoughts?


I'm open to other suggestions, having looked at a dozen models I feel like these two were good options. I'd prefer to buy from a local small shop than the big stores. I'm currently trying to stay around the $1000 mark. Thanks guys.