Trek FX+ 2 or Trek Marlin+ 8 2nd gen?

[modern]

@Jeremy McCreary an example of one of the steeper hills around is about half mile length and 19% incline.

Interesting how your wife can ride a different bike with the same riding position, but feel much more comfortable with a different geometry. I felt the same twitchiness on the Verve+ and assumed it was due to weight, but now I see it could be something else. I enjoyed both the FX+ and Marlin+ when I test rode them, but again it was just around the parking lot. The Marlin+ was especially nice when it came to reducing vibration in my hands.

 

[PedalUma]

@Jeremy McCreary, In most cases you are correct. But there are some outliers. The new motor from X-Labs is one, another are mid-drives from Bafang. Both allow for throttles on mid-drives. And cadence is independent of chainring speed. Which I find disconcerting and unnatural. I personally like the tires in the middle of @Gionnirocket's chart. Those Hurricanes are sweet. Most people do not need a mid-drive and I agree that if you can afford one, get it. 19% is a lot and likely requires an 11-50 cassette with a clutch like a bear trap and an extra-long cage derailleur. Those don't come with normal bikes. Only true mountain bikes that are big bucks and not comfortable come with gearing like that.

 

[modern]

I went out to test ride some bikes today, but didn’t have much luck. My first stop was a locally owned store to try out Velotric. Well, the store stopped selling that brand and switched over to Aventon. Interesting because I was just there a few months ago and they had plenty of Velotric stock. Anyway, the Soltera didn’t have any suspension, tires were too skinny, and was not a good fit for my needs. They didn’t have a level 4 ADV that I could try. I then went to a Specialized store to check out the Turbo Vado. None in stock (besides the carbon fiber SL) and was told that I would need to put half down so they could order it, get it in, then I could go for a test ride. If I didn’t like it, I could get a refund of my deposit. This doesn’t seem practical at all so I left and don’t think I’ll be back. I’ve had much better experiences with Trek.