I test road a few bicycles and ultimately settled on a Trek Marlin 6 Gen 2. This is one of the most popular mountain bikes out there, and is easily upgradable and repairable. It’s in stock though not built in my size XXL so the shop is going to give me a call when the bicycle is built next week. Between Downtube and Steiner’s Sport in Glenmont I have options for parts and repairs, and there are also Trek dealers in Ithaca if I need parts while on vacation.

It’s heavy and slow. But it’s a real mountain bike from a good quality brand. It’s not a playing footsie-hybrid, “I’m a schizophrenic I’m not sure if I’m a road or mountain bike” like my old Gary Fisher and so many of the other bicycles I looked at it. I want to ride on many forest service roads and even some of the dirt pack mountain bike trails around, at least those without crazy jumps. I am not planning to abuse it on rough trails, but if I there is a short, relatively smooth trail back to a pond or scenic vista, I might ride the bike back there, like Foster Pond.

Will it be a wonderful commuter bicycle? Probably not. Will it be great for doing hundreds of miles on a bicycle trail like the Erie Canalway? Again, probably not. But can be used for such purposes, and will be faster and better then walking? Absolutely. I do plan to do a fair amount of riding on bike trails, and I’m willing to compromise a slower, heavier more difficult to ride bicycle for something that is better on forest roads. I am also adding a pannier rack to the bicycle, though I probably will use just a small milk crate on that I’ll add when I want to haul lunch or supplies while doing a day trip.

It should be good on state forest and national forest roads, with fairly aggressive, wider soft tires that can aired up or down, and a suspension lock-out to make it more efficient riding on pavement. The tires are more puncture resistant and the wheels stronger then a road bike. I’m sure if I tried I could knock the wheel out of true and break spokes, but I am going to be gentile on my new toy when I get it. I might shy away from most mountain bike trails, in favor of dirt roads, where I think safest to ride, especially until it’s well broken in.

Ultimately, when it came push come to shove, this was the bike I tried out that I liked best. I decided I care more about the ability to ride it in the forest then smog and traffic-choked streets through the ghetto to downtown, where I would have to worry more about theft, though with an XXL frame, a theft would have to be pretty tall to ride it off. I am getting a good quality U-lock and will bring it into my office rather then the bike rack as much as possible when I do take it downtown — which probably won’t be every day. But it will be great for a quick ride out to Five Rivers or Voorheesville via the rail trail, and being able to sit down by the Black Creek Marsh, watch the sun set and listen to the crickets. Or even Hollyhock or Blodgett Hill. The Nature Bus to Thacher Park has bike racks, so I could take it up there and ride some of the dirt roads and trails up there, along with the rural roads.

And if you are thinking of stealing it, remember I own lots of guns, and it’s not always obvious when I am home and when I’m out as I take the bus to work most days and some times work from home. Come smashing through the window, and you might see a rifle rammed up your ass, lol.