Enigma when it comes to bicycles 🚲

A person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.

It was so simple. I decided after comparing the Trek Dual Sport 2 to the FX 2 I was so going to go with the more mild mannered FX 2. It certainly would be more efficient for urban commuting and long distance bicycles.

Then I remembered that other bicycle the shop had me look at a Trek Verve. It turns out that’s the next level up towards a mountain bike, which inevitably lead me to researching a Trek Marlin 5. The more I think about it, the more I might want a decent quality beginner mountain bike rather than a commuter bicycle.

The thing is what I really want a bicycle most for is using up at camp, mostly on dirt roads but also the occasional trail. And then just around town, out to Five Rivers or on the Albany County Rail Trail to visit the Black River Swamp. I am worried that FX 2 really wouldn’t handle well with stones and rocks, especially now knowing it runs tubeless.

Now I’m looking at the Trek Marlin 5 or 6. The base Trek mountain bike. This has tougher 60 TPI tires with inner tubes, a front suspension that is upgradable and wider tires for better grip and stability I the mud and rougher terrain. I think this might be much better suited for State Forest roads and the occasional trail ride but still be decent for around town or an occasional commute to work. And it still fits in my price range. It will be slow and heavy, kind of like Big Red.

I’m really moving away commuting to work daily on a bicycle as while I did that when I was in my twenties, the traffic and the hills worry me more Delaware Ave after learning how Lynne Jackson got struck on her bicycle a few years back. To say nothing of the pollution from autos or riding through seedy neighborhoods, swerving around needles left behind by the heroin addicts. The Albany County Rail Trail is great but problematic to get from the Corning Preserve back up the hill to the Alfred E Smith building. Plus while there is a bike rack behind the office where I work, the more I learn about bike theft and how fast bolt cutters are I really think twice about locking my bike up there without a very good quality lock. I keep seeing how all the homeless people at Capitol Park have wonderful new bicycles. Must be nice to be homeless.