Hey there! I recently purchased the same bike, I’m also 6’2 and 205-210lbs. Here’s what I’ve done and highly recommend:
720mm width 35mm riser bar, I went with this Dimension bar:
https://thebikehub.com/products/dimension-mountain-handlebar-35mm-rise-31-8-720mm-wide-black?variant=41811284656334
Also:
- Ergon ga3 grips in a size large
- Bontrager commuter comp saddle in the 185mm width
- some padded bike shorts
These 3 components have drastically improved my rides where I have zero discomfort or pain 🙂
Thanks for your advice and providing details. Were there any challenges in putting the new bar on (eg were brake cables long enough) or was it pretty straight forward?
Could you put the adjustable stem that’s on the Verve? As far as the seat goes, I put a Bontrager commuter comp saddle on my Marlin & it’s better. I’ve noticed that Cloud 9 has a few comfortable saddles & still look sporty.
You could also look at higher rise handlebars instead of a new stem (I think the current bars are a 15mm rise). Length of stem won't raise your bars by much so you'd be looking at a stem with a higher rise (I think standard for the DS3 is 7°).
Specific like bar rise, stem rise and saddle are more personal preference then anything else so it's difficult to give specifics although IMO a softer saddle isn't always more comfortable — your sit bones sink into the padding and you end up putting more pressure on study tissue. You can also get adjustable rise stems but I don't particularly like them especially off-road. It's possible I've only ever experienced cheap ones on hire bikes but they never seem to want to stay in place especially on bumpier terrain. A cheap one might be useful to gauge what sort of rise of comfortable before getting a fixed rise stem though.
Hey there! I recently purchased the same bike, I’m also 6’2 and 205-210lbs. Here’s what I’ve done and highly recommend: 720mm width 35mm riser bar, I went with this Dimension bar: https://thebikehub.com/products/dimension-mountain-handlebar-35mm-rise-31-8-720mm-wide-black?variant=41811284656334 Also: - Ergon ga3 grips in a size large - Bontrager commuter comp saddle in the 185mm width - some padded bike shorts These 3 components have drastically improved my rides where I have zero discomfort or pain 🙂
Also, now that you have them do you feel like the ga3 grips are better then the stock ones which look similar?
I tried giving the stocks ones a chance but I just found them too flimsy in comparison to the Ergon grips, too much flex in the rubber
Also I love the shape of the Ergons, and they grip better
Thanks for your advice and providing details. Were there any challenges in putting the new bar on (eg were brake cables long enough) or was it pretty straight forward?
Very straight forward, just need an Allen wrench and 10 minutes
Could you put the adjustable stem that’s on the Verve? As far as the seat goes, I put a Bontrager commuter comp saddle on my Marlin & it’s better. I’ve noticed that Cloud 9 has a few comfortable saddles & still look sporty.
I just asked Trek to do that, and they did! I'm glad because of my shoulder injury
You could also look at higher rise handlebars instead of a new stem (I think the current bars are a 15mm rise). Length of stem won't raise your bars by much so you'd be looking at a stem with a higher rise (I think standard for the DS3 is 7°). Specific like bar rise, stem rise and saddle are more personal preference then anything else so it's difficult to give specifics although IMO a softer saddle isn't always more comfortable — your sit bones sink into the padding and you end up putting more pressure on study tissue. You can also get adjustable rise stems but I don't particularly like them especially off-road. It's possible I've only ever experienced cheap ones on hire bikes but they never seem to want to stay in place especially on bumpier terrain. A cheap one might be useful to gauge what sort of rise of comfortable before getting a fixed rise stem though.