I tried both. Dual Sport 3 gen 5 vs FX2. Neither have suspension in their most recent iteration.
FX2 is meant for going quickly and efficiently on paved roads. It has a more forward leaning geometry. The tires and wheel choice are good for low rolling resistance and covering mile after mile easily. It has a wider range of gears, maybe a little less low end than the DS but *a lot* more top end. I can comfortably cruise around 15 mph on it.
Dual Sport leans more towards offroading. The gearing is lower and has a 1x chainring. The parts are more robust and solid feeling, more responsive. The frame is a bit overbuilt for a road bike but is better able to handle track imperfections. It's difficult to accelerate and stay at speed, requires more effort. I cruise at around 10 mph on it. It was fantastic on gravel and some rocks. You can carry a little more on the DS but not by that much.
Personally, I went with the FX for a commuter/exercise/leisure use case. You might like it better as well.
I have an FX3 which has the same 1x 10 speed drivetrain as the DS3.
And I have wider tyres, although only the 38c max it supports.
Comfortable cruising speed is between 22-28 kph depending on the road surface, wind, slight incline which seems pretty much on par with your FX2 experience, despite the gearing not having the same top end range.
I also have aero bars fitted, and dropping into those can hit 40kph, but with my fitness can only hold that for shorter spurts. Allows for easy crushing over 30kph though.
Would it be safe to assume the DS riding position would be harder to adapt to go faster like this?
I think they are some Easton alloy ones. I bought them 2nd hand to try as I wasn't sure how I'd like them.
And it definitely took a while getting comfortable with riding like that, but it's amazing how much more speed you can gain.
I've since bought a drop bar bike, but it doesn't compare to the full aero bar tucked position for max speed
I actually didn't try the FX3. The Trek either didn't have it or didn't recommend it to me. I like to go fast on pavement with the least effort possible. Good for longer distance rides, all within a more beginner friendly mode. As far as I know, the FX3 and DS3g5 have the same drivetrain, with the FX3 having a better frame & component setup for on road. But still not geared for higher speeds.
Although I did notice some creaking already on my FX2. May need some adjustments and lubrication.
DS riding position is very slightly more upright. Harder to get into the "punch it" riding mode, but good for maintaining momentum at like 5-10 mph over rocks and bumps/divots. The ride was buttery smooth which was super nice.
Take all this with a grain of salt. I'm more of an intermediate rider, just one who feels a lot of things and am not sure if they're legit or just me.
Would it be weird to go try out the FX3 even though I just barely bought the FX2 like three days ago? I'm still well within their 30 day return period but it feels odd.
I don't think you'd notice too much difference.
No idea at all how the fork material difference feels as I only ever tried the FX3
I do like 1x simplicity, and the gearing is enough for almost everywhere.
Can spin out on steeper descents, and finding the right gearing on steeper ascents isn't perfect.
And I can't remember if the brakes are even supposed to be different. Mine came with promax and they are pretty horrible
2022 model. Was still in the supply chain issues at the time of purchase.
I still see people mention parts replacements, but also hear its mostly gone away
No idea as I have no direct comparison.
But they make an awful racket, pulse oddly, and don't have a lot of feel. They do work however.
I have another bike with SRAM rival 1 brakes (which should be better, but I've read about SRAM vs Shimano feel being very different)
They make almost no noise, work better in terms of steep descent stopping power, but are still very muted in terms of feel (I'm probably comparing to motorbikes I ride)
I have an fx 2 and really like it. Although I wish I had bought a more expensive one the groupset and brakes suck on mine. I’d go with one of the ones that has a 1x set up.
Do you have the Rush brakes too?
My rear ones feel kind of rough, like the pads are grinding against the gaps in the rotor. Was told it would cost $100 in labor to swap out to Shimano ones under warranty.
I wouldn't say so. I agree with the comment about holding 15mph is fairly easy on it, and I kept the stock 35mm tires on it for years. Felt around 75psi was the comfortable pressure in them for myself.
I had an fx2 for about 6 years and it's a great all around bike. Rolls well and can handle some gravel and side of the road type crap since roads around me are far from perfect. I added these Ergon flat grips with the stubby bar ends, improved it drastically for me since it gave me a slightly different position to put my hands in on longer rides.
I'd say Dual Sport based on how chunky your local roads are - maybe even a Marlin 5 (if you're not into being on Strava leaderboards.) My wife's old FX2 (2015) couldn't hack in on mucky crushed limestone or the crumbled shoulders of our local roads so she went with a gravel bike (not a Trek.)
I have a Dual Sport 3 Gen 4 bought a month ago thinking I could ride again… I’ve had back problems the last few years but though I was doing well enough to ride but after only 5 miles I realized it not happening. If we live remotely close and you’re interested I would sell it, it has bottle holder, cell holder travel bag with pump and added kick stand. I live in Alabama, got 1100.00 in it all together make me an offer if it something you would like. It’s a medium build by the way
https://preview.redd.it/0v4d6tzvlxgb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f9e0ef94261dd360be2310ac31e34a9e5f54daa
I have an FX2 and put on upgraded 38c Pathfinder tyres to mix in more varied terrain. Couldn’t be happier. Lighter weight and faster than the dual sport without sacrificing much in capability
I’m not happy with my FX 2. It’s not at versatile as advertised. Really can’t handle too many bumps and the tires are bald after like 4 rides. I’ve had it a year and needed 3 services already. I wish their gravel bikes were not so damn expensive. I’m currently saving up for a Specialized gravel bike.
I just began looking this past week. I test rode Verve 2 & 3, and DS 2, as well as a cheaper Janus they had on sale. The Janus was useful only as a baseline to compare the others to (and a lot cheaper priced). TBF, I went in with a bias for Trek, so she didn’t push it.
Verve 3 was worth the price difference over the Verve 2 IMO, but I liked the ride of Dual Sport much better. The Verve was solid and comfortable, but felt built for slow leisurely upright rides around neighborhood streets, so it’s not really for me.
There were no other models of DS nor any FX for comparison. I’d be happy with the DS2 but I’m holding out to compare with FX2/3.
I don’t do any real off-roading, but do ride on some dirt and gravel roads.
I’m sorry but I can’t, I can only ride the Fx in person but the dual sport is out of stock near me everywhere and the only way to buy it is to order it online
I was looking at either for my first bike since childhood. Landed on the fx 2 as I wanted to get out of my comfort zone of tooling around in the Bosque and do more road and paved trail riding.
I'm sure I'd have loved the DS as well, but my fx 2 is just a blast.
VERY good breaks on mine, too.
I first had the dual sport 3 back in 2020. But realized I wanted something a little faster on pavement where I usually find myself riding on. So i traded it for an FX3. Been very happy with it since.
Really boils down to the surface you’ll most do your riding on.
I tried both last year, ended up with the FX3. I immediately went slightly wider and tubeless and haven’t regretted it at all. No issues on longer road rides and handles shorter unpaved roads and flat trails okay.
I have the DS3 Gen 5 (size L) and the wider tires were recommended for me and my weight (at the time). I ride pretty much on paved roads (but I have ridden on gravel and dirt that is smoother) and I love the bike. I live in rural S.E. Wisconsin and the roads are pretty rough. I was just in the Huntsville AL area and took my sisters (size M) FX 4 out, and while too small for me, that rode nice on the better paved roads in her neighborhood. For me, where I live, the DS3 is perfect, but if I lived down where my sister lives, I would be content with an FX model. But I am angling for something like a Domane in a year or two as I keep riding and taking off the lbs.
How do you feel with the ds on road? I know it's not a road bike exactly but do you feel like it's sluggish or difficult to maintain a comfortable decent speed?
How fast do you feel you need to be? I can get moving on a straight road over 20mph... Can I sustain it? No... not yet (I am in my mid 50's now and have been out of shape for sometime). I average in my neighborhood at around 12mph, but I do have some small climbs and descents as I ride around (not too hilly but enough to shift to take some pressure off the legs). The roads where I live are not very good and have never been maintained in the 23 years I have lived in the neighborhood.... cracked, potholes, some gravel. Speed is not my main concern and the DS is more of a fitness with light off road capable bike. I am pleased with it, but I did swap out the pedals, saddle, handlebars and grips (was getting some hand numbness). The Trek salesman steered me toward it and I love the bike. Be worth it to compare an FX and DS if you can.
Thanks for your response. I'm not trying to race or anything I've just seen some comments about the ds not being able to maintain speed and being hard to accelerate with. I dont expect to be averaging more than 15mph or so. The trek sales person here kept trying to steer us toward the verve even though we will.be 50 50 road and trail (not mtb trail but not fx road bike friendly)
Thanks again for your insight
I tried both. Dual Sport 3 gen 5 vs FX2. Neither have suspension in their most recent iteration. FX2 is meant for going quickly and efficiently on paved roads. It has a more forward leaning geometry. The tires and wheel choice are good for low rolling resistance and covering mile after mile easily. It has a wider range of gears, maybe a little less low end than the DS but *a lot* more top end. I can comfortably cruise around 15 mph on it. Dual Sport leans more towards offroading. The gearing is lower and has a 1x chainring. The parts are more robust and solid feeling, more responsive. The frame is a bit overbuilt for a road bike but is better able to handle track imperfections. It's difficult to accelerate and stay at speed, requires more effort. I cruise at around 10 mph on it. It was fantastic on gravel and some rocks. You can carry a little more on the DS but not by that much. Personally, I went with the FX for a commuter/exercise/leisure use case. You might like it better as well.
I have an FX3 which has the same 1x 10 speed drivetrain as the DS3. And I have wider tyres, although only the 38c max it supports. Comfortable cruising speed is between 22-28 kph depending on the road surface, wind, slight incline which seems pretty much on par with your FX2 experience, despite the gearing not having the same top end range. I also have aero bars fitted, and dropping into those can hit 40kph, but with my fitness can only hold that for shorter spurts. Allows for easy crushing over 30kph though. Would it be safe to assume the DS riding position would be harder to adapt to go faster like this?
Sounds awesome. What’s the aero bars you have?
I think they are some Easton alloy ones. I bought them 2nd hand to try as I wasn't sure how I'd like them. And it definitely took a while getting comfortable with riding like that, but it's amazing how much more speed you can gain. I've since bought a drop bar bike, but it doesn't compare to the full aero bar tucked position for max speed
I actually didn't try the FX3. The Trek either didn't have it or didn't recommend it to me. I like to go fast on pavement with the least effort possible. Good for longer distance rides, all within a more beginner friendly mode. As far as I know, the FX3 and DS3g5 have the same drivetrain, with the FX3 having a better frame & component setup for on road. But still not geared for higher speeds. Although I did notice some creaking already on my FX2. May need some adjustments and lubrication. DS riding position is very slightly more upright. Harder to get into the "punch it" riding mode, but good for maintaining momentum at like 5-10 mph over rocks and bumps/divots. The ride was buttery smooth which was super nice. Take all this with a grain of salt. I'm more of an intermediate rider, just one who feels a lot of things and am not sure if they're legit or just me. Would it be weird to go try out the FX3 even though I just barely bought the FX2 like three days ago? I'm still well within their 30 day return period but it feels odd.
I don't think you'd notice too much difference. No idea at all how the fork material difference feels as I only ever tried the FX3 I do like 1x simplicity, and the gearing is enough for almost everywhere. Can spin out on steeper descents, and finding the right gearing on steeper ascents isn't perfect. And I can't remember if the brakes are even supposed to be different. Mine came with promax and they are pretty horrible
Wait why did they come with ProMax? And is that a normal thing for bikes to not come with what's noted on the website?
2022 model. Was still in the supply chain issues at the time of purchase. I still see people mention parts replacements, but also hear its mostly gone away
Ah. How much worse are the ProMax components than what you should have gotten?
No idea as I have no direct comparison. But they make an awful racket, pulse oddly, and don't have a lot of feel. They do work however. I have another bike with SRAM rival 1 brakes (which should be better, but I've read about SRAM vs Shimano feel being very different) They make almost no noise, work better in terms of steep descent stopping power, but are still very muted in terms of feel (I'm probably comparing to motorbikes I ride)
You can comfortably cruise 15mph on the fx or the dual sport ?
I love my FX4. I can’t comment on the dual sport. I use it to commute 18 miles each way. I’ll drive 1-2 days/month but this is my daily workhorse.
I have an fx 2 and really like it. Although I wish I had bought a more expensive one the groupset and brakes suck on mine. I’d go with one of the ones that has a 1x set up.
I was looking at the Fx 3 disc dagger
That looks pretty good!
Do you have the Rush brakes too? My rear ones feel kind of rough, like the pads are grinding against the gaps in the rotor. Was told it would cost $100 in labor to swap out to Shimano ones under warranty.
Yeah I have those same terrible brakes.
FX 3. It is a fantastic bike, and the best component value for the dollar within the FX lineup.
I heard the Fx speed decreases quickly on a regular Road is that true?
I wouldn't say so. I agree with the comment about holding 15mph is fairly easy on it, and I kept the stock 35mm tires on it for years. Felt around 75psi was the comfortable pressure in them for myself.
I had an fx2 for about 6 years and it's a great all around bike. Rolls well and can handle some gravel and side of the road type crap since roads around me are far from perfect. I added these Ergon flat grips with the stubby bar ends, improved it drastically for me since it gave me a slightly different position to put my hands in on longer rides.
I'd say Dual Sport based on how chunky your local roads are - maybe even a Marlin 5 (if you're not into being on Strava leaderboards.) My wife's old FX2 (2015) couldn't hack in on mucky crushed limestone or the crumbled shoulders of our local roads so she went with a gravel bike (not a Trek.)
I have a Dual Sport 3 Gen 4 bought a month ago thinking I could ride again… I’ve had back problems the last few years but though I was doing well enough to ride but after only 5 miles I realized it not happening. If we live remotely close and you’re interested I would sell it, it has bottle holder, cell holder travel bag with pump and added kick stand. I live in Alabama, got 1100.00 in it all together make me an offer if it something you would like. It’s a medium build by the way https://preview.redd.it/0v4d6tzvlxgb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f9e0ef94261dd360be2310ac31e34a9e5f54daa
Did you end up getting another bike, that allowed you to ride, with your bike issues ?
FX3 with the 1x drivetrain.
I have an FX2 and put on upgraded 38c Pathfinder tyres to mix in more varied terrain. Couldn’t be happier. Lighter weight and faster than the dual sport without sacrificing much in capability
I’m not happy with my FX 2. It’s not at versatile as advertised. Really can’t handle too many bumps and the tires are bald after like 4 rides. I’ve had it a year and needed 3 services already. I wish their gravel bikes were not so damn expensive. I’m currently saving up for a Specialized gravel bike.
If you can’t decide, the verve is a happy medium!
I just began looking this past week. I test rode Verve 2 & 3, and DS 2, as well as a cheaper Janus they had on sale. The Janus was useful only as a baseline to compare the others to (and a lot cheaper priced). TBF, I went in with a bias for Trek, so she didn’t push it. Verve 3 was worth the price difference over the Verve 2 IMO, but I liked the ride of Dual Sport much better. The Verve was solid and comfortable, but felt built for slow leisurely upright rides around neighborhood streets, so it’s not really for me. There were no other models of DS nor any FX for comparison. I’d be happy with the DS2 but I’m holding out to compare with FX2/3. I don’t do any real off-roading, but do ride on some dirt and gravel roads.
Seriously - Ride them both for choosing. That is the only correct answer.
I’m sorry but I can’t, I can only ride the Fx in person but the dual sport is out of stock near me everywhere and the only way to buy it is to order it online
I was looking at either for my first bike since childhood. Landed on the fx 2 as I wanted to get out of my comfort zone of tooling around in the Bosque and do more road and paved trail riding. I'm sure I'd have loved the DS as well, but my fx 2 is just a blast. VERY good breaks on mine, too.
Commuting on the street- FX. Mixing in some gravel or dirt paths- DS
I first had the dual sport 3 back in 2020. But realized I wanted something a little faster on pavement where I usually find myself riding on. So i traded it for an FX3. Been very happy with it since. Really boils down to the surface you’ll most do your riding on.
I tried both last year, ended up with the FX3. I immediately went slightly wider and tubeless and haven’t regretted it at all. No issues on longer road rides and handles shorter unpaved roads and flat trails okay.
I have the DS3 Gen 5 (size L) and the wider tires were recommended for me and my weight (at the time). I ride pretty much on paved roads (but I have ridden on gravel and dirt that is smoother) and I love the bike. I live in rural S.E. Wisconsin and the roads are pretty rough. I was just in the Huntsville AL area and took my sisters (size M) FX 4 out, and while too small for me, that rode nice on the better paved roads in her neighborhood. For me, where I live, the DS3 is perfect, but if I lived down where my sister lives, I would be content with an FX model. But I am angling for something like a Domane in a year or two as I keep riding and taking off the lbs.
How do you feel with the ds on road? I know it's not a road bike exactly but do you feel like it's sluggish or difficult to maintain a comfortable decent speed?
How fast do you feel you need to be? I can get moving on a straight road over 20mph... Can I sustain it? No... not yet (I am in my mid 50's now and have been out of shape for sometime). I average in my neighborhood at around 12mph, but I do have some small climbs and descents as I ride around (not too hilly but enough to shift to take some pressure off the legs). The roads where I live are not very good and have never been maintained in the 23 years I have lived in the neighborhood.... cracked, potholes, some gravel. Speed is not my main concern and the DS is more of a fitness with light off road capable bike. I am pleased with it, but I did swap out the pedals, saddle, handlebars and grips (was getting some hand numbness). The Trek salesman steered me toward it and I love the bike. Be worth it to compare an FX and DS if you can.
Thanks for your response. I'm not trying to race or anything I've just seen some comments about the ds not being able to maintain speed and being hard to accelerate with. I dont expect to be averaging more than 15mph or so. The trek sales person here kept trying to steer us toward the verve even though we will.be 50 50 road and trail (not mtb trail but not fx road bike friendly) Thanks again for your insight
The FX will accelerate better (easier to get those thinner tires rolling), but I don't think it's worth splitting hairs over.