From Mountain to Gravel to Road

Trek’s new generation Dual Sport 3 marks the return of the original hybrid

Although the latest generation Dual Sport is new, it’s really a return to form of the ultimate city crossover bike, writes Red Kite Cycles owner, Adrian. 

Thirty years ago when mountain biking began, the original mountain bikes had no suspension. Instead, bikes were built tough with geometry to suit rough surfaces and rugged riding. But in this emerging new sport, an early innovation was to bring in front suspension to mountain bikes.

So the question for us mountain bikers and the early MTB adopters was – what am I going do with my old bike??

The answer was to create a new kind of bike. A street bike crossed with a road bike and a mountain bike. How did we do that? We altered the gearing on the mountain bikes. We cut down the handlebars, fitted a semi-slick tyres on the wheels. We ended up with a bike that was durable and rugged. One that was able to smash through potholes, gravel, canal paths, bump up curbs, one that really enjoyed dynamic city riding.

So the latest Dual Sport 3 really is both a historic model and something that looks to the future. This is a bike that runs the latest 1 x drivetrains that recently came to the fore with modern mountain bikes. 

It also sports crossover tyres with a fast-rolling centres and a grippy edge. Helping riders experience both speed and toughness across a range of surfaces. Hence the name Dual Sport.

The Dual Sport 3 pictured here sports a carbon fork for increased comfort, more precise handling and vibration damping. it features hydraulic brakes and an efficient 1 x 9 Shimano drive train. This is a bike that will take panniers, mudguards, and bottle cages with rugged, strong wheels.

So what’s this bike for? This is a bike for someone who wants to get fit, have a commanding road position with a good view of what’s around them but able to ride across all surfaces. 

Is it good for distance? Yes. Is it good for touring? Yes. Is it good for commuting? Of course! Is it a fun bike? Yes, that is absolutely central to its character. And with the new fashion for gravel bikes the Dual Sport will perform well on all surfaces gravel bikes will do for a smaller price tag.  

It’s a bike that brings the hybrid of the past bang up-to-date for 2023 and well into the future.