Trek District 1 Equipped Lowstep - worth the money?

[Airlane1979]

Trek District 1 Equipped Lowstep. About £950. I doubt anyone here has used this bike, but they might have used a similar Trek model. It's a lot of money for me. My current basic hybrid bike needs a lot of work (and will always need more) which I'd have to pay a shop to do, as I'm naturally unskilled at maintenance and repairs no matter how I try. I'd love a good bike that is low maintenance. I'm 57, moderately fit and this would likely be my final bike I hope, so I can justify breaking my piggy bank for it. I ride mostly in town, a little in countryside, and I value reliability far more than anything else in a bike. If someone would provide an opinion I'd be grateful, as there are many much cheaper bikes and I don't want to spend more than I must.

It has 7 hub gears, roller brakes and weighs 18kg. The top of the range version (£1550) has belt drive which looks fabulous. Would it be?
   

[ichitan]

It is difficult to give advice to anyone about what bike to buy.

It seems your biggest challenge is not being able to do repairs and maintenance. In some places there are charity's that do repairs and maintenance on bikes. I suggest you see if there are any in your area. Do you have any relatives or friends who could help with repairs and maintenance. Be friendly with any cyclist you meet who might have mechanical skills, and see if you can make a friend who will help. I say hello to anyone who might be friendly, and have met a lot of people while cycling.

Are you happy with your existing bike if the repairs and maintenance were done, or would you really prefer a new bike?

I live on the other side of the world, so don't expect to meet. But if you lived near me, you could bring your bike around, and I could check it out.

[Airlane1979]

(09-12-2023, 09:19 AM)ichitan Wrote:  It is difficult to give advice to anyone about what bike to buy.

It seems your biggest challenge is not being able to do repairs and maintenance. In some places there are charity's that do repairs and maintenance on bikes. I suggest you see if there are any in your area. Do you have any relatives or friends who could help with repairs and maintenance. Be friendly with any cyclist you meet who might have mechanical skills, and see if you can make a friend who will help. I say hello to anyone who might be friendly, and have met a lot of people while cycling.

Are you happy with your existing bike if the repairs and maintenance were done, or would you really prefer a new bike?

I live on the other side of the world, so don't expect to meet. But if you lived near me, you could bring your bike around, and I could check it out.

Some excellent points, thank you. There are no charities local to me that do this. I have looked very hard, as I am very much in need. I have no mechanically-minded friends. Still, I am always on the look out for some.

If there were a low-cost place for such repairs, I'd keep my bike. But there isn't, so I can't, and it's in really poor condition now. My long experience is of frustration at the poor design of bike gears and v-brakes that are constantly exposed to road dirt that wears them out, and my own lack of skill at maintenance no matter how many YouTube videos I watch carefully and copy. So buying a (very expensive) bike that should greatly reduce this frustration and make cycling more enjoyable would, I hope, be worth the cost.

[ichitan]

There is a real possibility that a new bike will require repairs and maintenance.

Think of every possibility you can to get assistance with repairs and maintenance. Is there a cycling club near you? You might meet someone in a cycling club who can assist.

[ichitan]

I suggest:

When you are out cycling, if you chat with anyone, ask them if they know of a place where you can get inexpensive bicycle repairs. You may get lucky.

Ask your bike shop, how much you need to spend on repairs in the near future, and how much you are likely to spend on repairs in the medium term.

Keep your eyes open for any good used bikes for sale. You might get lucky. I think, a really good used bike is your best option. (There are a lot of bikes for sale, you don't want.)

I met a lady today who picked up a really nice bike, about 30 years old, in almost new condition, for US$65. It is a better bike than most new bikes. They were built stronger.

Watch for any promotions of the type of new bikes you like. There was one a while back where a certain model was selling for almost 60% off. Even if you got less than that, but a significant discount, it might be worthwhile.

[ichitan]

The sad thing is, China has thousands of bikes just left to go rusty. These were made tough, for bike sharing. They break much less than regular bikes. It seems, nobody has thought of sending container loads to other countries.

https://forums.bikeride.com/thread-8581.html