I am newer to the sport but really enjoying riding. Currently have a 2017 Diamondback Trace Dual Sport. I have determined that hybrid means not great at any one thing. I ride a lot for fitness on paved roads, but want capabilities to do gravel and trails. Should I keep my Trace and upgrade parts for a MTB and buy a more fitness oriented bike or sell completely and look at a gravel bike possibly. Unsure…thoughts? Drivetrain in my Trace seems limited. I almost max out gears now on flat terrain and no lockout on suspension slows me down on road.
Dual Sport upgrade or new bike?
- Thread starter jwstan5
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Hello and 
to the forum.
You could fix all those things with a few simple changes. You could keep your tyres or possibly swap them out for some fatter ones if comfort over rougher trails Is important.
Change your cassette to one with a higher ratio if you find you’re spinning out too often. Swap your suspension fork to a steel or carbon one.
A gravel bike would have drop bars. Are you comfortable with that? Or perhaps you just want a new bike? Bit late for
but I’m sure you could make an excuse. 
to the forum.You could fix all those things with a few simple changes. You could keep your tyres or possibly swap them out for some fatter ones if comfort over rougher trails Is important.
Change your cassette to one with a higher ratio if you find you’re spinning out too often. Swap your suspension fork to a steel or carbon one.
A gravel bike would have drop bars. Are you comfortable with that? Or perhaps you just want a new bike? Bit late for
but I’m sure you could make an excuse. I had a road bike before and several mountain bikes. This was my first hybrid. I’m open to upgrading the parts, just wasn’t sure I would end up spending as much as a new bike anyway…Hello and
You could fix all those things with a few simple changes. You could keep your tyres or possibly swap them out for some fatter ones if comfort over rougher trails Is important.
Change your cassette to one with a higher ratio if you find you’re spinning out too often. Swap your suspension fork to a steel or carbon one.
A gravel bike would have drop bars. Are you comfortable with that? Or perhaps you just want a new bike? Bit late for
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
This is always the risk when fiddling with a bike and changing components, as I have found.
If it's a bike you really like, and you see the new components as a tweak to bring it closer to perfection then that's all well and good.
But, as I've found to my cost, if it's a bike you're not too keen on anyway then you can soon rack up the cost of components, and time spent changing them, and extra tools needed, and you end up with a slightly different bike that you're still not too keen on that has cost money and wasted time that you could have spent riding.
That's my cautionary tale anyway.
fair weather cyclist
Guest
If you are already considering the option of selling your bike, it means you don't 100% love and it doesn't make you 100% happy.
Which means one thing and on thing only: NEW BIKE!
Which means one thing and on thing only: NEW BIKE!
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Can you link to the model you have ?
I have done a google search but withouth knowing which one you have its hard to say
I have done a google search but withouth knowing which one you have its hard to say
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Gravel is about wider tyres that have knobs for grip. Trails depends what kind. Gravel bikes are not the best for technical trails that’s what mtn bikes do best. But really depends what you are talking about. It also depends what percentage of your riding is likely to be off the roads. I mtn biked a lot between 1995 and 2018. But I am mostly on the road these days. I no longer have a mtn bike and just use my road bike with wider tyres for the odd excursion onto the easier off road.
Leaning toward a new bike, but not sure what to get. As some have said, I obviously don’t love my bike as it is. I ride mostly tarmac, but want to be able to ride some trails if I want to. It too aggressive, but ability to. Budget is limited to $1000 and under. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Live in Charleston, SC, mostly flat “low country”.
fair weather cyclist
Guest
One brand I really like but unfortunately is not that common in the UK (evans cycles used to be an importer of this brand but I don't think they do it anymore) is the american brand Jamis.
They do some pretty nice gravel bikes (the Renegade series) at various price points. Having said that, the cheapest of the range at about $1000 comes with an aluminium fork, which is a bit uncommon to see as most entry level bikes nowadays come with a carbon fork
https://www.jamisbikes.com/renegade
They do some pretty nice gravel bikes (the Renegade series) at various price points. Having said that, the cheapest of the range at about $1000 comes with an aluminium fork, which is a bit uncommon to see as most entry level bikes nowadays come with a carbon fork
https://www.jamisbikes.com/renegade
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Depends what you are riding. If road only, you need a road bike. Light trails, bit of road, paths, then a hybrid will do it. Proper off road, rocks, drops, mud, then it's a mountain bike. All get's very muddled with 'gravel bikes' and hybrids
Best option is not to have just one bike. I've actually only got two types of bikes, two road, two MTB. They do what I need them to do, I don't need a gravel bike or a hybrid.
Think about getting another bike - road for more road, MTB for more serious off road, if that's what you want. Keep the hybrid.
