Play Cops and Robbers With a Bike Designed for Police and First Responders

Since 1975, the name Trek has been a force to be reckoned with and today, their lineup includes bicycles destined to be used by children, adults, the elderly, and gold winning athletes. However, this manufacturer also designs and delivers bicycles built to those of us that patrol local neighborhoods and cities or are first responders to the scene of an accident or any other misfortune. Heck, the 2023 Service two-wheeler is even crafted to assist folks the likes of park rangers. Time to explore what’s in store, and what you too can get your hands on for no more than $1,700 (€1,700 at current exchange rates).

Any time we take the time to explore a bicycle, it helps to consider the sort of terrain and riding it's been designed for. In the case of the Service, it’s been crafted as a sort of all-around machine. Judging by the hardtail design, that’s more than apparent. As we know, hardtails are wonders at performing on and off-road.

If you don’t know why, it has a whole lot to do with the lack of rear suspension; all energy you direct into your cranks is driven into the ground. If you plan on rocking your Service on roads, lock up that RockShox Judy fork and get all the speed you can out of your legs. Back on trails, unlock your fork and take advantage of all 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) of travel.

For this sort of price, you know darn well you’re buying an aluminum bike, however, Trek adds plenty of goodies to help you go places and to do so safely and comfortably. For example, to keep things nice and snag-proof, cables are routed internally, and to give you the clearance you need when you need it. Even a dropper post is in place, boasting 130 millimeters (5.1 inches) of travel.

Oh, you have things to carry, you say? Bontrager Interchange rack and fender mounts are tattered all over the rear of the bike, and if you investigate some aftermarket components, your fork will carry cargo bags too.

As for the magic to help you move, it’s provided by none other than Shimano. As standard, we are shown a Deore setup tuned to 12 speeds with an M6100 cassette. It’s not clear if it’s the new 10-51T group set, but it still looks beefy enough to climb easily and fly downhill hard. As for the rest of this workhorse, Bontrager takes over, Trek’s in-house brand. Grips, seat, handlebar, stem, all of it, Bontrager. In all, the medium size bike weighs 32.9 pounds (14.9 kilograms), so decently lightweight for a bike that can be packed to the brim with gear and still carry you around woods, trails, and inner-city streets.

If we consider the sort of people this bike is designed for, all the above information really makes sense. But, if it ends up in the hands of people like you and me, the Service is just another bike with which we can go to work, grab some groceries, and come weekend, take this bugger out for a ride on the outskirts of town.

Bring your tent, some food and drink, and enjoy really recharge for the upcoming week. Sounds like the 2023 Service is a bike to consider for more than just servicemen and women.