trek dual sport 2 l

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Trek Dual Sport 2 Equipped Gen 5 review

Fully equipped Euro-style trekking bike that’ll tackle rough-road commuting

Joe Branston / Our Media

Simon Withers

Comfort; comprehensive kit; great brakes

Heavy; dedicated cable routing

The name might be a bit of a mouthful and Trek’s Dual Sport range is confusing to navigate your way around – 24 models including step-through frames, suspension forks and women’s bikes. However, Trek gives you a lot of bike, and kit, for a quite modest outlay here.

Apart from the full complement of kit, the other thing you notice about the Trek is it’s a weighty beast. We're talking a hefty 14kg.

So, is that a problem? Not really, no.

If your daily cycle to work takes you up the Tourmalet or the Rosedale Chimney, this might not be your bike of choice, but for flatter and even rolling routes it’s much less of an issue.

You’re not going to be bombing up those climbs out of the saddle either, but sit in the saddle and spin the very low, back- and knee-friendly bottom gears and you’ll get to your destination comfortably, if not quickly.

Trek Dual Sport 2 Equipped Gen 5 specification

Part of the extra weight is down to the fact it comes with all the touring extras that are just as handy for day-to-day duties.

The rear rack has a healthy 25kg carrying capacity, but at first glance the rack is only mounted to the frame by a single fixing point. So, what’s going on?

Well, look closer and the rack is also fixed to the rear – and apparently plastic – SKS mudguard. Examine the fender more closely still and you’ll find it has metal reinforcements. It's neat, strong and a very elegant solution.

The kickstand, a rare sight on British bikes, is very handy and the Trek also comes with front and rear lights .

These are quite modest affairs – the front rechargeable light putting out 35 lumens, but it’s a nice white beam that’s bright enough for being seen on city streets.

The rear LED requires two AA batteries. Further up the Dual Sport range, you’ll find bright, higher-spec dynamo lights , but for the price of this model, I’m really not complaining.

Your money is also getting you some well-chosen drivetrain components and high-quality hydraulic disc brakes – the latter is something you won’t find on a road bike at this price.

Trek Dual Sport 2 Equipped Gen 5 geometry

Trek dual sport 2 equipped gen 5 ride impressions.

The 9-speed gearing comes courtesy of Shimano Altus shifters and rear derailleur with an Acera front.

The sub-compact 46/30 chainset is paired with a wide-ranging 11-36 cassette. This delivers a very welcome and low bottom gear you’re unlikely to spin out on, even on steep climbs.

Gear changes are crisp and accurate, if not as smooth as with higher-level setups.

But perhaps the real highlight of the componentry is the braking. The Tektro R280 brakes may lack the maximum power needed for mountain biking, but they're more than sufficient on a commuter bike . They performed admirably on my local 30mph-plus descents and the short 11 per cent section on my commute.

One thing I wasn’t quite so keen on is how the cabling is routed directly into a cutaway at the front of the dedicated headset’s top cap.

It seems harsh to complain, because it’s a super-neat setup more at home on an aero road bike , but I’m not sure it’ll make home maintenance any easier.

The Trek Dual Sport doesn't lack comfort. The compact frame leaves a lot of seatpost exposed, and I was very impressed by the Bontrager Sport saddle.

It may be a modestly priced product, but it has a full-length pressure-relief groove and I found it extremely comfortable for the sort of upright riding position you’re likely to be in on the Trek.

The wide, 50mm tyres – provided by Trek-owned brand Bontrager, of course – also make a pleasing contribution to comfort.

These combine a smooth centre strip for reduced rolling resistance on tarmac with greater grip on the shoulders for light gravel riding .

They were good for the canal towpath and local unsurfaced routes, and thanks to the mudguards I didn’t end up covered in mud and grime.

Trek Dual Sport 2 Equipped Gen 5 bottom line

You’re not going to ride any PBs or shatter a Strava segment record on the Trek Dual Sport.

However, your commute will be comfortable regardless of the riding surface.

This is a competitively priced bike with excellent brakes and a dependable spec list. It'll even enable you to load up for some light touring or leisure rides with the family come the weekend.

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Trek Dual Sport 2 Gen 4

Dual Sport 2 is a go-anywhere hybrid bike that performs on a variety of surfaces. It's efficient on pavement, stable on rougher terrain like gravel paths, and comfortable wherever you ride it. A suspension fork, all-terrain tires, and hydraulic disc brakes make Dual Sport 2 the smart choice for riders who want to explore beyond smooth city streets. It's right for you if... Some days, you like to ride roads. Others, you like to ride gravel and light trails. You want a single rugged hybrid bike that will stand up to your every adventure whim and can even be a great commuter, with features that keep you comfortable and confident over a variety of terrain. The tech you get A lightweight aluminum frame with sleek internal cable routing, a suspension fork with a lockout, a reliable 2x9 drivetrain with a wide range of gearing so you're never pedaling too hard or too soft, all-terrain tires that are grippy yet fast-rolling, and powerful hydraulic disc brakes for all-weather stopping power. The final word Dual Sport 2 is a go-anywhere hybrid bike designed to help you explore more of your world. Pavement? Gravel? Trails? Yeah, it can handle that. The wide range of gearing, rack and fender mounts, front suspension, and tech capabilities to track fitness only add to its versatility. Why you'll love it - The fork's hydraulic lockout feature ensures you're always riding efficiently: close it for smooth pavement, open it up on rougher trails - The 2x drivetrain gives you all the gears you need and none you don’t - It's easy to accessorize your frame with racks, a kickstand, fenders, lights, and more! - DuoTrap S compatibility makes it easy to wirelessly track your rides, so you can set goals and watch yourself reach them Internal cable routing extends the life of your cables and adds to the bike's sleek look

Will my bike have a curved top tube?

Smaller frames (S) have a top tube that dips down as it approaches the seat tube. This design makes for a lower standover height, which is good for shorter riders because it allows them to straddle their bike more easily. Larger frames (M and up) have a straight top tube because taller riders with longer legs typically don’t have the same issues with standover height.

Due to supply-chain issues, Specs are subject to change without notice.

* Subject to change without notice.

Part Numbers

2023 Trek Dual Sport+ 2 Review

Are you searching for a high-quality electric bike that will last you for years to come? Look no further than the newest addition to the Trek Dual Sport+ lineup: the 2023 Trek Dual Sport+ 2.

Electric bikes have become quite popular in recent years. 

The convenience and added benefits of an electric assist make navigating your commute not just easier, but more enjoyable as well. 

With all of the available options, it can be hard to sort through them all and know which one is right for you.

We’ve put together this comprehensive review of the 2023 Trek Dual Sport+ 2 to help make your decision easier. 

In our review, we’ll discuss its features such as range and battery life, overall performance, comfortability, customization options and much more. 

Let’s dive into our review of this top-of-the-line e-bike!

The Trek Dual Sport+ 2 is the perfect bike for those who want to take on both dirt trails and city streets. 

It has high-quality 27.5 wheels and tires, and reliable components. Let’s check out what makes this two-wheeled monster so special.

Frame & Design

The Dual Sport+ 2 features an aluminum frame and fork. This gives it great rolling power on smooth trails while also keeping it agile when cornering in tight turns off-road or at slower speed on pavement. 

It has a confidence-inspiring geometry that helps you feel comfortable no matter what terrain you’re riding on, whether it be dirt or asphalt. 

The frame also features full internal cable routing, providing clean aesthetics without compromising performance or weight savings.

The major highlight of the Trek Dual Sport+ 2 is its Shimano 1×9 Altus groupset with a wide range of gears for tackling any hill or velocity required on your ride. 

The lightweight and powerful HyDrive 40Nm rear hub offers plenty of torque when climbing big hills and enough range to handle those fast descents off-road as well as blasting through slick city streets at warp speeds.

Rolling power comes courtesy of 27.5×2 Bontrager GR0 Expert tires with full tread pattern swiveling over every terrain from hard pack to mud over roots. 

Tubeless ready rims take up less rotational weight which helps quicken up the wheel for an improved ride experience in all conditions and climates – wet roads, dry dirt, etc..

Powerful braking is provided thanks to a pair of Shimano MT200 hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm rotors for almost unrivaled levels of stopping power in any situation you may find yourself in out there!

While it does come with loads of features from top tier components, the price tag isn’t outrageous either – currently $2,399 USD MSRP as shown here.  

Quite reasonable considering what you get here – especially when compared with some other bikes out there that cost twice as much even though they don’t have half the ride quality! 

Finally, all Trek products come backed by their lifetime warranty so if anything goes wrong; they always honor their promise to take care of any issue promptly no matter how small!

Motor and Battery

The Trek Dual Sport+ 2 is equipped with a HyDrive motor and 250Wh battery. 

This combination provides plenty of power to tackle any terrain you may encounter while also offering up to 35 miles of range on a single charge. 

The motor is capable of providing up to 40Nm of torque, allowing you to accelerate quickly and climb hills with ease.

Overall Thoughts

If you’re looking for an all purpose mountain bike capable of taking on just about any type of terrain imaginable then look no further than the Trek Dual Sport+ 2! 

Equipped with quality Bontrager tires & rims, a respectable Altus groupset , ultra responsive Shimano disc brake system; this machine will rightfully leave you grinning from ear to ear after each satisfying outing whether that be hitting technical singletrack downhills or just cruising through town without breaking a sweat!

Order online and have it shipped to your local dealer for final assembly!!

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Trek Dual Sport 2 Gen 5

Dual Sport 2 is a capable and confident hybrid bike that's fun to ride from roads to rail trails and beyond. It has a light frame, a sturdy drivetrain with 18 speeds, plus, powerful hydraulic disc brakes for serious stopping power. Wide wheels and lofty tires soak up bumps and rough terrain for a comfortable, confident ride on pavement, light gravel trails, bike paths, and more. It's right for you if... You enjoy riding your bike for fun, fitness, commutes, and errands. You want a light, capable hybrid bike that will stand up to your every adventure whim, with features that keep you comfortable over a variety of terrain. The tech you get A lightweight aluminum frame with sleek internal cable routing and rack and fender mounts, wide 650b wheels and wide 50c tires for capability and comfort on varied terrain, a reliable 2x9 Shimano drivetrain with a wide range of gearing so you're never pedaling too hard or too soft, comfortable ergonomic grips, and powerful hydraulic disc brakes for all-weather stopping power. The final word Dual Sport 2 is an all-terrain hybrid bike that's built for adventure on or off the road. Whether you want to explore gravel paths or commute to work, this bike will give you the capability and confidence to do it! Why you'll love it - Stiff wheels and wide tires give you the terrain-smoothing comfort and confidence of a suspension fork without the added weight - Versatile gravel tires are fast on pavement and grippy on rougher terrain - The cables are routed internally, which protects them from the elements and adds to the bike's sleek look - It's easy to accessorize your frame with racks, a kickstand, fenders, lights, and more!

Due to supply-chain issues, Specs are subject to change without notice.

* Subject to change without notice.

Part Numbers

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Trek Dual Sport+ 2

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Size / 45cm, 50cm, 55cm, 60cm

At a glance

Where to buy.

Specifications

• Frame Alpha Gold Aluminum, internal cable routing, internal battery, rack & fender mounts, post mount disc, kickstand mount, 144.5mm OLD hub motor spacing
• Fork DS+ alloy, internal brake routing, fender mounts, rack mounts, ThruSkew 5mm bolt-on skewer
• Motor HyDrive hub drive motor, 40Nm, 250W
• Battery 250Wh
• Hubs HyDrive hub drive motor, 40Nm, 250W
• Wheels Bontrager Connection, double-wall, 32-hole, 20mm width, Presta valve
• Spokes 14g stainless steel, black
• Tires Bontrager GR0 Expert, wire bead, puncture protection, 60 tpi, 650x50c
• Chain KMC X9
• Crank Size: S, M, ProWheel Pro alloy, 42T narrow-wide steel ring, 170mm length; Size: L, XL, ProWheel Pro alloy, 42T narrow-wide steel ring, 175mm length
• Bottom Bracket Torque sensor, threaded, 122.5mm spindle
• Rear Derailleur Shimano Altus M2000, long cage
• Shifters Shimano Altus M2010, 9 speed
• Brakeset Shimano hydraulic disc, MT200 lever, UR300 caliper
• Handlebar Size: S, M, Bontrager alloy, 31.8mm, 15mm rise, 660mm width; Size: L, XL, Bontrager alloy, 31.8mm, 15mm rise, 690mm width
• Saddle Bontrager Sport
• Seatpost Size: S, M, Bontrager alloy, 31.6mm, 12mm offset, 330mm length; Size: L, XL, Bontrager alloy, 31.6mm, 12mm offset, 400mm length
• Stem Size: S, M, Bontrager alloy, 31.8mm, Blendr compatible, 7 degree, 90mm length; Size: L, XL, Bontrager alloy, 31.8mm, Blendr compatible, 7 degree, 100mm length
• Grips Bontrager XR Endurance Comp, lock-on

Q: How much is a 2023 Trek Dual Sport+ 2?

A 2023 Trek Dual Sport+ 2 is typically priced around $2,399 USD when new. Be sure to shop around for the best price, and also look to the used market for a great deal.

Q: Where to buy a 2023 Trek Dual Sport+ 2?

The 2023 Trek Dual Sport+ 2 may be purchased directly from Trek .

Q: What size 2023 Trek Dual Sport+ 2 should I get?

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Parker Hall

Review: Trek Fetch+ 2

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more . Please also consider subscribing to WIRED

One of the things that can be intimidating about buying a cargo ebike is how unfamiliar they feel. Whether a bike is designed with weird geometry and wheel sizes or odd features for heavy hauling, every ride can feel unfamiliar.

For traditional cyclists who want to haul a grocery store trip’s worth of groceries home but don’t want to mess with technology they’re unfamiliar with, the Trek Fetch+ 2 is a decent option. It’s more expensive than some of our favorite alternatives, but it has an easy-to-ride step-through design, well-made components, and great plastic buckets (and other accessories) for storage.

There are bikes with more advanced features for the money, but even after I spent a summer riding the Fetch+ 2, it barely needed a tune-up. For a modern cargo ebike with a classic cargo bike maintenance schedule, it might be worth spending a bit more cash.

On the Road

The Fetch+ 2 is the smaller of Trek’s two latest cargo ebikes, which includes the box-fronted Fetch+ 4 ($8,500) , which is more oriented toward toting around dogs and children in between groceries and beer.

The Fetch+ 2 instead is a more traditional step-through cargo bike that employs a myriad of attachments, most notably two plastic panniers that hang off an extended rack on the rear. You can get a padded seat cover for the rear to let friends hold on and ride, or mount a couple kids’ seats behind you, but I’d still probably use this bike more for errands than transporting little ones.

As an objet d’art , the bike is simple and unassuming, which is ideal for a bike this expensive. The battery is integrated into the frame, but a sizable bulge means nobody will fail to notice it's an ebike. You can get it in three colors. I liked the black of our review unit, but the bright blue would probably be my choice if I was buying one.

While much of the bike will be familiar to anyone who has ever seen or contemplated a cargo bike, Trek really gets the geometry and style of this bike correct as far as making it very usable for many tasks. Even the dual-sided kickstand pops up and down with remarkable ease (shockingly rare on other large ebikes I've used). I particularly enjoyed using the rear panniers for hauling flats of berries and other easily squished items that tend to rattle around in softer panniers.

The panniers fit a ton of stuff; I was able to get four full-size grocery bags spread between the two black plastic totes. I like that they had little plugs in the bottom that you could feasibly use a plastic bag to cover and then fill them with ice and drinks.

I spent a couple months using the Fetch+ 2 as my primary bike, and came away much more impressed than anticipated, given the specs and the price.

On paper, this is an expensive ebike to have pretty standard mid-drive cargo bike specs. The 85 Nm Bosch motor and 500-wH battery are good for 20-plus miles a day loaded down in any city, but they’re not better than models like the larger Xtracycle Stoker, which has the same torque and a 630-wH battery for $4,999. The Trek also doesn’t have a carbon belt drive and variable transmission, which we consider the best (and easiest to maintain) shifting mechanism for cargo bikes.

The more traditional chain-and-gears drivetrain and no suspension make this a less comfortable and more difficult-to-maintain bike than favorites like the Tern GSD ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ), which costs about the same. I have to say, I was expecting the difference in riding experience to be more severe. The fatter-than-usual 20 x 2.35-inch tires of the Trek absorbed potholes better than other suspensionless bikes. It also stopped just as well as its competitors, thanks to hydraulic disc brakes.

Mid-drive cargo bikes are much better than their rear-hub counterparts, especially when toting larger items or smaller humans, because they allow you to get more torque to the wheels, and provide a more traditional riding experience. I never found myself lacking for power, though I did crunch through the gears a bit when starting on a hill.

The Fetch+ 2 rides really well, with a solid frame and no creaks or sketchiness of any kind (as picked up from my local Trek dealer, another plus of ordering from the brand), and I really liked how bright the built-in lights were when riding home from soccer games and band practices at night. The fat wheels were easy to turn, giving this a turning radius similar to a non-extended ebike when I was making U-turns in the city. It also has a built-in phone mount with a wireless charger, which makes it really nice for using a map app to cruise to unfamiliar places.

It’s not a fun bike to ride in the traditional sense; it’s not the fastest or the most comfortable, but it is satisfyingly robust and confidence-inducing. In my months of riding, I never had a single issue with the bike. That’s unusual given the state of some of the roads I often took the Fetch+ 2 on the side of, and a testament to Trek's great build quality.

If I was a longtime Trek owner and interested in getting into cargo ebikes, I’d certainly give this line a look, with the understanding that I might find something I like better from Tern, Xtracycle, or another brand for the same price—or something from Rad Power Bikes or another more affordable direct-to-consumer manufacturer for less. It’s a well-made bike that does what it claims to do, but it’s on the spendy side.

It is a bit hard to come by, at least in bike shops around my hometown of Portland, Oregon. If you’re interested in this one for your treks around town, I’d make sure to call ahead for a test ride. If you want a familiar-feeling bike with all the frills of electrification, it’s worth a spin.

• Rider Notes

2020 Trek Dual Sport 2

A 700c aluminum frame commuter bike with modest components and hydraulic disc brakes. Compare the full range

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A bike with lower gearing will be easier to ride up steep hills, while a higher top end means it will pedal faster down hills.

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2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

• Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
• You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
• There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
• Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
• If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
• You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
• You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

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