This bike is incredibly light and agile. Handles jumps and rough terrain like a dream. All Shimano high quality parts. Amazing!!!

Not for the faint of heart. Disc brakes had to be added after market but I found a bike shop that did it for $80 bucks.

So I picked up the famous Y5 a few weeks ago thanks mainly to the reviews I read on here. Wow were they right! I formally rode a Giant front Shock which I thought was an amazing bike until my gears splintered on a ride and I lost all faith in the bike and its components. I found My Y5 on craigslist of all places. Was blown away to see a review where the guy paid 100 bucks. Only one I found close to it was $200 and the bike was totally blown (left out in the rain, junked) :( I ended up paying $450 for mine after throwing in a tablet to trade on top. :) and that was the best deal around, Trust me I looked all the way up to Portland, Treks hold their value, and now I know why. All I can say is this bike is a rider's dream. It instills confidence the entire ride. Downhill is smooth, uphill is a breeze, the shocks are awesome, (once adjusted to my weight) the components are all high quality Shimano, I love this bike. I couldn't be happier with my purchase and plan on staying within the Trek family for years to come.

Full Suspension, Nimble Handling, Comfortable Ride.

Gearing to low for my taste, Water bottle mount location, Rear V-brake J-tube, Support documentation not available anymore.

Bought this bike on April 13, 2011 for $100.00. Had read alot of bad reviews about the Y-Frame, but $100.00, Come on. After riding it about 200 miles, I have come to my own conclusions about this bike. IT F@$#*@G ROCKS! It took some time to adjust it to my riding style & type, and here are the major points for anyone to be aware of if they buy one.
1. ADJUST the rear suspension to your weight!
If it is set too soft, you will feel bobbing.
If it is set too hard, you will have no suspension.
2. LEARN how to spin!
Spinning on this bike has increased my average speed
by 2-3 mph over my old bike. (And 1-2 mph on the Y5)
3. BALANCE the front & rear suspension.
The OEM Manitou fork is not the easiest to adjust, but
you need to try All of the settings to get it right for
yourself.
Bottom line is that I love this bike. I will probably replace the crankset to a newer and larger ringset when the OEM one wears out, and I am looking at clipless pedals to increase my spinning technique. If you come across a Y-Frame cheap, Buy it! You won't be disapointed.

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1996 Trek 800 Sport (Ridgid Frame)

Very light, feels very solid

Shifting can be a little slow

I bought this bike used on craigslist, but it's still in great shape and the bike is amazing! It's lighter than many hardtails I've looked at, and the frame is very strong. The suspension isn't the best, but it absorbs a lot of the bumps. I would've liked to have disc brakes on a bike like this, but the V's are good quality and stop the bike on a dime. Overall a very good bike for weekend riding and the occasional overnighter.

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None

Holy Wowola!! Is this bike incredible or what ?? Tight /light/handles right !!Climbs up the side of everything like a scared cat..Smooooth ride, seems bulletproof.. not alot of flimsy appointments,,everything laid out right and in the right place..timeless design!!

Too damn cool looking.... no more made..dont steal mine!!!!

I did alot of checking around on the internet and among friends. Trek made a fine bike back in 1998. This design and combination of componets is very nice. There is alot of room for upgrades on the individual parts.The bike has a sportscar type of handling and a solid construction.The bike rides like a dream and handles all bumps and whacks without a rattle or a buzz.I plan to treat myself as I wear out the different parts and upgrade as I ride.Every review about this bike said if you can get your hands on one grab it!! They were not fibbin !!

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Diamondback/Specialized

What can I say about this bike. It does everything I ask of it and rarely whines back at me. I have abused the thing over the years and as long as I give it a little TLC it continues to work and not disappoint.

Upgrading to rear disc is nearly impossible unless you know how to weld aluminum or can fabricate a bracket using the existing mounts. I have no idea what type of small caliper it was designed for but I doubt it can be found.

I don't have a lot to compare this bike to but I ride twice a week with other riders that have new bikes and this bike has no trouble keeping up. The bike is completely stock except for shifters but that's soon to change because the rear hub just came apart (LX). For a bike that I've ridden consistantly for 10 years, including various races, I can't complain. It's the only mtn bike I have and I have no plans to replace it. Everyone I ride with gives me the "what are you riding?" look but for those I come across that have had one in the past I get "I wish I still had it" remarks.

As with any bike, maintainance it is key to longevity. I've gone through bottom brackets, chains, and other wearable parts but that's it. I even have the original Manitou Spyder shock (shows you what I'm willing to put up with). However, I'm going to finally upgrade a few parts to make my life easier (shock, forks, brakes, and now wheels). I can't say it'll be a dramatic facelift as it will still have that vintage look but I'm looking forward to falling in love with it again.

For someone who's looking to get into the sport they can probably pick one up fairly cheap and have a bike that'll probably last longer than they want it to.

Burly frame and rear triangle. Unique looking. Simple design. Easy maintenance.

Not the lightest thing out there.

This review is for the Y5 frame only. I bought the frame used on ebay for cheap. It was in good shape with no cracks. I was in no rush to build this bike so I got fat deals on every component. Total I spent about $900 bucks for a sweet bike with good components.

I really like this frame. It motos up any hill that I can throw at it. The Stratos XC Pro rear shock with lock out is definitely the way to go on these Y bikes. I'm running an old school Suntour XC Pro thumbie to control the rear shock. Contrary to what I've heard the rear suspension is pretty darn active. I like to occasionally catch air and the rear is definitely soaking up my landings. The single pivot makes maintenance easy. Bottom line, if you can find one in good shape for cheap then go for it.
Check it out in Bike Shots:

http://gallery.consumerreview.com/mtbr/gallery/files/TrekR(01)(1).asp
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Similar Products Used:

Specialized Stumpjumper

super light frame, great handling with smaller front end.

can't lock it up! stock set up is way too long/ wide.

looks dated but its an amazing bike for its age. a few upgrades and it really gets nice for someone just getting started.

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gt xcr, assorted treks,

very nice, pretty light,

wheels heavy shocks are not the best but work very well

If you see this classic for sale it is way worth the money to buy it.

The Whole bike is a pice of art!, it is great in every aspect, and it stll runs like a brand new bike! I bought this Y5 the first day it came out, and since then I've always been in love with it. I look now at all the other new bikes out there, and there is no other that can take my eyes away from the Y5, beautiful design and awesome colors!

I've heard about the potential problem with cracks on the welds, well every bike has a problem with these type of cracks for it is EVERY bike weakness. So, if enough time goes by, and you ride it pretty hard, you're going to get those cracks no matter on what bike you are.

Unfortunately, they don't seel the Y5 anymore, and they have discontinued it. However, if you do have one or a friend is selling you one, ought to get it or keep it!, because these babys' like these don't come around anymore!!!

Beutiful Bike. Climbs well, not great. Comfortable ride! Nice LX components. Great Wheels.

Heavy. Some stock parts no good. Bent cranks right away.

This was a great bike. Climing had the bobbing issue. Cranked down the pre-load and helped. All in all, a great bike....until I cracked the rear triangle. Will attempt to return due to breakage. Now going back to a hardtail for the weight issue.

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Joshua is similar.