Submitted by
rscobb
a Racer
from Annandale, VA Date Reviewed: July 2, 2009
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Weaknesses:
First frame I got had a factory flaw, trek replaced it. Their warranty is outstanding and a good reason to go with trek.
Similar Products Used:
Blur LT, Carbon HiFi
Bottom Line:
Everything I hoped it would be and more. I agree with the other poster that this is not an all mountain bike, but at the same time it’s not a pure XC bike either. Something in between (more towards XC then all mountain) and the perfect choice for epic/endurance races. Light, smooth, fast and responsive. I just finished a 12 hour team race and was on it for 4+ hours and I could not believe how great the bike felt even as I was nearing the four hour mark. I also have a blur lt, and the VPP is slightly better at climbing then the trek. When you stand on the blur on a too steep hill it digs in, the trek does too, but I can feel a sort of disengagement with the trek that hard to define. But all in all almost no difference at all.
What really surprised me with the trek was the braking. When you go tearing down a hill, go into a tight switch back turn, and try to scrub off some speed on any bike out there you will feel the suspension bunch up and the whole bike hop up and down as you slow down enough to make the turn. The trek is incredible, I would go screaming into a turn, throw on the brakes at the very last second and low and behold, the bike would just carve through the turn with nary a complaint. It has to be felt to be believed how much faster you can go into turns, truly a magical experience.
The bike also soaks up the bumps and provides a smoother ride then the Gary Fisher HiFi or the Blur, even though the blur had and extra inch of travel. The only exception to this is that the front shock on the trek does bounce you around more on really big hits, but for the small stuff it’s much more compliant. This does result in a more of a mushy feel with the trek then the blur when going through rock gardens. The Blur was easy to force it through small gaps and over obstacles whereas the trek there is a slight hesitation because it seem to be trying to smooth things out.
As for handling, the trek is much more fun than the blur, the blur lt front fork sticks out due to the increased travel (BTW it is an all mountain bike with over 130mm of travel) and the result with the blur is that it flops from one side to the other and you find yourself trying to keep the front wheel from washing out on tight turns. Whereas the trek on tight turns feels perfect. The trek handling is absolutely wonderful and a joy to ride.
Bottom line: Trek is the perfect epic XC race bike, even great XC bike. If I travel to a rocky very technical area I would rather have the blur. But for everything else the trek is perfect. If I could only keep one bike in my collection it would be the trek. Best bike I have ever ridden, period.
Size: 2009 Large.
I’m 5’ foot 10” 30 inch inseam. Slightly large for me, but just about a perfect fit. Be very careful on the sizing. The 17.5 felt perfect at first in the parking lot, but later I figured out the large was a much better fit.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
What's New
»
BEST OF MTBR - Check out the highest rated bikes, parts, & gear!
»
LED BIKE LIGHT SHOOTOUT 3 - We test all the newest products and latest light and battery technology in this comprehensive guide»
$ 7149.99
Overall Rating:
