Submitted by
Zak
a Weekend Warrior
from Massachusetts
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2007
Strengths: frame
Weaknesses: worst fork on the face of the earth....
Bottom Line:
For the price, it's an incredible bike except for the front fork. It is terrible. When you buy this bike, expect to add on $150-300 to the price for a decent front fork. Other than that, its good. The frame is wicked strong and can handle a lot. So it starts with 5 chilis but -1 for the fork.
Submitted by
Zak
a Weekend Warrior
from Massachusetts
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2007
Strengths: frame
Weaknesses: worst fork on the face of the earth....
Bottom Line:
For the price, it's an incredible bike except for the front fork. It is terrible. When you buy this bike, expect to add on $150-300 to the price for a decent front fork. Other than that, its good. The frame is wicked strong and can handle a lot. So it starts with 5 chilis but -1 for the fork.
Submitted by
joe d
a Weekend Warrior
from wanaque, nj
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2007
Strengths: The frame is the best strength of the bike
Weaknesses: front and rear shock, all components
Bottom Line:
I had this bike for 9 years and changed everything on the bike. I have a new cannondale but I prefer to ride my y3. I get compliments all the time on this bike I guess becuase it looks like an Italian bike because the frame is red, tires are green, seat is white. This bike kicks ass
Bike Setup: marzzochi z1-bam,all shimano xtr components, king headset, hayes disc brakes
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Ray Stetler
a Weekend Warrior
from Honolulu, HI
Date Reviewed: December 17, 2003
Strengths: Frame strength and design. I have pounded the hell out of this thing and I couldn't break it.
Weaknesses: Stock fork, shock, cassett, and brakes. It would be better to just buy the frame.
Bottom Line:
I got this bike because a friend of mine wanted one of my boards but he didn't have any cash so I took the Y3 in trade. When I first got it I hated the thing. I am 6'2" and weigh 210. The suspension couldn't handle it. I did everything I could to trash it but the FN thing wouldn't break. I took it to a skate park and rode it on the half-pipe (not recommended), I rode it (more like tumbled with it) down Diamond Head, and all that broke was my helmet (compliments of the half-pipe). After a few months I decided to put some money into it and see if it had any real potential. I reequipped it with Hayes disks, Fox rear shock, Manitou fork, Shimano XTR cassette, and a bunch of other goodies. I must say, you put about $4,000 into the Y3 and you will have a damn good MB/DHB.
Submitted by
Kraig Minner
a Weekend Warrior
from 467 Springhouse Rd
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2003
Strengths: The bike is a great first bike, and is considerably lighter than some. I have beat the hell out of it and the most i ever did was break the bottom bracket, but it wasn't really my fault, the cycling center screwed up. The rear shifter (D'ore) is also rugged and if i haven't broken it yet, then its one hell of a piece of metal.
Weaknesses: The shocks could use some replacing. The front is ok, but the rear fox is rough and hard to adjust. the seat is utterly uncomfortable after an hour of riding, but other than that, i have had not too much trouble. Oh, i twisted up a rim once, but that was also my fault, not the bike design.
Bottom Line:
The bike is a great first bike, but needs some work to get it competitive with the bigger bikes. I would recommend this bike to just about anybody who is serious on getting a good bike that will last. If you are really serious, then i would make sure you have some extra money to put into upgrades for it, like shocks and a new seat.
Submitted by
dana major
a Cross Country Rider
from scituate MA USA
Date Reviewed: August 24, 2002
Strengths: solid fealing under all conditons fairly plush floats well through rocks
Weaknesses: i broke every component in 6 months swaped out to xt and xtr stratos xc bontreager bars risers seatpost.in the end i broke the rear triangel in half workin the rocks
Similar Products Used: trek y33 trekwarented my frame and oferd me this upgrade for 700 this is it
Bike Setup: swaped all my stuff on the 33 plus a mars super
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
FTN HEADER
a Cross Country Rider
from Woodbridge, va
Date Reviewed: May 9, 2002
Strengths: Strong Frame
Weaknesses: every component that TREK put on it.
Bottom Line:
The stock components belong on a bike from Toys-are-Us, not on a Trek. I changed, the crank set, pedals, fork, rear shock, brakes, shifter/brake levers, cables, tires wheels (hubs spokes rims), handle bars, seat, seat post, cassette, chain, stem, and the grips.
The stock components are not meant to withstand the punishment that a true MTN BKR dishes out.
Similar Products Used: Cannondale Jekyll (no comparison)
Bike Setup: XTR all the way around, fox float rc, rock shox duke, monkey lite bars, sun rims.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Ken
a Weekend Warrior
from Wetaskiwin Alberta Canada
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2001
Strengths: good frame,
Weaknesses: shock!!! pedals and bars were the only problem
Bottom Line:
This is agreat bike if you are willing to put money into improving some of the components.
the only real problems i had were falty tubes and the pedals but they were replaced instantly
the rock shox pyslo is Nuts i go of 5-8 footdrops and they just don't bottom out. The one time the did i nose dived of a ten foot gap i had built.
Buy this bike if you don't care about wieght the xc people who had test this bike had to be nuts it is definentily not lite and the bobbing makes it very non xc able
Bike Setup: Mostly stock except 1664 pedals (the best pedals ive ever had) amobea downhill bars and rock shox psyloxc
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Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from Jersey City, NJ
Date Reviewed: July 24, 2001
Strengths: Good price for an entry-level FS
Weaknesses: stock components
Bottom Line:
Bought it used for a decent price last year, but cashed in on the upgrades. I ordered about another $400 in parts from a very popular mail order place (not to be named here). To make a long story short, they screwed up the order (like they so reliably do) but this time in my favor. I got the whole shipment/upgrade for free.
I've been riding the bike for two seasons now and its been awesome. I tossed the stock parts immediately. With the changes, I've had no complaints yet except for the XT cassette that is as durable as a turd. Next year I want to upgrade the shocks... maybe I can cut another deal. :)
I'm sure there are better, more energy efficient fs frames out there. But I find as long as I keep my butt on the seat, there really is no bobbing or energy loss.
I recommend the bike to those who are looking to get into the fs scene. It's not worth the msrp, but used it can be a good deal.
Bike Setup: XT (shifters, front/rear der, calipers, hubs, chain), LX (levers, cassette), stock shocks and crank (LX)
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Brett Stone
a Weekend Warrior
from Clifton Park, NY
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2001
Strengths: Great entry level bike, the suspension helps absorb alot of the bumps, strong frame, comes with decent rims and tires(Bontrager), and the price
Weaknesses: The bike is a bit on the heavy side, if you weight over 200lbs the stock rear shock won't hold you, cheap components all around, & awkward to carry.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike for beginners. I had to order a stiffer coil for the rear shock because I weigh 215lbs. The Jett shocks in the front work for me, but you can't upgrade there springs. It comes with alot of cheap components, as all entry level bikes do. I have upgraded to alot of Bontrager parts and XT components and I love my bike so much more. I have eliminated so much of the extra weight that the cheaper components provide. The bike was a gift and $300 in upgrades are worth it to me. If you are looking for a full suspension bike that comes stock with higher end components, I would recommend a Trek Cross Country bike with an air shock or something like the GT I-drive. That would be my next choice. The pivot points have changed alot over the past two years, which accommodate heavier riders. When I first got the Y3, I would loose alot of energy going up hill because my weight would cause the bike to bounce. By replacing the rear coil($20 from Fox), the bike does not bounce much any more. If you can find a used one in good condition, I strongly recommend picking it up.
Strengths: Looks great,life time frame,great starter bike for some one under 200lbs
Weaknesses: Lighter,better conponents needed,frame to be stronger
Bottom Line:
As you can see that I have taken a great liking to this bike in the looks ,ride,warranty the only down fall is the frame .I'm on my second frame but have no head ache with replacing the frame.All problems have been weld related.I'm 195lbs but I wasn't as heavy when I first bought the bike up grading was a must do to the size of rider I'm now. I went to more suspusion to help with the stress of the lack of front suspension / weight ratio ,the rear spring shock works well but is to heavy no bottoming out problems .The front 2.5 inches to 5" makes a great deal when riding hard ,jumps,big bumps,etc.The bike weighed 27.5 lbs when bought the bike I had the weight droped with all the race face and stratos rear shock have and front judy xc to 25.5lbs but know with all the latest upgrades for more down hills ,jumps,harder riding etc this bike is even more fun to ride (SEE BIKE DETAILS THE BIKE WEIGHS IN AT 30LBS)Ouch yes, but my weight and riding style I'm still smoking the best riders.This bike rocks and I would recommend it to any one who doesn't have the money at first to buy in at the higher cost level.Upgrades make the bike awesomes but not needed if your a lighter rider, stock or juiced up you'll have a blast.
Bike Setup: Over the last year I have added hayes disc 6" all race face conponents,xtr deraillers,5" inch drop off shocks ,stratros rear shock,cartridge hubs,head set,bottom bracket and rhino rims.
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Submitted by
Roger
a Weekend Warrior
from Surrey British Columbia
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2000
Strengths: Great price / good when you buy a used framset only used but like new.
Weaknesses: If you did get it new the fork was very poor.
Bottom Line:
For the money Ive had fun with this bike / I mostly ride a hard tail but wanted a toy to have fun downhilling with . Its a strange frame to build up for Downhill riding but it never cost me and what a blast it is to ride . Heavy and strong but going up is a real hard. I will still ride my Kona on the trail but if I want to hammer at 3 times the speed going down over roots and 4x4 water bars I will take it out.
Bike Setup: Free ride stuff / rock shox judy xlc 120mm / wide riser with stubby tall stem / basic deore brakes and cranks and rino rims and kujo irc tires / heavy and strong
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Submitted by
Eric Swenson
a Cross Country Rider
from Marcellus, NY, USA
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2000
Strengths: Good price for a full suspension bike and looks awesome. The components are pretty good for the price and a nice handlebar.
Weaknesses: NO REPLACEABLE DEREAILUER HANGER!!!!!!!!!! I bent it twice, and had it bent back, so it isn't as strong anymore. Bought a new bike because it was bent back poorly. Crappy front suspension (needs to be upgraded), somewhat weighty, and the paint chips easy. No name brakes but they work.
Bottom Line:
This is an okay bike for the price. It wont eat up your wallet, but it won't eat up the slopes either. The front fork is the worst I ever rode. It sucked A**!!!!!!! I had fun for a while after I upgraded the fork and added clipless pedals. It was tough and it held up except for the derailuer hanger. After being bent twice I had wished I had gotten a bike with a replaceable derailuer hanger. Did I mention when it bent i didn't even crash and that my rear wheel fell off. I wasn't too happy. The components worked well, I didn't have much trouble with them until the hanger got bent. The rear suspension squeaked and creaked, but it worked to my satisfaction. However, sometimes it felt like it didn't eat bumps as well as I had hoped. A person looking to buy a bottom of the line full-suspension bike for not too much money, this could be it. This is a satisfactory bike for the amount of cash.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Rockhopper A1 FSR, Kona Manomano, GT LTS
Bike Setup: Manitou SX-LE, new seat, Shimano M-545 clipless pedals
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Submitted by
Jason
a Cross Country Rider
from Regina, SK Canada
Date Reviewed: August 15, 2000
Strengths: Looks good - attracts attention. Easy to carry. Just a fun bike to ride.
Weaknesses: Attracts attention. Front fork (Jett C) doesn't work well - esp. for heavier folk (85kilos) like me. Rear shock is good - but I need to get a higher rate spring to make up for the preload I have dialed in to keep the rear tight.
Bottom Line:
I'm starting with some 2000 Judy XC or perhaps Race to see if the front end will perk up a bit... After that, maybe some Rolf wheels. It's a tough call - an extra $400 would have got me into a VRX200 with most of the components I am now wanting to upgrade to...
