Submitted by
Russell Ruggiero
a Weekend Warrior
from West Windsor, NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: December 19, 2002
Strengths: Frame and Wheel Set
Weaknesses: Crank/Seat-Post/Stem
Bottom Line:
Dear Reader
The STP 200 offers one of the world's great rides. Please note that I own Trek's 4900, 4500, and 4300. They are all fine mid-priced products for weekend use. The STP 200/STP 300/STP 400 are all true professional quality products. Below are my finding on the LX and XT components.
LX: Will be more than anyone needs if properly adjusted, and maintained. It is a good solid product offering.
XT: Will be more than anyone needs if properly adjusted, and maintained. It is a great product offering.
I ride 150 miles per month with my 4900, which uses the same LX/XT combination as the STP 200. Mud, sand, and water trails are common on the R&D, and this setup is quite respectable. If you need more robust components, purchase Simano XTR.
The STP 200 is an excellent overall product, which offers the rider a smooth well balanced ride. As for me, listed below is my future component path:
FD: XTR RD: XTR Crank: XTR BB: XTR Seat Post: XTR
I am fourty-four years of age and the rear SID shock is a pleasure. Sure LX/XT does not represent state of the art, but the OCLV frame does. If you want a hardtail then try the Trek 9.8, but if you need to take a little off the rear, then go for an STP 200, STP 300, or STP 400. These products will allow you to extend your rides, and save your lower back from the extra vibration offerd by standard hardtails.
Enjoy Russ
PS: The ICON crank-set is still in working order, but the jury is still out on this and the other ICON products that came standard with the STP 200.
Strengths: oclv frame - off the shelf the complete bike weighed less than 25lbs - carbon feel is untouched. 1" travel takes the stress out of the trails
Weaknesses: the general components are fine but not of any great quality for the price of this bike - but they do say the money goes on the frame
Bottom Line:
this bike is the nuts ive yet to meet anyone who can keep up with me on this bike uphill, the quality is all there, the feel is superb the bike as standard was better than good the new setup takes it too a new level.
Similar Products Used: 9.8 and loads of full sussers
Bike Setup: alien carbon seat post, flite GG seat, easton stem and bars, SID's on the front, trail blaster tires, chris king headset and hopefully xtr chainset soon
Weaknesses: mmmm, just about everything, the frame flexes way too much from side to side, and the fork cannot be adjusted and weighs a metric buttload, components are not too nice for what MSRP is, i worked at a shop, so i got a deal. THE WHEELS ARE TRASH
Bottom Line:
Buy it if you weigh 115lbs, and ride on sunday afternoon, I used it to commute for a while, and now race cross on it, and its too flexy in the bb and the wheels are a waste of money. I assume that everyone else hasnt ridden theirs for very long, cuz i've had a terrible experience.
Bike Setup: XTR Marzocchi fork, easton bars, ritchey wcs stem, new wheels soon, nothing is stock except the seat post clamp.
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Submitted by
Brian Long
a Cross Country Rider
from Red Hook, NY
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2002
Strengths: Very light frame, supple feel without too much wallowing, perfect geometry, killer bike on the hills
Weaknesses: No big ones so far except the crappy crankset and maybe a questionably whimpy fork (lateral rigidty as well as seemingly noneffective tunability)
Bottom Line:
I got this bike for a steal, but it was still more than I wanted to pay for a bike when I started looking. I have not been disappointed in going over my budget, though. The second I climbed on this bike, I knew I was home. This thing is a rocket on the hills. I was climbing stuff way faster than on my old bikes and in many cases had not even gone to the granny yet. The 1-1/2" of pivotless travel is just enought to keep the wheel glued to the ground and take the sting out without creating a mushy, unresponsive feel. Its perfect. The frame is stiff and accelrates very fast, partly a result of the stiff Dolomite wheelset. I have read the other reviews about the crappy components and while I am not loving the crank, it has given me no indications it is going to fail in the 8 or 10 rides I have had it on. Its a logical upgrade though, when the Icon crap fails. The wheelset has also been good to me. Couple of real hard hits and they are still true as can be. I have not had any of the poor hub problems or spongy feel with this wheelset that other reviewers complained about. I weigh 205, not heavy but not light either, and this bike just inspires pure confidence.
As a side note, I test rode (on the trail for about a week) a schwinn Moab (hardtail) and hated it. THis bike gives a whole different feeling of confidence on the trail. As another reviewer wrote, if you find one cheap, spend the extra over a basic hardtail. If you are after a full sus feel, forget it, this aint your bike. If you want a screaming fast hardtail with great feel but without the sting, get out your wallet.
As for negatives, I was dismayed to see the paint on the chain stay chipped off after a few minor hits. I believe there is an adhesion issue between the paint and the carbon. Time will tell. Also, I was pissed to see (after my third ride) that the frame does not have disc tabs. It would not have swayed my decision, but would have been nice. Lastly, the fork aint so hot. I'll be ordering a heavy spring kit any day now, bit that won't do anything for what feels like a laterally whimpy fork. It does the job, but others will do it better. I'll get by till I bust it...
Five hot, steaming, glowing red piles of excrement for this bike. Way to go, Trek.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Rock Hopper, Schwinn Moab
Bike Setup: Out of the box - XT rear, LX front, LX brakes and shifters, Icon crank, RS Judy Race front, SID rear
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Submitted by
Casey
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas, TX
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2002
Strengths: Frame. Front fork (yes, I like COIL vs AIR). Wheels.
Weaknesses: Component selection(but why cry about that?)
Bottom Line:
Great bike. One person said that I should feel guilty if I found it for $1200 and not buy it... after going to MANY biks store, none would match the price.... I bought it... I don't feel guilty. Great bike... coming from a Klein hardtail, my back had enough wear&tear on it... this thing just sails.
(BTW I am a 6'4" guy and weigh in at 270# and it is still solid as a rock on the trail)
Similar Products Used: 94 Trek 930. 96 Klein Pulse
Bike Setup: Judy Race (RS black springs)/Sid. XTR shifters/levers, rear deraillure and brkes. XT front deraillure. Bar ends (a must for me!). Everything else is stock.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Andrzej M.
a Weekend Warrior
from Houston, Tx, USA
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2001
Strengths: Return on Investment is huge considering the stellar price I got it for. It handles well, exspecially for urban assualts into the city as well as on rutted trails. BIG BIG FAN of the ride.
Weaknesses: Some components could be better but the small increase in performance I think is negligable.
Bottom Line:
This bike is extremely affordable considering the gains of a soft tail. If you can get the bike for less than $1200 you should feel guilty if you don't buy it. Some of you gear snobs may snicker at some of the components but most of us riders (93% of us) probably wouldn't be able to tell.
Similar Products Used: Old P.O.S. moutain bike that weighed about as much as my old Buick.
Bike Setup: Stock components with some tweaking.
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Submitted by
Jacob Roufs
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, Oregon, USA
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2001
Strengths: Light. Fast. Comfortable. Great climber. Beautiful Paint Job. Judy Race is nice. Avid brakes. LX levers. Rolf wheels.
Weaknesses: Too many decals on the frame. Some of the components are questionable. Handlebars, seat, and seatpost were nothing special, so I've replaced them with lighter and more comfortable components. Icon cranks will do the job for now until I upgrade to shimano.
Bottom Line:
A great bike for cross country single tracking. Eats up the hills. Rear shock takes off SOME of the edge on the downhill. Judy race is a nice rugged shock. I can ride this bike all day. The rear sid dual air seems to be working well despite the fact that the rebound adjuster knob broke off. It seems like a shorter knob would be a good idea? For the money, I don't think you can find a better cross country frame. Anyone into cross country riding who will baby their bike and not break it should be happy with this bike. This is not a full suspension bike.
Strengths: I think this bike is probably the best unknown value out there. The first time I demo'd this think I knew right awat I had to have one. It climbs like a caffinated squirrel and the rear has just enough travel to really take the edge off. I love this bike and the carbon frame damps the high freqency stuff but still feels lively. I don't know what Trek did with this thing but I'm supprised the STP line hasn't caught on more with racers.
Weaknesses: As mentioned before the finish can chip easy but it's easily avoided by putting a clear protector kit on. Component group isn't great but it lessens the cost of a great frame. Gotta put grip tape on the drive side chainstay because when the chain hits it the thing sounds like a tree snapping.
Bottom Line:
Awesome Bike. It's too bad Trek will only offer the high dollar version next year because if more people could afford it more people would buy it.
Similar Products Used: Litespeed Uncoi, Moots softtail, DeKerf
Bike Setup: Got a pro deal from the shop and sold off everything but the frame. Built up with a Zokes Z2 atom race (wating for the marathon to be released), Avid mechanical front disc, XTR rear V, Chris King headset, Monkey Lite bar, Thomson Stem and Seatpost, FSA Pro Carbon Cranks, XTR Shifting, Hugi 240/Mavix 517/317 wheelset.
The bike is great. I now have had this bike for over a year. I have only replaced the grips and saddle so far, as with adding bar-ends. I ride my bike hard and always come back with mud and crap all over the bike. I leave and ride for 12 hours straight some days and the bike holds up great. I always take care of the bike, clean and lube it and alawys keep it in top notch shape. I have 5,000 miles (maybe more) on the bike split pretty much even between the road and trail. I ride the heck out of it and it always has lasted. I have done three races on the bike so far and placed 1,2,2 in the races. Great bike by TREK and have not broken anything yet.
Similar Products Used: Lots of hardtails. Many duallies.
Bike Setup: Stock. Scott Bar-Ends. Scott Grips. Paola Pezzo Edition Saddle.
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Submitted by
Nick
a Cross Country Rider
from Sylvania, Ohio
Date Reviewed: August 26, 2001
Strengths: Oh my GOD!! This bike conforms to your body! It's a part of you! This is the perfect bike for almost anything. Cross Country, I came in 3rd out of 191 people in Catamount, all because of my girl. Climbing, I climbed Killington in 50 minutes because of good old STP. The bike is incredible.
Weaknesses: The components that come with the factory bike are terrible but buy a frame and save some dough.
Bottom Line:
IF you would enjoy being Travis Brown for a day, purchase this item.
Bike Setup: STP 200 frame of course, XTR r.d, cog set, shifters, f.d, XT Crankset, bottom bracket, Marzochi Atom 80 shocks, Rolf Dolomite wheels, Panaracers Fire XC's, and Magura H33 hydro brakes!!
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Submitted by
Luis Ortiz
a Cross Country Rider
from Puerto Rico
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2001
Strengths: Simplicity & eficiency.This thing has just enough "travel" to mute the roughness and conserve energy.great handler as well.Good looks is a plus.No BOB or monkey motion.This is a hardtail for the inteligent rider...
Weaknesses: You can feel the frame flex on steep hills on the road,but on the trail(where it counts) you dont feel it.I'm afraid of that thing breaking on me at the worst moment,ie. during a hard G-out.Carbon fiber doesn't bend,it breaks...
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is this frame(I just bought the frame) really helps to go from point A to B in a hurry.Climbs better than a true hardtail because it tracks the terrain better in technical climbs,its the lightest suspended frame bare none(3.6 lbs).On the flats you can keep putting watts to the cranks where the hardtail will spit you off and it will go down just as good as the pilot will.I dont see why this bike(or frameset) hasn't get the attention it deserves cause it is truly an amazing piece of equipment.Just dont think of it as a dualie,its more of a hardtail with the "treble" knob closed.The best benefit that I observed was that I was finishing the races feeling that I can do a lap more...
Similar Products Used: Other Trek hardtails,7000,8500...
Bike Setup: Manitou SX TI,Bontrager Race Lite wheels,XTR stuff,Easton bar,thompson seatpost,Michelin tires.
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Submitted by
Matt Walles
a Weekend Warrior
from Louisville, CO USA
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2001
Strengths: Exceptionally responsive frame. Very quick response when you get on the pedals. Soaks up the bumps nicely--seems to take the edge off of everything I ride over. Loved the blowout price.
Weaknesses: Not enough time to ride. A little skittish on downhills--Stock tires don't hook-up very well in loose conditions
Bottom Line:
What a great bike! I've had the chance to ride road, fire trails, alpine singletrack and bomber downhills. The bike climbs nimbly, soaks up hits big and small and is just a pleasure to ride. The only downside is getting used to the quick downhill handling. I've had to adjust my style and spend more time seated on downhills than with previous bikes. This seems to help with control. Unlike other reviewers, I am impressed with the LX shifting. I guess after 15+ years of mountain bike riding, I'm still not a good enough rider to trash these mid-range components.
Submitted by
Dan
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Rosa, Ca
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2001
Strengths: Light, strong, wheelset, lifetime warranty on frame from Trek, looks,
Weaknesses: Price & components
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that i just plain love my bike..The price may have been steeper than what i was looking to pay when i planned on buying a bike, but it has been worth it. I tried out many hardtails and true fs bikes and came to the conslusion that hardtails are great, but i wanted somthing more comfortable. All the fs bikes i rode around the street were like driving a cooshy caddilac that bounces and squishes on bumps(not the kind of controll i want).. my opinion of those might be different if i took it up on the mtns but the STP was right in the middle and really fit the bill for me. I just had my first big stack on it and the bike took the fall like a champ. If you really love ht bikes and want a little more comfort with the same or even more controll, then this is the bike for you.
Strengths: beautiful frame design, very light. rear shock has low matinence and takes the edge off well. rims are good strong. very nicely put together.
Weaknesses: lots of the components are bad, i cahnged a lot thats why it cost around 2000 instead of being lower. levers lx were bad, lx shifters, and the avid barkes, plus i changede the saddle.
Bottom Line:
this bike rides wonderfull, and takes jumps nice. it cna be used for lots of stuff, i lke to do drop offs and the soft tail absorbs some of the edge which is great, it is great for single track. also i like to free ride on it, and ride on the road with it. this is a great bike.
