Strengths: I've had this bike for almost ten years and it still rides strong, only one tune up ever.
Weaknesses: shocks are trash.
Bottom Line:
my friend stole this bike and i traded him an old bike for it, i turned out to be quite impressed. i recomend it, steal one if you can, bikes are WAY overpriced.
Submitted by
Josh
a Weekend Warrior
from Kalamazoo, MI
Date Reviewed: April 5, 2007
Strengths: Tough all around bike
Weaknesses: Handlebars and riser. They sit funny (angled up) and can be somewhat uncomfortable after a couple hours.
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike in 1999 and rode it constantly (road, XC, some downhill) until 2004. I never replaced anything, I did basic tune-up stuff, but it held up very very well.
I took a little break then in spring 06' I finally had to replace the v-brakes and rear derailleur just from basic wear.
The rims and tires are great, haven't had a flat in the history of the bike and rims have stayed very true.
Seat and handle bar position get a little uncomfortable on longer rides, but all around an awesome bike for the money.
Strengths: Polished aluminum is nice and won't ship like paint. Frame's thick welds aren't pretty but look and feel strong. Sloping top tube design makes for good standover height esp. when putting a foot down on uneven surfaces. Shifters are easy to operate but the construction is weak; plastic may be light but I forsee "upgrade or break" in the shift lever's future. Cranks are nice with a decently small big ring, signifying genuine offroad intentions.
Weaknesses: Rock Shox "jett" fork is apparently only adjustible from the bottom via allen screws, which is a pain. Unlike the current model Treks this one doesn't have a fork lockout either. Front end is heavy, but this could be the shock or the steel handlebar I installed... doh!
Bottom Line:
Got this from an acquaintance of mine who's also into bikes. It was a few years [maybe 5?] old, but never saw dirt, just around towen and sat in storage]. I took off most of the "comfort" part's he'd installed and made it trail-worthy.
Nice mtb, with a good ride, mostly solid parts spec, and decent frame. The polished aluminum may last for years and tho it is by no means a "racey" bike it will take the local trails. It is also not too heavy for occaisional road duty like commuting, one you stiffen up the shock. Replaceable derailier hanger is a nice option which you hope you'll never have to use -- but brings peace of mind. Bike rides well and climbs well, despite the heavier weight -- which is probably due to the parts spec, i.e., fork, etc.
Cheers to Trek for offering the shiny aluminum finish, good tires [Jones rock] and nice cranks which, unlike some cheap bikes, have small enough front gears to be practical for offroad use.
Buy this bike if you are going to be riding offroad, want a hardtail that can handle it, but not cost more than your car. Ride it to the trails, the local woods, the riverside. I have been riding this thing every day, even to work [my road bike is made at me!] and it holds up grand to everything.
First upgrades to consider: Fork [unless they've changed the spec], clipless pedals, and a proper handlebar stem [the stem it came with was not flat, but tilted up!]. It you can, get a fork with a lockout.
Favorite Trail: The trails by the local river... for now.
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Similar Products Used: Trek 820 and 830 chromoly mtbs, Cannondale mountainbike, offroad fixeged gear bike I built, Specialized Hardrock steel framed mtb.
Bike Setup: Stcok except for Bontrager seat, shortened handlebars [steel] i found in my junk parts bin and a nicer stem. Oh yeh, I added clipless pedals.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Pete
a Cross Country Rider
from Cullen, UK
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2003
Strengths: Tough frame with an acceptable fork for the price and year. The wheels stand up to normal XC riding with minimal truing needed.
Weaknesses: Bontrager Jones tyres lack traction on wet surfaces like rocks and roots.
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike in the knowledge that you get what you pay for. The Insync fork is basic, but certainly better than no front suspension. The frame is stiff, if heavy and accelerates well. I still have one original wheel after 3 years of continuous riding. This bike is all you need for basic trail riding if you're prepared to upgrade cheaper components as they wear out. If you want to race or jump off large objects, get something else. The bike is heavy and not very manouverable on tight single track. Not enough travel for drops. I've had 3 years of fun, basic XC riding on this bike. It's been good value for money.
Similar Products Used: I have tried only freeride bikes
Bike Setup: Stock except i have bmx pedals on it
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
CHAD RUNION
a Weekend Warrior
from PHX AZ US
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2002
Strengths: NOT SHOCKS THEY SUCK BUT I REALLY LIKE THE FRAME AND THE RIMS THE TIRES ROCK AND ARE STILL KICKING AND I RIDE LIKE EVERY DAY THE SEAT IS GOOD AND YEAH.
Weaknesses: THOSE F'IN SHOCKS SUCK THEY FROZE AND IT WAS LIKE 90 OUT SIDE SO I DONT KNOW WHAT ALL THAT WAS ABOUT ALSO THE FRONT AND REAR DERAILERS DONT SHIFT THAT WELL FOR ME
Bottom Line:
THE 4500 IS A KICK ASS BIKE NO MATTER WHAT U USE IT FOR WETHER DOWN HILL OR RIDDIN IN THE FREAKIN MUD OR RAIN I TOTALLY RECOMEND THE 4500 TO ANY ONE IT IS A GOOD LADYS BIKE AND ALSO A REAL MANS BIKE ANY ONE WHO RIDES THE 4500 WILL BE IMPRESSED NODOUBT
Bike Setup: Stock, ordered a rock shoc suspension post yesterday
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
JUNIOR
a Cross Country Rider
from ELGIN/IL/US
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2001
Strengths: I CANT SAY MORE ABOUT THIS BIKE I KNOW THIS IST N UP DATED ALOT BUT MINE IS A 2001 AND FOR THAT PRICE WELL JUST TRY FINDING A BETTER BIKE IT CAN BE UPGRADED WITH EASE
Weaknesses: CHEAP ASS ROCK SHOCK BUT WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR 4 BILLS
Bottom Line:
WELL OK ITS NOT THE BEST BIKE OUT THERE BUT IF YOU WANT A GOOD START UP BIKE THAT WONT BREAK THE BANK THIS IS FOR YOU I RIDE MINE AT LEAST 100 MILES A WEEK AND STILL HAVENT BROKE ANYTHING THATS NOT EXPECTED SO KEEP ON RIDEING YOU PUSS!!!!
Bike Setup: ANSWER BARS WITH KORE HEAD SET AND RACE FACE CRANKS WITH MAVRIC XL RIMS NEXT IS A NICE ASS FORK!!!!!
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Rodney Guritz
a Downhiller
from Fairbanks
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2001
Strengths: Nice price, smooth shifting, handles well
Weaknesses: Problems in rear and front hubs, heavy frame
Bottom Line:
Although the Trek 4500 is a good bike for the money, it has given me lots of trouble. I have had to overhaul both hubs, the front hub twice, replacing bearing caps. I think I need a better dirtgaurd on my hubs. The Rockshocks are great, and the bike handles well.
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2001
Strengths: Sick frame, Gnarly fork, REALLY CHEAP, good brakes and NOTHING BREAKES!!!!!
Weaknesses: the pedals cut you when you fall
Bottom Line:
An excellent bike for the money! A must have for the cross country rider who doesn't want to spend more on his bike than on his tv! An excellent fixer upper when the rider gets sicker! I give it an overall rating of 4 Flammin' terds!!!!!
Strengths: price,frame,price,tires,price,grips,still left the kickstand on fer the local kooks to laugh at .
Weaknesses: pedals,rearbrakes,hub nasty, the stock stuff will work, but,..you know it makes you want more..see set up..
Bottom Line:
easy to bottom out cjett shox..prob one of 1st things to upgrade, if i can square some ducketts.Funnypages would be marzocchi bankroll nasty, but you know im dreamin...JUST lookin fer a cheap "get rid o yer hangbelly" in a fun way? BUy this bike to get yer lungs back fer a year and dig into the idea of what you really want out of a bike.HappyTrails
Favorite Trail: backside of elevator @ VictorFalls
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$450.00
Purchased At: Kulshans :Bellingham,wa.
Similar Products Used: my womans walmart 40+lb dhill nasty
Bike Setup: stock so far.. lookin to start breakin parts so i can get better components
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Matt Skinner
a Cross Country Rider
from Ft. Collins, Colorado USA
Date Reviewed: February 22, 2001
Strengths: Awesome tires, decent alloy rims and a strong alluminum frame.
Weaknesses: Front and rear derailers could shift smoother, soft rear brake and the pedals with clips suck.
Bottom Line:
Awesome bike for the first time user at a great price. Handles some pretty tough trails and the Rock Shock Jett smoothes out the ride. Upgrading this ride will become necessary as you tackle more difficult trails, but the stock bike will get you to plenty of trail riding adventures.
Bike Setup: Stock with a few exception. New racing style seat and System 1 pedals (removed straps and clips).
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Jonathan
a Downhiller
from Nottingham, Uk
Date Reviewed: February 13, 2001
Strengths: Not a bad frame, once you are used to the weight of it!. Good feel to the bike under a bit of a hammering.
Weaknesses: Some of the original componants are poorly made, they had to be replaced! Frame is too heavy.
Bottom Line:
Not bad overall, i had to change some of the parts, for instance the handlebars. Swapped the rims for mavics. I have managed to decrease the weight a little. Great entry level xc machine for the price.
Similar Products Used: Tested Raleigh, GT, and Schwinn. (Similiar Bikes)
Bike Setup: Original Equipment Trek 4500 2001, added new clip pedals.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Ian Clunie
a Cross Country Rider
from Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2001
Strengths: Cheap, duarable frame with no nonsence components. Rear hub is ok and I'm still using the original transmission after 2.5 years riding. Bontraget Jones tires worked pretty well too.
Weaknesses: Front hub is a no name part and needs replacing, toe clip pedals are a mistake and the 4500 is pretty heavy for a hard tail. Its riding position is not great for fast riding and the Insync shock was worse than useless... the bik is still good value, though.
Bottom Line:
This bike has lots of cheap components, but that's what I expected from a bike at this price. Having said that, it's frame weighs a hefty 4.5 pounds and that is a tad heavy even for a budget cycle. The Insync forks were useless, rebounding with such painful enthusiasm that it would have preformed better with a rigid fork. Later 4500s have Rockshox Jetts
Most of the componets have lasted well, but the tire rims and hubs were a weak point, as is the riding geometry. First time mountain bikers might be better off buying a better speced bike with no front shocks and upgrading to a decent suspension system later on.
