Similar Products Used: GIANT RAINER
TREK 8500
BIANCHI
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Submitted by
Cody Smart
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: May 9, 2008
Strengths: Super light weight. Excellent climber. Components are good for the price. Looks good.
Weaknesses: The stock pedals were no good. I've replaced the wheels too.
Bottom Line:
For the price this is the best bike you can get. I've had it for 6 years and it rides as good as ever. I used to ride over 3 times a week in Utah and now am a weekend warrior in Oregon. The frame is something I will probably always keep and just improve the rest of the components as needed.
Similar Products Used: I've rode friends XC bikes and I am always very glad to get back on mine.
Bike Setup: Stock with new pedals and Mavic wheels. New tires as well. The stock ones were ok but not great.
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Submitted by
Rob
a Cross Country Rider
from Sterling, Pennsylvania
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2005
Strengths: Clipless pedals, Fork, Super light frame , Components , Drivetrain. This bike Shreds!
Weaknesses: Replaced rear tire at 2500 miles. New cassette and chain at 3000. What can you expect their not made to last forever. The front and rear derailleur need tweaking every now and then. The frame creeks once and a while.
Bottom Line:
The bike does great on the roads when biking to my favorite trails. I'm coming up on my fourth season with 3725 miles and the bike is still going strong. Hats off to trek, The bike is a work of art!
Similar Products Used: My first real mountain bike. (A HUGE UPGRADE over my Cignal).
Bike Setup: 17.5" frame. Stock with extras- Salsa bash guard,seat clamp,saddle bag, Echo W1 computer, bar ends, Sram 11-34 cassette.
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Submitted by
Reed Bartuska
a Cross Country Rider
from Chicagoland
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2003
Strengths: All of them. Haven't ridden in about 3 years and then bought this bike to get back into it and couldn't be happier.
Weaknesses: The tires aren't the greatest for hardpack or pavement riding too and from the trail.
Bottom Line:
Fantastic bike to ride. Haven't found any complaints yet. I am 6'3" and about 240 (a bit of a belly) and this bike handles my weight like it isn't a big deal at all. I love it. Only thing I would change is the tires unless you spend a lot of time in the slippery stuff and then the stock tires are fine. It is super light, super stiff, super fun. The geometry is great for me which I was worried about being a bigger fellow and it is perfect. I really love it. Having a good bike really makes me want to go out and ride!
Similar Products Used: Trek 7000 (old one), rode the gary fisher big sur geometry didn't feel as nice for me. Also, you just can't beat trek now can you?
Bike Setup: 2004 trek 8000, 21.5 inch, stock bike plus waterbottles and thats it.
Strengths: the frame is godly, climbs like a mountain goat, inspires great confidence in rider...not sure if thats good or bad
Weaknesses: the steep head angle makes it more difficult to go downhill, saddle hurts my soft jello filled ass
Bottom Line:
One of the best climbing bikes ever made. The frame is amazingly light, the first time i picked it up i thought the frame would bend when i sat down. Amazing combo of light weight and strenght. Trek has really outdone themselves
Favorite Trail: anything i can ride without getting shot at
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$1100.00
Purchased At: LBS
Similar Products Used: Schwinn Mesa, Gary Fisher Tassajara
Bike Setup: stock with xt front derailleur, cranks, and shifters, Shimano M595 pedals
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Submitted by
Mike Shearer
a Cross Country Rider
from Everett, WA. USA
Date Reviewed: May 25, 2003
Strengths: Anything XC
Weaknesses: The rims that came with the bike did not hold up for very long.
Bottom Line:
This bike ROCKS! I found it on sale so the value was great. I'm not the most smooth of riders. I'm known to be a little wreckless down the trail, hit drops, and ride the occasional stair case. This bike has been a great ride and I would recommend it to anyone. Mine barely has any of the stock parts on it anymore, but the origional parts spec is a good starting point. Alittle time and money and this bike can be transformed into an XC MASTER!
Bike Setup: Mavic 618's w/KING hubs, salsa TI skewers, KING headset, thompson stem and seatpost,Race Face NEXT LP's, flat bars, and BB, XTR drivetrain and brakes, TIME ATAC pedals, ODI lock-ons, a Manitou MARS on the front, and some Michelin wildgripper HOT S for grip.
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Submitted by
Ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Chesterton
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2003
Strengths: Very natural feel. Very stiff, with a lively spring to it.
Weaknesses: hubs, headset, bottom bracket, tires
Bottom Line:
I've been very happy with this bike, but it has been plagued with problems. The headset was toast after about one month. Making all kinds noise, took it in, and besides it having all kinds of dirt in it the bottom race was broke. The shop coudn't get a new race and said it should be fine without it. Hubs have been a constant annoyance. Always having to be lubed. The free hub had to be replaced after about 9 months. At 11 months I finaly had both hubs rebuilt, but trek is out of stock on cones for the front wheel.
Now comes the "creme de le creme", I'm riding my local trail (an easy ride). Down into the gully and back up... and my frame is broke. Seat tube is completely craked in half just above the weld at the bottom bracket.
Weaknesses: none yet! ( I have had better dealings with other dealers, but I could not pass up the price for this new leftover in my size) dealer rating POOR
Bottom Line:
5'6" rider 140 lbs, this is the best bike I have ever owned! this bike is sweet it does everything that I ask it to then more. I had many bikes years ago. I took the wrong road out of high school, was involved in drugs & alcohol I am now a recovering drug attic & alcoholic & realizing how important a health lifestyle is for a happy well rounded life. I was amazed at how out of shape I was. I told myself this bike is either going to kill me or turn me into the incredible HULK. I do not have one complaint about this bike! it is excellent , excellent , excellent! BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT!
Submitted by
Sprocketeer
a Cross Country Rider
from Narashino, Chiba, Japan (native of New York)
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2002
Strengths: I'm speechless about the frame. It's amazing. I can ride faster and harder and with more control than ever before. There are things I thought only professional mountain bikers could do which I've been able to do with ease on this bike. Turns out it wasn't my riding, I just needed this level of bike. No doubt, this is a pro-level frame.
The wheels are feather light and stiff. I haven't had any problems with them going out of true or "boneshaking."
Weaknesses: I had some component problems, but I think that has more to do with how hard and long I ride--over 50 miles a shot. I'm not a pro, but I'm not a recreational rider either. The component group is good for someone who is a "rather serious" rider and more into enjoying the ride than speed or heavy duty training.
Bottom Line:
I wrote a review here about a month after I bought the bike, when it was all stock except for the pedals. This is a follow up review after about 1600 kilometers (1000 miles) of riding on it in six months.
Well, the next time I'm going to buy a frame set, not because the components were so bad but because they were bad for me and I ended up replacing them much faster than I thought I would. But I think that's just me. This is an awesome bike and most riders would not be making a mistake to get the stock, complete bike.
The only thing I changed right away was the pedals, from Shimano 515s to Shimano 959s. It's a big difference. I had experience with the 515s before, so I knew I wanted to change them right from the start--though they're very good, solid, no maintainence components for first timers on clipless.
I had a couple of component mishaps which were covered by the TREK warranty. One was the saddle; the leather on the tail split on its own without a mark on it and since TREK didn't have the same saddle available for warranty replacement they said I could choose any saddle in the same range (by which they meant price of course). I ended up making a deal with them (or my LBS, I'm not exactly sure which) to buy the Bontrager Race Lite with titanium rails and gel insert and pay the difference.
The FS2000 saddle is the most comfortable saddle I've ever used, and the shape is excellent; the Race Lite is A LOT better saddle, but not as comfortable. If you want the best combination of comfort and performance, stick with the FS2000.
My one serious problem was with the bottom bracket. On the 2002 they don't list a bottom bracket in the specs. The one the bike came with was pretty good, but the spindle was too short for the Bontrager Select crank set and this meant that my front gears were too close to the shell for even reasonable shifting and performance. It was a real nightmare, particularly one day when I was on what should have been a thirty minute climb. I absolutely could not shift into the granny gear and it wouldn't stay on the middle chain ring at all. It didn't stay on the big chain ring either--you could hear the chain rubbing the front derailer--though at least it didn't just pop off right away, so I was forced to ride this nightmarishly steep, long climb on the big chainring and every once in a while it would either throw the chain off or lock it up between the chainring and the chainstay--which scratched the paint off, right down to the metal. At one point the chain locked up and I fell over sideways, taking another two small chunks out of the paint right on the TREK logo on the downtube--again, right down to the metal.
I had to blame TREK for that one, but at the same time I knew they would make good on the warranty and sure enough they did--even giving me touch up paint and a FREE JERSEY of my choice for my troubles. Of course, I asked for the most expensive and rare jersey they had--the yellow jersey designed for the Tour de France with the team graphics on it. SWEET! Thanks TREK!! I'm not too happy about having more damage to my frame than on my 1995 TREK within the first three months of riding, but I got over it since I realized that the new bike was going faster, harder, and was much more likely to experience paint scratching obstacles of all sorts. Overall, the paint job is exceptionally tough.
TREK provided me with an XT bottom bracket--which is splined, whereas the Bontrager Select crank set is only compatible with a tapered spindle--but I was eventually going to make the upgrade anyway so I got an XT hollowtech crank set to go with it with slightly shorter crank arms instead of pointing out the oversight.
The shorter crank arms made a big difference in my ride. I loved this bike before the change, but after getting the right crank arms I could climb like the proverbial goat. In other words, the strengths of the frame really kicked in.
The Avid SD3 brakes were horrible at first, but once I broke them in they started to work great.
The Bontrager tires are terrible in mud, but they're not made for mud. In sand, they're outstanding. Also, they're exceptionally light. Still, I'm going to change to Panacer Fire XC once I wear the Bontrager's out. After 1000 off-road miles, it's time to switch the back to the front. Another thousand miles and I'll be taking them to the curb, but they've served me well.
I like the wider handlebar. I thought I would cut it at first, but it's just fine the way it is. Someday I'll think about lightening up the front end by changing the bar, stem, and headset, but so far I'm in no rush to do it.
Shifters, derailers, all that are working just great--especially with the splined crank and bb. The Bontrager Select crankset was OK, but just OK. I'm keeping it for some future occassion or perhaps to decorate a wall.
A lot of people say this bike is noisy--creaks. I had the same experience at first, but then I regreased the saddle post and with the new titanium rail saddle the noise went away. It's down-right stealthy now except for the exceptionally loud ring that sounds every time a stone or something hits the ZR9000 frame--which rings like the Liberty Bell, but seems impossisible to crack like it. Even those points where the paint came off from hard hits expose baby smooth frame material. This is hard stuff!
With the changes I've made it's definitely one of the lightest mountain bikes out there. There's very little more I could do to make it significantly lighter, as it's now around 11 kilograms or a little less. This makes a big difference in the bikes performance. Again, it's such a stiff frame that it's hard to believe it's so light and indestructible.
Make no mistake--this is the best buy in mountain bikes today.
Favorite Trail: From Tokyo Bay to Ibaraki prefecture, riding along between the farms and the river.
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$1400.00
Purchased At: Seo Cycle, LalaPort Tokyo Bay shopping mall
Similar Products Used: 1995 TREK cro-moly frame with STX drivechain which I still enjoy riding for bike paths and city streets--great geometry.
Bike Setup: Stock except for the following: Bontrager Race Lite saddle (titanium rails, gel insert), Titec titanium skibend bar ends, Shimano 959 pedals, Shimano XT bottom bracket (splined), Shimano XT crankset, Lizard Skins fork boots, Lizard Skins chainstay protector, Speed Stuff headset protector. I'm going to change to Panacer Fire XC tires when I finish the Bontragers off as well.
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Value Rating:
Submitted by
john cowers
a Cross Country Rider
from LA
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2002
Strengths: amasing frame and great breaks. The saddle is comfortable - much better than the specialized stumpjumper m4
Weaknesses: rims are a touch too hot
Bottom Line:
the trek 8000 is an amazing ride with great looks, feather light handling and super human value for money. In my opinion it out strips the stumpjumper m4 in every department. It makes the M4 feel like a girls pram compared to the 8000 being a bike. A mountain bike. I hate the M4 so much now after trying the 8000.
Submitted by
Drew Walker
a Racer
from Raleigh, North Carolina
Date Reviewed: November 2, 2002
Strengths: A very strong bike. Perfect for the racer of the weekend warrior. It can take a beating one day and the next day be ready for more. It is an all around great bike.
Weaknesses: Not many at all that i have found yet.
Bottom Line:
Its an all around great bike. If you are looking for a bike that can take a hit and remain standing than this is the bike for you. Also, i am trying to sell mine to finish off paying for my Klein. If you are intrested in it my E-Mail adress is DWalker@nc.rr.com.
Strengths: handleing, respectable parts spec, frame fit and finish for mass produced aluminum.
Weaknesses: this one had Rolf wheels which were too heavy in my opinion.
Bottom Line:
I rented this bike today and spent four hours on it. I was impressed with how fast this bike handled,descended, and climbed and felt it was decently spec'd for a bike in this price range. This would be a great entry level bike for racing and riding for someone on a budget. The first future upgrade would be a set of custom wheels. You would save 90% of your weight here and is all that's important for parts anyway. At the end of the ride, my body was sore from all the rocks in AZ but was surprised how compliant the frame was for aluminum. Passed many a rider on a SC superlight or Titus. The parts spec is very respectable for the amount of $, not too heavy. I would take this over the LS I ahd anyday.
Similar Products Used: Fuel 100, Seven Sola,Gt Xizang, LS Pisgah, GT Zaskar, Giant carbon-old one
Bike Setup: Fuel 100 full xtr
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Submitted by
Pete
a Cross Country Rider
from New York, NY, USA
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2002
Strengths: Great Climber, Very Very Fast, Love The Rolf Dolomite Disc, GREAT FRIGGIN BREAKS, Tight Cornerer, SuperFast, amazing Bike For XC
Weaknesses: Weird Seat Post Diameter though (my rockshox post from my 1999 trek 6000 didn't fit which was a bummer), My front derraileur gave me some trouble in the beginning so i upgraded to xt for like $35, really really bad on descents, frame and wheels are so rigid they will have you bouncing all over the place, also Judy SL feels (and looks) like a toy.
Bottom Line:
Great XC bike, but now that i am starting to get into north shore riding, i am finding that this bike can't take what a 7foot drop can dish out, but for XC it's a great bike, very light, Very fast, I make it up hills on it that my buddys have wet dreams about.
Strengths: This review is for the 8000 FRAME...hardly any of the parts are original. Anyways, this thing screams through twisty, slow-medium speed singletrack. A little twitchy through fast bumpy stuff, or anything super steep, but that's because the geometry is made to climb great-and it does.
Weaknesses: Super steep descents, or real rough bumpy descents. Although I've learned the way this bike handles, and I can now ride all the downhills at about the same speed.
Bottom Line:
I can't say anything for the components, since I bought this bike barely used, and with all the parts switched out to higher end stuff...but the frame is great, it isn't a super long cockpit, but it's comfortable and climbs incredible. Very light. Definetly a great frame for the Trek fan who doesn't want a carbon frame.
Similar Products Used: My other bike is a Cannondale CAAD5 with Lefty and XTR, I've also had a Gary Fisher hardtail with Genesis geometry.
Bike Setup: This Trek is set up with Rolf Propel wheels (the highest end), LX/XT drivetrain, Sid SL, and some other good stuff. I don't think anything is original spec.
[B]I need your advise mtbr friends[/B]. The next week im going to buy one of these hard tail mtbs. The Trek in a little under the 2000 euros and the Scott is a little over the 2000 Read More »
Hi Guys,
Need help. My LBS has the 2010 in stock and it looks really nice but is actually SG$100 more than the 2011 which they have to order in. I cant decide between the two. N Read More »
I have a 1998 Trek 8000 HT- Rock Shox Judy Fork- and...this is painful to say...Rim Brakes. Was wondering if I could make it a 650b?
Am reading great things about them...Woul Read More »
I just acquired a very nice looking trek 8000 slr (early 2000s?) bike with stock everything. However it's been left outside a few too many days and many of the components are oxidi Read More »
I just traded a Redline BMX for a 2000 Trek 8000.
Seems like it was a pretty good bike in it`s day and worth having still.I did this trade to give it to someone as a gift but it i Read More »
