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Submitted by
Ian
a
from England
Date Reviewed: January 14, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Brilliant for everything
This bike can take anything you can through at it
| | Weaknesses: | NONE | | Similar Products Used: | I have Z3 bomber folks and they work brilliantly
| | Bike Setup: | N/A | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike
Recomended to anyone
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Gulfport
Date Reviewed: March 20, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Rays Bike | | Strengths: | Aggressive climber, tight geomtry for single track, light weight. With XT and XTR gear shifter and Bontrager quality it is hard to find anything wrong with this bike. But I will try..... | | Weaknesses: | Bontrager tubeless rims are a pain in the ass to work with. I tried the tubeless ride at great expense and was rewarded with one hell of time trying to install the pythons only to get a flat tire two days later. (Never Again) The Bontrager rims a rugged but heavy, I switched out the rear wheel set with a Mavic 517/XTR for lighter weight. The stock pedals sucked, switched them out for ATACs but looking at going to the egg beaters. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for the new pedals and Mavic 517 rim / xtr hub and composite handlebars. | | Bottom Line: | I've ridden trail after trail on this bike. For the quality you get at the price you cannot go wrong with the 8500. It has conquered all I have put it through and in many occasions faired better than its rider. This bike takes corners and hills very aggressively. The geometry is great. The price is great The bike is and overall awesome deal. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ken
a Cross Country Rider
from Pinckney MI
Date Reviewed: March 1, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1350.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | -Lite
-stiff
-Good shock
-tubeless
-Most of the Bontrager componenets don't suck | | Weaknesses: | -Crankset
-Saddle
-Pedals | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Hard Rock, Gary Fisher Tassajara | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for WTB Saddle, PC-99 chain & Eggbeaters | | Bottom Line: | Good: Nice lite frame. Good geometry. (Fits like a glove.) Quick steering, but not twitchy. Perfect for XC racing and singletrack.
Bad: Chain busted on me after one ride. Crankset creaks with any serious pressure on it. Wheelset is notoriously difficult to work with. Most likely will end up replacing all of the Bontrager parts through wear and tear. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark F
a Cross Country Rider
from Lincoln NE USA
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | any cross race | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1050.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycleworks Lincoln | | Strengths: | Solid value and good ride. Rides fast (although it feels sluggish). Price was discounted for small dent in downtube. | | Weaknesses: | Pedals were left with dealer in exchange for Eggbeaters (+$50) | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondales, Schwinns, GFs, Bridgestone MB-3, even a Diamondback | | Bike Setup: | Stock + eggbeaters | | Bottom Line: | For the price I paid I could chuck the frame and still come out on top. I like most things about the bike, I'll change bars/grips sooner than later, and reverse the stem for a lower ride position. I was generally impressed with the Bontrager stuff on the bike (i.e. normally I toss the saddle in a bucket and put on something from Selle Italia but this seat seems fine.) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bloomer
a Cross Country Rider
from Michigan
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | decent weight, stiff as hell, stable | | Weaknesses: | not the quickest bike around, stays are a little long. | | Similar Products Used: | Schwinn homegrown pro, trek 9.8 | | Bike Setup: | sram 9.0, sid xc, hugi wheels, avid arch rivals | | Bottom Line: | I got this bike because i broke my homegrown and pacifc wont honor the schiwnn warranty. While the homegrown was as fast as a scalded cat, it was unstable in the air and in the slow stuff. The Trek on the other hand is more stable in the air, but slower. I have done a handful of rides on the new bike and wish it would accelerate a little faster. The schwinn was a much better climber and better racer. Ill have to see how this trek holds up on the race course. Overall not a bad back by any means, I just wish it had a little steeper head and seat angles. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
edwyn nieves
a Cross Country Rider
from lake ariel p a
Date Reviewed: May 3, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | promtom dam p a | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | bike hub blakely p a | | Strengths: | bike climbs realy good, xt,xtr and rock shox duke is realy cool! | | Weaknesses: | tires are not good for north east riding so i had to change to tires that gripped better in mud. | | Bike Setup: | stock except for VELOCIRAPTOR tires | | Bottom Line: | Basically the bottom line is that this is a great bike. It handles great, descends great, and feels good! It is a good deal, I definatley feel like I got my money's worth!HAPPY TRAILS! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian Dzak
a Racer
from Joliet
Date Reviewed: January 8, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Cable | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Sunbombs | | Strengths: | -light weight
-avid brakes
-quality XT and XTR components
-rock shox XC
-quick and nimble
| | Weaknesses: | -bad, low-grip tires
-ok handeling
| | Similar Products Used: | GT Zaskar | | Bike Setup: | Rock shox XC, Avid brakes, aluminum frace, Shimano components. | | Bottom Line: | If yoru willing to spend between 1000 and 2000 dollars and you like the feel of trek bikes this is the one to get. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Chatsworth, Ga, USA
Date Reviewed: December 14, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Iron Mountain#1 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | Scotts Bicycle Center | | Strengths: | Good components, aggresive climber, Great fork, A kick butt race ready bike that wont clean your bank acct!!!! | | Weaknesses: | Pedals | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale, Fisher, Diamond Back, Quintanna Roo | | Bike Setup: | Stock, Xtr Rear der, xt front Der, Bontrager Race, threw some monkey bars on it!!! | | Bottom Line: | This bike rocks, if you like your climbs smooth, your singletrack tight, your downhill fast, your beer cold, your woman hot, your 4:20 kind, your competition in the rearview, then I suggest the 8500. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Risto
a Cross Country Rider
from London
Date Reviewed: November 23, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Amazing frame, xtr rear, xt front, tubeless Bontrager wheels, all around Botrager stuff, while not the best are great for the money. Handling and fork. | | Weaknesses: | None really to speak of...pedals were crap and I left them in the shop. Didn't personally bother me as I had DMR Magnesium V12 flats to put on. Can't get on with SPD's... | | Similar Products Used: | Marin Indian Fire Trail, GT Zaskar with full XTR gears, Specialized Stumpjumper M4 | | Bike Setup: | Stock so far but will upgrade everything as wear and tear (and greed) dictates! | | Bottom Line: | If you are after a lighweight x-country hardtail without completely destroying your finances (about $2100 in the UK) then I would recommend this bike 100%. I tried many with a budget of about $2500,- and this one it for me won easily. Just feels so right and climbs so well...one of those bikes that always makes you want to pedal faster. What more do you want...? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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