Submitted by
William
a Weekend Warrior
from Hong Kong Date Reviewed: March 12, 2005
Favorite Trail:
anything in the mountain
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
friend
Strengths:
excellent base setup, stock bike already kick ass, handle like a champ, much better then many of the bikes now a day. yet it is light with AC capability.
Weaknesses:
not yet found, but it is funny to have a XC weight bike that have AC capability. bobbing is the only thing is annoying riding on road but a lock out shock fix the problem.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized FSR KONA Giant
Bike Setup:
VRX 500 with stock parts (dual crown SID, icon components, LX shifters, XTR r derailleur, Rolf wheels, Hayes disc brake) yet changed components on it (XT cassette, D/A chain, SDG seat, Fox Float RC) later want to change bearings for bushings
Bottom Line:
For the original price this is an expensive bike, but comes in around 29 lbs AC bike there is no complain on it. rear adjustment seems changing the geometry rather then change the travel, front feel solid with the SID and it is working quite good for me. this frame handles quite good on trails and wheels kick @ss!! disc brake quality is even better then the new hayes. will recommend to others on this bike!!
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Submitted by
dOc
a Weekend Warrior
from Philly, PA Date Reviewed: October 31, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Anything Goes
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1060.00
Purchased At:
LBS - Cycle Fit of Delaware County
Strengths:
Looks nice, the feel of this bike is great (fits me well @ 6'-1, 180), nice..durable component set, wheels have yet to be trued after lot of trail/urban smaller drops,
Weaknesses:
Front shock set up for 160 lb rider (need tune kit) bottoms out too much, BB started creaking last week (after bout a year of riding all conditions), broke original chain, rear v-brake is not too good, no side bite on tires, lost screw on front deraileur while riding...threads needed to be chased
Similar Products Used:
Too Many BS Dept Store bikes..., Trek 4500, Mongoose Vadium (lol)
Bike Setup:
1999 Trek VRX500 large, bontrager superstock wheelset, Continental Atlanta tires, xt r. der.,lx front der., lx brakes/shifters, sram 7.0 cassette, sram pc-99 chain, Manitou X-vert t dc fork, Bontrager race crankset, icon black riser bar, v-brakes
Bottom Line:
Though not the standard issue VRX500, my setup has treated me well, with no unexpected problems other than the fork setup taht i have yet to fix...I love the feel of this frame, very stable...have yet to upgrade rear shock as well, and want to get disc brakes. I would recommend this frame to anyone looking for a mid range priced bike that is durable, since it is an older frame you can get a nice set up for less money than a newer model.
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Submitted by
Simon Omer
a Weekend Warrior
from Cheshunt, Herts, UK Date Reviewed: August 3, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Local Countryside
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$3180.00
Purchased At:
Cyclone Cycles
Strengths:
Strong Frame,Wheels are amazingly strong, looks nice, nice colour.
Weaknesses:
Standard tyres, brakes are a little weak for a 22 stone rider. The crank is starting to creak and will be replaced soon. most of the standard equipment is pretty bottom of the range.
Bike Setup:
standard exept Tioga 2.1 Factory DH tyres Uprated rear shock and spring to cope with my massive bulk SID's cope really well after initial messing around for a good setup
Bottom Line:
Its a nice bike for the 'weekend warrior' I have only broken 1 spoke in thee 3 years I have had it despite much abuse and considering my size 6' 5" and 22 stone.
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Submitted by
Ryan
a Racer
from Whitewater, WI USA Date Reviewed: June 11, 2003
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
Trek Factory Auction
Strengths:
Versital solid frame design,looks cool
Weaknesses:
weight, too heavey for cross country, too heavey for hill climbing
Similar Products Used:
N/A
Bike Setup:
Stock everything except for the crank which i broke an dreplaced with a lighter Icon crank
Bottom Line:
this is a great bike for the weekend warrior who wants to do a little of everything, but may be too heavy for some cross country expeditions
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Submitted by
Monster John
a Downhiller
from Del,BC,Ca Date Reviewed: December 30, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Whistler Schleyer/Joyride
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$3000.00
Purchased At:
Cap's
Strengths:
It's a okay design at that time. A good entry level DH bike but won't do you no good if you are a serious DH rider. Comes with XTR and a Fox Vanilla R.
Weaknesses:
Rear swingarm is weak as hell. Breaks them so easily and had to replace them. The components that comes with the bike really sucks. The SID XL is a joke. I don't even know why RockShox makes them at that time. The Rolf wheels looks cool but doesn't work. It's expensive and hard to replace or rebuild. I basically strips the bike down after the first season of riding (year 1999 winter) and hang the frame on the wall.
Similar Products Used:
NONE
Bike Setup:
I just recently rebuild it (year 2002 fall)with Marzocchi Z1, Stratos Helix rear shock, 24 r and 26 f double track, Truative crank, and some other stuff.
Bottom Line:
After I realize that this bike sucks for DH, I strip it down. However, after the rebuild, I realized that it's a pretty good DJ bike with the right setting. I currently set my fork and shock to really hard and the bike handles quite well on the jumps. I guess it's worth something after all.
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Submitted by
micheal anker
a Weekend Warrior
from victoria,bc,canada Date Reviewed: August 13, 2001
Favorite Trail:
hartland
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
It has really good parts and the frame is very strong.rear shocks is good.
Weaknesses:
its a bit heavy the shocks it comes with arent that good.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that this is a sweet bike good for freeride and downhill.Its so plushy.Its works great for me and the bike really exsorbes the shock of some dropes.
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Submitted by
Donnie
a Weekend Warrior
from Spokane, WA Date Reviewed: February 23, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Riverside state park
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$3000.00
Purchased At:
Wheel Sport North
Strengths:
Factory components aloow amature riders to make many mistakes and still make it through in one piece (more or less).
Weaknesses:
factory tires and brakes.
Similar Products Used:
Y-3, Y-22, Y-33
Bike Setup:
Replaced factory tires with Tioga 2.1 everything else still original
Bottom Line:
I love this bike, just look at, no matter where I go or what I do, people stop and check it out. As far as the performance of the bike is concerned I am extremely satisfied with it with two notable exceptions. First, the factory tires, within the first 2 months of "non-extreme" use the side wall of the front tire gave out and sent my brother flying over the handle bars. Second, the rear brakes, this bike has been in the shop not less than 5 times for the rear brake giving me trouble and it still hasn't been fixed right. The warranty is expired now so I work on the brake when it needs it. Basically what it comes down to is that I need to adjust the rear brake every time I ride. Aledgedly (according to the dealer) my VRX 500 was the first one made that was commercialy availible and as such had a problem with the way the caliper mounted to the swing arm. Supposedly the swing arm was replaced to correct this along with a slew of other adjustments and a new rear caliper. None of which worked, the swing arm if it actually was replaced(which I doubt) made no difference, the brake adjustments only lasted for one ride and the new caliper (which I know for a fact was replaced) had absolutely no impact on my brake problem. In the end, my brakes still drag and there seems to be nothing I can do about it. I don't blame Hayes or Trek for my brake problems, I firmly believe that the dealer is the sole cause of the problem thankfully the management has changed and they are no longer a Trek dealer. Don't let all this complaining fool you though, I really do love this bike and would reccomend to anyone.
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Submitted by
biker
a
from cannada Date Reviewed: November 27, 2000
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$3000.00
Strengths:
great suspension it is avery plush bike but the front shox got to have more travel
it is a great bike, but hey of course it is a great bike
you pay for what you get
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Submitted by
rodrigo vargas
a Cross Country Rider
from cochabamba, bolivia Date Reviewed: March 12, 2000
Favorite Trail:
desert xc
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
good looks, great handling, comfortable , i like the equipment.
Weaknesses:
slow on the climbing, i found a little diference switching from ac to xc but you can´t change it on the run you need to carry your tools,that sucks, flexy rock shok sucks, should bring the darn pump for the price!!!!!!expensive bike!!!!!
Similar Products Used:
super v 700, bianchi kodiak, gt tempest, c-dale f900
Bike Setup:
factory
Bottom Line:
i think its a nice bike, but a little useless because it has too much travel and weight for cross country and not enough travel for downhill. but anyway i am getting used to it my advice: test ride it before buying it, because everyone has a different style of riding
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Submitted by
Tom
a Weekend Warrior
from Tuxedo,NY,USA Date Reviewed: February 12, 2000
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Good mix of components, very adjustable suspension, tracks beautifully, hayes brakes are excellent, all in a great looking package.
Weaknesses:
None really - as a freeride bike.
Similar Products Used:
Trek Y22, Mongoose hardtail
Bike Setup:
Factory stock - Sid XL, Fox R, Rolf etc.
Bottom Line:
Great freeride bike. Plush 4 inches of travel, great brakes along with precise tracking. I find it climbs very well if you stay seated and spin. I weighed my bike at 27.5 lbs. which I guess matches the factory claim - might try to lighten it a little in the future but this isn't bad for full suspension and disc brakes. I also like the look of the VRX frame a lot, especially with the the Rolf wheels. Trek has reduced the price of the '99 VRXs, I got a great deal on mine. If you like the '99 models nows the time.
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Submitted by
pinoy
a Weekend Warrior
from duarte, california Date Reviewed: October 4, 1999
Favorite Trail:
el prieto, pasadena
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
great frame geometry, plush suspension on small and big hits, climbs really well specially with stratos helix lockout, superb handling...point and shoot...will stop ona dime with hayes disc brakes...all weather and all terrain...
Weaknesses:
Good stock Bontrager tires but better with Maxxis MOFO 2.35...
Similar Products Used:
Trek Y33
Bike Setup:
medium frame, SID XL 100 mm, Stratos Helix Pro rear shock with on the fly compression and lockout adjustment, Shimano 636 pedals
Bottom Line:
Ecellent...Saved my ass on gnarly terrains !!!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
evergreen
a Weekend Warrior
from hong kong Date Reviewed: October 1, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
a strong frame, good control n brake easily
Weaknesses:
the disc brake is not easy to adjust for avoid the g sound. expensive price. the pump for adjust the air cartridge of the front suspension is not supplied. the screw of the break disc is easily get loose; n other screws too.
Bike Setup:
factory set up
Bottom Line:
overall a good bike
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Michael Billington
a Downhiller
from Detroit, Michigan Date Reviewed: September 30, 1999
Duration Product Used:
tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
The rear shock is very plush and it looks realy cool. The bike dousn't wiegh too much.
Weaknesses:
The front suspention dousn't have enough travel for a triple clamp fork. It is just adding extra wieght to the bike. It would be a good freeride/DH bike if the seat could go lower, the riding position like it is is no good for freeriding or DH. That is why they shouldn't bother with being able to switch to DH setting on the rear shock.
Similar Products Used:
GT XCR-3000 Trek VRX 400
Bottom Line:
It is a mix of a lot of different things, but is too heavy for xc racing, can't get the riding position to freeride and not enough travel to DH with. Basicly it is good for nothing
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Derek
a Weekend Warrior
from London Date Reviewed: September 22, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
I find the ride very good much better than my Y11
Weaknesses:
Seat\was the first to go fitted a new style with hole in the ctr, does the job very well
Similar Products Used:
Y11
Bike Setup:
as upplied
Bottom Line:
Very good bike well worth the £2.2k inc bits pump & computer and matching hat, only problem I have had is the rear disc came lose, other wise very goog bike go and buy one
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
produde
a Downhiller
from D-Bar CA Date Reviewed: September 18, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:
I have a VRX 300 but since all the VRX series bikes are the same it still applies. If you put on a 7.25 eye-to-eye and 2.25 stroke rear shock you can achieve 7.5 to 8 of rear wheel travel.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jorge Biggemann
a Weekend Warrior
from La Paz-Bolivia Date Reviewed: August 7, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
La amortiguacion es muy buena y responde muy bien, el diseno de la bicicleta es espectacular, es muy comoda para ser manejada
Weaknesses:
No logro que el amortiguador trasero tenga la fuerza suficiente para dar traccion a la llanta en subidas muy pronunciadas
Similar Products Used:
Trek Y-5
Bottom Line:
Si alguien sabe como corregir el problema de la traccion de la llanta trasera en una subida muy pronunciada, escribame por favor.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Mangassarian
a Cross-Country Rider
from Rye, New York Date Reviewed: July 12, 1999
This is the most amazing bike. The best feature is being able to change the rear shocks to certein terrains. If you don't mind the price, get this bike.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Weekend Warrior
from Jhb, South Africa Date Reviewed: May 14, 1999
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
* Very comfortable after my hard-tail. Easily absorbs usual XC bumps and ripples. * Does not seem to need more effort to ride. * The Hayes brakes have excellent stopping power. * Comfortable seating position.
Weaknesses:
* Brakes scrape a little. * Back hub seems a little noisy. * Back wheel seems unbalanced.
Similar Products Used:
VRX400, Giant 950
Bike Setup:
Dead standard. Will ride for a while before I consider changes.
Bottom Line:
I am very happy with my choice. It's a great improvement over my hard-tail, and has been hassle-free in the first month of use. Attracts it's fair share of attention as well.Pity Trek does not include the pump for the SID's though - at this price I would have expected it.I will give 4 stars though because of the scraping brakes, noisy hub and unbalanced rear wheel.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paulo
a Weekend Warrior
from Funchal, Portugal Date Reviewed: April 27, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Madeira Island
Duration Product Used:
less than 1 month
Strengths:
Frame. Rear suspension really works. Good brakes, fork and wheels. Value for the money
Trek VRX 500 as factory with following changes: King headset, XTR 8 speed shifters, XTR 8 speed 12-32 cassete, Kore stem, Cook Bros cranks
Bottom Line:
I have been for some time thinking of getting rid of my XC racer and changing for FS. On Madeira Island we do mostly technical single-tracks with rocks and ruts, in resume, the kind of trails suitable for FS. but we do have too up-hills, very steep. My XC racer was a good excuse for going up-hill but a bad choice for the other stuff. 2 months ago, going up-hill, i asked an other guy to change bikes so i could suffer a litle more ... he had a FS Rotwild RCC02, for my surprise FS wasn´t more the up-hill pedaling evil that used ? to be. I was climbing well ... damned ... that was the water drop ! i would definitevely change. forget weight! Trek VRX500 was the choice because of its new Frame design, highlight componentes, especialy the brakes, fork and frame. Rear suspension really works on small bumps and ramps on bit hits, never bottoming up: just like says Trek. Overall an excellent option.Note:You might ask why 8 speed ?. Ok, for my opinion, 9 speed got nothing to mountain biking. I am not blaiming shimano for that, but 8 speed reliability and strenght is enough for me.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
shock
a Downhiller
from Ballwin Date Reviewed: April 16, 1999
Duration Product Used:
tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
handling, very plush, strong frame.
Weaknesses:
SID fork was a little flexy
Bottom Line:
A few weeks ago a bike shop was having a demo day at a bike park down the street from me. So I went down to see what kinds of bikes they had. They all kinds, from road, to downhill bikes. So I hopped on one of the VFR 500 bikes and took it on a few DH runs. The bike was nice and plush, and it cornored very well. Absorbed the hard hits with out any problems. It felt good on the flats too. The hayys disk brakes were nice and powerful. Five chilies for its coronering, plushness, powerful brakes, and a sweet looking frame.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Keith Thompson
a Cross-Country Rider
from St. Catharines Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: March 14, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Waterdown
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
The travel is truley amazing, you have complete control over any type of terrain. The SID XL has infinint adjustability, and you never have to purchase an upgrade kit for rider weight or trail conditions. The Rolf wheelset seem to be holding up so far, they look really trick and strong.
Weaknesses:
I found the swing-arm a bit flexy, (side to side.)but on the bike you don't notice it at all. The machine tracks as true as Trek claims For the price of the bike, they should have at least supplied the pump for the SID XL.
Similar Products Used:
The VRX 500 is in a class all it's own. I'm a mechanic at Bikefit Inc. and I test all types of bikes. I've ridden the Klien mantra, the new I-drives from GT, and even other Treks. Every bike is designed for a specific pupose, the VRX fills every need.
Bike Setup:
The VRX 500 comes OME with a '99 SID XL triple clamp and a FOX Vanilla R coil-over for susp. needs. It also comes w/ an LX E-style BB and front deraillure, Icon stem, seat post, bar, and the Icon Torx crankset. LX 9 speed shifters, LX 11-32 cassette, an XTR rear deraillure, the infamous Hayes disc and the almighty Rolf wheelset. I did however change the bar to the Easton Monkey bar, the BB and the cassette to XT, the front Deraillure to XTR Carbon, the shifters to XTR and I just odered the Stratos Helix Pro rear shock for greater control of my travel.
Bottom Line:
I give the VRX 500 a 5 star rating even though I changed a lot of the components on it, the bike is a great value for my Canadian dollar. Customizing or personalizing a bike as many of you already know, is half the fun of calling it yours!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gunth
a weekend warrior
from Illinois Date Reviewed: February 26, 1999
Bottom Line:
General: Bought a large VRX500 to replace a custom built Cannondale Super V1000. I do a lot of trail riding that sometimes can get very techincal. The plush suspension of the VRX handles all the smaller bumps like a Cadillac. The handling combination of the SID XL fork and the lateral stiffness of the frame allows it to track through the technical stuff with ease. The bike also seems to want to roll. Changes: I swapped the riser handlebar for a flat one and the seatpost for a Thomson Elite to slightly shorter the reach from the seat to the handlebar. VRX vs. SuperV: The main differences between the bikes is that the VRX has the seat position set further back that makes for a longer reach but also sits your rear further back for the downhills. Also the triple-clamp fork handles much better than the headshock. The SuperV is a very reliable bike and is almost bullet-proof if you swap the rear air shock for a coil over (and keep up the maintenance on the headshock).
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jamie
a cross-country rider
from Boston Date Reviewed: February 12, 1999
Bottom Line:
I finally got my VRX 500 this week, it is totally set up and here are some preliminary observations: mainly the travel issue - after careful measuements I have determined that total stroke is ~40mm, useable before bottom out elastomer is only ~24mm which with an approximate stroke ratio of 3.2:1 yields up 3 of travel before the bottom out elastomer kicks in delivering 5 total. The position the shock is in (AC,XC, or DH) has NO effect on length of travel. These measurements were made by measuring both axle movement and shock length. There is also room to add a shock ~24mm longer which would yield 5 (7 with bottom out).... hmm might just try it and a Boxxer some day. Yeah, right. Setup was easy, the Hayes discs are surprisingly easy to setup (I didn't need to bleed them or cut the lines though), and they are 95% drag free - the rotors came slightly warped... So did the derailleur which was crossthreaded, a tap fixed that easily enough. I would highly recommend a higher and wider rise bar though the Icon one really is a flat bar. So far I have only managed to do some street riding, jumping stairs and the like. While the bike is a pig at 31lbs (not 27 claimed!) it pedals well in the sedal and jumps like a mofo, the coil spring really helps launch you. I am also using a Tioga XL saddle which helps a good deal letting you weight the rear. Hell I can ride down stairs sitting. Pretty cool. I will report back at the end of he season (or sooner) with an update. 4 stars because Trek wouldn't get me a black one and it is a LOT heavier than claimed.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rob the weasle
a downhiller
from A downhiller from PA. Date Reviewed: December 13, 1998
Bottom Line:
the single cantilever beam swing arm is the best thing trek has done.the u.r.t thing was just not active like they claim .i took off the stock 1 1/4 stroke shock that only gave 5 inchs,and put a 1 3/4 stroke on instead, and got 7 inches.The bike is so plush i get 2 inchs of preload.so the bike needed one more thing ,a 99'6 inch travel rockshock boxxer.go buy this ride its money well spent.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Simon Deiner
a weekend warrior
from CT, South Africa Date Reviewed: November 16, 1998
Bottom Line:
I really like this bike. A definate improvement over the crappy old Y frame.The SID works bloody well (I still prefer my XVERT R though..), and the rear sus is sorted. The parts selection is also great. I think trek will sell quite a few of these babies.
$ 2699.99
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