Submitted by
Robert
a Weekend Warrior
from Kings Park Date Reviewed: July 9, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Rocky Point
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Nice Ride (Sans Rock Shox POS), Good Value, LX rear Bontaranger Rims and Tires. Frame is a fantastic design. Great for freeride. Dosent climb as well as the newer multilink XC bikes but the Uni-link Y frame would eat them for lunch on the downhills because of the plusher, longer travel, more predictable suspension. Uni-Link easier to maintain. Fox Vanilla is a decent shock.
Weaknesses:
Front Fork? What Front Fork?, Shimano Knockoff Parts. Dosent Climb as well as multilink counterparts.
Just upgrade the front fork and you're golden. The Ride Quality and handling increased expotentially with the discardment of the Jett C POS. Before I got rid of the Jett's I was all over the place on technical sections. I was afraid to go fast because the front end would jarr my teeth loose. With the SX-R speed on technical decents increased to the point that necessitated me to invest in some Hayes.
Front brakes were not bad, they wore quickly and lacked the at speed stopping power of discs or better quality V's. They are basicly LX knockoffs with cheap levers.
The Front and Rear hubs have given me no problems yet, they seem to be pretty durable. They are Alivio Knockoffs, verabatim in the mechanical aspect, except the rear pawls click louder than genuine alivios.
Genuine Shimano Drivetrain shifts well.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Boston Date Reviewed: May 10, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$479.00
Purchased At:
First Stop
Strengths:
solid frame, handles well,
Weaknesses:
none
Similar Products Used:
'96 trek with front susp
Bike Setup:
Put on street slicks, added a cyclometer, added bar ends, stiffened up the the rear susp.
Bottom Line:
This bike kicks arse. I bought it from a rental shop in Killington (not one located on the mountain) and recommend this as the best way to get the most for your money. Bikes from the right shops are well maintained and usually get ridden by people who don't have the ability to beat on them., so other than a few scrathes, the bike is perfect. I actually use it to commute to work in the city (9.5 miles round trip), and for a full susp bike this thing just loves the road. I threw on some street slicks which make all the difference, and the bike rides like a crotch rocket. This is my first full susp bike and I had worried about the bobbing thing, but I set the susp as stiff as it would go and can go up hills and crank in the flats without losing much efficiency. You just have to figure out where the bike likes you to be. Also, I have been off road a few times with this bike and it is very stable. The front shocks are a little soft, but as long as you aren't dropping big hits all day they do the trick. Overall, I recommend this bike, and more specifically recommend Trek. They just know how to make a bike that can take a beating and not get all loose.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jeff
a Cross Country Rider
from st.louis Date Reviewed: November 1, 2000
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
carbondale cyclery
Strengths:
great allround entry level fs
Weaknesses:
heavy
Similar Products Used:
gt xcr 5000
Bike Setup:
i think i got a better deal then the other people who submitted review because my bike came all deroe lx compenents and shimano linear pull brakes
Bottom Line:
great bike that takes great abuse, but you wont win any races on it, could have better crank and front shocks
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
doug buckles
a Weekend Warrior
from independence,kansas united states of america Date Reviewed: November 1, 2000
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
thompsons bike & sport
Strengths:
this bike is really good in my point of view but this is my first racing bike.
Weaknesses:
the seat doesn't go as high as i would like it. Plus when you pedal standing up the back shock goes up and down and up and down.
Similar Products Used:
none
Bottom Line:
This bike is good for just out riding about 20 to 30 miles a day, as of racing it I do not know because i am not done with my training yet.the only problem i have seen with the bike is that the seat post doesn't go up very high because of the back shock. the main reson that I got this bike is because the local trails here are pretty bouncy and because the bike is FS it makes you feal like you are riding on water.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Josh
a Weekend Warrior
from CT Date Reviewed: July 30, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Anywhere I don't fall!!
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Great bike for the price, aluminum frame, plush feel on both road and trail.
Weaknesses:
Some weak components for a higher priced Trek, but keeping in mind that this is Trek's entry model full suspension bike. For those who are serious bikers, which I'm not, it's quite heavy (30 lbs.). I was rather disappointed in the no-name brake setup.
Similar Products Used:
Gary Fisher Kaitai, Specialized Rockhopper Comp
Bike Setup:
Stock except for the addition of Sram 7.0 brake levers, Specialized clipless pedals, Specialized Body Geometry MTB seat, Icon bar ends, and a stiffer spring for the rear suspension.
Bottom Line:
This is a step up for me as I was riding a Jamis Durango AL. This is my second year of riding and I decided to do more trail than I thought. I still didn't want to spend a whole lot of money so $600-$800 was my price range. I was just looking into a front fork bike which is why I tried the Fisher and the Specialized. I saw the Y3 one day in my local bike store and decided to try it as well. Needless to say, I liked quite a bit. Most components were a step up for me, and I wanted rapid fire shift. I've read alot of bad press on the Rock Shox Jett but for me, it seems fine. Low maintenance, seems to do the job. Perhaps with more experience and more riding, I might change my tune. What's great about this bike is the upgradeability. The frame is awesome in my opinion and the possibility of components are endless. As I stated above, I'm quite disappointed with the brake setup. I've already replaced the junky stock generic brake levers with Sram 7.0's. What an improvement. I'll probably be changing the brakes next, probably to Avids. As time wears on, I might upgrade more components but right now to me, the way I have it setup now is fine.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Richardson, TX, USA Date Reviewed: June 1, 2000
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Very Nice Beginner (me) Bike: Quality Components, but nothing spectacular. I have seen much less bike for much more $$$.
Weaknesses:
For $800 I wish it had some higher end components. (Jett FS, Fox Vanilla, 8spd gears, no name brakes) The rear swing arm should be disc compatible standard.
Similar Products Used:
Cannondales, Trek Half Suspensions
Bike Setup:
Factory except for Time ATAC clipless pedals. Check out www.trekbikes.com and Bike Finder Y3 2000.
Bottom Line:
It is a real keeper, but I am going to upgrade probably every component in the future. Trek needs to make the swing arm disc compatible.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ray
a Downhiller
from SF, CA. USA Date Reviewed: April 9, 2000
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Weaknesses:
front shocks
Similar Products Used:
fsr sport
Bike Setup:
stock
Bottom Line:
good bike same as the 99. front shock suck but frame is plush
$
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
