Submitted by
eastbayrider
a Cross Country Rider
from Bay Area in sunny Cali Date Reviewed: October 1, 2008
Favorite Trail:
any thing fast
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$750.00
Purchased At:
Bikes 4 Life
Strengths:
Frame,price,climbes easy, components are good for the money.
Weaknesses:
The dart3's are way too soft if you are 200+lbs,seat is realy uncomfortable,grips are hard and uncomfortable,Jones xr tires.
Similar Products Used:
Giant something or other(it's been so long I can't remember)
Bike Setup:
Rock Shox Revelation 426,jones acxb tires,ritchey grips, shimano deore hydraulics w/185r,203f rotors, Crank Bros. mallet c pedals.
Bottom Line:
I baught this bike to get back in to riding after not owning a bike for 8yrs. After owning it for about a month I am very pleased with it's performance. If you are going to ride it hard plan on upgrades. The dart3 is ok if you don't intend to jump it or take it off any drops, especialy if you are heavy. I weight 210 and the small 2 foot drop on my local trails caused the fork to bottom. No biggie I like to upgrade, it's half the fun anyways. I didn't realy need to change the brakes to hydraulic, they had great power after I changed the rotors but I just wanted the cool factor. Change the tires out before leaving the shop if you plan on hitting the hills. The Xr tires are good if you like street riding(I don't) or flat trail riding. If this bike had better tires,seat,and grips I would have given all 5 chillies.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
osistlk
a Cross Country Rider
from Oaktov, VA, United States of America Date Reviewed: September 13, 2008
Favorite Trail:
West Virginia XC Champion Course
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$875.00
Purchased At:
The Bikelane
Strengths:
Strong Frame, Good Geometry, Decent Brakes, Solid Handlebar Setup, Great Stock Tires (Bontrager JXRs), X-5 Derailleurs are smooth and responsive...
Weaknesses:
Handlebar Grips are like rocks (replaced them), Brakes could be better, The Dart 3 is decent but for my needs I would like something better. The X-5 shifters are good but look like they are made of the cheapest material.
Similar Products Used:
Trek 4900 Alpha
Specialized Rock Hopper
Bike Setup:
Replaced the rear derailleur from an X-5 to an X-7, new handlebar grips, etc...
Bottom Line:
A great bike for someone who wants to start some serious XC riding, works great for some downhilling too. Overall it will provide for all your biking needs...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Portland, OR, USA Date Reviewed: August 28, 2008
Favorite Trail:
West Hills
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$750.00
Strengths:
Climbs hills well. Very good looking. I like the Dart 3 shock with lockout -- it handles bumps well.
Weaknesses:
A little heavy. Seats hurts the butt until you get used to it.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice bike. I did hope for a little more considering the money I spent. However, this bike does everything I need it to do and is a lot of fun. I can climb very steep hills without breaking a sweat.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jwallace378
a Weekend Warrior
from Bloomfield, NJ Date Reviewed: August 18, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Mill's
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$875.00
Purchased At:
Allwood Cycle
Strengths:
2009 model. Great frame. Good components. Good bike for someone who has some experience looking to upgrade.
Weaknesses:
Saddle is horrible. The Rock Shox Dart 3 hasn't impressed me.
Similar Products Used:
1996 GT Timberline hardtail.
Bike Setup:
Stock. Except new saddle. May get Time Atac pedals later on.
Bottom Line:
Good bike all around. The Rock Shox Dart 3's bottom out way too easy. Recommended to people with some experience looking to upgrade (like myself). So far so good.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ripper
a Weekend Warrior
from New Brelin PA Date Reviewed: August 16, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
Big Earls
Strengths:
Great looks,disc breaks,good handling,strong frame, and 27 gears is nice{not all of them work}.
Weaknesses:
Uncomfortanle seat,handlebar grips,front derailler grinds on some gears,
Similar Products Used:
None
Bottom Line:
Best your gonna get for under $1000. Big Step up from my old Haro v-24. Its very durable have ridden it pretty hard and so far soo good.There are a couple of cons such a the seat, grips, and front derailler but they are all things that can be fixed or replaced.I'm bot a serious rider so i wont be replacing anything.However i did get the seat reeplaced before i left the shop whitch was a big plus.Great nike get it!Won't have any regrets.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Philip
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston, Texas, USA Date Reviewed: August 6, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Barton Creek
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At:
Bike Sport
Strengths:
Strong frame. Good design. Matte black looks good and easy to clean. Disc brakes provide adequate breaking in all conditions and seem easier to maintain than hydraulic.
Weaknesses:
Chain, seat, tires.
Chain: Broke within a few months (at a very inconvenient time). May have been my fault due to my poor gear shifting. Replaced with Dura Ace (on sale) and now have more confidence on long rides. Also invested in a chain tool (Crank Bros. 17 multi).
Seat: Bontrager seat matches the bike but was too hard for a full day of riding. Replaced it with a low end WTB (Speed V). No longer a problem.
Tires: Tires were not very good at climbing and did not give much confidence on turns. Also they wore pretty quickly and seemed prone to flats. Replaced with Mythos XC II ($10 clearance @ Performance) and noticed a difference all around. The Mythos also seem slightly lighter.
Similar Products Used:
GT Timberline, Trek 4300.
Bike Setup:
Stock except for the:
Chain which I replaced with a Shimano Dura Ace.
Seat, which I replaced with WTB Speed V. Cheap replacement but sufficient.
Tires, which I replaced with Mythos XC II
Also added:
Lizard Skin chain stay guard. Recommend getting a chain stay guard. Chain will eventually scratch the sticker on the chain stay and the chain stay itself.
Cat Eye Strada Wireless Cyclocomputer
Bottom Line:
Dispite the above mentioned issues I truely enjoy this bike. Has held up in very rough conditions and looks good. Have received many compliments. The bike is relatively light and handles well. Changing out the tires will make a significant difference.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
mkrip14
a Weekend Warrior
from nj Date Reviewed: July 29, 2008
Favorite Trail:
fun run at plattekill
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$675.00
Purchased At:
cycle craft
Strengths:
great fork (dart 3). the shifters and derailluers are great. is perfect for cross country riding and it also survived plattekill.
Weaknesses:
tires wear out fast seat hurts on long rides
Similar Products Used:
columbia trailhead disc
Bike Setup:
stock
Bottom Line:
a real step up from my columbia. components are great and function well. does great on extremely rocky trails like at mills reservation in NJ. overall it suits me perfectly for the type of riding i do. (mostly cross country). aimed at the cross country rider.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
K-dub
a Cross Country Rider
from Coppell, Texas Date Reviewed: July 28, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Northshore Lake Grapevine
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Great Frame: its Trek's middle quality aluminum (alpha black). Sram X.5 shifiting is good. Good fork. I'm a fan of mechanical disc brakes because they are easy for maintenance and provide plenty of stopping power.
Weaknesses:
Grips, but is easily fixed by wearing a pair of gloves. Am considering upgrading to a better fork later.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Hardrock Sport.
Bike Setup:
Stock.
Bottom Line:
Get it. My old specialized was stolen, so I figured I would upgrade. I looked between this and the Gary Fisher Marlin disc and was won over by Trek's geometry and the better fork. It handles great and is fairly light. A good bike that loves to be ridden hard and often; it's for sure a good buy for anyone who wants a capable hardtail and is looking in this price range.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Rochester, New York Date Reviewed: May 29, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
BikeZone
Strengths:
Good geometry, sharp color (satin black), great climber
WTB Speed V saddle, Kona Wah Wah pedals, Cateye Micro Wireless computer, Bontrager semi-slicks
Bottom Line:
You get alot more bike for the money with Trek than you get with Specialized. Really nice geometry, great climber. I bought this as an upgrade from my 2004 Trek 4500 which was a great bike. This bike is even better. I can see upgrading components down the line but still a decent feature set for what I paid. Bike handles great on pavement, dirt and gravel trails. I changed out the Bontrager Jones ACX stock tires for Bontrager semi-slicks and they run great on all surfaces plus it's considerably less strenuous to pedal on harder surfaces and I picked up a few miles/hour. Fun bike, definately recommend!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Omar Rostro
a Weekend Warrior
from San Jose, CA - Johnson City, TN Date Reviewed: May 28, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Alum Rock,CA - Rock Creek,TN
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$630.00
Purchased At:
The BIKE SHOP
Strengths:
COLOR!- SATIN BLACK GREAT GEOMETRY! GOOD COMPONENTS! HANDLES EXTREMELY WELL!!!
Weaknesses:
THE SEAT! SLIGHTLY HEAVY
Similar Products Used:
GF-MARLIN DISK GIANT-YUKON, XTC3 GT- AVALANCHE EXPERT
Bike Setup:
STOCK
Bottom Line:
AWESOME BIKE FOR THE MONEY!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew Blakley
a Weekend Warrior
from winston-salem, nc Date Reviewed: May 22, 2008
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At:
Ken's bike shop
Strengths:
Good deal for the price. I like the color too but i got the red and white one...
Weaknesses:
after the first 50 miles I learned that the seat sucks, grips are too small for my big hands, not sure about the fork yet or not
Similar Products Used:
Rocky Mount reaper, Gary fisher wahoo
Bike Setup:
stock with new seat and grips on the way
Bottom Line:
I like it and I would but another
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
lindsey cantrell
a Weekend Warrior
from new river, nc, usa Date Reviewed: May 19, 2008
Favorite Trail:
brig trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$750.00
Purchased At:
the bike shop in jacksonville
Strengths:
Great for the price. Disc brakes, sram shifters, and a rockshox dart 3 fork.
Weaknesses:
A little heavy, but im a big rider so i need it.
Similar Products Used:
Cannondale, Marin, Diamondback
Bike Setup:
Changed tires(wider), got crankbro pedals, added bontrager fenders(muddy out here.
Bottom Line:
Well worth the money. Looks awesome in black, the fork is great for a inexpensive bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Lefner
a Weekend Warrior
from Flower Mound, Texas Date Reviewed: May 15, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Grapevine Rockledge park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At:
Local bike store
Strengths:
Nice frame to start component upgrades, flat black paint also looks cool.
Weaknesses:
Try to get a new seat thrown in before you leave the bike shop. Components make the bike a little heavy. The brakes make some noise when they are wet.
Similar Products Used:
Cannondale SM 800, Specialized Stumpjumper
Bike Setup:
Still original except for seat replaced with a Vetta.
Bottom Line:
Good bike if you are a weekend trail rider, no upgrades needed except for the seat. If you are a more serious rider I would buy this bike for the frame if you plan to upgrade the components later. I have abused this bike for three months and can say it has held up very well. When you get used to the shifters (it took me two rides) they work very well, I have actually grown to like them. I am pleased with this purchase and would recommend it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
frank armstrong
a Cross Country Rider
from kingston, ontario, canada Date Reviewed: April 21, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Kingdom Trails
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$350.00
Purchased At:
East Burke Sports
Strengths:
Decent bike more money
Weaknesses:
Dart One forks suck in cold weather
Similar Products Used:
Kona Blast
Bike Setup:
stock with Marzocchi XC 600
Bottom Line:
I got this bike a summer old in great shape. Not sure if the Dart One forks were screwed or just sucked in the first place. Buying a bike used is a good idea, as long as there are no hidden problems, then replace the crap forks with some good ones sold at JensonUSA.com, which rocks! I'm an intermediate rider who is just getting comfortable with jumps and drops and mainly ride on fast single track. This bike is perfect for me, although the new shocks were essential to my happiness.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
William
a Cross Country Rider
from Alaska Date Reviewed: April 15, 2008
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$730.00
Purchased At:
The Bike Shop
Strengths:
Sturdy frame that takes a beating. Great entry level bike for the money.
Weaknesses:
A little heavy, Saddle is uncomfortable, takes awhile to get use to different shifting. Front forks are a little weak for this bike.
Bike Setup:
Stock bike for now (Metallic Orange/black paint). Plan to upgrade with misc. items when money is available.
Bottom Line:
This last summer I put over 3,000 trail/road miles (several crashes) on the bike with only minor problems. I haven't made any changes but plan on changing my tires, front forks and chain (Heavier duty)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ciaran Brown
a Weekend Warrior
from Rochester Date Reviewed: March 29, 2008
Favorite Trail:
dryer road
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
Towpath
Strengths:
Looks good,Love the gemoetry turns great
Weaknesses:
x5 but what can u expect for the $
Similar Products Used:
giant yukon,felt rxc,felt q720
Bike Setup:
same accept i put a new saddle on
Bottom Line:
if you dont want to spend over 1000 on ure bike u should buy this bike. it is the best bike for its money if u are looking to do singletrack/xc and even some drops ive taken mine off 5 foot drops to flat and it is still fine.
To the guy who complained about the thumb triggers i actualy like them alot more then normal ones and ure jsut retarted if u cant figure out the shifting
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Colum
a Weekend Warrior
from Londonderry, NH Date Reviewed: March 23, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Back of schools
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$750.00
Strengths:
Great colour. lightweight
Weaknesses:
Saddle gives you meaning to the word saddlesore. Gear shifters work differently on front and back. My previous Trek, a 6500 used the thumb to shift up and forefinger to shift down. This one uses thumb only and on the right it is small lever to shift up and large to shift down. On the left it is the opposite. this is very confusing and counter intuitive. They also get in the way when trying to hold the handlebars for a normal ride.
Similar Products Used:
Gary Fisher. Trek 6500
Bike Setup:
Easy
Bottom Line:
For the money, it is disappointing
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
EL
a Weekend Warrior
from Daytona, Fl., USA Date Reviewed: March 21, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Several
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
Bike One
Strengths:
Great price, disc brakes excellent, nice frame
Weaknesses:
SRAM X-5 barely adequate, some noise can detected on lower gears due to imperfect alignment of chain saddle not too comfortable
Similar Products Used:
Raleigh X-40
Bike Setup:
Black Aluminum, Factory Trek 6000 Disc Brakes setup, no upgrades
Bottom Line:
Very nice entry level Mountain bike for consumers looking for a sub-$1000 bike. Wished that this bike was just a little lighter in weight but its not a major complaint. Will probably need to upgrade derailer and saddle in the future.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Aleksis Kincaid
a Weekend Warrior
from Duluth, Minnesota, USA Date Reviewed: March 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Hartley Trails
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
Scheels
Strengths:
Sturdy frame, takes a beating, brakes work great even when wet (though they will throw you an ear pitching scream at times if they're wet)
Weaknesses:
My chain broke very quickly, had to get a heavier chain, also after only one small fall my derailleur had to be re-adjusted, but otherwise the bike has held up well.
Similar Products Used:
This was my first true mountain bike, before this I had some old Huffy.
Bike Setup:
Stock
Bottom Line:
It's a good bike, it can take a beating and muscle through it, it's not the lightest but it's not the worst for weight either (I can do shoulder exercises with it). If you're getting into MTB like me, then it's a good start-up bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steven
a Weekend Warrior
from Seoul, Korea Date Reviewed: March 8, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Various: plenty to choose from in Seoul
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1100.00
Purchased At:
Power MTB
Strengths:
light weight, handles very well, smooth and strong brakes, overall balance, looks great.
Weaknesses:
squeaky noise coming from disks, (shimano deore, unable to remedy after 2 return trips to shop), shifter/derailleur (shimano deore XT) not smooth in all gears, crank seems run-of-the-mill.
Similar Products Used:
merida 900 XC
Bike Setup:
see above
Bottom Line:
initial satisfaction a bit tempered due to the squeaky noise emitting from the disks, gear shifter and crank might warrant an upgrade. would have preferred the merida 900 XC, but i can live with this. good value, compared to what else i looked at in the same price range in korea (bikes are a bit pricier here). have enjoyed knocking about in it, and will be some time until i can afford an upgrade. still a good choice overall.
$
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
