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The Trek Mamba is not worthy!

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#81 ·
jroberts1968 said:
I have 2013 Mamba I chose it for he frame and fit. I also am going to upgrade over a 12 month time line. Trek has it as enterary level for reason it's to upgrade and build around. I have purchased expensive bikes with high end components and find the mix and match not to my liking and this can be said for a sub 1000.00 or a 5000.00 ride. So now I buy the enterary and buy here and there to get what I want. This issue you encountered is not just bikes its most retail stores these days. I'm in the gun business FFL / SOT I see it all the time.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
I support this statement.

I hate douche-y LBS's! I don't know why bike shops think they can be ridiculously mean and still maintain business. What would life be like if grocery stores and all other regular "every day" stores acted like that? I don't think it would be accepted.

/rant
 
#82 ·
Hi there I live in Thailand. The trails here are single track, quite hilly and rocky and I own a 2013 TREK MAMBA that I upgraded with a complete Shimano XT drive train and DT Swiss 1600 tires and DT Swiss XMM 100 SS fork. I love this bike, it can take on just about anything I or the trail throw at it and it weighs less than 28LB after these upgrades even though it is a 21" frame. I frequently leave riding buddies on much more FS bikes in the dust even though they are more experienced than I and even after going at it with full force for 3 hours or more it leaves me wanting more. Maybe one day in the future I will buy a new higher spec frame and move all the parts and keep my Mamba for commuter duty or taking friends up to the trails but for now I could not imagine having a better bike for the money I spent on it
 
#83 ·
jroberts1968 said:
I have 2013 Mamba I chose it for he frame and fit. I also am going to upgrade over a 12 month time line. Trek has it as enterary level for reason it's to upgrade and build around. I have purchased expensive bikes with high end components and find the mix and match not to my liking and this can be said for a sub 1000.00 or a 5000.00 ride. So now I buy the enterary and buy here and there to get what I want. This issue you encountered is not just bikes its most retail stores these days. I'm in the gun business FFL / SOT I see it all the time.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
I just signed up on this forum based on this post alone. Been a lurker for over a year (used info to help with my first MTB). Now it's time to replace/upgrade the BB on my 2013 Trek Mamba (already upgraded almost everything else -rides like a dream).

I can say from experience that the Mamba frame is most definitely worth upgrading! Although I just ordered the 2014 Trek Fuel EX 7 29er, all the Mamba upgrades are going on it till I can afford to re-upgrade the Mamba. It's definitely my go-to bike for the less challenging trails!
 
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#84 ·
Torsten said:
Hi there I live in Thailand. The trails here are single track, quite hilly and rocky and I own a 2013 TREK MAMBA that I upgraded with a complete Shimano XT drive train and DT Swiss 1600 tires and DT Swiss XMM 100 SS fork. I love this bike, it can take on just about anything I or the trail throw at it and it weighs less than 28LB after these upgrades even though it is a 21" frame. I frequently leave riding buddies on much more FS bikes in the dust even though they are more experienced than I and even after going at it with full force for 3 hours or more it leaves me wanting more. Maybe one day in the future I will buy a new higher spec frame and move all the parts and keep my Mamba for commuter duty or taking friends up to the trails but for now I could not imagine having a better bike for the money I spent on it
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+1
Trek really did an excellent job with that frame.
 
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#85 ·
I purchased a 2013 Trek Mamba back in June. I was told to break in the Hayes Disc brakes before doing any riding off road by riding and pumping the brakes about 20 times. No problem, done. I did one XC trail (flat) network around the first of July, all is well. Repeated same trails but around the 15th of July. Great bike, great handling.

We decided to do some DH at Mount Snow. I decided to try my bike and loved it. I was one of the very few 29ers out there. If anybody here knows the trails, the bike was used on #7 and #9. I noticed after two runs a "burning smell". I figured it was the brakes and it was normal. They stopped fine. After the 4th run they started to squeal, but still stop. Trail #7 is a 2.5 mile gravity run and #9 is also gravity but has jumps. Only did two cautious runs on it.

Fast forward to last Saturday. By now, I'm confident on the bike and am going at a faster speed on trail #7. I'm using the brakes a little less. I still got the squeal, as they heat up.

As of Sunday, I have logged 32 miles of downhill biking according to their tracking app and I decide to bring to the bike shop for the free tuneup. I told the tech about the squealling of the brakes.

I get a call today and I burnt the rear brakes. I need a new disc and "pad" or whatever is in the caliper. I originally thought maybe I should just have them upgrade the front / rear discs to something better. I then started to think to myself, these are the Hayes Dyno Sport Hydraulic Disc Brakes and shouldn't they be able to handle a 160lb rider for 32 miles of biking down a "introductory trail"? I estimate 4 miles were on #9 and the rest #7.

Any thought on the brakes?

Overall, the bike rocks - very stable on the rocks, straights, and burms.
 
#86 ·
VTbound said:
I purchased a 2013 Trek Mamba back in June. I was told to break in the Hayes Disc brakes before doing any riding off road by riding and pumping the brakes about 20 times. No problem, done. I did one XC trail (flat) network around the first of July, all is well. Repeated same trails but around the 15th of July. Great bike, great handling.

We decided to do some DH at Mount Snow. I decided to try my bike and loved it. I was one of the very few 29ers out there. If anybody here knows the trails, the bike was used on #7 and #9. I noticed after two runs a "burning smell". I figured it was the brakes and it was normal. They stopped fine. After the 4th run they started to squeal, but still stop. Trail #7 is a 2.5 mile gravity run and #9 is also gravity but has jumps. Only did two cautious runs on it.

Fast forward to last Saturday. By now, I'm confident on the bike and am going at a faster speed on trail #7. I'm using the brakes a little less. I still got the squeal, as they heat up.

As of Sunday, I have logged 32 miles of downhill biking according to their tracking app and I decide to bring to the bike shop for the free tuneup. I told the tech about the squealling of the brakes.

I get a call today and I burnt the rear brakes. I need a new disc and "pad" or whatever is in the caliper. I originally thought maybe I should just have them upgrade the front / rear discs to something better. I then started to think to myself, these are the Hayes Dyno Sport Hydraulic Disc Brakes and shouldn't they be able to handle a 160lb rider for 32 miles of biking down a "introductory trail"? I estimate 4 miles were on #9 and the rest #7.

Any thought on the brakes?

Overall, the bike rocks - very stable on the rocks, straights, and burms.
Click to expand...
I recently (four months ago) upgraded to Shimano SLX brakes cause the stock brakes suck. Haven't had a problem since. In fact, I'm putting them on my new bike when it arrives.
 
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#87 ·
That's what the bike shop suggested. I priced out front & rear and it's about $300 with labor. To rent a downhill MTB is $70 for a full suspension for the day. I only plan on maybe 4 times a season doing it.

Not sure if the upgrade is really worth it as the bike takes a beating and $70 to use a DH bike and walk away with no maintenance or repair issues is worth it.
 
#88 ·
BlueSky has SLX fronts for 70 rears for 90. Put them on yourself, at least the front.
But extended downhill runs Could benefit from the Icetech rotors and possibly moving up in size, even with the best brakes.
 
#89 ·
VTbound said:
I purchased a 2013 Trek Mamba back in June. I was told to break in the Hayes Disc brakes before doing any riding off road by riding and pumping the brakes about 20 times. No problem, done. I did one XC trail (flat) network around the first of July, all is well. Repeated same trails but around the 15th of July. Great bike, great handling.

We decided to do some DH at Mount Snow. I decided to try my bike and loved it. I was one of the very few 29ers out there. If anybody here knows the trails, the bike was used on #7 and #9. I noticed after two runs a "burning smell". I figured it was the brakes and it was normal. They stopped fine. After the 4th run they started to squeal, but still stop. Trail #7 is a 2.5 mile gravity run and #9 is also gravity but has jumps. Only did two cautious runs on it.

Fast forward to last Saturday. By now, I'm confident on the bike and am going at a faster speed on trail #7. I'm using the brakes a little less. I still got the squeal, as they heat up.

As of Sunday, I have logged 32 miles of downhill biking according to their tracking app and I decide to bring to the bike shop for the free tuneup. I told the tech about the squealling of the brakes.

I get a call today and I burnt the rear brakes. I need a new disc and "pad" or whatever is in the caliper. I originally thought maybe I should just have them upgrade the front / rear discs to something better. I then started to think to myself, these are the Hayes Dyno Sport Hydraulic Disc Brakes and shouldn't they be able to handle a 160lb rider for 32 miles of biking down a "introductory trail"? I estimate 4 miles were on #9 and the rest #7.

Any thought on the brakes?

Overall, the bike rocks - very stable on the rocks, straights, and burms.
Click to expand...
Rotors can overheat, especially on extended downhill riding. Even a mile of solid on could easily overheat the rotor. The issue is that the rotor can warp but it can also glaze over. You could assess for yourself if the rotor is warped as it will have an out of true section that you can't bend back into shape. Or multiple out of true sections. You can ride a warped rotor but it will cause uneven wear to your pads. You pads most certainly glazed, which is what happens to them when they over heat and the resins and such melt out and foul the pads. Those would need to be replaced no matter what.

if the rotor is straight I would suggest lightly sanding the braking surface with some fine sand paper or emery paper and then, with new pads, breaking in the rotor again as you did in the beginning. This will bed in the new surface and should eliminate the rotor sounds.

As far as braking technique, it sounds as if you have learned to use you brakes less or for shorter bursts at a time which is good. If extended descending is in your future you could easily invest in a larger front rotor 180mm for better modulation and braking power all around. You could also easily replace your pads and rotors if needed by yourself. they are simple replacements and the instructions are available online.

I would still ensure that your rotor are in fact warp and not just glazed. Removing them and laying them on a flat surface will tell you all you need to know. You might also only need to replace your rear if you were dragging it or the front if you rode it for a lot of the early runs.
 
#90 ·
The LBS was going to sand but said they couldn't. Bike is in their possession.
When I pick up I'll find out exactly what was done.

I'm going back and forth about upgrade vs. renting a DH bike when I go DH riding.
 
#91 ·
VTbound said:
The LBS was going to sand but said they couldn't. Bike is in their possession.
When I pick up I'll find out exactly what was done.

I'm going back and forth about upgrade vs. renting a DH bike when I go DH riding.
Click to expand...
Renting a DH bike is way cheaper than replacing parts.
 
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#92 ·
People will always say to not upgrade an entry level frame. Sure these come on $600 Marlins they also come on $1200 Cobias and Xcals. I've upgraded EVERYTHING on my Mamba other than the shifters and FD. Literally everything else is upgraded and I love the bike. Do what you want with your money.

Best upgrades were a good air fork and a wheel set tubeless IMO. Then the brakes. Everything else is more personal, cockpit, etc.
 
#93 ·
The Trek store by me (which a buddy of mine runs) has a couple mechanics with good attitudes, and it's really refreshing. The reason I know the guy that runs it is I worked in fitness equipment retail management with him. I also was in appliance sales and mgmt. The reason I mention this is that the bike shop "smarter than you attitude" needs to go, quick, because in this economy a LOT of people have worked sales.

Bad attitudes galore at many bike shops, and I'm just being honest when I say the last couple WOMEN I have dealt with were a couple of the worst. One was totally rude in person, the other passed me off to a guy on the phone when I asked her if she had a Specialized RH pro on the floor.. Dude seemed cool, but Specialized and that bike shop lost a sale because of her. The other naggy lady was at theTrek store where I brought my girl to buy a bike. Weird. Do they think they look smarter the ruder they act? Yes, and a lot of society thinks this today, because they are actually dumber because of technology. But you can't go to the movies with your GF on your cpu, so some industries being rude is not as damaging as others. Basically, bike shops (and even rude vendors) are losing sales.. They are hurting business.. Get some friendlier, knowledgeable staff in these places please. Don't think people don't know when you are ripping them off LBS's, you aren't that smart (at all) and other people have worked sales too. you are just losing future sales up the wazoo..

EDIT: I test rode a Mamba this year. The Hayes brakes would not lock up. The v-brakes on my Aspect lock up easy. Just saying.
 
#95 ·
I think it's the responsibility of the store owner/manager to promote business in an ethical way. Unfortunately in our bad economy, lots of folks are looking to save and sometimes purchasing through the LBS is just not the best choice. So, in some bike shops, they cultivate the attitude that if it's not store bought it's not worth their time. Worst of all is when they try to push their product on you. I stay away from these places. In the end it's my choice where I buy, not theirs. The smart shops welcome any and all business under the premise that a good relationship with the customer will eventually lead to many future sales. Be it parts or even a future bike. Either way they're making some money off you. I just paid a pretty penny to have my bike put together by a LBS. The guy was real knowledgeable, cordial, and had no problem whatsoever that the bike and its parts were not store bought !! Even gave me a brake on some of the work he did on my build. They'll be getting my business frequently just because they had awesome CS !!
 
#96 ·
I wouldn't recommend the mamba for extended DHing but one thing u can do is up the dia. of the rotors if u decide to upgrade.
 
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#98 ·
With regards to the Hayes brakes. When I bought my 2013, they felt sufficient, but after maybe 4-5 rides of mixed climbing and some pretty fast trails coming back down, they started having almost no stopping power, especially the rear, and making quite a bit of noise. I'm 270lbs so I would imagine it takes a lot to stop me at speed. I took it in to the Trek store for a look at. I think they just bled the brakes as it didn't look like they changed anything. I've been on 4 rides since and they still feel great, lots of power, and they seem to be getting better. I'm hoping they stay this way as they seem to be performing pretty darn good. I would say if you buy this bike and the brakes aren't feeling up to snuff, it might be worth having someone who knows them well to give them a good run through. I will see how thing go for a while before I bother with swapping them out. I was ready to get the SLX, but now, I don't think it's necessary.
 
#99 ·
The ///Man said:
With regards to the Hayes brakes. When I bought my 2013, they felt sufficient, but after maybe 4-5 rides of mixed climbing and some pretty fast trails coming back down, they started having almost no stopping power, especially the rear, and making quite a bit of noise. I'm 270lbs so I would imagine it takes a lot to stop me at speed. I took it in to the Trek store for a look at. I think they just bled the brakes as it didn't look like they changed anything. I've been on 4 rides since and they still feel great, lots of power, and they seem to be getting better. I'm hoping they stay this way as they seem to be performing pretty darn good. I would say if you buy this bike and the brakes aren't feeling up to snuff, it might be worth having someone who knows them well to give them a good run through. I will see how thing go for a while before I bother with swapping them out. I was ready to get the SLX, but now, I don't think it's necessary.
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The modulation you get with the XT brakes is worth the upgrade.
I ended up selling my entire old parts off the Mamba for 750.00 on Craig's List. I love my bike now. It rides like a dream.

Jim
 
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#100 ·
KEITH21 said:
So I called the LBS to find out if someone could tell me if a set of cranks would work in my Trek Mamba. The guy on the phone says "what do you want to upgrade the cranks for? The Trek Mamba frame is not worthy of upgrades. Usually people just trade in their bike and get half their money back and upgrade the whole bike. Any bike that runs less than $1000 isnt worthy enough to upgrade." Then he says if your buying online then im not making a penny and I was waisting his time. Same place I have purchased two bikes and quite a few accessories from. I am quickly learning to buy upgrades online and do the work myself. :)
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What a jerk!
 
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