[_ALX_]

so i am new to the sport of mtb, and a friend of mine was selling an entry level bike, which i purchased from him. here are the specifications:

frame: 2006 Trek 4900
fork: rockshox J1
derailer rear: shimano LX (there are 8 gears at the rear)
derailer front: shimano acera (there are 3 gears at the front)
brakes: shimano LX (mineral oil disc)
shifter levers: alivio
cassette: sram 850
hubs: shimano 495
wheels: bontrager ranger
tires: bontrager acx jones
pedals: shimano 324


he also gave me tons of other info including seatpost length, model, stem mdoel... but i guess what I mentioned above ought to be enough for you to take a guess... he said that all the components are from march 2006 or newer.

i paid $450 for it... he was asking 500..

he said that he had tuned it up for me, but i took it to a bike shop anyways... and the bike shop dude told me that i paid too much for the bike... and there are many inferior components in the bike which wont last long. he told me that i should not take it to technical trails bcoz the bike may break down...

he says that i should return the bike and get a trek 6000 from the shop... I think its a marketing strategy, but you all would be a better judge of it.

so can you please help me find out if I got a lemon or not? he is my very good friend, so i have full faith in him, but the bike store dude got me thinking, bcoz after all, he is the "man" when it comes to bikes.... and I need a bike that will last for at least 4yrs

 

[jeremyp111]

If it's a 2006 model then I don't think you got ripped off at all. You could find a left over 2006 for just a bit over $500 if you look around so it depends on the condition of the bike you bought. IMO, you paid a fair price. Don't worry about the components for now. Just get out and ride and have fun. Components are going to wear out and break anyway so just replace them with better ones when the time comes. In the meantime, enjoy your ride!

J

 

[crazylax42]

yeah pretty good deal. Only thing you might need to replace are the front derailleur (doubt it), wheels(maybe not, depends on how hard you ride), and fork (if you feel like it). The disc brakes are an awesome edition anyway, and make up for the other stuff.

 

[dnlwthrn]

Yeah, you got a decent deal. What was the price the bike shop dude gave you on the 6000, or did he mention a price? The only downside is that the bike you bought won't have Trek's warantee (only for the original buyer, IIRC). The fork is pretty low-end, but otherwise I think its a good deal.

 

[_ALX_]

since i am a beginner (but i've been riding city bikes), im planning on hitting the intermediate singletrack trails with my friend... but im scared that i might end up breaking the bike.. coz i looked at the trails... its really rough.. no jumps though!

yep, its a 2006 model, and i would say that the condition is really good. he has another bike which he uses more... so this one was not used much, but he has been performing maintainence on 'em most of the time...

so should I pay any heed to the bike store guy?

boy am i glad that google was able to direct me to this forum!! thanks for the replies... please do keep them coming in, so that i can have the guts to take the bike out and hit the trails!

 

[Becane73]

Nothing wrong with the bike.
I would've tried to pay less (since he is your friend and all ), but $450 isn't a bad price. But if the shop can sell you a Trek 6000 for the same price I would take it.

 

[pixelninja]

I don't think you got ripped off. I think the sales person was looking to make a commission. Go have fun on your bike and try to find another shop.

 

[baddogg79]

I don't think you got ripped off. I think the sales person was looking to make a commission. Go have fun on your bike and try to find another shop.

I dont think you got ridded off either. The sales person was looking to make a buck. Find a better shop.

 

[_ALX_]

the bike store guy made me an offer for the trek 6000 for 620 bucks... and really insisted that I should get this. but based on the chart that was on display at the bike store, the LX is a better component than Deore (please do correct me if I am wrong).

The trek 6000 had deore levers and derailers... whereas the bike that I got from my friend has LX derailer, and alivio levers. Although the LX parts do have the "deore" written on it in small letters....

also, the brake on the 4900 looks better than the one on 6000... now I dont know much about brakes, but just by the looks, it seems that the LX might be a better brake system than the one on 6000....again- please correct me if i am wrong, because I am willing to learn a lot!

the bike store dude still has his offer open... is it too good to refuse?

 

[Rufudufus]

The guy at your LBS is a tool. I ran an Acera front derailler for years with no problem. My Alivio shifters eventually gave out, after several years of riding and racing. The shock has surprisingly good reviews on this site. It's heavy, but you probably can't hurt it.

Ride the hell out of it and find a different shop to work on it if you do break something. I would not trust that guy.

 

[pixelninja]

_ALX_ - Some bike shops pay their employees on commission and some don't. One of the major reasons I shop where I do is because they are not on commission. I know I can go in and talk to any of the employees and I won't get hassled to buy anything, and I know that when I buy something, I won't get pressured to upgrade ("Dude, that XT cassette is ok...I guess...but if you really want a quality product you should get this XTR")

Try shopping around for a different shop. I would if I were you. I don't know for sure that the sales person you talked to was on commission, but from what you wrote, I'd guess that he was. You can never get a straight answer from a commission sales person, simply because the money they make is directly tied into what you buy.

 

[_ALX_]

Thanks for teh replies! yep, i was definitely smelling a nasty marketing strategy by the sales guy... i know a couple of other shops, maybe give them a try. i went to this store because it was really big and shiny, and all bling- you know what i mean?

so pardon me if its obvious- but do the parts on the 4900 decent enough to put some trail abuse on them? and I dont mean jumping off a 20 feet cliff... more like 1-2 feet small jumps...

I know i might be asking a very basic/stupid question, but I am new, and I am an idiot when it comes to mountain bikes...

 

[baddogg79]

i think the only reason they were big, with all the nice stuff, is that they sell more/ripp off more people. With the stuff you got, i think you will be more than fine with some good trail riding. I had a crappy bike i paid $45 for and it lasted with me abusing it. Go out, ride, and have a blast:thumbsup:

 

[snaky69]

You paid a fair price. I have abused a similar bike for a year, and have broken everything on it, but if you're only trail riding it won't happen(I was jumping it and dropping it and 180ing all over the place so yeah, kind of my fault).

Have fun man, you have yourself a pretty nice bike. I hope you get bitten by the bug!

 

[gop427]

THat dude is a nipplehead. You got a good deal. My commuter bike is a 350 dollar schwinn, new, not used mtb. I haved had it for 2 years. Mainly ride it to work, but have put knobbies back on it to let friends ride it on the trails. I have replaced the cables, big deal! You're gonna love riding your bike, on any trail too. just wear a helmet and ride with in your limits. And hey, when stuff wears out you can upgrade it. But when that time happens, you might just want a totally different bike, who knows. GO RIDE, and tell that moron to get bent!

 

[LadyDi]

Go ride the heck outta this bike until:
a) it breaks
b) you're ready for your *next* bike.

Four years?? Oh yeah, right... you're new. Don't worry, your pending addiction will have that sensible budget flying out the window in way less than four years. :thumbsup:

 

[nachomc]

So you know on the Deore stuff (where you commented that Deore was written on the LX der.), Shimano has created a family of components, which are "Deore". They have Deore, Deore LX and Deore XT .

Thanks for teh replies! yep, i was definitely smelling a nasty marketing strategy by the sales guy... i know a couple of other shops, maybe give them a try. i went to this store because it was really big and shiny, and all bling- you know what i mean?

so pardon me if its obvious- but do the parts on the 4900 decent enough to put some trail abuse on them? and I dont mean jumping off a 20 feet cliff... more like 1-2 feet small jumps...

I know i might be asking a very basic/stupid question, but I am new, and I am an idiot when it comes to mountain bikes...

Yeah the parts on your bike are more than adequate for trail riding. Really with jumping and drops, the frame and wheels are what you're mostly concerned about. Unless you weigh 280lbs and are doing some decent drops, you shouldn't have any problems. The cool thing is that drivetrain components are relatively inexpensive, so as you go through a derailleur, you can upgrade it pretty significantly (like alivio -> lx or xt for example) and not drop a ton of money. Just get out and ride. Within a year or two, you'll know what you do and don't like about your bike, and, if you've spent some time reading around here, you'll know about what parts are economical to replace and when it's a good idea to pick up a new bike .

 

[_ALX_]

I weigh 170lbs, 6'0. Yeah, thanks to you all, I guess this bike will be enough to hit the trails and not worry about seeing what the bike is made of- tons of tiny little peices.

 

[anirban]

Your bike has an LX rear derailleur, LX brakeset, Alivio shifters, trusty 8-speed drivetrain- what the heck are you worried about!?!?!? Trust all of these guys... the bike is equipped to handle some of the messiest single track... LX is just a step down from XT- one of the most traditional MTB components, and it has trickle down technology from XTR- one of the most pioneering component series by Shimano.

I would recommend that you seriously look at a different LBS (Local Bike Shop). Dont worry about your Trek 4900- your bike is better than an entry level bike.. it can take a lot of abuse.. a great bike at a great price!! And you got LX hydraulics... I dont think they are stock component on the bike... thats really good!

And NO. you did not get ripped off. The Trek 6000 is selling for $600- and the only way its "better" than your bike is the frame material (a little lighter) and a 9 speed drivetrain. Your components are a level better than the ones on the 6000. If you do decide to return the 4900, let me know, I will buy it for 450!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pixelninja]

I weigh 170lbs, 6'0. Yeah, thanks to you all, I guess this bike will be enough to hit the trails and not worry about seeing what the bike is made of- tons of tiny little peices.

Ride fast, take chances.