If you like the bike and it's not giving you problems, it's just fine. My buddy recently bought a 4300 for himself and a 3900 for his wife. He is very pleased with both bikes. He joins me on beginner and intermediate rides and the bike has held up just fine. He is not as fit as I am and the bike can't take the same beating a $2000-$4000 bike can, but he's not going on crazy trails and doesn't have that kind fo budget. Hope this helps...

- Chris

 

My friend keeps telling me that my Trek 4300 is a piece of crap and that i should just sell it and get a new bike. i payed about $400 for it and im wondering is it worth selling or is it a decent bike. its got a 15.5" frame and im about 5'5". im pretty new to the sport. does anyone think its a good bike for me?

I bought the 4300 in '03 and the bike always served me well. But the shock was complete crap and the components were low level. I basically went cheap at first just to make sure that I was gonna enjoy mtb'ing before I bought a serious bike. This year though I definitley needed an upgrade and bought a new bike. The 4300 is fine, but there are also alot better bikes out there. It all depends basically on how much money you have, what type of riding you do, and what is important to you. If the bike is treating you good and you like it, then keep it. Forget what your friend says. What if he told you to jump off a bridge lol.

 

pretty much its border line, for trek's real (trail worthy) bikes just run it into the ground and do some basic maintenance and it will treat you good..

 

pretty much its border line, for trek's real (trail worthy) bikes just run it into the ground and do some basic maintenance and it will treat you good..

Very true, mine always held up pretty good on the trails. What I hated about the bike though was the shock (mine came with an insync grind 323), and I sometimes had probs with the Alivio shifters.

 

See what most people do is look at the components on the 4300, yes true they suck monkey testis, but what you should be really looking at is the frame. I have an 05 4300, the Kick a$$ orange & grey one. I love the frame, I couldn't give a darn about the components, it's the frame I was after. Like most people who buy a 4300 I was on a budget, still am, but the frame has potential. The frame is built with the same Trek quality as any of their Alpha alum bikes.

If you like the way the bike rides, and it fits you good, I would suggest that you save up abit of cash, and get yourself a serious case of upgradeitis and go nuts. It may be more expensive then just buying another bike, but I feel the 4300 has something to prove to the haters and the doubters, and I want to help it prove it.

 

See what most people do is look at the components on the 4300, yes true they suck monkey testis, but what you should be really looking at is the frame. I have an 05 4300, the Kick a$$ orange & grey one. I love the frame, I couldn't give a darn about the components, it's the frame I was after. Like most people who buy a 4300 I was on a budget, still am, but the frame has potential. The frame is built with the same Trek quality as any of their Alpha alum bikes.

If you like the way the bike rides, and it fits you good, I would suggest that you save up abit of cash, and get yourself a serious case of upgradeitis and go nuts. It may be more expensive then just buying another bike, but I feel the 4300 has something to prove to the haters and the doubters, and I want to help it prove it.

I owned an 03 4300. I liked the bike but my skills quickly outgrew the bike. I would say, if you can afford it, spend a few more bucks and go for the 6500, 0r the 6700. They both have a better frame than the 4300 and much better component package. They use the slr frame instead of the sl frame. It has thinner tubing which obviously makes for a lighter more responsive bike.

 

One more thing. The fork on my 4300 was complete and total crap. I had the grind 323 on mine. I'm not sure if that is still the fork that comes on the 4300, but if it is then be careful. I was lucky enough to have my friend give me a better shock to put on my bike at the time. If not then I would have been screwed on my purchase. What a pos that damn fork was.

 

We all have had our "first" mountain bikes that were not exactly the cream of the crop. However, they were all great bikes for cutting your teeth in this sport. Mine was a '95 Mongoose Switchback, 21 speeds with over the bar thumb shifters. It had no shock. I ended up putting a Rock Shox Quadra 21R on the bike. After three seasons, it was clapped out and I upgraded to a higher end hardtail. The skills I learned on that bike translated well once I began riding a "real" mountain bike (a Klein Pulse Comp).

I'd get more seat time and wear the bike out. At that point, you should go ahead and upgrade. Don't listen to your friend. If he told you to jump off a bridge would you? (Sorry, my parents used that on me too many times)!

 

I just bought a 4300 for my first mountain bike too. I ride sportbikes (motorcycles) and I've spent too much money on them, so my wife and my wallet really limited my choice of mountain bikes.
So far it has been great. I dont really know what I'm doing yet but I have taken it out with my more experienced freinds (on more expensive bikes) and it has done fine for me. My first upgrade will be clipless pedals and some shoes, then I'll start maybe knocking some weight off of it.
If the frame holds up we should be fine for a while. Has anyone out there ever damaged one of these frames? I dont go off of any real drops but do ride some pretty aggresive trails here in So. California, real rocky and etc. Any input would be appreciated.
Shawn.

 

I just bought a 4300 for my first mountain bike too. I ride sportbikes (motorcycles) and I've spent too much money on them, so my wife and my wallet really limited my choice of mountain bikes.
So far it has been great. I dont really know what I'm doing yet but I have taken it out with my more experienced freinds (on more expensive bikes) and it has done fine for me. My first upgrade will be clipless pedals and some shoes, then I'll start maybe knocking some weight off of it.
If the frame holds up we should be fine for a while. Has anyone out there ever damaged one of these frames? I dont go off of any real drops but do ride some pretty aggresive trails here in So. California, real rocky and etc. Any input would be appreciated.
Shawn.

The frame on the 4300 should hold up fine. Depending on how you ride, and how agressive the trails are, you might have to replace parts as they break or wear out, but's that's probably about it. I'm gonna pretty much guarantee that the front fork won't hold up to much abuse though. I used to be able to bottom my fork out on my 4300 riding on paved roads lol. All in all it's a good bike to get started on in my opinion. I say definitley go clipless though. I have a brand new set of shimano clipless sitting around if you are interested as well as some other parts that I removed from my trek 6700 when I bought it. They are all higher end components than you get on the 4300. Msg me if you are interested.

 

Im getting the same bike this week but if they dont have it in stock, what bikes are comparabl e to the 4300 thats in the same price range and performance? ty.

 

Im getting the same bike this week but if they dont have it in stock, what bikes are comparabl e to the 4300 thats in the same price range and performance? ty.

Take a look at the specialized hardrock. This is also a good bike to get started on. I used to ride a friends hardrock once in a while and it was a decent bike. There are different levels of performance on specialized bikes but the base model of that bike should be under 400 dollars.

 

Take a look at the specialized hardrock. This is also a good bike to get started on. I used to ride a friends hardrock once in a while and it was a decent bike. There are different levels of performance on specialized bikes but the base model of that bike should be under 400 dollars.

tnx. i read the reviews for the specialized hardrock sport(499cad) and they're all saying it's a great bike and that the frame is really good. but the components are mediocre. the trek 4300 also has a good frame but between the two which do u think has better parts? the specialized look better though.

 

Who cares...

... the question is who is the better rider. If you can hang with your friend on his better bike, then he should be the one who is insecure. There's always someone out there with a better bike... get over it and just ride

-BD

 

I started on a Trek 4500 a couple years ago and beat the crap out of it and it held up great--and I'm no small guy at 5'10" and 230lbs. It's a great bike for the money. Plus, with a lifetime warranty on the frame, how can you go wrong? Sure the components aren't top notch, but what do you expect for $400. Just ride it until you feel your skills require an upgrade, then save your $$ and go FS. I think that's what most people do and it makes sense. I upgraded to FS after a year on the 4500, but I still keep it around.

Now, 2 years later, add some extra cash and boredom and my '02 4500 is super upgraded. The only stock part left is the frame. I don't recommend dumping upgrade money into it from the start, instead save your cash for a better bike. I'm just saying that with a lifetime frame warranty, why not keep it around for awhile. It's a good sturdy frame. Plus, back when I bought mine, almost all the Trek HT frames were the same material. You spent your $$ wisely, now enjoy the bike and keep it around for awhile.

As for the difference between the 4300 and the Spec Hardrock Sport, I think they are pretty equal. I don't think you could go wrong with either bike. Don't rule out other makes and models though. Test ride everything in your price range and make your decision based on that. Try not to go into the shop set on a certain bike without riding it first. It's good to have an idea of what you want, but remember to keep an open mind. Buy whichever bike feels the best. A bike that you enjoy riding will keep you riding it. Nothing kills your motivation like having to ride a bike your not comfortable on.

 

I think its a decent bike in that price range

 

As for the difference between the 4300 and the Spec Hardrock Sport, I think they are pretty equal. I don't think you could go wrong with either bike. Don't rule out other makes and models though. Test ride everything in your price range and make your decision based on that. Try not to go into the shop set on a certain bike without riding it first. It's good to have an idea of what you want, but remember to keep an open mind. Buy whichever bike feels the best. A bike that you enjoy riding will keep you riding it. Nothing kills your motivation like having to ride a bike your not comfortable on.

tnx. i guess both are good entry-level bikes and can't go wrong with either one.

 

tnx. i read the reviews for the specialized hardrock sport(499cad) and they're all saying it's a great bike and that the frame is really good. but the components are mediocre. the trek 4300 also has a good frame but between the two which do u think has better parts? the specialized look better though.

With either of those 2 bikes, you really can't go wrong. It all comes down to which one fits you better. You can only find this out by giving em a test ride. To be honest, if it was me I'd try to save a up just a few more dollars and go for the trek 4900 or the 6500. The 6500 has the SLR frame which is lighter and uses thinner tubing. My lbs sells the 6500 for $699 US. One thing i regret is not buying a better bike from the start, when i got into mtb'ing 2 years ago. I outgrew that 4300 so quick it wasn't even funny. But if you don't wanna spend the extra cash then test ride as many bikes as you can find in your price range and buy the one that feels the best. Good luck.