Mountain Biking - 06 Trek 4300 or 06 Specialized Hardrock Sport

Hi guys new here to the forum, I'm gonna be bike trailing soon and I'm gonna need a bike thats fir for it. I visited my LBS twice already and have narrowed it down to these 2 bikes after the rep showed me a couple others, the Trek 4300 or the Specialized Hardrock sport. I cant decide which one since I have no clue which component is more superior than the other. I know Shimano and Srams are top of the line brands but I have no clue on the other brands on the other components of the bike. I did lots of search but got mixed results. My LBS is selling the Trek 4300 for $369 plus tax and the Specialized Hardrock sport for $339. Why is the Hardrock sport cheaper than the 4300 when most post in the board reccommended the Hardrock?
Did Trek upgrade the components from previous years model ?

OT and im sorry....but i read your name as "cockjam" for some reason the first time :D

OT and im sorry....but i read your name as "cockjam" for some reason the first time :D


errr....

I would go with the Specialized Hardrock Sport i just got mine around 3 months ago and i love it! It was worth every penny!!!

I would go with the Specialized Hardrock Sport i just got mine around 3 months ago and i love it! It was worth every penny!!!

This is a Coke or Pepsi question. These bikes are very similar. Pick the one that feels and/or looks better.

This is a Coke or Pepsi question. These bikes are very similar. Pick the one that feels and/or looks better.

That pretty much sums it up for me. I was deciding between the 2, and got the Trek. Just liked the look a little more. They both have pretty much the same RST fork, which for me was too stiff, so I upgraded it to a Rock Shox . And then upgraded the brakes to Avid just for fun. I probably could have went for a higher model considering the extra money, but I have fun working with bikes. The Hardrock was selling for only $10 less at my LBS, that was retail prices. Not sure why your LBS has it $30 lower. I am pretty happy with the Trek, feels strong, fits me right.

http://home.comcast.net/~silverls1gto/trek4300.jpg

Are there any "huge" difference from the previous years ??? performance-wise or looks ???

i have a 04 hardrock, i like it...specialized maeks nice bikes, but its about how good it feels when u ride it...

I've ridden both. I own a 4300 but recently when I went to the LBS to ride a Rockhopper I also rode the Hardrock. Component wise and quality wise they are both nearly identical in every way. There will be people on here that claim otherwise but it will simply be their brand preference showing thru.

The 4300 attempts to mirror a more typical XC bike, while the Hardrock is a bit more urban, all around trail/street bike. I liked them both to be completely honest.

One solid piece of advise I can give you is NOT to do what I did. I started looking at Walmart, then went to Dick's and actually bought a Diamondback Outlook, then traded that in three days later on a Diamondback Response, then 4 days later took THAT back and went to the LBS. By then the $300+ Trek 4300 felt like a GREAT bike and I bought it with joy. In all honestly it is a good solid bike. BUT, here I am a year later test riding Rockhoppers, Tassaharas, and Hoo Koo E Koos. I bought less bike and while I never went thru all out buyers remorse, I definitely want better and lighter already. I made the mistake of riding the low Rockhopper with the Rockshox J3 fork, which in all reality is a very low end fork. I was blown away. The difference between the J3 and the RST G5 and T6 on the Hardrock was amazing. The RST shocks felt bouncy, had very slow rebound, and as much as I hate to say it, flat out sucked. Even a shock the quality of the J3 made them feel horrible. So I'm scared to death for my wallet to ride a "real fork".

Spend lots of time investigating not only the bikes you want, but also similar priced bikes. If you do a search on "4300" you're gonna get lots of positive feedback from 4300 owners in the return. Just the same you'll get positive results on Hardrock by searching "Hardrock". A lot of people in here pimp the Hardrock having never ridden one, but it's the "cool" thing to do so they do. Ride all the bikes in the price range, find which one you not only feel comfortable on, but also confident on. As much as I hate the phrase "at that price range the bikes are the same", unfortuantely it's true. Enjoy the hunt for your bike. The more you like it the longer you can stay heathly of the upgradeitis that infects everyone eventually.

Good luck, and enjoy!

Oh, and you already know what they look like, but here's mine with a few small changes (wheels, brakes, levers, shifters, stem, etc..)


http://www.gorsar.com/bike/images/4300_109.jpg

I have the Trek 4300 and my wife has the Hardrock. Both are good bikes but I liked the feel of the Trek and my wife liked the feel of the Hardrock. Ride them both and see what one feels best.

Makes sense really what them people are saying! But consider getting the BEST frame that your money can buy. This perhaps applies more to slightly more expensive bikes but is still valid. For example in the rockhopper range you can choose betweent four (iThink) different models with different specs. If you can stretch to the most basic one you get a frame which is much lighter and would be worth upgrading for many years to come. Chances are that you, like Gorsar, feel that you have to get something else in a year or so (or even in a week! ;) ), and if you already have a frame worth spending cash on, you can do those upgrades by swapping parts rather than getting a whole new bike.

I can't give you any specific advis ethough as I don't know either of those bikes very well. Good luck!

Thanks for the responses guys, well I just came from LBS # 2 and they have the TREK 4300 for $359 minus 10 percent ( $323.50) which makes it around $350 out the door after taxes. They didnt sell any Hardrocks only Treks and other brands. I also stopped by LBS # 3 and they only had hardrocks but had it for $359 plus tax. I didnt talk to anyone because I wasnt ready to buy it yet, I'm thinking either this weekend or next weekend since I wont be able to test it out ASAP. I'm gonna stop by LBS # 1 this weekend, which was larger but had the Trek at $369 and the Hardrock Sport for $359 (yeah they had a price change, saw it today as I passed by). My gf is also thinking of getting a FS bike, but has a smalled budget than me. Shes willing to spend around $200 - $300. I'll see how LBS # 1 is willing to give me a deal since we'll probably end up buying 2 bikes. We'll keep you posted TY guys

Here is my 2004 Trek 4300. It has a little over 9000 miles on it. (ridden mainly on unpaved roads) Upgrades: Brooks B17 saddle, Rock Shox J3 fork, deore crankset, xt rear derailleur, ryhnolite wheels with lx hubs, bontrager race bar ends, CC s2 headset,eggbeater pedals, Mythos slicks - 1.95's, alivio shifters, brakes.

http://x10.putfile.com/4/10116142022.jpg

Here is my other 4300 (2003). I have put arround 5000 on it and use it mainly as a winter bike and occasional commuter. It was used when i got it (ebay) so hard to tell how many miles on it for sure. Upgrades: Brooks B17 saddle, LX rear derailleur, ritchey tom slicks (1.4) on it right now. http://x10.putfile.com/4/10116192451.jpg


http://x10.putfile.com/4/10116135518.jpg

Nice upgrades you performed on the 04 4300.

ANd just out of curiosity, why did you buy an 03 4300 just to buy the 04 model a year later?

Oh yeah: have a browse on Ebay, that's where I picked up a 2005 Specialized Stumpjumper comp disc for way less than half price! There are som real bargains to be had there!

Here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Specialized-Stumpjumper-M4-Comp-2002-Med-Fox-XTR-LX_W0QQitemZ7232837179QQcategoryZ98083QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Or here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/2004-SPECIALIZED-STUMPJUMPER-M4-ALUMINUM-MOUNTAIN-BIKE_W0QQitemZ7232853950QQcategoryZ98083QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/05-Specialized-Hard-Rock-NR_W0QQitemZ7233357723QQcategoryZ98083QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/AWSOME-SPECIALIZED-ROCKHOPPER-MOUNTAIN-BIKE-NR_W0QQitemZ7234148926QQcategoryZ98083QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/17-Specialized-Comp-Rockhopper-Mtn-Bike-27-Speed_W0QQitemZ7233258329QQcategoryZ98083QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Nice upgrades you performed on the 04 4300.

ANd just out of curiosity, why did you buy an 03 4300 just to buy the 04 model a year later?


That's a fair question. I bought the 04 new in the fall of 2003. I bought the 03 used, in the winter of 03. I bought it for a winter beater, etc. bike. I got the same model figuring i could better learn how to work on the bikes by comparing etc. Sorta turned out that way, sorta not. No real advantage to buying the same model other than it makes swapping wheels very nice.

i agree with gorsar, the 4300 and hardrock are very similar-wise, but you have to look at their frame design. the 4300 is more towards the XC, commuting type stuff while the hardrock is definetely quite a bit tougher. it all epends on what you're really looking for.

my choice is obvious.

i have a 05 trek 4300 and i was pleased with it for a while. but i quickly exceeded the bikes intentions. instead of upgrading the components i just upgraded the whole bike. my biggest drives was the fork and brakes. i really wanted hydro disc's. but the 4300 is a excellent beginer or moderate xc bike

Last year I was in your exact same position.......I went out and rode a Trek and then rode the Specialized Hardrock. To me, the Specialized felt much nicer, I liked the look better (beefier), and imo, it rode better.
I was going to wait and get the first 2006 black Hardrock that came in b/c they were not going to go down on price on the 05. Then when i was up there ordering he said he would give me the 05 for 330.

I have a silver 2005 Hardrock sport now..........I'd get that :)