Mountain Biking - Trek Mountain bikes?

Hey guys,

I have owned a Trek 1200 road bike for 18 years. Since it was so loyal, I recently bought a Madone.

Thinking about a mountain bike. And probably a Trek.

Question: Does everyone on the MB forum hate Trek and Bontrager like they do on the Road forum?

Nah lots of people love em.

Good bikes if you like them.

Question: Does everyone on the MB forum hate Trek and Bontrager like they do on the Road forum?

Not sure, but I do.

I've got an '05 Trek Liquid 55 and love it. I'm sure there are better bikes out there, but it's still very nice!

Not sure, but I do.

Elaborate...

If your mostly interested in entry level, most brands are very similar in componentry and frame material. It's all a matter of what feels best and what you can find a deal on.

They make some solid bikes. My biggest, and loudest complaint, is how they really REALLY dropped the ball on an entire segment of mountain biking. They came in late with any decent offerings. That annoys me a lot.

That said, their freeride and downhill stuff are solid and in fact better built than most bikes in the same class.

That said, their freeride and downhill stuff are solid and in fact better built than most bikes in the same class.

You have my applause for being willing to say that. I agree they definitely ignored it for a while, but their stuff now is preeety nice...

To the OP - Trek's are great, so are most other MTB's you can buy at a bike-shop. Go try a bunch and get one you like.

Personally, I don't care for them. It's kind of like a Chevy, Ford, Toyota type thing. You like what you like, doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the others. Actually, I don't even have any specific reason for not caring for them (doesn't make sense, just the way it is).

The truth is they make some of the best bikes available. The Top Fuel's are great bikes. Way too many people win races on them for them to be bad bikes. On top of that they have a great warranty.

I have really liked my '05 Fuel EX-8 and would buy another in a second. I have had no problems other than break in adjustments and it rocks for me, great climber and improved my riding. I really would like the '07 9.5 but it's $6600.

See my .sig. Yeah I've only 1 :)

I've got an '05 Trek Liquid 55 and love it. I'm sure there are better bikes out there, but it's still very nice!

+1...daughter's BF has a Liquid...bit slow for XC (could use a 44 chain ring), but great on the descents

Trek has some nice bikes, only problem may be is that they may have too many models...when you try to have something for everyone, it's inevitable that there may a few products that could be improved

My opinion is similar to Lowcell's.

Never been a big fan, but not for any specific reason.

I've ridden a bunch of different Trek's and I guess they just don't fit me.

My buddy gave me his wife's old Trek 820 and my stepson uses it. It's a good solid bike, but Trek's have never been a brand that I look to when I'm ready to buy.

Very happy Trek owner here, I say get one.

I owned a trek 6000 back in the day, and I have ridden my brothers a lot. Plus, I used to work for a shop which primarily sold Treks, and I test rode every one I built. I don't like them very much. Some people do.

I think its like deciding how many creamers and sugars you want in your coffee. Its an individual thing.

I have a 4500 that I've beat on for a few years now... It hasn't let me down (knock on wood) yet, and I've no plans to replace it anytime soon!

I bought my wife a TREK because that is what she wanted after test-riding a bunch of bikes.

My personal opinion is that its an alright bike..but is certainly no Kona..and DEFINATELY not in the same league as Cannondale.

trek makes great bikes. dont listen to the idiots who tell you that treks suck, or they are cheap or whatever... you havent time for those bastards that are too good for a trek or any bike for that matter... today i bought a gary fisher piranha, gary fisher is made by trek, so i made a big investment and i am very happy with my purchase... if i were you, i would look into the gary fisher line of bikes... check out my new bike on the other thread.. but yea trek mountain bikes are great. ya cant go wrong with em... to hell with the naysayers.

trek makes great bikes. dont listen to the idiots who tell you that treks suck, or they are cheap or whatever... you havent time for those bastards that are too good for a trek or any bike for that matter... today i bought a gary fisher piranha, gary fisher is made by trek, so i made a big investment and i am very happy with my purchase... if i were you, i would look into the gary fisher line of bikes... check out my new bike on the other thread.. but yea trek mountain bikes are great. ya cant go wrong with em... to hell with the naysayers.


No one said Trek makes crap bikes dude....but to claim they make mountain bikes that can hang with brands like Cannondale or Kona is just incorrect.

No one said Trek makes crap bikes dude....but to claim they make mountain bikes that can hang with brands like Cannondale or Kona is just incorrect.
Have you rode any trek bikes to the same degree as your kona?

yes. My wife has a Trek.

yes. My wife has a Trek.
What kind of trek is it?

Don't get me wrong here.

Your bike is a dawg, and what is hers?

Trek Remedy 5

Trek Remedy 5
Ok, I just wanted to know if it was similar in travel to your kona.

No one said Trek makes crap bikes dude....but to claim they make mountain bikes that can hang with brands like Cannondale or Kona is just incorrect.


crash, hate to break it to you buddy but Trek bikes are made just as good as Kona bikes are. You are a Kona man, its cool, they are great bikes... But for you to assert that Treks arent as good as Kona is false. I think Gary Fishers are extremely good bikes as well.

My Trek can hang with cannondales and Kona's
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j301/minesbroken/P10100043.jpg

i would throw that trek and my gary fisher up against a Kona ANYDAY!

i would throw that trek and my gary fisher up against a Kona ANYDAY!


Actually, I'm no Kona man...I prefer Cannondale bikes...which are superior in build quality to either Kona or Trek.

Ok, I just wanted to know if it was similar in travel to your kona.

They're both in the same class, with my Kona having 10mm more travel in the fork.

The Trek just doesn't feel as "smooth" on travel as my Kona does, and the rear linkage is too direct for my liking. The four-link rear on the Dawg is much more responsive to travel.

They're both in the same class, with my Kona having 10mm more travel in the fork.

The Trek just doesn't feel as "smooth" on travel as my Kona does, and the rear linkage is too direct for my liking. The four-link rear on the Dawg is much more responsive to travel.
That's why I asked. The kona is considered on the light side of AM and agressive XC and I wanted to make sure the trek your wife owned was a similar bike. Otherwise the comparison would have been kind of ridiculous.


I think Gary Fishers are extremely good bikes as well.
You know trek owns Gary fisher and the frames are extremely similar right?

trek makes great bikes. dont listen to the idiots who tell you that treks suck, or they are cheap or whatever... you havent time for those bastards that are too good for a trek or any bike for that matter... today i bought a gary fisher piranha, gary fisher is made by trek, so i made a big investment and i am very happy with my purchase... if i were you, i would look into the gary fisher line of bikes... check out my new bike on the other thread.. but yea trek mountain bikes are great. ya cant go wrong with em... to hell with the naysayers.

You just bought a bike and it sounds like you've got a chip on your shoulder about it already!

To the OP: FWIW, I don't particularly like Trek, but that's based on nothing more rational than their choice of paint schemes :)

i just bought a KONA. I've had various Cannondales/Treks/other bikes over the years.

I don't have a chip on my shoulder, but to say that even trek's top of the line XC hardtail is of equal quality to THIS:

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/07/CUSA/large/7VP0_rep.jpg

Is just foolish.

hey i agree, but thats not a hardtail

That's why I asked. The kona is considered on the light side of AM and agressive XC and I wanted to make sure the trek your wife owned was a similar bike. Otherwise the comparison would have been kind of ridiculous.



yeah I realize your reason for asking. The wife insisted on the Trek for the same reason people continue to buy Chevy products: It's the name they know and that's all they care about.

She knows Lance Armstrong rode a trek, so it MUST be the best bike..right?

Anyhow, not to diss my own wife (lol) but her bike just isnt as smooth as mine is on the trail. Even after extensive dialing-in, the suspension is just rough-feeling. Maybe its more of a Manitou vs. Marzocchi & Fox FLOAT deal, but that's the parts the bikes came with.

There's probably a reason that 90% of the higher-end bikes use FOX rear shocks instead of Manitou.....the Fox is just much smoother and more reactive with less pedal bob.

I'm not saying her bike is a total POS...I'm just saying that A)The build quality just isnt equal to my Dawg Deluxe and B)Trek's component choice SUCKS imo.

Clearly there are people that like trek...my wife is one of them...but after having owned several myself, I can honestly say that all of my Cannondales and my Kona are by far better built.

hey i agree, but thats not a hardtail


OOPS! I linked the wrong bike lol!

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/07/CUSA/large/7FS0S_rep.jpg

that is the bike i MEANT to post.

yeah I realize your reason for asking. The wife insisted on the Trek for the same reason people continue to buy Chevy products: It's the name they know and that's all they care about.

She knows Lance Armstrong rode a trek, so it MUST be the best bike..right?

I totally understand. That's how I was. I thought trek must be the greatest brand and all others sucked. After having rode a few others, learning about some different bikes I realize things are quite the contrary. Of course, the bike manufacturers just make the frames. So its mostly a matter of a person liking frame geometry. The parts are just bad choices on trek's part. Notice some of treks xc dualie line are sporting fox front and rear shocks this year :)

hey i agree, but thats not a hardtail
LMAO....

i think he misquoted himself. its cool though. :p

a chip, yea i got one...this is my first gary fisher.. i owned an old old trek waaay back in the day when i was a kid and i never had a problem out of it and i left that thing in the woods and under trees for weekson end... crazy i know but the thing was solid!

i am going to go ahead and say this.... trek, gary fisher, gt, kona, cannondale, etc.. all of them have great quality bikes.. and at the top of the line on each brand, they are all of almost equal quality... if not then we wouldnt be having this debate...


Pheard, yes i knew trek owned gary fisher.. thanks for reassuring me.;)

i am going to go ahead and say this.... trek, gary fisher, gt, kona, cannondale, etc.. all of them have great quality bikes.. and at the top of the line on each brand, they are all of almost equal quality... if not then we wouldnt be having this debate...




I'm just gonna post these pics and let the bikes speak for themselves. The Cannondale is the SECOND best bike in the DH category vs. Trek's best DH bike:


http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/07/CUSA/large/7vng1_gzd.jpg


vs

http://www2.trekbikes.com/images/bikes_my07/large/session10_white.jpg


Sorry...there is just no comparing the two. The cannondale is superior in almost every single way, and its not even their best bike. Cannondale's best DH bike, the Judge, is so far ahead of the Trek Session 10 that comparing the two is almost like comparing an old Camaro to a Ferarri. Sure, the Camaro is still fast, but the Ferarri is lightyears ahead.


Since this is turning into a trek vs. everyone else pissing match, I will just say that IMO, trek's build quality is lacking compared to the other 'major' players in the MTB manufacturing business.

to each his own.... as ron burgundy says "agree to disagree." ;)

to each his own.... as ron burgundy says "agree to disagree." ;)

When in Rome.

Hey crash I thought we were comparing hardtails :(

OOPS! I linked the wrong bike lol!

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/07/CUSA/large/7FS0S_rep.jpg

that is the bike i MEANT to post.
I'm pretty sure the trek 9.9 competes pretty much in the same class as that. and the top fuel SL or top fuel 9.9 are just as good as that scalpel, too bad the scalpels don't come in carbon.

Haven't some 24 hour solo races been won on trek fuel bikes?

Hey crash I thought we were comparing hardtails :(

we were...then he said that at the top end, most companies are almost equal. Clearly, cannondale's top-of-the-line DH bikes are far superior to Trek's.

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/07/CUSA/large/7FS1S_blk.jpg

Cannondale Taurine Carbon w/ 80mm headshok

Who gives a ****? An experienced racer on a POS Walmart Schwinn would spank the hell out of most of us on $4000 uber rigs. BTW, there's nothing wrong with Trek. Most people hate Trek because what they're heard other people say about 'em without ever experiencing them for themselves.

Who gives a ****? An experienced racer on a POS Walmart Schwinn would spank the hell out of most of us on $4000 uber rigs.


I've said that before and was basically laughed at.

When I was (much) younger, I used to ride Huffy bikes from Wal-Mart and could smoke guys on much, much more expensive bikes.

The issue THERE I think isn't that the wal-mart bike was in some way equal to their custom rig...it was that I knew my bike very, very well and knew exactly what to expect out of it under nearly any circumstances.

THAT is the primary reason I have not done anything "serious" on my new Kona. It takes a long time to get that level of confidence in a bike...where it almost seems like a part of your own body. The last bike I owned that I felt that level of confidence in was a Cannondale Super-V Raven that I had for 8 years.

I'm sure with time, I'll be just as comfortable on my Dawg, but until then, I tend to play it safe.

I've said that before and was basically laughed at.

When I was (much) younger, I used to ride Huffy bikes from Wal-Mart and could smoke guys on much, much more expensive bikes.

The issue THERE I think isn't that the wal-mart bike was in some way equal to their custom rig...it was that I knew my bike very, very well and knew exactly what to expect out of it under nearly any circumstances.

THAT is the primary reason I have not done anything "serious" on my new Kona. It takes a long time to get that level of confidence in a bike...where it almost seems like a part of your own body. The last bike I owned that I felt that level of confidence in was a Cannondale Super-V Raven that I had for 8 years.

I'm sure with time, I'll be just as comfortable on my Dawg, but until then, I tend to play it safe.

Seriously, I'll be a proud owner of a '07 Intense 5.5 in a couple of days.. it's already paid for. But I'm the slowest mofo on the trails. One of my friends rides his sister's hand me down and he'll absolutely pummel 90% of all the riders out on the trails.

the scalpels don't come in carbon, but the RUSH sure does!:D





I'm pretty sure the trek 9.9 competes pretty much in the same class as that. and the top fuel SL or top fuel 9.9 are just as good as that scalpel, too bad the scalpels don't come in carbon.

You have my applause for being willing to say that. I agree they definitely ignored it for a while, but their stuff now is preeety nice...
having shandro onboard has definitely helped them in that regard.

Well I have 2 Konas, a Trek and a GF. :)

No Cannondales.

This thread is funny!!!!!!!:roflmao: Trek!,no Cannondale!,no Trek!,GF!!!!!