Mountain Biking - I'm picking up my Trek 4300 today

I ordered a '07 Trek 4300 and it's in the shop today. I'm waiting for my dad to get home so I can pick it up (I'm 14). I got the Matte Smooth Silver/Matte Smoke Silver, in 18". I haven't seen the color in person yet, but on the site and in the catalog it looks really nice. It set me back $349 which, I know, isn't a lot for a bike, but I didn't feel like the 4500 was worth an extra $130. Also I rode a specialized hardrock pro, which i didn't like very much (it was the only hardrock they had, i know it's out of my price range). I'm really pumped. I'll post some pictures when i get it, but probably tomorrow or later, because right after I get it, I have to go to Marching Band practice.

Congratulations on the new bike. Make sure to post some pictures and a ride report when you get a chance.

marching band practice? unlucky but enjoy the bike.

So if this is a $350 bike does that make it sub-entry level?

Nathan, enjoy your new bike. Post pics when you can.

BTW - it's not a "sub-entry" level bike. It's an entry level bike which has lots of potential for further use. There is one sweet 4300 on here (user name RICO). Components play a lot in the price of a bike so as you get into the sport, and things break - go better and in a few years, you'll have a re-done hardtail with good bits and no more money invested than if you had bought one with the good stuff to begin with.

I paid almost $500 for my 4300 disk version and have sunk another $500+ into it. The frames are solid which is the foundation of a bike. Upgrades will need to take place as things break and wear out. I"ve recently installed a set of Race Face Carbon bars to mine and will be putting on a rear BB7 brake within the next 2 weeks. There's nothing entry about the hardtail Treks besides the options are not top of the line. Easy fix for that is wear them out and replace them as time goes on with top of the line parts.

Click the link in my sig to see mine, minus the new carbon bar.

The frame material goes from sl to slr aluminum up until the zr900 hardtails. So your right, basically besides a few small geometry differences they are almost the same.

Which is why I bought my trek 4300 frame for a 100. Building it with xt/lx components and a manitou minute fork. Eventually I'm going to put on a kula primo frame though.

Nice to see you so pumped about your new bike. Enjoy it well and make sure to share pictures.

As others wrote, your bike is an entry-level mountain bike, which is leaps and bounds beyond any *mart bike, and is a good foundation for making it a better mountain bike. So you definitely made a great choice

I forgot to add that once you get in lots of seat time and get good at riding it, there's nothing better than riding and passing or outriding someone on a $2,000+ bike. Have fun on your new bike.

Sweet, show us your pics!

Reminds me, now I'm done messing with mine must do the same :)

Yeah I was about to take a picture, and I asked my dad where the camera was, and he told me to wait until after dinner, so I did. But when I went to take the picture, it was dark so I had to use flash and the reflectors and all bright and it's just not a good picture at all.

and um... I took off the little sticker that says "warning - don't ride without helmet...etc." should i have left that on?

Yeah I was about to take a picture, and I asked my dad where the camera was, and he told me to wait until after dinner, so I did. But when I went to take the picture, it was dark so I had to use flash and the reflectors and all bright and it's just not a good picture at all.

and um... I took off the little sticker that says "warning - don't ride without helmet...etc." should i have left that on?

lol, no you didn't need to leave the sticker on. Just make sure to wear a helmet when you go out riding.

Ive been riding my 4300 since mid 02. Ive been off 2ft jumps at high speed, raced on and offroad and it's still riding well=) Cept the shifter. But the frame is awsome.

there's nothing better than riding and passing or outriding someone on a $2,000+ bike. .

Why?? I could care less what someone else paid for their bike. What about riding becuse you enjoy it. My bike is worth a lot more than I paid for it. I know that you have more in your bike than I do mine,so if you passed me does that make you better?

I got passed by a dude on a Huffy last week pretty badly on a mountain climb.

I run a 5:20 mile, and normally pass all the casual bikers out there.

It's good to see folks with good engines. More power to them!

(I do think it's true though, that your bike quality doesn't really matter too much on the climbs, as long as you can keep pedaling the gearset. However, on a super technical downhill, bye bye Huffy - I'd probably carry the thing down so it wouldn't fall apart)

I do think it's true though, that your bike quality doesn't really matter too much on the climbs, as long as you can keep pedaling the gearset. However, on a super technical downhill, bye bye Huffy - I'd probably carry the thing down so it wouldn't fall apart)

I would have to disagree with you on this one. The bike makes a big difference on climbs. That is why nice suspension designs are so expensive. Getting a bike to perform well on descents while being efficient on climbs is one of the biggest challenges out there. On top of that weight, rolling resistance, traction, pretty much everything will have make a big difference on climbs.

Even on a hardtail the bike will make a difference on the climb. What is the seat tube angle and head tube angle? How long are the chainstays. How does the front suspension work? Does it bob like crazy, does it have a lock out, does it have a "platform"? All of this affects climbing.

lol, no you didn't need to leave the sticker on. Just make sure to wear a helmet when you go out riding.

What about the one that tells you that the bike isn't for jumps and stuff like that?

I only say this because in the thread of the guy who bought a piranha, someone commented on his stickers, but "gritted their teeth in silence towards the safety sticker"

Full blown 450CC dirtbikes have stickers that state you should not race or jump your bike.. LOL stickers are funny..

So if this is a $350 bike does that make it sub-entry level?

Uh..........yeah, whatever that means. For what it's worth, i got a couple 4300's. One has over 10,000 miles on it and the other has over 6,000. I figure they have thousands and thousands of miles left in them.

So are they entry level? I guess.....whatever that means.

I got passed by a dude on a Huffy last week pretty badly on a mountain climb.


There aren't too many kinds of bikes I haven't been passed by. For that matter, there are too many types of riders I haven't been passed by either. I always enjoy it when I'm out for a nice easy recovery ride or riding with some newer riders and I get passed by someone working their butt off so they can brag to their friends about passing some slow wannabe on and expensive bike. :rolleyes:

My bikes not top of the line but I like it alot and its the nicest bike I've ever had. I want to find a fs frame to build now.

There aren't too many kinds of bikes I haven't been passed by. For that matter, there are too many types of riders I haven't been passed by either. I always enjoy it when I'm out for a nice easy recovery ride or riding with some newer riders and I get passed by someone working their butt off so they can brag to their friends about passing some slow wannabe on and expensive bike. :rolleyes:

I could pass you that way, then I would brag to all the BF members about how I blew LowCell off the trail. It would be another feather in my helmet.I could hear me now..........." well you see,I was on my ole heavy Bullit and I climbed by LowCel sooooo fast I sucked the oxygen out of the air and he had to stop to recover"............yeah,that would be great!:D

Full blown 450CC dirtbikes have stickers that state you should not race or jump your bike.. LOL stickers are funny..

Oh ok, I was just wondering if I did something wrong. Thanks!

I bought a milkshake yesterday and the cup had writing that read "caution contents may be hot" .. Stupid lawyers.

Oh i love stupid stickers and warning signs. Does anybody have good ones? I like "don't operate on lawn mower while engine is running"

Where's pix?=(

Oh i wrote that earlier, i wanted to take the picture but my dad told me to wait so it was dark outside and the pic looked like crap
i should have them tuesday... I think it looks different in person than in the website pic and other peoples pics (the silver color)

I could pass you that way, then I would brag to all the BF members about how I blew LowCell off the trail. It would be another feather in my helmet.I could hear me now..........." well you see,I was on my ole heavy Bullit and I climbed by LowCel sooooo fast I sucked the oxygen out of the air and he had to stop to recover"............yeah,that would be great!:D

The good news is I would be encouraging you the whole time you were going around me. I would probably even give you a push on the back to help you out. I always root people on when they are going around me, even in a race. Kind words come back ten fold. I find that being nice to someone and letting them get by with as little difficulty as possible they will generally return the favor at a later date when I'm the one having a good day.

The good news is I would be encouraging you the whole time you were going around me. I would probably even give you a push on the back to help you out. I always root people on when they are going around me, even in a race. Kind words come back ten fold. I find that being nice to someone and letting them get by with as little difficulty as possible they will generally return the favor at a later date when I'm the one having a good day.


Good to hear that..get your compliments ready because you'll be sucking dust from my new bike:

http://static.flickr.com/14/15534480_8735efb63a_m.jpg


Don't be embarassed when I pass you like you're standing still. That crooked rim only helps me because it tosses up lots of dirt behind me so it gets in everyone's eyes and slows them down. If someone tries to pass me, they never can because the parts that fall of my new bike get in their way.

:D

I won't be embarassed. I knew as soon as I saw that beauty that this would be the only time I ever got to see the side view. From now on all I'll see is that back rack.

I won't be embarassed. I knew as soon as I saw that beauty that this would be the only time I ever got to see the side view. From now on all I'll see is that back rack.


And dont forget the fender skirts that i'm pulling off my old POS to put on my new TANK

http://www.fotosearch.com/comp/FSP/FSP114/014008.jpg


thats so all the dust ends up on YOU instead of in the crack of my ass.

What about the one that tells you that the bike isn't for jumps and stuff like that?

I only say this because in the thread of the guy who bought a piranha, someone commented on his stickers, but "gritted their teeth in silence towards the safety sticker"


Right, I figure if you need to read your bike before every ride to remember to be safe, you really shouldn't have a bike. Leaving the size sticker on is just silliness. I commited my size to memory, ripped off the safety sticker, slapped it on my forearm and tore as$ down the trail......

I think that I have to agree I would be really excited to pass someone on a $2000+ bike. I know they could just be having a bad day or recovering but I would still cherish the moment. My friend has a Cannondale Prophet, so if I can pass him I'd be pumped. Last time I rode with him (on a 10 year old walmart POS) I was about as fast as him. Not on the trails though, on the road. But I also think, that starting off with a heavy xmart bike when you're a kid makes you enjoy a real bike all the more. and it also gets you used to a heavy bike, so if you can go fast on that, then you can go fast on a real aluminum bike.

and for a ride report: I really like the bike. I think that I'm going to move the seat back a little bit, so I can be streched out more. It ride nice, IMO, and it surprises me because when i shift i don't even notice. I'm used to shifting and then hearing "klunk klunk, chicka chicka chicka, thud" and then i'm in a new gear. No More of that. The one thing that bothered me was some weird noise coming from the front wheel i think, but other than that, i'm ecstatic.

I saw alot of 4300's on the trail on saturday. I was at the stillwell loop (http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.asp?trailid=BGN062-002) and I saw a couple of guys on 4300's huffin it up some pretty steep root hills, nice bike in black and yellow or shiny silver which one did you get?

I have the shiny shilver one.

Ride Report: at the end of my ride today (all on road, we don't have many trails around here) about .6 miles from my house, I hit a nail ( i didn't even see it) and got a flat. I had to walk my bike home. I've had it for 6 days and already popped a tire.

get a patch kit or a spare inner tube lol

I have the shiny shilver one.

Ride Report: at the end of my ride today (all on road, we don't have many trails around here) about .6 miles from my house, I hit a nail ( i didn't even see it) and got a flat. I had to walk my bike home. I've had it for 6 days and already popped a tire.

Happens. Get a pair of tire levers and a patch kit. Actually, when you bought your bike you should have asked for that as part of the "deal" along with a spare tube or two. Learn how to fix the tire on your own. It's a valuable skill.