Touring - Trek 520

Is this a good bike? Anyone ride one of these?

I've had mine since May, and have ridden a little over 2200 miles so far. I use it as an all around bike, not a loaded tourer. So far I have had no problems, and like it alot.

The 520 is a time tested touring bike and is great value at $1000 USD. If you do a search on BF, I’m sure a few hundred threads will come up! The most common remarks are that the gearing should be changed to accommodate the big hills and that the rear rack is not strong enough for loaded touring. The frame is 4130 double butted cro-moly steel, not sure what brand of steel and apparently Trek has changed the frame for 2004. I am sure you will get a few replies from happy owners.

Is this a good bike? Anyone ride one of these?

I purchased one about 6 months ago. I've put about 900 miles on it while using it as a weekend bike.

I had the crank replaced with a Deore LX and switched out the pedals and saddle. All of this was done at the time of purchase and didn't cost me anything. Later I upgraded the rear rack to a Jannd Expedition. That came out of my own pocket. The stock tires were OK, but after a couple flats I switched them out for Continental Top Touring tires. The bike also has Freddy Fenders.

I haven't used it for an overnight tour yet, but I have made several rides of 50-100 miles in length. I've found it to be reliable and comfortable, even with about 25-30 lbs of food, water, panniers, etc.

Be sure you want a loaded touring bike. The heavier construction, especially in the wheels, will slow you down compared to a lighter sport-touring bike.

Note: I took the Trek rear rack from the 520 and put it on my commuting bike. The rack eventually broke, even though I rarely used it and never put more than a few pounds on it.

It must be a good bike - Trek hasn't changed the design in years! I've logged many loaded kms on mine!

Is this a good bike? Anyone ride one of these?

I have had a 520 for a while now. I have put about 3500 miles on it in the last year or so, most of them commuting. I did change the rear rack to a Jandd, and put on some SKS full-fenders. The gearing is adequate for me, but I have been on the lowest gear riding fully loaded up some steep hills. I have also been up to 40 mph and still pedaling, so I decided not to change the gearing from stock.

I still have the stock wheels, but broke a spoke a few months back. I changed it myself (first time!) and everything has been fine since then. I also have the original tires, they probably have a few hundred more miles on them. I have gotten three flats over the 3500 miles. My brakes are still fine, and I have had to do minimal maintenance thus far. The 520 really is a beast, and hence heavy, but I have absolutely no worries about it when riding fully loaded. I think it actually handles better with some weight. It's actually perfect for around town commuting.

Hi,
you tell us what you want in a bike, and then we wll have a better idea. The 520 is a great bike for the money. There are lots of other bikes. If you don't plan on carrying a tent, I would say take a long look at light touring bikes, there are many.
If you want to ride across the continent, I would say something a little more rugged. The 520 certainly could do it, it's a rugged bike. But if I was going to live on a bike, I would get a Waterford or similar. It all depends on what you want.

i had my 520 since august. i logged 2600km (1500mi) since then just commuting to school and back. the bike can really hold the weight. everytihng is stock. (hoping the rear rack won't break) but due to a bad manuver of mine, i had to retire the bike for this season early. I was going around 30kph (20mph) and i saw a 1 inch rise in the pavement (like to titonic plates coliding eachother) and i disided to hop it. but i din't do it properly, i hit the apex of that rise with my rear wheel and damaged the rim. the the rum has a bump that is pretruding(sp) out, then i also got a flat. so now my mike is in the LBS.

I love the way the 520 rides, i think its very comfy. and for 1300CND it was a bargan.

An acquaintance of mine who's a seasoned bicycle tourer considered purchasing a Trek 520 but for $200 more he got a custom-sized Waterford touring bike, complete bike, I might add, very similar to the 520 (even the same color) and he got it built up how he wanted it without having to swap out all this stuff like he would have to do with the 520. This is what I would recommend.

An acquaintance of mine who's a seasoned bicycle tourer considered purchasing a Trek 520 but for $200 more he got a custom-sized Waterford touring bike, complete bike, I might add, very similar to the 520 (even the same color) and he got it built up how he wanted it without having to swap out all this stuff like he would have to do with the 520. This is what I would recommend.

Now that's a GREAT deal, because I just looked at the waterford website, and their cheapest frame is $1299, and the cheapest fork is $250, so right way there's over $1500. Components, I guess, are at least another $500-$1000.

I only paid $1000 for my Trek 520, including swapping out the crank, so paying $1200 for a $2000-$2500 custom Waterford would be fantastic.

Are there any more at that price?

Well, that's just what HE said he paid. I don't know all of the details since I didn't ask him. I do know that the shop he bought the bike at sells ALOT of Waterfords. There are quite a few of them where I live. Another guy I ride with (on the same club ride) bought a Waterford touring bike with a tig-welded frame and he said he paid $300 less than the lugged version. I think his frame was $1100 I'm not sure if that was with fork or not.

we just bought 6 trek 520 from our LBS for a 2800 mile trip across europe. Bikes look great!