Mountain Biking - Trex VXP 200 purchase advice

Hey everyone a friend is looking into buying a used Trek VXP 200. I have not been able to find any info on the bike as trek does not make it anymore. The person wants my friend to make an offer but I do not know what the bike originaly cost. If anybody has any info on this bike, original cost, quality, ride, etc... it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Gavin

Ya sure it isn't the VRX 200? If it is, there are reviews on www.mtbreview.com

I came up with prices for the 99 model VRX 200 at $1099 when they were new. If it is the same bike it is an LX/XT mix of components on the bike.

If the bike hasn't been abused and isn't beat to death I would start at $500 and probably wouldn't go over $700 max. If he got it on a clearance deal, the original owner probably didn't pay over $900 for it.

Above prices are US dollars.

Hey Martin or anyone else, because it is a disscontinued bike does it make it anymore desirable. Is it going to hold its value. All the reviews left by people at the mtbreview give it a pretty good overal rating, but for a used bike, that I'm pretty sure the owner isn't going to settle for anything less than 700 US shouldn't I advise my friend to look for something else. Any sugestions? Oh and another thing I would classify this bike as a free ride bike but technicaly it is classified as a XC bike. Somehow to me it seems like a bike that the makers got a little confused on and were not sure wether to make it a FR or XC bike and settled on something in between. Check it out on mtbreview and let me know what you guys think.

PS. Can a bike only 3 years old really be considered a collector? Can people really affored to collect Bikes, and if so who are these people I want to become their new best friend.

Collectible? Not really. Even Sevens and Litespeeds lose a lot of their value as used bikes, even if they weren't ridden. A Trek is just another mass produced piece of aluminum.

That model of Trek bike is like the Cannondale Super V series from the looks of it. I have a Super V from '96. It isn't the greatest bike in the world, but, the ride is pretty plush.

The freeride phenomenon started around that time and Cdale used the Super V style frame for their first free ride bikes. The major difference was the stem and handlebars compared to the "regular" Super V models - all the Super Vs were given 120mm of travel when the Freeride versions came out. You can look at Cdale's website and look at their various models back to 97 or so and see what I'm talking about. http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/02/cusa/

Their freeride specific bikes started in 98. Go to the bottom of the page for the archives.

I would view that bike as more XC than freeride. But, I've never been able to find anyone that could tell me exactly what freeride was supposed to be anyway :D