Hybrid Bicycles - Trek Utopia Fork Issue

Recently while adjusting my suspension the knob came out which i heard has been an issue with these forks and after putting the knob back on it doesn't seem to lock out properly and the suspension just stays soft all the time. Is this something that is a warranty issue of will I have to pay to fix it myself?

While I'm not 100% certain, if it happened while only turning the knob, or JRA (just rinding along) this sounds like a warranty issue to me. I would definitely take it where you bought it first to find out. I have a concern about this myself b/c I have an 8.4 DS with maybe the same knob (no problems yet w/ that knob). Let us know what you find out. Be safe.

Thanks alot for the info, I am hoping to take it to the store sometime next week and have them look at it.

Definitely a warranty issue. I already had mine replaced after i had to Epoxy the plastic knob to the little pinion gear, only to have it fall off while riding. I now have the 2nd one and it is also epoxied but i take it off when i ride so it wouldn't fall off again. If anything, the Suntour non remote fork is the only downer of the DS 8.4. Gonna replace it with a Rockshox Reba as soon as i get some $$.

Definitely a warranty issue. I already had mine replaced after i had to Epoxy the plastic knob to the little pinion gear, only to have it fall off while riding. I now have the 2nd one and it is also epoxied but i take it off when i ride so it wouldn't fall off again. If anything, the Suntour non remote fork is the only downer of the DS 8.4. Gonna replace it with a Rockshox Reba as soon as i get some $$.

Once it popped off was it totally inoperable or could you still somehow switch the lockout off and on?

Yes u could. The pinion gear the plastic knob it is attached to needs to be glued/epoxied together. The pinion gear is attached to an Allen bolt for stability. Once it is epoxied, the allen/pinion/and knob are all one piece and you will be able to use it again. You have to make sure you push it down and turn the knob. I remove the whole thing when i riding so it doesn't fly off...it is an inconvenience...and frankly, i think it was a quick/cheap fix from the upgraded remote version of the same fork.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/387478_10150456566883491_796023490_8505775_1991436310_n.jpg

As you can see, it is now a one piece item than i remove when i do riding.

I wonder how much Trek really saved by going cheapy on this. The answer is that we are supposed to remove this to ride??? Shame on Trek for this one! Isn't spending $700+ enough to expect some quality to their products?

Yeah...i agree 100%...i guess one can keep in on...for light trail/singletrack use..but im jumpin' and launching a lot of stuff...i think i take my 8.4 to it's limits though..i see the dirt ring on my fork and see i am bottoming out the fork quite a bit.

... Isn't spending $700+ enough to expect some quality to their products?

Sadly in reality, no.
I would guess for that price you are getting a good frame with a mixture of good to ok to poor components.
I am no expert on suspension forks but an LBS here told me that they refuse to supply bikes with cheaper suspension, as they (sus-forks) are, and have been of poor quality for many years. One would have to spend a lot more on an MTB to get good suspension forks.

Just ride them until they fail, realizing you'll have to upgrade in the future.

Once it popped off was it totally inoperable or could you still somehow switch the lockout off and on?
it became 100% inoperable. I'm bouncing down the streets on it now.

Yeah...i agree 100%...i guess one can keep in on...for light trail/singletrack use..but im jumpin' and launching a lot of stuff...i think i take my 8.4 to it's limits though..i see the dirt ring on my fork and see i am bottoming out the fork quite a bit.
99% of my riding is on pavement as there aren't too many dirt trails in NYC. I've only taken it off pavement once so far. I'm thinking about buy a non suspension hybrid next summer to use for a century or two.

99% of my riding is on pavement as there aren't too many dirt trails in NYC. I've only taken it off pavement once so far. I'm thinking about buy a non suspension hybrid next summer to use for a century or two.
Ahh...well then i would take it to our LBS and have them warranty it...it should still be operable when you put the cover back on....

Thanks for the pic! This is all not sounding good. Hopefully, b/c I do 70% road riding, 30% bumpy gravel trails (this is only where I use suspension), it won't pop off. If it does pop off, hopefully it will be where I keep it most - LOCKEDOUT. I'd rather have it stuck in lockout than suspension mode.

Thanks for the pic! This is all not sounding good. Hopefully, b/c I do 70% road riding, 30% bumpy gravel trails (this is only where I use suspension), it won't pop off. If it does pop off, hopefully it will be where I keep it most - LOCKEDOUT. I'd rather have it stuck in lockout than suspension mode.
Totally understandable. On road riding it wont come off. Mine came off when i went to Santiago Oaks where it had a minimum of 3' drops(rocks). Yeah...too much mountain for my poor DS 8.4. At least i now know my bike's limits!

I just got back from my LBS and was told that they would fix it but I would be without the bike for a few days.

My 8.4DS had the same problem with the lockout knob and it was unlocked all the time. When the new knob came in I put it on just enough to turn the pinion to its full travel from the left to the right. Once i found out which position was locked and which one was locked out I then put the knob back on and it works without any problems. I have since quit riding the 8.4 on the trails and bought a Mamba which has a better lockout knob and more suspension travel although a upgraded suspension fork would have been less expensive. I still might do it in the future.
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Hey Choc, riding the DS vs. the Mamba, did you notice if the Mamba had better front grip(more steering) than the DS? I got the 29-3 tires like you did and it was WAAAY better than the stock 700x38 tires by a lot. I tried another bike(Pivot) and found that it had more steering than my DS. I have a Mamba on Lay Away for my wife so if you can give me any input on it, that would be awesome!

I've only been able to ride it once on the trail since I bought it (had surgery on my neck so I can't ride or lift anything over 10 pounds until the first of the year). The ride was different from the 8.4 but I haven't been able to put my finger on it yet. I don't like the stock tires on the Mamba compared to the 29-3's. I ran them at the same pressure but the 29-3's seemed to give a more cushioned ride on the trail.

Got the fork fixed yesterday. When the mechanic who worked on it saw me the first thing he said is this is happening way too much with these forks and if it breaks again make sure I bring it back in and he'll fix it again. I was surprised to hear this as for the $700 dollars I spent I would expect a little more quality.

Got the fork fixed yesterday. When the mechanic who worked on it saw me the first thing he said is this is happening way too much with these forks and if it breaks again make sure I bring it back in and he'll fix it again. I was surprised to hear this as for the $700 dollars I spent I would expect a little more quality.


After visiting numerous LBS in SOcal, i have concluded that 90% of bikes under $900 will have very low quality forks. Even the Trek Mamba has the Lowest end Rockshox XC. I would still choose a Rockshox over a Suntour anyday. If you want something with a good fork, be prepared to get a bike at least $1500. Of course, there are always exceptions...older models, special sales, etc.