osco53

I have other bikes,, two,,but no off road or trail bike and I got lots of trails all around me.

I dont have the time or feel the need for a fancy EXPENSIVE mountain bike, I will only ride occasionally and not on super technical trails.
I'm an Old Fart In Trainning so I will not get crazy with the 20 sumthins,,LOL
I'm 6ft tall, 185 lbs and in decent shape..

SO
My ?

I have plenty of 'Reward Points' (Score Card) from my Credit card useage to get a Trek 820 for FREE ! (Only adult model they offer)
Shipping and all with fitment choices,,I do know how to choose the correct size.

Should I get this bike to ride ?
And if you experts think a little more bike like a 29er is that much better,,The $620 Wahoo for example,,I never been onna 29er...

OR how much could I SELL the Trek 820 for when It arrives and has never been used,,I would not even un box it....
I plan to run this hair brained Idea past my LBS,,see if they wanna deal into this....
put that money towards a better bike ???
Give my LBS the Treck 820 IN the BOX and ,,,,$350 plus tax for the 29er ????

Do I really need better ??
Do I really need disk brakes?
Do 29 inch wheels make that much difference over 26 Inchers for casual trail useage ?

Not concerned about bike weight, a few lbs this way or that,,means nothing to me.
If Its heavy I will just get stronger.
I am not a gotta have the newest latest and greatest bike person,, I want a bike I can keep.
For me, performance will come from my engines/legs, and I will race only myself XD

And yes I will encounter sugarsand and some wet stuff,,Florida Is kinda swampy in places...

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...sport/820/820/#

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...er_sport/wahoo#

DocsDad

I had one for a number of years. I commuted and rode some trails as well. It was sturdy and never failed me. I miss it actually. Free? Go for it.

Ldosorio

820 is a very entry level bike, while Wahoo can be compared with a 3700 so I would go for Wahoo 29er and these are my reasons:
1. 820 frame is Chromoly, Wahoo is Aluminum.
2. Based on your size (6'2") a 29er will fit much better (try a frame size 19 or 21)
3. Mechanical disk brakes are as good as V-brakes.
4. Drivetrain is better in wahoo than in 820.

Daspydyr 

I got my start on a basic bike similar to what you describe in your choices. The longer I rode, the more I loved it and eventually picked up better parts and bikes. I'm with DocsDad, get going on whatever bike you choose. Post some pictures! Fat Tire biking is great.

Zephyr11

Do the bike shop guys know you plan on trading them a bike you didn't even buy there + money for a different bike? I don't think most of them will go for that... and even if they do by some weird chance, they're not going to give you what the bike would have cost new. You sell it, you'll be selling it on Craigslist for a fraction of what it's worth. I'd recommend taking the free bike, riding it into the ground, figuring out what you do and don't like about it, and then buying a better bike once you know what you actually want.

osco53

Thats prolly what I will do,,,, Get the Free bike and ride it in the ground.

The bike shop deal,,,
My LBS does stock Trek

I give them the NEW IN THE BOX Trek 820,,,They give me say,,,$50, 75 or $100 LESS than what It Costs THEM to buy the 820 from Trek

And I buy the Wahoo for FULL Shop price,,,$619

The 820 sells in the shop for I think $419 and I bet they pay about $300 per unit,,my gestimate,,,what ever

See the math ?
$619 - $250 or $200,,,The Wahoo would cost me $370 or $420 plus tax OTD

The Shop gains $50 $75 or $100 on the End Game

Its a small shop,,Or will they cringe and think I'm blowing smoke up where the sun dont shine, then
Chase me out the door under a hail of old Inner tubes,,,

Daspydyr 

Small shops can be flexible and more customer oriented. See what they will do, but Zeph is probably on target.

roccobike

This is the third Trek 820 thread in a month. Must be getting popular after all these years.

Like others, we had a Trek 820 and like others said, they are very dependable, very rugged and a great all purpose bike.
BUT if you're going to go on single track mountain bike trails, it's only an OK bike. It's heavy, only has 63cm travel on the fork and it's not really set up for upgrading if you really get into mountain biking.
However, you're getting it for free so what do you have to lose? Go for the 820. I sold ours and have to admit, I miss it.

Phil_gretz

Make certain that you order the 820 in your correct frame size, which may be the 19.5, or more likely, the 21". This is where your LBS Trek dealer may be able to help you. Explain the free bike offer and ask them if they'll help you determine which size to receive. Best payoff is starting with something that fits your reach and riding style. Otherwise, like many of the other posters, I'd say just ride the 820 for a few years until you know what you'd like to ride and why.

Underground

820 would work. It would at least hold you over until you truly felt you needed to upgrade. Then again, if the trails are very tame, I'm sure the 820 would work great.

On smooth parts of the local bike path I offroad my Trek 1.5. You can offroad anything, you just need to be aware of the weaknesses and adjust your riding to compensate. I say stick with the 820 for now, especially if you only plan on occasionally hitting the trails.

osco53

Walked Into a Sale, 15% off all Off Road, 29er's and full suspension Bikes...
https://www.ubcbike.com/store/
Real nice bike shop, been there for ever.
Adam took care of me, the kid knows his stuff, there, the Store gets a plug.

The Scott Aspect 940, a 29er won the test ride.

Normal Price everywhere I looked was $689.99 plus tax,,,,so with the Sale $586.49...$627.54 OTD tax and all..

I'm happy, and I really wanted an Aluminum frame, Hydraulic brakes, adjustable fork damping with a lockout, and 29 inch wheels.
I'm not gonna go nuts and I bet I never jump the bike, I'm just gonna ride trails and climb hills
to get a good workout..

The brakes are SUUuuWeeeT, The gears are the best I ever shifted, and the seat sucks

I did pull a nice wheelie in the front yard tho,,,XD

And my wife will have a blast burning the Rewards Points.....

BloomBikeShop

Looks like a great deal! Post some pics if you get a chance.

osco53

The stock seat, they gave me $5 for it,,,lol,,,suckers. I lasted TWO blocks on that thing from hell.

The New Seat is fantastic, google it, 'ISM Adamo Peak'

Don't worry, I will get the bike real dirty.

banshee361

That's a wild looking seat, looks like a much more ideal design for guys.
And nice bike!

Zephyr11

Looks good. Except for that Adamo...the nose (or front of the saddle, I guess, since the nose is missing) is too wide for me. The bike shop guy swore up and down that women liked the Adamo too, and that they made a women's version, but I think he just wanted to laugh at me.

Nice Harley too.

BloomBikeShop

That's a beauty! Nice Harley too!

banshee361

Found those Adamo Peaks for sale on ebay and amazon for $125-130 brand new.
I'm really thinking about getting one. I don't like the idea of man-part problems 10 years down the road If I'm going to be getting back into biking hardcore. That's the kind of thing you transfer to every new bike you get down the road, seems like a good investment to me.

ClydesterD

At first, looking at the bike and unaware of the background, I thought you had a really big Harley Davidson bag hanging from your new saddle.

banshee361

Found a brand new one tonight on ebay, just listed for $105+free shipping, snagged it up!
Glad I saw this thread to begin with, didn't even realize seats like this existed.
Thanks to your pics Osco !

osco53

Banshee, seat setup is critical with this one,,,

Tips,

Set with the lower seat mount bars Level with the ground,,
This seat sits way way back to the very front of the seat mount,, Remember that your 'Boyz', (The Family Jewels) need to be In front of the seat. Hangin free is Fast

Lower your stem about a half Inch,, This seat sits about that much taller than a standard seat.

TWO 'Sit' positions, as in when and where your sit bones should be :

Hard ride position is 'Sit bones about even with the very end of your perineum gap right before the middle,,
THIS is where your body mass should be at the center of the bike counting the weight on your hands AND ass.
This should be near dead center of the wheel base.

Also check your knee/pedal set, one pedal at 9 o clock, front top of knee or knee joint pivot point directly over the ball of your foot
depending on your power level..as in what feels the best of the two.

Comfort or 'Rest' position is, 'Sit bones about an Inch back from the perineum gap but not quite in the saddle middle,,

Ride position check, make a fist and jam it behind your ass, Your fist should end flush with the rear seat edge,,,,,,,,

banshee361

Thanks for all the tips. So glad I came across your thread in the first place or I'd still just be 'dealing with it' as far as the perineum pressure on long rides.
I've read it could take a bit to get it dialed in and to bring a tool on the trails for the first few rides.
I have a nice smooth/wide/flat hiking trail that I intend on going to at first to get it set up before I hit the real trails.
I never thought I would spend $100+ on a seat, but it just makes too much sense not to.
I have one now with the 'cutout' down the middle, but it still has the front nose obviously, and still puts pressure on the perineum, there's no avoiding it. I cannot figure out why this design hasn't caught on more.

I can't imagine being able to ride for several hours without that awful pressure on the perineum, it almost seems too good to be true.
How are you liking yours so far? Did you screw around with it a bit until you found the sweet spot?
I can't wait to get mine, should be here by the end of the week.

osco53

The Reason it hasn't caught on is the cost. Most of us are not goning drop that much on a seat. So many spend 30 or 40 bucks on a seat,
then another $60 on the next test run, then give up and buy padded shorts and live with the pain I suspect..
Extra soft gel seats don't work, I learned that lesson on my Harley.

As far as, screwing around with it ,,, NO. I got LUCKY, my sales guy was a real MTB rider not some sales guy that sez he's done it all.
He fitted the bike and seat to me perfectly, took his time and It made all the difference.
I did do my own cockpit set up. right out of the Rag, "Mountain Bike Action April 2013 Issue.

The sales guy who sold me the bike told me this seat was the ONLY option for me, we were both similar build and shape.
I wussed out and he said , "ok You will be back soon so I'll hold it",,,LOL

The one single ride of a few blocks on the stock seat did it. I went back the next day with a lingering pain on/at my 'Sit Bones'

He fitted me as I talked about on the previous post, we went outside, I pedaled away, went five car spaces out and turned back, SOLD, NO PAIN !

Then he told me to keep working on the performance position as the sit muscles will get stronger. They are.

The remaining pain was all from the first stock seat ride. Out on the trail before my gear cable stretched out I was 50/50 on the
performance spot and the comfort spot. the last half of my ride I was no longer aware of my ass or the seat.
It had become transparent, no longer a factor at all. NO perineum pain at all and my 'Boyz' were happy XD

The seat Issue was solved for me 100%

Besides Next ride I plan to be standing up more, going back down that Loch Ness trail and I intend to finish it.......

banshee361

Well, I'm sold
Mine came this afternoon, put it on this evening, went for the same ~10 mile ride as I did the other night, actually doubled back at one point and hit some little side trails so probably added another mile or two total.
The seat itself is a bit firm, I'm sure it will soften up a tad as it breaks in, but the pressure is in the right spot, that's what counts.
I had that sore/pressure feeling on the soft tissue/perineum the other night for a couple hours after my ride, tonight I just feel sore/chaffed on the sit bones and not the perineum, will definitely take a few rides to get used to, I bet I'll be sore tomorrow!

I brought an allen wrench and stopped and adjusted it twice on the trail, I have it set all the way back at max, it looks weird when standing next to the bike looking at it, like it's way too far back, mostly because it's missing the nose, but then you hop on and it's a different story, I'm very happy with it!

I might get an offset seat post so I can move it back another 1/2", we'll see. It's fine where I'm in the relaxed pedaling position, but when I'm in aggressive mode or whatever you want to call it, I think I could use it back just a hair more.

Now for some of those nice chamois biking shorts for the icing on the cake for some support, keep the boys from swinging around and I'll be set!

All in all, an excellent buy, I would recommend one to anyone.
Thanks again osco!

clubmanager

Osco.....how is the bike on pavement? Very interested in this bike but need more info and there isn't much on the web. The bike shop is a bit of a drive so I want to be reasonably certain before heading there to look at it. Cheers, John

Singlespeed92

Um....some of us GREATLY prefer chromo to a cheap and harsh straight gauged aluminum Also,please read the entire post,he said the 820 is "THE ONLY ADULT BIKE THEY HAVE AVAILABLE"...

OP: The 820 is indeed a very entry level bike,but for the type of riding you mentioned,with proper (not excessive) maintenance,it will serve you well for years. Ldosorio may have been making a good point from a purely performance oriented standpoint (I wasn't trying to bash him or be hateful FWIW ),as aluminum has a snappiness and is very efficient at power transfer,but the trade-off can be (and at that price point often is-NOT always,but often) a harsh unforgiving ride,plus when aluminum fails,it's almost always a crack or a break and unrepairable to most. Steel has been used for so long for a reason,it's easily repairable to any decent welder,the weight penalty isn't much now-a-days,and it has a more forgiving ride in LOTS of peoples opinions (mine included). The 820 has always been a very popular bike for converting to other-than-trails work too (I would trade me 6000 frame for an 820 one in a heartbeat for my Xtracycle).

My 2 cents? Get it,the price can't be beat,and it's a proven beast of burden over the years,it just doesn' tget lots of media coverage because it IS an entry level bike What have you got to lose?