Originally Posted by NJMedic
Ok, In the market for a ~400$ MTB so I stopped at the LBS and rode a trek 4500 and a rockhopper. Heres my question, when riding the 4500 it felt all wrong as if the tire was flat, an odd combination of slightly slugish but moreso very twitchy. The tires were aired up by the ssalesperson just before i hoped on for the test ride so it isnt the case. On the contrary the specialized bike rode fine, so i guess i can rule out the fact that im out of riding shape). Tread on the tires was similair so was that feeling the difference in "geometry"'s affect that is so often described (yeah im a self-proclaimed noob), or just a crappy fork/setup (rs judy). Just wondering before i write the bike off. Thanks in advance.
--C
Sounds more like the sizing than anything. You say it felt sluggish eh? How was your knee positioned on the bottom of the pedal stroke. The bike might've been set up incorrectly for you or was the wrong size, or you just don't like the geometry. But since the two are very similar, I find it hard to believe.
But yeah, some people can detect geometry changes with a lot more sensitivity than some so the Trek might be the wrong bike for you. Try one out at a different LBS and if it still feels sluggish than it probably is.