There are a lot of interesting pro's and con's about Trek, which never seems to amaze me on how others consider what is good and what is not. Any bike is good if you can ride it the way you want to ride. I have a Trek 7000 and it rides pretty awesome, especially since I had the stock shock exchanged for a better one when I first purchase it. Just because there are those that think that one bike sucks because of it's popularity doesn't mean that the bike sucks. People are too in a hurry to critisize one brand because of it. And that is a bunch of you know. Main thing is the fit and the performance. If a bike does not have the right parts that you need then don't buy it. And if it is only missing a few parts to how you want it to perform then change them. I had a Gary Fisher, a Specialize, and a Giant MTB and they were alll good in their own way. It just about uniqueness that some are looking for and that's all. If a bike is light and have pretty decent parts and fit then its what you want. Any thing more exspensive is a poser thats all.