2006 Trek 820

My son is a poor college student whose bike was crashed/thrashed by a 'friend' he lent it to. He wanted a bike to ride to school, cruise around downtown and do a little light off-road with. I told him what to look for and gave him some names but he made the decision. His budget was a tight $250. He bought a 2006 Trek 820 for $230 and the LBS threw in a few trinkets (gloves and water bottle).

I've always had a preference for Kona and Specialized (my personal rides) but I will have to admit the Trek 820 appears to be an amazing amount of bike for less than $250. It wouldn't be my ride but I'm not on a $250 budget. The components are lower end Shimano, Bontrager, etc but they function reasonably well and can always be upgraded. The frame is straight and appears well designed. The paint looks good, too, as does the overall scheme of the bike.

We rode some mild off-road and then through a section with roots, loose sand, steep hills and small rocks; no air bigger than a curb, of course (the bike is clearly not made for that). I rode the bike and found it well balanced and straight tracking. The components do not run as smooth as higher-end and will need upgrading at some point but this total bike sells for less than half of the price of many of our forks!

All in all, I found it to be a surprising amount of bike for the price and, if he takes care of it and upgrades some basic parts as he goes along, it looks like it will serve him very well for what he wants to use it for. Good job on this bike, Trek!