Nomad_

So im a rookie, looking at getting my first non Chinese big box store bike. Mainly for commuting but for weekend rail trails. Im looking exclusivly at Trek (cc reasons..) and im pretty much sold on the crossrip elite. Question is the reviews I see peoples main issue is the low level components, deraillers and shifters specifically. My question is, what makes them so bad? For the beginning casual/fitness rider atleast is there really a big difference in components I will notice? I understand the point of if you are going to spend X amount why not spend a bit more and upgrade, but im already upgrading from -$200 bikes and 1200 is a huge amount imo already.

kmv2

The groupset on that is pretty bad yeah, https://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en/bikes...ssrip/crossrip
Its better than Wal Mart obviously, but for $1200 you can do better.

Its below entry level Shimano Sora, which you can get on most ~$500 roadbikes.
The Avid mechanical brakes are OK.

Its nice that it has an aluminium frame and carbon fork, but do you need that?

the cheaper stuff is going to wear out quicker and all that.

A Kona Jake is at a similar price, and you can find a dealer in most cities https://www.konaworld.com/dealers.cfm

The Jake doesn't have the disc brakes or carbon fork, but you should ask yourself if you really need those in the first place. It does however have Shimano Tiagra, which is decent overall, and much better that the 2300 stuff on that Trek.

Look around too, you might get lucky and walk into a shop that's trying to clear out their last years stock..and pick something up that's worth $1200 but for alot less.

fietsbob

there is an easy expression of obsessive compulsive personality in bicycles..

the lower Priced Crossrip is a triple, the higher a double . they are fine.. Trek stands behind their bikes..

you will notice the jump up from your non bike shop bike, will take much more time
to note a difference in components above that.. the chain shoved back and forth a little faster..


after you wear out the original parts , you can consider the upgrades..

the chain and the cogwheels are what moves the bike.. you will like the Disc brakes when the weather is foul.

get a rack, mudguards, they are a bit cheaper when bought with the bike..

your dealer can also change the Stem length to get the fit, just right.


other brands have their supporters.. people tout what they bought..

and Diss other stuff.. oh well..

kmv2

Specialized Tricross would also be one to consider.. I think most of those have Tiagra and there are disc models too.
Probably around your budget of $1200

treadtread

The Crossrip is way lower specced than other bikes in the same price range.

DVC45

Surly Cross Check is a better deal, IMO.

spare_wheel

the cross-check has no disc brake tabs (which in my book makes it an inferior commuter unless you only ride when its dry).

every component on the base crossrip screams cheap. imo, even the avid bb5s are just about the worst disc brake money can buy.

i would spend an extra $200 and upgrade to the crossrip elite which comes with the new 9 speed sora and cx5s (roughly equivalent to bb7s). the difference between a trek and a cheap qbp frame (cross-check) is the service. i went through two trek alu frames before trek finally offered me a free plastic frame with the understanding that i would not get a replacement if i managed to brake it (tough decision).

fietsbob

some companies up spec the frame, and make up for it by using a lower cost component attached to it.

some cherry pick a component up a level, and cut elsewhere. to offer at the same price..

CliftonGK1

Funny, because I've put over 25,000 miles on my "cheap QBP frame" (a 2008 Cross-Check) and it's still going strong after year-round riding in slush and snow and rain and shine, double centuries, 400k randonees, and even putting knobbies on it and gravel grinding it for a few thousand miles.
It's recently repurposed as an upright townie-ish bike that I'll be throwing an gear-hub rear and trailer on it for doing big grocery trips.

Plus, since I bought it through a local shop (as you can with anything QBP), I still had the usual shop coverage for first year free adjustments and tune ups.

kmv2

so.. sorry I'm missing something.. the difference is the trek frame breaks and you replace it twice before you get the right one? And that makes it better? Seems like a pain in the ass.

My 'cheap' QBP (whatever that is) Surly frame is great. It's the first one I bought too, because it hasn't broken.

Reminds me of Tommy Boy:
Ted Nelson, Customer: But why do they put a guarantee on the box?

Tommy: Because they know all they sold ya was a guaranteed piece of shi*. That’s all it is, isn’t it? Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will. I got spare time. But for now, for your customer’s sake, for your daughter’s sake, ya might wanna think about buying a quality product from me.

tar wheels 

Yeah, I think I could ride mine over a cliff. CC's are built like tanks.

Andy_K 

There's nothing wrong with the CrossRip Elite. The new Sora components are pretty decent, and I've heard good things about the Hayes CX5 brakes. The nice thing about the Sora groupset is that 9-speed components are cheaper to replace.

That said, I am a very happy owner of a 2013 Kona Jake, which is cheaper and has better componets with the exception of the brakes and (arguably) the fork. The fork, I would argue, really doesn't matter because the tires are wide enough to make any buzz absorption from a carbon fork negligible. For less than the difference in price between the Jake and the CrossRip you could upgrade the Jake brakes to Avid BB7 (or Hayes CX5). I also happen to like the Jake geometry better.

Really though, if you have a Trek dealer that you like and there isn't a Kona dealer that you like in the area, that might be enough to tip the scales to the CrossRip. Don't underestimate the value of service.

Andy_K 

The difference in frames between QBP and Trek is that Trek puts a lot of money into R&D to fine tune their geometry and their tube shapes, while QBP, and especially Surly, rarely changes their geometry and uses fairly standard steel tubing. Of course, this hardly applies at all to the CrossRip, since it isn't one of Trek's cutting edge products and doesn't use their top-of-the-line materials. It does have internal cable routing, which is kind of cool but can also be a pain come maintenance time. And, it must be said, the use of standard 4130 steel tubing is one of the things that makes Surly frames so dependable.

A lot of local shops feature Surly and other QBP brands, so I don't know that after the sale service is necessarily lacking.

spare_wheel

meh.
i have broken steel frames too and even more ironically one of them was an LHT. my problem with surley/qbp is that they have an absolutely pathetic 3 year warranty. in contrast, trek, cannondale, and specialized have lifetime warranties.
the average commuter will likely never break a mass produced alu or steel frame. i am not the average commuter.

Nomad_

Thank-you everyone for the fast responses, wow! I guess I should have specified the reason I'm mainly looking at Trek because of 'cc' reasons isn't because of a limit on my CC, but while drooling over a few treks I randomly applied for trek card and its en-route already not to mention I have several Trek dealers withen 30miles (1 withen 3!). I'm not totally against looking at other bikes, and the Kona sounds like a definite that deserves some attention, its just they sort of suckered me in with the ease of it since I don't nessessarly have 2grand laying around for a bicycle lol.

One of the things I really like about the CrossRip is the double brakes, as I have never had a drop bar bike and I see myself using the tops, at least in the beginning I like the idea of having brakes right at my fingertips. And the disc brakes are a huge plus also being that I'm from Ohio and our weather isn't exactly predictable, I think they would be very important. Again I am a noob and this is just my senses.

A last question I guess before I go research these new bike ideas, it was mentioned I could wear out the low level components and then replace them with upgrades, about how many miles does that generally take or is it mainly dependant of abuse/randomness? With a lifetime warranty on the frame, I'm not against using cheaper components while I learn and save, then upgrading to better ones (if not a entirely new bike)

Sorry to start the Trek vs QBP pissing match lol. Thanks again for all the answers and suggestions! I will keep looking and try to make it down to a LBS to see in person once I get a few more choices and facts straight, I like to go in with a game plan not leave it all up to hoping for a good salesman.

spare_wheel

Kona makes nice bikes with good quality control and a limited lifetime warranty.

Andy_K 

Some parts, like the chain, will wear out within about 2500-3000 miles, depending on how much you baby it. The cassette might wear out in 5000 miles if you don't replace the chain in that time. You might wear out the jockey wheels on a rear derailleur in 10000 miles, but you can replace them and the derailleur will keep working. You aren't likely to wear out a front derailleur. The shifters will eventually wear out, but it will take a long time. They're more likely to brake in some other way before they wear out.

kmv2

What are you doing with your bikes?

Its not like I ride mine a couple km's per day: I've done long distance tours on mine, and mixed road/offroad long distance events. And its also a stand in commuter when I'm wrenching on the full time commuter.

kmv2

You can add interrupter levers pretty easy (the levers on the top).



You can get the jake with disc brakes too,
https://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=jake

Ask the shop to install interrupter levers too if you need them. Better all around, and probably cheaper.

tar wheels 

My favorite bike accessory.

Nomad_

Thank-you Kmv! Thats great to know, that was a huge plus keeping me locked onto the crossrip and knowing that definitly broadens my possibilities. I looked into the Kona and the Jake is very nice! Might have to ride out 30ish miles theres a Kona and Trek dealer withen 5 miles from oneanother!

spare_wheel

Lots of dumb (but fun) stuff like taking the 6 deep ruts on my commute home at 25-35 mph (every freaking day).

CliftonGK1

Which, according to the terms of Trek's limited lifetime warranty should not have been replaced.

Direct from the Trek website:
THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER:
Normal wear and tear
Improper assembly
Improper follow-up maintenance
Installation of components, parts, or accessories not originally intended for or compatible with the bicycle as sold
Damage or failure due to accident, misuse, abuse, or neglect
Labor charges for part replacement or changeover
(emphasis mine)

So, your dealer basically did you a favour by getting it covered (twice, once at significant upgrade from the sound of it), or you weren't forthcoming with the deets of how the frame came to fall apart (which is a more likely situation.)

I work in Technical Support and deal with warranty situations for 40 hours a week. The game is the same whether it's someone's $50,000 portable ultrasound system that "just froze up for no reason and smoke came out the vents" or it's a $1000 bike that the frame "just snapped at the headtube/downtube weld for no reason".
When it arrives at the engineering bench for failure analysis, that's when we find the telltale signs of (in the case of the medical device) saline solution having been spilled on the system and huge scorch marks on the main board, or (in the case of the bike) metal stress indications of repeated abusive impacts.

Don't game the system, because what that does is help to hose the pricing for everyone by adding to the company's overhead with more warranty stock they have to carry, and/or makes companies develop more and more restrictive warranty policies like the one Surly has; which basically says, we'll determine whether or not what you say about our product failure is true or not... Before we decide to replace anything, because of exactly the situations I've outlined above.


Seriously, man. You broke an LHT. You pretty much have to hit one of the welds with a sledgehammer to break any of their bikes.

PennyTheDog

I've never ridden a Crossrip, but I thought this looked like a pretty even-handed review:
https://road.cc/content/review/79994-...rip-elite-2013

terrapin44

I haven't ridden the CrossRip, but it is a fine bike and Trek is a good company. True, you might be able to get some better components for the same price, but if you like the CrossRip, take it for a test ride (go further than just around the block). If you still like it, buy it, and ride it. I doubt a new rider would be able to tell the difference in the components.