The Bottom Line: The bike is bombproof, and comes with great components and a great design. If you want a reasonably priced hucking bike, this is it.
Every bike I have ever owned I have broken. From cheaper department store bikes to a $500 Kona hardtail. Let me say that this is mainly not a fault of the design, or components, rather the results of a 210 lb. guy doing crazy things on it.
Trek advertises this as a full on Big Boy thrasher bike. They are dead on. I have taken my 16" Bruiser through its paces over the last 4 months, and it has yet to let me down. This bike is in no way a touring, or extended ride cross country bike. It was designed to ride like a big bmx bike with 100 mm travel forks. It has withstood my heavy butt jumping it off of 10 steps, barrelling down trails, going big off of some dirt jumps, and your basic bashing around town with flying colors.
The frame is made from Trek's signature Alpha Aluminum with a round top tube and a square bottom tube. Big tubing and great welds make it a contender. The geometry is set at a steep upward angle making it very easy to get it off of the ground. I can bunnyhop this bike up 3 steps with ease, and couldn't do that on any bike before.
The forks, or front shocks, are Marzocchi Bomber Z4's. They offer 100mm of plush travel, and will take any big hits you throw at them. They can be set to be soft and plush for a rough trail, or set to be stiff for more on road and urban style riding. They are the best I have ever ridden.
The brakes are the mechanical Avid discs. The stopping power of these things is unbelievable. Another great addition.
The rims are remco 1" tall and have taken everything that I have thrown at them, and even a couple of bottom outs on sharp edges without needing to be realigned. bombproof.
The kenda kinetic tires are nice, but a little slow on pavement. On the trail, the will hold onto almost anything.
The truvative husslefelt dh cranks are strong, but have come loose on me on the trail a couple of times. Nothing an allen wrench can't handle. The shifting is smooth, and quick.
My only problem lies with the chainstay. It flat out doesn't work. It has been dialed in by my local bike shop and the chain will still come offevery now and then.
Overall, this bike is everything I need and then some. Everything is overbuilt, and it is very fun to ride. In my mind it was made for a bigger guy who wants a bike to last through his reliving his bmx riding past. I ride mine almost daily and couldn't have made a better choice.
This is not a bike made to be ridden on a 15 mile tour, it was made to be hucked off of anything you can think of, and does the job well.
The bruiser 2 is more costly than the bruiser 1, but the forks and discs that are upgraded are well worth it.
I give this product 5 out of 5 stars.
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