A lot of bike for the price
Written: Mar 29 '01 (Updated Nov 20 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Light weight, good balance, low price
Cons: Front shocks could be sturdier
The Bottom Line: Can't be beat for this price.
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| sneddren's Full Review: Trek 4500 |
I've had my Trek 4500 for almost a year and it's an excellent value. I paid about $400 and was drawn to the bike for its features in this price range, i.e., front suspension and stout yet light aluminum frame. Almost all of my riding is up and down steep terrain, but very little of it is really off road.
This bike has a very strong frame and is light, though not class-leading light. Since I don't use the bike for serious off roading, I think the frame strength and stability is more important than extreme light weight. This is an easy bike to ride over distances and it takes the hills nicely. The offroading I have used the bike for has been fairly non-technical, but it seems that the only significant drawback is the soft front suspension. On the road, this is not a bad thing, but on a trail, it can be a bit annoying. This is a bike that is not intended for serious off roading...the components are good but not great and I get the feeling that the bike would be out of its element. But since most people use mountain bikes as they use SUVs the point is likely moot. I appreciate the comfort and ease of riding this bike offers and for $400, it was an great purchase.
By way of comparison, I just finished a 4 day offroad trip in Utah (White Rim Trail with Rimtours (www.rimtours.com), which was OUT OF THIS WORLD good and highly recommended)where I rented a Santa Cruz Superlight full suspension bike. We did a lot of serious off roading and the Santa Cruz bike excelled. It soaked up the rocks and bumps and was strong and light, making for a great off road biking companion. I think my Trek 4500 would have been a poor choice for that kind of riding. But the Santa Cruz is a $2000+ bike. So as an everyday bike for a variety of conditions, the Trek 4500 is an economical and appropriate choice.
UPDATE AS OF NOVEMBER 2004
Well, it's now a bit over four years since I bought this bike and, surprisingly, I continue to ride it and enjoy the bike. Since I wrote the original review, I bought a new full suspension bike (a Jamis Dakar Sport), which was supposed to replace the Trek 4500. For a while, I did put the Trek off to the side, but an unfortunate flaw in the Jamis (a cracked frame) caused me to revisit the trusty Trek, while the Jamis was being replaced. After riding a full suspension bike for over a year, it was interesting to get back on the Trek hardtail. While the Trek 4500 never was a hard core off road bike, it really does perform well on the moderate off road stuff (e.g., fairly smooth fire trails without technical aspects). The one thing that I really love about this bike is how rugged it is. I cracked the frame of the new Jamis without ever riding it that hard. The Trek? After four years of similar use it still runs well. I hate to admit this, but I've never had the Trek in for a tuneup or any other type of service, I've never done any tuning or service on it myself and I don't even wash the bike. I've had it through many rides where it gets covered with mud and it still shifts well and doesn't creak or squeak or rattle. It is TOUGH and takes abuse like a champ.
So the bottom line is this: if you do a bit of mild off roading but also do a lot of on street riding and are looking for an affordable, reliable and tough bike that will give you a comfortable ride, this is a fantastic choice.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
sneddren
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Reviews written: 36
Trusted by: 6 members
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