You are hereForums / General Discussion / NoBMoB Chat / Trek - why so few?
Trek - why so few?
Thats it really, why do they have such a small presence or do I just ride around with my eyes shut (occasionally). I was in Renegade cycles in Lane Cove looking at the Trek mtb's in there as well as the road bike but lets not go there!
Is it just the lack of distributors or are they not generally popular in Oz?
- Login to post comments
- Bookmark & share
Tags
Pratiwi has a Trek and is very happy with it. It's a mid-ish range hardtail and perhaps one of Trek's problems is that they seem to have a more 'entry level' image?
FWIW, don't think there are that many places who stock them (Renegade, City, Manly Cycles?) and the store in the city doesn't seem much chop. I went in there asking about the new Remedy earlier in the year. They had no clue and the bloke looked gone out as I started talking about geometry and stuff. He could have been a road salesman, but even so, not much good IMHO.
Based in the city in Clarence St, they stock a lot of Trek.
Clarence st. apparently are the main importer for Trek and GF
CB
Maybe they should work on that but what do I know about marketing!! The couple I looked at this morning seemed ok at a glance full fox suspension but I didn't look at the rest.....its just too dangerous! I noticed that they run the cables for rear brakes and gears down the top of the frame unlike my Specialized where the cables run bare under the frame and just get clogged with crap....such a poor design, mind you the Gary Fisher bike was the same!
I have always viewed trek as a higher end road bike which is probably linked to lance Armstrong. But I think the mountain bike focus is less. They also do not promote or advertise as much as others. I think they are also priced a bit higher than equivalent other brands, they are also very selective with which dealers they deal with and are a bit protective of clarence st. I can think of lots of reasons why there are not many including applying USA ideas to Australia. I have a trek dual susp and its been great to date. Will buy another one
To be honest, I never thought about getting a Trek. My mind was totally focused on the Giant Trance X1, but with a 2 month wait on new stock and money burning a hole in my pocket, I was talked in to getting a Trek Fuel ex7. My mate that worked at the local shop (BIKEWORX Erina) organised an awesome deal for me, but I reckon I probably wouldn't have even looked at it if I had to pay full price (lower spec, more expensive than Trance). I was even worried about the purchase afterwards because I didn't know anyone who had a Trek, nor did I know much about them.
However 2 months later, I'm totally chuffed with it. Also, because no one has them they seem to have a little bit of wow factor - I even have riding buddies with Carbon/Gold Plated super bikes who want to have a ride, and they seem quite impressed.
Value for money, at full price, I probably would steer clear of a Trek. But if you can snag a deal like I did, and add to that, a 5 year guarantee on the Bontrager parts, they're not a bad bike. I'm happy with mine.
BWOAR!
I seem to remember that they are George Bush Jr's choice of ride!
meant to encourage me to ride a trek why?
On a more serious note the trek fuel ex 9 scored really well in the Mountain Biking Australia review, the gur who reviewed even bought the bike so it must be pretty good right?
i gotta trek session 77 and gilbo here has a 7 too, they are awesome bikes, bombproof huge pivots and bolts and bits, and much better than dez's cannondale
nah they rock, the fuels are a top bike too by the look, and the remedy, and the new design a.b.p. session 88's are simply incredible.. over priced? yes.. for the money i would have prob chosen a different bike, but we snapped up a deal paying 1/3 of retail from clarence street cycles (whos customer service skills on the maintanence level needs a kick up the ass) due to stock that didnt move.. bottom line, i think ozzies dont see the value, cause they are not good value, but they are still an incredibly good bike, and the biggest bike company in the u.s apparently.. ossies tend to gravitate towards giants for their favourite, which are incredibly good value by comparison..my opinion, a solid bike ive been happy with from day 1, but retail pricing is close to double what i think they should b priced at..us pricing seems reasonble if it were the same in oz dollars too...
I ride a Trek Fuel EX8, and believe me, this is no low end bike. It is awesome. Before I bought this bike, I road tested quite a few bikes, including the Trance, and found the Fuel EX8 really performed well. It felt really comfortable, and I seemed to be able to ride a bit faster. The 2008 model is supposedly a massive improvement on the previous model.
I have been riding it for about 5 months now, and the only issue I have had with it were the forks, but as they were Fox SLs, it wasn’t really a Trek issue. When I took it back to Clarence St they put a new set on my bike while I waited - no problem and out the door in 20 minutes. I have found most of the guys in Clarence St to be really helpful when I have been there, so I’m not sure why I have read a few EMO comments from people on this site about them.
I also have a Trek 6500 hard tail that has lower spec components than the EX8, but is also a great bike.
To be honest, I shopped around heaps before buying the Fuel EX8, and I didn’t find that the price of the Trek was much more than other brands when comparing similar components/models, (although the Giant is cheaper than most). This is definitely no “entry level” bike Co Rob.
If I was to buy again, I would definitely buy this bike, or maybe even the Trek Fuel EX 9, which has the same frame (in black & white) but higher specs.
I have to say, that the Fuel EX8 is one of the coolest looking bikes I have seen too (but that shouldn’t be the reason for buying). I get stopped to have a look a lot, I think its the colour!
Anyway, I like that there are so few. I feel less like a herd animal.
Guys,
I have always been a avid trekie and if its good enough for the leader of the Free World then it's good enough for me.
Money is my biggest issue but I noticed a carbon Trek for sale on Ebay and only $26 - it looks the go to me.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Trek-Y33-carbon-mountain-...
Beam up me Scottie
Is the one I was looking at in the shop, certainly has the looks, just over 3.5k!
my issues with clarence, are that a: im still waiting and have been for a YEAR for a replacement rocker linkage that was damaged due to a design fault in the small size session 77's that meant the seatpost clamp cut a gouge out of the linkage if not 100% flush. b: after numerous front brake failures, i spent hundreds of dollars having them bleed and replace levers/cylinders etc (no warranty for that apparently) and was eventually told i was riding it wrong (silly me for wanting to have the brakes stay on for longer than 2 secs whilst downhilling) and in the end it still wasnt fixed, so my mate saved the day with his old front brake.. and c: well there doesnt need to be a c, but ive also been waiting on a rear "replaceable" dropout/hanger for about 6 months now too, that i luckily sourced from israel otherwise i wouldnt be riding now..oh and they are 5 times more expensive then most other shops for everything..still a nice bike though
Ahh Alex you just cant help yourself you old Cannon basher ,
did I happen to mention you how easy hangers for C-dales are to get
Tell you what those Trek 88's are look'n sweet , time you upgraded before the next bub mate
p.s. when are we riding again ? I've been practicing !
Forgive me if I'm wrong (which unfortunately is often the case) but my understanding on why Trek had a demise was that they stopped developing their own mountain bike designs and just licensed off others.
Look at the Trek in the picture above it is a clear copy of the Giant Reign / Trance.
But having said that all bike brands are only a frame just speced differently.
Enjoy you Reign oh I mean Trek
Pikey
-------------------------------------------
Don't worry what other people are thinking,
because most of the time their not.
-------------------------------------------
nah similar but just based on the same linkage system as a standard faux 4 bar jobbie i believe, is different to the whole maestro thing isnt it? is more based on a kona layout really, and what they have done is added the a.b.p system (active brake pivot) to the 2008's, which effectually chucks a pivot around the rear axle to eliminate further jack and some of the kona like braking issues..i hear its good but havent had a bash myself..oh and they dont snap like trances
ahh bike loyalty, so foolish yet so fun..so who else thinks macs suck? lol
dez- still getting used to a 3rd family member! been in hospital all week with a scare, but all's well luckily, so be on the trails soon! just got a bike rack too so i cant contain myself much longer from the trails! ill keep ya posted, better get that cannon all lubed up ready to break again
heres the lil one if you havent seen (yeh im a proud dad showing her off to all)
http://nobmob.com/node/5637
I don’t think the Trek Fuel Ex is much like a Trace. They feel very different to ride.
From what I understand, Trek put some serious thought (and money) into this bike from 2008. Employed a new bunch of suspension gurus that pulled out all stops. With the '08 Fuel Ex they added 2 new features which are awesome. As Alex said, it now A.B.P. You can see in the picture above that the chain stays are at different heights. This means that the rear pivot and the rear axel are aligned at the same height. This is meant to keep the rear wheel on the ground when breaking, so you don’t bounce around. They have also included what the call Full Floater Technology. This means the bottom of the rear suspension is not fixed like in the Trance. This gives a really bottomless feel to the rear suspension travel . An amazing sensation!
Anyway, this is all technical mumbo jumbo. If you are interested, this review is good on Dirtrag.
http://www.dirtragmag.com/print/article.php?ID=1...
Sorry to hear of your experience in the City Alex. What a shame, because as I said, I have had nothing but good experiences with them. In fact, one thing I like about almost all bike shops is how friendly the people who work in them are. A credit to our sport.
so its got the same linkage as my enduro, chainstays exactly the same as my epic and a horst link the same as both of them! Dont get me wrong. I love the look of the trek and would have one any day.
From what I saw, the new Trek only has a single pivot at the back of the rear triangle, and that pivot is around the axle. I believe they call this Active Braking Pivot (ABP). Indeed, this seems to be a Trek patent - there's some blurb about all this here:
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/trek-2008-...
Some simple mechanics involved here, which would be easy to understand if I could find the KONA DOPE video somewhere, but I'll try and explain in words anyway...
It's all to do with what the suspension does when you're braking. On a standard faux bar or single pivot the rear brake caliper is attached to the rear swingarm or chainstay. Now because of that when you brake the rotational momentum of your wheel is transferred via the brake, which is now grabbing the disc, to the chainstay and so the suspension will pivot up simply from braking alone. So put another way if you brake you use some travel and get less use out of your shock.
The video I was looking for shows this really well - if you have a single pivot or a faux bar you can demonstrate this to yourself really easily. Just put your bike in a workstand, undo the bolt holding your shock to the rear section of your suspension and then get the rear wheel moving and brake, your rear wheel will jump up.
The ABP is a solution that allows the rear caliper to be attached to the seatstay, by placing the pivot exactly at the rear axle the caliper can be on the seatstay without varying it's position in relation to the disc when the suspension moves. And the rotational forces that act when you brake then go through the seatstay (rather than the chainstay) which handily is almost at right angles to the linkage and so can't move under those forces.
It must put more strain on the linkage bearings and the rear axle must be a bit complicated but only the ride will tell if it's worth it...
Not sure why this hasn't blown up yet as the Trek ABP is pretty much the same as the Dave Weagle split pivot.... Oh maybe Dave is signing to trek to avoid a legal battle over the whole thing and taking the dwlink and Sam with him too
Recently got a Trek EX 9.
Love it!
This design is clever. However it's not just the pivot that's important, it's the whole design. The full floater suspension design is a motorcycle idea from many years ago and it's application on a bicycle is great as it reduces the inherent progressive nature of an air shock causing the entire stroke to be more linear.
The idea of the pivot is to duplicate the horst link features without infringing on the Specialized FSR patent. Sure Specialized do licence the design to others notably Norco and Ellesworth yet the last company they'd licence to would be Trek.
The design has a lot of critics yet I've ridden a Fuel EX and I liked it. I'd buy the new Remedy however Trek is overpriced in Australia and simply not worth the premium over the US price. Plus I'm running out of room in my shed and even my bedroom is becoming crowded.
i bought a second hand 2004 model Topfuel 98 trek a few years back and its been awesome. Found that i could get up technical hills a lot better than on the previous bike (92 model GT Zaskar). Its copped about 20 big over the bar stacks (I had the front brake changed over from my previous bike which was back the front - and took about 6 months for the subconcsious to change over) and has not missed a beat (those dual control levers are more robust than they look). ANyways, I am thinking of buying another one new. I would even pay the premium IF I know I will get the support and warranty protection that is stated. Lifetime on frame and 5 years on parts - beauty. If this comes with support and service I'm there. But i'm nervous that its not. Has anyone else out there had any experience with Clarence St service and warranty support? Or Trek warranty and support through another bike shop??
I bought a Fuel 70 from Clarence St in 2006 and it was a 2005 model. After about a year and a half I broke the swingarm on a weld. I took it back and the swingarm was replaced in three weeks. This may seem a long turn around however one should be mindful of the age of the bike. A frame part from a bike from two years previous may not be readily available.
Now that bike rides perfectly well.
When I initially made the claim I was given the run around by the staff. However I'm smarter than the average bear and went to the top man, a guy named Mike Shaw who immediately pointed out that as the first owner of the bike with the receipt I was indeed entitled to a warranty claim.
Ultimately I'm happy to go to Clarence St for a Trek and I reckon they make good bikes and the Fuel EX and the Remedy are excellent. I don't believe the Top Fuel will ever get the ABP treatment as they have always been a single pivot design and will possibly remain so. It is unlikely you'll have any problems with your new Trek and the word is that all Trek alloy suspension frames bar the Session is made in a Giant owned factory in China so the quality and reliability of the frame will be high. Carbon frames and the Session is made in the Trek factory in Wisconsin, USA.
Don't forget that no matter what any bike shop tells you the Australian Warranty Act has the final word on any claim.
As stated, I have had no problems at all with Clarence st. When I have had an issue under warranty, they have been more than happy to help.
On the issue of warranty, there was an interesting article in AMB in June/ July 08 issue I think. It stated that as most of the components are supported by their manufacturer such as Fox, Shimano, Sram etc, then the bike shop has to go into bat on your behalf when you try to make a claim and often is left holding the baby. It went on to say that we should be thankful that given the beating we give our bikes that there is a warrantee at all. Most other action sports have a “you break it, you fix it policy.” Having broken a few skis in my life, the manufacturers response has always been, much less friendly!
Also in AMB this month the Fuel EX7 does very well in the group test, beating among others the Trance X2 for sub $3k duelies .
However if the Top Fuel is more your thing, check out the new 2009 model they are going to release with the R1i (Full Floater and ABP). Here http://www.dirtragmag.com/blogarific/first-look-...
Very cool.
On place of manufacture, I am pretty sure my Fuel EX has a sticker that would lead me to believe it isn’t made in China by Giant, I know some bike makes do get Giant to make their frames, but I don’t think Trek is one of them.
You are forgiven.
Look harder actually, not much but a little... It's nothing like a reign/trance...
The Trek has ABP, very similar to a floating rear caliper that is available on only the best downhill bikes do that you are as fast as you can handle on descents & thru corners...
The Trek has a thing called the Full Floater that enables the lower shock to actually pivot downward with the stroke of the shock thus restricting the ramping of resistance as you go thru the travel (particular to air shocks) & increasing the suppleness of the suspension. I have ridden oneof their test bikes & it blew me away how bottomless the suspension felt & only 120mm !
The Evo link is the third thing. A one piece rocker link that stiffens up the linkage b/w the front & rear.
These bikes are dearer but you pay for qaulity in this world. Your comment about all brands are only a frame just specced differently leads me to suggest to you that you should perhaps go to Kmart, buy a Huffy then take it to your local bike shop & get them to put some Sram XO or XTR parts on it, add some RockShox or Fox forks, Carbon bits & pieces & some nice wheels & enjoy all the money you saved on the frame...
theres a big review on the trek ex7 in amb this month actually which beats the norco fluid, khs xct and giant trance in the sub 3k catergory..actually ive been eyeballing the new kona design theres a walkthrough vid at http://bikemag.com/av/flash/kona_magic_link_bert...
cannondale however are jumping on the huffy super spring linkage for 2009, which bottoms out when noone is even riding it..
and it actually seems quite good, the whole floating, moving free space between pivot things makes a whole lot of sense that these bike companies are gravitating towards..at the end of the day, its a great time for mountain bikes, people are obsessed with them, you only have to look at site like this to know that, and everyone has put there 2c in about what works and what people want! look at late 90's designs compared to now, faux linkages and single pivots were looked at by riders whom alot of wanted less bob, less brake issues and more of the good stuff, so the manufacturers have really come through with new inovative designs, probably twice fold due to specialized's monopoly on a linkage design that appears to work quite well if albeit noone else is allowed to use it..but it means i think designs are only going to go up and up..as for trek, being one of the biggest bike manufacturers in the world, they are surely going to seize the day with new designs and improvements..as i said, ive got a trek session, and i love it, and its based on the older kona style faux bar linkage, and they have already made improvements to the way the suspension system works, with this abp stuff even though the old system worked and the only excuse you would have for "needing" better, would be if you need more time learning how your bike works to translate that down pat on trails, or your up against the best of the best, where every design bonus may make a split second difference to winning or losing in competition..but its all fine tuning, which translates to maximum lovelyness on the trail and unless your buying a cannondale i think most of these guys are jumping on some good stuff
A member for two and a half hours and already getting stuck into Pikey! I love it!
Now Alex I know you love your Session and I get the impression that you have a fantasy to ride a Kona but at the same time you seem to think that the linkage system on your bike and on most Konas needs improvement, either by means of a D.O.P.E. torque arm and floating caliper mount or by this new Magic Link business. Let me tell you something. I've ridden several Kona models and their present design works perfectly well. I've not ridden a Session however I figure it must feel similar. Sure, there's some brake jack and the system is fully active all the time. That's ok though as it's simply a design that benefits from a platform shock whilst climbing. As for brake jack, the answer is to have some quality brakes, complete all your braking before arriving at a turn, then rail said turn, allowing the active suspension to do it's job.
I really like Kona bikes. The frames are fabricated by one of the best factories in Taiwan -Kenesis- and the finished bike is tough and reliable. Their active suspension design works really well and I believe the patent has expired which is why it pops up on a lot of bikes from other brands.
It's just a little old hat these days.
Wonderwoman - I think I'm in love - not only did you serve it to Picky but you appear to know your stuff (pity I didn't understand a word you wrote), but by your prose I can tell you are a linguist.
I have been a Trek fan for years, especially the early stuff and I didn't care for the recent work. I might now give the next generation stuff a go.
kona is kinesis ay? i had an avanti manic ht dirtjumper that was kinesis. so damn tough it was ridiculous, it took such a beating over the several years i owned it and the frame was unfazed, anything from light xc stuff to full dh runs at ourimbah and the like..
no its not that i think the design needs the improvement, like i was saying, theres no need to upgrade unless you really need cutting edge technology for split second improvements in say a race environment, or you just cant get an affinity with how the suspension works (like you say, getting all your braking done before cornering and the like)..its just that the jack/d.o.p.e/a.b.p./magic blah new systems make it so that you get even more suspension usage should you brake in conditions where you prob shouldnt etc.. dont get me wrong though, i love the faux system, yeh i think sessions would run very much like a kona, and i do have a desire to hit up something on an earlier model stab or stinky! (not too big a fan of the new design stabs) the design is super stiff and climbs like a beast for a rig of its nature, im still keen to do a 100k enduro on it when my fitness improves!
what brakes would you reccomend for a bike of that nature? my stupid mags are still stupid and i hate them lol ive been eye-balling the new elixers, codes, stoker aces (although they look like they wouldnt be comfy) and of course saints, (but too much $$ at the mo so forget hopes and the like!)
Avid brakes are a quality product. Go for anything Juicy Five and above. Anything with Shimano written on it is tops yet always aim for the high end models.
I am totally dedicated to Hope products. My latest investment is a set of Mono M4 for my Glory, the bike I was riding that day at Stromlo. It's my third set of Hope brakes and the other two sets are still in use and work great with not even as much as a bleed. These M4's are the newest type and are great. Generally speaking, Hope brakes are the only brake I'll use off road. My commuter does have Shimano Deore hydraulic brakes at present and they work well in that role yet commuting doesn't give brakes such a hard time. Commuters should put there investment into wheels and a nice seat...
As for cost, well I'm inclined to say that cheap brakes offer cheap braking. My new brakes were a bit less than $600 all in with floating rotors and braided lines. And I can fit them myself. I reckon that's totally worth it.
Don't forget anything you bolt onto your bike is an investment. Never ever will a bike be sold in Australia brand new ready to roll featuring King or Hope hubs and/or headsets, Hope brakes, the rims and tyres we prefer etc etc. When your session gets retired, your top quality Hope brakes will move to your new bike, along with your Chris King ISO hub featured wheelset and your preferred suspension products. Just save up...little by little.
yeh i hear ya, hope hubs are incredible, like butter..how about these bad boys any experience? http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/15794-115_ALI8P...
8 pistons titanium and goldy lookin
so these kind of products will survive beyond the life of the sessions frame etc to the point of superseeding brand new stock components? why do hope brakes never appear stock on bikes? i have seen chris king stuff stock, but never hope is that more a national issue being a uk based company?
im certainly holding off on brake replacement till i can get some damn good, well researched and timeless ones!
I've used Hayes nine, 2007 Juicy 3's and 2006 XTR's and found them all very good in feel and power, the only niggle I have with any of them would be the Hayes require a little more setup time to stop them rubbing. I've done 1000's of kms with the Hayes and after smashing one I got a a new pair of them with discs for $200 from T7 so the value is good on these proven brakes.
John.
Well, I have looked at a Trek rear suspension and a Trance/Reign rear suspension and they both look pretty similar to me.
I have no experience with these but what I can tell you is that for about $75 extra per end you can have Hope Mono M4 with floating rotors and braided lines and they're lighter than the Gator. And I know they're reliable. Plus there is a good parts back up.
OEM on bikes is all about wheeling and dealing between the bike maker and the part maker. In the UK many bikes come with Hope brakes and hubs from new. Any problems that may occur would be easy for the bike shop to deal with as Hope are right there.
Here in Australia it's a different story and to provide Hope OEM the shop and the customer would be relying on the official Australian importer and who knows how efficient they'd be. I get all my Hope stuff from CRC and they are arguably the largest Hope retailer in the world. So except from the very rare and random foul up with CRC delivery times, I'm very happy. Sometimes Hope products go out of stock as Hope isn't very big and demand for the product is high.
If you really want to experience these brakes then take my bike for a spin. Come to my FreeRideTastic on August 16th.
Many riders develop preferences for the gear they fit to their bike yet in inevitably tire of the frame or are drawn in by a new design and they simply buy a frame and transfer all the bling to it. The old frame ends up hanging on the wall with a nice plaque.
In any case it's a false economy to buy something cheap in the interim until the preferred product can be afforded.
yeh the hayes have a weakness iun the master cylinder design, that being the whole thing has to be replaced if anything in the whole lever area is damaged, specifically, the resovoir bladdery thing is one long piece inside the lever, so if you have a stuffed lever adjust screw, or anything like like that, you gotta do the whole thing for 150 odd bucks..and the other weakness is its weak lol a slight bump from a stack or something will potentially rupture the seal, as is what i think happened with mine..anyhoo the short is hayes are totally out for me, i hear they have fixed the master cylinder issue with the new stokers and el camino's, but i dont like the ergonomics of the levers at all..shimano i hear have the ability to access and replace individual lever parts, and saints (particularly the 4 piston new ones) look awesome i would love to try some..and hopes yeh but im just not sure with price etc., codes too but i hear the modulation is a bit hows your uncle..ah decisions decisions lol oh crap ive totally hijacked this thread sorry!
reigns have that maestro link which cuts through the downtube and looks so different to the trek linkage that its not funny! each to his own i guess!
Yes Alex due to your hijack I've created a new thread. Look for it under 'brakes' in forum talk on the front page.
for hijacking the thread it was getting to long and boring listening to Alex talk about his Shrek , jeeez you would think they were the only bikes with suspension
well we wouldve talked about cannondales but this is a bike forum, not a toasty marshmallow bed-wetting forum
would you like a saucer of milk with that ?
yes your mother quite likes it when i leave her a saucer of milk out in the morning, but she prefers shmackos
aw cmon the only place left to go beyond cannonbashing is mama jokes!
we should take this "outside"
meet you out the back in the dirt to settle this like men .
Trek v Cannondale DH race ,
you can bring your mama for backup if your scared you don't have enough wobbly suspension bits on your Shrek
What's that I hear ..................Ourimbah track ?
hmm an ourimbah bash you say? yes, yes i believe ourimbah is the last great battleground for mama disputes, shall we say hi noon some monday? i got me a bike rack now, should be installed within the next week or so so shuttles wont be a drama..and i got enough suspension for both our mamas, sadly your cannon will as per be bouncing around the trail like a dog on velcro on a bouncy ball with a shmacko taped to his forehead.. oh piss i hijacked the thread again...
on a Monday to be confirmed , you just cant stop typing Cannondale can you , must be that old black dog jealousy rearing its head for shmackos
Your mum can bring the orange wedges for half time.
Gilbo we need you as a time marshal , I cant trust Alex's mum , she takes bribes of shmackos.