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Submitted by
somebiker
a Weekend Warrior
from chicago
Date Reviewed: May 24, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | price | | Weaknesses: | Heavy!!! boat anchor. | | Similar Products Used: | bikes in $500+ range. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is very heavy! The frame is overbuilt with cheap steel. I've owned an old schwinn (made in usa) mt bike made of chromoly steel and it was very light. People who say this bike is lightweight are lying or have never handled it. There is no bike worth a damn below $700 these days. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Vini
a Weekend Warrior
from Mansfield, Oh USA
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Y-Not Cycling | | Strengths: | Excellent handling and ride with the front suspension. Very tough and durable. | | Bike Setup: | Stock with a Bell seat and carry rack. | | Bottom Line: | Works well for all types of riding on/off road.
Would recommend to anyone. I am 6'2" 300 pounds. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric W
a Weekend Warrior
from Henderson NV.
Date Reviewed: December 19, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Bootleg Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$365.00 | | Strengths: | Steel frame has lasted for years and 8000 miles. | | Weaknesses: | Like others have said, the 1" steer tube doesn't allow to many options if you ever wanted to upgrade to a suspension fork. | | Bike Setup: | After 12 years it's my touring and commuting bike, with a rear rack, riser bars and simple lighting setup. | | Bottom Line: | It was never intended to be a "real mtn. bike".
I discovered that very quickly and bought a Giant ATX-970 back in 1996.
I have kept it as a touring and around town bike all these years and even take it to Bootleg Canyon's XC trails every now and then.
This review is for a 1996 steel 820.
It's just plain fun and simple.
Steel is real. There still isn't an aluminum hardtail frame, that I have ever ridden, that feels as nice as the 820's frame.
I love my 06 Mountain Cycle with much passion, but the old 820 has some kind of "feel" that I don't know how to put into words.
I can understand why there are old farts out there that wont give up their ancient steel hardtails.
I have to give it 5 chili's for value (after 12 years of service) and 5 overall within it's own class of bikes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sarah
a Cross Country Rider
from upstate NY
Date Reviewed: January 27, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$315.00 | | Purchased At: | local bike shop in WI | | Strengths: | -indestructable frame (under normal, non-DH use)
-economical
-handles modest trail riding AND touring like a dream | | Weaknesses: | -grip shifters
-brakes
-threaded 1" headset makes it difficult to upgrade front fork to suspension | | Similar Products Used: | 2004 Fisher Marlin | | Bike Setup: | Off the top o' my head, 15in stock except:
-new rear wheel (bent in bike rack)
-Tektro vbrakes & levers
-Shimano rapid-fire shifters | | Bottom Line: | This bike has had a number of different lives. Got it 9 years ago (1997), at age 13, to cruise around the neighborhood. Later, took it on a 15-day road tour of the N.East (swapped knobbies for touring tires). Became my college transportation. Took it offroad and started to ride XC. Sadly, w/out a front suspension fork, I got lazy on the trails and opted for a new Fisher. I now use the 820 for everyday riding in the city/town.
This Trek has been one amazing bike. Basic maintenance is all it needs, and sometimes it didn’t even get that much but performed well. No matter how many other bikes I get, I will always have my beloved 820. I’ve put hundreds—and I mean hundreds—of miles on this bike, and only have had minor repairs. The canti brakes that come standard are crap, and the plastic retainer cups that hold on the springs broke repeatedly on the front brakes. Simple & cheap fix—new vbrakes. You may like the grip shifters and keep ‘em, but they’re not my thing so I swapped them with rapid-fires. It’s time for a new bottom bracket and I could splurge on new tires, but otherwise this bike ROCKS.
BUY IF: You're looking to go easy on the pocketbook. You want a simple, no-frills, dependable ride for campus, light trail riding, or commuting. Works well for touring, as well, with a tire swap.
AVOID IF: You can't live w/out a front shock. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Birmingham, AL
Date Reviewed: June 10, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$50.00 | | Purchased At: | Individual | | Strengths: | Shimano mid-grade components through-out, tough as nails frame, good finish | | Weaknesses: | 1" threaded headset doesn't leave much for a front suspension fork. Judy TT is still available in 1". Maybe others. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 950, Trek 4900 | | Bike Setup: | Suspension post, Kenda tires, Deore brakes, riser bar, other boltons | | Bottom Line: | I "stole" this bike for 50 bucks and it was mint. I replaced the Trek Connection tires with Kendas and added a few other goodies. This frame is extra tough and stable. It is equipped with a Alivio rear, Altus front, grip shifters, and low-end brakes. Replace the brakes if you can afford it for some extra stopping power. A front suspension would be very helpful but you can build some serious skills on a hardtail/solid fork bike. You can turn some heads as a hardcore oldschooler. Its funny when I ride past blown suspension forks on 2000 dollar bikes. They might have a great ride and fly downhill but I won't be pushing back home. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zack Dettmore
a Racer
from ruterford, NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: November 17, 2003 | | Favoriate Trail: | Anything Fun and Muddy | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Strengths: | The frame, wheels and crank. | | Weaknesses: | Shocks need replacing | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale 2003 F400 I liked the Trek Better. | | Bike Setup: | I added bar-ends, Cat eye computer, Rock Shox Psylo XC, Stomp platform pedals, Back fender and new tire. | | Bottom Line: | This bike I have rode over jumps, off drops and put over 5,000 miles on and it's still kicking. I like this bike so much I just put psyilo rock shoxs on. All the time I have rode this bike I have only had two flats. All I can say is I love this Bike!!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lee Tackett
a Weekend Warrior
from Mentor, OH
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2002 | | Favoriate Trail: | anything legal | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | REM cycle, Mentor OH | | Strengths: | value, durability, luv them GripShifts | | Weaknesses: | the rider, and no suspension | | Similar Products Used: | crap-o department store disposables. have ridden many different brands that my friends own. | | Bike Setup: | added bar-ends, computer, riser handlebars, clip-less pedals, and been through about 15 new tubes. | | Bottom Line: | i bought this bike in 1994. this past weekend it finally sustained a fatal crash :( i have beaten the living s--- out of this machine for a long time. i never maintained anything (i always meant to, just never got around to it). at any rate, the only problems i ever had on this bike besides flat tires, were lack of oxygen and endurance. until my big wipe-out, the brakes still worked very well, everything shifted as it was supposed to, and no chainsuck ever. my next bike WILL however have front suspension. overall it is a very durable bike with mid-level componentry. a fantastic value for a beginner to mid-level trail and singletrack rider. now a moment of silence... R.I.P....... | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick
a Weekend Warrior
from Shropshire, England
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2002 | | Favoriate Trail: | Hopton | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | Strong and very reliable. | | Weaknesses: | Heavy, but what do expect from something made of chromoly in 1994. No front suspension(might be difficult to upgrade as headset is 1" instead of the common 1 1/8"). Also seat is pants. | | Bike Setup: | As from factory. | | Bottom Line: | For the price and considering its age (and in my case lack of general maintenance as I've cleaned it about once every year and oiled less than that!) it is very reliable. All the running gear is Shamaino's cheaper stuff, but when it doesn't fall apart and doesn't need adjustment since I have had the bike from new, who cares. Getting more serious now so looking for a lighter hardtail for xc. But if you are looking for a bike second hand for use on bridle ways, commuting or easy trails this is a good choice. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jeff
a Weekend Warrior
from knoxville TN
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | none | | Weaknesses: | wheels | | Bottom Line: | To all you people contemplating the purchase of a Trek Bicycle I hope you read about my experience with Trek. I will try to keep this as short as possible. I purchased a brand new Trek mountain bike for my wife whom is 115 pounds and has very little experience on a bicycle. She used the bike a total of 10-15 times and never road on trails, over jumps, or go down a curb even one time. Needless to say the bike was pampered. Also, I never touched it, the bike was about nine months old and totally original with approximately 40 miles of street use. While riding on a paved Running Track at a local elementary school (that’s where we road every time) a front spoke broke. As a result of the broken spoke the front rim twisted so badly that when the bent portion of the rim came in contact with the front brake, the wheel locked and threw my wife over the handlebars. It was not pleasant watching my wife flip over the handlebars, screaming until she hit the asphalt. When she landed her screams turned to cries. As a result of the accident she broke her arm near the elbow. I contacted Trek Bicycles and spoke to Wade McGuire and he assured us that Trek would help and asked what they could do. Wade asked us to send a copy of all medical bills so they could compensate us. Within three months all medical treatment was complete and I sent Trek a certified letter with the bills enclosed for their review. Since that time the people at Trek never responded despite three certified letters, one sent directly to the president of the company.
As of this time (10 months after the accident) Trek has not offered to compensate us for medical bills, let alone offer to repair the bicycle. We were totally ignored by the company. I would like for everyone who reads this to avoid this situation and I leave your bike purchase decision to you. As far as my wife is concerned, she is OK but terrified of riding. To reassure her I purchased a new set of wheels from Colorado Cyclist and they have performed flawlessly. Now that you have heard about our experience with Trek Bicycles, you can consider yourself informed as to the type of company (people) you will be dealing with.
PS I forwarded this letter to them and there was no response.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy
a Weekend Warrior
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$250.00 | | Purchased At: | Used from a bike rental service, off-season! | | Strengths: | Very durable | | Weaknesses: | No suspension | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is this bike is an excellent value for the price considering both quality and ride. After riding this bike 5 years, with Zero Maintenance, it has NEVER broke under the worst stress. All the components are original, and I never even oiled the chain but once or twice a season.
If you want an inexpensive ride without sacrificing quality and durability, an 820 is the way to go. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rob
a Cross Country Rider
from texas
Date Reviewed: December 25, 2000 | | Favoriate Trail: | any | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | bike shop | | Strengths: | durable, good handling, good out of box | | Weaknesses: | considering this bike is destined for novice / recreational users i guess you get what you pay for, in my case i've had no problems with anything breaking on me, and i've had some hard creshes | | Similar Products Used: | turbo aloft, schwinn,other treks | | Bike Setup: | altus/alivio shifting, zac rims, alloy linear pull brakes, sugino crank, trek saddle, shimano peds, cheng shin tires | | Bottom Line: | If you want a bike that gives you the good handling and stability a trek bike gives you but dont wanna pay alot buy this bike, if you crash it and something breaks you wont feel like you lost that much money, but most likely it wont break, this bike is tough | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
T-bone
a Weekend Warrior
from Eugene, Oregon
Date Reviewed: August 27, 2000 | | Favoriate Trail: | local trails and jumps | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$279.00 | | Purchased At: | Collins cycle shop | | Strengths: | decent feel, very comfortable in midair, good acceleration, grippy tires. soft on landings even without suspension. A practical STEAL for the price. | | Weaknesses: | CHEAP rims, have replaced rear rim twice, just bent a third one. Acera rear derailleur wears out quickly and becomes slow.plastic pedals. grip shifts. | | Similar Products Used: | specialized hardrock | | Bike Setup: | LX shifters, semi-slick tires, marin saddle, aluminum pedals | | Bottom Line: | Decent bike for local cruising and for someone looking for a deal. not meant to be abused.A good bike to be bought for commuting and light trail use. A decent value. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Bartus
a Weekend Warrior
from Long Valley, NJ
Date Reviewed: September 2, 1999 | | Favoriate Trail: |
Patriots Path | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
Durable
Price
Brakes
Industructible | | Weaknesses: |
Weight
Gear Shifters | | Similar Products Used: |
Trek 930
GIANT boulder | | Bottom Line: | The bike is HEAVY! but it will stand up to any abuse you throw at it. In 2 years I have only had to fix the rims once and I've riden my bike everywhere from under water to off a straigt 20 foot drop. Besides being heavy the only other bad part about this bike is the grip shifters which don't always shift to the gear you place it in. | | Overall Rating: |
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