# Diamondback vs. Iron Horse vs. Trek



## windycitymountaineer (Jul 30, 2007)

Ok, so I'm sure you've had a million guys like me through here, but I'm pretty new to mountain bikes & just want a decent bike for light to moderate trail riding, in the sub-$300 price range. have pretty much narrowed my choices down to a Diamondback Peak, Iron Horse Maverick 1.0, or a Trek 3700. I am leaning toward the Trek, but wonder if it is worth spending the extra money for what I plan to do with the bike.

Thoughts on one brand versus any of the others? :???: 

Thanks for the help!

Steve


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## evilimprdr (Jun 7, 2007)

Me personally I'd take the Iron Horse. Of course I'm partial to IH since thats what I ride. If I were you and wanted the IH I'd step up to the 3.0 or go w/ the Trek.


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## egdinger (May 19, 2007)

I'd wait and not go for any of them. I'd save up another hundred or and go for the Maverick 3.0 or a Trek 4300.


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## Mudmanner (Jul 27, 2007)

Diamondback has a nice line up of bikes but they do a terrible job with painting their bikes. My response sport had a bunch of paint chips after its first real trail ride. I love the bike overall but the fork sticks a little bit and the paint quality is lacking. But I did pay 339.00 for it. :thumbsup:


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## holistic (May 29, 2007)

i am also partial to the iron horse

i bought a maverick 5.5 (performance bike only) for about 360 shipped after coupon

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=23356&subcategory_ID=3050
(check often, it goes lower)

prices are different in stores, but if you have a store near you, maybe you can try one on before you buy. and then put it together yourself.


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## techbike_108 (Mar 5, 2007)

I ride with a group of 5 people. We all have roughly 1yr of MTB experience. of the 5 of us 4 ride a Trek 4300 ( me included) I think that might be the best all around first MTB you can buy! No one has any real complaints with them and all of our 4300s are still riding hard and strong.


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## Sephiroth (Aug 20, 2006)

I've got a 4300 too and I love it...been riding for two years now on it.

I did have to upgrade certain parts (seat, fork, pedals), but it can take a serious beating, and rides great.

I got mine for 340.00. Best money I've ever spent.


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## Cyco-Dude (Feb 12, 2004)

i'd look in your local clissified ads / craigslist / for sale forums for a higher quality used bike.


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## Ithnu (Feb 16, 2007)

For sport category bikes, Trek makes great bikes. So if you're leaning toward that, you're fine.

Just stay away from Diamondback. Iron Horse makes great high end bikes, so ride the Trek for a year or two and then decide if you want to stick $1500 into an Iron Horse.

If you're riding recreation and not hitting anything really technical, the Trek will last your for years. I had a $600 Gary Fischer that I started with 6 years ago, and now its my commuter. So it was more than worth it.


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## BlurredVision (Jul 1, 2007)

I bought my Iron Horse Maverick 1.2 from Dicks. Basicly it's the same as the 1.0 but a different fork and Dicks calls it the 1.2 so it can be a Dick's "Exclusive". I also looked at the Trel 3700 and 3900 and Giant Boulder. I found the Iron Horse componentwise was IDENTICAL to the Trek 3900 with the exception of the cockpit parts, ie: handlebars, stem, seatpost. Other than that, same cranks, fork, drive train. Luckily I am capable of doing most of my own tuning so the $100 I save over the Trek was worth it IMO. However, if you are not, save some trouble and go with the LBS. As far as my experience with the Iron Horse goes, it's been a great bike. I replaced the pedals and grips to ones more of my liking but have had no trouble with the bike other than needing minor retuning now and then. Good luck and most important, have fun.


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## Pedals Fastly (Jan 30, 2007)

Not the Trek. A lot of your money is going into the letters on your bike and not the equipment. Trek's low end bikes are pretty skimpy on components. The frame is good of course, but c'mon are you gonna break your frame? And the Iron Horse and DB frames are as good anyway. Go with either one. There's a few others that give you more for your $$ too.


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## Defender219 (Jun 22, 2007)

Iron Horse Maverican man. It's a decent bike by a good company.


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## achebee4you (Jul 10, 2007)

Try this bike for 320 shipped from target you can't go wrong search on the forum you will find a lot on this forge sawback the components are way better than the other bike your looking at. I have an IH 1.3 and i wish i went with this forge the compnents are sick for the price. And you may say but Target, com on now. but they don't even sell them at the store you have to order it online. Like everything @ Target if you don't like it jsut bring it to the store and they give you your money back, lol.

http://www.forgebikes.com/saw5sl.asp

again ask people on mtbr they drive beat the crap out of this forge on the trail and it holds up well.

Tim


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## Thelonius71 (Jul 23, 2007)

I think you should just pick the bike that turns you on the most. As long as you are buying a quality name used or from your LBS, you are in good shape. Let's be honest here, comparing and debating the differences in components on a 300 dollar bike is an exercise in futility. Does it really matter if you have the lowest Shimano or Trek brand components? No, you will ride on them a while fat and happy and if you stick with mountain biking for some time they will drive you nuts and you will buy a new bike. But in the mean time that 300 dollar bike will serve you well, regardless of brand. 

FWIW, my first bike was a Trek, I spent well under 300, I had it for nearly 10 years, probably put thousands of miles on it and I loved it. I knew nothing about mountain bikes when I bought it. I got that one because it had a purdy color. *shrug*


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## yoboe (Jul 29, 2007)

i hate treks.
i love ironhorse.
get the ironhorse.


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## theRuss (Jun 30, 2007)

Frankly, at that price point, They're all the same.

Low end components and next-to-useless forks. Sorry...

I rekon I could tell you to pick one brand over another just because I ride one


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## egdinger (May 19, 2007)

From looking at the specs, I would recomend the Forge, it gets a away from some of the worst things about cheap bikes, still has a cheesy fork though.

But I'd also recommend against the Forge because you're buying it online, not the best thing to do when your starting out.

So it's a wash on it. What do you consider moderate trail riding anyways?


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## achebee4you (Jul 10, 2007)

egdinger said:


> From looking at the specs, I would recomend the Forge, it gets a away from some of the worst things about cheap bikes, still has a cheesy fork though.
> 
> But I'd also recommend against the Forge because you're buying it online, not the best thing to do when your starting out.
> 
> So it's a wash on it. What do you consider moderate trail riding anyways?


if he doesn't like it all he has to do is bring it in to Target and they will return his money. If there is anything wrong with it same thing and they would ship another one out. I was a little skeptical about FORGE as well since i bought an IH warrior hardtail instead but after i convinced my buddy to buy one i was impressed. You can't get anything close to this quality and component level for the price. Forge as has a great customer service on his first serious ride the rear der hanger busted after a 5 foot jump and fall, lol. He called up forge and they mailed him a new one. Try doing that at an LBS and not having to pay for it. again i still have no clue how this bike is priced only for 320 shipped but a good deal for a new beginner bike. just my two cents if i ever run into xtra money after modding my warrior hardtail i would pick up this forge as a backup bike.


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## theRuss (Jun 30, 2007)

Thelonius71 said:


> I think you should just pick the bike that turns you on the most...
> 
> ...I got that one because it had a purdy color. *shrug*


Best advice yet!


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## BlurredVision (Jul 1, 2007)

Interesting thing I found as a friend went shopping for a bike and I tagged along. The Trek 3700 and 3900 have the EXACT same frame as the Iron Horse Maverick. The component specs of the Trek 3900 and the IH Maverick 1.2 is also identical with the exception the Trek comes with Bontrager bars and stem. Interesting considering the over $100 price difference.


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## hotfeat1227 (May 15, 2007)

i bought a trek because i like to be able to complain to someone, by someone i mean my LBS, when my bike doesn't work right...


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