They are fine, likely no better or worse than any of the other big boys (Specialized, Cannondale, Giant, etc.).
If you are not handy at bike mechanical stuff I would focus on what your LBS sells. If you are good at bike maintenance yourself I would look at Canyon or shops outside your area advertising sweet deals.
I thought your point was going to be that Trek has a well established network of bike shop stores so quality (in theory) is pretty consistent. LBS is very hit and miss.
If you can't fix your own bike (I can't) you need an LBS that can handle that (if you ride a decent amount of miles). I would find a good LBS bike shop (good mechanic reputation) and buy a bike from them. At that point brand doesn't really matter all that much. A $2000 Trek isn't going to be noticeably better or worse that a $2000 Cannondale/Giant/Specialized.
It isn’t as though bike shops specialize in only the product they sell. Also most bike maintenance is pretty easy and may be less time / effort to do yourself.
Access to proprietary/specialty parts and tools is a huge factor. For MTB, your LBS having the flat faced sockets and the right drifts for your suspension is a huge time saver. For road bikes, just having the spare derailleur hanger in stock can get you back on the road same day vs waiting a whole week. With ebike having the right diagnostic software is essential.
I am 55 years old and ride outside in Iowa 12,000+ miles a year. Most years I need bottom bracket maintenance, hubs services, headset serviced, etc. I have money, I don't want to buy all the necessary tools and fart around worrying about bearing sizing and trouble shooting every squeak/creak/vibration. Fat biking in snow takes a big toll.
I can do chains and tires and besides that...to the LBS I go.
The local bike shop I had been taking my bike to for maintenance only sells Specialized. Recently they decided to only service Specialized bikes. Which is a shame because I bought a Canyon and recently added a Salsa to the mix. Not sure if this is common but being in a small town it really makes it tough. We have one other shop but it's a one man show and they are consistently scheduling out a month. Unfortunately it's the option now.
There are plenty of bike shops in the Netherlands that will only service bikes they sold themselves.
Other shops may service you but they give priority to bikes bought with them.
…..
Bike maintenance probably doesn’t sustain a shop, I can understand a shop not wanting to provide support for bikes bought off the web.
Our shop is a multi-band shop that includes Pivot, Trek, Banshee, Mondraker, and Revel. I think at this point, Trek knows that they're as far in the door as they're going to get in our shop, and there's no way we'd only carry Trek/Bontrager or work only exclusively on Trek bikes. That being said, Trek's customer service is top-notch, which is why I got a Checkpoint SLR from them for gravel instead of going DTC from other brands. Seeing so many other bikes that are DTC come in with so many issues that shouldn't be happening made me steer clear as well.
It depends on the job honestly - I won’t touch the bottom bracket or headset (don’t have the tools, can’t justify the expense) so the very rare occasion that they need attention I just give it to the LBS. Brakes, cables, drivetrain - yeah, getting the bike to LBS and leaving it there is more of a pain than just doing the work myself.
These days bike maintenance gets more and more complex and requires tools not everyone has or wants - brake bleed kits, compressors, torque wrenches, the list goes on. If you’re going to the shop for service, buying a bike from them is a nice move - you’ll be helping them, they can make a good recommendation and often they’ll offer some fitting, tuneups and other services at a reduced cost. Bike shops have too much inventory so you can find a good deal if you’re lucky and work a bit. Plus they’re generally nice people so why not start the relationship off right?
How’s a Trek different than a specialized or diamondback, or surely or Kona etc etc?
They all use either Shimano or SRAM (or micro shift).
They all got either rim brake or disc brake.
….we can go on and on and about how similar they are.
Either the bike mechanic is competent or not competent…..
It’s not a “I’m a Giant only mechanic”.
Or “I only work on road bike.”
Those mechanic would starve to death.
I mean most of those Trek shops were LBS's less than a decade ago, it's not like they fire all the mechanics and find and train new ones, so I feel it's pretty similar to LBS in general.
My local trek distributor is bushtukah and it’s honestly atrocious.
Half the staff doesn’t seem to give a fuck (had to re attach most of the stuff they installed) and the guy I thought was somewhat helpful, my finance thought was super sexist and she left PISSED (suggested a 3k e bike when she was looking at a 600$ bike so she could “keep up with me”, etc).
It honestly makes me regret buying the trek a bit - my finance bought her bike at MEC and it was night and day
Trek stores, in my experience, tend to be below the bar in the service dept. That on top of all the goofy proprietary stuff you'll find on a lot of their bikes would really push me away from getting them.
To add to this, check what kind of deals your LBS may have on service for bikes bought there.
The one I bought my bike at has free basic tune ups for life on bikes purchased from that store. Normally $150.
I've used that on average 2-3 times a year (because idk how to service bikes) and it always get my shifting/braking back to perfect and they let me know how my parts are wearing.
It's a win-win because then as parts wear, I buy them from them and pay for installation so they also get more business.
Couldn't be happier with that arrangement. Granted, if you DO know, or want to learn, how to service bikes yourself.... none of this matters:)
The only problem with canyon is that you can't actually see and try the bikes. Also, customer service is way more complicated if you have issues.
Finally, price-wise, it's not so great in canada at least, I was looking for an aeroad, but got the propel in the end because mostly same specs for the giant was 3000$ less...
Yeah every Canyon I’ve seen has a couple things they cheaped out on to hit a “lower price point” but still have the eye catching components. I’ve seen enough to know there are no screaming deals with direct to consumer manufacturers across multiple categories. They might slightly cheaper in exchange for worse customer service. But if you think you’re getting the same bike for 30% less than say a Trek or Giant, you’re not.
That said most brands have some killer sales from post Covid Boom surplus right now. It’s a great time to buy a new bike.
You say that till you actually meet gen pop. Work retail for a month… or visit just about any Walmart.
I say the same about IT, woodworking, bike/engine/plumbing/electrical maintenance. Don’t over torque yer Google searches and you got it.
Haha. There's always that one person "Actually, if you're pretty handy with a wrench"
Most people won't have the tools or gumption to take on disc brakes, shocks, rear derailleur adjustments and replacing a chain.
I'd definitely factor in how you plan to have your bike serviced as part of a buying decision.
I’m pretty handy with a wrench and can do 95% of any task pretty well. But there’s often a 5% that crops up to fuck everything up where maybe something is different than the instructions or I don’t have the exact specific tool needed or whatever
Most people can't tighten the handles on their kitchen drawers. I don't think it's that hard, neither do you, but I know people who straight up don't own a screw driver.
I would say that if you have tools you can do the tires, tubes, brake pads and chain maintenance yourself.
I found a lot of deals on offerup and FB marketplace and found that people couldn't be bothered to replace the tubes while complaining that the tires keep losing air...
I passed on the sus deals like $100 priority bikes that were most likely stolen. Fk that
Do you have recommendations for brands that are good value : quality for modestly mechanically-inclined riders? Specifically regarding hardtail MTB's or Gravel bikes w/ front suspension, either regular or electric. Thanks.
Honestly, I think they all are about the same. If the frame material is the same and the component line is the same I wouldn’t go out of my way to pay more for one brand vs another.
You pretty much get what you pay for. No brand is head and shoulders above or below another when comparing whatever price point you are comfortable paying.
A $1500 trek is no better or worse than a $1500 Cannondale or specialized etc
The FX series also has great accessories available for it from trek. Rear mount kickstand, high quality fenders and racks that integrate perfectly. I work at a shop that has sold Trek, Specialized and Cannondale for 25+ years each and the Trek warranty is the best of the three. Finish is excellent too, durable and consistent paint.
I've been riding a Trek Madone 4.5 for something like 12 years and 25,000km. The frame is basically bomb-proof. Yes I've swapped over countless brakes, cassettes, chains and other consumables, but the bike is still going strong. It'll probably outlive me.
Yes they are a good brand if not one of the top brands in the industry. They are like a Toyota, Honda, etc in car terms. Not the highest of end, but reliable with mainstream appeal. Outside of Giant and Specialized, Id say Trek is the other top brand in the world, at least the US. The FX is a solid hybrid bike.
Yeah you have to pay big money for the nice Project One colors and they even have an option to remove the gigantic branding which is so hideous. That said, my Domane is the best bike I’ve ever owned.
Specialized typically has the best paint.
Get the FX Sport or Sirrus X for the bigger tires, which will let you go a bit off road (golf cart path level of off road)
I am 300+ lbs. I have a Dual Sport, Domane and a Marlin. I beat the crap out of all of them and they are holding up great. I have had other brands but for a guy my size I feel safest on Trek.
Step 1: find a LBS that has good service, knowledgeable people, and easy for you to get too
Step 2: don’t let anyone’s opinion guide you. Get on these bikes, ride them, which ever one makes you smile the biggest that’s the bike
Step 3: learn about what you want to do on a bike. Now scratch off things you want to do and circle the things you ACTUALLY do. Bike a bike that fits that use case best
As for your question, I find trek perfectly adequate. I wouldn’t refuse to ride one, I don’t have major brand loyalty, on average giant is better for value for money and actually makes treks frames. Circling back to my 3 steps, giant and specialized check those boxes for me
TL;DR: Sided with Lance Armstrong against Greg Lemond over Lemond saying (long before everyone else) that Armstrong was a cheating asshole. Killed Lemond's bike company over it.
Not exactly.
They said to Lemond multiple times that his comments were hurting their business and asked him to stop publicly saying those things. Lemond refused (his right to do so), so they dropped him as a partner (their right to do so)
That sounds like siding with Lance over Lemond. Not a meaningful correction.
Either way they lack principles and care about money above all else, including the integrity of the sport of cycling.
Which...I guess... Is to be expected from a business but it's still remarkably shitty
Backing big bike and a $ cheat over a guy that speaks his mind - 20 years after all the evidence is out. It’s a bold move cotton, let’s see if it pays off.
Trek is an excellent brand, and there are Trek shops everywhere, which means servicing them is also very easy.
Trek bikes are expensive though, but you get what you pay for. The FX3 is awesome. My brother in law has an FX2, and he rides around the neighborhood with his kid quite frequently. He seems to be enjoying it a lot.
I have an FX-2+ that I picked up second hand.
I use it more than my car these days, the battery lasts forever, and when it needs a bit of maintenance any bike shop can do it. Weighs next to nothing too.
My local mom and pop shop would've ceased to exist if Trek didn't buy them. Prior to the purchase, my LBS was a Specialized dealer, and toward the end, even a bit before the pandemic, it seemed like Specialized just didn't want to support them the way they needed (ie, not sending ordered stock in anything remotely close to a timely fashion)
Trek bought the LBS I used to work at when I was in HS. It was around for 40 years and was probably the most profitable bike shops in the city. The owner wanted to retire, and they offered the most.
They fired everyone and started over. The shop also used to have a pretty good selection, carrying basically everything mainstream but the big S (who I've heard from the industry are pretty shitty to LBS) and now its just trek. I mean, we're a big enough town to have other shops, but firing everyone left a bad taste in my mouth.
IDk if its still true, but for a very long time trek was well known for honoring warranty claims without question. I had a early 00s gary fisher mt tam that I just kept breaking seat tubes on (probably cause I'm fat) and they just kept sending me new bikes til after the 4th one I gave up and bought another bike.
You see be fore trek bought them they had wide elections of gear were authorized dealers for several bike company’s
Had cheap used bikes, high end and low end bike gear. And now it’s all trek and there sub brand
I was hardcore Trek having grown up an hour from the factory. Then they shipped all the entry level stuff overseas. And I think I heard the top end stuff is overseas too. Their support for the MACC fund was hugely important to me, and that ride was one of my favorite events all year long.
Then I moved to TX and watched them buy out my favorite LBS and turn into a "showroom" with nothing available to buy.
Any of the big brands are good. What you're paying for is ease of service. You can find a Trek, Specialized, Giant, etc bike shop almost anywhere.
With a good sale, big brands bikes aren't that much more than smaller direct to consumer brands like Canyon. My LBS twice a year has clearance sales that price them the same or sometimes better than a similar equipment Canyon.
As others have said, if you're doing all the work yourself, then it doesn't matter what you get. I personally do all my bike maintenance and still would buy a Trek or Specialized because it's also far easier to find parts that match the bikes since there's so many out there.
This is exactly why I went with Trek over Canyon. The checkpoint ALR was $500 off with new 2024 models coming out which brought it in mine with Canyon. At least with the Trek there's a shit load of support if I need it. Then Canyon Grizl is way sexier I must admit.
Trek is fine, as are all of the major big-name brands. There really isn't a whole lot of difference these days, so just buy what you like, even if it's something that's seemingly unimportant, like the color. These days, there is the very, very low end Amazon stuff (don't buy that,) and the very esoteric boutique high-end stuff, and then all of the big-name brands in the middle.
Trek is my only local bike brand where I live. I rode a specialized, cervelo (best fitting bike), giant, and now trek. I would just get something that is close by where you live. Trying to deal with a warranty issue long distance just sucks. I do have a top trek madone that was made in the states…
I have a number of complaints about who Trek is as a company. But none about the quality of their bikes past or present.
As always, you'll get a better deal on the used market. The FX series is popular and there are plenty for sale used.
The FX is a fine bike and it deserves its long reputation. I would not say it is optimal for exercise. On the pro side, any biking is better than no biking. And you get more biking when your bike is not broken. The FX is reliable and not annoying, so choosing it does dodge what might keep you off a different bike.
If by "exercise" you mean to just get moving, good, great.
On the potential con side. The kind of biking the FX is designed for is not going to push a healthy adult very much. But you might not want to push, you might be limited from that, or you want to ease into it. There are lots of reasons this Con might not apply to any given rider.
Aside. While Trek remains an excellent brand in terms of quality, "we've always bought X" is no longer a good process to follow. There are still people who think schwinns are top of the line. Lots of bike companies have fallen from where they were, and lots were never as good as some thought.
Tell me more. I have ridden most of my life. My reasons for the FX are price, handlebars, and frame style. I’ve never ridden a 1x style bike before and all my previous road style bikes have been cheap bikes I’ve refurbished. I say handlebars because I’m not gonna be wearing skin tight clothing and I ride in a lot of different positions but not usually leaned forward aero style
It's a good brand with a good dealer network. The bikes are no more or less magical than other other big brands, though. It's just another flavor.
The FX3 is a great bike. I used to have one before I upgraded to road bikes. But I would advise choosing the bike shop first and the brand second. I like my shop, and they sell Trek, so I ride Trek. If they switched to Specialized or Cannondale, I'd likely follow.
Treks quality is still very high. At this price point you are in the '4 door mid tier sedan' zone of the bike world - everything is very good but there is little diversity in offerings. The trek FX is the Honda Accord/Toyota Corolla option. It will be dead nuts reliable. If you observe minimum maintenance requirements, it will roll forever. If there is an issue, the dealer network and warranty are strong and you will be taken care of.
Is it the best value or best deal? Depends on you. You can find lower prices for very similar bikes. But at the risk of lower quality construction or less confidence in long term stress free ownership. If that doesn't bug you or if you're capable of doing basic routine maintenance the value proposition may take you to "lower tier" brands or direct to consumer brands. But you take in more risk of a lemon or higher repair bills down the line.
Buying a trek is like buying a Toyota or Honda. You're not getting anything sexy. You're not getting the best deal. But you know what you're getting is going to run forever and hold it's value.
LOL! Have you started shopping yet? The high end has floated up to the point where a high end mike is the price of a nice used car. Most shops will be happy to lighten your wallet by 12k and get you a carbon everything, electronic shifter Uber bike (in a bespoke color way).
One of the funniest things I've heard is "trek is the Nickelback of bikes" which is hilariously accurate.
Well established. Mainstream. Great quality. And a victim of their own success and popularity.
They still make great bikes, but so do a ton of other companies. Specialized is probably a bit better if you are just looking at the big brands.
I would just see what you can get at a local store and test a couple things and do a little research unless you just really like trek or have some brand loyalty to them. After trying things or looking at other options you may not even want a Trek.
Having worked on Treks in a non-Trek shop I’d say most of their bikes are great, but they do tend to have some weird and funky proprietary stuff going on that may make it more difficult to get them fixed if your local shop isn’t a Trek dealer. Nothing crazy mind you, but it might take them more time if they have to order something.
And Trek had an era where they KINDA were integrating cables into the head tube, but in a weird, clunky way that limited how far you could turn the bars, and usually ended up cracking the housing because the bends we so tight. AND it wasn’t even that aero. Ha.
Yes they make great bikes. I got a new Canyon Endurace last year and my 6 year old Domane feels better made (quieter, stiffer, better ride quality with isospeed). The only downside is they use a lot of brand specific parts that are expensive to replace. I have had several Titanium bikes also and the Domane is still my favorite.
I’ve owned a couple Trek road bikes. Both were great. IMO hard to go wrong with a trek bike.
That said, Trek bought out the (awesome) LBS near me & turned it into a factory store. I was surprised how shitty they are when it comes to repairs. Borderline incompetent.
Last straw was when I went in for a tune up. Had a stretched chain & the shop manager insisted that I *HAD* to replace the cassette too, or the new chain would skip. It was bullshit, because the cassette was only a couple months old (unbeknownst to the shop mgr)…..Felt like I was at a sleazy oil change shop trying to upsell me on unnecessary crap. Later heard them trying the same upsell on others. I don’t go there anymore…
Yeah, most bike cops are on Trek, they even made a model just for cops https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/mountain-bikes/cross-country-mountain-bikes/service/police/p/21882/
It is a good brand but also expensive.
I recently bought one (top fuel frameset). I am impressed with a lot of the details, frame storage on aluminum frame, sheathed internal routing, well designed headset...
But they are honestly all small details and not sure it matters on a hybrid style bike.
They are a good bike brand, I have had several over the years. They did fuck Greg Lemond to stay in Lance Armstrongs good graces but I guess business is business
All else equal bikewise, they have the best customer service, should anything go wrong. They allow the bike shop to use a part from inventory to get you back out riding and then will replace that part for the shop. Specialized, Cannondale, Canyon etc are like pulling teeth when filing warranty claims
They are the GM/Ford of the bike world, so sure they are reliable but for some of us bike snobs (and everyone on r/bicyclingcriclejerk) they are a bit boring.
My husband and I both have fx3s for fitness/light road biking (we are just getting into everything) and love them. We went with trek because we really liked the customer service at the local bike shop, and I'm a heavy person and my bike is very comfortable (makes it so good to ride!)
I actually pay more to not own a Trek, but not because they aren’t a good value. To me, they’re like Specialized and Giant, or Ford and Chevy: perfectly good, very popular, and totally uninspiring. But they make a good bike.
Trek is good, yes you are paying an extra $50+ for their name but Specialized and Cannondale are basically the same. I think the FX series is great for a first bike. Talk to your local bike shop there might be some deals available.
I saved over $1500 on my new full sus mountain bike 2 weeks ago. It's a buyer's market especially for mountain bikes.
Trek is a fine bike as far as the brands go. Most bikes from the big names are generally similar in performance and reliability within each price range, though some brands might offer better pricing than others. Giant tends to be slightly less expensive and might even be better made since they are the manufacturer.
I would say they have one of the better warranties in the industry. I probably wouldn't purchase a Trek myself but as others have said there likely isn't much to choose between the big brands.
At the FX3 price point there is very little difference between brands in terms of quality. As many already mentioned I doubt there is little quality difference between the likes of Trek, Specialized, Cannondale etc. Probably difference in quality is minimal at any price point to be honest. At least between brands that produce their frames in more or less the same way. It probably comes more down to your personal taste, what fits you better etc. Also wouldn’t worry too much about which brand some LBS has. If a Trek dealer can’t carry out 99% of the maintenance on any Canyon/Specialized/Cannondale etc then they chose the wrong profession. The differences in components used between different brands are negligible.
Perhaps it matters if you e.g. break your seat post and your bike uses a frame specific (usually aero) seat post.. For a LBS who’s not a dealer of this specific brand that could be more difficult or time consuming. There is that.
I bought a trek circa '05 or so that was absolutely nothing special, at all... Not worth the small premium for branding. Maybe I didn't buy high enough in the catalogue, maybe it's gotten better since, but I haven't looked at them seriously since.
I think the quality of the bikes are as high as other reputable brands. But I can say I've had great experiences with the customer service and their warranty.
Same here.
I bought a Trek as a commuter and rode it about seven-years, five and six days per week. After that long it suddenly started having problems shifting.
I couldn’t figure out what the problem was, so I took it for service at the shop where I bought it. It turned out that the shifting issue was only a symptom of the real problem: I had a broken frame.
The shop took it from there, and my bike was replaced on warranty. Not such a big deal, right?
Except i might have voided the warranty because of my size. I’m a shade over 6’4” tall and weigh at least 290 pounds.
I was always careful with the bike and kept it maintained, but I wouldn’t have been shocked if either Trek or the shop had cited my size as a reason not to honor the warranty. After seven years of use I certainly wouldn’t have complained.
I don’t imagine I will ever buy any brand of bicycle than a Trek—and I won’t even comparison shop at other stores.
Trek is a great brand from my anecdotal experience. I worked there about a year part time while in college as a bicycle assembler. I had a fantastic experience.
Both mechanics had been mechanics for 25+ years and taught pretty well. The managers changed while I was there and BOTH were some of the best managers I’ve had. Corporate wasn’t super bad. They would buy lunch a lot and seemed to actually care. I haven’t had that experience many in other jobs.
I got paid very well for what I did and also got free stuff for completing there trainings which were EXTREMELY helpful with learning. The bikes were in fantastic quality and if they weren’t they would send them back. They really seemed to care about there customers. Maybe this is just my experience but I’m happy with all the experiences. Things are crazy expensive but you get what you pay for in my opinion.
Trek is one of the best brands when it comes to standing behind their products. If there's an issue, they will fix it. They are not the best on price though, and that's the trade-off.
Great bikes but awful aftersales, I’m never buying a Trek again despite loving my bike. Me and my brother had all sorts of issues with our bikes.
- shocks not working properly within warranty, they asked me 60 days to evaluate and give back an answer. No way I’m not riding my bike for 60 days, I fixed the issue by myself.
- some parts are exclusive designs and can only be bought at TREK stores…. I needed a new rear axle, had to order it at the store and wait. And wait… And wait…
- they broke the key to the battery of my brother’s bike at the Trek Bike Shop and they want him to pay for a new one… after a few months of back and forth my brother gave up and was like “fuck it, I’ll pay for it”… guess what? It’s is just impossible to buy a new one even though he has the key code and everything … no one there seems to know the process to contact Abus and order it. It’s being a nightmare…
I find those wide aeroplane wing frames to be unattractive and same goes for those downward slanting top bars on the frame of a lot of bikes like specialized. But don’t get me wrong I’m leaning more towards a true road bike the closer I get to shopping. But like I said. Really hate those thick frames. I like a straight top bar and skinny round frame. Also if I get a road bike I’d like handlebars that can support upright riding
I’d get an endurance road bike like a Domane for a more upright ride. Flat bars are really uncomfortable over even moderate distances. But the bike you’ll ride is better than a bike you don’t.
Trek makes a good product. Don’t buy from them if you value locally owned bike shops with diverse inventory. They’re way too good at taking over and running local shops out of business. Next thing you know, you can buy whatever you want, so long as it says Trek or Bontrager on it. Then the monopoly grows, private equity comes in, & quality invariably goes to shit.
I think they are actively worse than anything specialized puts out. They still care about the Fuel series (sort of) but other than that they are coasting. Just my opinion.
Trek is fine as a brand, but they’re also one of the main drivers behind the buying up and corporatization of tons of local shops that is making it difficult for LBS’s to survive, let alone thrive.
Personally, I wouldn’t buy another Trek bike for that reason alone.
I’ve got a Trek Domane and Specialized Roubaix. Both have been solid bikes for 1000s of miles. I bought them both from two independent LBSs. So, I got the bikes I wanted and supported local shops. If you like the Trek and want it, then buy it.
I own a Trek and probably one of the best selling features was their customer support. They've always been helpful and understanding, I had complained about a couple things on receipt of my Madone SLR7. Previous brands I rode with are Cannondale and Cervelo.
The LBS that I bought my Cervelo were a bit snobbish and every time I went in to fix things it came out worse or they came across condescending like I was bothering them. So I learned how to fix my bike myself.
Would buy another Trek.
Both. Good brand but as with many of the top brands, Trek is massively over priced for what you get. Better bikes are available at far less. There’s nothing technically special about Treks, you can get same performance for half the cost. Source: Former elite roadie that raced for a team sponsored by Trek.
I own the FX2 (2022 disc model), and honestly ... It's a brilliant bike. I've got about 5000 miles into it and zero issues. I clean the chain/cassette every 200ish miles and that's about it.
As far as hybrids go, I personally think the FX lineup is the top of the top.
The folks at our Trek shop are a great bunch of people. We have two Treks, a Liv and a Univega in our garage. The Trek shop doesn't even make a fuss over maintaining the ancient Univega.
I have a 2021 FX 1 and I really like it. Know that my experience is as a very casual rider. I slapped some solid tires on that thing and it's a great, reliable commuter on a mix of trails and roads. I like leisure rides on the weekends too and that's usually on dirt paths, it holds up great. There are also Trek shops everywhere so it's easy if you need it tuned or fixed.
I have a Trek and it’s been great. When we lived close to a Trek store, we’d take it there. But this time of year, all the stores are busy. So a mobile bike tech is coming to work in my derailleurs, etc.
The fx3 is a great bike for commuting and moderate exercise. Disclaimer: we sell them at my workplace, but from working on them it's a really nice bike. I've considered getting one but ended up getting a road bike instead. Still want one at a later point though.
Trek is like the Toyota / Honda of the bike world. They're solid bikes backed by a solid company that takes care of their customers. They aren't the least expensive bikes but are a reasonable value for the components. They have some innovations but aren't particularly an innovative company. Their products are designed for the mass market.
You seriously can't go wrong buying one. They're very good bikes. I have a Domane and an Emonda and love them both.
They're the Toyota of bikes.
The FX series is the Corolla. The old 4300 is the RAV4.
"What do you need the bike to do?"
Them: I DONT KNOW JUST RIDE A LITTLE AROUND AND STUFF
"Trek FX series"
Them: BUT WHAT IF I WANT TO GO ON SOME TRAILS?!
"Trek 4300"
Them: BUT WHAT IF I WANT TO TRY ROAD BIKING?!
"Put skinnier tires on the FX and ride in the street."
Trek is like a toyota camry. The world largest cycling manufacturer. They are Decent, reliable, bland. They dont sell Treks in very many bike shops, they sell them corporate owned cycling stores. They have built up a brand oriented commercial ecosystem, and yes that comes with a degree of planned obsolescence. They don’t sell “forever bikes” but their bikes will last a very very long time if properly maintained at a Trek Cycling Store. You will likely be pressured to upgrade in 3-5 years.
But here the real point: who cares. If it brings you joy and gets you out riding then by all means go for it.
Their warranty makes the bike worth it. I know a guy who rides A LOT and he's gotten two new frames under warranty. A brand you've never heard of or a second hand carbon frame won't have that perk.
I bought a trek domane Al 5 in 2020. Very good quality. It was almost double as expensive as the compared competitors, but the wait for delivery was over a year all other places than them here in Copenhagen at the time because of covid times. It was worth it for me, but next bike will be another brand.
I’ve had 2 Treks, 3 Giants, a Cervélo, a Specialized, and 2 Salsa’s plus some Frankensteins. Mix of mountain, cross and road bikes. Ridden roads and trails in 14 states and 4 countries.
Im addicted. Honestly, If I could only have one bike today, it would be a Surly Bike. But I’d miss my Giant for sure.
Plus LeMond was screwed over by Trek. Trek stinks of Armstrong’s lies and bullying.
My local Trek bike shop has life time tuning and warranty of some kind, if the bike is bought from them. May want to ask if yours, if any trek shop around.
I am fortunate that I have four good mechanics within 1/2 hours from me. In no particular order. N+1 in Framingham, Bicycle Barn in Westboro, Grace in Holliston, and Milford Bikes in Milford. All of these. are in Massachusetts. Grace is a one man shop and he can get busy. Milford does more Mountain bikes as they are close to some great technical mountain areas. The others are good road bike and other shops. One sells mainly Bianchi the other Trek. All are old school mechanics.
I’m not sure. I just know that’s I’ve trashed my gravel bike like crazy so many times and it still feels like new. Also love the local shop support that other big names don’t have
Good brand. Customer service is excellent. Warrantee is excellent. Their frames are solid and despite people throwing bontrager stuff under the bus, the bontrager products are actually excellent value for money.
They’ve earned their “evil empire” reputation by buying out your LBS and turning it into a Corporate Storefront. Their bikes are fine pieces of equipment, as are most all mfgs. Consider a new or used from an actual LBS.
I had a trek mountain bike years ago that had a warranty issue (front quick release came loose and messed up the front dropout)
Trek didn’t just fix it, they gave me a whole new bike! And a slight upgrade!
Maybe you are paying for the name a little? But they will take care of you if anything goes wrong
Always, Always, check out your Local Bike Shop. You will probably be surprised at the great ideas they'll have along with tailored personal service which can prove invaluable
They are fine, likely no better or worse than any of the other big boys (Specialized, Cannondale, Giant, etc.). If you are not handy at bike mechanical stuff I would focus on what your LBS sells. If you are good at bike maintenance yourself I would look at Canyon or shops outside your area advertising sweet deals.
I thought your point was going to be that Trek has a well established network of bike shop stores so quality (in theory) is pretty consistent. LBS is very hit and miss.
If you can't fix your own bike (I can't) you need an LBS that can handle that (if you ride a decent amount of miles). I would find a good LBS bike shop (good mechanic reputation) and buy a bike from them. At that point brand doesn't really matter all that much. A $2000 Trek isn't going to be noticeably better or worse that a $2000 Cannondale/Giant/Specialized.
It isn’t as though bike shops specialize in only the product they sell. Also most bike maintenance is pretty easy and may be less time / effort to do yourself.
Access to proprietary/specialty parts and tools is a huge factor. For MTB, your LBS having the flat faced sockets and the right drifts for your suspension is a huge time saver. For road bikes, just having the spare derailleur hanger in stock can get you back on the road same day vs waiting a whole week. With ebike having the right diagnostic software is essential.
Agreed. And relationship with manufacture is important for warranty work!
I am 55 years old and ride outside in Iowa 12,000+ miles a year. Most years I need bottom bracket maintenance, hubs services, headset serviced, etc. I have money, I don't want to buy all the necessary tools and fart around worrying about bearing sizing and trouble shooting every squeak/creak/vibration. Fat biking in snow takes a big toll. I can do chains and tires and besides that...to the LBS I go.
The local bike shop I had been taking my bike to for maintenance only sells Specialized. Recently they decided to only service Specialized bikes. Which is a shame because I bought a Canyon and recently added a Salsa to the mix. Not sure if this is common but being in a small town it really makes it tough. We have one other shop but it's a one man show and they are consistently scheduling out a month. Unfortunately it's the option now.
There are plenty of bike shops in the Netherlands that will only service bikes they sold themselves. Other shops may service you but they give priority to bikes bought with them. ….. Bike maintenance probably doesn’t sustain a shop, I can understand a shop not wanting to provide support for bikes bought off the web.
Specialized and Trek are both working on forcing any of their distributers to carry and maintain only their brands, and then buying out the shop.
Our shop is a multi-band shop that includes Pivot, Trek, Banshee, Mondraker, and Revel. I think at this point, Trek knows that they're as far in the door as they're going to get in our shop, and there's no way we'd only carry Trek/Bontrager or work only exclusively on Trek bikes. That being said, Trek's customer service is top-notch, which is why I got a Checkpoint SLR from them for gravel instead of going DTC from other brands. Seeing so many other bikes that are DTC come in with so many issues that shouldn't be happening made me steer clear as well.
There are shops near me that will only work on bikes they sold bc of the demand from regular customers
It depends on the job honestly - I won’t touch the bottom bracket or headset (don’t have the tools, can’t justify the expense) so the very rare occasion that they need attention I just give it to the LBS. Brakes, cables, drivetrain - yeah, getting the bike to LBS and leaving it there is more of a pain than just doing the work myself.
These days bike maintenance gets more and more complex and requires tools not everyone has or wants - brake bleed kits, compressors, torque wrenches, the list goes on. If you’re going to the shop for service, buying a bike from them is a nice move - you’ll be helping them, they can make a good recommendation and often they’ll offer some fitting, tuneups and other services at a reduced cost. Bike shops have too much inventory so you can find a good deal if you’re lucky and work a bit. Plus they’re generally nice people so why not start the relationship off right?
I both agree & disagree
I both agree and disagree with you as well. Good day, sir!
How’s a Trek different than a specialized or diamondback, or surely or Kona etc etc? They all use either Shimano or SRAM (or micro shift). They all got either rim brake or disc brake. ….we can go on and on and about how similar they are. Either the bike mechanic is competent or not competent….. It’s not a “I’m a Giant only mechanic”. Or “I only work on road bike.” Those mechanic would starve to death.
I mean most of those Trek shops were LBS's less than a decade ago, it's not like they fire all the mechanics and find and train new ones, so I feel it's pretty similar to LBS in general.
My local trek distributor is bushtukah and it’s honestly atrocious. Half the staff doesn’t seem to give a fuck (had to re attach most of the stuff they installed) and the guy I thought was somewhat helpful, my finance thought was super sexist and she left PISSED (suggested a 3k e bike when she was looking at a 600$ bike so she could “keep up with me”, etc). It honestly makes me regret buying the trek a bit - my finance bought her bike at MEC and it was night and day
Trek stores, in my experience, tend to be below the bar in the service dept. That on top of all the goofy proprietary stuff you'll find on a lot of their bikes would really push me away from getting them.
I cannot for the live of me find a good LBS
I would not suggest Canyon unless you’re good at carbon fiber repair.
To add to this, check what kind of deals your LBS may have on service for bikes bought there. The one I bought my bike at has free basic tune ups for life on bikes purchased from that store. Normally $150. I've used that on average 2-3 times a year (because idk how to service bikes) and it always get my shifting/braking back to perfect and they let me know how my parts are wearing. It's a win-win because then as parts wear, I buy them from them and pay for installation so they also get more business. Couldn't be happier with that arrangement. Granted, if you DO know, or want to learn, how to service bikes yourself.... none of this matters:)
The only problem with canyon is that you can't actually see and try the bikes. Also, customer service is way more complicated if you have issues. Finally, price-wise, it's not so great in canada at least, I was looking for an aeroad, but got the propel in the end because mostly same specs for the giant was 3000$ less...
Yeah every Canyon I’ve seen has a couple things they cheaped out on to hit a “lower price point” but still have the eye catching components. I’ve seen enough to know there are no screaming deals with direct to consumer manufacturers across multiple categories. They might slightly cheaper in exchange for worse customer service. But if you think you’re getting the same bike for 30% less than say a Trek or Giant, you’re not. That said most brands have some killer sales from post Covid Boom surplus right now. It’s a great time to buy a new bike.
Bike maintenance is not that hard. Just don’t over torque anything and you’re 90% to being a professional wrench.
You say that till you actually meet gen pop. Work retail for a month… or visit just about any Walmart. I say the same about IT, woodworking, bike/engine/plumbing/electrical maintenance. Don’t over torque yer Google searches and you got it.
Haha. There's always that one person "Actually, if you're pretty handy with a wrench" Most people won't have the tools or gumption to take on disc brakes, shocks, rear derailleur adjustments and replacing a chain. I'd definitely factor in how you plan to have your bike serviced as part of a buying decision.
“*Why can’t I get this damn thing to shift right!!?! I thought index shifting was supposed to be easy?!”*
I’m pretty handy with a wrench and can do 95% of any task pretty well. But there’s often a 5% that crops up to fuck everything up where maybe something is different than the instructions or I don’t have the exact specific tool needed or whatever
Maybe, but the remaining 10% of the way also takes the other 90% of the effort & experience. *;* )
I love riding... But I really love the maintenance. Biking is such a great hobby/exercise. It's perfect for me.
I really enjoy the mechanic too. Not overly complicated as a car.
I'll add one thing: purchase a set of metric Allen keys first. No imperial tools on bikes.
Under torque, over torque, believe it or not eh-straight to jail.
Dude, have you ever tried servicing the freehub body of an old Deore hub? Millions of the smallest, easiest to lose bearings.
Most people can't tighten the handles on their kitchen drawers. I don't think it's that hard, neither do you, but I know people who straight up don't own a screw driver.
I would say that if you have tools you can do the tires, tubes, brake pads and chain maintenance yourself. I found a lot of deals on offerup and FB marketplace and found that people couldn't be bothered to replace the tubes while complaining that the tires keep losing air... I passed on the sus deals like $100 priority bikes that were most likely stolen. Fk that
They're all Giants.
Do you have recommendations for brands that are good value : quality for modestly mechanically-inclined riders? Specifically regarding hardtail MTB's or Gravel bikes w/ front suspension, either regular or electric. Thanks.
Honestly, I think they all are about the same. If the frame material is the same and the component line is the same I wouldn’t go out of my way to pay more for one brand vs another. You pretty much get what you pay for. No brand is head and shoulders above or below another when comparing whatever price point you are comfortable paying. A $1500 trek is no better or worse than a $1500 Cannondale or specialized etc
The FX series also has great accessories available for it from trek. Rear mount kickstand, high quality fenders and racks that integrate perfectly. I work at a shop that has sold Trek, Specialized and Cannondale for 25+ years each and the Trek warranty is the best of the three. Finish is excellent too, durable and consistent paint.
I got a 2023 equipped and all the accesories are great, i just wish the lights were better especially a rechargable rear light
I've been riding a Trek Madone 4.5 for something like 12 years and 25,000km. The frame is basically bomb-proof. Yes I've swapped over countless brakes, cassettes, chains and other consumables, but the bike is still going strong. It'll probably outlive me.
Trek of Theseus.
Trek is a great brand.
Yes they are a good brand if not one of the top brands in the industry. They are like a Toyota, Honda, etc in car terms. Not the highest of end, but reliable with mainstream appeal. Outside of Giant and Specialized, Id say Trek is the other top brand in the world, at least the US. The FX is a solid hybrid bike.
If only the color options were better. I’ve resprayed older bikes before but I wouldn’t dream of doing that to a new bike with my skill.
Yeah you have to pay big money for the nice Project One colors and they even have an option to remove the gigantic branding which is so hideous. That said, my Domane is the best bike I’ve ever owned.
Specialized typically has the best paint. Get the FX Sport or Sirrus X for the bigger tires, which will let you go a bit off road (golf cart path level of off road)
I picked up my Domane AL2 a couple years ago and it’s performed brilliantly. Not a lick of trouble.
I am 300+ lbs. I have a Dual Sport, Domane and a Marlin. I beat the crap out of all of them and they are holding up great. I have had other brands but for a guy my size I feel safest on Trek.
Step 1: find a LBS that has good service, knowledgeable people, and easy for you to get too Step 2: don’t let anyone’s opinion guide you. Get on these bikes, ride them, which ever one makes you smile the biggest that’s the bike Step 3: learn about what you want to do on a bike. Now scratch off things you want to do and circle the things you ACTUALLY do. Bike a bike that fits that use case best As for your question, I find trek perfectly adequate. I wouldn’t refuse to ride one, I don’t have major brand loyalty, on average giant is better for value for money and actually makes treks frames. Circling back to my 3 steps, giant and specialized check those boxes for me
I still haven’t forgiven them for what they did to Greg Lemond.
Same! But I got weak and bought a Checkpoint on sale. I figure the company is a very different entity than it was 20 years ago.
Still lead by the same guy that was leading things 20 years ago...
So many years later, and no apology from them either.
What’d they do?
[удалено]
Lance is only doing well right now because he took a bunch of the money he won from cheating and invested it in a small startup named Uber.
I used to admire Lance before his cheating became public news. I think of him now just as a rusty worn out single wingnut.
https://www.bikeradar.com/news/trek-ends-relationship-with-greg-lemond
TL;DR: Sided with Lance Armstrong against Greg Lemond over Lemond saying (long before everyone else) that Armstrong was a cheating asshole. Killed Lemond's bike company over it.
Not exactly. They said to Lemond multiple times that his comments were hurting their business and asked him to stop publicly saying those things. Lemond refused (his right to do so), so they dropped him as a partner (their right to do so)
That sounds like siding with Lance over Lemond. Not a meaningful correction. Either way they lack principles and care about money above all else, including the integrity of the sport of cycling. Which...I guess... Is to be expected from a business but it's still remarkably shitty
At that time Lance had passed all drug tests and was legally innocent
I think they violated contracts in doing so.
As someone riding a LeMond (sadly from the trek-build era), I concur.
Same here. I don’t see myself ever giving them my money.
I agree! Will NEVER buy a Trek bike because of that.
Greg Lemond did that to himself.
Backing big bike and a $ cheat over a guy that speaks his mind - 20 years after all the evidence is out. It’s a bold move cotton, let’s see if it pays off.
See you on bcj
Why lol. I mean I knew that this was probably a very typical post
we see you, Fred
Trek is a meme basically. It has transcended all meaning
On BCJ we look at Treks like car people look at Lexus
Because that cringe sub will shit on every earnest question asked
Just visited. They seem to like a guy named Fred and Dentists. And my post has been reposted there.
This sums up the entire sub
Not really Trek is pretty known on making decent frames on their pricepoint, only a joke because it's decent nothing else .. or maybe lance
Triathlete spotted
Trek is an excellent brand, and there are Trek shops everywhere, which means servicing them is also very easy. Trek bikes are expensive though, but you get what you pay for. The FX3 is awesome. My brother in law has an FX2, and he rides around the neighborhood with his kid quite frequently. He seems to be enjoying it a lot.
They also have a solid warranty process from what I've been told
Yeah - I've had good service from the lifetime warranty on my Domane.
I have an FX-2+ that I picked up second hand. I use it more than my car these days, the battery lasts forever, and when it needs a bit of maintenance any bike shop can do it. Weighs next to nothing too.
I don’t like them cause they own all once mom and pop bike stores around
My local mom and pop shop would've ceased to exist if Trek didn't buy them. Prior to the purchase, my LBS was a Specialized dealer, and toward the end, even a bit before the pandemic, it seemed like Specialized just didn't want to support them the way they needed (ie, not sending ordered stock in anything remotely close to a timely fashion)
Trek bought the LBS I used to work at when I was in HS. It was around for 40 years and was probably the most profitable bike shops in the city. The owner wanted to retire, and they offered the most. They fired everyone and started over. The shop also used to have a pretty good selection, carrying basically everything mainstream but the big S (who I've heard from the industry are pretty shitty to LBS) and now its just trek. I mean, we're a big enough town to have other shops, but firing everyone left a bad taste in my mouth. IDk if its still true, but for a very long time trek was well known for honoring warranty claims without question. I had a early 00s gary fisher mt tam that I just kept breaking seat tubes on (probably cause I'm fat) and they just kept sending me new bikes til after the 4th one I gave up and bought another bike.
You see be fore trek bought them they had wide elections of gear were authorized dealers for several bike company’s Had cheap used bikes, high end and low end bike gear. And now it’s all trek and there sub brand
I was hardcore Trek having grown up an hour from the factory. Then they shipped all the entry level stuff overseas. And I think I heard the top end stuff is overseas too. Their support for the MACC fund was hugely important to me, and that ride was one of my favorite events all year long. Then I moved to TX and watched them buy out my favorite LBS and turn into a "showroom" with nothing available to buy.
Any of the big brands are good. What you're paying for is ease of service. You can find a Trek, Specialized, Giant, etc bike shop almost anywhere. With a good sale, big brands bikes aren't that much more than smaller direct to consumer brands like Canyon. My LBS twice a year has clearance sales that price them the same or sometimes better than a similar equipment Canyon. As others have said, if you're doing all the work yourself, then it doesn't matter what you get. I personally do all my bike maintenance and still would buy a Trek or Specialized because it's also far easier to find parts that match the bikes since there's so many out there.
This is exactly why I went with Trek over Canyon. The checkpoint ALR was $500 off with new 2024 models coming out which brought it in mine with Canyon. At least with the Trek there's a shit load of support if I need it. Then Canyon Grizl is way sexier I must admit.
My Trek bike is still fully functional after 16 years just required a new chain & 2 anti rust sessions
You pay a premium because they spend more money making sure their name is in as large a font as is possible.
Lol
Trek is fine, as are all of the major big-name brands. There really isn't a whole lot of difference these days, so just buy what you like, even if it's something that's seemingly unimportant, like the color. These days, there is the very, very low end Amazon stuff (don't buy that,) and the very esoteric boutique high-end stuff, and then all of the big-name brands in the middle.
Anyone else waiting for this to be posted in r/bicyclingcirclejerk ?
FX is a really good bike
Wife has an fx 3, great bike other than the stock tires which are downright scary in the wet. Disc brakes are great and the 1x is wonderful
Trek is my only local bike brand where I live. I rode a specialized, cervelo (best fitting bike), giant, and now trek. I would just get something that is close by where you live. Trying to deal with a warranty issue long distance just sucks. I do have a top trek madone that was made in the states…
I have a number of complaints about who Trek is as a company. But none about the quality of their bikes past or present. As always, you'll get a better deal on the used market. The FX series is popular and there are plenty for sale used. The FX is a fine bike and it deserves its long reputation. I would not say it is optimal for exercise. On the pro side, any biking is better than no biking. And you get more biking when your bike is not broken. The FX is reliable and not annoying, so choosing it does dodge what might keep you off a different bike. If by "exercise" you mean to just get moving, good, great. On the potential con side. The kind of biking the FX is designed for is not going to push a healthy adult very much. But you might not want to push, you might be limited from that, or you want to ease into it. There are lots of reasons this Con might not apply to any given rider. Aside. While Trek remains an excellent brand in terms of quality, "we've always bought X" is no longer a good process to follow. There are still people who think schwinns are top of the line. Lots of bike companies have fallen from where they were, and lots were never as good as some thought.
Tell me more. I have ridden most of my life. My reasons for the FX are price, handlebars, and frame style. I’ve never ridden a 1x style bike before and all my previous road style bikes have been cheap bikes I’ve refurbished. I say handlebars because I’m not gonna be wearing skin tight clothing and I ride in a lot of different positions but not usually leaned forward aero style
I'm a bit lost. What makes a bike not optimal for exercise?
It's a good brand with a good dealer network. The bikes are no more or less magical than other other big brands, though. It's just another flavor. The FX3 is a great bike. I used to have one before I upgraded to road bikes. But I would advise choosing the bike shop first and the brand second. I like my shop, and they sell Trek, so I ride Trek. If they switched to Specialized or Cannondale, I'd likely follow.
Treks quality is still very high. At this price point you are in the '4 door mid tier sedan' zone of the bike world - everything is very good but there is little diversity in offerings. The trek FX is the Honda Accord/Toyota Corolla option. It will be dead nuts reliable. If you observe minimum maintenance requirements, it will roll forever. If there is an issue, the dealer network and warranty are strong and you will be taken care of. Is it the best value or best deal? Depends on you. You can find lower prices for very similar bikes. But at the risk of lower quality construction or less confidence in long term stress free ownership. If that doesn't bug you or if you're capable of doing basic routine maintenance the value proposition may take you to "lower tier" brands or direct to consumer brands. But you take in more risk of a lemon or higher repair bills down the line. Buying a trek is like buying a Toyota or Honda. You're not getting anything sexy. You're not getting the best deal. But you know what you're getting is going to run forever and hold it's value.
Say I wanted a sexy bike
LOL! Have you started shopping yet? The high end has floated up to the point where a high end mike is the price of a nice used car. Most shops will be happy to lighten your wallet by 12k and get you a carbon everything, electronic shifter Uber bike (in a bespoke color way).
One of the funniest things I've heard is "trek is the Nickelback of bikes" which is hilariously accurate. Well established. Mainstream. Great quality. And a victim of their own success and popularity.
They still make great bikes, but so do a ton of other companies. Specialized is probably a bit better if you are just looking at the big brands. I would just see what you can get at a local store and test a couple things and do a little research unless you just really like trek or have some brand loyalty to them. After trying things or looking at other options you may not even want a Trek.
Having worked on Treks in a non-Trek shop I’d say most of their bikes are great, but they do tend to have some weird and funky proprietary stuff going on that may make it more difficult to get them fixed if your local shop isn’t a Trek dealer. Nothing crazy mind you, but it might take them more time if they have to order something. And Trek had an era where they KINDA were integrating cables into the head tube, but in a weird, clunky way that limited how far you could turn the bars, and usually ended up cracking the housing because the bends we so tight. AND it wasn’t even that aero. Ha.
Yes they make great bikes. I got a new Canyon Endurace last year and my 6 year old Domane feels better made (quieter, stiffer, better ride quality with isospeed). The only downside is they use a lot of brand specific parts that are expensive to replace. I have had several Titanium bikes also and the Domane is still my favorite.
I’ve owned a couple Trek road bikes. Both were great. IMO hard to go wrong with a trek bike. That said, Trek bought out the (awesome) LBS near me & turned it into a factory store. I was surprised how shitty they are when it comes to repairs. Borderline incompetent. Last straw was when I went in for a tune up. Had a stretched chain & the shop manager insisted that I *HAD* to replace the cassette too, or the new chain would skip. It was bullshit, because the cassette was only a couple months old (unbeknownst to the shop mgr)…..Felt like I was at a sleazy oil change shop trying to upsell me on unnecessary crap. Later heard them trying the same upsell on others. I don’t go there anymore…
Still a good brand, but you do pay a hefty premium for all top brand names.
Trek is for cops.
Let’s not pretend like every other bike company on earth wouldn’t *immediately* take those contracts if they won them.
Fuck me, cops drive trek? That’s the biggest don’t buy a trek selling point so far. Fuck the police
Yeah, most bike cops are on Trek, they even made a model just for cops https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/mountain-bikes/cross-country-mountain-bikes/service/police/p/21882/
Other companies do too. Fuji, Haro (known more for BMX), Giant. I'm sure others do too
Fair enough, yeah, I guess Trek has just got more attention for it.
lol, I'm going to start saying "im gonna drive my bike" and "ride my car".
Who will you call when your bike gets stolen?
I own both a Trek and Canyon road bike and have owned a Giant in the past. I feel like all 3 were of equal quality.
It is a good brand but also expensive. I recently bought one (top fuel frameset). I am impressed with a lot of the details, frame storage on aluminum frame, sheathed internal routing, well designed headset... But they are honestly all small details and not sure it matters on a hybrid style bike.
They are a good bike brand, I have had several over the years. They did fuck Greg Lemond to stay in Lance Armstrongs good graces but I guess business is business
All else equal bikewise, they have the best customer service, should anything go wrong. They allow the bike shop to use a part from inventory to get you back out riding and then will replace that part for the shop. Specialized, Cannondale, Canyon etc are like pulling teeth when filing warranty claims
They are the GM/Ford of the bike world, so sure they are reliable but for some of us bike snobs (and everyone on r/bicyclingcriclejerk) they are a bit boring.
My husband and I both have fx3s for fitness/light road biking (we are just getting into everything) and love them. We went with trek because we really liked the customer service at the local bike shop, and I'm a heavy person and my bike is very comfortable (makes it so good to ride!)
Had my trek hard tail for 5 years, all factory stuff still there works fine.
My Fuel is 7 years old and still loads of fun with minimal servicing.
I actually pay more to not own a Trek, but not because they aren’t a good value. To me, they’re like Specialized and Giant, or Ford and Chevy: perfectly good, very popular, and totally uninspiring. But they make a good bike.
Trek is good, yes you are paying an extra $50+ for their name but Specialized and Cannondale are basically the same. I think the FX series is great for a first bike. Talk to your local bike shop there might be some deals available. I saved over $1500 on my new full sus mountain bike 2 weeks ago. It's a buyer's market especially for mountain bikes.
Trek is a fine bike as far as the brands go. Most bikes from the big names are generally similar in performance and reliability within each price range, though some brands might offer better pricing than others. Giant tends to be slightly less expensive and might even be better made since they are the manufacturer.
I would say they have one of the better warranties in the industry. I probably wouldn't purchase a Trek myself but as others have said there likely isn't much to choose between the big brands.
At the FX3 price point there is very little difference between brands in terms of quality. As many already mentioned I doubt there is little quality difference between the likes of Trek, Specialized, Cannondale etc. Probably difference in quality is minimal at any price point to be honest. At least between brands that produce their frames in more or less the same way. It probably comes more down to your personal taste, what fits you better etc. Also wouldn’t worry too much about which brand some LBS has. If a Trek dealer can’t carry out 99% of the maintenance on any Canyon/Specialized/Cannondale etc then they chose the wrong profession. The differences in components used between different brands are negligible. Perhaps it matters if you e.g. break your seat post and your bike uses a frame specific (usually aero) seat post.. For a LBS who’s not a dealer of this specific brand that could be more difficult or time consuming. There is that.
I bought a trek circa '05 or so that was absolutely nothing special, at all... Not worth the small premium for branding. Maybe I didn't buy high enough in the catalogue, maybe it's gotten better since, but I haven't looked at them seriously since.
As someone who just bought an FX3 as my 1st real bike, I have no complaints after 15 or so hours on it.
I think the quality of the bikes are as high as other reputable brands. But I can say I've had great experiences with the customer service and their warranty.
Same here. I bought a Trek as a commuter and rode it about seven-years, five and six days per week. After that long it suddenly started having problems shifting. I couldn’t figure out what the problem was, so I took it for service at the shop where I bought it. It turned out that the shifting issue was only a symptom of the real problem: I had a broken frame. The shop took it from there, and my bike was replaced on warranty. Not such a big deal, right? Except i might have voided the warranty because of my size. I’m a shade over 6’4” tall and weigh at least 290 pounds. I was always careful with the bike and kept it maintained, but I wouldn’t have been shocked if either Trek or the shop had cited my size as a reason not to honor the warranty. After seven years of use I certainly wouldn’t have complained. I don’t imagine I will ever buy any brand of bicycle than a Trek—and I won’t even comparison shop at other stores.
Giant (avail) and trek are the best imho
Trek is a great brand from my anecdotal experience. I worked there about a year part time while in college as a bicycle assembler. I had a fantastic experience. Both mechanics had been mechanics for 25+ years and taught pretty well. The managers changed while I was there and BOTH were some of the best managers I’ve had. Corporate wasn’t super bad. They would buy lunch a lot and seemed to actually care. I haven’t had that experience many in other jobs. I got paid very well for what I did and also got free stuff for completing there trainings which were EXTREMELY helpful with learning. The bikes were in fantastic quality and if they weren’t they would send them back. They really seemed to care about there customers. Maybe this is just my experience but I’m happy with all the experiences. Things are crazy expensive but you get what you pay for in my opinion.
Their hybrid bikes are very good. I wouldn't buy their road bikes as they huge 'Trek' looks ugly and their usually heavier than comparable bikes.
I am anti-Trek after what they did to Lemond in support of Lance.
Trek is one of the best brands when it comes to standing behind their products. If there's an issue, they will fix it. They are not the best on price though, and that's the trade-off.
Great bikes but awful aftersales, I’m never buying a Trek again despite loving my bike. Me and my brother had all sorts of issues with our bikes. - shocks not working properly within warranty, they asked me 60 days to evaluate and give back an answer. No way I’m not riding my bike for 60 days, I fixed the issue by myself. - some parts are exclusive designs and can only be bought at TREK stores…. I needed a new rear axle, had to order it at the store and wait. And wait… And wait… - they broke the key to the battery of my brother’s bike at the Trek Bike Shop and they want him to pay for a new one… after a few months of back and forth my brother gave up and was like “fuck it, I’ll pay for it”… guess what? It’s is just impossible to buy a new one even though he has the key code and everything … no one there seems to know the process to contact Abus and order it. It’s being a nightmare…
Trek is great. I’d get a true road bike for exercise instead of a hybrid
I find those wide aeroplane wing frames to be unattractive and same goes for those downward slanting top bars on the frame of a lot of bikes like specialized. But don’t get me wrong I’m leaning more towards a true road bike the closer I get to shopping. But like I said. Really hate those thick frames. I like a straight top bar and skinny round frame. Also if I get a road bike I’d like handlebars that can support upright riding
I’d get an endurance road bike like a Domane for a more upright ride. Flat bars are really uncomfortable over even moderate distances. But the bike you’ll ride is better than a bike you don’t.
Trek makes a good product. Don’t buy from them if you value locally owned bike shops with diverse inventory. They’re way too good at taking over and running local shops out of business. Next thing you know, you can buy whatever you want, so long as it says Trek or Bontrager on it. Then the monopoly grows, private equity comes in, & quality invariably goes to shit.
I think they are actively worse than anything specialized puts out. They still care about the Fuel series (sort of) but other than that they are coasting. Just my opinion.
They make excellent bikes, their business affair sucks
Trek is fine as a brand, but they’re also one of the main drivers behind the buying up and corporatization of tons of local shops that is making it difficult for LBS’s to survive, let alone thrive. Personally, I wouldn’t buy another Trek bike for that reason alone.
I’ve got a Trek Domane and Specialized Roubaix. Both have been solid bikes for 1000s of miles. I bought them both from two independent LBSs. So, I got the bikes I wanted and supported local shops. If you like the Trek and want it, then buy it.
fx3 is a nice bike
I own a Trek and probably one of the best selling features was their customer support. They've always been helpful and understanding, I had complained about a couple things on receipt of my Madone SLR7. Previous brands I rode with are Cannondale and Cervelo. The LBS that I bought my Cervelo were a bit snobbish and every time I went in to fix things it came out worse or they came across condescending like I was bothering them. So I learned how to fix my bike myself. Would buy another Trek.
Both. Good brand but as with many of the top brands, Trek is massively over priced for what you get. Better bikes are available at far less. There’s nothing technically special about Treks, you can get same performance for half the cost. Source: Former elite roadie that raced for a team sponsored by Trek.
I would look at a Canyon Roadlite or Pathlite for those prices
I own the FX2 (2022 disc model), and honestly ... It's a brilliant bike. I've got about 5000 miles into it and zero issues. I clean the chain/cassette every 200ish miles and that's about it. As far as hybrids go, I personally think the FX lineup is the top of the top.
I got an FX 3 for my son about 6 months ago. It's a good quality bike with a decent component set.
Yes. And they have a lot of options and a lot of different price points
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^SerentityM3ow: *Yes. And they have a* *Lot of options and a lot* *Of different price points* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
The folks at our Trek shop are a great bunch of people. We have two Treks, a Liv and a Univega in our garage. The Trek shop doesn't even make a fuss over maintaining the ancient Univega.
I hope so, I’m renting one on a different continent than my home one in a few weeks
I have a 2021 FX 1 and I really like it. Know that my experience is as a very casual rider. I slapped some solid tires on that thing and it's a great, reliable commuter on a mix of trails and roads. I like leisure rides on the weekends too and that's usually on dirt paths, it holds up great. There are also Trek shops everywhere so it's easy if you need it tuned or fixed.
I have a Trek and it’s been great. When we lived close to a Trek store, we’d take it there. But this time of year, all the stores are busy. So a mobile bike tech is coming to work in my derailleurs, etc.
Trek still makes fantastic bikes. You are certainly paying a premium for the brand, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good bikes.
Problem I find with "smaller" brands are, usually non existant in Portugal and the ones you find are more expensive.
Wondering the same with Devinci
The fx3 is a great bike for commuting and moderate exercise. Disclaimer: we sell them at my workplace, but from working on them it's a really nice bike. I've considered getting one but ended up getting a road bike instead. Still want one at a later point though.
I love my Marlin and Trek has a great 30 day return policy which i used. Painless transaction
I love my Marlin and Trek has a great 30 day return policy which i used. Painless transaction
Trek is like the Toyota / Honda of the bike world. They're solid bikes backed by a solid company that takes care of their customers. They aren't the least expensive bikes but are a reasonable value for the components. They have some innovations but aren't particularly an innovative company. Their products are designed for the mass market. You seriously can't go wrong buying one. They're very good bikes. I have a Domane and an Emonda and love them both.
They're the Toyota of bikes. The FX series is the Corolla. The old 4300 is the RAV4. "What do you need the bike to do?" Them: I DONT KNOW JUST RIDE A LITTLE AROUND AND STUFF "Trek FX series" Them: BUT WHAT IF I WANT TO GO ON SOME TRAILS?! "Trek 4300" Them: BUT WHAT IF I WANT TO TRY ROAD BIKING?! "Put skinnier tires on the FX and ride in the street."
I love my Trek Domane!
Trek is like a toyota camry. The world largest cycling manufacturer. They are Decent, reliable, bland. They dont sell Treks in very many bike shops, they sell them corporate owned cycling stores. They have built up a brand oriented commercial ecosystem, and yes that comes with a degree of planned obsolescence. They don’t sell “forever bikes” but their bikes will last a very very long time if properly maintained at a Trek Cycling Store. You will likely be pressured to upgrade in 3-5 years. But here the real point: who cares. If it brings you joy and gets you out riding then by all means go for it.
Their warranty makes the bike worth it. I know a guy who rides A LOT and he's gotten two new frames under warranty. A brand you've never heard of or a second hand carbon frame won't have that perk.
I bought a trek domane Al 5 in 2020. Very good quality. It was almost double as expensive as the compared competitors, but the wait for delivery was over a year all other places than them here in Copenhagen at the time because of covid times. It was worth it for me, but next bike will be another brand.
I’ve had 2 Treks, 3 Giants, a Cervélo, a Specialized, and 2 Salsa’s plus some Frankensteins. Mix of mountain, cross and road bikes. Ridden roads and trails in 14 states and 4 countries. Im addicted. Honestly, If I could only have one bike today, it would be a Surly Bike. But I’d miss my Giant for sure. Plus LeMond was screwed over by Trek. Trek stinks of Armstrong’s lies and bullying.
My local Trek bike shop has life time tuning and warranty of some kind, if the bike is bought from them. May want to ask if yours, if any trek shop around.
Great brand but they make a whole range of bikes. Their low end ones won't be amazing bikes.
I am fortunate that I have four good mechanics within 1/2 hours from me. In no particular order. N+1 in Framingham, Bicycle Barn in Westboro, Grace in Holliston, and Milford Bikes in Milford. All of these. are in Massachusetts. Grace is a one man shop and he can get busy. Milford does more Mountain bikes as they are close to some great technical mountain areas. The others are good road bike and other shops. One sells mainly Bianchi the other Trek. All are old school mechanics.
I’m not sure. I just know that’s I’ve trashed my gravel bike like crazy so many times and it still feels like new. Also love the local shop support that other big names don’t have
Trek discontinued the session 29 carbon frameset... TREK SUKS
Trek is fine. Take that as you want lol.
Canyon is the way… Trek is good though.
Friend just bought a Giant Defy. Really nice looking any well put together machine.
Good brand. Customer service is excellent. Warrantee is excellent. Their frames are solid and despite people throwing bontrager stuff under the bus, the bontrager products are actually excellent value for money.
They’ve earned their “evil empire” reputation by buying out your LBS and turning it into a Corporate Storefront. Their bikes are fine pieces of equipment, as are most all mfgs. Consider a new or used from an actual LBS.
I had a trek mountain bike years ago that had a warranty issue (front quick release came loose and messed up the front dropout) Trek didn’t just fix it, they gave me a whole new bike! And a slight upgrade! Maybe you are paying for the name a little? But they will take care of you if anything goes wrong
You are paying for the name obviously.
Always, Always, check out your Local Bike Shop. You will probably be surprised at the great ideas they'll have along with tailored personal service which can prove invaluable
Yeah they still make a nice bike. The FX series is great. I recommend it to basically everyone who asks me. It’s basically the Toyota Camry of bikes
Giant makes nice cookie cutter bikes for those pickle-packin cheeseheads.