Trek 3900 Review

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Written by drbob on November 23, 2009 – 1:34 pm -

Updated June 2009

It's not the most rugged mountain bike, but reviewers say it's hard to beat the Trek 3900 for beginners on a budget. This aluminum-framed mountain bike is a hardtail bike, so there is no suspension in the rear, and only asmall amount of travel (just over 3 inches) in the front. The Trek 3900 is designed for light off-road use on dirt and gravel trails, and reviewers say you shouldn't expect to take this bike off jumps or over rugged and technical terrain. This mountain bike earns high marks for a rigid frame and smooth shifting, but experts recommend spending a little extra to upgrade to disc brakes, which offer more reliable braking in dirt and mud, on the Trek 3900 Disc (MSRP: $480). Overall, reviewers say this bike is a great value and a good fit for new riders looking to escape the confines of smooth pavement.

Although it's not designed for rugged terrain, experts say the Trek 3900 is a great choice for beginning riders looking to ride smooth gravel or dirt trails. The Trek 3900 is a hardtail mountain bike, meaning there is no suspension in the rear, and it has 80 mm (3.15 inches) of travel in the front. The Trek 3900 gets high marks for its rigid frame and smooth shifting, but experts say you should really spend the extra $40 to upgrade to disc brakes on the Trek 3900 Disc (*MSRP: $480). Disc brakes offer more reliable braking in dirt and mud, and owner-written reviews say this upgrade is worth it.

Overall, most owners are happy with the Trek 3900 and love the value. They caution, however, that you can't take this bike on rugged terrain or launch it off jumps -- it's not designed for these purposes. If you prefer a full-suspension mountain bike to a hardtail, experts say the Haro Shift R1 (*MSRP: $895) is a good choice. It's more expensive than the Trek 3900, but it can handle more rugged trails and offers a fork lockout to improve the ride on level trails.

Most budget mountain bikes don't receive much coverage in professional reviews, and the Trek 3900 is no exception. The best source of information on this bike comes from owner-written reviews on MTBR.com; most of these reviews are detailed and balanced. Buzzillions.com also compiles reviews from several different sites, but most of their reviews come from the Trek website. Although we normally don't give much weight to reviews posted on manufacturer websites, these seem relatively balanced. In addition, Bicycling magazine covers the Trek 3900 Disc, which is identical to the Trek 3900 except for the addition of disc brakes.