Road, Track & Mountain Bikes » trek

Trek 1.2: Best Budget Road Bike

drbob — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:44:31 +0000

Road Bike Reviews
Updated June 2009

Best Budget road bike
Trek 1.2
ConsumerSearch.com has synthesized multiple reviews of road bike and concluded the Trek 1.2 is the best budget road bike. A great first road bike. Below is what they concluded.

For beginning cyclists, reviewers say it's hard to beat the Trek 1.2. This road bike is comfortable, has a wide range of gears and provides stable handling at a great price. Like most road bikes under $1,000, the Trek 1.2has an aluminum frame and uses less expensive components like Shimano Sora shifters and derailleurs. As a result, owners say the shifting is not as fluid as it could be, and the brakes take a few hits for lacking power. Still, the Trek 1.2 is widely recognized as a good choice for those new to road biking, and Bicycling magazine picks it as one of the best road bikes under $1,000. Trek doesn't neglect female riders -- they offer a women-specific design, the Trek 1.2 WSD, for the same price.

The Trek 1.2 is widely hailed as a great road bike for beginners. Thanks to comfortable, upright positioning and stable handling, reviewers say this bike performs well for its intended audience -- new riders. Like most road bikes in this price range, the Trek 1.2 has an aluminum frame and uses components from Shimano's lower-end Sora group, including shifters and derailleurs. It has a triple chainring, which reviewers say is a good choice for beginners, because it gives a wider range of gears and to help with hills. Testers say the Trek 1.2 provides a comfortable ride with good acceleration, but they also note that the brakes are somewhat weak. The most common complaint involves the bike's shifting; multiple reviewers mention that the shifter can hesitate on hills and isn't the smoothest. For women, Trek makes a women-specific model, the Trek 1.2 WSD, for the same price. Beginners seeking a racier road bike may want to take a look at the Felt F95 Team Issue (MSRP: $850). It's priced similarly to the Trek 1.2, but it offers a sportier ride and Team Garmin colors.

We found the best reviews of the Trek 1.2 at Bicycling magazine and the Los Angeles Times. Both publications test the road bike and present balanced reviews that note pros and cons. The Trek 1.2 also gets brief reviews in The Boston Globe and in Fitness magazine, but it appears that these sources haven't actually tested the bike. There are a number of owner-written reviews on sites like Buzzillions.com, but the reviews are somewhat dated. But if you are considering buying a used Trek 1.2, this can be a great resource because the reviews go back several years.

2007 Trek Alpha 12 Road BikeLess than 50 MILES New Pedals Helmet Short
	$799.99 End Date: Sunday Mar-4-2012 10:28:18 PST Buy It Now for only: $799.99 Buy It Now

Mens 2011 Trek Alpha 12 Road Bike 56 cm Shimano Components

$600.00 (29 Bids)
End Date: Sunday Feb-5-2012 19:30:05 PST

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2008 Trek 12 58 cm aluminum road white frame and Bontrager carbon fork

$135.50 (14 Bids)
End Date: Monday Feb-6-2012 17:00:15 PST

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Trek 12 56cm Mens Road BICYCLE Shimano Sora 8 Speed Alpha Aluminum

$405.00 (18 Bids)
End Date: Thursday Feb-9-2012 11:32:13 PST

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Trek 12 Alpha Aluminum Road Bike
	$550.00 End Date: Monday Feb-6-2012 5:44:40 PST Buy It Now for only: $550.00 Buy It Now

2009 TREK ALPHA 12 SIZE 50CM EXCELLENT CONDITION

$549.00
End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 11:30:59 PST

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Trek 12 2010 58cm
	$525.00 End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 9:04:31 PST Buy It Now for only: $600.00 Buy It Now \| Bid now

PILOT TREK 12 BICYCLE MUST SEE
	$425.00 End Date: Sunday Feb-26-2012 10:01:52 PST Buy It Now for only: $425.00 Buy It Now

Trek 3900 Review

drbob — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:34:05 +0000

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.

Custom Trek Shimano XTR Shop Race Demo less than 10 miles

$749.99 (2 Bids)
End Date: Sunday Feb-5-2012 11:42:56 PST

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Vintage Trek SingleTrack 930 Mountain Bike
	$149.00 End Date: Friday Feb-24-2012 7:47:14 PST Buy It Now for only: $149.00 Buy It Now

Trek 800 Sport Mountain Bike 13

$75.00
End Date: Sunday Feb-5-2012 11:50:06 PST

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2011 Trek Elite 99 full XTR
	$4,000.00 End Date: Saturday Feb-11-2012 16:51:37 PST Buy It Now for only: $4,000.00 Buy It Now

2011 Trek Top Fuel 99 SSL SMALL 2206 Lbs

$3,940.00 (5 Bids)
End Date: Sunday Feb-5-2012 12:25:40 PST

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TREK 7000 RETRO RACER VINTAGE HARDTAIL GIANT DEORE GIRVIN VECTOR MTB

$165.50 (11 Bids)
End Date: Sunday Feb-5-2012 13:21:57 PST

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TREK ELITE 98 CARBON FRAME LARGE 19 HARD TAIL MOUNTAIN BIKE AS IS
	$249.95 End Date: Monday Feb-6-2012 20:14:48 PST Buy It Now for only: $249.95 Buy It Now

Trek Bruiser 2 Mountain Bike Great Condition

$250.00 (4 Bids)
End Date: Sunday Feb-5-2012 13:58:07 PST

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About Bicycle Bargains 4U

drbob — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:25:56 +0000

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