Kris Osborn wrote:
Hi, I am new to mountain biking and I was wondering what Trek bike would be
a good bike to start off on. I Have $400.00. I know that I could afford the
Trek 4300. I wondered if the it a good bike for the money, is it a good bike
for a beginner? Should I go with a different name brand, or should I save
more money(if so what is a better Trek model)? what do you suggest?

I had a Trek 4300 for 2 years. I paid £200GBP for it and used it on
downhill trails 2 or 3 times a week at least, and several times a day on
roads. During this time, the only things that I needed to replace were
the rear gear cable, 2 pairs of brake blocks and the rear tyre.

In my opinion, it feels very well-balanced and handles well, it has a
nice frame and the components are functional and reliable. Excellent
value for money, and good potential for upgrading over time. My only
criticism is the front forks. Had I kept hold of the bike I would have
replaced them, but at this price point they are pretty much always going
to be the compromise, so I wouldn't dismiss it because of this.

I replaced mine a couple of months ago with a Mongoose Teocali Comp
2005, which is a nice bike but needs a lot of tweaking before it will
feel right for me. The Trek, however, needed nothing changing from the
stock setup.

Go and try it out before you buy one though...

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