TREK 5900 replacement fork question

I have been through the bottom cup replacement headache on the 5900
TREK. The dealer indicated that they would replace the original fork
with a Bontrager XXX lite fork. I researched the fork and it sounded
OK. But when the bike came back from the factory, the dealer said the
factory was supplying a Bontrager Race Lite fork because the XXX fork
was no longer available. Does this sound accurate? Why would I go to
the expense of a 5900 if the bike was made up with 5200 components?

Anybody have a suggestion as to a suitable replacement for the 5900
fork?

Sounds like Trek. I had a beautyful US Postal (2002) 5200 that developed a
seperation in a glued carbon joint. They took it back and repaired it (2
Years Old) , It came back Yellow with only 2 Trek decals on the down tube.
After I got it back is when I was told they only do the original color
scheme if it is the same year as production. Also they just painted over the
old finish it was horrible. Sold it on E-Bay and bought a different brand.
Moral of the story Trek does what they want, and be careful buying on E-Bay.

I have been through the bottom cup replacement headache on the 5900
TREK. The dealer indicated that they would replace the original fork
with a Bontrager XXX lite fork. I researched the fork and it sounded
OK. But when the bike came back from the factory, the dealer said the
factory was supplying a Bontrager Race Lite fork because the XXX fork
was no longer available. Does this sound accurate? Why would I go to
the expense of a 5900 if the bike was made up with 5200 components?

Anybody have a suggestion as to a suitable replacement for the 5900
fork?

Trek is not currently making Race XXX-Lite forks, and indeed you'll find
even the top-of-the-line 6.9SL ($7500 sub-15-pound bike) comes with the new
Race X-Lite fork. The new X-Lite is actually quite a nice fork, using
technologies that didn't exist when the XXX-Lite fork was designed.
Substantially stronger, and apparently of a new technology that others will
be using soon, but aren't yet. The weight different is minimal; it is *not*
the Race X-Lite fork shown on the Bontrager website. If you pull out the
fork and weigh it, you'll find it's about 30 grams (or less) heavier than
your original fork, not the 100 grams implied.

It's much more than an "OK" fork. You can get something that might weigh an
ounce less, maybe two, but the X-Lite they supplied you with will be
stronger and, in all likelihood, handle better as well.

For what it's worth, I know all this because I went through the exact same
thing you did with one of my customers a few months ago. I called Trek and
spoke with the powers-that-be, complaining that things didn't quite seem
right. They put me in touch with the powers-that-know, and set me straight.
Unfortunately, there are a number of people who still don't understand that
this is a very new, next-generation X-Lite fork, that bears little-to-no
resemblance to the earlier model.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
I have been through the bottom cup replacement headache on the 5900
TREK. The dealer indicated that they would replace the original fork
with a Bontrager XXX lite fork. I researched the fork and it sounded
OK. But when the bike came back from the factory, the dealer said the
factory was supplying a Bontrager Race Lite fork because the XXX fork
was no longer available. Does this sound accurate? Why would I go to
the expense of a 5900 if the bike was made up with 5200 components?

Anybody have a suggestion as to a suitable replacement for the 5900
fork?

Trek is not currently making Race XXX-Lite forks, and indeed you'll find
even the top-of-the-line 6.9SL ($7500 sub-15-pound bike) comes with the new
Race X-Lite fork. The new X-Lite is actually quite a nice fork, using
technologies that didn't exist when the XXX-Lite fork was designed.
Substantially stronger, and apparently of a new technology that others will
be using soon, but aren't yet. The weight different is minimal; it is *not*
the Race X-Lite fork shown on the Bontrager website. If you pull out the
fork and weigh it, you'll find it's about 30 grams (or less) heavier than
your original fork, not the 100 grams implied.

It's much more than an "OK" fork. You can get something that might weigh an
ounce less, maybe two, but the X-Lite they supplied you with will be
stronger and, in all likelihood, handle better as well.

For what it's worth, I know all this because I went through the exact same
thing you did with one of my customers a few months ago. I called Trek and
spoke with the powers-that-be, complaining that things didn't quite seem
right. They put me in touch with the powers-that-know, and set me straight.
Unfortunately, there are a number of people who still don't understand that
this is a very new, next-generation X-Lite fork, that bears little-to-no
resemblance to the earlier model.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Was it cherry or grape kool-aide??

For what it's worth, I know all this because I went through the exact
same
thing you did with one of my customers a few months ago. I called Trek
and
spoke with the powers-that-be, complaining that things didn't quite seem
right. They put me in touch with the powers-that-know, and set me
straight.
Unfortunately, there are a number of people who still don't understand
that
this is a very new, next-generation X-Lite fork, that bears little-to-no
resemblance to the earlier model.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Was it cherry or grape kool-aide??

Neither. If anyone was serving, it would have been me, not Trek. Trek
wasn't/isn't telling the story AT ALL. They have a new product, but don't
tell anybody about it. The only reason I know is because I have connections
with a lot of the engineering staff. My inside & outside reps didn't know
anything about the new product. The website makes no mention of the new
product. So, as I say, it's *me*, not them, dispensing the KoolAid here.
Makes no sense to me at all.

I prefer cherry, by the way.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:


Neither. If anyone was serving, it would have been me, not Trek. Trek
wasn't/isn't telling the story AT ALL. They have a new product, but don't
tell anybody about it. The only reason I know is because I have connections
with a lot of the engineering staff. My inside & outside reps didn't know
anything about the new product. The website makes no mention of the new
product.

Is this it? http://tinyurl.com/ylxl94

Is this it? http://tinyurl.com/ylxl94

I don't know what the heck that is; some sort of Photoshop deal? The
tail-fin was abandoned by Trek a couple years ago, so whatever it is it
isn't a current drawing. How did you locate that? Strange stuff on that
website if you go back a bit.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

I have been through the bottom cup replacement headache on the 5900
TREK. The dealer indicated that they would replace the original fork
with a Bontrager XXX lite fork. I researched the fork and it sounded
OK. But when the bike came back from the factory, the dealer said the
factory was supplying a Bontrager Race Lite fork because the XXX fork
was no longer available. Does this sound accurate? Why would I go to
the expense of a 5900 if the bike was made up with 5200 components?

Anybody have a suggestion as to a suitable replacement for the 5900
fork?

Larry: We just weighed the new Race X-Lite fork vs 2 stock Race XXX-Lite
forks from a 2006 SSL & SSLx model, all in 56cm. Including fork crown race,
the X-Lite fork weighed 398 grams. The XXX-Lite forks actually weighed more,
at 417 grams (also including crown race). Actual weights, not catalog stuff.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com