Bike Setup: Stock, apart from UNO stem - not recommended! Creaks like a creaky animal. Test ride any part swaps before you pay and ride away!
Summary: I've had this bike for years, and no major problems have happened. The rims are crap, and it makes the breaking really bad.. But I haven't been bothered to replace them seem as though I'm more into MTB riding.
Feels fast, and is the lightest bike I've ever had. So for the most part I'm happy. Not for serious riders though!
Strengths: Stiff, lasted for years. Sora drivetrain is surprisingly good. It shifts kinda like mid-high end MTB gears (i.e. LX or X-7).
Weaknesses: Saddle is a bit wrong, a little heavy for a roadie, stem I have on is crap (not stock), not a great level of bike to upgrade. Just get a new one when you grow out of it I suppose!
Would you like to Comment? Join RoadbikeReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Bike Setup: Stock full Sora, Vuelta wheels with Quando hubs
Summary: My inlaws own two of this model which get used for recreational weekend touring and occasional city commuting/erands. My experience is almost identical to the reviews below.
This bike is good value if you are looking for a first real road bike, or a "modern" (flight deck/hyperglide) road bike. If you are a hard core you won't be looking at this model anyway.
Strengths: Price.
Full Sora spec works great, no glitches.
wheels are reliable for entry-level riding.
Weaknesses: Paint looks too racy It doesn't make sense to have to worry about a mid-line bike getting stolen from bike racks while commuting. Seatpost clamp stripped on one of the two bikes but Cheap and easy to replace.
Transmits lots of road vibration through alum stays and cromo fork.
Heavier than my steel bike.
Hard to Fit so best riden full stock. Good quill stems are hard to find and threaded forks are harder to swap out.
Similar Products Used: Lemond Croix de Fer, Fuji Del Rey, Fiori Roma.
Would you like to Comment? Join RoadbikeReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Favorite Ride: anything within riding distance of the house
Bike Setup: Setup: Fixed gear, 43x16 with 175mm cranks, spd pedals, Specialized carbon fiber seatpost, Trek seat, syntace bullhorns, and old Royal Compe front sidepull activated by Shimano 105 Aero brake lever.
Summary: This was my first store-bought road bike, and High Gear was awesome. I got it in 2000 and have had it ever since. It came with Sora stuff that worked okay, and a nice streamlined but somewhat uncomfortable seat.
When the original rims wore out, I converted it to a fixed gear. It rides great in this configuration and truly shines; it is light, swift, and sure ont he road. Also somewhat bombproof; in it's drop-roadbar fixed gear configuration when first built up, I crashed, trashed the rear wheel, and dislocated my Shoulder. Now, I am recovering from shoulder surgery and riding it with a new rear rim. The frame is no worse for wear.
As a geared roadbike, the '99 Trek 1000 was more or less your basic roadie; it looked better than it rode. It was heavier than vitnage high quality steel, and gave a stiff ride. But as a fixed gear, it has realized its potential; stripped of its excess cheapo shifters, etc., it is light, quick and fast. Trek fixed gear 1000 -- the bike Trek should have made?
Strengths: Light but not as light as higher end aluminum. Stiff on climbs.
Weaknesses: Stiff on descents, over potholes, etc. Came with cheepo rims.
Similar Products Used: Trek X01 [2001 model], Lemond Nevada City, and assorted other old bikes.
Would you like to Comment? Join RoadbikeReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Bike Setup: Stock except for Specilalized BG seat, upgraded to Shimano Tiagra cranks with Ritchey SPD pedals, upgraded wheels to Mavic CXP 33's with Shimano hubs and cassette, and put Vittoria Rubino Pro tires on.
Summary: I bought this bike because I wanted to try road riding, after being hooked on mountain biking. I knew it was entry level, and as such, it has performed very well. Nothing terrible has happened after several thousand miles, but some component upgrades were necessary straight off the dealer's floor, including swapping flexy CPI cranks for Shimano Tiagras, and swapping Vuelta rims for Mavic CXPs (due to poor machining on Vuelta's braking surfaces) The seatpost clamp collar stripped out after 2 years, had to rethread it and replace bolt, no big deal.
I love this bike with the red, white, and blue paint, and it goes down the road just fine next to my friends Litespeeds and Masis. It saved me a couple grand, but doesn't look like it. I'd rate it 5 for value (any sub $700 bike that lasts more than 3 years is good by me), and 5 for performance (considering it is entry level)
Strengths: Price, paint job/graphics, very stiff frameset, Trek quality
Weaknesses: Cheap and flexy cranks, not spec'd quite as nicely as Giant's entry level rides. Trek upgraded some parts for 2001, though.
Similar Products Used: Demo'ed several entry level bikes
Would you like to Comment? Join RoadbikeReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Bike Setup: Rolf Vector Wheels and a more comfy saddle but the rest is stock.
Summary: Say what you will about Sora but the price on this bike can't be beat at the entry level. I busted a rim which was a bummer but I got some Rolfs that make it look pretty sweet. In fact the bike shop guy is always impressed since mos tpeople never upgrade anything on this bike. I just bought a Litespeed but had to send a shout out for the TREK 1000.
Strengths: It's a bike and it's got gears and the price is right.
Weaknesses: My rear Vuelta rim broke when I flatted in the middle of a multi-day tour.
It's sort of heavy. The colors are a bit flashy for an entry level bike.
Would you like to Comment? Join RoadbikeReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
3 of 5
4 of 5
4 of 5
3 of 5
5 of 5
5 of 5
