Trek 5000

Price Paid:  $2300.00 at Bike HQ

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Highcliff-portobello ride

Bike Setup:
unchanged but really needto get a new seat!

Summary:
had it for 2 years and have had zero problems, great value for money for a full carbon bike. Have had 2 quite bad crashes on it and it's still going strong! Great first all carbon bike

Strengths:
smooth, shimano ultegra componentry is nice

Weaknesses:
seat is horrible, and bontrager tires are crap

Similar Products Used:
giant alloy

Price Paid:  $1600.00 at Bike Line,Charlotte,

Model Year:
2006

Favorite Ride:
Blue Ridge Parkway-Boone,NC

Summary:
My first "real" bike coming off Trek 370. Steel frame and carbon fork. Great price for all carbon frame, 105 components. Did not come with a triple.
Changed to compact crank. Smooth ride on all types of roads.

Strengths:
Smooth shifting on flats and hills.

Weaknesses:
Changed seat after first ride. Bontrager tires are fair. Changed them out within 2 months.

Price Paid:  $1600.00 at Momentum Cycles

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Trek 5000

Bike Setup:
105/Ultegra/Bontrager mix

Summary:
My first all carbon bike. Like how it smooths out a ride. Especially the longer rides. Initially did not like having triple cranks and was going to change to standard double cranks. But after several hill rides decided to keep it.

Strengths:
Road damping, triple cranks

Weaknesses:
Heavier than I expected for a carbon bike. My Cannondale aluminum is much lighter. Suspect the heavier weight are from the stock Bontrager Select wheelset. Stock seat was horrible, numbingly painful and swapped it out. Paint and faux carbon decals covered the natural beauty of carbon fiber.

Similar Products Used:
Cannondale R700

Price Paid:  $1695.00 at Cole's Bike Shop

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
3 creek ride

Bike Setup:
I have the standard triple crank and it is fine. I could use a higher gear of two going down hill.

Summary:
This is my first full carbon and I liked the ride. It feels smooth and is comfortable. Have been on several centuries and the bike is solid and predictable

Strengths:
A very comfortable ride. The gears match my abilities well and the handling is very good.

Weaknesses:
The bike is not as light as I thought it would be and it is not as responsive as some hybrid (carbon/steel) bikes I tried. I worry that the frame might crack as I do ride in cold weather.

Price Paid:  $2100.00 at LBS

Model Year:
2006

Favorite Ride:
Huntington Drive Loop

Bike Setup:
Stock except for upgrade of saddle.

Summary:
My first all-carbon bike. Had them install a triple after purchasing it but in retrospect, I should have had them install a compact crank. I was expecting a revelation from the ride, but I was never that impressed with it. I guess I should have lowered my expectations, knowing that I was buying an entry-level carbon bike. My '89 Schwinn Paramount (Columbus SLX steel tubing) rides so much 'better' but that probably is a very unfair comparison. I ended up selling to an entry-level rider after i bought a used Litespeed Tuscany Ti bike.

Strengths:
For around $2,000 you're getting a Trek OCLV all-carbon frame and fork.

Weaknesses:
Sort of work-horse ride, nothing really agile or exciting. I noticed when I stood up to climb that it never felt really connected to my efforts. For this price point, you get a plethora of lower-end Bontrager parts.

Similar Products Used:
1989 Schwinn Paramount 50th Anniversary bike, 2001 Litespeed Tuscany