Trek 1200

Price Paid:  $1200.00 at InGear Uckfield Suss

Favorite Ride:
Biarritz France to Uk

Summary:
In September 2007 myself and a friend rode 750 miles across France back to the UK. I was riding my Trek 1200 which I had chosen for the ride as it is light yet robust.
We covered the trip in 11 days carrying all our gear, tents etc on the bikes and it was very comfortable,reponshive and trouble free for the whole trip.
I have now notched 1400 miles on it and have not even had it serviced as it is still as good as new.

Strengths:
Great value for money.

Weaknesses:
I've yet to find any!!!

Price Paid:  $680.00 at Bike King, Clinton

Favorite Ride:
flats that end in a climb

Bike Setup:
1200 stock Velo saddle, Cinelli grip tape Hutchinson Fusion Comp wheels

Summary:
Overall this a very astounding bike. i bought it for the sweet color and the great price. this is meant to be for training rides an it does a great job at that. the tiagra is not as good as ultegra but its good enough for fast paced group training. wheels are solid adn are good for the broken up roads. just changed the wheels and saddle

Strengths:
sweet color great price tiagra is deicent strong wheelset overall quality

Weaknesses:
cheep stock saddle bad wheels

Similar Products Used:
Trek 5200,specialized allez

Price Paid:  $600.00 at Cyclezone, Oxford

Favorite Ride:
Oxfordshire

Bike Setup:
Due to problems, I had a new wheel built. Vitus pedals.

Summary:
I bought this bike mainly to ride to work on (40 miles round trip) and go out for some longer stuff at the weekends. I was strapped for cash, so I would have bought a more expensive bike if I'd had the money. My previous ride was a decrepit giant cfr, that had been passed on to my wife. Of all the bikes in this price range, I felt this offered the most.
The bike shop I bought it from was terrible and had the most appalling after sales - so I can't blame a few of the early niggles on trek. I can however blame the two snapped spokes on two different rides on them - as with other reviews, the wheels did disapoint a bit. I also managed to wear through the middle of the tyre - the first time I've ever managed that....they could sort that out for not alot of extra money. As for the rest - its not too bad! It is a really comfy ride - aside from the weight, it rides superbly. Hills, long flats, the lot. I know that people tend to think highly of the bike they've got regardless, but I was hoping to moan about this bike as soon as I had money for a more expensive model - I realised I frankly didn't need to spend any more for my requirements. If I was still racing I'd want less weight and better wheels and thats it.

Strengths:
Frame and fork

Weaknesses:
wheels and tyres

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Danny's Bike, Scarsd

Favorite Ride:
North Counrty Trail, Westchester, NY

Bike Setup:
Rolf Vector front and Bontrager Race -X-lite rear with matched blue stripped Stelvio's at 145 psi. Terry Lady Butterfly seat and flatbar with computer, light and catcage water bottle mounts.

Summary:
Bought this for my wife - and she loves it. NOT now! Had it setup with flat bar using speed shifters, as per her preference. Stock wheels weight a ton -- gave her my old Rolf Vector on front and a new Racelite on rear!. Wheels rock. She had bike on a modest downhill at 30.5 mph -- fastest ever for her on any bike! She had ACL surgery about 3 yrs ago -- not as stong as she could be. Also lost another 3 oz going to an Easton EA70 flatbar. May get her an Ultegra Triple since the frame is pretty and really nice. The limiting factor on this bike stock is Wheels and Tiagra, and between those, defenitely the heavy wheels! Dumped seat for a Terry Lady's Butterfly.
Frame is nice enough to play with

Strengths:
I am a tinkerer -- bike is nice enough to be worth improving without ever spending the price of a carbon frame. Good wheels are always a good investment.

Weaknesses:
The stock Wheels and Seat. Tiagra works fine, but will eventually swap out for Ultegra. Gave bike a 4.5 for value as stock. Quality with modes is much better than that!

Similar Products Used:
Trek 5000 OCLV, Trek 7300, Trek 7700, Trek 1000. Tried comparable Cannondales and Specialized.

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Somewhere in Yorkshi

Favorite Ride:
Ogmore by Sea

Bike Setup:
Trek 1200 frameset with Campag Centaur 10 speed groupset (Chorus bb and chainset) Monoc bars and stem, no-name seatpin, Rolls Due saddle, DRC rims and Vredestein Tricomp 23c tyres (puncture on second ride).

Summary:
I bought this bike about 4 months ago on impulse because it does look really good for the money at the original price of £700 and even better value at the discounted price of £560. Then I had a change of heart and stripped it down, put the ShimaNO on another bike and sold that bike off. For a while I didn't know what to do with the frameset but really needed a winter bike. So last week I put a lightly used 2002 Campag Centaur groupset on it and finished it off with Monoc bars and stem, a no name seatpin and a Rolls Due saddle from the spares box.

After just a few rides I'm quite impressed with this bike, especially when considering the modest price tag. After a shakedown ride where I had a dabble in the sprint and came second to one of our local sprinters I took it out on the chain-gang ride the next day. Amazingly, I romped up the first steep 'power' climb well ahead of the others! This bike is so stiff and responsive. On the longer climbs I slipped off towards the back of the bunch but this always used to happen anyway. This frame is stiff and with a 35mm diameter down tube plus some minor tube shaping (ovalising) it is more like a Cannondale than you might at first think. Although I'm a big fan of steel frames I really can't see a steel frame being able to match this frame for stiffness and I'd like to keep it without mudguards and use it in the dry whenever possible. So I still need a winter bike!

Strengths:
Great looking bike (frame) for the money. Stable and neutral handling but also very stiff and responsive.

Weaknesses:
Tig welding is a bit raw and industrial looking. Curiously, despite having mudguard eyes front and rear there is no chainstay bridge.

Similar Products Used:
All sorts of steel road frames, most recently a Ribble 631. Cinelli Proxima (aluminium) and no-name 7005.