Trek 1999 5200T

Price Paid:  $2000.00 at Jay's Cycles, Prince

Favorite Ride:
The hills of Hopewell New Jersey

Bike Setup:
Have Trek Hybrid adjustable stem installed (significantly raises riding position and allows adjustment. Three ring Ultegra installed and after 2000 miles per year, it is still smooth shifting.

Summary:
I am old(71) and fat (250lbs when I bought the bike in 1999, and now 225lbs).

Strengths:
Very light and responsive. The carbon fibre damps the road bumps and defers hand numbness. Great up hill & down hill control always, regardless of the quality of the road and of the speed.

Weaknesses:
Cannot compress Frame elements or will crack (?) the fibre.

Similar Products Used:
Tried Cannondale and Bianchi.

Price Paid:  $1100.00 at used

Summary:
Wonderful bike, the first road bike i ever purchased, think i'm spoiled because of it. Lightweight, responsive, having a little trouble with the ultegra shifters, but nothing a tune-up won't fix. Carbon fiber is the way to go, I can feel the road with out the annoying vibration, has to be ridden to be fully appreciated. Rolf Vector Comp rims are wonderful, can out coast all my friends. Heard some creaks that were supposably coming from the rolf rims, but i have not heard them since i got the new icon stem from the recall...maybe it's a coincidence...great bike

Strengths:
light weight, rolf vector rims are fast

Similar Products Used:
specalized s-works

Price Paid:  $1999.00 at The Pedaler/El Sobrante

Favorite Ride:
Old Tunnel Road/Skyline/Pinehurst

Bike Setup:
Stock Ultegra. Rolf Vector Comps with Conti tires. Vetta computer

Summary:
My first carbon fiber ride. A great feel with very little flex. Strongly recommend. This bike makes its rider want to improve both speed and distance. The Trek 5200 is more compact that the Cannondale 2000 I tested so the feel is quite different. The distance between seat and bars is not such a reach. The triple chainring gives the bike additional versatility and goes plenty low. This may be love.

Strengths:
Light, nimble and forgiving ride. Components have been flawless so far(250 miles). In moving from a mountain bike, I had some concerns about comfort. This bike is a bump eater and fits perfectly.

Weaknesses:
Icon pedals that came with bike are sometimes hard to get into and clog up easily. Several efforts to adjust the release point have improved the problem but I do not recommend them. Compare Ultegra pedals as a much better but reasonably priced alternative.

Similar Products Used:
Cannondale 2000 aluminum

Price Paid:  $2000.00 at Bike Barn, Penticton, BC

Favorite Ride:
Banff Old Coach Road

Bike Setup:
Off the rack Trek 5200 Triple, Ultegra.

Summary:
Good workmanship and well crafted frame, with quality components making this a good overall purchase. Great looking bike, performs well, fun to ride. I take the opportunity to ride every chance I get. Getting in at least 15 hours each week.

My friends are all envious, and line up to give it a test ride.

Strengths:
Lots of hills in the Canadian Rockies. The triple crank takes some of the burn out of the long climbs when compared to my previous bike. I have the toned down silver-grey cosmetics - classy; not as loud as the US Postal colours. This unit is really fast and stable on screaming downhills. The Rolf wheels and carbon frame absorb the road vibration and shock better than I expected, but still not as well as my tired old Bianchi. Comfortable saddle. The light weight and responsivesness make this a great bike to ride.

Weaknesses:
Having problems with the front derailleur. Chain often jumps off when shifting up from the lower to second ring. The riding season drawing to a close here (snow tires needed now), so will have shifters overhauled during the off-season.

Similar Products Used:
Specialized S-Works M4, Cannondale R3000, Lemond Buenos Aires, Cramerotti.

Favorite Ride:
Page Mill

Bike Setup:
Stock, except for double sided Icon pedals and a 12-27 cassette.

Summary:
If one likes the damp feel of carbon fiber, this is a great value. The handling was the biggest surprise - very confidence inspiring - almost scary, both through the corners and on fast, bumpy downhills. While the bike isn't as compliant as my old steel bike on the little stuff, it takes the big hits much better (what the magazines call "vertical compliance" is apparently a trade mark of carbon fiber frames) and has an overall surprisingly good ride.

Strengths:
Light weight - stiff bottom bracket - superb geometry - great brakes.

Weaknesses:
The non-driveside spokes on the Rolf Vector Comp rear wheel loosened up, requiring some mild threadlock to hold them in place. As well, the Rolf front skewer needs to be nice and tight, or it will make clicking noises.

The Shimano triple works well, although the return spring on the front derailleur seems stiffer than it needs to be. I added gore cables to loosen up the shifting.

While my '99 postal colors are nice, what Trek needs to do is have Gary Klein design all their paint jobs. While the '99 model has too many Trek stickers for my taste, the '00 model is way over the top.

Similar Products Used:
Various steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber road bikes.