Man what a difference! First off, I could actually ride on a trail for a full day without something breaking on me. Secondly, the build quality and comfort was a total eye opener. You mean you can actually be comfortable while riding a mountain bike? Yes. I am only 5'7" so the 16" frameset fit me best. The Trek 4300 Disc is a 'hardtail' mountain bike meaning there is only a front suspension. This is opposed to rigid (no suspension) and the more luxurious full suspension (front and rear suspension) frames.
Let's get into the specs:
FRAMESET
Frame: Alpha Black Aluminum. (this is the same frame as found on all the 6 series bikes from Trek with the only difference essentially being that the 6 series bikes come stock with much better components)
Front Suspension: RST Gila T8 w/preload, 100mm.
Rear Suspension: N/A
WHEELS
Wheels: Shimano M65 disc hubs; Bontrager Ranger rims w/eyelets
Tires: Bontrager Jones ACX, 26x2.1"; 27 tpi
DRIVETRAIN
Shifters: Shimano EF50, 8 speed
Front Derailleur: Shimano C050
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Alivio
Crank: SR Suntour XCC-T102 42/34/24
Cassette: SRAM PG830 11-32, 8 speed
Pedals: Alloy ATB
COMPONENTS
Saddle: Bontrager Race Lux Basic
Seatpost: Bontrager SSR, 20mm offset
Handlebars: Bontrager SSR, 25mm rise
Stem: Bontrager SSR, 10 degree
Headset: VP-A76C-TK, 1 1/8" semi-cartridge, sealed
Brakeset: Shimano M415, mechanical disc w/Shimano EF50 levers
As you can see this is a very entry-level bike which is ideal for those who are just getting into the sport. The front fork, drivetrain and components, while sturdy, aren't the lightest or most rugged of the bunch. So far, I have had great luck with the bike. Being new to the sport myself, I have put the bike through its paces as it held up to my learning curve. Right off the bat I swapped out the uncomfortable saddle with a WTB Pure V Race saddle.
I did have to upgrade my crankset because I did eventually bend the stock one. I didn't go crazy and opted for the Shimano Alivio FC-M442-8 crankest. I also replaced a bent front derailleur to a my bottom bracket at that time to an octalink. The reason for opting for an octalink crankest is because they are much easier to get off than the old square tapers. You just unscrew a bolt with an 8mm allen wrench and they come right off. I had bad luck with the square tapers and would prefer to not mess with those again.
I did upgrade my tires to WTB Exiwolf Race tires and boy what a difference it made to the bike. The stock tires didn't handle too well in muddy conditions. Over here in Western New York, we can have some wet, muddy conditions on the trails at any given time so a set of good tires is a must.
When I ride the bike, I do feel that it is very well centered and it's hard for me to tip back or forward without throwing myself off the bike. This holds true on descents and climbs.
I do feel that the steering is a bit too touchy and any little movement throws the bike off track. I am going to look into possibly upgrading the stem and handlebars in hopes that a different stem length and/or longer handlebars will help with the bikes precision when on the trails. This makes it harder to make your way through a line that you set yourself up for. For a while I would miss the line completely and have to do a retake.
All in all, this bike is great if you are just getting into the sport and want to leave it mostly stock. If you buy this bike in hopes of upgrading all the various parts over time then think twice and save yourself a lot of cash by buying a 6, 8 or 9 series Trek. I did the math and the cost of upgrading my $600 Trek 4300 components to an $1100 6 series model would be around the same as if I just stuck it out and purchased a $2,000 8 series Trek!
Do you have a Trek 4300 Disc? If so then leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
Mike
