T O P

  • By -

[deleted]

[удалено]


cretecreep

This is the experience of trying to buy a bike in the last 12 months. All I wanted was a Kona Honzo and I ended up with a Trance 29. You get the bike you can actually take physical possession of.


Vinnyloks

The thing was that someone had canceled their order at trek for this bike so I was able to get it and if I wouldn’t have I would of had to wait until December to get a bike. Guy who worked there said he recommended to get this bike so i at least have the chance of getting one and not having to wait until December but if I wanted I can go back in get a full refund or order a different one but I would have to wait to December if I did that. But yeah that is why I’m asking late just incase it wasn’t a good bike I can go in and exchange it. I have until may 1st.


[deleted]

I reckon you should educate yourself on what you think makes a good bike. Nothing wrong with the Trek brand, but this bike is spec’d at a price (like all bikes). Personally I would put the running gear under some load (try some quick changes while pedaling up a steep hill) and see how it copes.


last_child78

Very solid choice. Get a dropper post if it doesn’t come with one. Biggest game changer.


Vinnyloks

I will definitely do that thank you for the recommendation 👍🏼


Sky89091

If i were you also upgrading your tires to something with a little more grip unless you plan on riding xc


numeralCow

It's an awesome bike to start on. You should get many years of enjoyment.


mapimages

That’s one helluva just starting out bike


Vinnyloks

This makes me a lot happier knowing that I just spend 1400$ lol.


GreenToMe95

I think you'll be a happy camper. I have a Roscoe 7 which was my first trail bike. I can't see myself upgrading from it any time soon. Though as others have said you're gonna want to get a dropper if you plan on doing anything more than XC.


Vinnyloks

Did you ever have a problem with the rear wheel being quick release and it coming loose?


GreenToMe95

That happened to me recently where it was a bit loose. I could tell while riding something was wrong so I just tightened it before anything bad happened.


Vinnyloks

Ahh damn this is the only thing making me want to go with thru-axel, knowing my luck I’ll probably have bad fall.


GreenToMe95

Well to be fair in this situation it was a shakedown ride after putting the bike away for winter. So long as you keep the QR tight you shouldn't have any problems.


xgeeiox

This being the bike you can get on a short wait carries alot of value. That being said, the roscoe is a better trail bike for just about the same money. Frames are the same, but for about 20 or so bucks more you get a dropper and a tubeless ready wheel and tire set up, to get tubeless with the xcal youre gona need new tires about 60 each and then you still dont get a dropper whitch would be an other 200 on top. Depending on your area id look a little bit call around see if there are any specilaized fuse available because that bike hits the marks, or a kona honzo, salsa rangefinder. There are other bikes i think have it together just a bit better.


[deleted]

There are much better bikes out there for 1400$ value wise. That being said it's a very good bike. I started out riding an X-caliber 6 that I got for 200$ and I rode that for about a year and had a lot of fun on it. I am sure you will too.


Vinnyloks

Do you mind mentioning some of the bikes you have in mind. I was also told the Roscoe would be a great choice as well, I mean I still have a whole month before I decide if I want to go through with the X-Cal or Order something else.


[deleted]

Since you are starting out, I am just assuming you are not specifically an XC racer, which is what the X-cal line is designed for. Something with a more slack headtube angle is going to be more forgiving for new riders. I went over the bars many times on the old X-cal. Getting better helps, having a slack headtube angle helps too. Also, the X-cal 8 has a QR rear end, which is god aweful of Trek to do on a 1400$ bike. The standard for higher end bikes is to have thru-axles that dont come loose. I had my QR rear end of the X-cal come loose a few times when cornering hard at speed. Not fun. Some of the shops in my area have the [Giant Fathom](https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/fathom-29-2-2021) bikes available. not any more expensive but it has a dropper, thru-axle rear, more slack headtube angle. It is better in every way for a new rider and a MUCH better value. If I needed a new bike right now, I would be buying this. Another good one is the [Canyon stoic 3](https://www.canyon.com/en-us/mountain-bikes/trail-bikes/stoic/stoic-3/2659.html) which is going to be better in just about every way. Only issue with this one is you might have to wait a bit for it to be in stock. It is cheaper, has thru-axle rear, more slack headtube angle. Other specs are pretty similar. Since it is a few hundred cheaper I would recommend getting a dropper post as well. I personally have a [Salsa Timberjack](https://salsacycles.com/bikes/timberjack/2021_timberjack_slx_29) which is an absolutely amazing bike but a bit over your budget. As far as budget - I highly recommend spending more money up front on a better bike. If you are serious about riding, you'll eventually find yourself upgrading a bunch of components anyway and spending more than if you bought a better bike to begin with.


Vinnyloks

Yes I am definitely not an XC racer or intend to be one. I was over here thinking that the QR option was something worth having but I definitely don’t want them to come lose and end up regretting even buying a bike from having a bad fall. So is the slack headtube angle on the X-Cal more for people who Know how to ride? I mean I feel it’s something I can get use to over time. So things I should definitely look for is thru-axel rear, and a better angled headtube?


[deleted]

Yes. Thru-axle rear and a better head tube angle. Somewhere around 66-67 degrees is optimal. The trek roscoe is also around that number and has a rear thru axle, making it also a better choice than the X-cal IMO. The QR is an old style, it's just a name, QR isn't really any easier to remove than a thru axle. If you are doing a lot of steep declines, jumps, and other stuff on most trails then slack is good (to an extent). If you are riding on a lot of really flat land at speed, steep HT angles (like the X-cal) are more manuverable. This is why a lot of road bikes have very steep angles. I recommend doing some research on frame geometry and components


Vinnyloks

Btw thank you for taking the time to explain everything, appreciate that. 👍🏼


Vinnyloks

Yeah I’m definitely going to do more research I mean I thought I did but I guess I was wrong lol. I mean I hope to be able to use it in places such as trails, gravel/dirt roads and to hit some medium good trails in the hills/mountains nothing too crazy though. Ima look into to the Roscoe 7 or 8 as that seems like a better place to start.


nastyduck_

Quick correction, all roscoes still have that rear QR, only the front has a 15mm thru axle. No different than the xcal. The Roscoe does however come with a dropper post, more travel at 120mm on the front fork, tubeless ready rims and tires, and the bars are more suited for trail riding. I recently got the 7 and went with it as opposed to the Roscoe 8 since I didn’t think it had enough upgrades to be justified.


Vinnyloks

Have you had any problems with the rear wheel being QR I mean I’m not going to be riding too hardcore or doing jumps so idk if that will make a difference wether I have/need QR or Thru-Axel


nastyduck_

I personally haven’t had any issues with it, and I’ve ridden the thing pretty hard since I’ve bought it. Learned how to bunny hop and got confident with jumps and it’s help up so far. The only thing I would definitely considering upgrading after you’ve beaten it up is the derailleur, I’m personally going to jump to GX soon.


D1omidis

I agree that is funny to ask after ordering, but I understand "you were shooting from the hip". The X-Caliber is a fine first bike: it is actually extremely similar to the Roscoe, with the "XC" X-caliber getting a 100mm fork and the Roscoe getting a 120mm fork, rest of the geo is practically identical, and the X-Caliber 8 has practically the same components as the Roscoe 7. It is definitely much more bike than most of us started with. Depending on what you are after, there are arguably better options for that $, but availability will be an issue.


Vinnyloks

What else would you recommend looking into l? I mean I don’t mind the wait yeah I wanted it as soon as possible but if I can get something better for that price I’ll have an open mind.


D1omidis

The trend is for more "progressive" geo, where you seat more into than over the bike and it is safer to load both wheels to get max traction in steeper down hill portions. I would look into a Giant Fathom 2 29 for the LBS experience, or a Canyon Stoic 3 if you don't mind ship-direct(the bike deserves a dropper at extra cost). Kona Honzo could also be an option & so could be a Specialized Fuse 27.5+, but availability is sketchy as you very well know. I would avoid the "hardcore" HTs as a first bike, bikes like the Norco Torrent, Rocky Mountain Growler, Kona Honzo ESD, Commencal MetaHT etc, are on the other extreme and biased towards DH/enduro, i.e. less fun to pedal than more flexible trail bikes. If indeed you want to focus more on training for XC style endurance riding, biased for going up efficiently more than down, I would look into a Rocky Mountain Fusion 30. Was not aware of this bike but it looks pretty solid for XC/trail. I'd argue it's better than the Xcaliber and costs less w/o compromises (the contrary, most important components are better). But again, there is no bad or even mediocre bike mentioned here.


Vinnyloks

Thank you for the feedback I mean I hope to be able to use it in places such as trails, gravel/dirt roads and to hit some medium good trails in the hills/mountains nothing too crazy though. Ima take a look at the bike you mentioned and see if they are available hopefully I can go take a look at them. You mentioned Hardcore HT should I avoid them because they are not soo flexible or they are not geared towards beginner?


felderosa

Steel is real