Trek 1.2 road bike

jag con

Hi all after some looking around and thinking i have decided to go for the Trek 1.2 bike. I was looking at some more up market priced bikes aswell but as i only want to use the bike for trips around the 10-20 k mark and its my first road bike i decided to keep it simple and start off with this bike.
Has anybody on here got this bike and what do they think of it any tips on what i need to keep it working ok for me.

Cheers for reading

Con

blorg

It's a decent entry level road bike if slightly overpriced for what it is (like all Treks)- you won't get much better at exactly its price point but for a few hundred extra you can get a lot better from other brands, albeit generally internet/UK.

My own first road bike was a Trek 1000 (the predecessor) and I found it great, you will enjoy the bike and it is more than enough bike for 10-20km or indeed much longer spins.

thebouldwhacker

I bought one this year and have no issues with it. One thing though, I stripped the reflectors off it, there is some weight in them. I agree with Blorg it is more of a bike than just for short spins I've taken mine up and down some big hills on long spins and it has always been solid. It wasnt my first choice bike but such is life, enjoy it, treat it well and keep it serviced. There are some great vids on youtube and the boards wiki on how to care for your bike.

Haggle on the price too, I found €150 of a price difference when I was shopping around.

Fredo

Hi Con,
I've a Trek 1.2 I bought it 2 years ago and it is a good starter bike, never had any problems with it. I do about 80/100 km at week-ends it is very comfortable, I really like to saddle. But as Blog mentioned it is a bit overpriced.
I might sell it before at the end of July if you are interested Pm

nitrogen

Hi blorg,

What other models would you recommend that are slightly better in the same price range as the Trek 1.2?

Cheers

blorg

I am going to presume you are looking at the Trek at Irish RRP of around €750.

To take one online example the Canyon Roadlite 5.0 @ €849 is a much much better bike, leagues ahead of the Trek, but I believe they are having supply problems at the moment.

Another example that is actually available would be the Focus Variado Compact - this comes in at the same price as the Trek and is certainly a better bike (not up there with the Canyon though.)

Push up the price to around/a bit over the €1,000 mark and you start getting into very nice bikes indeed.

keano007

Hey I bought a trek 1.2 last December with the intention of just doing a small bit of cycling but with the last few months I'm doing alot more so I'm gonna upgrade. I'd be looking to sell it if ur interested in buying second hand, as I said I only have it 6 months so it's in immaculate condition, would be willing to talk about the price to

jinka

Hi keano Im interested if 54cm?

keano007

It's a 56cm.....if u want to try it out for size we can organize something just pm me

jinka

ah too big pity

Fredo

jinka wrote: »

Hi keano Im interested if 54cm?

Mine is a 54cm if you are interested ... mint condition new types back/front. I can send you pictures.

jinka

yeah send away if you have

cheers

nitrogen

blorg wrote: »

I am going to presume you are looking at the Trek at Irish RRP of around €750.

To take one online example the Canyon Roadlite 5.0 @ €849 is a much much better bike, leagues ahead of the Trek, but I believe they are having supply problems at the moment.

Another example that is actually available would be the Focus Variado Compact - this comes in at the same price as the Trek and is certainly a better bike (not up there with the Canyon though.)

Push up the price to around/a bit over the €1,000 mark and you start getting into very nice bikes indeed.

I'll be buying it in the UK. I was initialling looking at the Trek 1.5. The more I dug, the more I read negative aspects towards it (Wheels, 9-speed), but I still don't know enough yet.

David_G

Keano007, are you still looking to off-load the 56cm Trek 1.2? I am currently in the market for something along these lines

dexty

Hi all,

I am interested in buy a bike too and have been looking at the trek 1.5 and 1.9s. It's very hard to work out why there's a price difference between the models, what you are actually getting for your extra money?

Also looking at the Specialised in same price bracket, but it's interesting to read that both these makes are over priced due to big marketing (much like I suspected). Why is the http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=817 such a better bike than say the Trek 1.5 or 1.9? Is there really that much of a difference? Would it be noticeablely quicker/better?

Any help deciding would be greatly appreciated. Or anyone with a Trek 1.9 secondhand for sale Or a Canyon!
Regards,

dexty

dexty

58 cms bye the way!

blorg

dexty wrote: »

I am interested in buy a bike too and have been looking at the trek 1.5 and 1.9s. It's very hard to work out why there's a price difference between the models, what you are actually getting for your extra money?

It's mainly the "groupset" which are all the bits on the bike, gears, brakes, shifters, cranks etc.- 1.5 is Sora which is entry level while the 1.9 is Ultegra which is only 1 step down from the top. You could expect from Ultegra: more speeds (10 vs 9), shifts better, lasts longer, is more reliable and lighter. The wheels on the 1.9 are also better and lighter. The frames between the bikes are the same but the 1.9 is a much better bike, they are not really in the same league at all.

As regards to why Canyon are cheaper, it is because they sell direct on the internet from Germany. They are very good bikes; Cadel Evans and his team are on them in the Tour de France right now. Note if you bought a Trek or Specialized in a country other than Ireland it would be cheaper too, Canyon would still be better value but the difference would not be quite as stark.

dexty

Many thanks for that excellent reply, basically Sora is base groupset, then 105's, then ultegra's, then one other higher groupset?

So the Canyon 5 series would be better than the 105 Trek, but not as good as the 109 (Ultegra), but the 6 series (Ultegra) would be just as good as the 109. but @€;400 cheaper, am I right?

thanks, I can see the difference between the 105 and 109 now. will better wheels make much difference to the speed of the bike/how it climbs? OR is the main difference just the groupset?

Canyon selling direct on the net would keep the price down alright. Is an extra €150 for the 6 series with Ultegra groupset worth it? What's the wheels like on the 5 and 6 series? (Mavic Aksium)

Buying over the net, what happens with repairs and servicing etc, it's not as if I can pop into the store I bought it from?

Cheers,
D

Bunnyhopper

Just to clarify - the Shimano range of road groupsets runs like this:

Dura Ace (Best)
Ultegra
105
Tiagra
Sora
2200 (Basic)


And for comparison, the Campagnolo Range is:

Super Record (Best)
Record
Chorus
Centaur
Veloce
Mirage
Xenon (Basic)

And SRAM:
Red (Best)
Force
Rival (Basic)

Jumpy

I just got the 1.7. Im only recently back into cycling but I have to say I love it. It has the 105 set and it looks fantastic, spanky red/white.

Sora then Tiagra then 105 then Ultegra then Dura Ace.

Edit: Too slow, Bunnyhopper in there first.

1tony

what price are these bikes you guys are talking about?

how do they compare to the Ford Cayo

Jumpy

Irish RRP for the 1.7 is 1300.

macadam

Just across the border ,Newry the 1.9 can be had for €1100 as to €1750 in the south.
Bought one earlier in the year .

blorg

Personally I would pay an extra 150 for Ultegra over 105 but to be honest the difference is probably not that great, so if you want to save it... There is a general sense that from 105 up you are mainly looking at weight saving rather than functionality. Mavic Aksiums are a very solid entry level road wheelset and good value with the Canyon bikes, indeed they are specced with bikes far more expensive. Not particularly light but not heavy either and solid and reliable.

nitrogen

Hi blorg,

I understand all bike companies size their frames slightly different. What bike comes close to a Canyon? If I was comfortable on a 58 cm Trek, would that equate to a 58 cm Canyon Roadlite? I have completed Canyon's bike positioning application, but it's putting me on one size larger than competitive cyclist's fit calculator.

Thanks.

blorg

I don't know as I don't have a Canyon. I had a 58cm Trek road bike myself though and have ridden the same size in a good number of other bikes- Focus Cayo, Litespeed Archon, Specialized Tricross, Specialized Sirrus. Probably best email Canyon to ask their opinion. You could also compare the actual tube measurements between what you have now and the Canyon.

dexty

So If I wanted to spend @1100, I could get the Trek 1.9 with the quality Ultegra groupset, or for the same money I could get a Boardman Carbon Team http://www.boardmanbikes.com/road/road_team_carbon.html which would have entry level groupset, but the carbon frame. Which would you chose & why?

Bearing in mind Irish roads, is the carbon prone to cracking, particularly on back roads with pot holes etc?

Regards,
D

Lumen

dexty wrote: »

So If I wanted to spend @1100, I could get the Trek 1.9 with the quality Ultegra groupset, or for the same money I could get a Boardman Carbon Team http://www.boardmanbikes.com/road/road_team_carbon.html which would have entry level groupset, but the carbon frame.

SRAM Rival is not "entry level". I'd get the Boardman.

dexty

I thought by posts above (Bunnyhopper) that SRAM Rival was basic and therefore would be same as basic Shimano (220 or Sora). Are you saying the basic Srams rivals groupsets are much better than the equivalent Shimano? = to 105's or Ultegra's?

Cheers,

D

Lumen

dexty wrote: »

I thought by posts above (Bunnyhopper) that SRAM Rival was basic and therefore would be same as basic Shimano (220 or Sora). Are you saying the basic Srams rivals groupsets are much better than the equivalent Shimano? = to 105's or Ultegra's?

Rival is the cheapest SRAM groupset, in the same way that a 430 Scuderia is the cheapest Ferrari.

It is often compared with Ultegra in general quality terms, although the shifting is different.

blorg

I would also get the Boardman over the Trek, it is a far better frame. Groupset comparisons are a bit of a religious matter but Rival is certainly not entry level, basically SRAM only went after the 'serious' groupset market when they entered the road market (e.g. what Shimano does from 105 up.) Whether Rival it is equivalent to Ultegra or not (some compare to 105, although Rival is lighter than even Ultegra) it is certainly a decent groupset.

dexty

ok, many thanks for all the info everyone, just one last bit. What's carbon bikes like on our Irish roads? Do they crack? The local bike shop was saying to stay clear of carbon for our roads, but then he wasn't selling any!

Think I'll go with Boardman Carbon Team

Bunnyhopper

Just wanted to echo those points by Lumen and blorg about the SRAM range. I marked them "Best" and "Basic" just to clarify which end of the list was better, but they're right to point out that the ranges don't compare that straightforwardly from one manufacturer to the others.

blorg

Carbon is absolutely fine on Irish roads, in fact if anything it is the perfect material for them as it absorbs vibration and tends to smooth out imperfect road surfaces more than other materials. It is very strong and is no more likely to crack from riding than metal, in fact probably less so.

Aluminium can be pretty bone-shaking and this would include Trek's aluminium range in my experience; I have direct experience of riding them on Irish roads. Great for a race, very stiff, but not comfortable.

He was spouting shíte.

Hey, don't post here often so be gentle lads. (as evidenced by me posting this in a current thread instead of a thread on its own. If one of the mods could move this i'd be forever indebted)

I currently have this...... (the red one). Sorry about the dodgy translation but it's the only link i could find on the net.

I was never a big fan of the drop-down handlebars (what i always called 'racer' handlebars) so i sepcifically sought a hybrid with straight bars. But a bloke in work has a fixie with these on it

They're fantastic, and i was thinking of getting them but I'm completely new to changing anything like this and i've a couple of questions......

1) I assume changing the bar itself is a piece of piss. Is it simply a case of removing gear levers, brakes etc., then just removing the bar and replacing it with the new one?

2) Will i be able to use my current brakes + gears on the new bars, or will i have to get 'racer'-style brakes, i.e. the ones where you flick the brake lever itself to change gear (not sure of the name of them)?

3) If i do have to get new ones, a) are they expensive and b) are they easy to set up?

4) what else will i need that i might overlook - bar tape etc.

Cheers in advance for the help.

blorg

@$hifty- you would need to get new brake levers etc. and probably change a whole host of other stuff too. Bottom line it is not really worth it (I did it myself with a flat bar hybrid.) It is very expensive, the STI shifters are the most expensive part. Cost me around €250-300 all told.

Not what i wanna hear, but nice one blorg.

blorg

There are a few other options-

- Sell/keep the hybrid and get a second hand road bike. It's a nice hybrid BTW.
- Use seperate brake levers and bar end shifters- these are substantially cheaper than STI levers, although unfortunately not as cheap as they could be simply as they are not very common as a low end item... They also are not quite as convenient as the integrated brake/gear shifter, although not sure how well STIs would work on midge bars anyway, most people seem to use them fixed.

Again, cheers for the input. My mate has a bianchi that he's trying to get rid of.....might just get that off him and do it up a bit, but it's still a bit steep just to use the midge bars.

When i got the bike at first one of the lads joked that now i'd gotten the bug i'd end up lusting after carbon bottle cages in the minutes before sleep. I scoffed, but now i'm contemplating getting a whole new bike to justify an animal set of handlebars

Lumen

$hifty, out of curiosity, what's wrong with proper drops?

I'm not exactly sure. I'm just not that into them... I don't find them comfortable when i'm gripping the 'horn' part (quiet down the back) and end up giving me back pain if i'm using them in the 'tuck' position.

I dunno. Just prefer the straight bars. It's probably just a matter of getting used to them, but I've yet to use ones that felt right. Until i tried your man's midges that is.

Edited to say: I realise that i should be using them, and have been on the look-out for a decent set to no avail. The main downside to the ones i have now is that i'm kinda up too high and with a decent wind it's like i'm a feckin sail atop the thing. I thought these might be a decent way of meeting this problem half-way but...meh.

Lumen

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm not exactly sure. I'm just not that into them... I don't find them comfortable when i'm gripping the 'horn' part (quiet down the back) and end up giving me back pain if i'm using them in the 'tuck' position....I've yet to use ones that felt right.

A lot of this can be down to poor choice and/or setup of drop bars.

The idea is that you generate more power when more upright, but are more aero when lower. So on the hills you use the flats or hoods (where power is more important than aero), and on the flats you use the drops (where aero is more important).

IMO road handlebars should be set up such that the drops are at a comfortable height.

But because lots of people have flexibility issues but don't want to run a load of headset spacers, bars get set up too low for them and people ride around all day on the hoods.

In other words, the drops you've tried have been set up wrong for you.

Additionally, some people prefer certain shapes and bend radiuses, depending on hand size, flexibility, aesthetics etc.

ROK ON

If you have lower backpain, it could be symptomatic of over-reaching to get to the bars. Try shortening your stem length or pushing your saddle forward.

If it persists then seek medical help maybe, or get a bike fitting done.

blorg

As a general rule you would want drop bars closer to you than flats, as the position on the hoods etc. is forward of where the stem interfaces the bars. When I converted flat to drop I had to get a shorter stem also- dropped 10 or 20mm off the stem length.

Cheers for the tips lads, making a lot of sense. Pity that changing them now is a non-runner.

Oh, and apologies for hijacking the thread

walshy123

macadam wrote: »

Just across the border ,Newry the 1.9 can be had for €1100 as to €1750 in the south.
Bought one earlier in the year .

any shop names?

BostonB

blorg wrote: »

There are a few other options-

- Sell/keep the hybrid and get a second hand road bike. It's a nice hybrid BTW.
- Use seperate brake levers and bar end shifters- these are substantially cheaper than STI levers, although unfortunately not as cheap as they could be simply as they are not very common as a low end item... They also are not quite as convenient as the integrated brake/gear shifter, although not sure how well STIs would work on midge bars anyway, most people seem to use them fixed.

I've seen a felt road bike in a shop with the integrated lever/gear AND a seperate brake levers on the flat bar part. I was half thinking of something like that for commuting.

blorg

BostonB wrote: »

I've seen a felt road bike in a shop with the integrated lever/gear AND a seperate brake levers on the flat bar part. I was half thinking of something like that for commuting.

The additional brake levers are sometimes used on cross bikes, the modern ones just sit on the cable path and work by pulling the cable outwards. E.g. they are compatible with any levers including STI, they don't have any particular interaction with the lever. You can add them easily enough to an existing bike BTW and they are not expensive. They are sort of handy in commuting/traffic situations all right but they don't give you as much braking power as the main levers. I have them on my own commuter, thought I would take them off but got quite fond of them.

macadam

walshy123 wrote: »

any shop names?

JMC Cycles dromintee ask for james.

04830888593

ednwireland

trek 1.2's on sale in jejames (uk)

no idea if they ship to ireland

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/trekbikes.html

£560 for an 09 625 for a 2010 model

paddyb

Im pretty sure that they wont send it to you because dealers are not allowed to sell trek's online