I’ve rented Trek road bikes, gravel bikes, pedal-assist bikes, and race bikes and my dream has always been to own a Trek Bike.
Are Trek Bikes Good? Trek Bikes offer top-of-the-line performance, value, technology, and best features. They have a wide range of bikes for all rider types and abilities and their bikes are the most comfortable ride. Trek Bikes are the best bikes worldwide and highly respected in the bike industry. When you buy a Trek Bike you’re not buying a bike, you’re buying an adventure of a lifetime.
In this post, I’ll share my real owner review of my Trek Gravel bike but most importantly explain why you should or should not buy a Trek Bike.
Should I Buy a Trek Bike? Are Trek Bikes Good?
In the early days of Trek Bikes, first starting out with steel and hand-brazed bike frames, they have continued to improve their bike builds and tech, while making their brand a household name.
Despite being a top brand in the bike Industry Trek Bikes has produced some of the boldest geometric technically designed bikes to date.
But hear me out, buying this particular brand will not turn you into Chris Froome just like Nike’s Jordan brand will not make you jump higher. You should buy a bike designed for your riding intent and something that fits you.
Trek Bikes have so many different bikes to choose from for all riders and ages of varying abilities.
They have also been known to develop female-friendly bike designs and kid’s bikes.
Many people have come to love Trek Bikes because of their comfort, light frames, and performance-enhancing bike mechanics.
One of the reasons why I bought a Trek Checkpoint ALR 4 bike is because I loved how it felt when I rode on the road and gravel. I felt like a bird, which means freedom. I also felt secure and powerful knowing that the bike would hold up under the environments I would put it through.
You’ll see professional cyclist sport Trek Bikes and exclusively by Trek’s professional cycling teams, Trek Segafredo-Men and Trek Segafredo-Woman.
So you know that when you buy a Trek Bike you’re getting the performance and quality that you would expect for a cyclist.
What type of Trek Bike should I buy?
If you are considering buying a Trek Bike and you don’t know which type of bike you should buy, first think about what type of riding you will be doing and where.
You want to buy a Trek Bike that fits you and the type of riding you plan to do.
Instead of posting an exhaustive list of bikes to choose from here, Trek has provided an easy-to-use step-by-step guide to finding your ideal Trek Bike, if purchasing online.
Their guide takes the guesswork out of choosing a Trek Bike.
They will ask you to choose who you are shopping for, an adult or child bike, what type of riding you will do, where you will be riding, what riding position you prefer, which bike features you will need, and how much you want to spend. See the screenshots and steps below.
These questions vary depending on the selection you make. For this example, I select a road bike.
1)This first step is to identify if you are an adult or a child for whom the bike will be. This should be an easy choice but if you have a child that’s maybe above average for their age of development you may have to consider the adult bike.
Choosing any bike, whether, for a child or an adult, one should take into account your fit on the bike and measure how big of a bike you need. You can read about how to do this here.
2) This next step is important because depending on what type of rider you are and where you will be going will directly affect the type of bike you’ll need.
For example, if you just want to ride around the neighborhood and or with kids, maybe a hybrid or Low step-through bike might be for you.
3) You want a Trek Bike that can handle the terrain or environment that you will be riding on, so knowing where you will be riding will be crucial in choosing a Trek Bike that will be a good fit.
4) This step is self-explanatory and you should choose a riding position that would be most comfortable for you. I have a history of lower back problems so I prefer the upright position as it gives me the most comfort while on longer rides.
5) Not all of the choices in this guide will ask you what features you want. This will be best suited for riders looking for performance and speed.
6) Lastly, you should consider your budget for a Trek Bike and count the cost before choosing a price point.
Many of the better quality Trek Bikes on this site tend to be pricer around the mid $1,000 – $2,000 and up.
By the end of these steps, a Trek Bike solution will be presented to you.
If you are still undecided on which Trek Bike to buy after walking through the step-by-step guide, then it is best to find a Trek Bicycle dealer near you. You can easily find one by clicking here.
What Size Trek Bike Should I Buy?
This is a very loaded question and one short answer will not do, but I’ll point you in the right direction.
One of the first things I ask a person is what’s their height and recommend measuring from their foot up to their hip to get an estimate of how tall a bike should sit.
Trek Bikes website provides a good size guide as well that walks you through this process.
My best tip has always been to get a bike fit from your local bicycle shop. But, I also feel this is not the luxury that everyone deems necessary.
In my experience when it comes to road bikes, I do know that depending on your size, Trek Bikes will be sized according to your height and measured in centimeters.
Trek Bikes come in a vast range of shapes and sizes. These can range from 44cm to 62 cm.
You also must consider that the virtual measurements when compared to the actual fit will vary.
So, once again getting a bike fit at a local bike shop will save you some time and confusion trying to figure this out on your own.
Are Trek Bikes Worth The Money?
If you’re questioning whether a Trek Bike is worth it or not I’m assuming that you are thinking of the price and value that you’re getting for what it’s worth.
In my honest opinion, being an owner of a Trek Bike I think that this is a personal question that you need to think about yourself and it depends on what you value in a bike.
I actually talk about this more in-depth in a previous post where I discuss if expensive bicycles are worth it.
Now to help you decide whether a Trek Bike is worth it there are a few things that you should consider.
Trek bikes are more high-end bikes and are priced relatively the same as their competitor’s bikes.
Now, the price of these bikes may put some cyclists off because they feel as though they can get a better bike with the same components for a lesser price, and that may be true.
But, when you are buying a Trek Bike, not only are you paying for the brand name but a bike built with a different geometry than other bikes that may be in the market.
These bikes are more high-end because they have put money into designing a more optimized bike.
Trek Bikes are constantly working to build better bikes with quality and high-end tech in mind.
Unlike lower-end bikes that you may find at Walmart or some of the “big box name” chain stores, at least with Trek bikes, you’re getting a quality bike that won’t be pieced together with parts that will fall apart or become defective.
So, in conclusion, I feel as though my purchase of a Trek Bike was worth it and if I was in the mode of purchasing another bike it would be a Trek Bike.
Should I Buy A Used Trek Bike?
I have this motto, that’s not new, but it goes,” Sometimes cheaper isn’t always better”. Yup, I actually told this to my life insurance broker who was trying to save me some money on my premium. But I took a hard pass.
If you’ve done your research, know the condition of the used bike, and after having assessed all the risks associated with buying a used Trek Bike, then go for it. I’ve actually contemplated purchasing a used Trek Bike to save some money on a high-end performance bike.
One positive to buying a used bike, in general, is that it is much simpler than buying a used car. You can check out all the components and their condition without using tools or having to take it to a mechanic to look it over.
So What Are Some Things You Should Look Out For When You Get A Used Bike?
- Check the bikes’ frame and make sure it’s not cracked bent or bike rusting
- Check to see if the headset of the handlebars is loose and if the bearings are all there
- Spin the wheels and look to see if the wheel frame is bent
- Check the wheel spokes for any loose spokes
- Take a look at the brake pads if the bike uses rim brakes
- Inspect bikes with disc brakes for dirt and debris; check to make sure they are not bent or worn out
- Check the tires and see how worn they are and whether there are cuts
Inspect the cassettes and see how much wear it has (dirt, build-up gunk) and whether there are missing teeth on the cassette.
It’s important to check the chain on the bike and pull a link of the chain to see whether or not it gives too much.
More importantly, you should try the bike and take it for a short ride to get a feel of how it handles.
Some places online where you can check out used Trek Bikes and others are below:
Also, check out this video on what’s involved in getting a used bike up and running like new again.
Who Should Not Buy A Trek Bike?
The reason I feel this question is valid to input here is that there are options to choose from when buying a bike and too many will try to sell you on a bike without telling you who it’s for.
I’m pretty biased when it comes to owning a Trek Bike but to be fair it’s important to know who a Trek Bike is Not for.
For brand loyalty reasons, some professional and competitive cyclists have been bound to certain brand contracts and they would not want to jeopardize that by buying a competitor’s brand.
Some people who are adamant about having a bike that is made in America and against foreign-made or foreign products should not buy a Trek Bike because not all of their bikes are made in the United States.
Those who do not care about the performance, innovation, and tech of Trek Bikes should not buy them. The fact that they are at the forefront of building the next trend in bicycles may not matter to you.
Following a series of events throughout 2020, people have spoken out against Trek Bikes when their bikes provided to police forces were used as shields and weapons against protestors.
Trek Bikes which is not a political company but a bicycle company, can’t control what people do with their bikes. But, at the beginning of this unjust, Trek was not divesting supplying bikes to police forces.
Those who watch on may have been turned off by this and chose not to buy a Trek Bike due to the bad name it would bring upon them.
Later though, Trek’s president took action to stop supplying bikes to police forces, cancel all contracts and sponsorships to police departments.
Should I Buy A Project One Trek Bike?
First off, Project One is Trek Bikes’ online program for customizing your own Trek Bike. Think of it as the Nike ID for shoes but with bikes.
Unless you have $10,000+ dollars to spare or you cycle professionally, then it’s not necessary to buy a Project One Bike.
The bikes you have to purchase to build a bike through Project one are the Trek Domane bike, Trek Emonda, and Trek Madone bike. These are the most expensive bikes in the Trek Bikes lineup. But the best thing is that these bikes are handbuilt in the United States.
To be honest, if I had the desire and spare $10,000+ to purchase one of these bikes then I would in a heartbeat.
These bikes are the ones that professional cyclists ride and how cool would it feel to ride one of those Project One Bikes with all the custom upgrades.
Now for those who do have $10k lying around to purchase a Project One Bike, what are you getting for your investment?
What most people don’t know is that a Project One Bike is unique and very specific to you. In other words your DREAM Bike.
You’ll need to get a professional bike fitter to fit you on a bike perfectly.
Next, you will be able to customize a Trek Bike choosing unique paint schemes, different component group sets, frames, tires, shifters, cranks, and whatever you like.
On average, there is a 2-6 weeks turnaround from placing the order to delivery at a local bike shop.
When it gets to the bike shop it will need to be assembled by the shop. Once you go to pick up the bike there may be a few minor tweaks to adjust the bike for you, then you’re set after that with a custom bike fit just for you.
Related questions
Why are Trek Bikes So Expensive?
The most important part of a bicycle is its frame. Add in a carbon frame, high-end bike components, and innovative technology, then you’ve got yourself an expensive bike.
What many people don’t realize is that a lot of the specialty bike companies like Trek and others can charge so much because the materials and innovative bike components have trickled down from their premium bikes that are $10,000+ and they’ll put some of those features into their entry-level bikes, you might say, which justifies the markup.
The parts that can make a bike expensive start with the frame.
Some frames are made completely of carbon fiber, which is aerospace-type material and very expensive to make.
To make a bike lighter, Trek Bikes and other companies use carbon fiber which is stiff, lightweight and dampens some of the vibrations from the road.
Much research and development cost goes into building these high-end bikes priced around $10,000.
Manufacturers factor in these costs as an investment which then allows them to develop high-quality bikes priced at $1000 – $2000 or more.
Are Trek Bikes Made in China?
To answer this question you have to understand why companies outsource to China and other Asian countries. It’s a huge cost reduction and allows them to mass-produce products faster than if it was manufactured solely in the United States.
From research, all we can really assume is that Trek manufactures a portion of their bikes in the United States and the other portions among the 90 countries they do business with including China.
No one really knows the exact numbers, except for Trek Bikes.
Trek Bikes started in Waterloo, Wisconsin but to reach a worldwide appeal some manufacturing in other countries was in order.
Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
A number of high-end bike brands such as Giant, S-Works, Scotts, and Colnago outsource their bikes overseas.
Many of the overseas manufacturers work side by side with United States manufacturers that set quality standards in place and rely on OEM, original equipment manufacturers.
