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Hey guys and gals I have a old Trek 4300 that i buyed in late 04 early 05 and i’m just wondering the front shocks don’t work becuase there rusted out so is there something i can do to fix them but without having to get a whole new front fork. The shocks are silver so they are the spring operated kind that looks gas operated. They are rusted out becuase in 2005 Me and my family bycicled across Canada so i’m not new to biking i’m just new to mountain biking. Also i’m wondering what kind of trails could i do in the Trek 4300. and I live in Whistler BC so don’t worry i have lots of choices for trails.
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Fork issues first…
Is this your bike?
[url:3jv0fqgz]http://www.bikepedia.com/quickbike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=2004&Brand=Trek&Model=4300&Type=bike[/url:3jv0fqgz]
Check the specs to make sure they match up.
If so, bad news. It seems to be pretty hard to find info on this company. Not sure if they changed names or were bought out but a little searching led me to the following site.
[url:3jv0fqgz]http://www.spinner-usa.com/e/allmountain-grind01.htm[/url:3jv0fqgz]
It’s hard to tell from the picture but I’m thinking that may be your fork (or at least maybe it’s the fork made one year after yours).
You may be able to contact them and see if there are any manuals on the fork and how to service it. I haven’t had any luck finding anything online.Bike capability questions next…
I probably don’t have to say this but, until you get the fork thing figured out, I wouldn’t ride the bike as it could be pretty dangerous.
If it were functioning like new, the bike is your basic, entry level mountain bike. It’s got everything you’d need to get you started. It will let you figure out if you want to to get into the sport and invest in a bike more suited to your riding style and conditions. Honestly, even though it’s an entry level hardtail, you’d be amazed what the bike would be capable of if you had the right rider. A pro could probably smoke 75% of us on a tricycle.
Mountain Biking=98% rider + 2% bike.
That being said, if you get hooked on the sport you’ll probably want to upgrade into a newer, lighter frame and components that function much better and won’t let you down as often. It’s not going to be able to handle any drops larger than about 8-12 inches but it should treat you decently over normal singletrack. It won’t do you any favors up hills and its not going to suck up much in the way of bumps even if the fork WAS functioning correctly. If you live in Whistler (I’m soooooo jealous), take it down the easiest trails you can find to test it out. After giving it a test ride you’ll know what [i:3jv0fqgz]you[/i:3jv0fqgz] are capable of doing with the bike. If you’ve ridden across Canada it’s safe to say that you have a decent idea of how a bike should handle even if you haven’t done it off road. Basically, there are more things to bump into, less cars, and the traction isn’t nearly as good. After you’ve gotten used to riding off road on the 4300, try out a nice demo at one of the local bike shops and you’ll see what you are missing. By the way, prepare to be hooked on a new biking addiction and have fun!
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Wow thank you for the info the bike does look like the one i have but the shocks well i don’t know but i think it is the same but tomorrow when i go out i’ll look. I talked to a guy with a nice Free Ride bike today when i was out and he said a used bike would cost under $1000 and I’m wondering is that around the price a good free ride bike is. I’m not saying i will get a free ride bike but the guy said that free ride bikes can do a little of everything and thats kinda what i want as i don’t want to be able to only do a certain style of biking. About gearshifts i’ve heard some people say grip shifts are good but some saying rapid shifters are good and what do you think is the best?
Again thanks for the Info:) -
As far as bike types go…
A true freeride bike will be on the far end of the spectrum if you really want to "do a little of everything". They’re made for big drops. Most have dual suspension in the range of 6-8 inches up front and 6-10 inches in the rear. Pedaling something like this up a hill would probably be a nightmare. On the other end of the spectrum would be your hardtail bike. They’re normally made for smoother cross country trails but they can be built stronger for a little more abuse.
If you really want to get a bike that you will be able to do a little of everything with, go for what they call a "trail" bike or an "all mountain" bike. They are basically the middle ground in bikes. They are going to be dual suspension bikes with anywhere from 4-6 inches of travel in the front and rear. The nicer forks will have adjustable travel and the rear shocks will have a pedal platform to reduce "bobbing" while pedaling. Basically, the rear shock has been engineered to only compress at a certain pressure to absorb the rocks in the trail but not bounce up and down underneath you every time you pedal. It’ll make your full suspension bike handle a little more like a rigid road bike when pedaling on a smoother surface.
Shifters…
This is more of a personal preference than most will admit. Either way, it seems that people like to pick a side in the debate and defend it adamantly. I personally prefer the quick release trigger shifters over the twist grips because I don’t have to move my entire wrist to shift gears and a stray bump in the trail wont cause me to accidentally shift. Fans of twist grips will tell you that the same stray bump in the trail could cause you to hit your quick release shifter but it almost never happens to me. I ride with a finger on my brakes and the rest on my bars. Nothing is touching my shifters until I need them. I couldn’t say the same if I rode with twist grip shifters. The quick release style seems more common but you should hit up some local shops and see if they will let you try out the two kinds so you can get a feel for [i:3cwxop5x]your[/i:3cwxop5x] preferences. There can even be "night and day" feeling between brands and models so try out a couple different one along the spectrum and have the salesmen give you a lesson on the differences.
Good luck testing and shopping.
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Ok that pretty much clears up everything. I’ve started to save up for some money so that I can start looking at a bike the only question i still have is are used bikes ok because the guy i talked to he said you still should look at the bearings and chains because some people abuse the bike a little to much.
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Ok that shock does look like the one i havethe only difference is that the pic has black shocks and mine are silver.
Also i’ve been looking at the main well known companys like KONA, Specilized, Cannondale and I just want to make sure this is the correct kind of bike. http://www.specialized.com/ca/en/bc/SBC … itch&eid=2
If that is the correct kind of bike how much am i looking at if I got one used? Is there any bike company’s that offer the smae kind of bike’s and same goodness but cheaper as I currently only have about $500 bucks in the bank and i’m only 14 so i don’t have a job just yet but i will be making some money as my parents run a company and i’ll be helping them in the summer when not MTB.Thanks Again for the help:)
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The used bike question comes up alot on the site. To sum up (without digging through the old posts):
You get what you pay for…usually. Sometimes you get less.
Used bikes can be great, but (lacking any hard info) I feel that they typically are abused pretty hard. I always ask why they are selling the bike.
Another problem is that it is hard to determine a fair used bike price. The best thing to do is compare to internet sales, etc.
I would try to buy local (shouldn’t be hard given where you live) and ask if the seller will bring the bike to LBS so they can help you inspect it. Sometimes problems aren’t noticed if you don’t know what to look for.
I’m not trying to scare you away from a used bike, if you find a great deal and it’s right for you go for it. I would suggest that, if you are saving money up and not buying right away, that you look into picking up last years model new from your LBS (or wait till the next models come out and scoop up this years on sale).
Anyway good luck and I hope you find the perfect bike….
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Hey guys i just walked around town and looks for some bikes just looking tho not buying and the average 4-8" of travel was around $2200-$4500 and is that a could price? remember this is Whistler so its Canada and maybe NA mountain bike heaven so everything is danm expensive. At some stores i maybe can get some deals but maybe not. Also i asked every store i went in if they sold used and the same old answers were no sorry so at the last store also the store i can get a good deal probibly said in whistler there is almost no place to get a used bike but he told me of a place that may have some so i’ll check that out next time i’m out on my bike as its on the other side of town.
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Another tip for buying a used bike. Always meet the seller at his/her residence and get a "bill of sale". This will lower the possibility of buying a "Hot" bike.
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"swisscosmo" wrote
Hey guys i just walked around town and looks for some bikes just looking tho not buying and the average 4-8" of travel was around $2200-$4500 and is that a could price? remember this is Whistler so its Canada and maybe NA mountain bike heaven so everything is danm expensive. At some stores i maybe can get some deals but maybe not. Also i asked every store i went in if they sold used and the same old answers were no sorry so at the last store also the store i can get a good deal probibly said in whistler there is almost no place to get a used bike but he told me of a place that may have some so i’ll check that out next time i’m out on my bike as its on the other side of town.
That’s probably a reasonable range for a new bike with that type of travel. You could easily spend more. Then again, you could find a decent amount of those types bikes for less than that as well. As Devin mentioned, you may want to wait until they get the new models for next year in and start discounting this years stuff if you are on a tight budget.
Good used bikes CAN be found too. You just have to know WHAT you want, know WHERE to look, and know what to look FOR as far as frame and component issues are concerned (having a good mechanic will make up for this last one if you are not sure what to look for). Unfortunatley, it can be very hard for a first time buyer to even figure out which bike they [i:tui5m286]want[/i:tui5m286] without even having worry about [i:tui5m286]where [/i:tui5m286]to find it and what issues to look [i:tui5m286]for[/i:tui5m286].
Figure out what you want first. Then worry about the other two. Right now, you said you were looking at bikes with 4-8"s of travel. That’s a huge range and those are going to handle like night and day depending on the conditions. Compared to your current hardtail, anything in that range will seem like a huge difference from your current ride. Go test ride some different bikes. Your local shops should let you take them out for a spin to try them out on different trails and obstacles. Preferably, take them on some trails rather than just a spin on the parking lot. You’re not buying the bike for concrete rides so don’t make a decision based on that alone. Once you narrow it down, I’m sure people here will be happy to help you with further issues or questions you may have.
Good luck.
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