Trek 1.9 2008

graemeH

Hi,

I'm interested in your opinions on the Trek 1.9. I've been searching the web and can't find any reviews - possibly because it's a 2008 bike I suspect.

I'm heading off to Evans the week after next to have a look, it's a £1000 bike with Ultegra triple 30/39/52 gearing, bontrager race wheels and rubber and it's got an aluminium frame.

I have a Giant Crs hybrid I've had for 18 months and I now do between 30 and 50 miles on a Saturday morning and 10 to 20 miles three times during the week. I love this bike, I fitted skinnier tires and I can get about 15 - 17 mph average over these distance, I even did the C2C on it this year.

BUT I'd now like a sportier ride, I'd like to let the Crs do the local rides with my wife and kids and get something more whizzy for those lonely Saturday morning rides. My thinking had been, stick to a triple (there are hills out there and you don't want to have to walk), get a triple with a bigger top gear (52 or 53), get the best groupset I can afford (105 over Tiagra and Ultegra over 105), stick to Aluminium becuase a carbon bike just simply costs too much.

So I liked the Specialized Allez Elite (2007) - but I notice the 2008 has downgraded the groupset.
I liked the Cannondale CAAD5 (105) or CAAD9- of course in the sales they are cheaper but I can't find my size (56/58cm)
I like all the Giant bikes and I trust them, but they use their own branded gear which makes it difficult to compare.
I'd consider Pinarello or others but they all seem so much more expensive than the mass produced ones.
I just can't build up the courage to build my own.

So I saw the Trek 1.9 - but it has no history, no write ups, no opinions, and after a long and winding post I'm back to where I started - I'd love to hear your views.

Cheers, Graeme.

graemeH

Drat - of course you get sick of these questions, I'm buying a bike got any advice...(sorry)

Perhaps I could rephrase my question...

Does anyone know the history behind the Trek 1 Series. The Trek 2 series seems to be Women Specific. Of course the Madone seems to be all the magazines want to talk about. In fact the Trek website seems to only want to talk about the Madone, the "overview" of the 1 series is pretty much blank.

I know that I'll get a good bike, and that trek are well known and reliable, and that anyone looking for advice on buying a bike might as well face up to the fact they are going to spend slightly more than they wanted to and that in the end their decision will be as much on colour as specification.

Cheers,
Graeme.

Monty Dog

Trek have changed their model designations - try looking for views on the 1500 - this years model.

coopsm

Hi Graeme,

I actually picked up my Trek 1.9 this morning and it's hours after my first ride I've still got a big grin ! This is actually my first road bike, so I've got nothing (except mountain bikes) to compare to, but I think it is the business. It shifts and I think the styling is really good (looks v similar to Madone). Also with the (Bontrager) Race wheels and full Ultegra I think it is a good deal for the money. The shop I bought it from had the Bikefitting.com measuring system, so I knew I had the right size (having been frustrated at going into various bike shops only to be told "stand over that... yeah you look about right (on a 58cm) - I actually ended up with a 60 cm) and after my usual circuit felt bang on. So whatever you go for I would cerainly recommend getting properly measured up.

I hadn't seen any 'professional' reviews on the bike, so will be quite interested to read when they appear... in any case though - I'm chuffed with it.

graemeH

So I picked my new Trek 1.9 up yesterday, woo yay!

To start, the "right" size, a 56cm frame put most of my upper body over the front wheel (or at least it felt that way), but the next size up, the 58cm was perfect, the reach felt comfortable, both on the hoods and the drops, and there seems to be an even weight distribution between buttocks and wrists.

The seatpost fits into the frame snugly and the welds on the aluminium frame are super smooth. The graphics are not as overstated as some manufacturers and the only place you'll see the model designation is on the chainstay. The colours are wonderful, it looks basically black on Trek's website and in other photos, but when you see it, the black is mixed with what's called Onyx, but it's really a Tungston / Silver Grey look. The badge appears designed to last and the finish on the paint is excellent. My wife thinks the saddle looks like a torture instrument, but I found it comfortable. One of the shop assistants laughed at the white bar tape, said it would get dirty quickly - but I'm thinking that all bar tape is going to get dirty, it's just a matter of whether you know it's dirty or not. I must learn how to clean white bar tape I guess.

Today I had my first ride, 20 mile round trip and it felt like riding on fresh air compared to my hybrid bike. The Trek is so light and even in the strong cross winds today it felt planted. The Ultegra groupset wasn't setup perfectly at first, so a stop in at my local bike shop saw to that - now it's beautiful to change gear. On my hybrid I was constantly aware of which gear I was in, I knew which number to select on the rapid fire shifters, with the Ultegra it just become irrelevant, if its feels good at your legs then you've got the right gear.

I still have a big grin on my face after this ride, and I'm itching to see good weather tomorrow morning so I can go for a longer ride.

Looking at the Trek website I don't think the entire range of 1 and 2 series bikes are available all over the world, in the brochure (which I think is American) the 1.9 isn't even mentioned.

- Seeing as I asked you guys for advice I thought it only polite to post my experience.

G.

RyanBrook

Sounds like your happy with your buy!!
I would have said get a carbon bike from Planet-x or Focus on the wiggle website. The Cayo is under a grand and there is a model with planet-x under a grand. With p-x you get a professional fit too. I have Trek 1500 07 at the minute which is a nice bike but next time Im going to get a professional fit. Even if its only a placebo effect to put my mind at rest.
You can probably still take it back? Sounds like your happy enough though so why bother.