Trek 4300 vs Spesh HR Comp for 11 year old.....

Rivercider

Hi, first post here and I'm asking for help, please..... have read a lot of the threads and got some useful advice so far but just like to hear opinions on these two bikes (see links below) - my 11 year old is due to move on from his Specialized Hardrock Sport as his smaller brother has desperately outgrown his own bike and is due to inherit the Spesh, so I'm looking to buy either the Trek 4300 or the Specialized Hardrock Comp, both 2009 models in sales.

Trek is 309 at Evans, Spesh is 349 - we go out on family rides 15-30 miles, light trails, cycle paths, nothing heavy really so these bikes should be ample, but I'm not sure about the RST Gila T8 fork on the Trek - it has no lockout and I guess isn't quite as good as the RockShox Dart 2.5 SL on the Spesh? The fork won't get a pounding off road for a while but the bike could well be in the family for 5 years so longevity is a factor.....

Also, the bottom bracket on the Spesh is listed as Shimano BB-ES25, Octalink spline.....there's not much info on the Trek in that area so again is the Spesh better here?

Incidentally, being an 11 year old he goes on looks to a degree and the 2009 Trek is a nice matt black, Spesh is a not quite so cool silver, but assuming I get to add some fatherly persuasion into this which should I lean towards? I own a 2006 Rockhopper Disc, incidentally, so we're more of a Specialized buying family so far, but the Trek really caught his eye and would save me 40 quid if people don't tell me its way inferior? Any opinions gratefully received, been out of the MTB buying loop for 4 years!

Cheers

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... y=hardrock

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/tre ... query=4300

ride_whenever

a brief look suggests the specialized is a better bet.

Rivercider

Yeah, thanks, that's how it looks to me, too.....I get to check out both bikes in the flesh in a few days time so will see what he likes best and what fits him best as the frame sizing is different, 15 inch Spesh or 16 inch Trek, so this may be a factor. Not sure about that RST, though, when he tries to opt for the black bike......

xtreem

The RST doesn't work if the seals aren't lubricated constantly.
My cousin have to lubricate them every two/three days if he wants the fork to have
more than 20mm of travel. While my Dart 2 give 80% of the travel with no problem.
When testing remind him to press both forks a few times.

And don't worry, once your kid sits on the bikes he will notice a big difference.
The Trek's long stem, and high angle plus the high fork (it's 20mm higher than the Dart,
actually it's 40 because the Dart has 80mm of travel) he will feel like he's steering from
the sky. He's probably like the Spesh more.

Rivercider

Thanks Xtreem, interesting stuff about the size and angles, can't wait to get him onto these now - it's almost like buying one for myself again :-)