Reliability.

Some components are cheap. Fork doesn't lock. But I don't think this would make a huge difference for most amateur riders.

More of a review, this is a tribute post to a tough and dependable bike. Bought in 2006 for ~$600 and kept all stock for most of its lifetime. Rode it for more than a decade and never left me stranded. I recently took it on a 4 day / 360 miles ride after a few mods (saddle, stem and tires) and it worked like a champ. On a biking event across several >9% climbs a guy came to me amazed I was riding this bike, I still don't understand why. Today I got a Bulls Copperhead 29 RSI and I thought about selling the 4900 for a few bucks on eBay or donate it. Then I changed my mind and instead got a new fork to replace the stock RockShox J1 and will probably get new breaks as well. I will keep this bike. I don't get attached to things, but this bike is special. I don't understand the bad reviews here, maybe they aren't good riders and blame it on the bike, or they got a lemon?. I used to go MTB with guys riding 2K+ full suspensions and I never had problems catching up with them and going through the same terrain and obstacles. That's probably the reason why I kept it, I never felt I needed more. Now as I approach 40, I found myself doing more long distance XC than MTB, so the Copperhead will suit me better for that purpose; and for the days I just want to hit the mountain, going downhill fast and attack corners as when in my 20s, I will take this old little friend with me.

Solid frame, decent seat, wheels, brakes, crank and inexpensive.

Everything else.

I bought this in about 2006. It seems to have a very short wheelbase because I cannot ride it no hands. I replaced my stolen Trek 6000 which I liked a lot more. I only get about a few midrange gears now but I have put it through some moderate tests.

Bottom Line: I wouldn't buy it again unless I was going to upgrade almost everything! Suck.

The frame and upgrade possibilities

The stock Bontrager stem is one of the ugliest things I have ever seen, lol (I have 4 in my garage from various Trek/ Gary Fisher bikes)

Bikes prices have gotten out of control yet you get low end components (Shimano Acer, Alivio, Suntour fork). The older Treks are a dime a dozen and take a beating. Love the frame. Mostly use the 4900 for local XC.

Similar Products Used:

TREK 4500,6500, 8 series, GT Avalanche, GT Zaskar

Strong but light frame, good base components, not the best, but for the money, they are good. If you use this for more than just Saturday laps around the loose-over-hard trails, you'll probably replace the majority of the stuff.

Drivetrain, again, good for the money, but not the greatest, kind of weak.

I bought this bike excpecting to change out the majority of the components. It was on sale, an so I figured it would be cheaper to buy this and upgrade pieces, rathr than buy a higher model that would be more xpensive in the long run.

I ride intermediate trails, and this bike has taken a beating. When I first switched to clipless, this bike took more spills than a two year olds juice box. It's held up incredibly well. The stock Judy 1 forks were poopoo, but they were switched out soon after purchasing. The Bontrager Crowbar handlebars also developed a weird crack after a couple months, must have been faulty in some way. Other bits and pieces need replacing if you are planning on putting it to real good use.

If you are just starting out, this is a nice beginner's bike; stock. If you can find it cheap, like I did, and plan on upgrades anyway, it's a great bike for intermediate riders, or anyone who still has a soft-spot for hard-tails. The core of it is outstanding. I've had my huevos busted a couple of times for riding it, but I still think it's great, lots of fun, light, holds up really well and I can do anything that my friends can do that my personal skills allow.

Similar Products Used:

Fisher, Specialized

Well.. I have had this bike for 4 years now, and I am just now switching out the drivetrain. Yes, it is weak, but it has taken a beating and would have kept ticking for a bit yet..

The Frame is like Hercules

Drivetrain, seat (a minor thing), Fork

This was a great progression bike.. and it's super tough too. (It fell off of my boyfriends trunk-car-rack going about 80MPH and all I had was a bent wheen and a broken brake lever)

This was my first "mountian bike" and I built it to my liking over these past couple of years. I have progresed right along side my bike, and I am able to race on this.

Maybe it's me being sentimental, or maybe its my awesome bike, but I love it!

I really cant complain as this bike has never let me down, it rides like a champ and has never left me out to dry.

Just remember, you are not out buying a top of the line bike, I think you get the best bang for your buck here.
A+++

Similar Products Used:

GT Avalanche

This bike is amazing as both a tough trail bike and a commuter bike riding to classes and around town. Great Shimano components, I LOVE the shifters. Solid Deore derailleur in the rear, decent stock Bontrager tires, great brakes, and a frame with very simple and lightweight construction make an ideal bike for many uses.

I have never felt any significant difference using the "adjustable" suspension on the fork. The cranks snap crackle and pop more than a box of Rice Crispies. Get rid of the stock pedals.

After riding this bike for several years I know that it can take all sorts of abuse from very technical downhill rides. Even so, that's not what it's meant for. This Trek really shines as a great XC bike. It climbs GREAT and can still take a beating from very fast descents. After years of use, it just takes simple routine maintenance to keep this bike in good shape-- new chain every now and then, new brakes when necessary, and a chain lube twice a month. This bike is perfect for a college student like me who loves to get out in the mountains but doesn't have the money to buy a downhill bike for the weekends. 5 Flamin' Chilis for value!!! Trek, you NAILED this one!!

Similar Products Used:

Jamis Durango, GF Mullet.

To start off it has a great looking frame, Good rear derailleur (if you use it properly), Disk Brakes!, has a nice feel to it when you ride, durable.

Seat is kinda stiff but you start to like it after a while (if not its not that much to replace), The fork isn't the best around but it hasn't broken on me or anything so it does its job

Great brike for the price. If your a weekend warrior who goes riding about 2days a week then this is a good bike for you. Its very durable, ive crashed it tons of times, landed on rock roots you name it and nothing has broken (except the reflectors, lol). I would recomend putting in clipless pedals if you wanna improve your riding efficiency and power. Sometimes the brakes get loose but they are really easy to re tighten, much easier than v-brakes. This bike i must confess is acutally not mine, my school rents them out for free, but i usually ride it about 3-4 days a week for the past 6 months. And when I'm not riding it other people are so you can imagine it gets allot of use and abuse, and with all that everything still functions fine. The rear derailleur ghost shifts sometimes and has problems shifting once in a while but that is because people who don't know how to shift have messed it up. Its an all around good bike and i highly recommend it unless you plan on doing some more serious or long term riding. But if mountain biking is something you just do for fun and aren't crazy about high performance you'll be very pleased with this bike. Although it doesn't ride like a $900 - $1100 bike, its not far behind (especially if you add clipless pedals).

Note: If your reading this you might know that they don't make it for 2007 anymore, but they have basically uprgaded it to the 6000 level which has much improvements over the 4900 and is still in the same price range, mabye 30 bucks more, i recommend going for that one if you can't find a 4900 still around for sale.

Similar Products Used:

Trek 6500

Great looks, strong, light frame, Shimano Deore rear derailleur, disk brakes, Bontrager wheels

A bit heavy at 28lbs(OK, for full suspension), pedals

Great all-around XC bike, for weekend warrior. Fast on the straights, with excellent climbing geometry. Upgrade to clipless pedals, for best results. Stock shock is NOT designed for anything more than 1ft drops. Keep the bike well-oiled, clean, and the drivetrain tuned-up, and this bike will not dissappoint. A real mountain bike at a real price!

Similar Products Used:

Cannondale F600, Gary Fisher Zebrano, Specialized Rock Hopper FS