2005 Trek 2300 Bontrager Race Wheels



biker7

New Member
Oct 15, 2004
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Gang,
Am looking at a new Trek 2300 with stock Bontrager Race Wheels. I am 190 lbs and will likely be riding the bike all over, including over speed bumps (slowing down of course ;) ) and some less than stellar road condition...trying to avoid the bad stuff as much as possible. How robust is the wheelset on the '05 Trek 2300....anybody know? Will the wheels stay in true or go out at any incident of the road being less than smooth? Is by any chance the wheelset on the more modest Trek 1500 perhaps not as fast but a bit stronger or would you say they are about the same as I am not ruling out the Trek 1500 as well because the bike will be mostly used for fitness riding. Last question is one of ride quality...not overall quickness of the 2300 versus 1500...the 2300 is the faster bike. But does the 2300 have a better ride because of its carbon stem, handlebars and frame seat stays versus the 1500 with more aluminum content?
Thanks,
George
 
My personal opinion, and keep in mind I never test-rode a 2300, but I did ride a 1500 and a Madone 5.2 and ended up buying the 1500:

I don't think the wheels will make a bit of difference. If anything the more expensive wheels on the 2300 are better. However, the price and weight difference is negligible so I would not personally let that be a factor in choosing which bike. If I ever need new wheels I'll buy a set of Race X Lites or something. If you're that concerned about your weight and brutalizing the wheels, go buy a set of mid-range Kysrium wheels. They're built super strong and, from what I hear, will withstand anything.

The 2300 is about 2-3 pounds lighter than the 1500. I don't know about ride quality differences; I'm sure the carbon stays help out some but I doubt the difference would be huge (compared to my 10yo Cannondale tourer the Trek has abuot the same ride but doesn't pick up all the road buzz).

I was in the same boat as you also: I don't race; I ride primarily for fitness, and was debating between the 1500, 2100, and 2300. I opted for the 1500 because

1.) my LBS had the 1500 in stock but I couldn't find anyone who had the 2100 in my size or the 2300 at all)

2.) After test-riding three bikes (the Madone, the 1500, and an all-105 Cannondale) I could tell a slight difference in the 1500's shifting but not the Madone and the Cannondale. However, the shifting difference is probably due to my slightly bent rear derailleur hanger. Honestly though, the shifting is as fast as any other bike I've ridden.

I think for what you're doing the 1500 will be a good buy for less than half the money. I don't think you'll really notice $1200 difference in the bikes.
 
ganderctr said:
My personal opinion, and keep in mind I never test-rode a 2300, but I did ride a 1500 and a Madone 5.2 and ended up buying the 1500:

I don't think the wheels will make a bit of difference. If anything the more expensive wheels on the 2300 are better. However, the price and weight difference is negligible so I would not personally let that be a factor in choosing which bike. If I ever need new wheels I'll buy a set of Race X Lites or something. If you're that concerned about your weight and brutalizing the wheels, go buy a set of mid-range Kysrium wheels. They're built super strong and, from what I hear, will withstand anything.

The 2300 is about 2-3 pounds lighter than the 1500. I don't know about ride quality differences; I'm sure the carbon stays help out some but I doubt the difference would be huge (compared to my 10yo Cannondale tourer the Trek has abuot the same ride but doesn't pick up all the road buzz).

I was in the same boat as you also: I don't race; I ride primarily for fitness, and was debating between the 1500, 2100, and 2300. I opted for the 1500 because

1.) my LBS had the 1500 in stock but I couldn't find anyone who had the 2100 in my size or the 2300 at all)

2.) After test-riding three bikes (the Madone, the 1500, and an all-105 Cannondale) I could tell a slight difference in the 1500's shifting but not the Madone and the Cannondale. However, the shifting difference is probably due to my slightly bent rear derailleur hanger. Honestly though, the shifting is as fast as any other bike I've ridden.

I think for what you're doing the 1500 will be a good buy for less than half the money. I don't think you'll really notice $1200 difference in the bikes.
The Selects in my 1500 are doing really fine. If you are going for fitness, go for the 1500 if money is a more important issue. The geometry is less agressive and you can ride a little bit more upright.

Although I use it for racing, my father test rode it and found it very confortable. So much that he is planning to buy the 2005 version. (He wanted the 2004, but it was a little too late, now the 2005 version is more expensive than the normal model year change so he is considering other brands, which could be a little difficult to find here in Brazil)

Bottom line: Go for the 1500, it would be more than enough.
 
I have a 2002 Trek 2300 with Race Lite wheels. I have over 6,000 miles on those wheels so far and they are pretty much bullet proof. I have taken a couple of tumbles (courtesy of New Jersey drivers) and they could be trued each time. I am a big fan of the Bontrager line.