Thoughts on 2004/2005 Trek 2300?

[[email protected]]

So I need a new bike. I'm a one-time decent racer (stop laughing), I'm
6'1", 180, run regularly and do 1-2 rides per week. Those rides are
40-80 miles at a pretty high pace (hilly group rides with current and
former racers...mostly masters these days).

I have a family so I'm considering saving a few bucks and not get a
carbon bike. And considering the light miles I'm doing, I'm guessing I
can live with ultegra/chorus-level components.

So the Trek 2300 looks pretty similar to a 5200 OCLV (and I guess a 5.2

Madrone), except for an aluminum main triangle. 9-speed ultegra,
bontrager wheels, all that. But what do I know? Here's the bike:

<http://www2.trekbikes.com/Bike s/Road/Performance_Road/OCLV_C
arbon-ZR_...>

Who here owns or has ridden the 2004 or 2005 model 2300? What do you
think of it?

Alternatives to check out at the $2000ish price point?

Thanks,

Jim

 

[Tim Lines]

[email protected] wrote:
> So I need a new bike. I'm a one-time decent racer (stop laughing), I'm
> 6'1", 180, run regularly and do 1-2 rides per week. Those rides are
> 40-80 miles at a pretty high pace (hilly group rides with current and
> former racers...mostly masters these days).
>
> I have a family so I'm considering saving a few bucks and not get a
> carbon bike. And considering the light miles I'm doing, I'm guessing I
> can live with ultegra/chorus-level components.
>
> So the Trek 2300 looks pretty similar to a 5200 OCLV (and I guess a 5.2
>
> Madrone), except for an aluminum main triangle. 9-speed ultegra,
> bontrager wheels, all that. But what do I know? Here's the bike:
>
> <http://www2.trekbikes.com/Bike s/Road/Performance_Road/OCLV_C
> arbon-ZR_...>
>
> Who here owns or has ridden the 2004 or 2005 model 2300? What do you
> think of it?
>
> Alternatives to check out at the $2000ish price point?
>

I have a friend who bought a 2300 last year and thought pretty highly of
it. I never got the idea that the bike was his limiting factor.

If you want carbon, I know someone who owns a Supergo Scattante CFR and
raves about it:

http://www.supergo.com/profile.cfm?LPROD_ID=25913&lsubcat_id=7618&lcat_id=7605&referpage=

I've owned several bikes that I've raced. My favorite has been a Giant
TCR aluminum. The TCR 1 has an MSRP of $1600.

 

[Qui Si Parla Campagnolo]

[email protected] wrote:
> So I need a new bike. I'm a one-time decent racer (stop laughing), I'm
> 6'1", 180, run regularly and do 1-2 rides per week. Those rides are
> 40-80 miles at a pretty high pace (hilly group rides with current and
> former racers...mostly masters these days).
>
> I have a family so I'm considering saving a few bucks and not get a
> carbon bike. And considering the light miles I'm doing, I'm guessing I
> can live with ultegra/chorus-level components.
>
> So the Trek 2300 looks pretty similar to a 5200 OCLV (and I guess a 5.2
>
> Madrone), except for an aluminum main triangle. 9-speed ultegra,
> bontrager wheels, all that. But what do I know? Here's the bike:
>
> <http://www2.trekbikes.com/Bike s/Road/Performance_Road/OCLV_C
> arbon-ZR_...>
>
> Who here owns or has ridden the 2004 or 2005 model 2300? What do you
> think of it?
>
> Alternatives to check out at the $2000ish price point?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jim
>

Tough to find a 'bad' bike in that or much lower price point. What you
DO find is bad bike shops. No fits other than, "standover, ride around
the parking lot' type, poor aseembly, particularly the wheels, poor
service after the sale, etc.

Get a proper fit, get the bicycle taken apart, reassembled somewhere
else if necessary, with particular attention to the wheels and it will
work for you for a long time.

 

[Donald Gillies]

[email protected] writes:

>So the Trek 2300 looks pretty similar to a 5200 OCLV (and I guess a 5.2
>Madrone), except for an aluminum main triangle. 9-speed ultegra,
>bontrager wheels, all that. But what do I know? Here's the bike:

I had a 1990's vintage 2300 carbon/aluminumn bike, these bikes had one
of the most plush rides that TREK ever produced. When my seat lug
cracked in early 2004, I got a 2004 frameset for free ... and sold it
right away. Why? I view the current 2300 framesets at boneshakers.

I'd make sure to ride a 2300 and a 5200 on the same day at the same
shop. If the 2300 is too harsh, then i'd spend my money on a used
5200, which should cost about the same.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA