Comments on: Trek 1.2 Review (2008)

By: jon anthony

jon anthony — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:47:49 +0000

Trek 1.2 is a great beginners bike. Had no complains whatsoever. Droved a friends pinarello roadbike and pinarello is only a notch or 2 better considering the price. My friends and I agreed that european roadbikes that are really expensive and very light in weight are just status quo for people who shows-off. Performance wise, even with a trek 1.2, if i’m going to race. I will guarantee that my opponent that will use a pinarello. I will beat him on a sprint on a 10 mile road.

By: james winston

james winston — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:36:55 +0000

I replaced the front derailler with ultegra triple and the shifting improved dramatically….worth every penny. my dealer just doesn’t get the message that in the mts of north ga brakes and shifting are very important where your life is at stake….now i have good brakes and a good working triple crank with excellent shifting……

By: james winston

james winston — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:22:24 +0000

I have to agree with most of the opinions here. I used to ride and race 15 years ago on a kestral and it was wonderful.

retired from cycling but got the bug again and bought a 1.2 ….it has many nice features but the front derailler stinks and i have thrown the chain several times….the brakes can be fixed by replacing them with dura ace pads cost about 20.00….

I replaced the saddle with a cella regal like i had in the past, hard but good choice, using cheap mountain bike spd pedals and they work great for 30.00…after reading your site i am going to replace front derailler….thanks again for the advise….

By: jim d

jim d — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:49:37 +0000

Andy: I also have a Trek 1.2, and, after a year, has also started to give me problems. Yes, a clicking in the bottom bracket is driving me nuts. It comes and goes, so I’m thinking a bearing is failing. I have the Red Shield coverage, but replacement doesn’t cover labor, so @ $18 just to look at the BB, its a rip off. Once in the shop already, and another trip will equal the cost of a BB, which I could put in myself. (I had a Phil Wood BB that was still going strong after 20 years, so if it fits, I’ll put it in myself.) Trek won’t specify what the BB is on the 1.2. Otherwise, it’s a heckuva bike, and once vital parts are updated, it’ll be good to go for a few years. Expensive, though.

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:04:33 +0000

I bought a trek 1.2 2008 model and have had nothing but trouble with it. I have always admired trek bikes and was chuffed when I first bought it. The main problem has been a clicking noise from the bottom bracket, especially when I pedal hard. It has been back to the shop three times already. The mechanic said that it was a problem with these aluminium frames. Has anyone else had the same problem?

By: Glen

Glen — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:26:13 +0000

I recently purchased a trek 1.2 and put on a Rido seat that looks like a big letter Y. I went for a long ride tonight at Newport beach for about an hour and the bike was smooth, fast, very responsive, well worth the price I paid at 650 new. I have the white and red accents moel and i think it’s a beautiful bike. The last time I rode a road bike was in the 1970s a Peugeot that I rode to New York City from Queens everyday to work. But heck I was a kid really and I don’t remember my ass hurting. I could buy a more expensive bike or higher upgrade but this model fills my needs for now. The seat it comes with sucks, hard as a rock like sitting on a metal pipe. But the seat replacement will be my only upgrade. I do not plan to ride this bike on beat up streets, only bike paths at parks and beaches at night. I also own a mountain Bike and a comfort bike. In any hobby you can always spend more but getting what fits your needs is the way to go.

By: NestoJr

NestoJr — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:14:22 +0000

I bought the ‘08 Trek 1.2 as it was on clearance to make way for ‘09 models and while I was concerned in the beginning that I made the wrong choice, for the money and that I am new to road cycling, I’m happy with my purchase.

The cons discussed (brakes, front derailleur) are certainly valid but as beginner you probably wouldn’t notice much. The brakes do their job, they just aren’t confidence inspiring or as powerful as I think they should be. The FD is a pain trying to get dialed in just right but again does it’s job. These will probably be my next upgrades and thankfully are cheap. The saddle isn’t too bad, I ride 15-20 miles everyday with occasional longer rides as I build up the strength/stamina. I do wear bike shorts w/padding and most the pain was in the beginning as I got used to simply riding a bike again.

If you’re on a budget, its a great bike. I’m learning and messing around with the different parts so the fact that its “cheap” doesn’t bother me. Plus, now that I’ve decided I love road bicycling, once I hit my goals (lose weight, get stronger/faster), I’m going to treat myself to a much more expensive bike that I’ll appreciate more and see the differences in everything more immediately since I started on this entry-level bike. I’ve added the same things as Ohiorider but also changed to Michelin Krylions as the wheels/tireset I got with it weren’t stock from my LBS.

By: Ohiorider

Ohiorider — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:46:41 +0000

I went from a Wal-Mart Roadmaster MTN bike to a Trek 7200FX hybrid and finally to the Trek 1.2 and have to say that the 1.2 was and is a great investment: unless you’re a pro-level racer. The 1.5 would of course be a wiser investment, but with the 1.2 being well under $1000, it’s just a better deal.

I bought my 1.2 in April 2008 and since then have put in 7500+ miles on it without any problems. All I have done to the bike aside from cleaning and lube, was add water cages, a bike computer, a saddle bag and just recently replaced the bar tape. As for the components, I haven’t had any major problems with any of them. My only complaint is that the braking could use a little more strength and is probably just a matter of going with higher grade pads.

Although I haven’t yet done it, I agree that the saddle could be replaced with something slightly more comfortable. But even with the stock saddle, I have pulled off two century rides sans too much discomfort. Perhaps when some extra cash flow comes in I’ll upgrade.

Overall I think the Trek 1.2 is a great investment for entry level road riding. The components are good, the ride is comfortable, the bike handles well, it’s definetly a sharp looking bike and all this for well under $1000. So unless you’re heading for the TdF or have a a whole lot of extra cash stashed under your bed mattress,,,buy it.

By: Joshua

Joshua — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:13:03 +0000

I just purchased a 1.2 last week. I have always ridden Mt. bikes and this is my first road bike. The local shop was pushing the Madone…but being my first road bike I was not about to drop 6,000+ on the Madone. the 1.2 is fine for me, yeah it’s definately not as smooth or light as the Madone but it works for me and I am quite happy.

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:31:16 +0000

My LBS has the 2008 model year 1.2 on sale for under $600. It would be my first road bike. Should – buy it?