Trek 5500 opinions? - Triathlon Week

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

Am thinking of buying a Trek 5500. If anyone has any experience or
knowledge about this bike I would appreciate their opinion.

08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

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"Rivermist" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:

> Am thinking of buying a Trek 5500. If anyone has any experience or
> knowledge about this bike I would appreciate their opinion.
>
>
>
I am currently riding my second 5500. The first one became expensive splinters
after a car rear ended me. Fortunately for the past eight years without any
significant impacts the bike still serves me well today. I plan to install a
new gruppo soon.

I am a 6'2'', 175 lb rider. I purchased my first and second 5500s for bike
racing. At that time I though my triathlon days were behind me. For my size,
the 5500 is light, almost as stiff as an oversized aluminum tube frame (Klein
or Cannondale, for instance) and seemingly as smooth as a high quality steel
frame. I set my 40km TT pr on my present bike. However, the setup for a
bicycle time trial that might be followed by a criterium or road race in my
in my case was useless for doing triathlons because of that pesky run.

So before I start prattling on forever: does the bike fit you for its intended
purpose? If the bike fits, buy it! If not, consider others. My 60cm frame is
great for fast training and bike racing. If I decide to switch back to
triathlons, then a different frame and fit will serve me better for the bike
portion of the race.

David (for the geekly, the fingerprint contains my email address)
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08-23-2004, 07:09 PM

"Rivermist" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:P6GBc.154768$Ly.59812@attbi_s01...
> Am thinking of buying a Trek 5500. If anyone has any experience or
> knowledge about this bike I would appreciate their opinion.
>
>
>

My experience is along the same lines as David's. I bought mine for tri's,
also a 60cm, but I weight 210 lbs. Unfortunately, I was seduced by the
frame material and did not pay close attention to the geometry.

It is a wonderful feel/fit for cycling but, for me, is very awkward feeling
when tricked for a tri. I use a Trek 2300 "beater" for racing and aero
trainnig.

The more technical the course is, the more fun it is to ride.

Last thing, the cable guides (top tube) continually come off. I have to
clean and re-epoxy every year. If it happens more often than that I "make
do" with a tie-wrap until the next major cleaning.

rsquared