After 3yrs and 9000 miles of loyal service my original Trek 1500 road bike gave up the ghost after coming off second best with a battered old Nissan Micra!! I guess that proves that steel is stronger than Aluminium!!
My insurance company were great and sorted me out with a replacement within 2 weeks. I was delighted to find that the actual replacement was going to be the new 2006 model which features several improvements from the bike that I had previously. The price of the bike is £1300 fully delivered and set up, but upgrades to components such as saddle / wheels and pedals can bring the cost up if you want.
I booked a day off work to receive delivery of my bike, which arrived as planned and only required adjustment to the handlebars, seat-post and saddle. Berkshire Cycle Company who were the approved insurance dealers set the bike up fine and so far (1 week later) there have been no mechanical issues from it arriving. This is actually unusual for bikes as the transportation can knock the gear mechanism out of line easily, which means quite a lot of fiddling with allen keys and screw drivers to correct.
The bike arrived as is normal with no pedals so rather than put my old pedals on from my other bike I opted to buy some new Look PP27 pedals which weigh in at 360g for the pair. I also opted for an Bontrager Race X Lite saddle as an upgrade - of course saddle selection is a very personal choice because comfort is paramount when you get on a great bike like this - you'll find yourself wanting to cycle longer and further than before!!
After 15 minutes of inflating the tyres and setting the bike to my exact measurements i was ready to go.. The first difference i noticed was the handling - rather than the soft feel of the aluminium forks of my original Trek 1500 the carbon fibre forks felt weird - more rigid and powerful. Combined with the carbon fibre seat post the feel of the tarmac was completely different and it took several miles before I started getting used to it.
The wheels that the bike arrived with would not be my first choice - I have had Bontrager Select wheels before, and while they are very strong and ultra-reliable they lack a bit on the aerodynamic side. Mavic Ksyrium SSL would be my choice - but until i save up another £500 I'll keep with the Bontrager! Tyres again are a personal choice - and Michelin Pro-Race are the best i've had for both puncture resistance and speed - the Bontrager tyres that come with the bike are fine for spares!!
The other change to my original bike is the introduction of the Shimano Ultegra 10spd groupset. This is only in the second year of use on this bike and I am still unsure of it's usefulness. I guess that I am just used to 9spd. I opted for the double chain ring rather than triple. I suppose a triple may be useful if you live half way up the Alpe D'Huez but West Yorshire has nice rolling countryside so a double covers all terrain! I guess if you live in Lincolnshire you might want to opt for a different cassette 11-23, but I stuck with the standard 12-25.
The look of the bike is of course similar, but the 2006 model varies from the picture attached (which is the 2005 model) in that it is black, silver and blue - to match the Discovery team i guess. It is a great paint finish and the smooth Aluminium welds make the frame sleek and super smooth. It probably doesn't actually improve performance, but it's great to look at and makes you feel good to ride it.
As I use the bike for commuting as well as training rides in the evenings and weekends the only problem i am having is getting to work - i'd rather stay out on the bike than come in to work!!
Above all this bike is fun to ride and feels quick, light and responsive - i'd recommend it to anyone who is serious about getting plenty of miles on the clock and i don't think that you'll be disapointed!!
Happy & Safe Riding!!
Here are the product specifications direct from the Trek website, www.trekbike.co.uk, but they still only have listings for the 2005 models - which is the same apart from colour to the 2006.
