I bought this bike in the summer of 2002 for £220.
I was looking for a cheapish ride to get me to and from lectures. I wanted a reasonably good bike, but didn't think I needed (or could afford) anything too fancy. I also wanted a mountain bike, not because I cycle up mountains that much, rather because I think they look cool.
The first thing I noticed as I looked around my local bike shop was that technology had seemingly come a long way in the last few years. It quickly became clear that £200 can buy quite a reasonable bike nowadays (unlike the days when a piece of junk Raleigh Activator would set you back about £250)
Out of the bikes within my budget, the Trek 820 immediately caught my eye. It looks great (mine is blue/silver but I believe it also comes in red/silver). I was very wary of cheaper bikes that try a little too hard to look better than they are. The Trek 820 looks much like any other Trek, simple but stylish.
The 820 is pretty much bottom of the Trek mountain bike range, but that doesn't mean it's crap. Trek are generally recognised as one of the better bike manufacturers around.
The bike is steel framed, which is now a rather outdated, heavy material. However, for the casual cyclist this shouldn't be any problem. The 820 is only going to be too heavy if you're carrying it up mountains/over rivers/whatever the pros do! In fact you'd be hard pushed to tell the difference between this and an aluminium frame.
The ride is much smoother than anything else I've experienced. Front suspension forks really do make a difference, and although the ones provided here (RST 191 CL) are nothing special, they do the job well enough.
Probably the biggest problem I have experienced is with the gears. They are budget 21-speed Shimano and don't like to be pushed too hard. You have to ride quite smoothly to avoid chain slippage. This is annoying at first, but you do get used to it.
The brakes are the 'old-fashioned' variety, i.e. not disc brakes, but work very well indeed. No complaints there at all. Saddle, pedals, etc are all basic but good enough. The standard tyres are massive, they look cool, but aren't the best for pure road use!
I haven't noticed any major problems as the bike has aged. A bit of rust and a puncture is all that comes to mind.
All in all this is a very impressive bike for the price. It's by no means amazing, but it's probably one of the best bikes in it's price bracket. The 820 suits my needs of road riding plus a little not too serious off-roading very well.
Recommended for anyone after a good ride, but not too serious about the sport.
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Price
£220 (possibly cheaper now)
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