This is a bike check on my Trek 4 Series. It’s a very ordinary bike. I definitely left a few things out here, but I wanted to show you guys my bike and find an excuse to use some of this extra B-roll I’ve been accumulating.
The bike you’ve been seeing most is a Trek 4 series, or a 4900 to be exact. It’s a 26” hardtail with an aluminum frame.
About 5 years ago, I bought this bike new for a little less than $1000. Somewhere along the way, I cracked the frame, which trek replaced under warranty. It was around then that I replaced just about every single part on the bike, including the cranks and wheels. It’s safe to say you’ll never see another trek 4900 with this exact setup.
My wheels are pretty good, but I can’t remember what brand they are. They’re double walled, which means they are beefier than what originally came on the bike.
The tires are Holy Rollers by Maxxis. While they aren’t the best trail tires in the world, they’re awesome for riding street. That’s why I like them.
Moving on to the brakes, they’re actually one of the few original parts on the bike. These shimano hydraulic disc brakes are entry level, but regarded as some of the most reliable ever made. This set has not been bled once in over 5 years. They’re a little big and ugly compared to more modern ones, but they still works great.
My cranks are race face—not sure what model, but the whole set was like $100. I removed the 3 stock chainrings on the front of the bike and replaced them with one single speed chainring from Raceface as well. This is known as the narrow wide, and I have another video reviewing it. Check the description.
The pedals are just some off brand aluminum platform pedals. I like them.
My rear derailleur gets replaced a lot, so currently I’m running a forté, which is actually made by the same company as nashbar.
Because I jump around a lot, I’ve added an additional guide to keep the chain from popping off. 90% of the time it’s not necessary, but it really makes the whole drivetrain bulletproof when I’m riding like an asshole. This is called a bionicon c-guide eco. I love this thing, but it mysteriously disappeared from Amazon.com. Hopefully it becomes available again.
This saddle is probably the nicest part on my entire bike. It’s made by a company called “selle” which is known for high end racing saddles. This was on my road bike, but I loved it so much that I moved it over to my mountain bike.
The saddle is attached to my trusty DNM dropper post. I can’t stress enough how important this part has been for me. A dropper post is a seat post that can be raised or lowered on the fly. Just push the trigger with your thumb, and you can drop your seat way down low to ride aggressively. Pop it back up, and you’re at the perfect height to pedal fast. I used to adjust my saddle based on the trail I was about to ride, but now I pop it up and down as needed while riding.
Overall, the bike weighs in at around 25 pounds. To me, this is pretty light, but there are plenty of mountain bikes way lighter than this. I don’t obsess over weight, because it actually makes a smaller difference than you think. Unless you’re racing, it won’t really hold you back.
So as you can see, my bike is pretty average, but I don’t really want a different bike. I love this one because it fits me perfectly. I’m 5’ 4” tall, so most men’s bicycles are not made with me in mind.
If I were racing, or didn’t have other things to spend my money on, maybe I’d get a high end trail bike. But, high end bikes don’t necessarily make you a better rider. They feel awesome, they look awesome, and believe me they run smooth as fuck, but it hurts your wallet when you break parts on them. I break things a lot, so I’m better of sticking to strong economical parts. I think If you’re afraid to break something, you’re afraid to learn something.
Reviews
DNM Dropper Post Review: https://youtu.be/PZ7cz3h1qx4
Maxxis Holy Roller Tires: https://youtu.be/oMI6qNEFntU
Race Face Narrow Wide: https://youtu.be/Xyo2GqhaOfE
Products
RockShox Recon 26" Suspension Forks: http://amzn.to/1HWo1dq
Face Face Narrow Wide: http://amzn.to/1AhfZ1F
Maxxis Holy Rollers: http://amzn.to/1GDudJK
DNM Dropper Post: https://www.sethsbikehacks.com/product/dnm-dropper-seat-post/
The bike you’ve been seeing most is a Trek 4 series, or a 4900 to be exact. It’s a 26” hardtail with an aluminum frame.
About 5 years ago, I bought this bike new for a little less than $1000. Somewhere along the way, I cracked the frame, which trek replaced under warranty. It was around then that I replaced just about every single part on the bike, including the cranks and wheels. It’s safe to say you’ll never see another trek 4900 with this exact setup.
My wheels are pretty good, but I can’t remember what brand they are. They’re double walled, which means they are beefier than what originally came on the bike.
The tires are Holy Rollers by Maxxis. While they aren’t the best trail tires in the world, they’re awesome for riding street. That’s why I like them.
Moving on to the brakes, they’re actually one of the few original parts on the bike. These shimano hydraulic disc brakes are entry level, but regarded as some of the most reliable ever made. This set has not been bled once in over 5 years. They’re a little big and ugly compared to more modern ones, but they still works great.
My cranks are race face—not sure what model, but the whole set was like $100. I removed the 3 stock chainrings on the front of the bike and replaced them with one single speed chainring from Raceface as well. This is known as the narrow wide, and I have another video reviewing it. Check the description.
The pedals are just some off brand aluminum platform pedals. I like them.
My rear derailleur gets replaced a lot, so currently I’m running a forté, which is actually made by the same company as nashbar.
Because I jump around a lot, I’ve added an additional guide to keep the chain from popping off. 90% of the time it’s not necessary, but it really makes the whole drivetrain bulletproof when I’m riding like an asshole. This is called a bionicon c-guide eco. I love this thing, but it mysteriously disappeared from Amazon.com. Hopefully it becomes available again.
This saddle is probably the nicest part on my entire bike. It’s made by a company called “selle” which is known for high end racing saddles. This was on my road bike, but I loved it so much that I moved it over to my mountain bike.
The saddle is attached to my trusty DNM dropper post. I can’t stress enough how important this part has been for me. A dropper post is a seat post that can be raised or lowered on the fly. Just push the trigger with your thumb, and you can drop your seat way down low to ride aggressively. Pop it back up, and you’re at the perfect height to pedal fast. I used to adjust my saddle based on the trail I was about to ride, but now I pop it up and down as needed while riding.
Overall, the bike weighs in at around 25 pounds. To me, this is pretty light, but there are plenty of mountain bikes way lighter than this. I don’t obsess over weight, because it actually makes a smaller difference than you think. Unless you’re racing, it won’t really hold you back.
So as you can see, my bike is pretty average, but I don’t really want a different bike. I love this one because it fits me perfectly. I’m 5’ 4” tall, so most men’s bicycles are not made with me in mind.
If I were racing, or didn’t have other things to spend my money on, maybe I’d get a high end trail bike. But, high end bikes don’t necessarily make you a better rider. They feel awesome, they look awesome, and believe me they run smooth as fuck, but it hurts your wallet when you break parts on them. I break things a lot, so I’m better of sticking to strong economical parts. I think If you’re afraid to break something, you’re afraid to learn something.
Reviews
DNM Dropper Post Review: https://youtu.be/PZ7cz3h1qx4
Maxxis Holy Roller Tires: https://youtu.be/oMI6qNEFntU
Race Face Narrow Wide: https://youtu.be/Xyo2GqhaOfE
Products
RockShox Recon 26" Suspension Forks: http://amzn.to/1HWo1dq
Face Face Narrow Wide: http://amzn.to/1AhfZ1F
Maxxis Holy Rollers: http://amzn.to/1GDudJK
DNM Dropper Post: https://www.sethsbikehacks.com/product/dnm-dropper-seat-post/
Category
🥇
Sports