Trek 820 Review - The Ultimate Bike For A New Rider? $500.00 new selling for $75.00 phone show contact info
Who Is The Trek 820 Aimed At?
The Trek 820 is for those riders who are looking for their first mountain bike, a newbie biker if you will.
As a starter bike, you're still getting high-quality features that mean the bike is still very functional and ideal for taking onto the trails.
For a beginner bike, it gives you the tools and confidence to take on tougher terrains and spend some time on the roads too. Think of this bike like a mountain bike finishing school. It will help you hone in on your skills so you're ready to graduate to a more advanced MTB.
The great thing about the Trek 820 is that it's forgiving, it allows you to make mistakes and if this is your first bike, you're going to make mistakes.
Overall, for riders wanting to dip their toes into the mountain biking world and get on a trail or two, the Trek 820 mountain bike can take you on that journey. I would also say that this bike makes for a good XC bike and would handle itself well on the cross-country tracks.
Key Features Of The Trek 820 Mountain Bike
There are some key features of the Trek 820 mountain bike that are worth noting - which is exactly what we'll do in this section of the mountain bike review!
Frame
The frame on the Trek 820 is a Trek custom design steel frame. For mountain bikes, steel is a great choice, it's durable and performs well.
Alongside the frame, you get a front suspension, SR Suntour M 3030. It features a coil spring and this gives you the ability to hit the trails.
Why?
It increases the responsiveness of the bike and when you're getting to grips with a new mountain bike, that's exactly what you want.
Keeping in mind that this is an entry-level bike, the fork gives you 75mm of travel. This isn't huge or the best when compared to other mountain bikes but at this price range, it's more than acceptable and will allow you to take on moderately challenging rides - which fits the intended rider perfectly!
Shifters
This mountain bike comes with a Shimano Tourney drivetrain. This includes Shimano Tourney EF40 shifters, giving you 7 gears.
Shifting will be smooth, which is perfect when you're off-road, on a trail, and need to make gear changes quickly.
However, Tourney aren't the best bike components, nor are they the worst. For a beginner, they're going to be ideal.
My first bike had a terrible set of gears - I envied those riders who had Tourney!
What I really like about the Trek 820 is that it's a full Shimano Tourney drivetrain. The front derailleur is Shimano Tourney TY500 and the rear derailleur is Shimano Tourney TY300.
Often on entry-level bikes, you get part of the drivetrain which is a decent component and the rest isn't. Trek hasn't done that with the 820 and that makes everything smoother. The components were designed to work together and that becomes clear when you're riding!
Bontrager features on most (if not all) of Treks' bikes. It's their components side of the business and they have a good name!
The reason I mention this is that the handlebars are Bontrager Riser. They're comfortable and you should find that the handling on this bike is solid and precise. The great thing is that the handlebar isn't too wide, making it good for the majority of riders. Sometimes I find that if a handlebar is too wide, you need to cut it down to get it to work well for you, and in my opinion, that can be too much work when all you want to do is a cycle!
Pedals are included too!
Brakes
On the Trek 820, you get Tektro alloy linear-pull - a rim braking system to many riders.
A lot of mountain bikes come with disc brakes so this is a little disappointing that they don't feature on the Trek 820 but we do have to remember that this is a mountain bike on a budget.
Yet what you have to keep in mind is the price range and who this bike is targeted at. Rim brakes are ideal. They keep the weight of the bicycle down and for beginners, it's unlikely they will feel the true benefit of disc brakes anyway so it seems like a smart design decision all round from Trek.
Especially when you allow for the fact that the braking system is paired up with Bontrager LT3 26 x 2" tires, you should get all the stopping power you need.
Tires
As I've just said the tires are Bontrager and they work perfectly with the frame...as you'd expect as they're both Trek when it comes down to it!
But the size of the tires is ideal on a beginner bike. 26" is sort of unusual for a mountain bike these days but it's a great size and I admire the design.
26-inch tires give you a lot of control and great handling - this is particularly useful when you're going downhill on a trail. I'd say they're the perfect tire size for a starter mountain bike.
Saddle
It should come as no surprise to you to see another Bontrager part on this bike. The saddle on the Trek 820 is well designed and it appears to be comfortable, coupled with the well-designed seat post too.
I'm not going to say it'll be comfortable for everybody as saddles aren't a one size fits all type of thing but I think it does a good job of providing comfort to a high proportion of cyclists.
For an overview of the model, check out this video from Trek