Trek 4300 Mountain Bike Review – Should You Buy It?

On the surface, the Trek 4300 seems like an excellent entry-level mountain bike. Everyone says it’s suitable for leisure or forest trail rides. You can check the article for the breed of best mountain bikes under 300 bucks on Expertbiker. The listed bikes are affordable but they are the top performers. Also you can rebuild your life with Relifesports.com.

From its EVO frame geometry, ISO Speed frameset, and full-floating suspension, Trek has raised the bar for the safety of mountain bikes.

Not to mention, the sheer number of options 4300 is available is astonishing. It comes in 13 inches, 16, 18, 19.5, 21, 22.5, and 25 inch frame sizes. There’s also a $370 disc brake version to appeal to those who prefer disc brakes. 

Considering all this and the unique features that set Trek apart, the 4300 seems like a steal at this price point. But is it really so?

Let’s find out in our in-depth look at its specification, features, ride details, and more below. 

The Key Specifications of Trek 4300

• Colors: Matte Dniester Black/Viper Red, Trek White/Signature Green/Placid Blue
• Frame type: Hardtail
• Frame material: Aluminum Alloy
• Frame Details: Gold Alpha Aluminum with the semi-integrated head tube, formed and butted down tube & Top Tube, race geometry, internal cable routing, rack mounts, forged dropouts,
• Gears: 27 speed
• Chainset type: 44-32-22
• Fork travel: 100 mm
• Wheel size: 26 inches (MTB Wheel sizes explained)
• Chainset: Shimano Acera
• Front derailleur: Shimano Acera
• Rear derailleur: Shimano Acera
• Shifters: Shimano Acera M390, 9 Speed
• Front hub: alloy, formula DC20
• Rear hub:  alloy, formula DC22
• Cassette: Shimano Acera
• Brakeset: Shimano M395 hydraulic disc brakes
• Front fork: Suntour XCM
• Wheels: Formula DC20 alloy front hub; Formula DC22 LW alloy rear hub w/Bontrager AT-650 32-hole double-walled rims

The Key Features of Trek 4300

Below are some exciting features of this mountain bike:

1. Chassis

The Trek 4300 has an alpha gold aluminum frame. Aluminum frames are strong yet super lightweight. Moreover, the butted frame exhibits fine details, smooth welding, and sophistication you have come to expect from Trek bikes.

Moreover, the curvy wishbone seat stays, and the hydroformed downtube gives it a sporty geometry. Hence, it makes for a very durable bike. With proper maintenance, it should remain in good shape for a long time. 

There’s also a mudguard, multiple bottle cage bosses, rackmounts, and height adjustment spaces. The basic versions feature brackets and hose guides to upgrade to disc brakes.

As you expect, the overall geometry feels casually sporty rather than full-on made to race. The RST Gila fork offers 80mm of travel – handy if you are a bit heavy.

However, given the price point, don’t expect rebound damping. You can also hear a slight thunk when the fork re-extends. 

2. Tires

The Trek 4300 has a very decent Bontrager XR2 set of wheels. They are fast-rolling and offer consistent traction in diverse track conditions.

The sturdy Bontrager Camino rims are attached to the Shimano rear hub. While not fully tubeless, they are tubeless-ready to provide some protection against punctures.

Finally, the inner nylon inserts casing provides sufficient sidewall protection making the tires even more durable. 

3. Derailleur Routing

All the cables are – thankfully – routed internally for max protection. Their ports are fixed adjacent to the head tube and seat tube.

This allows you to run the derailleur via its frame, therefore, saving the cable from weather elements and other wear & tear. It also ensures the Trek 4300 runs much smoother, quieter, and clean. 

4. Suspension

This bike has excellent shocks. It absorbs shocks of rough terrain like a pro, making your ride comfortable and avoiding any body aches after a long ride.

With regular maintenance, expect this bike’s suspensions to take a beating for a long while. 

5. Gears

The Trek 4300 has 27-speed gears. Such a wide range of gears provides you with enough versatility to cycle through any track without much effort.

Working in tandem with excellent derailleurs and cranksets, the gears ensure you can ride any obstacle like a pro mountain bike without much effort. 

6. Brakes

It features Shimano hydraulic disc brakes that are easy (and efficient) to apply. Unlike mechanical disc brakes, the hydraulic brakes operate much more effortlessly, especially on uphill rides.

They are also more responsive. A little push and the bike come to a grinding halt almost immediately. What’s more, hydraulic brakes require little maintenance as dirt takes more time to accumulate around the pads and brake lines.

However, the maintenance work isn’t easy. You should have at least some knowledge of the closed systems to get the job done efficiently. 

7. Finishing

Sure, it’s not the most good-looking bike out there, but it’s far from an ugly two-wheeler. It has a brown paint job on its entire frame as well as the saddle.

Plus, the white details and decals on the saddle add to the overall aesthetics. 

How’s the ride of Trek 4300?

As the Trek 4300 is very lightweight (at just 12.8 kg), the ride is faster than many comparable bikes like the Marin Northside Trail. In part, that’s because it has fast-rolling center-ridge tires.

It stays steady on uphill rides and rolls smoothly downhill. However, the bike starts feeling out of its depth if the road gets too bumpy. 

As with every other bike at this price point, the primary limitation comes from the fork. Sure, you can hit the road harder with a suspension fork, but when the road gets too bumpy, the untamed rebound makes the ride a little uncomfortable.

You need to keep your arms loose to absorb the shocks. However, once you get used to these limitations, the ride of the Trek 4300 alpha aluminum bike gets smooth. 

Furthermore, the handling is what you expect – conservatively neutral. As there are several options available to adjust the ride’s position, relative beginners will love to experiment a little to find their perfect position. 

Pros: What makes the 4300 mountain bike a good investment? 

• The Trek 4300 is a very affordable mountain bike in this price range. 
• It has mounts for racks, mudguards, and fenders
• Its frame is very lightweight yet solid – with proper care, it will last years of regular use. 
• It has very efficient shocks that absorb most of the bumps without making the ride inconvenient.
• It has huge frame clearance at the rear wheel, so you can upgrade this bike with larger wheels if you want
• Low standover height in comparison with reach
• Its asymmetric rims come with nipple inserts

Cons: What makes the 4300 mountain bike a bad investment? 

• You can hear the clang on the rebound
• The Spinner forks have a rather poor damping
• It has small front chainrings
• It comes with shoddy components. However, the low-quality components make sense when considering their low cost. 

Final Thoughts

To conclude, we can say the Trek 4300 mountain bike is designed to flatter newbies and offer them a stable ride and a reliable base to improve on in the future. In that regard, it does its job pretty damn well.

It’s efficient and affordable as well, thanks to a time-proven design and sensible hardware choices. However, the Trek 4300 is not particularly inspiring, especially on downhill bumpy rides.

Overall, the Trek 4300 alpha aluminum is a competent all-rounder mountain bike that intends to please most riders most of the time. How far it succeeds depends on how far you want to push its hardware.

Trek 4 series comprises several hard-hitters, and 4300 is worthy of a place among them.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

What type of bike is Trek 4300? 

Trek 4300 is a mountain bike that is designed for mountainous tracks. Due to the alpha gold aluminum frame, excellent shocks, and a wide range of gears, Trek 4300 is a good option for bumpy rides and leisure tracks in the park or streets.

Who is it for? 

The Trek 4300 mountain bike is perfect for beginners or recreational riders who want to test their mountain riding skills. However, if you plan on blasting downhill runs, it may not be a good choice. 

Does Trek 4300 have mounts for racks? 

Yes, the Trek Alpha aluminum frame has mounts for racks, and they’re really helpful on long rides. 

What size bike is Trek 4300? 

The Trek 4 series 4300 mountain bike is available in 13, 16, 18, 19.5, 21, 22.5, and 24inches frame sizes.

What year is Trek 4300? 

The first Trek 4300 mountain bike came out in 2000. After that, the manufacturer released several different versions in subsequent years.

The first Trek 4300 mountain bike came in red and gloss red colors. 

What is the Trek 4300 price?

Today, you can get a brand new Trek 4300 mountain bike for around $300. It’s a real bargain considering all the value it packs in the package.

You can also purchase its disc brake version if you want better brakes. However, it is slightly expensive, coming in at $370 approximately. 

How much does a Trek 4300 mountain bike weigh? 

The Trek 4300 mountain bike weighs approximately 12.8 Kg which is 28.4 pounds.