Trek District

I ran across an old video from November about the Trek District that I had somehow missed. The AP did a quick little video on the Trek District and had a chance to catch up with Eric Bjorling the brand manager in charge of the District. Hear what he had to say and see a quick clip below.

Two weeks ago we featured the first unboxing of a Trek District in New York, and last week we had the first owners review of this revolutionary bike. This week we’re going international. Pictured above is the first Trek District to arrive in Paris, and only the second in all of Europe that we know of. This picture comes to us straight from Thomas Cycles Saint Honoré a bike shop in downtown Paris. The shop owners tell me they have a feeling that Paris is going to be full of Districts in no time. I have a hunch they are going to be right.

Nick S. was one of the lucky few to have already received his Trek District. Now that he has had it for a few days he was kind enough to snap some pictures and write up some of his first impressions. Enjoy!

Initial thoughts on the Trek District 2009….

As I was handed my new Trek District at my local bike store the other day here in NYC, I could sense the numerous pairs of eyes staring at it. A woman approached me immediately and asked what kind of bike it was. Well, I was about to find out.

Weighing in at roughly 20 pounds, the first thing you notice while riding the District is the lack of any noise whatsoever. The rubber of the tires rolling on the asphalt and my jacket wafting in the wind were the only sounds to be heard, louder than any singular part on the bike. It’s literally like riding on a silent cloud. While the wingspan of the handlebars was wider than I had expected, the steering was still tight and nimble, allowing myself to easily negotiate myself between cars.

I really liked the gear ratio for the bike, as the District was super fast on the inclines, but only while sitting down. The configuration of the bike positions you pretty upright and I found standing up to be a little awkward. I also noticed that once I reached speeds upwards of 20 MPH, there was no point in peddling anymore. Its aluminum frame was rigid on bumps, but I’m used to that riding on NYC streets and dodging huge potholes. I did purchase a softer saddle, switching out the beautiful-looking, yet painful Bontrager one, which improved riding over rougher terrain tremendously.

While some readers were concerned about the difficulty of maintaining the District, it couldn’t be any simpler. First of all, there was no black chain grease to deal with and after using a hex wrench to loosen the rear bolts, the tire popped out vertically downwards from the adjustable dropouts. The Gates belt was easy to remove from the cog and chainring once the tire was out.

One thing that I haven’t gotten used to is the constant barrage of people staring and asking questions about the bike. People are immediately drawn to its bright orange rims and unique shape. It’s a crowd pleaser for sure. But most importantly, the District is just a true pleasure to ride and has now officially become my Spring/Summer cruising bike.

Some riders may not like the free-wheel setup or the bright colors, but it’s a unique bike that provides a unique riding experience. Ultimately, for riders looking for a beautiful and nimble single-speed urban bike, the District is one of the best out there.

-Nick

Congrats on the new bike Nick!

The good folks over at thecyclistsite.com were lucky enough to get a new Trek District in today. They are currently unboxing the beauty and building it up. Make sure you follow their site for first impressions and lots more full sized photos of the unboxing process.

Photo via thecyclistsite.com.

UPDATE: Lots more great photos here.

Some of the first stories of Trek Districts in the wild are rolling in. Stay tuned for pictures and reviews from the happy new owners. For those lucky ones who have gotten theirs hit us up via our contact page and let us know what you think.

Here is a great video put out by trek that talks more about the Trek District. The weather is warming up and rumor has it that the first districts are starting to roll off the lines already. If you haven’t already pre ordered yours, now is the time.

I know there have been a lot of people that have been pretty discouraged with all the delay’s in shipping the Trek District. I spoke with their brand manager last week and things sounded pretty positive. Official details are still coming (hopefully along with pictures of some of the first bikes to roll off the line) but it sounds like people will start to get their bikes in the next couple of months. Stay tuned for more….