Trek 520 Touring Bike - LONG TERM REVIEW!

Rad Bike Adventure Gear Reviews: Trek 520 Touring Bicycle long term review!
We're making content all about bike touring & bikepacking to inspire more people (that's you!) to get out on their bicycles and see the world. Subscribe if this sounds like something ur interested in ;D
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
𝙄𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙑𝙄𝘿:
Are you interested in the 520 as a touring bike?? Darin gives us her road and trail touring tested review of her 2018 Trek 520 touring bicycle (Joan Jet). She's gone nearly 10,000 miles! Let's see how this beauty of a steel steed held up to the rigors of the road.

👋 𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙉𝙀𝘾𝙏 𝙒𝙄𝙏𝙃 𝙐𝙎

🌎 𝙀𝙓𝙋𝙇𝙊𝙍𝙀 𝙊𝙐𝙍 𝙍𝙊𝙐𝙏𝙀

💥𝙎𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙀 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙑𝙇𝙊𝙂

⛰️ 𝙎𝙐𝙋𝙋𝙊𝙍𝙏 𝙐𝙎
Hoping to have t-shirts and swag soon too. THANK YOU ALL for the support !
You freaking rock.

🎶 𝙈𝙐𝙎𝙄𝘾 𝙄𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙑𝙄𝘿𝙀𝙊
"RaD Bike Adventure Theme" by the amazing Dennis Hansson
𝙀𝙋𝙄𝘿𝙀𝙈𝙄𝘾 𝙎𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘿:
Intro: My Last Song (Tigerblood Jewel Remix) - The Eastern Plain
Surrounded by Bubbles - Civet Cat
ES_Beauti Ful - Smartface

🧡 Hi friends! This page contains affiliate links meaning if you shop through them we may earn a small amount of $ which helps support us. We only recommend gear we've used and know is worth the hype! We see that as a pretty sweet win win :D

ⒽⒶⓈⒽⓉⒶⒼⓈ
#trek520 #cyletouring #touringbikereview

[silverhooligan]

I just bought a new to me Trek 520, 2016.

Your review was helpful in figuring out some of the mods I need to do.

I did a bunch of long tours on a specialized tricross. I bought the bike before I got into touring and by the time I did all the mods I could have bought another bike.

This bike—love at first ride.

Brooks saddles are butt savers! I have the flyer cutout.

Looking forward to watching your other videos.

[johnwelch]

Excellent bike. Easy to ride and durable. Brooks saddles are the best. 'Ridden them since 1960. Keep the videos coming. Love you guys!

[wornoutwrench]

I had a 520. I bought it new in 2002 or 03.
I bought it with the idea of getting out touring but also used it as my everyday ride ( was also my weight loss machine )
Loved that bike, never got it out on tour.

Then I injured my back and I can't sit on a DF anymore and had to resort to a recumbent.
I miss the 520. It was my first real bike and not just a hardware store special.
I did manage to sell it to a guy that was gong to take it touring, so at least my bike finally got out on tour.

Would I buy another one if I could ride it, hell yeah.

[nicolearnold]

I love my trek 520. I also have a brooks saddle and Shwalbe tires. Great review.

[eviltango]

Love the fenders!!
Just looked at a 520 today in Southampton and it's even cooler in person, feels solid like a rock

[sascha]

Many thanks for introducing your bike set-up. Currently looking for a touring bike and the Trek 520 is one of the bikes I am considering.

[malcolmtaylor]

Fenders very essential to keep the crud off the bike and your clothes. We call them mudguards in the UK. Even more essential in our weather. Your Trek looks very good, have a Dawes super galaxy for my rides. Thanks for the video.

[pablobuenomendoza]

Thank you for the social justice note at the end. I really appreciated it. About the Trek 520, I used to commute on a Trek 520 (1990 lugged steel frame) to work to UC San Diego periodically in the early 1990s. Good stable ride. Now I ride an REI Novara Mazama (2016). Nothing is better for commuting than a touring bicycle. Nice review.

[bachmach]

Nice content!
Thanks for the review!

[sonalmalhotra]

I am thinking of getting the Trek 520 2022 model with more thicker tires and front hub dynamo etc. Now it comes with a front and rear bike rack.

[cayr]

Excellent review. Thank you. I have similar experience with the Trek 520. Good choice indeed.

[TravelingThru]

That bike is sick. I have the 2020 Trek 520, its a bit of a change going from the bar end shifters to the paddle shifters. Every once in a while I reach for a shifter that isn't there.
Looks great, Nice review.

[j.foobar]

You said Marathon Plus Tours but those are Marathon Mondials aren't they? Either way, found your channel when searching for reviews of the 520 and have watched several of your other videos now. Keep up the good work. You two make fun, informative videos and people who fawn over cute dogs as much as you two do are my people.

[dfglandon]

Thanks for the review. I’m currently in the market for a touring bike and the 520 is one that I’m interested in as well as Kona Sutra.

[dpell]

My first viewing and I intend to keep up with your channel. Yes cheap pedals can work perfectly well. I bought name brand because the makers are truly passionate and came up with a design that works for them and they are sharing that with us. I don't want to give my money to a brand that copies them for a little less and received the benefit of the original design. No shade on those who need to cut costs. I have and will again I'm sure.

[JoeOsChannel]

I tried to buy one this week but the shops (Thunder Bay Ontario) don't have any and the distributor here in Canada is completely sold out right now as well. Also contacted a bike shop in BC that I used to work for and they can't get any right now either.
And yes, the 520 truly is a classic for touring!
Just subscribed.

[arminhess]

I have the same model in size 57 for almost 14000 km now. the only big disadvantage: it is not stiff enough for being fully loaded front and rear. I prefer front loading only plus a large seatbag, not more.
mine is fully custom with ritchey classic components, Pelago fenders, Challenge Strada Bianca Pro Open tires, a Specialized Porteur Rack with Restrap Rando Bag, dynamo hub with Supernova E3 Pro 2 lights. Drivetrain ist a 2x10 SRAM Rival/GX, 11-36 and a Sugino Crank 44-28. ideal for long rides over 10h.

[Solarsystem]

This is by far the best review of the Trek 520. I got a 520 because of you. The fact that you ride it around the world gives you a lot of credibility. I wonder how much $$$ is Trek making from you review. At least, they should sent you a t-shirt :)

[djkenny]

I have one awaiting a trip! Same model. Pre Downgrades. I added Metropolis bars and shorter stem with an extender. Only gripe is I wish it had a longer head tube like on a Surly LHT. A bike I found otherwise too overbuilt for my needs.

[tedwalker]

As a bike rider for many years I understand your partiality for that bike. I have 6 bicycles and most of the time I only ride one. I ride it because it fits me the best and the modifications work well for me. Two of the bikes are similar. A Windsor Dover 3.0 and a North rock XC6. I bought the Windsor new and the North rock used it had been treated ruff before I got it. I do my own repairs so I built the North rock up like the Windsor.
Now I ride the North rock the most. It just has better balance but otherwise the same as the Windsor. Both bikes now have something like 3000 miles each that I have put on them. All of those miles on road and paved or hard packed trails. They have finders rear rack and 26 X 1.75 Schwalbe Marathon plus tires. Those tires are the best hands down. Good video by the way.