Bought a 2012 21-Inch
I heard that the Sawyer was not being produced for 2013, so I went-ahead and ordered one. I really didn't want to spend that kind of cash sight-unseen, but the thing looks so darn good in the pictures and most of the posts on this forum are positive. A week later, I received my bronze 21-inch-frame $1400 bicycle.
My first impression was that it looked awful small for a 29er. It looks like a 26er next to my Wahoo. Also, I had asked for a flat grey one, but it came in bronze, which was actually a pleasant surprise. They ain't making no more, so I'll take what I can get.
I hefted it, and was surprised that it weighed so little. I had heard all kinds of speculative horror about the steel frame, but it just wasn't that bad at all. If you're the type to count ounces, it might actually be heavy. But I weigh 225Lbs. and the bike's weight seems negligible. It must be within a pound or two of my Wahoo, so it's acceptable. It's noticeably heavier than my fifteen-year-old old Cannondale M400 solid-suspension, aluminum-frame job.
The bike is gorgeous. It's really just stunning. Dark grey-bronze with bronze fittings all over the place. This is definitely one to hang on the wall between rides, not hide in the garage or shed. Those fat Bontragers with the tall sidewalls are the coolest tires I've owned since I bought my Harley Sportster (yeah, I guess I tend to select form over function). The contrasting shades of bronze and the black accents make this thing into a liquid-metal Terminator beauty.
I had the dealer replace the Prestos with Schraders, install thorn-resistant tubes, and slime the hell outta the tubes. I also ordered a quick-release for the seat. The frame has two sets (four) braze-ons/attachments/whatever. The pedals are typically Trek-tiny. There are a few too many stickers on the frame, polluting the dynamite aesthetics.
I'll probably play-around with the position of the bars, or maybe replace them. I also think I'll install a third, larger sprocket in the front. I ride on the street an awful lot. Just like Nordic skiing is a way for Swedish businessmen to get to work, MTB is a way to get around New Mexico, not something you drive 400 miles to do for the weekend.
Riding it on the street is a little disappointing. With two tiny sprockets in the front and ten in the back, you really need to build some revs to achieve any speed. Sorry I don't have the exact sprocket-sizes handy. I had to force it to wheelie, that front rim acted glued to the pavement. This may also have been an effect of the low position of the bars.
On a typical New Mexico gravel road, the bike soared. I lowered the seat a little below the standard recommendation and just slammed down a dirt road for about ten miles. No squeaks, no flexing, just solid transfer of my pumping power into motion.
I dislike the shifter, just 'cause I have two handles on each side, and one upshifts and the other downshifts and the big one upshifts on one side and downshifts on the other and -- man, it's just not instinctual/obvious/whatever.
The brakes never once grabbed, they just rolled me to a stop, smoothly and silently. Like most bikes, the seat is a little too small. I don't know why these things are so tiny. Even teeny little 90-pound women complain about them. For whom the hell are they designing those things?
One thing that kinda threw me was the lack of any owner's manual, warranty card, specification sheet, anything. I dropped-by the dealer's and asked about it, they gave me a handsome little folder with a CD, but it turned-out to be for the 2009 line of bikes. I would have thought Trek would at least hand-out one of those, "Tell us and the telemarketers all about yourself" cards. So I went online and registered.
So is it worth $1400. Buy it now or forget about it. I saw an ad online from Chicago for $800. anyway, I dunno. It's sweet to ride, but not incredible. It is incredibly beautiful, but I can't see it when I'm riding it. I really don't enjoy suspensions, so it's worth it for that. I guess it's like a beautiful, high-maintenance girlfriend; how much are you willing to spend to ride it?