Trek Pilot 1.2

[garygkn]

Does anyone know what size seatpost a Trek Pilot 1.2 is?
I would take the Bontrager Carbon one out but I am away and not with the bike.
Thanks.

[emil]

I have a 2006 Trek Pilot 1 and the seat post is 27.2. Hope this helps.

[garygkn]

Thanks Emil.
I managed to get to the bike a few days later and you are correct.
I want to use a saddle bag with the bike so I had to swap out the carbon seat post.
The rear wheel had gone out of true but sadly it couldn't be fixed. I have now replaced them with an up grade.
Very comfortable bike. Initially I didn't think I was going to like it as it looks a bit odd to my eye.

How do you find the bike?

[emil]

Hi Garygkn, re my Trek Pilot 1, I love it. Mind you the only orignal thing left is the frame! Changed the gears for old new stock 9 speed 105, Tiagra chainset and brakes, Askium wheels and Specialized seat post, saddle and stem. The old gear went onto my sons winter bike. I too have fitted a Caradice saddle bag with their Bagman quick release adapter. By the way my carbon seatpost has held up just fine. I mainly use it in bad weather and and on longer day trips in the summer. It,s got mudguards.

[garygkn]

I couldn't trust the carbon seat post with my luck not after I read a blog where a chap fitted a light bracket too tight and experienced a failure.
I think I am going to use the SQR system with a Carradice Nelson or maybe even just a Barley. I popped on some Ultegra wheels and new tyres but apart from the seat post I have changed nothing else. I will get round to mudguards after the summer.

What is the max tyre clearance with guards? 28c?

[emil]

I am not sure about the maximum clearance for mudguards but I use 25s. re the carbon seatpost and saddle bags, I too tried the SQR system but have switched to the Bagman QR bracket. This fits to the saddle rails and not the seatpost. In the winter I fit an old Cadet saddlebag and the for longer summer rides I use a Pendle (slightly bigger than a Barley), this is so I can carry extra food/drink and fit in some removed clothing as it warms up, hopefully!!

[garygkn]

Thanks for the picture and reply.
Your bike looks tidy and useful.
I popped on the SQR last night but the bag I bought with it was a bit too large I had a slightly smaller one and put that on.
Eventually I will fit guards.
There are very few road bikes these days that accomodate mudguards which is strange as we do get a lot of rain.
The other bike I spotted that was useful was the Giant Defy.
I bought the Pilot as I was curious about the geometry and wanted a commuter with a triple.
So far I have been impressed the bike has a good turn of speed and is very comfortable.

[dayrider]

Just seen this thread. I've got a Pilot 1.2 as well - I bought mine as a frame and forks, and kitted it up with bits from my parts bin. Here it is:



I use it as my winter bike. I really like it, and for an aluminium bike I find it very comfortable.

[emil]

Glad you like the look of my bike. Good luck riding over the summer with the new kit. Just hope it keeps dry!
Hi dayrider, glad to find another Pilot rider. I think the Trek Pilot was undersold by Trek UK as I find it very comfortable and I feel it,s a great pity that they have discontinued it this year.

[garygkn]

Hi Emil the bike looks good fit for purpose.
So does yours Dayrider. What size did you get? How tall are you?
I think I may go for the reflective qualities of silver mudguards.

(offline now 'till 9pm)

[dayrider]

I think the Trek Pilot was undersold by Trek UK as I find it very comfortable and I feel it,s a great pity that they have discontinued it this year.

Yes, I agree. In fact, I bought my Pilot 1.2 because I already had one of the Carbon Pilots as a summer bike, and I knew what versatile bikes they are. Just for the record, here is my carbon Pilot:

[emil]

Hi fellow Pilots. Missed out on a carbon Trek (cost). But got a Spesh WSD Dolce Elite with carbon forks, seatstay and seatpin, all with zertz inserts. Very nice ride . Although male it fits me perfectly and the metallic burgandy colour is beautiful. The pilot is a 52cm and the Dolce a 51cm.

[garygkn]

I will have to get a picture up next week.
After 2 weeks commuting, I have been suitably impressed, I think these bikes are very useful for the purpose of riding to work obviously they aren't racing bikes but I didn't want a racing bike.
Hopefully Trek will have a replacement? If not they are missing a trick because with the right marketing they should have a hit on their hands.

It ticks all the right boxes for me, triple up front, mudguard clearance and rack mounts.

I didn't even want an alumium frame or a carbon fork so a big step for me to take.

[bikes4two]

My wife loves her pilot 1.2 and would like to use it for light touring - have any of you put a rear rack on with panniers (and which ones?).

I fitted Giant Defy black fenders to the pilot and they go very nicely with the burgundy frame.

[corshamjim]

I fitted a Blackburn rack (can't remember which model - a fairly small one) to my Pilot. It was a right palaver getting the bolts in to those mounts inside the stays. I stripped the thread of one but found a beefier bolt which seems to have gripped okay - will have to take it easy before I'm comfortable with it though. With hindsight I should have drilled the holes in the rack out just a tad to allow me to line up the bolts more easily. If it starts coming loose I'll take it off entirely and just use a Carradice saddlebag instead.

I haven't ridden my Pilot much yet as I got it as a Sunday Best bike. It got me around our local 100k Audax without any drama - I need to replace the saddle though as I can't imagine the one it came with will ever be comfortable. Other than that I'm extremely happy with it (not sure what to compare it with though as it's the first drop handlebar bike except the Moulton APB I've owned since the late '90s).