Ode to the Trek Allant+ 8s

[Sefutau2020]

Since 2022, I’ve owned two Trek Allant+ 8S e-bikes, and both delivered impressive performance. The first bike gave me 4,500 miles of flawless, uninterrupted service. The second followed closely behind with 7,700 miles, only experiencing a single battery issue, which Trek resolved by replacing the battery at no cost. At around the 7,000-mile mark, the chain finally gave out, a small casualty that actually speaks volumes about both my aggressive riding style and the solid durability of the Allant+ 8S. These bikes are undeniably fun, fast, and built to go the distance.

However, at a purchase price of $4,450, the Allant+ 8S was the most expensive bike I’ve ever bought, and now, they’re selling for nearly $2,000 less. That price drop stings a little more considering the compromises I had to make. The rigid fork forced me to add a suspension stem for comfort. The uniquely shaped rear rack required a custom-made plate just to mount a trunk bag. I even replaced the outdated COBI system with a more modern Kiox 300, which meant buying a new display holder. Altogether, those upgrades cost me an extra $700, expenses that shouldn’t be necessary on a premium e-bike.

While I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the Trek Allant+ 8S and appreciate its reliability and power, the value proposition has become harder to defend. My 2023 Specialized Vado 4.0, which cost only $2,750 on sale, didn’t require a single upgrade to meet my needs. With the rapid evolution of e-bike technology and more competitive offerings from other brands, it's clear the market is shifting. As I pass my Allant+ 8S to its next owner, I do so with gratitude, but also with eyes open to better, more balanced options ahead.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Well, not sure you can blame Trek for your upgrades. That's a personal thing. Getting rid of the stock tires and going tubeless has made the bike a smoother ride. My bull's bike with a decent air fork is still a harsher ride. But this bike is not an off-road bike. but yes the cobi turned out to be not great but at the time bosch had not really had the kiox or nyon out much. The rack is odd, but it holds my bags fine; you just can't carry anything on top of it. Better tires make a huge difference on this bike, and it makes it faster and smoother. I have over 15,000 miles on it. I did have a rear rim crack that was replaced under warranty. But I just got a new wheelset. Most of my bikes have had the rear wheel crack. I wanted narrower rims for smaller tires. I have worn out one chainring, I think two cassettes, numerous chains and brake pads, and rotors. I had to have the bearings in the headset replaced with sealed ones, but that's the way on all my bikes, as I ride in the rain so much. There are always going to be compromises on bikes for the price.

 

[Nomadmax]

I bought an Allant+ 8s Stagger for 2499.00 and feel it's a great value. As with anything, buying in when something is brand new always comes at a cost.

 

[stompandgo]

The price cuts are happening because the bottom end of the e-bike market is flooded with throwaway bikes. It's no different than the pedal bike market with Wal-Mart, Discount Tire, Dick's Sporting Goods, and other big box stores offering cheap pedal bikes that you can walk away with that day. It's what the average consumer demands. You bought a quality, well designed and manufactured bike that was designed to last a long time, including parts and serviceability. There is a cost for that.

Where I disagree with you is where you say "Altogether, those upgrades cost me an extra $700, expenses that shouldn’t be necessary on a premium e-bike.". You said it yourself, they were upgrades. You knew what you bought when you bought it. There are two ways to get a bike that's perfect for you. Buy one that's 80% there and customize it, or build one up from a frame and parts. You could always wait for the market to come to you, but that may never happen.

The market doesn't make my ideal e-bike today. Will it ever? I don't know. So I live and ride a compromise, and enjoy it as much as I can.

 

[Sefutau2020]

Well, not sure you can blame Trek for your upgrades. That's a personal thing. Getting rid of the stock tires and going tubeless has made the bike a smoother ride. My bull's bike with a decent air fork is still a harsher ride. But this bike is not an off-road bike. but yes the cobi turned out to be not great but at the time bosch had not really had the kiox or nyon out much. The rack is odd, but it holds my bags fine; you just can't carry anything on top of it. Better tires make a huge difference on this bike, and it makes it faster and smoother. I have over 15,000 miles on it. I did have a rear rim crack that was replaced under warranty. But I just got a new wheelset. Most of my bikes have had the rear wheel crack. I wanted narrower rims for smaller tires. I have worn out one chainring, I think two cassettes, numerous chains and brake pads, and rotors. I had to have the bearings in the headset replaced with sealed ones, but that's the way on all my bikes, as I ride in the rain so much. There are always going to be compromises on bikes for the price.

Not a complaint at all concerning the Trek 8s, as it was a great bike, and solid in every way. It is my observation, from my perspective. The Vado 4, always seemed like the better deal of the two....and it was cheaper. For me, the Vado never needed one thing from the word go....Happy riding.

 

[Sefutau2020]

The price cuts are happening because the bottom end of the e-bike market is flooded with throwaway bikes. It's no different than the pedal bike market with Wal-Mart, Discount Tire, Dick's Sporting Goods, and other big box stores offering cheap pedal bikes that you can walk away with that day. It's what the average consumer demands. You bought a quality, well designed and manufactured bike that was designed to last a long time, including parts and serviceability. There is a cost for that.

Where I disagree with you is where you say "Altogether, those upgrades cost me an extra $700, expenses that shouldn’t be necessary on a premium e-bike.". You said it yourself, they were upgrades. You knew what you bought when you bought it. There are two ways to get a bike that's perfect for you. Buy one that's 80% there and customize it, or build one up from a frame and parts. You could always wait for the market to come to you, but that may never happen.

The market doesn't make my ideal e-bike today. Will it ever? I don't know. So I live and ride a compromise, and enjoy it as much as I can.

I also purchased a Vado 4 for $2750, which was a better deal than the Trek 8s, and it is certainly NOT a throw away bike. The ebike market has quickly changed, and most bicycle manufacturers frames are made by Giant. Times are changing, and owning 13 ebikes in the last 4 years, I can see the it very clearly.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Not a complaint at all concerning the Trek 8s, as it was a great bike, and solid in every way. It is my observation, from my perspective. The Vado 4, always seemed like the better deal of the two....and it was cheaper. For me, the Vado never needed one thing from the word go....Happy riding.

I thought about it, but the only two dealers, one was 15 or more miles away by bike, so not practical The other is a high-end shop, but you can only ride the bike around the parking lot so no way to test it. Plus with two bosch bikes I had batteries that would fit it.

 

[stompandgo]

I also purchased a Vado 4 for $2750, which was a better deal than the Trek 8s, and it is certainly NOT a throw away bike. The ebike market has quickly changed, and most bicycle manufacturers frames are made by Giant. Times are changing, and owning 13 ebikes in the last 4 years, I can see the it very clearly.

Your Vado is not a throwaway bike, and neither is mine. This year, I paid $2,149 for my Tesoro X Speed that hit the market in 2021 at $6,000. Cannondale only offered the bike for one year, so the following year, they dropped the price to $5,000, and last year to $4,000. Cannondale then blew them out to dealers at who knows what price. If you bought a great bike at a significantly discounted price, that doesn't change the fact that you bought a great bike.

The reason our bikes were discounted so much is because the market fell out from under them. This was driven by a flood of no-name brands sold direct or via online or big box stores. How many brands selling cheap e-bikes three years ago are still around today? The consolidation has been mind blowing. They either found a way into the bike shops (Lectric, Aventon, Mondraker, etc.) while still selling direct, or they folded, leaving their customers holding the bag. New brands pop up every now and then, but it is a very crowded market. To anyone buying a no-name brand direct these days, I wish you the best of luck getting it serviced down the road.