Re:
They dont ride badly if you base your assessment on them from the perspective of what was available when they were new. But alas for the Trek 9000 series bikes, much better designs were hot on their heels and in comparison to the later designs they were not great.
I have a 1992 Trek 9500 and its not bad if you either wind up the rebound ring on the rear to the max so that the pogo effect is much reduced whilst pedalling but then the rear only reacts to big hits so negating the good point of suspension. Alternatively you get a modern shock tuned to the model such as supplied by Reece Racing which apparently transforms the handling but its not cheap. Biggest issues I've found with it are transmission feedback through the pedals as the chainline stretches with each pedal induced bob and the lateral flex due to not enough beef in the pivot point which can cause gear changing issues.
Ride it knowing its not going to be as good as later models and you'll be quite happy. But ride it expecting it to be good and you'll be disapointed. I like mine but I wouldn't take it around a modern trail centre.
