Submitted by
Stuart7677
a Cross Country Rider
from Wellington, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2010
Strengths: Really stable at speed
Weaknesses: None I can think of. Of course, it's a bit less manouvreable being a 29er
Bottom Line:
I only tried this out in the yard of the bike shop - was a bit hesitant about what it would be like on a trail. I'm really thrilled with it. I'm not a competition rider - I want a good, hardwearing bike that's stable and responsive. It's been great.
Submitted by
slohr
a Cross Country Rider
from LaVale, MD
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2008
Strengths: Great steel frame, very stiff fork, very strong wheels, strong and stiff crank, quick-handling geometry
Weaknesses: Weight--although it hardly seems to be a weakness.
Tires are FAST and good for dry conditions. Not the best for all the flavors of mud and roots here in the east.
Bottom Line:
Just a great all-around bike. Looking for a 26" trail FS, and out of curiosity, demo'd a Haro Mary, which made made me forget about the 26" trail bike. All the good 29er stuff you've read is true about the Tucson. I decided not to get the Mary after reading about the wheels in the MTBR reviews. When I had decided to purchase the Tucson, I planned to swap out drive train parts, fork, you name it, but all work very well. The deore shifters, although not the quickest, are just fine. Same with the derailleurs. The plus may be the fork--it just is very, very stiff (still set at 80mm travel), and helps all the advantages of the big wheels even more. The wheels are outstanding. They have been stronger than my 26" mavic 517s, which says alot since these 29ers just beg to be ridden faster and faster over the nastiest stuff. After 30 hours, LBS ace mechanic tightened the spokes about 1/2 a turn, and it really tightened up the ride. Pretty sure this is the best bike I have ever ridden. It takes abuse and still gets back up. The Randall Tex Cobb of MTBs. Get one if you like to ride alot of different types of trails. If weight is a concern, tap your kid's college fund and get a mamasita or superfly.
Similar Products Used: 26" hardtails, softtails, FS
Bike Setup: Size Medium, all stock except for 1998 Avid 1.9 levers. Stem flipped for less rise.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
B. B.
a Cross Country Rider
from PA
Date Reviewed: February 17, 2008
Strengths: steel frame, geometry feels right, hayes cable disc brakes, tora fork does anything you ask it to do, from super plush to lock out. great frame color. great price. nice truvativ components.
Weaknesses: HEAVY. brake levers feel cheap did I mention its heavy
Bottom Line:
coming from 26 inch wheeled bikes I LOVE the 29er ride. more traction, smoothes out the bumps, you know the story. half way through my second ride on this bike I forgot everthing I knew about 26 inch wheeled bikes and just enjoyed the ride. The weight of the bike is not that big of a deal with the added traction you go up hills the same as usual, and when the trail starts down hill the larger wheels really shine.I'm 5'11" 172 lbs and bought a large frame, khs says 20" frame I measured 19" I like the roomier feel. ride-enjoy-repeat.
Similar Products Used: 1st 29er, can not compare to 26 inch wheeled bikes
Bike Setup: all stock for now except crank brothers pedals, and avid brake levers.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles
Date Reviewed: February 1, 2008
Strengths: Good looking, solid frame, good brakes
Weaknesses: Clips, grips
Bottom Line:
THis is a pretty good bike. I only take it off road during the weekends. During the week I like to ride downtown LA in traffic. The bike holds its own when weaving in and out of rush hour. It is sluggish to start, but once it gets going it doesnt like to stop.
As far as hitting the trail, it is very forgiving. The big 29's make you feel like you are in a big old school car. The Tora fork is nice for off road...the lock out isnt really a lock out.
Overall this is a fun bike. Just need to replace the Wellgo clips and get better grips.
Submitted by
George Krpan
a Cross Country Rider
from Westlake Village, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 20, 2007
Strengths: True Temper double butted steel frame. The long chain stays give it a fantastic ride in the rough.
Tora fork. Fantastic fork. I hear more gripes from Reba owners. Probably stiffer than a Reba. No problems, holds air as good as new.
Rhyno Lite rims. Wide and strong. Tires ride better with wide rims. You don't have to baby these wheels.
Kenda Karma tires. Super supple tires. You don't have to run low pressures to get supple ride and good traction. They are light but rugged and wear well. The 1.9" rear weighs 300 grams less than the 2.2 front.
Hayes mechanical brakes. Work well, no need to upgrade
Other. The fork crown does not hit the down tube. The seatpost does not slip. The tires do not blow off the rims.
Weaknesses:
Bottom Line:
Best mountain bike I've ever had. I don't use my Stumpjumper FS any more. This 29er hardtail out performs it in every way. Lots of pleasant experiences with this bike. I don't think I've ever been this satisfied with a bike purchase. Will never ride 26" wheels again.
Bike Setup: All stock except Shimano pedals, Ergon grips, and WTB Speed V saddle.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Gary
from New Denver, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 9, 2007
Strengths: Great value. Nice tires. Strong wheels. Saddle great. The frame is nice and stiff. This bike is fast on smooth terrain, and handles very nicely.
Weaknesses: Pedals absolutely terrible. Tora fork is not the greatest, bit works nicely at speed. Heavy.
Bottom Line:
This bike is nice for the price, but rides much more sluggish than my Kona. I think this has to do with the geometry - a 29er needs steeper geometry, I think, than a standard 26-wheel frame. My Kona is much livelier and more responsive - which may be due to the considerably lighter weight and nicer fork of my single speed Kona. However, at speed, the KHS soaks up the big bumps better. All in all, I am quite happy with the Tucson, and would recommend it as a fun, inexpensive, geared 29er.