Smooth front suspension, better brakes, and double-walled 29" alloy wheels make the Hardrock Sport Disc even better prepared for mountain trails and urban jungles.
Frame: Specialized A1 Premium Aluminum
Fork: SR Suntour SF10-NVX-MLO-700C-80, 80mm
Headset: 1-1/8" threadless, loose ball
Stem: 3D forged alloy, 10 degree rise, 25.4mm clamp
Strengths: I enjoy the sturdy frame, the sturdy entry-levelweels, and the overal accuracy of the components. great for you if you want an entry-leval 29er and you like XC MTB. shock seems durable.
Weaknesses: the pedals are only a weakness because they are cheap. i ride clipless, so that didn't bothr me too much. the other and biggest weakness is the weight for a hardtail. this is due respect for the price is low. the shock has a lockout that is dificult to lock on-th-fly, and shock is not ment for jumps.
Bottom Line:
I would give this bike a 95/100 for value. but after riding some uphill’s i noticed it is difficult because of it's weight. the fork is a weakness, though not for the price. I purchased it for $670 after tax. I am 190 lbs. and 6'2', so naturally i have an extra-large. I would suggest this bike to a tall rider so they can feel how a rider of average height feels. this is because the measured distance between the 29 inch wheels is around the same on the XL as on a 26 inch-wheel medium-sized bike for a medium sized person. just a thought. this is a bike for someone who is either already fast and wants to rely on big wheels to get over obstacles, or someone who enjoys weekend rides who prefers an affordable bike with great -but not invincible- durability over trails and small obstacles. Remember, this is a strictly, cross-country mountain bike, and, because of its shock weakness and low-impact resistance is not for serious jumps or more than 6 to 14' of air. Further, if you are a racer like me i would suggest this only for its' sturdy frame, and solid geometry. you can defiantly build this bike with many kinds of upgrades, though the rockhopper may be a better bet if you have money, but no time for the hassle of buying better parts. I would recommend this bike to you if you are: tall, heavy, short on cash, love 29ers, are strong on uphill’s but need more confidence on XC-type downhill’s. I would not recommend this bike if you are: shorter than average (the geometry of a small or XS bike with 29’’ wheels is pore), a racer who is slow with uphill’s, hate 29ers, need to do serious all-mountain rides, or if you want to jump.
Similar Products Used: specialized pump, the best pump i've ever used. specialized shoes. other hardtails which i have been riding for 5years
Bike Setup: clipless pedles, lizardskingrips, in the futurerockshock with more travel that locks better, changed position of the leftside shifter because when in attack-possision my thumb tends to click the front gear down, i moved it an inch+ toward the frork, and twisted it upwards.
Strengths: The frame is great and the wheels,im 6'6" 245lbs and i have beat the hell out of it
Weaknesses: So far the grips and the pedals but those were replaced one week after the purchase and no other problems yet
Bottom Line:
I got the 2011 hard rock 29er blue and black disc size 23" xxl for $420 on a weekend sale a my lbs you cant beat that price,!!! i was going to get the xl but the guy at the shop insisted i shoud get the xxl .so i rode them both and the xxl felt much nicer and didnt kill my back,itook it to amelia park advanced trail in miami and beat the hell out of it after replacing the grips and pedals because on my first ride i was sliping all over with the cheap plastic ones i hear that the fork is crap but it hasn't given up on me i guess in part beacause the frame is really big and im not putting too much of my weight over the handlebars lilke on my xl 26er hardrock like ive said i habeat the hell out of it and nothing has broken yet after a month i absolutely love this bike i know there ate way better bikes out there but for the price i cant complain one bit the brakes are a little noisy but have a good ferel to it from a scale of one to ten on the gear changes it scores an 8 as long as you dont shift too often under too much load youll be ok of course there is room for improvement but untill the fork crankset or sifters etc. Give up on me im not changin anything only other thing i migght consider doing now is getting is grippier tires but like ive said i havr abused it for a month on the trails and it is still holding up no bent rims or other problems.ive ridden the scott aspect disc and the ge karakoram 2 and the hardrock won me over also i dont think ill ever ride a 26 again lol
Similar Products Used: Scott aspect trail,gt karakoram,trek 820, 05 hardrock 26er
Bike Setup: Stock exept for grips and pedals
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Submitted by
specialspartan
a Weekend Warrior
from Red Bluff, CA, US
Date Reviewed: March 1, 2012
Strengths: Great price for the package. Amazing entry level bike, it inspires me to ride as much as i can. Looks good, feels good minus the seat, but i'm a bigger guy at 6', 220lbs. Simple package that allows for upgrades/accessories to suit many riding styles includes disc brakes, 29 inch tires that handles almost any terrain smoothly, lockable front suspension for solid control (especially around town), a shimano 24 speed that shifts smoothly to help you get up hills or keep up with traffic with ease, and mounts for water bottles and a rack for those who need this bike to travel to work, school, the store, etc. The price is probably the biggest plus. I've ridden a couple buddies bikes from a similar price range, and for $100-$300 more than the competitors, it feels like a much nicer bike, so the money goes a long way.
Weaknesses: My butt hurt from riding the stock seat for 2 days. First time on a bike in years, so that's to be expected. $40 and 2 weeks of riding later and it feels much better. From what i hear, the front forks could use replacing, but I'm not sure why, maybe the seemingly small travel at 80mm doesn't leave much room for tuning? The pedals are pretty generic as well, so try not to get your feet wet. For those who spend more time on the trail, get some tires with more tread as they lose traction quickly in the mud/sand. The overall parts package really is kind of stock/bottom line, but you get what you pay for. Which is to say, it's not from Wal-Mart.
Bottom Line:
Great entry level bike, couldn't ask for more for the price. If you're looking for your first mountain bike, or just a good commuter that you can take out on the weekends, it's a great platform that you can upgrade to grow with you. If you know what you're doing and what you're doing involves massive cliffs, piles of dirt, or downhill racing through forests, then you should just go for it and get that stumpjumper fsr. The rest of us don't have the balls or the wallet for that. Once again, it is a fairly stock package, but for my first real mountain bike, i couldn't be happier.
Bike Setup: I have the 2011 model, stock, except the seat and some add-ons. For the seat, i got a cloud 9 comfort series, which feels a great deal better than what it came with (although it is worth noting that with the white/brown metallic paint scheme, the original brown seat looked amazing. Hope my Titanico looks that good! Will review later.) Also equipped a Topeak super tourist tubular rack w/ disc mounts, Topeak MTX DXP trunk bag (which i will also review after a month or so), an Avenir combi pump, Avenir seat post bag for spare tire/tools, will replace pedals, grips, and eventually the fork for a better handling platform. maybe the tires, too.
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Submitted by
mtnjumper
a Cross Country Rider
from New York
Date Reviewed: December 7, 2011
Strengths: Solid frame. Components are completely fine and serviceable for what you get. Good platform to build on. BB-5 disc brakes are a bit noisy and temperamental at first, but with a little bit of adjustment and brake in time they work great.
Weaknesses: Uncomfortable seat. Somewhat weak feeling handlebar. Let's face it, the suntour fork is bad, but that is pretty much what you get in this price range. The pedals are truly bad. Once water hit them my feet were slidin all over the place.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that this is a great bike for someone getting into 29ers. I am 6'6" 200lbs and I originally bought a 2010 rockhopper in the xxl size. The price was only $420, so I went for it. That same day however I had tried the 2012 hardrock sport disc 29er in the xl size. The hardrock felt better, but was $200 more. I rode the rockhopper hard for a month and eventually decided that it felt weird. The huge frame with the smaller 26" wheels got to me and the bike overall just did not have a great overall feel. I called the shop I bought it from and asked if I could exchange it for the 29er hardrock. I'm so happy I spent the extra $200 for the hardrock. The disc brakes make a big difference in braking power and the bike fits me much better overall. I've been through some pretty harsh new england terrain and so far the hardrock 29er has served me really well. If you are a tall rider and trying decide between a bike with 26" wheels and 29" wheels, choose the 29ers. In my opinion the difference is night and day. I can keep my momentum much better and the handling of the bike is not really very clunky and heavy feeling. It is fairly nimble and quick. I'm going to ride this bike hard and when I have the money and feel like upgrading to a lighter bike with better components it will happen in time. If you have this bike and have buyers remorse, don't. It's a great bike and will serve any rider well. I'm giving 4 chilis for value and for my overal as well. No bike at this price point deserves a 5.
Similar Products Used: Giant Boulder, Specialized Rockhopper
Bike Setup: The bike is completely stock except for new pedals. Since I can't afford clipless, I bought wellgo platform pedals and installed power grips on them.
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Submitted by
Ben Wheeler
a Weekend Warrior
from Modesto, Ca, Usa
Date Reviewed: December 6, 2011
Strengths: Great basic everthing for novice rider.
Weaknesses: Pedals, shifting
Bottom Line:
Im 6'7 and 250 pds and I slammed it around and nothing broke. So far so good.
Submitted by
Jon Osborn
a Cross Country Rider
from Wilmington De USA
Date Reviewed: November 10, 2011
Strengths: this bike is a great dollar value. I am 68 years old and have been on an 1994 Klein Fervor. I could not justify spending $1000. dollars. I read every review that was posted and felt that this was enough bike for me. My bike is a 2011.
Weaknesses: The bike is a little heaver than I would have liked but you have to give and take. The one thing that I read about and is a true statement is the pedals are junk. But for a few bucks that was an easy fix.
Bottom Line:
If you are between twenty to forty years old and just getting into Mt biking spend an extra four or five hundred as you will out grow this bike in a few months. For a guy like me this is all the bike I need. Most of my biking is done in the White Clay, Middle Run and Judge Morris Areas in Delaware. I also do a lot of Rails to Trails around the North East.
Similar Products Used: Terk DS has one in this price range but the bike dealer (Wooden Wheels) is why I bought The Hard Rock Sport.
Bike Setup: I change the pedals before I even road it for the first time and that is the only modification I made.
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Submitted by
jimwg2112
a Weekend Warrior
from midway city(oc)ca.,usa
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2011
Strengths: great price/value. nice looking and easy to fit. seems tough. love it on relative flat and downhill sections, the big wheels really smooth out the trails.
Weaknesses: required immediate upgrades for my reqirements. Spec'd with lots of cheapo components. the 11-32 8spd x4 drivetrain was useless for anything but bikepaths, i will be upgrading the bb and crankset and forks as soon as possible, and the front brakes probably need a bigger rotor. I had extra $$ at the time to upgrade to my liking but probably could've found a bike with better parts for the same price if i'd shopped around.
Bottom Line:
All the advantages of the big wheels but heavy with cheap component spec. If you like to upgrade and spend $$ to get things the way you like them (like I do) it's a great platform, cuz damn near everything is upgradable!
Similar Products Used: my other bike is a 26" hardtail, it rides and feels completely different.
Bike Setup: sram x7 rr derailleur, hollowpin 9spd chain 11-36 cassette, x7 3x9 shifters,alligator fortress teflon cables. 31.8 bars and 70mm stem, specialized lock-on grips and platform pedals. 2.2" captain control front tire, the fast trax (stock) on rear. Stock (for now) seat/post, 80mm fork, alex rims and bb5 disc brakes, and can't wait to upgrade bb and crankset.
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Submitted by
btd007
a Cross Country Rider
from Ourimbah, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2011
Strengths: Good entry level bike, I have the 2012 model, great for some light trails, but i find its a bit heavy, and I am outgrowing it quite quickly. Stock tyres are great for on road, and trails.
Weaknesses: I have had some pain with rear derailleur slipping under load, and some gears, it just wont stay in...
This bike is awesome for the price. Even if I wanted to pay more than 700 dollars, most of my local shops didn't have what I was looking for, even to order. I really had my eye on the Trek DS 8.4, but didn't feel like waiting until October to get it. I ride mostly on pavement, but I wanted the durability and versatility of a mountain bike. I settled on the Hardrock sport disc 29er and I am so glad I did. My commute is pretty short, 8 miles round trip. I have riden it to work all week and I don't know if I will ever drive there again.
The pedals on this bike are basic and lack traction. They work for now, but I will be replacing them with shimano or crank brothers clipless soon. I would also like to get some smooth road tires and see how it improves my ride. But the tires it comes with are pretty smooth already. I ride them at 60 - 65 PSI and they work great.
Submitted by
Swiftcat
a Weekend Warrior
from Baltimore, MD,USA
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2011
Strengths: Solid, smooth riding, smooth shifting, great braking, cool looking matte black, versatile bike.
Weaknesses: Cheap feeling slippery when wet plastic pedals.
Bottom Line:
I've experienced none of the aforementioned problems with this bike aside from a personal dislike of the pedals. The ride is great on dirt trails, hard pack gravel, even on paved road trips over 20 miles with the forks locked out and more psi in the tires. I don't anticipate outgrowing it anytime soon. Definitely good for beginner to intermediate riders.
Similar Products Used: None extensively. Tested a Rockhopper before I bought this.
Bike Setup: Stock except for Crank Brothers Candy X pedals. Ergon GR2 grips on the way.
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Submitted by
Ian7882
a Weekend Warrior
from South Carolina
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2011
Strengths: good seat, rolls over anything(29r), good geometry
Weaknesses: derailleur, squeaky breaks, not as nimble(29r), heavy, cheap pedals
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike for the price, especially for a 29r. The components are what you would expect from a bike in this price bracket, but its quite heavy. And my pedals broke on the trail. Don't get a 29r if you are under 6ft. Also, make sure you try the bike out before you buy it, or you may loose your manhood if you fall off the seat. I'm a 19-19.5in frame on a 26in bike, but a 17in frame for the 29r. Luckily I had such a good salesman.
Submitted by
E-Racer
a Cross Country Rider
from 63376
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2011
Strengths: It's a 29er. Disk brakes are nice once you adjust the disks out of warping.
Weaknesses: The shock is absolute junk, front derailleur is suspect, and the pedals are a joke.
Bottom Line:
Bought the bike on the Specialized name, the superb looks (frame geometry and blacked out theme), it's a disk, and for the fact that it's a 29er. Have never been happy with the bike overall whether riding on the street, trail, or the local single tracks. The front fork is absolute junk that will
punish your hands/body as it slams against the upper rebound whenever the trail gets somewhat rough.
Similar Products Used: Old school first year Hardrock, Mongoose d60r.
Bike Setup: Stock except for a better seat and grips.
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Submitted by
ctasset
a Weekend Warrior
from Broomfield
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2011
Strengths: Cheap way to get into a 29er that can handle about anything you would want to ride on a hard tail.
Weaknesses: Cheaper components which means the bike is a bit heavy for a hart tail.
Bottom Line:
If you are looking to try a 29er size bike, this fits the bill without breaking the bank. I was looking for a bike to ride on dirt trails/paths as well as some more advanced mountain trails where I would be climbing for longer periods of time and could give up my all mountain bike. I am 6'1" and it took a few rides to adjust but I am glad I did. Even coming from higher priced bikes with full suspension, I find this bike a blast to ride and can pick my way down some decent terrain. The fork is basic, the 8 speed is not going to be crisp like X0 but non the less can hang if you are not shifting while on the grind. Overall you get a good bike at a great price when comparing higher priced options. This bike is making me evaluate my 26" all mountain and wish for a full sussy 29er!
Similar Products Used: Only all mountain, 5+ inch trail bikes and downhill bikes recently.
Bike Setup: Stock
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Submitted by
KK Decay
a Weekend Warrior
from Cleveland
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2011
Strengths: Strong frame and light enough to carry when needed, but durable enough to take some hard riding on rough terrain.
Weaknesses: The peddles, they are just not up to the job especially when wet, i find my feet slipping off at times which is not good.
Bottom Line:
Very happy with this bike so far. Its been a few years since I have done any serious trail riding and this bike just laps it up. The only letdown is the peddles, but they are going soon. The forks absorb the rough terrain with ease, yet when they are locked out they are very stable for road riding. This is an awesome entry level bike and well recommended.
Also the cost in the UK is £500, it is much cheaper in the US hence $805.
Bike Setup: It has had some modifications so i can have all the controls on the right hand side of the handle bars as i have no left hand. Ive kept the original three gear shift but inverted it and have a twist grip on the back eight. The breaks are standard disc, but the lever is a dual control operating the front and the back simultaneously. I have also added a rack to the back for panniers.
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Submitted by
J_Biddy
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: June 15, 2011
Strengths: Good value entry level bike. For newbies getting into biking like myself it is agreat way to get into 29ers and disk brakes without breaking the budget.
Weaknesses: You can tell it is a low end model. While no parts are particularly bad none are outstanding either. If you ride a lot like I do (3+ hours a week) you will outgrow it pretty quickly, and there is only so many upgrades you can justify on this frame.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the price. Great for starting out, just beware that you may outgrow it within 12 months.
Similar Products Used: A Repco 26" in the 90's and a Malvern star recenty-Now my commuting bike.
Bike Setup: Components are original except for cage/platform pedals, upgraded by LBS. Plan to get clipless soon. Had to tweak suspendion and brake setup quite a bit before I was happy-Although I am 95kg and I hammer this thing.
