Submitted by
Lumpy Pockets
a Cross Country Rider
from Ghetto
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2012
Strengths: Fork, components, frame
Weaknesses: brakes I guess
Bottom Line:
2009 was the best year for 29er Rockhoppers due to the quality fork and components. You just can't beat the set up for a $1,000 bike. I know the msrp was $1300 but I got mine new in 2010 for around $1100. The 2010's and up have lousy shocks and the lower end componenets. You'd spend around $1500 to get a comparable bike now. This was an awesome buy. Most of the reviews on here are for the lower end RH's. This bike should be reviewed separately since it's unique.
The fork is awesome, as good as any Reba or Recon or Fox fork. The brakes are a lower end hydro disc but they work fine. Spesh uses K Swiss wheel rebranded under their own name. They're really the only thing that you'd need to upgrade to race this thing as is. Well, maybe pedals but that's a personal preference. Outstanding value and all that most hard tail riders need. Clyde tested, Clyde approved.
Weaknesses: dart 3 shocks, although much better than what I had, they are not amazing.. good but not great.
Bottom Line:
I like this bike. For the price, I think I did great. Tried to find an entry level, race ready type bike. I think I have found it. After a few days on the trail, I am pleased with the bike, it climbs and goes down like nothing i have ever been on.
Submitted by
J White
a Weekend Warrior
from Puyallup, Wa
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2011
Strengths: Tracks beautifully, rides well, super comfortable. all controls easliy used
Weaknesses: poor QA on rims. whenever I pressure to 65, I would get a flat at same spot on rear. After 2 times I inspected rim and found a burr on nipple hole, filed it off with my Leatherman tool, kept riding.
Bottom Line:
great bike, gives a novice ATB rider confidence. would recommend. I am 6' & 180#, its as if it was custom made for my body dimensions.
Similar Products Used: road ride for 35 yrs. this is first of its kind for me.
Bike Setup: all stock except SPD pedals, one side platform left attached.
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Submitted by
curtboroff
a Weekend Warrior
from Paulding, Ohio USA
Date Reviewed: March 21, 2011
Strengths: Frame, brakes, fork, decal of a WWII bomber pinup gal on the down tube
Weaknesses: I killed the wheels
Bottom Line:
This bike is confidence inspiring. I've bashed, jumped and crashed every trail within 100 miles of me and this is perfect for rough XC. The wheels, however, are the downside. I'm 6'2" 215 and live for the rocky rooty stuff, so it's time for a Flows/ Hope Pro/ DT Swiss wheelset. Then, maby a lighter fork, maby not. Excellent bike!!!
Bike Setup: '09 Rockhopper Expert 29, poor boy 2x9 Deore with bash ring, Tora Race Solo Air, Tectro Arugia Comp discs, lock on grips , cheap Shimano spd and Wellgo dh platforms
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Submitted by
dnoyeb
a Weekend Warrior
from Southfield, MI, USA
Date Reviewed: March 17, 2011
Strengths: The bike gets up the hills nicely. The tires are excellent as with my previous Specialized bike. The fit of the bike is perfect for me. I like the thumb shifters. The rims seem solid as I have yet to push them out of true.
Weaknesses: The shifting gets sloppy rather quickly. Its imperfect. It does not continue to get worse, but there is an initial dropoff. It comes with pedals. Also, the standard 29er weakness of being a bit higher and not cornering as easily at high speed. I guess you can say its heavy, but not any more than you would expect for an aluminum 29er.
Bottom Line:
I'd make this purchase in a heart beat. Definitely worth it. Maybe not as promising a bike for a beginner. I think a 26" might be better there as they are still more agile. But if your pretty good on your bike, then the 29er is a nice improvement for climbing in the saddle.
Submitted by
scotyt
a Weekend Warrior
from Sevierville, TN, USA
Date Reviewed: December 27, 2010
Strengths: 29er with Hydro disk brakes
Weaknesses: Wheels
Bottom Line:
Absolutely love the bike! 1st 29er as getting back into the sport after a 5 year leave of absence. Fell in love with the bike after riding everything on the market for 3 months before purchasing it. Great value for someone not going to race but ride 3 times a week. Great bang for the buck! Only thing I would trade for would be a full suspension Stumpjumper just because I am getting older!
Similar Products Used: First 29er. All manner of road and mtn bikes. Have a bit of a bike "problem". :)
Bike Setup: Stock for now. Will upgrade parts as they wear.
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Submitted by
jtnord
a Weekend Warrior
from Fair Haven, NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2010
Strengths: Hydraulic brakes and very solid frame
Weaknesses: Terrible spring Dart Rock Shock. Terrible Specialized Fast Trak LK treads.
Bottom Line:
My first real mtb. I have had it for almost a year. I use it for weekend rides and to/from class. I love the all black setup, never seen a blacker bike. I love the solid frame. At 6'5" and 230lbs with a 21inch frame this is the first bike that has ever felt right. I hate the Dart shock, it is disgusting. I can't wait to have the money to upgrade it. The tires are also complete crap. They do not grip anything especially with a little mud in them, looking to upgrade them as we speak. With a new shock and tires this bike will be an excellent starter bike for taller people!
Bike Setup: Shimano Deore crankset, Shimano pedals
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Submitted by
KFanney
a Cross Country Rider
from Lynchburg VA
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2010
Strengths: M4 Frame. This frame use to be the Specialized Stumpjumper before it switched to the M5. Great frame to build from.
Weaknesses: This bike is being sold as as a recreational XC 29er bike. So knowing this, it is speced out with all the low in components. There really is not much difference between the different levels of the Rockhopper 29er. I, went with the Expert just because of the color of the frame and that it was a nine speed. All the frames are the same for each level of this bike except for the SL which is a little lighter. This bike will get you started, but I would recomend UPGRADEDING these components before you take it off the show room floor. The dealer can credit you for the stock parts and put that towards better components. First of all get rid of the Dart 3 shock. This shock shouldn't be called a shock at all. 2nd upgrade the brakes. 3rd up grade the shifters. I will list all the upgrades I made in the bike set-up section.
Bottom Line:
Again, this is a great frame to build from. No you don't have to do it all at once like I did. But I would recommend that you upgrade the big ticket items before you take it home. Once you leave the bike shop it yours and they won't give you the credit towards those items. Upgrade the top three things I listed. Then you will have a great bike. The rest will just make it better and lighter. The next thing I will upgrade is the wheels and tires. The fast track LK sport tires are only good on hardpack dry trails. They do nothing in the mud and the front tire washes out in lose conditons.
Specialize makes a great bike, but you are paying a lot for the name "Specialized" The bikes are not speced out as nice as I would like to see in some models. But if you ever try to sell your Specialized, you are going to get a great return on your investment. I, can't say that about some of the other brands out there today.
Some of you might be thinking why didn't you just buy the next level bike up such as the Stumpjumper Hard Tail 29er. With all the upgrades I made, I still came out with a better equiped Rockhopper at a cheaper price than that of the entry level Stumpjumper. As I stated before the M4 frame use to be the Stumpjumper.
Amazing bike. Super glad I chose this bike to make the step into the 29er world. The 29 inch wheels make the once unobtainable a simple task. I also have a 26" Trek 4500 and this is a hands down better bike. It Climbs better, it takes turns and corners like its on rails, and is EXTREMELY forgiving. (wasn't paying enough attention at a creek crossing, and missed the path, The front went straight down to the creek at a 90* angle about 3 feet down, and thanks to the big wheels I did NOT go over the bars.) While climbing, its ok to miss your line a bit as the wheels roll over roots and stumps with ease even on a climb. A lot of people warned me that although momentum on a 29er vs 26er is more rewarding, once you loose it, it is harder to regain. NOT TRUE.I can start just a few feet back at a good climb and still make it.
The few negative bits: The Rear Derailleur. (SRAM X-5) I hate this derailleur. I give SRAM the benefit of the doubt, and maybe I just got a bad one, but at the end of almost every ride it starts jumping. I have had it for almost 3 months and I have adjusted it 3-4 times and my LBS 3 times. One more time and I am just going to upgrade the part.
Second: The Specialized enduro grips. They are too small (I have big hands)and torque too much. I replaced them the 3rd week with ODI Rogue Lock-ons and all is now well.
I give the 4 out of 5 simply because of the rear Derailleur. (it has caused me way too much frustration.
Similar Products Used: Trek 4500; Gary Fisher Wahoo
Bike Setup: Stock except for ODI Rogue Lock-ons and a Lizardskin Chainstay protector.
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Submitted by
bran12081
a Weekend Warrior
from Maple Valley, WA
Date Reviewed: January 11, 2010
Strengths: My first decent bike. I am loving it, part is my newness to the sport and part is the bike. It just rolls over stuff. Great climber, at my weight of 290, 6'2" climbing is the enemy but I feel like this bike moves me up that much faster (not to mention its a HT). Been a great learning bike. I started doing small table tops (I mean small) and small drops... but I think that's about all she wrote for that kind of riding until I get a new FS bike :) Changed out the pedals to deity flats and with some five10 shoes, they are on there like glue even in this wet winter.
Weaknesses: For what it is, it's been great. I can't complain for $900. Haven't popped a tire (knocking wood), haven't busted the rims yet (although I am getting some loose spokes that I hand tighten)
Bottom Line:
Overall AWESOME 29er. I bought a 2009 before they were gone as they changed the spec of the expert and lowered the price for 2010. As a big guys getting into the sport was a great purchase. Now it's just a debate wheher to stay 29er or go 26 on the FS... We will see as I love the 29er tank feel.
Similar Products Used: Crappy bikes, and a borrowed Enduro ride
Bike Setup: Stock
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Submitted by
sgtjim57
a Weekend Warrior
from Tullahoma Tennessee
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2009
Strengths: 29r, hydo brakes, Rockshox Tora Race
Weaknesses: Lower end components that I will eventually replace with maybe the SRAM XX once it's available
Bottom Line:
I feel I got an overall pretty good deal on a decent piece of equipment. Not the best on the market but certainly up there for what I invested. I had origonally decided to get another Gary Fisher however at 5'8" and a 30 in inseam the GF I had chosen was not available anywhere other then used. I guess used is ok but I searched on craigslist for 3 months and finally just took the plunge. I am happy, it rolls over everything unlike my Advanced. It's a beast for me because of my size. only complaint, if I pedal on corners I do scrub the ground so I have to plan ahead for turns on uphills.
Weaknesses: Some of the other bikes in this price range had a Reba and/or better components.
Bottom Line:
I tested several bikes before deciding to get this one. One of the other bikes tested had a better fork and fit me well but it also felt heavier and sluggish compared to the Rockhopper. Another was lighter but did not fit me as well and was also more expensive. The Rockhopper was a great balance of fit and value. The brakes are awesome on this thing and it shifts nice and quick. I have a strange build for a mountain biker at 5'9 and 180 lbs with a longer torso than most people my height. Initially my LBS guy said I would be best suited with a 19 but he put me on the 17 and then added a longer stem and the fit became perfect. I plan on using this bike for recreational riding and racing
Similar Products Used: Diamond back, Gary Fisher, and Giant
Bike Setup: slightly longer stem
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Submitted by
Flatlander 59
a Weekend Warrior
from Lancaster, Texas USA
Date Reviewed: May 25, 2009
Strengths: Light weight frame, Tektro Auriga Comp hydraulic disc brakes, geometry of frame, Shimano Deore shifters and derailleurs. Fastrack LK Control 29 x 2.0 tires.
Weaknesses: Specialized RHD 29" stout rims, but they have replaced them with 29" Swiss DT 470's. The complete wheelset not just the rims!!! This ends up being a plus after the factory's customer service!!!
Bottom Line:
Great ride! I can't say enough good about it! Other than the rims issue, which I just got the call from my LBS to say my Swiss DT x470 rims are in. I understand it to be a $500.00- $600.00 upgrade on my wheelset at NO Charge to me, the customer. Wow! Great customer service to boot! This is my first bike in thirty years. I am new to Mountain Biking. Middle-aged, pushing 50 (Hard), six and a half foot tall rider under two hundred pounds. So I am hardly a Clydesdale. I went 29 inch because of my height & very long legs. Wheelbase of the bike and height of it are not affected much compared to a 26 inch wheel. This bike blows the theory that a 29'er doesn't handle as well as a 26 to bits. I have ridden both and any difference in handling is between the riders ears. There is none. Other than it handles small obstacles much easier. Really i cannot say enough about this bike. Thank you to the folks at specialized and my LBS (B&B Bicycles) in Cedar Hill, Tx. Now I just need to improve my riding skills more. Practice, practice, practice. Just means I have to suffer and endure more time on the trails to get the most out of this bike...:) :) :)
