Geometry great,weight low, handles like a 26" and climbs like a goat.Could'nt build one for the pound per dollar.Great race bike,22.5 pounds out the box with tubes for a 19" was impressive.
Bike Setup: 32x17,easton bars,thomson set back and collar,140mm rear rotor renegade 1.95 f/r upgraded star rachet 21.67lbs 19"
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Submitted by
h20skier
a Cross Country Rider
from Pocatello, ID USA
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2011
Strengths: light weight, fast uphill and down hill, smooth,
Weaknesses: N/A
Bottom Line:
that I have ever owned. Great job Specialized. I wished I had bought the S-Works. The person that should buy this bike is someone that is looking to challenge them self. The Single Speed world is great and challenging. If you have ridden the same trail for more than 30 times it is time to try a single speed. It will improve all aspects of your riding.
Submitted by
rueger007
a Cross Country Rider
from glenwood springs
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2010
Strengths: stiff, quick, stable, good EBB design
Weaknesses: none yet
Bottom Line:
Wow, a stiff, quick and stable bike in XXL (23")!!! Fit is great, I'm 6'3" with 37" inseam and I finally don't have to run a 400mm+ seatpost and a 120mm stem. Geometry is spot on with the longer top tube and short chainstays (16.9) giving the bike stability and agility. Feels like the XL 2005 Rig for stability and centered, in the bike feeling. Has the quicker responsiveness of the Niner without the twitchiness/out on the stem feeling I had due to top tube being too short. Oh yea, the EBB design is sweet . . . no creaks.
Similar Products Used: Niner One 9 XL 2008, Gary Fisher Rig XL 2005, Gary Fisher Superfly XL 2009
Bike Setup: 2011 M5 SS frame only, built up with the usual parts: thomson, hope, white industries, etc
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Submitted by
tksewell
a Cross Country Rider
from Grand Junction, CO
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2010
Strengths: Lightweight and fast
Weaknesses: seat post, 180 mm cranks
Bottom Line:
This bike is so much fun to ride. It is amazing how well it rolls across things. The rear wheel stays glued the trail even when climbing out of the saddle. The seatpost is the only major weakness on the bike. It is a one bolt design and very difficult to get that bolt tight enough to prevent the saddle from slipping. One additional very minor gripe are the 180 mm cranks. It is very technical and rocky where I do most of my riding and I have bashed the cranks on the trail far more often than with any other bike.
Submitted by
hunttofu
a Racer
from Tacoma, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2010
Strengths: Great frame. Well designed eccentric BB. Smart components. Fox fork. Great OEM stuff. DT 240S rear hub!
Weaknesses: When the BB gets dirty, the silence of single speeding is gone.
Stock 20t rear cog is a bit low...good for some surely.
Bottom Line:
I love this bike. Having raced/ridden bikes with all the types of chain tension methods (sliders, track drops, tensioners, eccentric ENO hubs, eccentric BB) I REALLY like this design.
I appreciate being able to run the amazing DT 240s rear hub with a lightweight quick release...I know some love the bolts/track drop combo, but changing gears is a breeze, my wheelbase stays constant, I don't experience ANY slippage and the set up is lightweight.
The bike is silent. The eccentric is silent. UNTIL, it gets some light dust in it. The creeks aren't terrible (any FS bike creaks more) but it is the one trade off for all the above mentioned benefits.
The frame rides very smooth and doesn't flex. The OEM parts are really great...especially the wheels, stem, wide flat bar and tires (I kept the stock tires for my other 29er and put 2.0 captains on this bike). The Phenom saddle is my favorite.
The 20t rear cog was too low for the weekly races that I use this bike for. It was great riding Capital Forest...and I keep it handy for races with big climbs, but I swapped it out for an 18t fairly soon after purchasing.
My bike, mostly stock weights in at 23 pounds even in a LARGE size.
The bike hasn't changed much for 2011...and I highly recommend it for anyone who is serious about single speed riding/racing. It's fairly pricey for anyone just wanting to try SS riding (too bad the Rockhopper SL SS isn't offered in 2011). You could not build up the frameset with comparable parts, for what the whole bike retails for. Terrific value for the bike you get.
Similar Products Used: Santa Cruz Chameleon SS, Specialized m2 converted, Surly, Raleigh Rainer cyclocross, Cannondale 1FG.
Bike Setup: Stock with King alloy 18t rear cog, Specialized ergo grips and Captain tubeless tires.
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Submitted by
singlespeedbuss
a Cross Country Rider
from Mission Viejo, Ca, United States
Date Reviewed: December 24, 2009
Strengths: This is the carbon fiber model S-Works SS with track style dropouts and no EBB. Carbon fiber frame rides smooth and fast. 21" frame fits me perfectly. Handles intuitively, point and shoot so to speak. Frame comes with seat post and S-Works Reba fork which is smooth in its own right and locks out solidly for climbing efficiency.
Weaknesses: Price but when you ride this bike you understand why it cost what it cost. Carbon Fiber does resonate different sounds that takes getting used to.
Bottom Line:
I was not a Specialized bike person until I rode the 2007 S-Works HT Disc.What a great bike. Fit and finish is perfect. Now I am a Specialized S-Works junkie. Their body geometry fit is the real deal at least for me. The frame is stiff (bottom bracket) yet compliant and has Precision scalpel type handling. The made for Specialized Reba fork works really well and is not wallow y. I rode the Aluminum version in the parking lot at the LBS and was sold. Could not get my CF version fast enough. have had for week and a half and already have about 100 miles on it. This is in limited supply so if you`re in the market for one of these rush out and order one, you will not be disappointed.
Bike Setup: 2010 Specialized S-Works SS frame, seat post and Reba fork. Stans Arch 29r rims with Ck ISO Red anodized hubs and DT swiss spokes with Red anodized nipples. XT cranks & peddles. PC 91 hollow pin chain, S-Works The Captain tires front & Rear. Specialized BG grips. XT Disc brakes with 7" rotors and Azonic CF bars 680mm wide.
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Submitted by
jut8
a Cross Country Rider
from beaver, pa
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2009
Strengths: Available as a complete, or frame only. The EBB is flawless and super simple to setup....no creaking like my buddies Niner EBB, and the EBB is lighter than the Niner offering
Weaknesses: I thought the frame would come with a seatpost and it didnt, it did come with the seatpost clamp, cane creek integrated headset, and ebb. It would be nice to see any alloy version of this with a tapered steerer tube
Bottom Line:
I cant believe how smooth this frame is, I used to have a superfly and it rides just as smooth as the carbon frame did, i rode hardtails before that felt harsh on the rocky, rooty trails that we have here (like my older 08 stumpjumper comp ht 29er), and this one is just great.
The EBB is super simple and not over engineered, it works, it doesnt slip or creak, you cant ask for a better setup on a SS.
Similar Products Used: Rockhopper 29er Single speed, and Stumpjumper expert carbon 29er
Bike Setup: DT Swiss wheelset with Specialized Purgatory Tubeless tires, avid ultimate brakes truvativ fire-x crank, and surley rear cog.
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Submitted by
Stumphumper2002
a Cross Country Rider
from Orange County
Date Reviewed: October 24, 2009
Strengths: 29" wheels...insane! Very light...must be 19 or 20lbs.
Weaknesses: None. Realy....none.
Bottom Line:
Rode this bike at a Specialized bike demo. I'm sold on 29er's! I was hoping to try an Epic or HT 29er at the demo, but all they had left was this single speed. I was bummed for 2 seconds until I got on the trail. I've never ridden a single speed before, but I can honestly say today was one of the best rides I've ever had! The best word to describe the feeling of riding this bike is: confidence. I noticeably climbed better and descended faster. It's like it has 2 to 3 inches of travel in the tail. I noticed areas where I would have to clip out or would have bailed....not today. I was thinking of getting an Epic, but not anymore. I will never buy or ride another 26" bike again.
