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Submitted by
sharprw
a Cross Country Rider
from Norwalk, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Turnball Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1950.00 | | Purchased At: | Wouldn't you like to | | Strengths: | Very stable feel, climbs like a billy goat and decends like a alpine racer!! This bike has very good all around stable feel and everything I have pointed it at it soakes up with ease!! | | Weaknesses: | The stock tires are junk as far as I am concerned!! They lost there grip soon after being new and will push out from under you in a turn so be careful. I was told the have a predictable slide but thats crap and so are the tires!! The cockpit seems to be a little small for me but I am 6'1" and it just needs a new stem and maybe bars!! The seat is a little hard and could also be replaced! | | Similar Products Used: | Rocky Mountain Slayer, Specialized Enduro ridden but not owned, Motobecane. | | Bike Setup: | So far it is in stock form except for the computer, but all is changing now just wanted to wear out the tires completely first even though they are crap but at close to $60.00 a pop can you blame me? | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is so far this is a great bike and really handles very well!!! I have quite a few rides on it and am curious to see how it will with stand and hold up over time and am keeping my fingers crossed for now!!! I would recomend this bike to anyone who is looking for an all around bike as the suspension is great and is stable through the rough stuff!! If your looking for a downhill mostly bike look elsewhere but for an X-country, AM bike this will do you just great. I haven't taken big drops on it yet but it will soak up the 6 footers well but it's not designed for the big stuff!! Will see what the future holds but for now I am stoked!!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dawgcatching
a Cross Country Rider
from Bend, OR
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Umpqua | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | Very stout frame, uses a tapered head tube for steering precision, 15mm TA, all-mountain width 28mm rims, custom suspension valving, good brakes, pedals very well | | Weaknesses: | Lack of plushness, Bontrager parts cut a few corners, tires are lousy | | Similar Products Used: | Owned: Ventana: El Ciclon, El Rey, X5, Terremoto, El Salt: Cannondale Rize, Rush; Hi-Fi 26", lots of other bike demoed. | | Bike Setup: | Mostly stock, but replaced the post and saddle with my own, put on a Thomson stem, and my own DT Swiss 5.1/240 wheels, as well as a Pana Rampage 2.35 up front and a Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.4 in back. | | Bottom Line: | I have ridden this a few times prior, but this ride I got out on a 5-hour ride with lots of climbing, lots of descending, and some technical sections thrown in. Overall, I was fairly pleased with the ride, as the geometry felt very dialed and the bike handled very well. Super stiff laterally, nearly zero flex can be felt. This would be a great bike for 24-hour racing with some lighter wheels to get it close to 27lbs.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get over the fact that the bike, for it being a very stout, well designed heavy-duty trail bike, just didn't have a very plush rear end. It was night and day when compared to my 150mm travel Terremoto: the Roscoe in comparison felt like a 110mm travel bike. Sag was set to just over 30%, yet I bottomed it out at 80% of full travel, which doesn't happen on my other bikes. I got bounced around a bunch and had to carefully choose a line: usually on a 140mm travel bike, I can just point and shoot through all but the really rough stuff. This bike, it wasn't the case. As it pedaled very well, it reminded me of my old 120mm Stumpjumper Pro, in the fact that it was more of an "efficient" trailbike rather than a "technical, plush trailbike". Which is fine, but looking at the Roscoe and how beefy the bike looks, one would assume it to be a heavy-duty, AM bike that can handle any technical situation. While it is technically capable, it is nowhere near as controlled in rough terrain, as say a Rize 3 from Cannondale. It does pedal a bit better though. Not as plush or controlled in rough terrain as my Ventana El Ciclon either (125mm of travel, the 2008 version). FWIW, I am 150lbs, and perhaps the custom rear shock is valved for a heavier rider.
You may need a better set of tires. The Panaracer Rampage 2.35 up front was a big improvement in the loose, sandy soil we ride here.
Overall, I really like this frame, and it seems geared to those who want available travel without losing pedaling efficiency. There is a place for that type of bike: not everyone wants the same type of trail bike, or lives in the same place, and therefore choice is good. The Roscoe doesn't feel quite like a 140mm bike (more like the Hi-Fi 26" instead, which I rode in fall of 2007). Personally, I like a plusher bike (I could really care less about suspension bob and efficiency, as I know how to spin and keep it to a minimum. Anyone trail rider who worries about pedal bob should just buy a cheap pair of rollers instead, it will make them a stronger rider and minimize bob). My preference for a 140mm bike is that it allows me to tackle any reasonable trail obstacle with minimum effort on my part, so I can ride longer. This bike doesn't quite have that feel. For those looking for a snappier, more efficient ride, this may be your bike, or those who don't ride really rough trails. It fits well with the Fisher lineup, more of a racier, snappier feel throughout all of their bikes, as well as a full stable of race bikes. Overall, a great bike, but not quite what I was looking for. I can recommend it highly for more of an XC-oriented long travel feel. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Opp
a Downhiller
from Dominican Republic
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | EL Higuero. | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$3500.00 | | Purchased At: | Planetbike Dominican | | Strengths: | It's A all Day Bike, with great suspension set, the best part it's that you can do anything with this bike, up hill, single trails, jumps, downhill, this bikes works like heaven | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Remedy, Santa Cruz Heckler | | Bike Setup: | stock, tubeless, change the tires to bontrager 2.35 Big Earl, change the disc rotors, put some alligator on .. and my bike is lighter now it's 28.5pounds and this makes it better, | | Bottom Line: | there isn't a day that i don't think on riding my bike ..It rulez | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
spliffman30
a Weekend Warrior
from Warwickshire
Date Reviewed: December 16, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Afan | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2400.00 | | Purchased At: | About Bikes Blackmin | | Strengths: | downhill/uphill this bike seems to eat terrain | | Weaknesses: | none so far. | | Similar Products Used: | prophet 1000 | | Bike Setup: | stock even with those massive xdx 2.4 tyres | | Bottom Line: | i have ridden this bike for less than 2 weeks, i took it to afan and god was it good, it was cold and slippery but the roscoe just ate the terrain and with those big tyres it hung on and handled everything that was thrown at it. I would recommend anyone wanting a proper ALL mountain bike to get a proper demo on this. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
TimRXC
a Cross Country Rider
from La Mesa CA
Date Reviewed: December 10, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Martha's,Sweetwater,Mission,Hollenbeck,Morena,Laguna | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | TREK BICYCLE SUPERST | | Strengths: | Solid frame, Excellent on singletrack, climbing, descending, switchbacks.Responsive and fun to ride,very stable feeling,confidence inspiring. In a class of it's own. | | Weaknesses: | Slightly heavier than 4-5" XC bike, but quite a bit lighter than a 6" downhill bike | | Similar Products Used: | '07,'08 TREK EX-8's, '01 KLEIN Adept. | | Bike Setup: | Stock, except pedals, and RED bottle cage (needed some color) Tire pressure FRT 28#, RR 32# Shock FRT 75# RR 160# Rider wt 180#. Shortened stock bars from 28" to 25.5" | | Bottom Line: | Excellent bike for all-around use.Very sure-footed on loose conditions (climbing or descending).The big tires help traction and add suspension.SLX drivetrain (great shifters),Elixir brakes(solid), FOX front & rear shocks, Rhythm Comp wheelset w/15mm frt axle, seat & post,RXL stem, lock-on grips--ALL work well. Not much of anything to change. It weighs 30lbs, 2lbs more than my EX-8, but I'll probably lose 3lbs around my waist from riding it.
Excellent for group rides,night rides,exploration/adventure/death march rides. It will also make the 25lb Klein feel pretty good on racedays.
The Roscoe bikes will be a hit.They have created and filled a new niche. Great all-around, fun, capable, machine!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard Amneus
a Weekend Warrior
from Southern Oregon
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Return on the Jedi (Taylor creek trail) | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$3500.00 | | Purchased At: | BikeKraft | | Strengths: | Great climber, capable descender New 15 mm thru axle is the future of this type of bike. | | Weaknesses: | Not as supple as my Remedy 9. | | Similar Products Used: | Fuel ex9 2008, Currently have Remedy 9 also. | | Bike Setup: | Mostly stock (changed seat and pedals) Will convert to tubeless. Grips are nice lock on but wanted a little more cushion. | | Bottom Line: | After 4 short rides(40 miles offroad) I have decided the rear shock needs to be set at 35% sag (comes with a nice sag gauge). Pro pedal is set fairly firm so with the rear shock in pro pedal it climbs great. Benefit of G-2 geometry is that with the front shock set lower it still feels great. (I never used the talus front shock on the EX9 because it felt like I was pushing into the ground). New Bontrager tires feel great in current tackey conditions on decomposed granite in the pacific northwest. Climbs steep stuff easily, descends predictiably. Awesome on tight singletrack.
Remedys raked out front end gives it more stability but makes it a little more difficult in tight stuff. Remedy and Fuel EX also have a slightly more plush back end. Until I got this bike I was riding my Remedy 70% over the Fuel because of the confidence it gave me. I would even ride it up Mt Ashland over the Fuel because of the confidence on the descent. With this bike it is going to be a harder decision. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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