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Submitted by
Greg Crowder
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas, Tx
Date Reviewed: March 26, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$625.00 | | Purchased At: | e-bay from William Lee | | Strengths: | Price!Price!Price! Good parts as a spec.Light weight.Ride is close to that of a hardtail.. | | Weaknesses: | Not many, frame does have a little flex but you get used to it and adjust your style. | | Similar Products Used: | None first full-susp.Always rode hartails.. | | Bike Setup: | Bike had alot of parts swapped out when i got it.. It has
Titec hellbend handlebars,WTB grips, Shimano LLX9spd Shifter/Brake Combo pods, WTB Momentum Headset, Manitou SX-R
front fork, Rock Shock Sid XC frame shock, Bontrager Comp
crankset Dia Compe Versa Control Brakes, Haro Wheelset laced to speedmaster rims with WTB VelociRaptor tires,Shimano LX front,and Deore rear deral. and a Sram 9 spd rear cassette. | | Bottom Line: | Great Bike!! Totaly disagree with William Lee.. I weight 190 lbs and have had no major problems with the bike. Swaped out the spring in front shock for a stiffer one and swaped out the shimano rear cassette for a sram.. I guess that's to be expected on a used bike..Have yet to see another one on the trails..cool.If you are looking for a hartail acting F/S bike this is the one for you.The rear susp. takes the bumps out but still rides good no bob.bob. even when sprinting.. If you can pick one up used i would suggest doing it!!! I have always rode hartails and was leary of a F/S but love this bike, made it up parts of the trails I never made it up with a hardtails so I think it climbs better than my hardtail.It's very fast on straights as well because it smooths out the bumps..
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
William Lee
a Cross Country Rider
from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Date Reviewed: March 13, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Hermosa in Colorado | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Tuffy's Bikes | | Strengths: | Parts Spec. | | Weaknesses: | FRAME FLEX! FRAME FLEX! FRAME FLEX! SID XC rear shock too finnicky to set up to any degree of worth. Nano Raptors need to go, but that is an easy remedy. Cockpit of frame is uncomfortable at best. Shorter cockpit than other Haros I've ridden, but the rider center of gravity is malaligned with the bike as a whole. The rider is positioned too far forward not giving any traction to rear wheel, descends terribly due to shorter cockpit and weight pushed forward, doesn't climb with agility since no weight on rear wheel and elongated stem (which is used to counteract the short top tube) which makes the front end heavy and clumsy. And the seatpost keeps slipping down (after trying every remedy offered from mechanics and three different seatposts) | | Similar Products Used: | Haro ex0, Sugar 3, Specialised FSR Comp, Fuel 90 | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for Race Face handlebar and Rolf Dolomite wheelset with panaracer fire xc pros | | Bottom Line: | I have been a die hard Haro supporter for years. I first bought a Haro V4S Vector (1996 chromoly hardtail-nicely specced as original), then a 2000 Haro Extreme EX0 and upgraded every part and it was still a nice bike/frame worthy of such upgrades, and then a 1999 Haro A4 hardtail frame which is incredible (I still own the frame and have converted it to a singlespeed after a 2 years of fruitful racing on it--I can't say enough praise on this frame). So, when my Haro EX0 was stolen, I naturally looked to buying a HARO and the new XLS series had just been released. I was pumped! I found a great deal through a dealer because he was helping me replace my stolen Haro. I had never ridden an XLS model, but I figured it could only have been an improvement over my EX0 as this was to be the top line of FS bikes from Haro. So, w/o riding one before hand, I ordered the XLS 2.0. Out of the box, I heard choirs of angels. The bike weighed in at 27.5 lbs, was incredibly specced for a $1500.00 bike and looked phenomenal. However, that's where the praise ends. On the trails, the bike is extremely flexy! I can't emphasize how flexy this bike is! And not just the rear end, either...the front is just as flexy. I read a review in one of the dirt mags about the 2.0 and they came to the same conclusion I did...too much flex in the bike period! I weigh in at 190 but am not an aggressive rider. The SID XC rear shock is too finnicky to adjust for decent riding, and that came from three different qualified mechanics in several shops as well as a support staff of rock shock mechanics at a World Cup race. They all worked on it for hours and could not get it any better set up than I. They all agreed that this shock was not for this bike or design. It was always either way too stiff (and the bike flexed around the shock like a wet noodle) giving no benefit from any suspension action or too squishy thereby creating endless power robbing pedal bob. The front shock is a SID XC 80 mm and performs fantastically, but combine the lack of stiffness of the SID to the flex of the rear end and the loose feeling front end, and you end up feeling like you are in a rodeo trying to ride a squirming snake. Cornering feels like I'm on oil covered tires on ice. I was shocked and amazed when one of the rock shock mechanics showed me just how much flex the rear end actually has. A person can squeeze the rear triangle and seat tube in one hand and watch the rear tire swing to the side two inches or more. Imagine when a rider of any weight or strength applies power to the bike...it twists everywhere and doesn't instill confidence in any situation that calls for handling skills as the bike reacts like a string of Twizzler. I was extremely disappointed in this bike. So much so, that I squirmed my way out of riding any time anybody wanted to get on the trails and it almost brought me to the point of not wanting to ride ever again. Fortunately, I test rode a Fuel 90 and realized what a FS bike of the XLS level should ride and feel like. I ended up purchasing the Fuel 90, and, as I said before, since the Haro was specced out so well, I switched virtually everything I could and put it on the Fuel (SID XC fork, LX cranks, various other parts). Now I enjoy riding again. I will not recommend an XLS to anyone..ever. I have seen that Haro has redesigned the XLS frame to remedy the flex problem (even they knew after one year the design was not good). I'd have to ride a new XLS before I could give it a thumbs up, but even the new review of the XLS concedes that there is still flex...it's better now...but not gone. I have to give the value rating a two because the XLS is specced out so well, but I could probably purchase all of the parts for less than $1500.00, so it's not that good. I'll give the Haro XLS an overall rating of 1 flamin' chili, since you have no good foundation to upgrade. It does no good to have all of those great specced parts when the frame is not morthy. It's like putting custom paint, gold rims, and plush leather interior on a Yugo. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jalu Herman
a Cross Country Rider
from Round Rock, TX
Date Reviewed: November 18, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Bike Setup: | I ordered this as a stock 2.0 and then traded out all the LX for XTR. Added Mavic CrossMax wheels w/ disc, UST. LP carbon fibre riser bar w/ Ouray grips. Titec seat post and ahead stem. SID XC rear and SID SL Dual Air front. Shimano hydraulic disc brake system. | | Bottom Line: | This bike rocks! Have taken it to Moab twice and ride City Park in Austin often and it continually takes the punishment. I weigh 190 and it holds just fine. It is not the stiffest ride in the rear, but you get used to it and it just becomes part of the ride. It climbs like a dream. The hydraulic disc brakes allow you to scream down hills you used to be cautious on. This is the best FS/XC bike I have owned and would definately recommend. It's great to have a bike that continually asks for more. Spin 'em! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
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