Submitted by
Steve Martin
a Cross Country Rider
from Park City, UT
Date Reviewed: May 5, 2003
Strengths: hi-caliber components
Weaknesses: My bike has been in the shop more than on the trails. I had to bring it back three times the first month I owned it. On the third trip to the shop the K2 rep reluctantly replaced the rear cassette, which fixed the shifting problem. I've had to replace most everything on the bike in only three years. The latest problem is with the front shock...sounds like the bike is about to break down on the way down the hill. That one kept the bike in the shop for more than two months while the shop waited for the parts from K2, which did not fix the problem. The brakes and gears are constantly out of sync and the wheels have never been straight. The rear XT derailleur shifts whenever it feels like it. The coil spring bounces you up and down like a baby carriage on down the road. There are so many squeaks and creeks that my bike is always the center of attention. The smart shock is a waste of weight. I have had the full rebuild done on the bike at least three times and it rides like a champ for a week or two, but then it’s back to the falling apart piece of junk that it really is.
Bottom Line:
look elsewhere... My $750 Gary Fisher hard tail gets me there faster and much more reliably, though I can barely hang on down the rocky trails here in Park City.
Bike Setup: xt all around, except avid brake handles and lx hubs
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Geoff
a Cross Country Rider
from Boston,ma
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2003
Strengths: Grin Factor!! ride - smooth and efficient recovery - just seems to get out of anything durability value
Weaknesses: loose battery connection in smartshock slight flex in swingarm - not serious that's about it - unless you want to get really picky
Bottom Line:
As an engineer and a physicist, I got pretty serious about understanding FS efficiency before I bought FS. chose this bike for the compromise of reliability of single pivot and minimized bob - and it really works, so I was glad I did the math! In middle ring, there is almost no bob (unless you try to make it so)- and very little in the other rings. This bike outclimbs my hardtail - both speed on short steeps and stamina on longer climbs - even though its heavier. If you stay in the seat and don't mash, it just keeps smooth rolling traction up anything.
What really got me to write was the durability - after 3 years of reasonable abuse and not a few crashes, the thing is almost like new! One point I would make - you have to lube the fork pivot points regularly, if you want it to keep performing.
Similar Products Used: far from stock gary fisher hardtail various bike shop tests of c1999 FS bikes
Bike Setup: close to stock - full XT;
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Richmond, CA USA
Date Reviewed: January 15, 2002
Strengths: Frame design, Mine is a 98 so I have the Carbon Swingarm.
Weaknesses: A Little heavy, stock wheels were junk.
Bottom Line:
I am 6'2" tall and weigh in at 200lbs. This bike has held up to my abuse for more than a year now. The wheels that came with it were destroyed by the second ride. The bike climbs better than any hardtail that I have ridden. Since changing to the Marz fork with the hayes disc it is like a new bike. This bike handles great, it goes exactly where I point it. The 4.5" in the rear and the now 4" in the front will soak up most things that I come across. I am very happy with this bike. Yea, of course I would like to have an Intense Uzzi SL but who wouldn't. For the money the K2 is hard to beat.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Stumpjumper M2FS
Bike Setup: Rhynolite wheels, Marzochii Z3 QR20plus, Hayes front discbrake, Panaracer FireXC Pro tires. XT shifters and deraillurs.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Bag
a Weekend Warrior
from Ottawa, Canada
Date Reviewed: December 23, 2001
Strengths: Great design, relatively strong and light, handles great. Looks pretty cool too.
Weaknesses: The Noleen crosslink forks that came with the bike were too stiff and didn't have enough travel, and the shimano brake pads were junk. The wheelbase is longer than I', used to, but for the price I paid for the bike, I'm not about to complain.
Bottom Line:
-The Panaracer Duster tires were junkand they buzzed like a banshee on pavement. I put on a sweet pair of Michelin Tires instead.
-I upgraded the brakes and front derailleur from LX to to XT, and added brake boosters which I strongly recommend, especially with carbon-fibre frames. The Shimano M-system brake pads were horrible, so I put on some Kool-stop Brake pads. THe bike stops on a dime now.
-I also putTitec Hellbent riser bars on it. The original stem was too long which created understeer and the flat handlebars were uncomfortable.
-I also replaced the Noleen cross-link fork with a pair of Marzocchi Z1 Bombers. The cross-link fork handled extremely well on smooth easy trails, but were too stiff and didn't have enough travel for any kind of serious off-roading. The Bombers practically transformed the bike into a free-ride bike. It rides much better now.
Similar Products Used: Nishiki hardtail, Gt hardtail,
Bike Setup: Michelin tires; Bomber Z1 Drop-off forks; XT v-brakes, derailleurs, and levers/shifters; LX hubs, BB, and crank; Titec Hellbent handlebars, Titec Lil' Al stem; Brody brake boosters.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Kenner
a Cross Country Rider
from Brantford Ontario Canada
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2001
Strengths: This bike loves to stay on the trail. Smooth and reponsive. Climbs like a dirtbike. Downhills great. This is the 98 4000 that i'm reveiwing
Weaknesses: Front derailleur is very hard to adjust because the swingarm is in the way. Change the tires, the stock Panaracer dusters are junk. Change the crappy brake pads to stop annoying anyone within 1/2 mile from you. Jury is still out on the Wellgo's may change them
Bottom Line:
This was my first F/S. Was skeptical about climbing. Not any more. This bike climbs like crazy (once i changed the tires and put on a real chain!. I think Shimano makes chains just so you will buy more rear derailleurs after the chain suck blows them up!!)The 4000 has taken everything I have given it. I'm going to change the stem for a shorter one. It feels a little endo prone but not too bad. It really likes to hug the trail whether dry or wet, rocks or roots. It likes to jump too. I'm around 200lbs and I've tried to break it but can't. Too bad for my buddy totally trashing his Fisher Joshua trying to catch me! I ride one to three times a week. Too bad to anyone who doesn't like it. Go back to your BMX. This bike kicks butt!! 5 chilis from me.
Submitted by
Jim Donnelly
a
from Sacramento,CA, USA
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2001
Strengths: Components
Weaknesses: BB is too high to accomadate the suspension. The seat tube must be cut to match the rider and allows very little adjustment. Feels just plain funny.
Bottom Line:
I really hate this bike. The first time I took it out on a good trail, I dumped it 3 times. That never happened with my old hardtail ( Trek 930 w/ RS Q5). The seat sat high enough that I could easily step off and tended to fall over the first few times. I hack sawed the seat post to get me at a little better postion, but that put me at less than proper leg extention. I tryed to adapt to it for 2 years and thought that I was doing ok. But it always felt wrong. It stink bugged really bad and I misinterped it as the stock Judy being too short, so I bought the Psylo. Great fork, but the bike still sucks. Over Spring break I went to Moab UT. I thought could eat up everyone out there. I was the last one comming down hill. At Slick Rock it sucked. I couldn't drop my seat without taking a saw to it. I had to come completely off the seat and stick it in my stomac to keep from flipping. All the hardtails kicked my ass. I did ok on the climbs, but you know I was wasting energy. I switched bikes with one of the guilds and he said he was very uncomfortable with it. He was scared to take it up to a high speed and said that he could suspend himself better with his own legs on a hardtail. I took his Specilized M2 for a short while and did the best I had done all week. He also commented on how loud the bike was on the trail. I'm not talking chain slap, I'm talking pivots and shocks. Now I am debating on whether to strip the frame and build a hardtail or just sale it and buy a hard tail. If some one wants it, I will sale it as a whole or part it out as a fork and frame, either the judy or psylo. With the judy, it will be a good deal. With the psylo, I want the cost of the fork back. But remember that that psylo is mounted and kicks ass.
Similar Products Used: Only hardtails, including a Bianchi road bike.
Bike Setup: ESP 9.0, Panaracer Fire 2.1 on the back, 2001 RS Psylo SL w/ blue spring (~83 in.lbs.), 750 in.lbs. rear spring, FSA head set. Rest is stock.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Algots
a Weekend Warrior
from Fresno,CA,USA
Date Reviewed: December 31, 2000
Strengths: Every smooth and fast on any kind of trail, holds its lines, and can put up with freeriding.
Weaknesses: The rear shock is cheap and blows out now and again. Weak drivetrain.
Bottom Line:
This Bike is made for XC and I freeride the hell out of it. I've done 6 foot drops to flat landings,8 foot drops to slops, and rode down steep a$$ 70 stairs, and the bike screams for more. Soon as I put the z.1 on I'll been doing 10+ drops,[remember this is a XC bike]. Watch Kranked 3, there are pros on these bikes doing phat freeriding, all they do is get bigger front shocks. So all in all you get a lot of bike for a little price, and with a couple upgrades you can have a mad freeride bike.
Similar Products Used: First FS bike, but rode BMX for Four years Before this.
Bike Setup: 70mm stem, hellbent bars cut to 23 inchs, beartrap pedals, soon a 2001 z.1 mcr
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Rod Angler
a Weekend Warrior
from planet of New Orleans
Date Reviewed: September 23, 2000
Strengths: Handling, downhills both technical and fire roads. Climbing in the saddle. Standover height. Rear shock an NR-2.
Weaknesses: Some moderate biopacing when out of the saddle (so stay down). Noleen Crosslink fork not for beginners. Stock Panaracer Dusters are pretty poor except they shed mud.
Bottom Line:
Great handling bike biased for downhills, both technical and fast fire roads. Rear shock (NR-2) is a fine coil w/ oil dampening. Lots of rear travel, I can bomb down the hill and smoke my buddy who rides a hardtail (for another few weeks, till he builds up his new FSR frame). I don't notice any flex in the carbon fiber swingarm (these could be expensive to replace if you break one).
Climbs well and keeps good traction if you stay seated. Standover height is very good.
Some biopacing if you aren't at least somewhat smooth in the saddle, biopacing more noticeable out of saddle (true for most FS).
Stock Noleen Crosslink on mine was a good fork in terms of stiffness, tracking, and overall performance on small and large bumps. I eventually noticed that this fork has one design flaw... as you compress the fork, the front wheel moves up of course, but moves slightly back towards the pedals... traverses a J shape. This causes the front tire to slightly knuckle under the bike on bigger hits due to the inherent design. (You need to see a pic of this fork, it's a strange single external spring with some linkage arms...resemble a dual crown but is different). For beginning riders, this is a bad feature that makes it just that much more likely you'll do a Superman/Endo/augur. I know this. I've learned my lessons quickly.
I like the Mars 1 (post recall) very well, but it's brand new. Stiff, tracks well, stiction mild but it's still new. It's easy to adjust, anti-bob lever works... I can't feel the transition from MCU to air. Love it so far.
Great frame. I see them on sale now for around $400. Between this and a Jamis Dakar (a bit more XC and less downhill biased), you have some great frame choices out there in this price range if you wanna build your own.
Irvine Bikes is extremely disorganized, by the way (they may have changed their name) ... I'd pass on these clowns unless you know EXACTLY what you want and are willing to putz around with them until they send you the right stuff. Example: newbie mistake -- I said "XT brakes"... they sent XT levers with LX brakes (unmarked)...took me a while to figure this out and it was too late. (this was after they sent me some other dude's bike, a $700 machine, and sent mine to someone else. That is just absurd, chaotic and random.)
I give the 4000 a rating of 4.5 flaming kielbasa's only because I think there is much to be said for a 24lb XC tuned GT I-drive (not the race tuned version), the Intense Tracer, the Giant NRS if they make it lighter, adjustable and less like a hardtail most of the time, and the Specialized FSR with bearings instead of bushings and a plusher shock. So I give it 4, knowing the price adder it takes to get into a Tracer.
Bike Setup: XT rear, GripShift, LX front/cranks, Noleen Crosslink changed out to Manitou Mars 1, RaceFace stem, WTB SST saddle.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Bryce Hickey
a Cross Country Rider
from Annandale, VA
Date Reviewed: September 15, 2000
Strengths: Eats bumbs desends great climbs well great groupo
Weaknesses: Little heavy rear swing arm a little flexy stock tires (Panaracer Fire XC) suck
Bottom Line:
Great bike. Rode it off the shelf for a week and then replaced the tires with Continentals Pro 1 and Navigator. The shimano chain kept breaking as well so I now use a Sachs. This season added Gore Ride-on Cables, Avid Rolla-ma-jig (sp), and a Terry Fly saddle. The bike desends and tracks really well. Biggest apprehention about buying a FS was climbing, but it climbs like a dream. MUST have smooth full range pedal stoke (read: you must spin) Have had no problem with either shock. I grease the front about once a month and have never touched the rear. The K2/Wellgo pedals were never used. I took the Shimano 747's off the old bike. I have recently switched to Speedplay Frogs (due to blown ACL). Over bike is a great all around FS. This bike is good for people who are technical riders with decent technique (you'll get the most beifits out of the bike). If you really really like to stand and grind out the hills look elsewhere.
Submitted by
David Palmer
a Cross Country Rider
from Billings, Mt
Date Reviewed: May 24, 2000
Strengths: Solid build. Came stock with all XT and Avid 2.5.
Weaknesses: Weight, but what FS bike doesn't have this problem without spending $3000
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike at a really good value. I rode a hard tail for years and couldn't believe the difference. This bike makes some of the roughest trails very smooth.
It also weighs just a hair over 27 lbs so it isn't too bad in the weight department (I had a 22 lb hard tail so it is noticeable).
It handles great at high speed. Slow technical stuff is okay. What surprised me the most was how well it climbed, even at 27 lbs. I thought I could climb really well on my hardtail and I am getting up stuff on the K2 that I couldn't before.
I still don't know about the Smart shock or the Girvin fork. It is really stiff but also heavy and a pain getting in/out of roof racks. On a Thule rack with a lock, it won't let it lock. I haven't noticed any better or worse performance with the Smart Shock on or off and it brings the price up some.
Bike Setup: Full XT with Avid 2.5 brakes. Girvin Smart Shock on front
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
steve railsback
a Cross Country Rider
from steamboat springs colorado
Date Reviewed: May 11, 2000
Strengths: Excellent bike for the money.I paid $800 2/1/2000 from ediscountbike.Excellent warranty dept.Worthy of eventual upgrades.rear suspension is tight and easily adjustable;rebuilt nr4 rear shock is great and adjusts to however I need it
Weaknesses: Bulls&%# tires(mine came with panaracers), not exactly light
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the money. For those of you on a budget check ediscountbike's ad in M.B.A. for a deal.The way big frame is way big, I am 6'3 1/2" 205lbs. and had to flip my stem downwards. The Noleen smart shock is good but seems to have a high center of gravity, an important consideration for tall riders.I might go with a different shock one of these years to get a lower center of gravity on my front end(and lose 1/2lb. in the process).Otherwise the Noleen fork rolls right over cat, dog, and baby heads with confidence! Since my bike was 2 years old when purchased new in feb. 2000, the rear nr4 seals peed all over my gorgeous carbon fiber swingarm. K2 warrantied the repair and I was back charging down hills.As long as the rear swingarm pivots don't act up, I know this bike will continue to be a smooth, fun ride.It makes riding so much easier than a hardtail since I ride fairly technical trails. Easily a great price and I can upgrade when I feel the need or desire.Weighed in at 28 lbs.If you are not a hardcore racer but want to purchase a fairly inexpensive bike that can keep up with some of the best(many of my friends ride Moots') buy now!
Similar Products Used: 1995 specialized f.s.,1998 SpecializedM2
Bike Setup: 1998 K2 proflex4000se way big,lx cranks,hubs,xt brakes,noleen coil overs front and rear,8 speed xt
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Ken Wood
a Cross Country Rider
from Vernon, NJ
Date Reviewed: February 10, 2000
Strengths: Great ride and appearence, cool graphics, minimal flex.
Weaknesses: Fork was a pain to install and properly adjust.
Bottom Line:
This bike totally kicks. I'm a young fifteen year old making minimum wage. I put every dollar that I made into this bike. When I saw the frame and fork for over 75% off, I just couldn't resist buying it. It turned out to be a great investment. Not only does my bike look like a dream, but it rides like one too. Even the guy who owns the local bike shop was impressed with it, even though he doesn't sell K2s. I definitely recommend this bike to anyone who's tired of flying down the mountain at 40 on your hartail, but want's a FS that can make it back up.
Bike Setup: Full XT, Raceface cranks, Spox M1 wheelset, Michilen Wild Gripper Lite S tires, Thompson post, Flite gel seat, Kore Lite 3 stem, TIME pedals, all anodized ti bolts and skewers etc., etc.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from New York
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2000
Strengths: light Components frame swingarm
Weaknesses: front shock seat post
Bottom Line:
it is a great bike. it is a good deal for the price i got it at (969.95). the only disadvantages are the front shock and the seat post. and the rear shock is hard to change (size-wise).
Submitted by
Bretter
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Alison
Date Reviewed: December 28, 1999
Strengths: Components, frame, price
Weaknesses: Shocks, chain flys off regularly
Bottom Line:
I am not an advanced rider and weigh less than 200 lbs yet I blew the rear shock out (dampening) in less than 4 months. The dealer I bought it from does not have any replacement shocks in stock but said he would send mine in for repairs, which would take about 10-20 days. I am in the process of ordering a replacement and will swap it out soon. Once I have the replacement, I will send the Noleen NR-4 in for repair.
