Submitted by
Clayton Briscoe
a Cross Country Rider
from San Clemente, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 27, 2003
Strengths: Frame with 4.3 inches of travel stock, wheels are strong, XT shifters and derailuires, high-end model of Avid V-Brakes, I like the color combo
Weaknesses: Specialized house brand cranks were terrible, Seat was to hard, Ritchie seatpost did not stay adjusted when seated in rough sections, stock stem and handlebars are to heavy,stock pedals are to heavy, stock tires are to narrow, stock decals were not smooth even on the showroom floor, effective top tube a little short which was by design, headtube angle of 7.22 degrees is very steep for a bike with this much speed potential
Bottom Line:
Now this bike is an excellent trail bike, the cranks, longer stem and tires help immensly with ridability, the weight saving measures help make the long climbs more bearable. I was planning to upgrade to a 2002 M4 Stumpjumper Pro FSRxc to save weight on the climbs, instead I plowed about $825 into this one and have a heavier (about 29 Lbs), but much stronger ride with an inch more travel all around. The only weight saving left is to go to Mavic 517s with XTR hubs, which I will do this week. That is really optional since the stock wheels are good, I just want to have the original wheels as a spare set with Panaracer Firepro DH tires for chair lift mountain biking. Bottom line, this is a unique looking rig with an excellent mid-travel chassis built strong enough to do anything a cross country bike is deisgned to do. Even after getting the new wheels, I will only be into the bike $2350 including the 8% California sales tax. An Intense Tracer cannot be had for that price with FULL XT and equivalent highend complementary components. So if you are thinking of buying a used one of these rare beasts just be ready to upgrade some or all of what I have done and you will have a comfortable trail bike (NOT a race bike) for an excellent value. AS for me, I will keep this one and look for a 7" travel bike (SC Bullit or equivalent) to go with my M4 Stumpjumper hardtail for an awesome 3 bike fleet.
Similar Products Used: only hardtails, not a good comparison
Bike Setup: stock 99 FSR Expert with the following mods: Answer Protaper Carbonfiber Riser bars with ODI-Yeti grips(140 grams lighter than stock), Race Face top-of-the-line Dues stem (a 110mm instead of the 100mm size of stock to give a more streched-out feeling) Rock Shox Duke SL U-Turn fork (63mm to 108mm adjustable) in flat white, Panaracer FirePro XC 2.1 Kevlar bead tires, XT hollowtech cranks, splined BB and XT chain, XT 12-34 tooth cassette (stock was XT 11-32), Thomson Elite seatpost and Aireon PrLite titanium railed saddle, Shimano M536 clipless pedals, Cateye 100 with the altimeter function
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
LSCKnobby
a Cross Country Rider
from Redwood City, CA
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2002
Strengths: Terrific frame.
Weaknesses: A lot of components will end up being replaced by any serious rider..probably early on.
Bottom Line:
I love this bike after two plus years of trail riding. It's worked well for the kinds of mixed riding I do, with a mix of DH and climbing, fast/smooth and slow/technical -- good fare for the XC rider. I would tend to agree with reviewers who have dissed some of the components: Get rid of the stock cranks and bottom bracket to eliminate the incessant chain suck (RaceFace setup = no chain suck for me); get a better front fork (not sure it matters which, but the Marzocchi made a noticable difference for me in handling and tracking). I have not worked to lighten the bike, but that's certainly possible. The wide riser handlebars are just weird; I opted to keep them and am somewhat used to them now, but I'm not sure that I won't eventually swap them for something slightly narrower and much lighter.
This is fundamentally an all-purpose XC bike -- jack of all trades, perfect for none. One genuinely nice aspect: This bike has spent less time in the shop for me than any other bike I've had now that the stock cranks/bottom bracket are gone. Once the chain suck was eliminated, regular cleaning has kept this bike just working week in and week out in a way that I've never experienced previously.
Favorite Trail: Bald Mountain/Whitepines, Northern Idaho
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$1065.00
Purchased At: Pacific Cycle, Mountain View, CA
Bike Setup: Marzocchi z2 xfly, RaceFace cranks/bottom bracket with DH cup, Time Atac pedals (I'd never heard of these, but SpeedGoat likes them, and they've been far better than stock), bar ends.
Weaknesses: Specialized house parts,RS Judy SL, Bike a little heavy in stock form
Bottom Line:
This bike has gone through hell as my 2 sons learned on it. Origional cranks,seat are not up to the job. Judy SL100 busted within a week and was never right. Rear Sid shock has been trouble-free. Adding the Manitou X-Vert really improved the bike. The bike is a good all- arounder. I use it for XC, and occasional Northstar,CA downhill runs. It is really set up as a freeride, but does everything well. I weigh close to 200 lbs. and am a roadie with some power. The stock frame,Avid brakes and shifter/derails are top-notch. Everything else must go!!! Oh yeah, Bushings are light, but do require more attention(grease)
Bike Setup: Blue Rolf Dolomite wheels, 2000 Manitou XVert Super,Race Face Next LP cranks, Time ATAC pedals, Race Face Headset and stem, Easton Monkey lite riser bars,Salsa seatpost quick release, Panaracer 2.1XC Pro's, Bontrager gel saddle, Kalloy UNO seatpost
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Cruz, CA 95003
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2001
Strengths: Fork is good once it get's broken in, rear shock is pretty good. I like the wheels and the frame is just great! I love the handlebars too.
Weaknesses: Cranks clicked and seemed weak. Long stem is dumb for the kind of riding most people use this bike for. Specialized components suck, except for the handlebars.
Bottom Line:
It's been a generally good bike for me for almost two years now. I've had a lot of fun on it but it has warn down over the years and I'm gonna replace it soon. I haven't had to fix much on it, just a new bottom bracket, crank and i need a new headset now. That's not two bad after two years.
Submitted by
Doug
a Weekend Warrior
from Wilmington
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2001
Strengths: This bike will do anything climding, decending, some pretty technical stuff although its not really form anything but xc and maybe light free riding.
Weaknesses: The front shock (blew it out in a week and a half). The stem is a little long for a bike like this and the paint chips easily.
Bottom Line:
You can basicly do evrything with this bike or configure it too wiht all the add-ons avalible. The bikes pretty solid (although i'm 14 and weigh 130 lbs so basicly everthing is) the wheels need to be trued alot and are pertty solid (I've jumped a few 8 ft drops onto flat concrete and have yet to break them). Over all an excellent bike for the money especially when you can get it on sale like i did.
Submitted by
WRIDER
a Weekend Warrior
from Laguna Niguel
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2001
Strengths: Though not for a hardcore rider, this bike does it all. Efficient climber, strong descender. Great bike for aggressive trail and technical riding, and light-duty downhill. Well-designed suspension.
Weaknesses: Don't slam the bike too hard, or you just might bust the shock bolt and un-true the wheels (I did). Stem may be too long (130mm) for anything but serious cross-county riding - recommend shorter stem for improved DH performance and technical handling. Stock seatpost (Ritchey) bent too easily.
Bottom Line:
Great entry-level bike for all-around trailriding, including technical and light-duty DH. This bike does everything it was designed to do, and more. But go heavier-duty if you're planning on BIG hits and wheeley-drops. After nearly 2000 miles of agressive trailriding, this bike is still going strong.
Strengths: HAS TAKEN BIG HITS, BIG FALLS, AND KEEPS COMING BACK FOR MORE. GREAT JUMPING BIKE!! NOT A PERFECT DH, OR A X-COUNTRY BUT I'VE NEVER BEEN LEFT BEHIND BY EITHER GROUP. THIS BIKE REALLY DOES WELL ON BUMPY TRAILS MOVING FAST AND EFFICIENTLY OVER/AROUND OBSTICALS. CLIMBING WITH THIS BIKE WAS VARY FRUSTRATING AT FIRST, A FEW ADJUSTMENTS AND I WAS CLIMBING TRAILS THAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY WALKED. NOTE I WIEGH 215LBS AND AM 6'2, MY FRAME IS A SIZE 19.
Weaknesses: COOL COLOR PAINT SCTATCHED EASLY(FROM CRASHING WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?) FRONT SHOCK LASTED 30 MIN. AND WAS TRASHED BEOND FIXING(DAMAGE WAS FROM A 2 FOOT JUMP I HIT ABOUT 15 X) SEAT FELL OFF(FROM CRASHING)......THE ONLY WEAKNESS WOULD BE THE FORK THAT MY BIKE HAD ON IT. THE REST WAS ALL MY FAULT
Bottom Line:
THE ONLY BIKE I WANT TO RIDE!! THIS BIKE TAKES ME EVERY WHERE!! WITH CONFIDENCE!! PARTS ON THIS BIKE ARE GOOD TO START OUT WITH, BUT YOU MIGHT NEED/WANT TO UP GRADE THEM AFTER YOU BREAK THEM. AND IF YOU DON'T BREAK THEM TRY HARDER!!
Similar Products Used: GT 2000(GOOD CLIMBING BIKE) SUGER(REAL QUICK) SOME CANNONDALE(BLA BLA) AND A DIAMOND BACK WITCH I LIKED.
Bike Setup: I BOUGHT THIS BIKE BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY FRAME!!!!!! NOT THE PARTS!!! I FIGURED THAT WHAT EVER I BROKE I WOULD UP GRADE. THE BIKES ORIGINAL WEIGHT WAS 31 LBS, MY GOAL WAS 25 OR SO. CARBON CT2 BARS(WOW THEY ARE LIGHT), EASTON MAGNESEUM STEM(LOOKS COOL WORKS GREAT)PSLYO XC FORK(PLUSH, PLUSH, PLUSH)SPECIALIZED BODY GEO SEAT(NO SEAT IS COMFORTABLE AFTER 4 OR MORE HOURS ON THE TRAIL BUT MY NADS ARE NOT NUMB!!)RACE FACE SEAT POST(REALY COOL! WAY TOO MANY ADJUSTMENTS, IT MAKES ME WANT TO KEEP AJUSTING IT)RACE FACE HEAD SET(SEALED IS COOL!) RACE FACE NEXT CRANKS & CHAIN RINGS(BLUE TO MATCH, VARY LIGHT)XT BOTTOM BRACKET(TI HAS A WEIGHT LIMIT TO IT)CLIPLESS PEDS( A MUST)& AND XTR REAR CASSET (LIGHT, STRONG AND 9TH RING IS A 34-22 FOR NEVER ENDING CLIMBS)TUBLESS MIGHT BE NEXT BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CRUSH THE MAVIC 222'S YET. O WELL, I WILL KEEP LANDING TABLE TOPS AND KICK OUTS NOT TO MENTION THE CRASHES. NOTE THE BIKE NOW WEIGHS 26-26.5 LBS
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
tim
a Downhiller
from denver colorado u.s.a.
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2000
Strengths: plush bike love the blue color
Weaknesses: the judy sl is week, blew it out in three months, riding in north carolina, repaired thank you rock shox, broken shock mount shoved sid shock up into shock mount, yeah yeah i am hard on this bike but it takes it
Bottom Line:
i love this bike, it takes what i dish out and i am 176 lbs specialized sucks though i hate the company i am still fighting with them over my frame damage when the bolt broke on the rear shock mount, since it happened within a year of purchase, wish i had maybe bought something else, but everytime i think that i go ride, and i can say i love this bike, but it is a love hate relationship. the stock cranks are horrible and i cant belive they came on this bike for its cost, the headset was junk, the judy sl is set to 100mm travel, the c3 cartrigde isnt bad, but i want the new psylo, but dont we all? overall i have this bike setup to thrash and everyone seems to look at me like i am posessed on the trail so i must like this bike (deep down inside shhhhhh dont tell anyone)
Bike Setup: xtr cranks, front derailuer, chris king headset, carbon fiber ct2 seat post, and handlebars(straight) sella italia trans am seat, xt rear, 34/12 rear cass, the only thing stack are the brakes(avid 2.5) and the xt shifters, and avid levers, oh yeah and the wheelset soon to be replaced getting king hubs and disc brakes soon yeah i am obsessed a little
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
William Render
a Weekend Warrior
from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: September 24, 2000
Strengths: Everything! XT from front to back at a great price Sid rear shock is great
Weaknesses: A rear boot over the SID is MUST! Lizard skin works great!
Bottom Line:
This bike ROCKS! First ride was today. Same trail I’ve ridden about 20 times this year with my old bike… BIG difference Today.. I climbed hills I never made it up before. Pounded off drops like they were little bumps.. the most impressive part of the ride was when I fell off the trail into a bed of rocks.. but I didn’t stop, the back wheel just sucked them up and I kept Peddling through out and back up… (certain I couldn’t have done that on a hard tail!) The Judy SL was a little stiff … didn’t suck up the little stuff very well. But by the end of the 20KM ride it had loosed up a bit and I think will get a bit better yet… great for hard hits
I have been a mountain biker for about 7 years now, being a student I have been riding an old Haro Vector with a Girvin vector front end and a LX 7 speed package. It’s always worked very well and never let me down.. but at a price of $1700CDN I had to take a closer look at the FSR Expert. The specs were there, XT, SID and a weight at just over 26LBS stock (15.5” frame).
Bike Setup: Mostly stock, Air Sid on rear, Judy SL 80mm Front, XT-shifters, derialers, Avid 1.9 break levers Avid 25 V-breaks I upgraded the Crank and BB to the 2000 XT splined.. Sid has 150PSI Positive chamber, 135PSI Neg. chamber
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Brent
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Clara, Ca
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2000
Strengths: The frame geometry combined makes for a plush ride, when it works.
Weaknesses: Pretty much every specialized component on the bike. And I can't say much for the customer service either
Bottom Line:
I have owned this bike for 6 months, and I do some moderate cross-country rides about 2 times a month. I am still a beginning rider, and this is my first bike in approximately 5 years, so I am definitely not the strongest rider around.
In the last 6 months, the bike has been in the shop for about 7 weeks (it is currently unrideable now, and needs to go back!) Specifically, it has had the bottom bracket checked, re-checked, and then finally replaced, the small chain ring folded over while climbing a hill, the headset has never worked correctly and the freewheel/rear hub needs replacing. I have been to a number of shops looking for someone competent (to no avail), and have talked directly to Specialized (also to no avail.)
As a quick example, the small chain ring folded over during a weekend ride one week before my first race. In order to get the chain ring repaired for the race, I had to go to several bike shops (which took all of Monday), and then to personally call Specialized on Tuesday in order to get the part sent out. After leaving several voice messages on a variety of people's answering machines, I finally got my bike fixed on Friday afternoon. I was having the bike repaired in Redwood City, CA (about 40 miles North of Specialized HQ), and as it turns out, it would have wasted less of my time to drive down and pick up the part myself.
The bottom line is Specialized builds a sub-standard product, and refuses to stand behind what they sell, and the shops they sell their product through. I would most definitely never buy a Specialized bike again, and would strongly urge everybody else to look at other manufacturers as well.
Please email me if you have any questions, or would like more details.
Strengths: This is an update to my previous post. I have raced this bike 4 times this season and learned some lessons...
Weaknesses: Keep an eye on the upper pivot bolt on the rear shock. I have broken two bolts. The second one was a stronger, alloy bolt, and I still broke it. Granted it was on the Downieville Classic race & I weigh about 190 lbs... But just keep an eye on it.
Bottom Line:
I still love the bike, and it has held up well to some gnarly races. I added some bar ends and the bike climbs even better. Judy SL is holding up well, since it was fixed, and the rear SID has been 100% trouble free. Kiss butt ride, especially for the dough.
Bike Setup: I soon replaced the stock cranks with an XT crank. Much better. Lighter and zero flex. Note: I had to shave down the bottom bracked retaining cup on the left side so the crank arm would not rub.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Marco
a Downhiller
from Kerkrade, Limburg, Netherlands
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2000
Strengths: A very nice bike for cross country riders in a different setup.
Weaknesses: Not so smooth as a Downhill bike. You need to use a short saddle pen.
Bottom Line:
This bike is not perfect for me, because I need more travel for the things I do. But overall it's a nice bike to ride cross country extreme.
Similar Products Used: Scott, Nicolai, Rocky Mountain
Bike Setup: XT, Jr. T, Hope PRO disc brakes, Schock Therapy, IRC Kujo DH, IRC Mudmad DH
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Shawn
a Weekend Warrior
from Troy, Mi
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2000
Strengths: Great ride for all purpose ridding. Full XT at this price level. The SID rear shock is amazing. A good value.
Weaknesses: No weaknosses except that I blew out the RS Judy sl in the first month.
Bottom Line:
Buy it if you are a all day type of rider and forget it if you plan on racing. It is an extremly comfortable bike to ride. It soaks up any nasty trail you can throw at it. And it's a great buy.
Bike Setup: Stock except for King headset, Gore Tex cables, And ATAC pedals.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Vic Sutton
a Weekend Warrior
from CAMBERLEY, Surrey. UK
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2000
Strengths: Nice kit for the price(XT, Sout hubs X222 rims etc) ,although I did get it at sale price.
Smooth rear-action and reasonably light-weight. I still enjoy riding this bike with big-gears on bumpy fire-tracks, this is where it shines.
Weaknesses: Front mech linkage broke within 1 month, replaced at no cost as this was a known problem with some samples.
Damper unit linkage in Judy SLs broke, but this was after quite a high drop-off.
Paint job is not too hard wearing, mine has flaked and scratched just with normal washing. A light brush with small tree branch resulted with bare-metal on the seat spur ! Stickers on frame are starting to come away on top edges.
Have some odd moments with chain-suck, can't seem to cure this one even by keeping the drive-train spotless.
Rear pivot bolts need to be checked fairly frequently, and oiled after every wash. I recently had some strange creaking noises whilst on a weekend trip in the mountains, only to find out that main shock bolt in the rear yoke had nearly fallen completely out! Since I've been checking, it has not happened again, thankfully.
Bottom Line:
I wouldn't have paid the full price for the bike, but at 2/3 cost, I'm happy. Ride felt rather upright compared to hardtail stretched-out position; this can make some decents feel like falling off a cliff, but this diminishes with time. After buying mine, my bother bought the same bike and my mate bought the Extreme versions; both at 1/2 price !
Bike Setup: Standard. I keep the rear shock pressure fairly high to help climbing.
I might try flipping the stem to get the bars lower.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Pat Gleason
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbus, OH USA
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2000
Strengths: Cheap, light (custom parts), strong main frame
Weaknesses: Rear pivot maintenance, bobby suspension
Bottom Line:
I really like the handling of this bike, it's light, and strong. The rear shocks just blow, the rock shock deluxe are just garbage. I put a Cane Creek AD-10 on it, but still had too much bobbing from this very active suspension. So I went to a Stratos Helix Expert w/ lockout, heavy...but the best shock on the market, period. Now onto the pivots...I'm not at all happy. To properly maintain the pivots, you gotta take apart the whole rear triangle, and lube em after every soggy ride, or they'll creak , and bind up the rear end. I went with the MRP bearing kit, awesome!!!, but you still have to do the same maintenance. I notice that the main pivots on the frame are kinda ovalized, a quick call to my Specialized dealer confirmed that there is a recall on the swingarm for 98-99. So I'm sending it in. That may be part of the creaking. I may very honestly look for a single pivot design frame, and sell this one. It's a very good bike, in fact for the money, I think it's the best one out there, but.....the maintenance thing, is really getting to me.
Hello Friends,
I found one selling for $450. Is that a fair price? I'm really only interested in the aluminum frame as I will be upgrading the existing components. Read More »
Anyone knows what size rear shock is one my 1999 Specialized FSR Expert. I am measuring 6.25ìn but 6.5inX1.5in seems to be a standard shock.
Thanks Read More »
so i picked this thing up last week because mountain biking seems like something i could really get into and this bike was something i could afford as i didn't feel like spending 1 Read More »
