Submitted by
carlo russo
a Cross Country Rider
from australia
Date Reviewed: May 3, 2005
Strengths: light,xc ready,price
Weaknesses: shabby in house components ie: the rear hub stinks, tires are lame, light.
Bottom Line:
well ive been racing this for 3 years and while it has performed well it's starting to get a bit crunchy so now i have single speeded the sucker and race it in s/s class. the swingarm had a hairline crack which i had welded. the swingarm is not part of the frame so no warranty.?. will i get another fsr? nahhhhhh i think it's time for some cruz action.
Bike Setup: stock apart from handlebar and brake upgrade
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Christian Wroten
a Cross Country Rider
from Michigan
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2005
Strengths: very responsive in tight switchbacks(climbing and desending).FAST. smooth jumper over rolling terrain. Climbs like madman!
Weaknesses: The obvious: saddle, seatpost, pedals, grips, crankset, and rear bushings.
Bottom Line:
I have read all of these reviews, and can't believe what I'm hearing. This bike kick ass anyway you slice it. Sure it has some flaws, but they are so minor that they fall into the category of "tweaking". I've riden this thing all over Colorado, Utah, and yes Michigan, and taken it places that I wouldn't even attempt on most other bikes. There are tons of snazzy "looking" rides out there, but this a true(real deal) mountain bike. I don't need to tell you how many riders I've climbed past as they walk their super suspended mosters up technical rock and ledge areas, and how many of the same that plow into me as they fly down at speeds well beyond their ability. This is a machine that will climb 3000ft at rates rivalling only the hardtails, and desend like a rollercoaster.It's not a meadow cruiser or a metropark showpiece. This a mountain bike, so ride it like one and then you'll appreciate the engineering that's gone into this big yellow love machine......
Bottom line is: You've got to get up before you come down and this is the vehicle for both. Of coarse most bikes never make it to the terrain that they were designed around, so the reviews will be a bit skewed. So, if you're wondering how this thing rates in the real world of mountain biking: It's one of the best ever designed and built. PERIOD
Weaknesses: crappy stock bars,seatpost,crank,bushings wear out fast
Bottom Line:
The bike is fast but needs maint often.I had a complete over haul done by "Wheeler Dealer" bike shop in okla. city. When I brought the bike in on friday 6-20-03, they said they would start on it no later than tues 6-24 and assured me that it would be just like brand new , take about 2 days ,and cost about 100.00$. Well they didnt even start on it until saturday 7-5. they called me and told me that it needed a new swingarm and they could not order it until the following monday and it would take about a week to get. I was leaving to go on a mtb trip on fri 7-11 to the seattle washington area, and they knew this when I brought the bike in. So I said fine, air freight the swingarm in and I will pay the freight because I need My bike.They called me Just before I left and said it was all done and ready. I picked up my bike and my bill was 201.00$ due to new bushings,brake pads and derailer hanger which I thought was a little high, but that was ok because My bike was now "just like new". I got home ,loaded my bike on the van and we heade out on our 2200 mile trip to seatle. When we arrived we set out to ride all these different rides around the olimpic mountains. My first ride, my rear tire was rubbing my brakes. My back rim was not trued, I could not believe it. After that kind of money My rim was not straight. I took my bike to bainbridge cycle .As The mechanic there trued my wheel I told him that I just had the bike over hauled. He looked at the bike and told me that there were other things "not right"on the bike. After a complete overhaul, the cassette should be totally clean as well as the front rings and he pointed out old grime in the gears. also the brake pads were badly out of adjustment. When he was through he did not charge me. The next day the bike did great. Day three I was riding and the rear end started flopping around from left to right. the bushings were pealing out of the holes and rear end was totally loose. That was the end of my vacation on this bike. the remainer of my trip was on a rented hardtail {ouch} trek. When I got back to oklahoma city I returned the bike to the shop who did the work on the bike. I showed them what had happened ,the mechanic said he took it apart went on vacation and another mechanic put it back together. then he said Did the tell you that your rear shock bearings were bad? No ,I was told it was ready to go. "Oh , bummer".he said. No apology From the guy . This was on tues, july 29. They slill have the bike now at almost three weeks. I call every few weeks days and Im told that they're waiting on parts. This is my experience with my stumpjumper pro fsr. Due to having only one Specialized Dealer for 100 miles and the one here is about as lame as I can imagine.Im selling this bike. The bike is good but only good if I can get desent service locally. Im currently buying a S C superlight.
Weaknesses: crappy stock bars,seatpost,crank,bushings wear out fast
Bottom Line:
The bike is fast but needs maint often.I had a complete over haul done by "Wheeler Dealer" bike shop in okla. city. When I brought the bike in on friday 6-20-03, they said they would start on it no later than tues 6-24 and assured me that it would be just like brand new , take about 2 days ,and cost about 100.00$. Well they didnt even start on it until saturday 7-5. they called me and told me that it needed a new swingarm and they could not order it until the following monday and it would take about a week to get. I was leaving to go on a mtb trip on fri 7-11 to the seattle washington area, and they knew this when I brought the bike in. So I said fine, air freight the swingarm in and I will pay the freight because I need My bike.They called me Just before I left and said it was all done and ready. I picked up my bike and my bill was 201.00$ due to new bushings,brake pads and derailer hanger which I thought was a little high, but that was ok because My bike was now "just like new". I got home ,loaded my bike on the van and we heade out on our 2200 mile trip to seatle. When we arrived we set out to ride all these different rides around the olimpic mountains. My first ride, my rear tire was rubbing my brakes. My back rim was not trued, I could not believe it. After that kind of money My rim was not straight. I took my bike to bainbridge cycle .As The mechanic there trued my wheel I told him that I just had the bike over hauled. He looked at the bike and told me that there were other things "not right"on the bike. After a complete overhaul, the cassette should be totally clean as well as the front rings and he pointed out old grime in the gears. also the brake pads were badly out of adjustment. When he was through he did not charge me. The next day the bike did great. Day three I was riding and the rear end started flopping around from left to right. the bushings were pealing out of the holes and rear end was totally loose. That was the end of my vacation on this bike. the remainer of my trip was on a rented hardtail {ouch} trek. When I got back to oklahoma city I returned the bike to the shop who did the work on the bike. I showed them what had happened ,the mechanic said he took it apart went on vacation and another mechanic put it back together. then he said Did the tell you that your rear shock bearings were bad? No ,I was told it was ready to go. "Oh , bummer".he said. No apology From the guy . This was on tues, july 29. They slill have the bike now at almost three weeks. I call every few weeks days and Im told that they're waiting on parts. This is my experience with my stumpjumper pro fsr. Due to having only one Specialized Dealer for 100 miles and the one here is about as lame as I can imagine.Im selling this bike. The bike is good but only good if I can get desent service locally. Im currently buying a S C superlight.
Similar Products Used: sc superlight,k2 razorback,kona, cannondale jeckel
Bike Setup: king headset,bomber 3 fork,king hubsx517, thomson post@stem fullxt,xtr,panaracer fires,time peddels
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
slickrick
a Cross Country Rider
from E-town
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2003
Strengths: Great Components, light weight, awesome suspension
Weaknesses: Stock pedals seem to fill up with crud easy, Can't get clipped in. Low bottem bracket height. Suspension a little noisy.
Bottom Line:
My first full suspension bike. Bought it used figuring I could keep my hardtail if I didn't like it. I Hated it at first, seemed to suck the life out of me on climbs, seemed loose on the downhills, but once I finally got the shocks dialed in, look the #@*% out. Sold the hardtail! With the right setup, bob is nonexistent and gnarly downhills oh so sweet. I keep pushing this bike harder and harder and it keeps me smiling. 2-4 foot drops are nothing, although it sometimes sounds like I've broken the bike in two which was a little unnerving at first but no bends or cracks yet. I think it's the rear derailleur slapping the chainstay but I'm not sure. I'm 6'3" and 200 lbs running 210 lbs in the Fox Float RC and 80 lbs in each leg of the Marzocchi Z.1 if anyone is looking for a starting place to set theirs up. I've always believed it's the rider and not the bike, now I'm not so sure. This bike has definitely improved my riding. I've read good things about the MRP X-Link and bearing pivots, but can't seem to justify $150 to fix something that ain't broke(yet). If your a beginner and find this bike cheap on ebay or somewhere, don't buy it. Let it go to someone who can really appreciate just what this bike can do. If you're an experienced rider looking to step up, buy this bike. X-Large Full suspension at 25 lbs for $750, sometimes good things do happen to good people. Phins Up!
Bike Setup: Marzocchi Z.1 100, Easton EA50 riser and seatpost, Hutchinson Alligators(Great Tires)XT Crank, shifters, f. Der., XTR r. Der., Avid Brakes, Mavic 517 on Specialized Hubs.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
brian
a Cross Country Rider
from scottsdale
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2002
Strengths: light, light, light, Fox Float RL, plush rear w/bearing pivots - bike was warranty upgrade from Rockhopper
Weaknesses: Float RL is still a bit soft for my 220 lbs. Also Float RL is difficult to unlock on the move. Lever is ackward - but not a specialized probelm
Bottom Line:
Improved my riding capabilities. Made me a believer in air shocks
Strengths: Great legendary suspension design. Light weight at 24 lbs.
Weaknesses: Everything stock sucks!!! I have put so much money into this, it would have been better to just buy a frame. Nothing stock except frame, fork, rear shock.
Bottom Line:
Awesome bike. Light as hell for a dual suspension. Three flamin chili's for stock setup, Five for my setup!!!
Submitted by
aubrey
a Cross Country Rider
from sacramento, ca
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2002
Strengths: Plush ride, light weight.
Weaknesses: Creaky pivots/bushings, e-type derailleur causes bottom bracket and crank compatibility issues. Some of the stock components suck.
Bottom Line:
i bought this bike over a year ago to replace a fully rigid Rockhopper. i will never look back and don't know why i waited so long.
the geometry is a little bit compact and to me the cockpit feels a little short; i am 5'10" and ride a 17" medium.
the setup is perfect for cross-country riding. i now ride over things instead of around them and it's just amazing how much longer and faster you can ride when you aren't getting beat up by the trail. i can climb better and descend faster on this bike than before. the lockout is useful for road-riding in a pinch but why would you ride this bike on the road?
most of these other comments are just rehashes of what others have experienced on this bike.
i thought people were just a bunch of whiners when i read the complaints about the stock seatpost. they are right. do yourself a favor and get rid of it. don't even bother with it. throw it in the trash. or sell it for scrap aluminum. no amount of cranking down on the bolt will keep the saddle from shifting around. (if you buy a thomson seatpost make sure you get the special clamp, otherwise you will be more limited in how much you can adjust the angle of the saddle.)
the stock cranks are ok but shifting performance really started crapping out after about a year. i initially tried to put race face cranks on this bike but after trying the stock BB in addition to non-e-type 110 and 107's i could not get the chainline right. calls to both that was disappointing. in the end i went with a splined XT setup (68x113) and have not had any problems. finding e-type compatible BBs for this bike in the sacramento area was not as easy as i thought. most bikes shops, specialized dealers included, did not have any idea what i was talking about. that seems odd to me. finally (shouts to bicycles plus in folsom, ca) i found a shop that was willing to take one off of their showroom fsrs and sell it to me.
Strengths: Awesome suspension design, if you spin right it doesn't bob. Lockout is very usefull on smooth ascents
Weaknesses: The rear linkage bushings can develop into a problem, I've replaced my rear link with the X-rated Mountainspeed version. Lateral rigidity much improved. Travel increased as well (76mm to 90mm)
Bottom Line:
The best XC racer out there for the money. With a few upgrades this baby owns off the start line. I a smokin deal on the frame from my LBS cause I broke my Enduro and wanted to do some hardcore XC racing. Built it up and let it ride!
Similar Products Used: 00 Enduro (which I broke), 99 Enduro
Bike Setup: Stumpy frame, mars elite (lockout), raceface, XT, float RC, ct2, pythons, hayes hydraulics, 321 discs, all the trimmings
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jason
a Cross Country Rider
from Morgan Hill, CA
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2001
Strengths: Everything on this bike rocks. Although I did change out the rear linkage that stabalizes the rear shock to the frame (changed to a Risse rear link) which stiffend up the rearend latterly. The bike climbs great and handles the highspeed downhill fireroads and singletrack like a charm. A great mix of components out of the box too.
Weaknesses: The silver link which I replaced with something from Risse, but I would definatly reconsider after seeing what mountain speed has to offer, they use bearings instead of bushings.
Bottom Line:
This bike rides great. It runs evenbetter now that I have scrapped the Specialized rear hub. Didn't have an issue with the front stout hub, but found that the rear hub broke down rather fast. If you have the extra cash, spend the money on king hubs, you will not be disappointed. But for the overall handling of this bike. It climbs, it dives, it kicks @$$. Anyone one who is looking for well specked bike and want to leave it as is, maybe slightly disappointed. Get the '01 or 02 version. They will have a better rear-triangle. This bike, once modified (to my taste) rocks.
Similar Products Used: Specialized S-works hardtail
Bike Setup: Sid front fork, XTR shifters, XTR rear D, XT front D, XT disk brakes, Chris King disk brake hubs, Easton Monkeylite hi rise carbon handlebar, and everything else is stock. My next changes will be the cranks (XT) and headset (Chris King).
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Derek Ealy
a Cross Country Rider
from Redondo Beach, CA
Date Reviewed: October 20, 2001
Strengths: Light strong frame, some very good components, geometry. Cranks, deraillures, shock, fork, shifters are all holding up qutie well.
Weaknesses: some really crappy components, geometry. Tires, pedals, seat, freehub, handlebars, headset, bushings all suck.
Bottom Line:
This bike has been such a mixed bag for me. I replaced components in the order that I listed them in the bike setup section above. First off, the tires and seat post were a complete and total joke. It is just inexcusable that such crappy products exist, let alone wind up on a bike that costs thousands of dollars. I wore a knob off of the rear tire within 3 rides. The Ritchey seat post was amazingly bad, I'm surprised that some guy named Ritchey actually put his name on it. Shame on you!!!
That said my biggest problem with this bike was the geometry. It just didn't work with my riding style (this was my first full suspension bike). I've flipped over the handle bars so many times I can't even count them. Mind you that during my previous 6 years mountain biking on hardtails I flipped over the bars all of zero times. I suspect this had to do with the short top tube. All in all it took my a couple of months to adjust my riding style so that it worked with this bike. I now haven't flipped over the front for quite some time.
I replaced the linkage with the BETD product because it slackened the head angle by a degree which I beleived would be helpfull in the flipping over problems. About a week before the link arrived I seemed to have made major improvements in my riding style and had developed some measure of control of going over the front. Since the link has arrived, I'm quite impressed with the plushness of the rear end. And now I absolutely storm down the hills faster than I did on my old hardtail.
I was very disappointed that the rear freehub and rear brake gave up the ghost in less than 400 miles. I replaced both with XTR components. I know that there are replacement parts for many of the pieces of both, instead of having to buy the whole thing.
The things that have lasted on the bike are the bottom bracket and cranks, the derailleurs, shifters and levers. Although I'm not sure how much life is left in those brake levers. I was totally expecting to have to replace the cranks and bottom bracket early. But so far, nary a creak from the crank bb section.
Now that I've spent roughly a grand on parts for this bike it totally rocks! Going uphill I never lock out the rear. I love having the suspension going up and down the hills. I feel that I don't have excessive bob going up the hills, and the suspesion does a better job of keeping the rear tire in contact with the ground. I still haven't mastered standing up on the steep technical inclines yet. I totally romp on the downhills now. I don't even come close to using all the suspension travel. So I've been slowly reducing the pressures front and rear to see when I start bottoming out. I'm about 178-181 lbs, and ride 55psi in front and 155psi in the rear, with about seven clicks of rebound from full slow.
I'm very happy with the bike now, and when I think of what I would want to upgrade to in the future it is so totally out of my price range (A Maverick, or possbily an Intense Tracer with a full XTR group). Short of those two, I've got the best bike I can manage to afford. And don't think I'm interested in anything less. Oh there is one other possibility... an Ellsworth Truth (but they sure are ugly compared to the others I've mentioned).
I have to take away 2 chilis for having to replace so much stuff, and the scars on my legs from flipping over.
Bike Setup: Time ATAC pedals, Panaracer Fire XC Pros, Easton EA50 seatpost, Selle Italia Flite Trans Am, Easton Monkey Lite riser bars, ODI Lock Grips, BETD link and dropout pivot bearings, XTR hubs, XTR brakes
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Johnnie T.
a Weekend Warrior
from San Jose, CA
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2001
Strengths: Light weight for a full suspension Nice XC singletrack machine. Good for racing Excellent brakes
Weaknesses: SID forks, replaced with Marzochhi Atom Race Seat uncomfortable, replaced with Avocet Cranks are flexy, replaced with Race Face Bushings are crap, replaced with Mountain Speed linkage kit Rear wheel bearing starting to go. Low BB height
Bottom Line:
Despite all the parts I replaced, I love this bike. I made it into my custom made machine with all the parts I changed out. I easily spent another grand replacing all the parts I didn't like. This took over a year to do as I replaced them as I went along. The Sid's really sucked. Way too flexy for my taste. I put on an Marzocchi Atom Race. It a full pound heavier but oh soooo smooth and stiff laterally. Bushings suck in the rear linkage, plus the rear link is a cheap plastic doo hickey that is prone to flexing. Cranks are too flexy too. So what I basically did was replace everything but the frame, wheels and brakes. Rear bearings are starting to go so I'll assume I'll have to replace that too.
But the frame, what a beauty. Intense frames are pretty much the same thing since they bought the license to use Specializes design. The way I figure it, I have the same bike as an Intense and even though I replaced so many parts, I still paid a lot less that I would have if I bought an Intense Tracer built up.
This bike is a single track killer. It's light enough at 25 lbs to race in the sports class. I'm a mid packer but oh what fun I have. If only I had to time to train more. Like most reviewers, this bike does it all without being the best at any one thing. I wish it had a 13 inch BB clearance, but with the Mountain Linkage, it's at least up to 12.5 inches, good enough. I like the adjustability of the linkage and like the slower 70 degree setting, but lose a half inch of clearance in that setting.
3 peppers for the original setup 5 peppers for all my upgrades
Submitted by
Pablo Meyer
a Weekend Warrior
from Mexico City
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2001
Strengths: I'm really updating my review from last year.
Weaknesses: Some stock components suck!!! The Specialized crankset lasted the better part of three months before the middle ring was so f*&% worn out i had to replace it with a Race Face.
Bottom Line:
This is no doubt a great bike, light, flexible (with the rear lockout you have the best of both worlds) good handling and good value. On the 2001 model Specialized upgraded the rear suspension link for a sturdier one with better lateral stability. However, for $ 150.00 bucks you can get from Mountainspeed (mountainspeed.com) the X rated link wich includes a much stronger link AND sealed bearings instead of the much critisized bushings, which pretty much does what the new model does, with the cost of a new bike. Its worth it (I swear I'm not been paid for the endorsement!). I agree with the other folks that the wing-span of the handlebar is ridiculous, just go for the saw and chop off a couple inches, no problem. I give this baby 5 chilis again: great value, wonderful handling and quite reliable (other than the parts described).
Similar Products Used: Schwinn S-20, Cannondale Jekyl
Bike Setup: Icon raiser bar, Body Geometry seat, Race Face crankset and Mountainspeed rear suspension link.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Tunitas, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2001
Strengths: light, for under 1.5K a SID XC, Float RC with XT and XTR, 517 rims,such a good deal. Avid Mag brakes work good and are very light. Subspension set up and geometry is the best part of bike, it really works great, climbs great and goes down---no frown!!
Weaknesses: tires, seat
Bottom Line:
I love this bike. Was worried initually about bobbing, but this never has been a problem. This bike climbs way better than my ancient 28 lb Bridgstone hardtail, even on pavement.
