Submitted by
Jordan
a Weekend Warrior
from California, MD, USA
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2004
Strengths: This is a pretty good bike. I recieved it for my birthday 5 years ago, and it has held up very well. It has been everything that I expected it to be.
Weaknesses: For the first 4.5 years I had this bike, I did some occasional rough trail riding, did some neighborhood crusing, rode to work for a while, and did all kinds of other riding. Now that I'm at college and I ride this bike all the time, it's suffered a lot of wear. I ride probably around 5 miles every weekday. The cassette is very worn. The crank and the bottom bracket are almost shot. I just bought a new chain to last me the final month of this semester, because I had and still have to some degree serious chain skipping problems. The rear derailluer is having some serious issues. I'm hearing some serious bearing grinding from the rear hub. The grips are falling apart. The components that came with this bike are not of the highest quality, but what do you expect from a $350 bike?
Bottom Line:
This bike is awesome. It has lasted me 5 years with no fatal problems. It has provided me with tons of fun. I don't know what I would have done without it. This bike has really contributed to my love for biking. It is a great beginners bike and I would recommend it to anyone that is new to the sport.
Submitted by
Brian Laudahl
a Racer
from Mankato,MN usa
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2003
Strengths: everything. Had to replace the grip shifters once bit everything is good i have had it for about five years and i have put it through alot of crap and it has held up. Usually there would have been at least one or two welding problems but not even a sound . the parts on this bike are excellent! the rims arent even bent and ive done some major off-roading and havent even replaced the rear tire and it is still excellent i have a 2.4 inch front tire and it reacts excellent to the bike. i am going to put front suspension on it. people who do want to do off- roading and want to put it through hell and back again and dont want to spend over $500 for it i would suggest this bike
Weaknesses: nothing
Bottom Line:
it is the best bike ive ever had and i have had about 5 bikes over the years
Submitted by
hamish F
a Weekend Warrior
from Bournemouth, United Kingdom
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2002
Strengths: Frame
Weaknesses: Pedals, failed after 5 months Front brake cable splitter, failed after 3 months bottom bracket needs replacing 8 months
Bottom Line:
A good begginners bike, except for the things that fail, I just use it at Uni for riding on the road, no more than 20km per week, i really dont expect componants to fail this quickly if at all, the pedals and cable splitters haven't failed again yet...
Submitted by
Dan
a Weekend Warrior
from Hesperia, CA USA
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2001
Strengths: My '94 sorrento has decent components for the price, at the time everything was shimano alivio, now who knows what it's got. great price for a first bike even for an intermediate rider. My steel frame is very comfortable.
Weaknesses: a little heavy. Not setup for a serious racer
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike back in '95 it was a '94 model so i got it at a little bit of a discount. It has straight alivio components and no suspension fork, they weren't too good 6 years ago. The frame is super strong, it is one of the best steel frames at that price in my opinion. I don't know if the frame is still steel but it is much more comfortable that an aluminum frame that rattles your teeth out. I rode my sister's 98 sorrento and had a blast. It is a little lighter now and the new fork technologh is much better. If you want a bike that can last for 6 years this is a good one. I ride mine everywhere all I have done to it is buy new tires and change the chain a couple of times. A good buy for a first bike.
Strengths: The bike is solid and has held up well to my abuse. For a beginner bike, this one is pretty tough. If you are at all serious about biking, don't get a cheapo Wal-Mart type bike. Go ahead and get a Sorrento and you should be ok for all city use and some pretty decent offroading. When I bought this bike as a mountain bike, I intended to use it to its fullest. It has been on rough trails with plenty of rocks and roots. The stock tires are great for offroad, but not as good for the pavement. When riding mostly around town, I switch to tires with a nice center ridge for a better ride. The bike has great brakes and nice shifters. The drivetrain still shifts reasonably well even when wet and/or very dirty. This is a must on the trail.
Weaknesses: The front shock not all that great. After two years of hard riding, it is somewhat worn out but was never great from the start. There is play in the shock and clunking noises can be heard when you hit a large bump. I plan on using the bike until it dies altogether and then get a whole new setup. After two years of hard riding, the bike is starting to feel like an old worn out car. It still runs and get you where you need to go reliably, but you start to hear noises that weren't there before.
I bought a Sorrento that was defective before it was exchanged for my current bike. The rear derraillur never shifted properly and the bike shop's service was horrid. They never actually rode the bike and told me that it shifted fine on the shop stand. In the end, the bike self destructed when the chain ended up in the rear spokes. This totalled out the entire drivetrain and bent the frame so badly that my back tire fell off. I am not sure what happened, I got an exchange and the new bike has been much better. This problem has to be blamed on the bike shop and not the bike.
Bottom Line:
This bike is good for a person who is starting to get interested in mountain biking. It is good for the college student (like me) wanting to ride to campus and ride on some trails on the weekends. I have put my bike through hell and it keeps coming back for more abuse.
The frame isn't as light as some, but it is sturdy and not too rough on the body. The front shock isn't great, but it is better than nothing. For someone on a limited budget, this bike is a good choice. I would suggest something else for a pro and do plan on upgrading when I get my next bike. FOR THE BEGINNERS: Avoid Wal-Mart bikes at all cost. A buddy of mine bought a NEXT bike with front suspension. All he does is complain so I tell him that his NEXT bike is going to be something else.
Bike Setup: Stock everything except for the seat and sometimes the tires. I have a bike bag and carry the basic necessities to repair a broken chain, leaky tire, etc.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Bob Berkeley
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado Springs CO
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2000
Strengths: none
Weaknesses: Frame, gears, weight.
Bottom Line:
This bike can't take any abuse. I've broken a seat,damaged the shocks, and bent the frame. Very heavy bike. This bike is not for the serious off-roader. All the parts wear out quickly and are generally cheap. Don't get this bike if you intend to do any serious riding.
Submitted by
Colin
a Cross Country Rider
from Wellington, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2000
Strengths: Almost everything except
Weaknesses: The Suspension & Gears
Bottom Line:
This bike is perfect for city people who like to go off road a few times. But if your a weekend warrior or XC racer I would not recommened it. I've had one for 2 years (1 year raced). It does the job but not very well. If you have the money & going off road a lot buy something else.
Similar Products Used: Other bikes around $500(US)
Bike Setup: New Handle Bars, Pedals, Drink Bottle
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Nate
a Cross Country Rider
from Springfield, OH, USA
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2000
Strengths: Strong frame...I took it to the Left Loop at Tsali and the frame took the jumps fine. The shox work just fine, although they can be sticky occasionally.
Weaknesses: If anything, I'd say the derailers. Shimano Acera. They work even when caked with mud, but they hesitate more than I'd like. The tires are crap, though. Anything mildly slippery will cause this bike to fishtail off-road, and forget climbing on anything slightly damp. It doesn't.
Bottom Line:
It's a halfway decent bicycle. It's a good first mountain bike while you're still learning the ropes, but once you get better and start trying new things, get a new bike.
Bike Setup: 1998 Sorrento w/RST 281 shox, Shimano Acera derailers, Pro Max (???) brakes, SRAM shifters, 2 water bottles w/cages, pump, underseat bag
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kai Brinker
a Weekend Warrior
from Vestal, NY
Date Reviewed: December 7, 1999
Strengths: It is a all purpose bike, is great, etc.
Weaknesses: Costly, but still worth it.
Bottom Line:
I love this thing. It is great for what it is meant to do. You wanna rock bang, you can buy one of those $5000 bikes at your bike store, but If you rather spend the other $4600 for a computer, so you can write reviews like these, this bike is for you. It's also a head turner, if you like atention. Also, the speed is great down pavement, I've done 42.5 mph!
Bike Setup: Suntour front susp. (included) Post Modern post susp. ($60.00) I also bought a bike pump ($14.99), Gel pad ($19.99) Mirror ($2.99), Clock/Temp/Compass ($5.00), Water bottle w/ holder ($9.00), Kangaroo under seat bag ($9.99), and I'm looking for a digital tire pressure gauge, and a lighting system.
I've taken this bike up some crazy terrain in the Catskill Mountains and came down at a sick, frenzied pace and it held up quite well. My hands were cramped when I got to the bottom because I had to squeeze the brakes so hard. The control on the bike is very good and feels solid. This bike is great for the money...but I can't wait to upgrade to the DBR X2.
Submitted by
Andrew Helgeson
a Weekend Warrior
from Wrangell, AK
Date Reviewed: September 4, 1999
Strengths: Good brakes and shifters
Weaknesses: shocks are downgraded from the 98' model.A little heavy
Bottom Line:
This bike is a good buy over all. BiKer(the second guy on the list has absolutly no idea what he is talking about. This bike retails for 339.99. Tell me why someone who races for Specialized would buy a 340$ bike. (someone's full of sh*t!) I mean come on, You can't expect an FSR elite for this kind of price. The Sorrento SE is a good value.
