Submitted by
Bob
a Cross Country Rider
from New Hampshire
Date Reviewed: February 18, 2003
Strengths: Fast, light, nice looking, comfortable
Weaknesses: terrible components, rear derailer (I know theres a u in there somewhere) was destroyed miles away from home or trail, not to expensive to fix
Bottom Line:
Best bike I have owned, not bad except for some mechanical problems. Ever since it was fixed, No problems have occured yet
Similar Products Used: Roadmaster Mt. Sport, Fuji Nevada
Bike Setup: 24 speed hard tail
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Submitted by
al kaholic
a Weekend Warrior
from sale creek, tn
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2002
Strengths: ummmm....thinking....lets just say... it rolls???
Weaknesses: where do I begin??
Bottom Line:
If you are considering buying this bike, why don't you just go to WalMart and save yourself a couple of bucks?? For this price range you may as well buy a rigid fork instead of a "suspension" fork. If you are serious about riding, save your money and buy a hardtail in the $600-700 range. We all know its all about the rider and not the gear, but it sure sucks when a good rider is held back because of crappy gear. My reccomendation is a Mongoose black diamond series- either the hard luck or the deuce. For the price range, you can't go wrong with either of those bikes. So there you go Hue Jass.
Submitted by
hue jass
a Cross Country Rider
from columbia tn usa
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2001
Strengths: it is fast light sort of strong but good for money very fast i can smoke anybody in neighborhood notice i am 13 and the funnest part is running from cops let me tell u take the nature trail your out of there its easy
Weaknesses: oh let me tell u what i broke some things ive broke the hanger 4 TIMES bent the back rim got me some double walls ive also bent the front rim my gears screw up a lot off 3 foot drop offs and steps and picnic tables i also broke the pedals doing a drop off probly only like 2 feet also wore out bottom bracket got me an XT
Bottom Line:
buy the bike its worth the money not from keith he is evil especially dont buy pedals from the wheel FRANKLIN BICYCLE COMPANY all the way anyways buy the bike get u some water bottle holders go head and buy some hangers in advance get u a shock get u a thomson seatpost youll be hooked up also learn how to run from police in other words BUY THIS BIKE it kicks whoha take it from stan the man burns also somebody reply to this whats the best bike to buy for around 6 or 7 hundred im looking at specialized rockhoppers
Similar Products Used: i have a haro group 1 and i can kick your booty
Bike Setup: i got me a frame a derailler and so forth
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Submitted by
Courtland Hathaway
a Cross Country Rider
from Syracuse, NY, USA
Date Reviewed: June 15, 2001
Strengths: Nice frame, drivetrain, looks cool, Good Price.
Weaknesses: THE FORK!! *WARNING* IF YOU CONSIDER BUYING THIS BIKE BUY IT! HOWEVER BE PREPARED TO BUY A NEW FORK, FORK IS RIGID AND MAY CAUSE SERIOUS DISAPPOINTMENT AND BROKEN OR HURT WRISTS!THE FORK LOOKS LIKE IT HAS SUSPENSION, BUT IT IS A WANNABE!HAS STICTION LIKE NEVER BEFORE SEEN ON THE RARE OCCASION THAT IT DOES COMPRESS!Also the handle bar is a little cruiser like, I replaced it with a Syncros Riser. Brakes could be upgraded but not a biggy. Seat hurts and irritates my well....you know.
Bottom Line:
The bike is nice and for a good price you get some nice stuff. GET A NEW FORK!!! I can't wait to get some money to upgrade to Manitou or Rock Shox!! If you think at first that the fork needs to be broken in, it is what you call a never break-inable-fork*AKA*RIGID! Buy the bike and get a new fork and handlebar, and you will be pleased. Upgrade the brakes if you want, but they work okay.If you think at first that the fork needs to be broken in, it is what you call a never break-inable-fork*AKA*RIGID! The bike is for mild XC when it has a new fork.
Similar Products Used: Trek 6000, MGX Gay Crap, K2 Razorback Hardtail(OWNS THE FIELD!!)Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo, Trek 6500.
Bike Setup: Stock Drivetrain, Syncros Riser Bar, RST 281r P.O.S. Worse than Rigid fork thing.
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Submitted by
eric lanstrum
a Weekend Warrior
from willoughby oh,stationed in germany
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2001
Strengths: nice ride,good gear ratio
Weaknesses: lower crank bearings went bad in less then 20 rides ,might be do to improper assemby at manufacturer,no way of contacting from abraud,peddles are flimsy,replaced after 2 rides
Bottom Line:
customer service from germany much to be desired,bike baught at a us store, affes ,armed forces dealer,mechcanics have little knoledge,buy from state side dealer next
Bike Setup: set up is good,handle bars are a little low,fixed by extensions
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Submitted by
Brian Bolden
a Weekend Warrior
from Abbotsford B.C. Canada
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2001
Strengths: Strong light frame at a very reasonable price. A good base for upgrades.
Weaknesses: Components are not of the best quality. I have made many upgrades, some for personal reasons and some out of necessity. I have had to replace the seatpost as the top bracket bent and would not hold the seat, the bottom bracket had to be replaced as it began to "slop" around, and the rear cassette needs to be replaced. It is important to keep in mind that I ride everyday, and have a fair amount of miles on the bike. I am also heavy so things are going to bend and break.
Bottom Line:
This is an update to a review I gave below. I still love this bike, and it is continually getting better as I upgrade it. I am around 215 lbs and ride this bike fairly hard. The frame is very strong. Most of the upgrades I have performed are out of personal preference to get the bike better suited to the type of riding I do. I have more upgrades planned such as new cranks, new rear cassette, and disk brakes. This is a great bike with ok components at a very good price. I purchased it at first knowing that I would upgrade components. At the time this was the bike that I could afford, and after the upgrades it is becoming the bike that I would have purchased if I had more money at that time.
Favorite Trail: Any at Ledgeview and Delta watershed
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Purchased At: Caps Bikes
Bike Setup: Upgrades include: Selle Italia Nitrox seat, Kalloy seatpost, Fishbone Platform pedals, Tranz x Riser bar, short Axiom stem with 2 1/2" rise, Rockshox Judy XC forks with 100mm travel, Shimano LX bottom Bracket.
Strengths: The DB Response is an excellent value for the money. Light, tough and nimble it rides very well and is a good platform for customized upgrades. I reccomend changing the stock seat out in favor of something more ergonomic and anatomically friendly; and possibly adding a good suspension seatpost as well. A better, stronger front shock is also a wise idea if any serious off-road riding is anticipated.
Weaknesses: Replace the stock seat and pedals first, then add a suspension seat post and heavier duty front suspension.
Bottom Line:
The DB Response is a great mountain bike all-in-all. You can pay more but you won't get a much better bike. My advice is to find a good deal on a DB Response and then customize it to suit your needs. So far I have averaged 90+ miles per week (merciless, wicked miles) for the last three months on my Response and it has held up very well.
However, make sure your personal bike guru knows his stuff before you trust your bike to him. An experienced bicycle repair/maintance person can make all the difference in the world between good, safe riding and having a lame (and possibly dangerous) bike. Caveat cyclist: If your bike isn't tuned well, it won't ride worth a damn - regardless how much you paid for it.
The bottom line is that a DB Response is a fine bike for anyone interested in a very well built mountain bike that rides great and is easily upgraded. The DB Response can certainly be made into a competition machine, if the rider is up for it.
Anyway, if you can ride a DB Response down to a worn off nub within three years of purchasing it, you will have EARNED a $2000 mountain bike as your next cycling purchase,..
Submitted by
Brian Bolden
a Weekend Warrior
from Abbotsford B.C. Canada
Date Reviewed: December 2, 2000
Strengths: Strong, light frame, great base from which to build a better bike bit by bit. I feel that this is a good value for the dollars.
Weaknesses: Components are in need of an upgrade for serious riding. RST 281R fork is ok but not enough travel.
Bottom Line:
I have made the above modifications in order to suit my riding style better. The bike as purchased was very good for the money, but setup is such a personal thing that I felt the need to customize the bike for me. All the changes have made the bike better handling and better suited to riding the trails that I ride weekly. The frame is very strong and handles my 215 pound weight without problems. I am looking forward to years of fun with this bike.
Bike Setup: Have replaced the following: pedals replaced with Fishbone platforms, handlebar replaced with TranzX riser, stem replaced with Axiom(shorter than stock one with the same rise), huge soft seat replaced with smaller GT seat, forks replaced with Manitou Spyders replaced with Rock Shox Judy with 100mm travel, and modifications are on going...
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Submitted by
JOHN SCHROEDER
a Cross Country Rider
from REDDING CA USA
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2000
Strengths: LIGHT FRAME, GOOD SEAT, SOLID TIRES & RIMS.
Weaknesses: FRONT DERAILER, BRAKES.
Bottom Line:
OK BIKE FOR THE MONEY BUT DRIVE TRAIN IS PRETTY WEAK(FRONT DERAILER HAS BEEN A CONSTANT PROBLEM) AND BRAKES ARE WEAK EVEN THOUGH BOTH HAVE BEEN TWEEKED ON BY COMPETENT SERVICE PROS MANY TIMES ALREADY. FRAME IS TOUGH AND VERY LIGHTWEIGHT. OK FOR ENTRY LEVEL.
Submitted by
Jack Gehon
a Weekend Warrior
from Saskatoon, Sask. Canada
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2000
Strengths: Over all a light , strong bike . comfortable and easy to ride under just about any condition.I find climbing steep hills a challenge and the bike perfporms well under load.
Weaknesses: I have found that the stock brake pads are just not good enough. The free wheel let go after 2 months leaving me stranded . The cartridge on the cranks is one of the lower entry level models and did not stand up to the work load I gave it.
Bottom Line:
Either I got a lemon , or the mechanic that does the warrenty work is a little confused on how to do repairs . I would like to recommend this bike to all but would feel guilty doing so at this time .
Very nice bike, especially for the money. Upgraded the pedals for under 20 bucks. Replaced the saddle just because I had a nicer one. Light weight and solid. Havent had the bike very long, but have put ALOT of miles on it already.
Bike Setup: all stock, except for aluminum pedals, oasis saddle
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Submitted by
Andy Piteo
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbus,Ohio, USA
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2000
Strengths: A very competive price with many extras not found on bikes of similar cost. Easy to ride and become aquainted with, much lighter than I expected considering the durable construction. Welds at the joints look very clean and the finish is of a very high quality.
Weaknesses: The pedals appear as if they came out of a generic parts bin, and take away from an otherwise sleek product appearance. Seat is a little uncomfortable.
Bottom Line:
I started riding consistently last year on a Department store Bicycle and just upgraded to this particular product. I no longer consider myself a novice, however I am somewhat intimidated by some of the terms and high tech jargon associated with this sport. I do recognize a bargain when I see one, and comparing many different models by several manufacturers led me to choose this Bicycle. I am very pleased with the ride, design, and construction, and would gladly recommend this product to similarly qualified enthusiasts. The contrast between this, and my sherman tank of a bike, is quite amazing, and with the deal I got, the cost differential between the two products was suprisingly low. I think this is a perfect choice for riders who are just starting out, or upgrading from a situation like mine.
Submitted by
Justin Rhodes
a Weekend Warrior
from Thatcher, AZ USA
Date Reviewed: March 5, 2000
Strengths: Well built frame, much "bang for the buck", all around solid components, wide range of gearing, replaceable derailleur hanger, fast on the pavement, shocks smooth out the ride. Front and rear QR hubs, nice brake lever/shifter combo.
Weaknesses: A bit heavy, grips wear easily(for me), resin pedals, I prefer flat bars over rise bars, I didn't like the seat very much.
Bottom Line:
This bike is not one of those "hardcore" bikes that costs around $2000+. It's not an "el cheapo", either, for that matter. It's more like an "ol' reliable". It's a great bike for the money and will last a long time if you take care of it. I'm happy with it.
