Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Corvallis, OR, USA
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2004
Strengths: Extremely robust frame. Spent 3 days on it in Whistler keeping up with the boys on the big FS bikes. Nice size and geometry for dirt jumping. All the gussets make it look sweet.
Weaknesses: Nothing much. Lack of information on it, not a lot of people of heard of this bike.
Submitted by
michael peregrino
a Cross Country Rider
from Albuquerque, NM
Date Reviewed: May 13, 2003
Strengths: Beastly frame that can't be tamed. Killer shock gives added confidence for any terrain, fat tires let you roll over any trail/buddies/critters. Riser bars and geometry make this bike like a Lazy-Boy on the trail. Not the fastest up the mountain, but sure do look and feel good.
Weaknesses: Avid mechanicals take some practice to set up. Grip shifts can be a little skittery.
Bottom Line:
Kick ass bike if you are a poor student looking to have a realiable bike to surive heavy thrashings out in the hills or during urban assaults.
Similar Products Used: Specialized stumpjumper, GT Korakoram
Bike Setup: Race face cranks, 2.65/2.35 front and rear
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Submitted by
Ben Plummer
a Downhiller
from Great Falls, MT
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2003
Strengths: stiff frame, most of the drivetrain, disk ready. can handle drops, jumping.
Weaknesses: broke the bottom bracket on my first dirt jump. tires aren't that great but they're big. shock isnt the best but it hasnt broken yet.
Bottom Line:
this bike is the shiz-nit. i bought it when it was a year old so i got a super deal. for the price, nothing beats it. you can beat the heck out of this bike.
Strengths: Bomber frame that will take a BMX bottom bracket. It's cheap! Mine came with deore/rhyno lite wheels and maxxis mobster tires.
Weaknesses: Drivetrain is pretty weak for what this bike is intended for. I snapped my bottom bracket after a month. Not crazy about gripshifts, they tend to mis-shift when doing any jumping or burly sections. You need to upgrade some parts for any hardcore riding.
Bottom Line:
I use this bike for all kinds of riding. Great mountain cross / dual / dirt jump / urban / hardtail freeride bike. It's a sick bike that will take alot of abuse. I dropped up to six feet to flat pavement and no problems. I'll be racing Mtn cross on it this year. Some stock parts should be replaced if you're hard on your bike or plan on racing.
Bike Setup: Profile BMX cranks, spider and bottom bracket, Blackspire KM-1 chainguide, Ryno Lites, Avid Mechs w/ flak jackets, Chris King, Azonic bars, XT rear shifter and derailer, Azonic fender, Maxxis Mobster tires
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Submitted by
Jason Lake
a Weekend Warrior
from Aberdeen WA USA
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2003
Strengths: Super tough frame and rims. I am a big guy(235#) and this thing takes it and wants more.
Weaknesses: Drive train. I have replace most of it all ready. And the brakes were pretty meager.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the price. Too bad they only made it one year. Any one know why? This is a tough bike and with a few upgrades it turned into a badass ride. It is meant for dual slolam but if you are looking for a tough trail bike or a entry level small-hit hardtrail freeride or dirt jumper this is the bike for you. If you can find one.
Bike Setup: Stock except for Kore Reactor Chain tensioner, Connex 9X1 Chain(broke the other one, this chain is tough), Race Face Bash Gaurd, Shimano Deore Hyd Disc brakes, Azonic Love Seat (got to get this seat if your a big boy or take any hits at all. It rules)
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Submitted by
ryan wakeley
a Weekend Warrior
from IL
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2002
Strengths: beefy frame, looks real aggressive and mean, nice stem and handlebars, boxed chainstays, the best bike for urban assaults and launching off ramps, the envy of everyone who has seen it
Weaknesses: crappy stock parts, keep tightening the cranks
Strengths: Strong rims and nice handlebars and shifters. Sweet pedals, Has no stickers its painted with a clear coat whice is nice.
Weaknesses: Crank needs tightening every so often and sometimes chain skips gears when hittin jumps. Its heavy too. Rear brakes dont work as good as i would like and the fork is soft but has great rebound stock
Bottom Line:
Great bike, i get complements wherever i go and its fast when you need it and has nice gears and rims. For the price it has awesome components
Strengths: ultra fun for juking and railing around corners, sturdy frame handles medium landings well.
Weaknesses: fore and aft flex of fork robs confidence during braking/cornering transitions, but can be remedied by braking earlier.(which is slower.)also the chain skips gears on landings. ground clearance.
Bottom Line:
superfun for carving coners, medium jumps, and street ballistics. could use beefier fork with adjustable damping. good for people who ride a variety of terrain, and those who like to race. and its actually pretty comfortable.
Strengths: Nice rims for a stock bike in this price range(compair them to ryno lites), fork is cheep but hasn't broken, it is nice to see a bike that comes stock with 2.4 inch tires for less than 2 grand
Weaknesses: cranks......(they suck) I have to tighten mine frequently in the middle of rides. It's all good though cause they set it up so they can easily be replaced with bmx bb and cranks.
Bottom Line:
I love it. For what I paid I couldn't have found a compairable bike, for retail ($929), it is a decent deal. This bike will take anything, I expect to upgrade to dual suspension eventually but only because my legs will probably fail from flat landings before this bike does.
Similar Products Used: norco sasquatch and kona roast (both cost more and have cheeper rims and basically the same fork)
Bike Setup: stock except new grips cause the stock ones are SO narrow and a bash ring.
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Submitted by
Platinum
a Downhiller
from Homestead, Fl
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2002
Strengths: Great fork (durable, good travel) Massive Tires with good grip, High end components, peddles, Chicks love it, Super durable frame and rims, good brakes (very easy to adjust)
Weaknesses: A bit heavy, Crank bolts need tightening a bit too often. (every two or three rides)
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the money. Great components that work well together. Smooth shifting, tight braking. All you idiots that diss this bike are obviously used to bikes that are alot 'higher end'. you put down a bike cuz it has 'different' components than your other bikes. your review should be based on how you use it and how you maintain it. Just because your used to your old setup doesn't mean that all other setups suck.
Similar Products Used: Giant xtc, Mostly crappy bikes like huffys.
Bike Setup: All stock
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Submitted by
Andrew
a Weekend Warrior
from Eugene, Oregon, USA
Date Reviewed: April 9, 2002
Strengths: Light (for me), fast, good front travel. Smooth shifting (if frequent adjustment after hardcore trail riding, that is). Gets lots of looks riding around campus (chicks dig it ;).
Weaknesses: Only had it a week, haven't found any weaknesses yet.
Bottom Line:
Sweet bike (I think, at least)!!! I've ridden it everyday since I bought it. Good on trails and around town. I would suggest to anyone who doesn't have a stick up their butt.
Purchased At: mechanic @ Paul's Bicycle Way of Life
Similar Products Used: Old Novara (got stolen). Demoes Kona full suspension.
Bike Setup: Grimeca Mechanical Front Disc, Carbon riser bar (150g), Fenders (oh so cool).
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Submitted by
Mike B.
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Cruz, CA, USA!!!
Date Reviewed: April 5, 2002
Strengths: Disc Ready, pedals are awsome, and tires are pretty nice(not the best)
Weaknesses: everything, Cant get new BB unless called company cranks and bb are broken!(keep an allen wrench in your pocket when riding!)rims suck basically all the stock parts suck! the front fork also sucks, Seat hurts your balls after 2 miles~~~
Bottom Line:
This bike sux so much im getting a bullet with a 5 Elemant rear shock! Dont buy this bike!!!!!No one should buy this humiliation of mtbing
Favorite Trail: The golf course one, or niaseen marks
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$550.00
Purchased At: Cycle Works
Similar Products Used: Bullit(a million times better),GT I-drive(not the best but better than the reactor), and a rm elavation(stock stuff is million times better, not same riding styles though)
Bike Setup: Reactor frame, serfas grips, deore shifter pods, t2001 Z.1 MCR(kicks all ya'll forks butty), Avid Mech. disc, xt rear derailuer, rest is stock
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Submitted by
Al Hounos
a Weekend Warrior
from Knoxvegas, TN
Date Reviewed: March 17, 2002
Strengths: great geometry, very strong, good wheels,pedals, shifter/derailluers
Weaknesses: cranks wont stay tight, fork not the best, tires big but their traction sucks
Bottom Line:
great for anythin on one or no wheels (awesome wheelie dropper). Shifts great too. I use it as a trailbike/downhiller/urban.
This would be one of the best bikes ever made if it had: z.1, discs, and isis cranks/bb. (maybe even a single chainring)
