Submitted by
maurice
a Weekend Warrior
from houston,tx,us
Date Reviewed: April 2, 2009
Strengths: Great light frame; . good components for the cost. Nice color and paint finish
Bottom Line:
I've been using for 7 years without any problem, I only replaced the tires, it all feels like the first day, the only thing it has needed cleaning, I love this bike
Submitted by
John L.
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta, Ga
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2005
Strengths: Good price, Pretty good components in an entry bike, decent brakes, nice frame.
Weaknesses: Rims are weaker than most
Bottom Line:
I dont know how people could give this bike bad reviews. ive had this bike for almost FIVE YEARS, and its given me nothing but close to 3,000 miles of great use. My parents bought me this bike as my first "good" mountain bike and ive rode it ever since. i LOVE this bike. Sure...its not a $1500 bike...but for the $500 price range, I am 100% completely satisfied with it. My giant has been more reliable and better perfoming than my friends bikes that cost around 6-9 hundred.
the ONLY problem i've had is the rear wheel warping more than I would like it to. The rock shocks Jett front shock is also at the lower end of the shock market, I find it bottoming out sometimes if im getting a little wild at riding.
As per the frame cracking, my friend has a top line Giant ranier that cracked its frame in a few days. But mine is still as strong as when I bought it. Also if you compare frames accross the giant line, especially with the ranier...they look...strangely...similar.
Per tire wear, the "cheng shin" tires that mine came with have been just fine for me opposed to some reviewers. They hold the road well, and are at least "decent" offroad. About wear... 3000 miles and im just rotating my tires... so that tells you about wear...very little, and I ride almost all road.
This is a great entry level bike that competes with bikes several hundred more than itself very well. Give it regular maintanace and it will give you years of great service.
Totally upgradable, add a front disk break, nicer wheels and tires, and a nicer front shock, and then you've got an even better bike.
Bike Setup: alexrims dm24's with stock tires, shimano hubs. deore lx f/d + crank. bb, i don't know. stock (acera?) r/d.
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Submitted by
Nitish
a Cross Country Rider
from Fremont, CA
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2003
Strengths: Good begginer bike, not that heavy for the price. Good frame for price.
Weaknesses: Krappy fork (very very crappy), not solid drive train
Bottom Line:
This is a great begginers bike. Dont ever buy this if you are going to race or do any thing but ride once a week on easy fire roads. The geometery is not also that great. I wore out the drivetrain only after 8 months. I was really surprised by that. if you are going to commute as a city bike ar a lil weekend warrior then its a great bike that wont break the bank.
Similar Products Used: Costco bikes, Jamis hardtails, Cannondale F700,
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Submitted by
Jeremy Johnson
a Weekend Warrior
from Denton, TX USA
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2002
Strengths: It is cheap. That's about it.
Weaknesses: The tires are horrible. Lots of rolling resistance and very soft outer knobs. The fork is very weak too. It only took a few weeks for it to give out. The entire front end feels very flexy.
Bottom Line:
I bought the bike to see if I would enjoy MTBing. I thought this bike could last me about 6 months until I could afford a better bike. After just a few weeks, the thing felt like it was going to fall apart. The fork is dead. The front headset seems to have some play in it. It was just getting painful to try and ride this bike. If I had paid anymore, I would be angry, but for the money, it would probably be ok for a beginner that is light and never leaves the ground. I have ony jumped off a few curbs and one 12" DJ and the bike is already screaming to be retired.
Submitted by
Peter
a Weekend Warrior
from Pasadena, Ca
Date Reviewed: February 11, 2002
Strengths: Frame, Shifters.
Weaknesses: Wheels, wheels, wheels.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for a beginner. I ride about 70% road and 30% offroad so it doesn't get a whole lot of abuse. It needed a serious tune-up after the first time in the dirt. Wheels constantly need to be trued. Front fork is a little mushy and unpredictable. All in all it's great for the weekend warrior who's riding on groomed trails. Unbeatable for the money.
Similar Products Used: Fisher Mamba, Specialized HardRock
Bike Setup: Stock
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Submitted by
jj
a Cross Country Rider
from South Australia
Date Reviewed: February 6, 2002
Strengths: Weight, nice and smooth when tuned right, looks pretty good too.
Weaknesses: Shocks, wheels, bars, tires.
Bottom Line:
I got this bike as a bridge between having no bike and paying a grand on an atx890 or trek 8500. It's been OK but if you handle it without the right amount of delicacy it starts whining and falling apart. That means: no jumps, taking it easy down slopes, not too many stacks. The shocks were ready for the trash after about 2 weeks. They bottom out just rolling off a kerb onto the road - and that's wound all the way up! The rims are made of cheese, I have to ride with my spokes at serious tension to keep them round. The tires are crap - you may as well walk uphill. And one of the teeth on the chainwheel actually broke off. Apart from that it's been good. I admit to riding it hard, and that's not what it's made for. If you want to commute on a comfortable and sporty bike, or want a bit of light off-road action, this could be your bike. But if you're more serious, forget about it and pay some bigger money on something tuff.
Submitted by
Hotei
a Weekend Warrior
from Houston, TX
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2002
Strengths: Great frame; worthy of upgrades. decent components for the price. Color scheme makes for nice eye-candy
Weaknesses: cheap, cheap, cheap-ass wheels. If you make the mistake of keeping them, buy yourself a truing stand....you'll be seeing a lot of it. Don't particularly care for the stem and bar, either
Bottom Line:
Great bike for starting out. If your outings are tame you can leave it stock, but if you prefer to mix it up a bit this bike is definitely worth upgrading. One thing though...if you get the bike, replace the wheelset (if you look at it funny, it goes out of true)
I've had mine for almost a year and it always fares better than I on my adventures. I've put about 2,600 miles on mine. Until recently, I've gotten by with only routine maintenance, but I finally have an excuse to upgrade the drivetrain. The 42 chainring is worn out.
Weaknesses: Rock Shox could allow for more travel.
Bottom Line:
This bike gets me where I want to go. Whether riding to work or hitting the dirt. I'm 29 it has allowed me to pick where I left off from my last BMX. The Yukon se is an extremely capable bike for bush and fire trails offering great handling, of your not afraid to throw it around corners and tracks a little. This bike is great for the moderate dirt rider who enjoys getting out amongst it with out trying to kill themself.
Submitted by
Erik
a Cross Country Rider
from Raleigh, NC
Date Reviewed: November 4, 2001
Strengths: Frame is very solid, most of the components are adaquate. I really like the seat.
Weaknesses: Front chainrings really suck, literaly. Developed chain suck in like 3 hours of riding. The rims pretty much suck, too. I have had to replace the rear already. Tires have no grip when wet.
Bottom Line:
Buy it if your looking for a starter bike, like I was. Buy it if you want to just get out and have some fun on a bike that can handle most trails. Dont buy it for hardcore drops. Be prepared to true the rims a lot and you have to learn how to shift it just right so you dont get chain suck.
Similar Products Used: none, tried a Giant Rincon, Trek 4500, and a Specialized Stumpjumper.
Bike Setup: Stock except for rear rim is a Sun Rhyno Lite.
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Submitted by
Garet
a Weekend Warrior
from Mephis TN
Date Reviewed: October 27, 2001
Strengths: Great Frame,it can take anything you give it! Shocks are good, they handle all sorts of smaller jumps and drop offs!
Weaknesses: Crappy Chinese brand tires, and sometimes the gears click alot, but can be easily adjusted!
Bottom Line:
This is a very good bike to begin with. It is also good to keep on using! Very easy to upgrade parts! I just started riding mountain bikes, i bought mine in taiwan and use it for all sorts of uses(errands, trails, street, and just plain fun.) This is a very nice bike and can take alot of beatings and still continue to be a great bike! I would recommend this bike to anyone and everyone who is a beginner to an average rider.
Similar Products Used: Trek 4300, and some Cromoly Bike.
Bike Setup: full Shimano Deore XT Drive Train
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Submitted by
Andy
a Weekend Warrior
from Indianapolis, Indiana
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2001
Strengths: One tough frame (I've fliped the thing more than a few times, and it just takes it). comfortable feel, good handling, decent shifting.
Weaknesses: Stock tires are enough for you to get by with, until you see what else is out there...
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the cost and it is easy to upgrade, so it can grow with you. It has been great on the hills and the trails for a entry level rider who likes to push it. I've put on close to 500 miles so far and it handles the road and the trails very well... It has got me riding all over the place: to work, to run erands, for fun. I have nothing bad to say about this bike (ok maybe the tires, but that is very minor!!!) So if you are looking for a quality bike that will last, check this one out!!!
Similar Products Used: Trek 4500 (just didn't like the feel of this)
Bike Setup: Stock, other than the tires. I put on a pair of semi-slicks for the light trails and paths. I'm still looking for a good pure off-road tire.
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Submitted by
Keeper
a Weekend Warrior
from Atlanta, GA, USA
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2001
Strengths: Rock Shox Judy TT front suspension, fairly light but tough frame, very responsive braking, rapid shifting, easily upgradable components
Weaknesses: Horrible seat, tires could be a little better
Bottom Line:
This is a great mountain bike for those who are just starting out or ride just a few times a week. The shocks can really take a beating without bottoming out on some pretty tough drops. I also like the fact that this bike is easy to upgrade... I quickly changed out the seat and plan on getting better tires. For now, this is just a wonderful bike that gives a clean ride and makes mountain biking enjoyable.
Submitted by
Daniel
a Cross Country Rider
from Montreal
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2001
Strengths: Great bike for the price, it has an amazingly light and strong frame, it has the coolest Blue Mirror/Black color, and it shifts really well.
Weaknesses: The RockShox Jetts are horrable, but other than that the bike rocks.
Bottom Line:
A great bike for the price, it'll handle the punishment that you give it, handles great in forests and in rocky areas, its even great for small drops. If you do huge drops all the time then your better off with a full suspension bike.
