Submitted by
Reilly
a Weekend Warrior
from Revelstoke
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2002
Strengths: colors, can take a 2.5 tire in the rear. I have do a 15ft gap and it servided, my Litespeed broke in 2, so its a strong f***er
Weaknesses: little small, it says that it is a 15 butt its really a 13 inch frame, cain suck, no rear disc mount, and the v mounts are a little to closs to geather
Bottom Line:
I broke my old frame so I pick up this one and put all the components from my other broken bike.
Similar Products Used: norco 125, 250, other dirt jumpers
Bike Setup: Z5 130mm, xt V brake rear front Formula Evoluzione 9.5 Raceface Turbine mavic rims Formula 20mm hub
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Submitted by
nathan
a Weekend Warrior
from port angeles,Wa,USA
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2002
Strengths: aluminum frame,good value,rapid fire shifters
Weaknesses: rock shoxjetts!!!!(broke um)
Bottom Line:
is a realy good beginer bike espesialy for the value the frame is awesome,so as you get better just upgrade the components if your already a good rider just buy a homegrown or other higher end bike.
Bike Setup: marzzocchi z1 x-fly100 pretty much stock other than forks,grips,peadals
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Submitted by
keith
a Cross Country Rider
from Wheaton Illinois USA
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2002
Strengths: Strong and light aluminum frame awesome climbing gear ratio for cassette
Weaknesses: jetts suck derailleur needs to be adjusted all the time
Bottom Line:
great beginners bike, look at Giants though if you want a better bike, keep the frame just upgrade components, took a nasty spill the other day components crapped out but the frame's perfect
A great beginner bike and for the money I paid it has really held up well. I have put it through a whole season of pounding and it has help up well. I grew up riding dirt bikes and free style BMX, this is the first adult bike I've had. I am nowhere near as crazy as I used to be at 32 but it still handled some 4' drops... well the forks just crapped right out but like I said for the money it is a great value. I am debating whether or not to upgrade the forks or just buy a better bike this year... gott convince the wife first... hey she could have THIS bike.. he he ;-)
Bike Setup: Stock except for front and rear Zefal fenders and Specialzed body geometry seat.
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Submitted by
Nathan Webster
a Cross Country Rider
from Ft. thomas ky us
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2001
Strengths: decent frame, very upgradeable, seat, price for bike, useable components
Weaknesses: wheels, seatpost
Bottom Line:
This is a very good bike to get into mountain biking with. It is a decent frame that is strong and not too heavy. The Jett is something to start with, but it is just not enough. People complain about it having such stiff polymers, but that is because once they get older, the fork has so little travel that I could bottom it out sitting on the bike, and I'm 125 pounds. The components on this bike are very efficient for what the bike is designed, which is moderate trail riding. Getting into rocky or fast downhills, though, the rear derailer spring just doesn't have enough strength, and the chain hops all over. THis is a decent bike to buy and upgrade on though.
Great bike for the price,rims and Rockshox jett are weak,but the bottom line is I pound this bike and the only weaknesses I find to be a pain is the rims but I plan to get some xt rims. This bike is stoked!*
Bike Setup: front lx,Kore lite stem,Ritchey pedals
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Submitted by
Chad Chenoweth
a Weekend Warrior
from Normal, Il
Date Reviewed: January 15, 2001
Strengths: In my opinion, this is the best and most rugged bike you can get in this price range. It makes a wonderful beginner's mountain bike. The shifters and brakes are great when tuned correctly.
Weaknesses: If you do more than half of you're riding off road, you'll probably need to replace the Jett C fork. Mine was completely trashed within three months.
Bottom Line:
If you are just starting out, don't listen to all the hype. This bike can take you anywhere that bikes costing 1,000 dollars more can take you. The only difference might be style, comfort, and maybe a few seconds on the stopwatch. I ride this bike pretty hard, and the only weaknesses have been the front shock, and the rims. I've bent the rims pretty bad a couple of times and I think they could have held up a little better.
Purchased At: Illinois Cycle and Fitness of Normal
Similar Products Used: GT agressors, Specialized Hardrock
Bike Setup: stock, except '99 Marzocchi atom bomb front shock
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Submitted by
Ryan
a Weekend Warrior
from Fairfield, Ohio, US
Date Reviewed: December 7, 2000
Strengths: Great beginner bike. Solid Frame and ability to upgrade as riding progresses.
Weaknesses: Front shock needs to be replaced.
Bottom Line:
This is a great beginner bike for someone without a lot of money to spend. Price was cheap, and as riding skill progresses, options to upgrade are possible. Front shock has got to go as soon as skills progress from beginner to intermediate. Only problems i've ever had with it is truing my back rim once.
Bike Setup: 2000 Manitou SXR, Easton seatpost, Shimano clip-in, Selle Italia saddle, Titec stem, and sawed-down bar ends.
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Submitted by
Tom
a Weekend Warrior
from Tulsa Oklahoma, US.
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2000
Strengths: It is a very good price for what I have used it for. I road race now and mountainbike some. I used this mountain bike for 6 months as a road bike, put some slicks on it. I did group rides that were 65 miles long, and it worked wonderfully. I took it mountainbiking, and it did what I expected, shock is ok but a serious mountainbiker wouldn't buy this bike. I like it, I should get a new seat, I like the Salsa ZOna Tres, titanium rails with embroidery. I upgraded it as farc as barends, and some pedals and stuff like that. Handle bar I bent with the barends mountainbiking, slightly weak handlebar I guess, not too bad of a crash. PRICE IS GOOD FOR WHAT YOU GET. I like the rapid fire compared to gripshift and others.
Weaknesses: Front deraler, handle bar. I have had to true the rims twice, the first time they were true then they came out of true. So if you have the money you might want better rims.
Bottom Line:
Good for the price. works for a first mountainbike or someone not too serious or not too hard of trails. not good on drops, it will work but it has minimal travel. Schwinn is a reliable brand and it is easily serviceable. Schwinn Quality----they follow what they say
Bike Setup: stock, except fire xc pro comp tires 2.1 red casing, very nice. barends, extras.
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Submitted by
bob
a Weekend Warrior
from bonney lake, wa
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2000
Strengths: name & reputation...oh and great price
Weaknesses: front derailleur occassionally misses
Bottom Line:
great first mtn bike. could use better components i.e. front & rear derailleurs, but they can be replaced. If your on a limited initial purchase budget, this is a great bike. so far i've beat it up pretty good (215lbs) and no problems, other than the occasional miss on the front d. bought it on a last years close out. I've bought two sets of wheels so i can use the bike with effectiveness on the road too. wise idea if you need to use your bike to go to work occassionally, yes I don't work in the woods.
Bike Setup: specialize team tires, mavic rims,jett race front shock,sella itaila seat, shimano clip pedals, tool kit, bar ends, bottles and computor.
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Submitted by
jacob
a Cross Country Rider
from marietta, Oh
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2000
Strengths: -jett c is good for new riders -no-name tires are surprisingly good -cheap -aluminum frame
Weaknesses: - the brakes are weak -shifting could be better
Bottom Line:
this is a great bike for a new rider. it is my first mtb, and i'm pleased to say that it has made me a better rider. it doesn't shift as well as i'd like it to and the brakes aren't very powerful, but it is still a good value worthy of upgrades.the jett c is a good feature even though it isn't very plush.
Strengths: Good componets, strong brakes, rapid fire shifters, strong frame
Weaknesses: Rock shock could be a touch better. Seat, stem hight 19 inch frame a touch small.
Bottom Line:
Schwin won out bcause it was a '99 closeout for $339. I could not see paying 200 more for a 2000 model that had slightly better componets. Over the last 4 months the Mesa Al has been a very confortable minus the original seat and I have not had any problems. Able to ride any trail I want. Sifts smoothly. No clicks at all. Personal adjustments are easy to do. For a person not interested in extreme biking this bike is great. Kicker is that Mesa Al can handle the extreme stuff, not break down and not break the bank.
Similar Products Used: giantrecon, treck 4500, specialized hardrock,a1
Bike Setup: Stock with Boa stem and specialized body geometry seat
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Submitted by
Linda
a Weekend Warrior
from Albany, California
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2000
Strengths: bought a '99 on closeout for $300. xlnt aluminum frame. nice paint. threadless aheadset. rapidfire shifters. as a not-quite-intermediate rider, this bike has an upgradeable frame, acceptable (until I learn more) components (alivio/acera), and a front shock. My previous bike was a hardrock cro-mo so even 48mm of travel is an improvement.
Weaknesses: front shock. will upgrade next summer to something suitable for a lighter weight rider (elastomers are not for the under 130 lb set!). I know lots of '98 owners have trashed the components, but for the price, they are usable until dead and then replaceable.
Bottom Line:
Find a closeout, even a '99 (what's no longer available is irrelevant!). You can upgrade for what you save on the purchase price, or use it stock and upgrade later. I put the resin pedals on my kid's bike -- he burns thru 'em and who cares? It rides easy, the frame is great for smaller women/men because of the shorter top tube, and it beats anything else out there within a hundred dollars of it's price.
Similar Products Used: I looked at the Trek 4500, nearly the same price. Has altus front derailleur and sync ?? shock. Encountered same thing with a similar priced Gary Fisher, the Mambo. Has the same jett shock, but also altus components. If I'd paid over $400 bucks, I'd consider it a bad deal. But for $300, it's a steal! And, it runs small with a shorter top tube, so if you're looking at the Trek Womens Specific Design and are short on bucks, check it out!
Bike Setup: stock except for bar ends (profile) and my lovely, wonderful Terry seat.
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Submitted by
Colin Bull
a Weekend Warrior
from Coventry
Date Reviewed: November 25, 1999
Strengths: Frame
Weaknesses: Cranks,Rear Mech
Bottom Line:
If you get a few upgrades from the start you end up with a fiarly cheap do anything bike, Which is strong
