Submitted by
Graham
a Cross Country Rider
from Christchurch, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2005
Strengths: Well balanced, strong, reasonable weight, good geometry - can take light freeride and great in the technical. Very chuckable. Surprisingly good downhill (set up with psylos, short stem and and riser bars).
Weaknesses: None - I bought the frame only.
Bottom Line:
I bought the frame with the intention of building up an XC bike for when I didn't want to lug the 36lb freeride bike up the hill. I was very pleasantly surprised at the way this frame handles - to the extent that I am often quicker down some sections than on the big fs machine. I have deliberately set it up with 125mm front and short stem to improve the DH geometry, but can screw the U-turn down to 80mm for the climbs. Great all round bike - still weighs in at around 26lb which is not bad given the abuse I expect it to take.
Strengths: * Specialized A1 frame is super strong and can take major punishment. The bike, as a whole, can withstand things like light jumping/freeriding which it really wasn't designed to do. * Magura Julie brakes have awesome stopping power; on hardpack or in the mud. * The Mavic 223 rims are perfectly true after 1 1/2 years of jumping, climbing and bombing downhill. * Nice paint job and looks better than most.
Weaknesses: * Magura Julie brake levers are flimsy plastic and will, without fail, eventually snap off (alloy upgrades are hard to find and rather expensive). Brake pads continue to rub after 1 1/2 years of trying to get them to permanently stop rubbing (I give up). * The tires, as everyone has noted, wear out quickly; too quickly. * Specialized saddle causes numbness on long seated rides. * Overall, a heavier bike but on par for the price range.
Bottom Line:
I waited 1 1/2 years to write this review to be sure my initial impressions of the bike were correct. (I don't know why people review a product only a couple of weeks after they receive it. It doesn't do the reader much good to read it as it won't cover the most important test; the test of time). This is a Fun bike! And and excellent bike for mid-level mountain biking. Great value for what you get ( yet you will probably want to at least upgrade the saddle and tires). Like the reviewer below, I'm a 160 lb. rider and I've had no problems with the Judy C fork. In fact, it has been bombproof and I've never had a single problem with it. And true, it is heavy but you can't expect Specialized to put a high end fork on this bike because you don't pay a high end price. I might suggest that if you end up riding this as your main bike, that you eventually upgrade the drivetrain (shifters and rear derailleur) to XT (you will enjoy smoother and more dependable shifting). The LX level shifting had become somewhat undependable in this last year. But i've had zero problems with the Specialized crank; no creeks or bending at all. I have to say that this bike has served me well and I'll always keep it around (and upgrade the components as any bike will eventually need). Although I now ride an '02 Specialized SWorks FSR, this Rockhopper, like an old friend, will be around with me a long time.
Bike Setup: Upgraded the drive train from LX to XT. Rockshox suspension seat post. Geax Blade tires (awesome in the wet).
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Submitted by
Nick Hollerauer
a Cross Country Rider
from Williamsville Il, USA
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2003
Strengths: sturdy as heck, great breaks, beautiful paint job, fairly light, great price
Weaknesses: tires wear quickly, and the shifting got a little vague after about a year and a half, but it is still good.
Bottom Line:
Good bike, very few flaws. I don't see why everyone hates the judy C shock--I have never had any problems, and it takes a beating from a 160 pound rider
Bike Setup: stock except for small chainring, which had to be replaced.
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Submitted by
Pil
a Cross Country Rider
from Lodz, Poland
Date Reviewed: December 31, 2002
Strengths: Price, frame, brakes, pedals
Weaknesses: Tires, crankset, saddle
Bottom Line:
After using this bike for over 1,5 year I admit that the forearm crank is a piece of crap. It's bent in all possible ways and lost several teeth. Replacing it is necessary. I also had to replace the brake lever which is made of plastic and cracks easily. The saddle is very comfortable but it's not durable. In the first one I had, I broke the rails, the second's synthetic cover is allready torn. Tires were very good till they wore off and they did it very fast. It looks like I only complain but these are the only things I had problem with. Everything else (except pedals, but that's the minor thing ;-) is excellent. I rode this bike in many beautiful places and it never disappointed me.
Bike Setup: Stock, except for Z2 Atom Race, rear X317 rim, LX crank, IRC MythosK tires
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Submitted by
Donald Dass
a Weekend Warrior
from Sierra Vista, AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2002
Strengths: Exceptionally sharp bike. (Mine is black/blue.) Decent components, great brakes. Excellent value.
Weaknesses: Judy C fork is heavy and wants upgrading. The bike is a little heavy but the Judy is part of the reason for that. I replaced mine with a Duke SL and shaved off just about a pound in one stroke. Otherwise the bike is so good that it's worth any amount of effort and investment you'd care to put into it.
Bottom Line:
I fell in love with this bike the first time I saw it and spent more money than I'd originally intended to. No regrets though and I think it was a bargain, everything considered. The brakes are powerful and easy to modulate, and as you can see it's onward and upward with upgrades. It's a great value for anyone whose riding is at all suited to a hardtail frame.
Bike Setup: Duke SL fork, Syncros stem, seatpost and skewers, Terry Ti-Race Saddle, Salsa Liplock clamp, Yeti grips, Specialized bar ends.
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Submitted by
Jeff
a Cross Country Rider
from Hamilton,ny
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2002
Strengths: In love w/ the rims tho put together poorly by the shop still strong like bull, brakes are real strong even after a long hard days ride at plattekill(look it up)
Weaknesses: judy C is real bad, get rid of it asap, BB creaks on mine and decals come off easy. almost forgot about the brake levers, they break very very easily so trade them in for aluminum
Bottom Line:
the first couple months i absolutly hated this bike, partly because of the horrible service i got from the shop i bought it at, however after i had a real mechanic work on it i have not been happier, the brake levers and shock are horrible but the ride is stiff and predictable. This bike does not get treated good to say the least, i have ridden it at the toughest DH hills on the east coast and its lived to tell the tale so by all means pick one up
Weaknesses: Specialized Teile (Vorbau, Lenker, Sattelstütze und Naben) sind nicht besonders hochwertig und dafür ziemlich schwer.
Bottom Line:
Ich fahre dieses Rad nun schon seit ca. 1 Monat und bin mehr als zufrieden. Ich musste zwar den Vorbau austauschen, da dieser für mich zu kurz war, habe aber einen günstigen von Ritchey bei Ebay ersteigert. Nun sitzt das Bike perfekt und es macht wirklich Spaß, es zu fahren. Einzig die Federgabel (Judy C) möchte ich noch mal austauschen, da diese nicht besonders gut ist.
Submitted by
Joey
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, N.S, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2002
Strengths: Excellent brakes. Nice stiff, well built frame with nice paint and no cheesy stickers. Light enough for what I use it for. Perfect shifting.
Weaknesses: Skinny stock tires, but that's nothing serious
Bottom Line:
Excellent value for the money I paid. I got a good deal on this one, it was regularly $1400 (Canadian dollars), marked down to $1300 because it was the '01 model, but I got it for $1100. Best $1100 I've ever spent. This bike is perfect for my needs. I'm not a professional, but I ride alot, on lots of different terrain, and it's given me zero problems. I only weigh about 140lbs, but I ride pretty darn hard at times, and this bike takes a beating. Awesome brakes, smooth shifting, all around great ride. I'm 100% satisfied.
Submitted by
NEAL LITTMAN
a Weekend Warrior
from MARGATE, FLORIDA, USA
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2002
Strengths: HYDRAULIC DISK BRAKES HAVE AWESOM STOPPING POWER.DERALER SYSTEM ALLOWES FOR QUICK & SMOOTH GEAR CHANGES AT SLOWER UP HILL SPEEDS.GEOMETRY OF BIKE IS ESPECIALLY COMFORTABLE FOR 6'3" TALL, 280LB MAN. THE LIGHT WEIGHT ALUMINUM FRAME & RIMS HAD ME A LITTLE HESITANT AT FIRST BUT AFTER THE FIRST COUPPLE OF JUMPS & TRAILS THE BIKE CAN TAKE A BEATING.
Weaknesses: HAD TO SWAP OUT THE RED MEDIUM STRENGTH SPRINGS ON THE JUDY-C FORKS FOR THE BLACK HEAVY DUTY SETUP,THIS SOLVED THE BOTTOMING OUT PROBLEM.
Bottom Line:
YOU CANT GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS BIKE SETUP FOR UNDER $1,000. IF YOU CAN FIND ONE GET IT, YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID.
Weaknesses: Poor fork, not enough travel and not adjustable (I pulled them apart just to check). Stock tyres are too skinny and lack grip. Standard stem way too long.
Bottom Line:
Good for hammering around on if you can live with the limited fork travel (just hang on harder!). The small changes I made to mine transformed the bike. It was good to start with, it's just that it's so much better with a little tweaking. Some lighter 100mm travel forks will be the finishing touch.
Bike Setup: Azonic Shorty stem & World Force Risers. WTB Velociraptor tyres.
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Submitted by
Terry
a Cross Country Rider
from Montreal
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2002
Strengths: Solid frame, Ok forks. Great disk brakes gRAET PAINT JOB (RED/WHITE)
Weaknesses: I got lousy rims (weinmann zac 2000),Rockshox Judy c could be better (Rockshox Psylo)
Bottom Line:
This bike is much better than its cheap price tag looks. Most other brands would charge 500$ to 1000$ more for the same quality. Specialized has survived this industry by being the best and selling a top quality product.
Bike Setup: Julie disk, Judy C, Team control/master tires, Lx Shimano everything. Weinmann zac 200 rims, Specialized hubs.
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Submitted by
Ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Tukwila, WA
Date Reviewed: May 1, 2002
Strengths: Excellent components for the price. Light bike for this price range. Disc brakes rock!
Weaknesses: Tires wore exceptionally quick. That's it.
Bottom Line:
This is the first bike that I've owned in a few years. With the stock components this bike is incredibly capable of handling most anything you can throw at it. The only part I've replaced so far, in more than 1000 miles of riding, is the seatpost, a Rockshox suspension seatpost for extra comfort. I have been greatly impressed with the quality of build from Specialized also. With the exception of customary scratches, the frame looks as good as the day I bought it. The Magura Julie brakes provide excellent stopping power with no noticeable fade during long descents. I can't find anything bad to say about this bike!
Bike Setup: I changed the Judys for some Psylos' and boy, does this baby rock!! Magura discs are reasonably good. I am also about to upgrade the derailleur to a Deore XT
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Submitted by
John V.
a Cross Country Rider
from Memphis, TN
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2001
Strengths: Well I have only had this bike for a short while BUT so far this bike kicks ACE!!!!! It accelerates well. Its frame is stiff and disk brakes couldnt be better. (almost became a treehugger one day but fortunaly I had some awsome disk brakes!!! Derailers are great for the price. Fork is fair. If you are new into bikeing and looking to get seriously into it then check this sucka out!
Weaknesses: Alot of people complain about the weight and I guess if you are SERIOUSLY into it then they are right but if you just enjoy being out in nature and maby want to participate in some compititions this bike will NOT let you down and it IS pretty light. This bike cimbs well but the fork could be a little bit lighter 4.23lbs could be better but I have no complaints. The disk brakes are great but of coures the more parts the harder and more complex to maintain.
Bottom Line:
If you have this bike especialliy if you got it for $900 or below you are a lucky fellow! Again I havent had it for a while but im loving it to death. Too bad my bed isnt bike enough for the two of us. (the bike that is) Clipless Pedals are a personal thing and I think they are awsome difinatly worth the money!! Now when buying shoes DO NOT PAY FULL PRICE!!! You will see $100 shoes and in a month see them for $15 so dont pay more than $35 for shoes! You WILL take some spills because you cannot clip out of the pedals easily but eventually it will be come second nature I think it is worth it!
Similar Products Used: Wal-Mart steel 40lbs bikes with less than ideal gears but you got to give 'em credict least they have wheels!!
Bike Setup: Completely Stock havnt had enough money to buy anything else but IF I am going to get something else maby a LX front derailer or a lighter shock or maby some different tires. (stock tires slip in leaves lol) Rock Shox Judy C. Deore/LX shimano derailers. Disk brakes.
