Submitted by
Ehd Wonderland
a Cross Country Rider
from Kingston, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 14, 2002
Strengths: Super stiff, lightweight, climbs well. I'm just under 160lbs and I can't seem to get it to flex. I'm impressed by the stock parts, especially the XTR rear and the TIME pedals (they're not the top of the line, but they're a great TIME product nonetheless)
Weaknesses: That stupid LX front deraileur. It's not really that bad, but I would have enjoyed the feel of an XT mount.
Bottom Line:
I love this rig, I've gone down hard a few times and it's been all jumpy to get back up and go. I used to love descending, but climbing with the Stumpy is so much fun I've been taking the long route up the mountains recently. This is a great value, especially if you can find one on closeout, and you can upgrade as your pocketbook sees fit. It's totally disc-compatible, but I can't quite afford to take it in that direction just yet.
Similar Products Used: Klein Attitude, Kona Caldera, various cheapo Treks.
Bike Setup: Pure stock, except for the bar ends.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
George
a Weekend Warrior
from New Canaan, CT USA
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2002
Strengths: Lightweight, fast, responsive, lightweight, decent components, stiff, (very little frame flex) ... did I mention this thing is light?
Weaknesses: Another rider reported rusty hardware, I've had that problem too. I think the wheels are weak. I'm about average build (5'11", 175lbs) and I bent the rear wheel in about two weeks of primarily weekend riding. The tires are so-so.
Bottom Line:
I am very impressed with this bike. It is super light and the frame is stiff and it climbs like a mountain goat on crack. I can't believe the acceleration of this thing. And the Stumpy is super nimble -I can toss it all over the place. I used to be able to rip on my road bike and watch the fram flex under me but I haven't been able to get this one to warp yet. Being new to mountain biking I've taken some great crashes - where my friends thought I was dead and were on the horn to 911 - but the bike keeps on taking a licking. All my friends on other rigs love the ride too, especially my friends on Cannondales. If you're new to the sport and want a good entry bike you can upgrade, I think this is a great choice.
Favorite Trail: Pequonnock River Valley (akaTrumbull,) CT
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$1100.00
Purchased At: LBS
Similar Products Used: Cannondale F-1000
Bike Setup: Pretty much stock. This is my first mountain bike after being a roadie for a while.
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Submitted by
Jeffrey
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago, IL.,USA
Date Reviewed: September 16, 2002
Strengths: lightweight ... cost
Weaknesses: none yet
Bottom Line:
for the money ... this bike is awesome for a experienced rider ready for an upgrade. Now I understand why lighter weight and better components make a huge difference ... the bike does climb like a mountian goat, it is very balanced and tossable. it goes where you point it! the shifts are smooth and quick ... as of now I have no complaints. I have shaved almost 10 minutes off my 35 minute circuit. I can climb stuff my rockhopper only dreamt of climbing!!! get out there and get it dirty!!!
Submitted by
Chuck
a Cross Country Rider
from Atascadero
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2002
Strengths: Very light and fast. Great bike for cross country riding. Can't beat the XTR rear derailluer.
Weaknesses: Frame developed a weld crack soon after it was bought. Shop believes it was from being transported around from shop to shop before they got it.
Bottom Line:
This bike was awesome for it's price. I was a little concerned about the quality of Specialized when I found out about the weld crack. After I spoke to the rep, they replaced the frame with a 2002 Stumpjumper Pro frame free! The concern the rep showed helped me regain faith in Specialized. I am very impressed with there customer service. As for the crack, the shop said they got a big shipment of these 2001 stumpjumpers and they believe it just got mishandled. The components are great. The adjustments for the front shock are cool. The rear tires wear out really fast, but are great for true cross country riding. The body geometry seat was uncomfortable at first, but now it is great even on long rides. A 100% improvment from my 7-speed GT I was riding. Overall: great bike for an avid cross country rider if you can get one on clearance from last year.
Strengths: Light bike, XTR Rear Der., Avid 5 brakes.
Weaknesses: LX Shifters and front der., Chain, Steel Small Ring.
Bottom Line:
After ripping apart my 2000 RockHopper (in one season) I chose this bike. RockHopper is not good for intense trail riding and daily rides.
I replaced the components on the bike with the list above. I love this bike. Its stiff and is light compared to the Fisher MT tam I was looking at. I however do not like Shimano Chains (Broke 2) I replaced the chain immediatly.
For the deal you cant beat it. I would recommend ditching the LX components and get at least XT.
4 Chilis for Value cause XT front Der is like 10 bucks more and I think it should have been on this bike.
Bike Setup: XTR Front Der, Sachs PC99, XT Shifters and Levers, Sworks Lower Chain Ring.
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Submitted by
Sam
a Cross Country Rider
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2002
Strengths: M4 frame, specialized stout front hub, XTR, strongarm II cranks, Fork has schrader valve on top so you don't need some dumbassed shock pump to adjust it, very light.
Weaknesses: would have liked the stout rear hub and an xt front derailleur, fork is nice, but leaks air, pedals aren't adjustable.
Bottom Line:
For what I paid, there is no equal, great frame, light, tough, good climber/decender,well worth the cash.
Submitted by
John Fix
a Weekend Warrior
from Aurora, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2002
Strengths: Light weight frame, great shock, and XTR rear derailer
Weaknesses: crappy body geometry seat, Tyme Pedals, Spec tires
Bottom Line:
I love this bike. I beat the hell out of it every weekend and it keeps coming back for more. I anticipated a lack of performance with the LX front derail, however no issues so far. I did a whole lot of shopping around -- Cannondale, Gary Fisher, and TREK, no one offered the same class of components for the price I paid. Only a few problems after a few hundred miles of Colorado trail riding:
- After being the joke of the day (a few times) for wrecking while not in motion, I had to ditch the TYME Pedals! -Same with the seat, I don't enjoy being sore for 3 days after riding. -I had to replace the tubes after the 1st trail ride. Although I still have the stock tires, they need to go too-- they grip bad and tear-up easy. -Probably my own fault, the the Mavic 225s have taken a serious beating, but I already had to get the rear straighted.
I'm very happy with the bike...after a $200 upgrade! An excellent choice for a rider looking for high-performance for a reasonable $$
Bike Setup: Spec Milano Seat, Easton EA50 Monkeybar, Shimano PD-536 Pedals (adjustable!)
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Submitted by
Daniel Rodriguez
a Cross Country Rider
from Costa Rica
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2002
Strengths: XTR rear derallieur, Time Pedals, Manitou fork!!!
Weaknesses: Tires wear is faster than expected, after few rides (no more than 100 miles total)I had to change both tires.
Both tubes blow out in my first trip.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for ascending and great control on descendings!!! I was upset on descendings (my former bike was a FS Joshua) but after some rides I start enjoying this bike!!!
Similar Products Used: Trek 830. My former bike was a Gary Fisher Joshua.
Bike Setup: Stock
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Submitted by
Geoff
a Cross Country Rider
from Ann Arbor, MI
Date Reviewed: May 6, 2002
Strengths: Great lightweight frame, very plush Mars Elite fork, good wheel and hub set, excellent geomoetry, handles well.
Weaknesses: LX front derailer, Mars Elite fork leaks air.
Bottom Line:
This is an unbelivable bike. It's very light, fast, and climbs and handles like a champ. Once I clip on to the pedals and head toward the trail, I get this burst of adrenaline. You don't need anything more than this bike unless you're a serious racer, and even then it can compete against the best.
Similar Products Used: Raleigh M 800, Marin Juniper Trail
Bike Setup: Stock
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Submitted by
BEN Jordan
a Weekend Warrior
from Charlestown, RI
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2002
Strengths: Frame stiffness. Front shock. XTR rear. V-brakes...(i had cantis on my old bike).
Weaknesses: Let me see...bars seemed wide at first, tires were horrible! ummm....seat tube creaked but I fixed that.
Bottom Line:
This is an update from last september 01'. I enjoy this bike a great deal. It is light and feels fast. After changing the tires the ride became much surer. I have been riding all winter in the "mild" north east and it has really held up. I would like to try out the FSR now though, not because I don't enjoy my hardtail but because variety is the spice of life. If you can get one cheap I would reccommend it. The 02' seems to be a little cheaper and it comes with the fox forx. I actually like the manitou but coming off a 95 fisher montare anything would feel great.
Bike Setup: Stock except swapped pedals and changed to some tioga factory xc tires, what a difference.
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Submitted by
Jasper Jansens
a Cross Country Rider
from Netherlands
Date Reviewed: December 27, 2001
Strengths: Weight, stiffness, agility Manitou Mars Elite Fork
Weaknesses: 30.9mm seat post diameter limits choice drastically (in the Netherlands anyway) Body Geometry Saddle (OUCH!!) Tires, not very grippy
Bottom Line:
From the first moment I drove off on this bike I felt it was going to be a very agile bike. I sure didn't let me down. I'm not the fastest of climbers, but I can keep up with the best on downhills and technical sections due to the confidence this bike gives me.
The Manitou fork is light and after having read the manuals quite easy to set up. Works really well with this bike!
Bike Setup: Ritchey WCS steering Stem, Syncros Carbon Composite Seat post, Mavic Crossmax wheelset, XTR Rapid Rise Rear Derailleur, Selle Italia Flite Titanium Saddle.
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Submitted by
Al Treacy
a Weekend Warrior
from Juneau, Alaska
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2001
Strengths: Great Bike
Weaknesses: It rusts!! I can't believe that this bike is rusting out. It seems that every bolt -to include the derailer- is rusting..bummer.
Bottom Line:
Great bike except for the faulty bolts. It it looks like a wrench was ever on it, in it, or around it, it has rust on it. Sure this is Alaska, but come on.
Submitted by
Dick Levy
a Weekend Warrior
from St. Louis
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2001
Strengths: Very lightweight, nimble bike that climbs like a goat. I was used to an older cro-mo Rockhopper Comp and the new SJ Comp is probably 4 to 5 lbs. lighter. Very fast bike with great components and design. Very smooth shifters and the brakes (Avid) will stop on a dime. Stiff, responsive frame with little or no loss of power to flexing.
Weaknesses: The only things I didn't like on the bike were the saddle and the tires. I upgraded to a better Specialized saddle and replaced the tires with Smoke/Dart setup. This bike has way more strengths than weaknesses.
Bottom Line:
Beautiful, well designed bike. I ride this bike two or three times a week, weather permitting, and I'm amazed at what it will do. It is so fast and light. It's a much better bike than I am a biker. It is expensive compared to other bikes and other Specialized models I looked at but I keep a bike a long time so it was worth spending a little more. The people at Big Shark are great. Spent a lot of time with me getting the right size, fit, setup, etc.
Bike Setup: Stock except for the saddle, tires and an Easton Monkey riser so I can be a bit more upright
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Submitted by
Frank
a Racer
from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2001
Strengths: Frame and fork combination is very light right out of the box (17" bike 23.5 lbs). Climbs like a 4 X 4. Handles like a roller coaster. The Time pedals are a great spec, SPD's are only good for exercise bikes. The Avid brakes are responsive, simple and very easy to maintain unlike shimano. The saddle is very comfortable once the seat angle is right. This bike is a very good value at $1000. The direct power transfer is unmatched by full suspension rigs. You basically have a race ready hardtail right out of the box. This bike is a smooth operator.
Weaknesses: The LX front der. works but they could have thrown an XT on there ($15 difference in price). The hubs are embarassing, I put my tubless wheelset on right away. The cassette is a boat anchor as is the bottom bracket. The Strongarm 2 crankset is so so, but nothing I would buy. An LX hollowtech would have been a selling feature but thats specialized. The bar stem and seatpost work, but they will be replaced with lighter technology.
Bottom Line:
If you can buy this bike for $1000.00, do it. It's a good foundation. Most importantly train hard and eventually you'll be opening cans of whupp ass on guys riding $3000-$4000 rigs.
Similar Products Used: Marin Juniper Trail, Schwinn Homegrown Comp
Bike Setup: Crossroc Tubless with Pythons, Thompson post and stem, Easton CT2 carbon bar, Raceface taperloc CrMo BB, Yeti hardcore with ODI lockjaws, Profile Designs stubbar ends, Crank bros. egg beaters, and a couple of stickers.
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Submitted by
charlie hoang
a Weekend Warrior
from Houston, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: October 23, 2001
Strengths: Great frame and fork set up. Dimension of bike makes it really sweet and quick on tight switchbacks.
Weaknesses: Bike squeaks a bit so I constantly have to tighten cranks. Also the seat post bolt keeps coming loose. Trashed the original seat as really uncomfortable. My bike came with Avid SD3 versus SD5, has anyone had this problem also?
Bottom Line:
I really enjoyed this bike as it corners like its on rails. It is also comfortable to ride on long rides. I need to set the Manitou up though. Really impressed with this bike but will not pay retail for it. Great bike for beginners as it is also race worthy......
Bike Setup: I am using my old XT/ Mavic 517 setup. I need to know size of BB as I plan on using my Shimano XT Hollowtech setup. Would like to know sze of seat post as planning to replace with Thompson.
