Submitted by
Biker Girl
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: March 7, 2003
Strengths: Awesome Bike, enough said.
Weaknesses: Repeating record - specialized components going bad fast.
Bottom Line:
If you want a light hardtail that's durable and great to upgrade, this is a major contender. Ya, some of the specialized components aren't the greatest (minus 1 chili). I broke the pedals, BB got really rough, and I broke teeth on the chainrings. So, if you are buying it used, check some of these items out before buying. But, they aren't that expensive to replace and have served me long enough to know that I want to keep this frame and basic set-up for a long time. Given the rest of the groupo, I am very happy with my purchase and will probably be riding this frame for many years to come. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend buying one used.
Bike Setup: Stock '99 stumpjumper pro 21" frame except - Mavic Rims, new tires, new XT crank, new bottom bracket, new clipless pedals, new grips, girl friendly saddle, and bar ends.
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Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, CO
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2002
Strengths: This is the most bombproof bike I have ever owned. Without question, the specialized "hardcore" wheelset that came on the bike is from another planet. I ride HARD and have been through some incredible sh.t with this bike and have trued the wheels less than 10 times. I am 6' 2" and weigh 195lbs. There is nothing on this bike that wasn't perfect except the seat, which fell apart rather quickly.
Weaknesses: None at all.
Bottom Line:
Buy a Specialized if you want the most durable and best performing bike for your money. The only reason I will switch next season is to buy a custom DEAN Ace FS.
Bike Setup: Stock, except Time ATAC Carbon pedal and Selle Italia Genuine Gel seat.
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Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Evanston, IL, USA
Date Reviewed: June 10, 2002
Strengths: Excellent smooth ride, good looks, very durable
Weaknesses: Crank issues (creaking, will need to replace soon, I fear), stock saddle might as well be made of concrete.
Bottom Line:
This is a really excellent bike. I am a 6'3" 270lb rider, and have had no problems (except the crank-creak) after riding some serious miles. A week-long 500 mile tour went absolutely flawlessly. I find that I can "hang with the roadies" if I pump my tires up to max, the geometry is comfortable enough to ride no-hands, but get on some trail and it handles like a dream. Light enough to hop over medium-sized obstacles without a problem, quick enough to avoid getting into trouble most of the time, tough enough to shrug it off when trouble is inevitable. I hope this bike never gets potato-chipped, I will ride it forever!
Purchased At: Used, friend, he paid $999 at Out Spoke'n
Bike Setup: bar ends, conti town& country invert treads, switched l/r brake levers, switched crown for "faster" gearing (11-23), terry men's liberator saddle.
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Submitted by
leon newman
a Cross Country Rider
from surrey, england
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2002
Strengths: i love this frame, so stiff, responsive and fast. sid's work a charm. The feel of this bike is just right. Great stock v's and good groupset. xtr/xt
Weaknesses: the specialized own products are a bit poor, especially the cranks and bottom bracket. My left crank has broken twice so i went for a race face.
Bottom Line:
amazing bike. however to get the best out of it a few components need replacing.
Strengths: light weight, very efficient climber, fast
Weaknesses: the cranks (especially the rings), manitou fork, the wheels came out of true frequently, worst bott bracket i've ever had on any bike,
Bottom Line:
i love this bike, after my old school rigid hardtails, this thing was a rocket, much stiffer than the fisher, really had to experiment w/tires and saddles to make it livable for my clydesdale carcass, i've been thrashing this bike for a while now, it's actually the 98 model, everyone that rides it comments on how great it climbs, steers a little too quickly but thats from ditching the 80mm manitou and using the 63mm sid, got a great deal on it, couldn't justify 400$ more for the s-works which is only 1 oz lighter, if you want a hardtail and don't mind a very stiff frame-this is the one for you; however i recomend BUYING ONLY THE FRAME AND BUILDING IT UP YOURSELF BECAUSE SPEC CUTS MANY CORNERS WHEN SPEC'G THEIR BIKES IE: HOUSE BRAND PARTS, 5 FLAMERS BECAUSE I GOT SUCH A GOOD DEAL
Similar Products Used: spec hard rock, rockhopper, fisher mt. tam, k2 zed-x
Bike Setup: chris king race-lites, full race-face,mokey light risers, terry fly saddle, python lights(great tires), thomson post 98' sid, rapid rise,etc.
Strengths: light weight, very efficient climber, fast
Weaknesses: the cranks (especially the rings), manitou fork, the wheels came out of true frequently, worst bott bracket i've ever had on any bike,
Bottom Line:
i love this bike, after my old school rigid hardtails, this thing was a rocket, much stiffer than the fisher, really had to experiment w/tires and saddles to make it livable for my clydesdale carcass, i've been thrashing this bike for a while now, it's actually the 98 model, everyone that rides it comments on how great it climbs, steers a little too quickly but thats from ditching the 80mm manitou and using the 63mm sid, got a great deal on it, couldn't justify 400$ more for the s-works which is only 1 oz lighter, if you want a hardtail and don't mind a very stiff frame-this is the one for you; however i recomend BUYING ONLY THE FRAME AND BUILDING IT UP YOURSELF BECAUSE SPEC CUTS MANY CORNERS WHEN SPEC'G THEIR BIKES IE: HOUSE BRAND PARTS, 5 FLAMERS BECAUSE I GOT SUCH A GOOD DEAL
Similar Products Used: spec hard rock, rockhopper, fisher mt. tam, k2 zed-x
Bike Setup: chris king race-lites, full race-face,mokey light risers, terry fly saddle, python lights(great tires), thomson post 98' sid, rapid rise,etc.
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Submitted by
Jaime Lamberty
a Cross Country Rider
from Plainwell
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2001
Strengths: good parts mix, light, stiff, climber par excellance!
Weaknesses: wheels could be stiffer, but good enough for me(150 lbs) never used the specialized brand crank set
Bottom Line:
I'm in love!!!
This puppy rocks: fast, tracks like a bandit, climbs like a goat. If twisty singletrack is your thing - buy one. I got mine used for a great price and I'm sure there's plenty to be had in this price range in the marketplace. I'll never give this baby up unless it's to trade up to an M4 frame. Only up grades planned for the future are better wheels (crossmax?)and bottom bracket/crankset (race face or xt hollowtech).
Ride hard, ride often, respect the trail rules and the newbies/yuppies who keep the industry in dough so they can crank out a gem or two (like the Stumper Pro)for reasonable prices! peace baby
Strengths: Light. Well stocked. Overall good component selection to be had. Looks cool enough.
Weaknesses: Bad stock seat and rear hub.
Bottom Line:
I have been riding this bike for two years now, and I have to say that it has not let me down. I have customized a little bit from when I originally bought it, but for the most part I like everything that came stock. Everyhting has held together quite well. I have raced on this bike, and it performed excellently. The only complaint is that I am currently on the thrid rear wheel on this bike. The first one I destroyed, so that is my fault. The second wheel was just a cheep temp. until I built up the one that is currently there. I would recomend this bike to anyone who wants to just have a fast ride, and is thinking of doing some racing.
Strengths: -super fast -nice nimble handler -was a good deal -very stiff frame good in some circumstances
Weaknesses: -every non-shimano part on the bike -hubs,cranks,bb,stem,handlebar,seat,headset
Bottom Line:
this bike was a very nice bike when I first got it but now I'm totally thinking different. It is a nice handling bike and super fast but I ride this bike very hard everyday I don't have a road bike to train with so I ride trails everyday, this thing creeks super bad now ( I think it's going to break soon ) and almost every part than specialized made broke with no warranty even the crankset. I'm looking into buying another blizzard because for 2001 it's got 853 tubing and I have full race-face parts for it. Around here in Victoria the trails are a little bit too rough for a frame like the M2.
Similar Products Used: 97 Rocky Mountain blizzard with a 97 bomber z-2
Bike Setup: -99 M2-Pro with race-face cranks,bb,handlebar,stem,headset and some xt hubs built with some mavic x-517 citrons
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Submitted by
Aaron
a Cross Country Rider
from Carroll, OH
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2000
Strengths: great value for your money - you will always have an excellent frame to upgrade on
Weaknesses: bottom bracket, specialized cranks, and wheels (one hub is XT and the other Parallax), tires
Bottom Line:
You can't beat this bike for the money. Don't buy this bike and expect special bells and whistles. This is a rock-solid hardtail. The frame is super light and stiff. Allows you to really feel the trail and climb like a goat. Other reviews mention how crappy the Specialized components. Personally, they don't bother me - you can always swap out the broken/ineffective stuff.
Similar Products Used: Schwinn Homegrown, older Stumpies
Bike Setup: stock w/ the exception of tires - came w/ Specialized comp tires which blew apart after the third ride. other weakness points mentioned above to be swapped out by next spring.
Strengths: -super light and fast -the frame -the overall ride is very nice and controlled
Weaknesses: -seat -crank/bb -the wheels suck -both of my quick releases broke in two different races ( DNF's) -the specialized comp shoes the black/yellow ones are garbage I've broken 3 pairs and working on the 4th. The sole keeps cracking and specialized takes forever on warranty. -headset
Bottom Line:
this bike seriously rips. M2 is fast and very light riding. The geometry realy helps your descending and climbing yet still offering a comfortable ride. I was thinking about an fsr/xc comp but then I lifted it and totally liked my M2 more. the fsr's are realy slow compared to my M2 and they aren't even that comfortable either. I'm a die hard hardtail fan. If you want quality at a decent price you will not beat this bike and if you do then tell me.
Similar Products Used: Kona Cinder-cone, Kona Caldera
Bike Setup: Stock
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Submitted by
Max
a Cross Country Rider
from Spokane, Washington, USA
Date Reviewed: June 28, 2000
Strengths: -Super-light, XTR, Bar -Climbs like a monkey on speed, Decends wonderfully
Weaknesses: Seat is a little uncomfortable.
Bottom Line:
This is definately the best bike I have ever ridden. It climbs decends, and goes on the flats better than any bike on the market. The M2 is awesome and I wish that the S-works could have M2 because M2 is a lot smoother than M4. This bike kicks ass!!
This was a great bike out of the box! Once out of the box, however some items did not last very well. My seat was trash almost immediately. The headset was sloppy from the start. WHY NO DOUBLE BUTTED SPOKES ON WHEELS? With a few minor tweaks, this is one fast light (22lb) bombproof ride! Lots-o-fun. Buy this bike this year. i think it will be the last M2 frame for this high end bike. M4 is not as good a ride but lighter but not by much.
Similar Products Used: Gary Fisher Mt.Tam, Trek 8900, Yeti$$$
Bike Setup: Stock with Custom wheels (Kings laced up on Mavics with Smith db spokes and alloy). Terry fuperfly saddle on Ringle' Moby Post. Cook Brother Racing "E" crank
