Submitted by
spence
a Cross Country Rider
from newark, de, usa
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2005
Strengths: lightweight... for an intermediate clydesdale
Weaknesses: crank is all bent out of shape after missed log hops and rolling some rocks for 5 years
Bottom Line:
wicked durable for the bruiser rider - great intro to racing - ripped through GRANOUGE and IRON HILL racing... taken on Fair Hill and the streets of UDel, raised hell in industrial parks, escaped angry motorists
Strengths: strong, plush fork, climbs and descends good, nice colors.
Weaknesses: weight, crapy components, stops like crap, drivetrain sucks, didn't come with clipless.
Bottom Line:
the brakes work like crap......even after i got the new avid sd 7 brakes, i dunno, maybe its the braking surface of my rims. the fork is very heavy, but very plush. rims are really strong and light. tires are awsome....tough, light and great grip in all conditons. the drivetrain kinda sucks....i mean its heavy and it makes a lot of noise in the middal ring in front and 1st and 2nd in back.
when i got this bike i though it would do fine for my kind of rideing. but ever since i got into racing, i gotta have the best.....thats only because i am neurotic, jk
ok the bottom line is that if your some weekend warrior who does not care about the fact that the rear derailier says deore lx insted of XTR or the fact that it weights a ton or the fact that the brakes are crap....go for it. but if you race and your neurotic(like me) and you need the best. dont get this bike.
Similar Products Used: trek 820, gt palomar, trek 4900
Bike Setup: trek 6500 w/ judy sl
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Submitted by
dojthis1
a Cross Country Rider
from timmytown
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2002
Strengths: Great overall feel, light, sweet colors, comes with good componants, etc., etc.
Weaknesses: Seems to need a lot of repair.... (or maybe I'll finally get that Specialized FSR Big Hit Comp)...
Bottom Line:
Great bike, I've experienced a lot of complications because i ride too hard for an xc. the only major problem i've had is with the "icon" crankset that comes stock with it. the inside of the crank seems to turn from square to round, even when i make sure it's tight. i have gone through two icon cranks, and am currently in the process of rounding of the bomtrager crank, so i'll be purchasing a RaceFace soon... Sweet Bike.
Strengths: The frame is great, very light and responsive, and the Judy XC forks aren't to bad. A lot better than the Manitou Magnums. Other people have had problems with the cranks, but I haven't, and they've been great for me.
Weaknesses: The no name brakes and pedals. the brakes aren't to bad in the dry, but get them wet and you're screwed. The wheels aren't the greatest, either-I bent them after only a few weeks riding. They're kind of flexy, and no, I wasn't freeriding on them or anything.
Bottom Line:
A great value for the money. Ditch the brakes, rat trap pedals, and get stronger wheels, and you have a great bike.
Similar Products Used: this was the smoothest ride of all the bikes test-ridden, and by far the best value to get into the sport
Bike Setup: replaced the seat and definitely will replace the pedals next season, everything else is stock and doing fine
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Submitted by
Tha Masha
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2001
Strengths: Frame kicks with it's light weight, Judy XC rocks when adjusted to 4" travel, overall solid
Weaknesses: Brakes are complete junk, levers and brakes, Rear crappy Corvair rim wnt WAY out of true on first major ride. No hucks and went out of true that I had to realese the breaks and walk the bike back out of the bush for an hour!!!!
Bottom Line:
Great bike if you lose the brakes and junk rims. You would expect better quality rims on a bike like this. Bought this rather than the 2001 as the new models have the cheapest low grade shock you can buy!!!!
Bike Setup: Stock with SPD 434's, Judy adjusted to 4" travel
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Submitted by
Martin Austin
a Racer
from Halifax, N.S. Canada
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2001
Strengths: Front fork, the Judy Hydracoils work great, low maitnence and reliable, all around nice component set, frame is great, rims and Bontrager Jones tires are great
Weaknesses: Didn't come with clipless pedals, upgrade to a nice set off time ATACs, if you aren't soft on the tires then you will have to do your fair share of patches, the tires work great but are light and do get leaks.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike for a beginner racer or a cross country rider who wants performance but doesn't want to pay a crapload of money, its never really been a real hindrance for me yet, the small frame and tires make the bike very responsive and quick! The Rock Shox Judy Hydracoils are very good, i haven't had to do much maitnence with them and they work great, have good rebound to them.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Rockhopper, Gary Fisher Big Sur
Bike Setup: Stock except for Time ATAC pedals
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Submitted by
alek
a Cross Country Rider
from bRoOkLyN, NY
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2001
Strengths: Great value, second comes the UsA frame.
Weaknesses: Hard-A$$ seat, cheap pedals, and my BB is creaking already >:| Judy XC's oil is leaking after a really long ride. Rear hub/cassette keeps "clicking" and the hub sometimes becomes silent :/
Bottom Line:
Its a great bike for beginners. Best bang-for-da-buck. Lots of smiles when i ride. But the seat keeps reminding me to take a pit stop. None serious problems after 2 months and 600 miles on the bike. But like i said upgrade the seat and pedals.
Similar Products Used: none...(Huffy's, Pacific's and all the Kmart crap doesnt count:) This is my first real BiKe
Bike Setup: Pretty much stock...except for some electronic goodies.
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Submitted by
Menna
a Weekend Warrior
from Swoyersville, PA USA
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2001
Strengths: The Judy XC's are great (but why wouldn't they be, this is my first suspension bike), the frame feels like nothing compared to my 830, and the corvair rims rock!!!!!
Weaknesses: Around the 5th or 6th time riding, the pedal stripped right out of the crank after coming down from a climb. The threading was completely rubbed out. What a boner!! Trek seemed to take their sweet time fixing it, too. OTher than that, this bike is a great starting point for a guy like me.
Bottom Line:
This bike is everything I was looking for after riding a tank for like ten years. Minus the crank problem, I am more than pleased with the bike. IT was well worth the money, especially for a college kid on a tight-ass budget!
Bike Setup: Stock (except for Deore cranks, which my shop stripped from another bike)
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Submitted by
Brandon B
a Cross Country Rider
from C.B. IA
Date Reviewed: May 24, 2001
Strengths: ligh, good durability, great for the intermideate rider not wanting to pay alot.
Weaknesses: my shifters wouldent shif with in the first week! the rear derailer worked well though.
Bottom Line:
great bike i would recomend it for the price but if you like to do alot of offroad you will regret it and wish you had bought a full suspension. i know i do!!!
Bike Setup: trek 6500 with manitou magnum R fornt suspension.
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Submitted by
Chris Johnson
a Weekend Warrior
from Strasburg, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2001
Strengths: Great ride on and off road. Everyone says the brakes suck but I have Shimano XTR's on my old bike and they dont feel much diffrent. Great ride for an aluminum frame very forgiveing.
Weaknesses: CHANGE BRAKE PADS no offense but the stock ones suck. Put on all weather ones. When the stock ones get even a little splash on the rims it dosent stop. The bike could use a lighter front end the RS Judy XC is a little wieghty for the aluminum frame.
Bottom Line:
This bike is a great off roader and is deffintly worth what it costs. If considiring the 6000 I would recomend a check a this bike.
Similar Products Used: Kona Lava Dome, Trek 6000, Rockhopper
Bike Setup: New Tires, and Pads. Put on a Manitou SX-R instead of the Judy.
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Submitted by
dogmatik
a Weekend Warrior
from brandon
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2001
Strengths: It just rocks..Gets up and goes. Easily smokes all friends in sugar sand.Love the yellow paint.
Weaknesses: none yet
Bottom Line:
Great beginner bike. Takes a beating. XL frame easily accomodates 6'4" 200lber. People have said the brakes suck, but they'll flip ya quik, and work fine for me
Submitted by
Kevin
a Weekend Warrior
from Buffalo, New York
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2001
Strengths: The 6500 is an amazing off-the-shelf bike! It comes equipped with a solid collection of components that don't require immediate upgrades. I have only been riding mine for a little under a year, but so far it has survived some ugly bumps and bruises.
Weaknesses: The pedals and the brake handles should be the first to go. Clip-less pedals should almost be a requirement, and the brake handles have a very "wimpy" feel to them. I've wondered if I would accidently rip them off the bike at times. Otherwise I have no intention of upgrading anything in the near future.
Bottom Line:
I would recommend this bike to anyone who is an intermediate rider. The frame itself makes the bike worthwhile, and the stock components only add to the value. I test rode a bunch of other bikes, but this was by far my favorite!
Bike Setup: 2000 Stock (but like I said before, it needs pedals and brake handles).
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Submitted by
HypNoTic
a Weekend Warrior
from Montréal, Québec
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2001
Strengths: Very good frame, excellent overall value considering the price (1000$ Cnd)
Weaknesses: NoName V-Brake are very cheap. Cheap pedals!
Bottom Line:
Brake are very weak but easyly upgradable. I'm little affraid of the durability/fiability of the fork (Manitou Magnum R) and i think i'll change them for Judy XC. I ride on road to the mountain and in just a month, the tire have already lost a little bit of their draw.
