Submitted by
fsimpson
a Cross Country Rider
from Longmont, CO
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2009
Strengths: Great bike all around. Feels like i can take it off anything.
Weaknesses: Nothing at all.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike and I have had no problems so far. I was worried about the bob some of you guys have talked about but I have not experience any at all. My friend just got a bike that was about twice as much but is only half as good. This is definetly the bike to buy if you are a begginer to intermediate trail rider. 5 falming chilis for this bike.
Bike Setup: Hayes disc brakes, shimano xtr components, manitou minute fork, fox float air shock.
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Submitted by
D. Sturm
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta, GA
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2004
Strengths: Absolutely bomb proof design.
Weaknesses: 22mm Hayes mounts make for limited options for dics brakes.
Bottom Line:
A follow up. This frame is a '99 and it still holds up against current frames. The timeless design swinglink rear end can handle the rough stuff with ease. I still haven't been able to find anything this bike can't handle.
This bike is best for aggressive cross-country trail riding. If you want to cadillac around,it probably isn't the bike for you. Throw it hard into the curves and drops and roots and ruts and be amazed.
I do wonder about the health of the company and availability of parts in the future. So far I haven't need them.
So five years and five flamin' chilis for the Wild Hare.
Bike Setup: XTR, Race Face, Thomson P/S, SRAM Rocket 9, Marzocchi Atom Race
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Submitted by
PAUL CHUCKY242
a Cross Country Rider
from ORANGE COUNTY
Date Reviewed: February 22, 2004
Strengths: EXCELLENT CRAFTMANSHIP. BEAUTIFUL WELDS. KICKBUTT PLATFORM TO BUILD YOUR DREAM BIKE.
Weaknesses: YEAH RIGHT!NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.THIS BIKE IS FOR THE SERIOUS RIDER WITH A LOVE FOR BEAUTIFUL HAND MADE CUSTOM FRAMES.THIS BIKE IS EVERYTHING YOUR LOOKING FOR.
Bottom Line:
IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A SICK BIKE THIS IS HER.YOU GET YOURSELF DOWN TO MY BRO TRACY AT RAINBOW BIKES(TEAMRAIN.COM)IN LAGUNA BEACH AND HE'LL GET YOU SET UP WITH ALL THE RIGHT STUFF.I'VE BEEN RIDING THE WILD HARE NOW FOR TWO YEARS.THIS BIKE IS SO WELL BUILT SHE'S ABLE TO HANDLE EVERYTHING I CAN THROW AT HER.SHE CUTS THROUGH THE SINGLE TRACK LIKE A HOT KNIFE IN BUTTER.SHE CLIMBS LIKE A BIG HORN RAM.SHE RACES THROUGH THE TERRAIN WITH THE GRACE OF A CHEETAH.I FREQUENT ALL THE OC SPOTS ALISO,MORO CANYON,CARBON CANYON AND MY BACKYARD THE FULLERTON LOOP.FOR ALL THOSE OUT THERE WITH A PW SEE MY BOY TRACY LETS HOOK UP FOR A NIGHT RIDE.RIDING ALL DAY EVERY DAY TILL THE WHEELS FALL OFF.C-YA ON THE TRAILS.SEE PHOTOS OF MY BIKE AT RAINBOW LAGUNA BEACH.
Bike Setup: MARZOCCHI Z1 BOMBER,RACE FACE CRANKS,XT FRT,XTR REAR,HAYES DISC(W/GOTHIC ROTORS FREAKIN SICK!!!!)FOX SHOCK.WTB RIMS MERCEDES BENZ SILVER
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Submitted by
Josh
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2003
Strengths: Awesome ride, solid, no worries
Weaknesses: None that I can find.
Bottom Line:
I rented on of these when I was in Laguna Beach, CA 3 years ago. About a year later my riding buddy from here in Austin moved 30 minutes from Laguna. When I made plans to fly out and see him, I got online and found a used Wildhare in San Francisco. He picked me up at LAX and we drove 7 hours each way to pick it up and ride. I've bought and sold some other lighter race bikes, but this is still my favorite to ride. I can go twice as fast through some crazy stuff and come out in one piece. Stuff that would demolish most bikes, or send you to the morge. Buy one.
I've had the bike for about a year and it honestly has not let me down once. If there is a section of a trail that I have to walk (either uphill or down)it's definitely me and not the bike. I've taken it chairlifting, done epics on it, and even commute with it in a pinch and have no complaints. As far as criticisms of it climbing abilities; the ECC on my fork makes this bike a very enjoyable and efficient climber. It may not be the most high tech or expensive bike out there, but it definitely can hold it own in almost any condition or terrain. Bottom line is that it is a great all around bike.
Similar Products Used: Rocky Mtn Element, Santa Cruz Heckler, FSR.
Bike Setup: XT, Atom race 100, Fox Float.
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Submitted by
will
a Weekend Warrior
from san francisco
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2002
Strengths: the.bike.is.dope. Solid frame and feel. Turns nice. Soaks up the bumps and the big hits like Bounty on grape juice. Plush.
Weaknesses: what?
Bottom Line:
The bike is bad ass. It drops and climbs with authority...well, maybe it doesn't climb with authority, but I think that's mostly my fault. IF ANYBODY NEEDS A REAR TRIANGLE (hayes/v-brake). I GOT ONE FOR SALE CHEAP! A new IS triangle will cost you about $500. If you're going to go v-brake or hayes anyway, and need a rear triangle, let me know. hit me up at fooomp@hotmail.com.
Strengths: Awesome quality, PLUSH as hell with a coil-over, stable and super fast down, stiff frame, good price,
Weaknesses: a little slow in the tight stuff, lack of a Horst link
Bottom Line:
After riding this beast for a good 3.5 years, I decided to post a 2nd review. The bike is set up a little different than when I first reviewed it and so I will try to let you know how I think it compares to the way it was before. First off, I went from a FLOAT air rear shock set up in the 3.5" which I changed to 4.5" when I got rid of the Marz Z2 BAM in favor for the XVert. The FLOAT shock worked too hard for my 170lbs in the 4.5" mode. It worked but when the hills got really steep, the shock started to suffer from major sag issues and so it felt like I was wasting a lot of energy. It worked great in the 3.5" mode (no sag problems in the 3.5" mode probably because the decreased leverage ratio) w/ 3" Z2 BAM in the front but as with most guys, once I got the taste of full suspension, I started craving more travel. Still, I rode the Wild Hare for a good 2 years set up 4"/4.5" and it performed admirably. It was super stable in the fast, rough stuff because of the 17" chainstays and stiff rear-end. It climbed well as long as it wasn't too steep (the sag issue I mentioned before) and too technical (long wheelbase required precise weight distribution). A few months ago, I put on the Vanilla coil-over in the 4.5" mode and sweeeeetness!!! The WH is so much more plush than before but the biggest improvement is the lack of sag problems I encountered with the airshock. Suprisingly, the WH climbs better with Vanilla than with FLOAT and the .5 lbs increase is not even noticable. As for how the WH compares to the RX, the RX feels faster going up but definately less stable and secure bombing down singletrack. The RX holds me back just a little bit going down while the WH allows me to go full throttle. Lastly, I think that the guys at PW should seriously consider using a chainstay link (AKA Horst link) instead of the seatstay link. Basically, they can do this without paying the Big S for the Horst link patent just as Jamis has been able to avoid paying Specialized because of the way the patent is written, i.e. the linkage system is not considered a "4-bar system" because it does not pivot around or connect to the downtube. Got on the soapbox on that one- sorry!:) Who should buy this bike??? Anyone who is looking for a super trailbike that is rough on their equipment. Anyone who is looking for the small-builder appeal in their frame without breaking the bank. Racers and weight-weenies need not apply. Ride On!!!
Three years in now, and thousands of miles later and I STILL love this bike. Anytime, anywhere, any conditions it rocks. Once you learn to spin it'll climb as long as you got the motor. Yes, it's a little touchy about weight transfer. Be smooth. I strip it down once a year just to wipe out the pivots, lube VERY lightly, and reassemble. Good for another year. Have never seen another on the trail - I like that. Mine weighs under 26 lbs. My old man always said, you get what you pay for. The Hare is proof of that.
Bike Setup: Custom Speedgota fork, Race Face, King, Hope C2, Thompson, XT, other good stuff.
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Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Orange County, CA
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2002
Strengths: Looks awesome, sweet welds, won't see many on the trails, plush ride, strong, strong, strong!
Weaknesses: None yet
Bottom Line:
This bike rides like a dream! I just converted from a hardtail and was worried that it would not climb as well as my 24 lb hardtail, but was pleasantly surprised on my first ride. Bike weighs 26.5 lbs, and climbs like a goat! Very plush ride on the downhills. My bones and joints are thanking me! Great on XC or blasting down hills. Liked it so much, I just sold the hard tail!! Since I picked up the frame used at half the brand new price, five flamin' chilis all around!
Weaknesses: rear disc limitations only has 22mm hayes direct mount
Bottom Line:
this is a high quality frame and ride. the geometry was a little long for me, but i have short legs too. love the travel options, especially with the long travel link.(3.5"-5.5")at 5.5 lbs. this frame could do almost anything, a great "trail-bike".
Bike Setup: hayes disc, race face cranks,stem,s.p., king h.s., rolf dolomite wheels, XTR shift, der.
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Submitted by
Pete
a Cross Country Rider
from Ashland, OR
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2002
Bottom Line:
I wanted to update my review. I am the guy who, just a few short reviews down said the Hare bobs, bobs, bobs. I'd like to amend that statement a bit. For most of the time that i have owned my wild hare i have had a 5/5.5 inch travel link on it and a Fox Vanilla RC coil over shock. Great for the downhills bad for uphills. I think the link (which my bike was shipped with from Psycle Werks) is for a Screamin Deamon. Before they had the Screamin Deamon (Psycle Werk's harcore freeride frame) they used to offer this link as an upgrade, but not anymore. Anyways, the bike did bob a lot on the climbs in the five inch travel setting, so i got a Fox Float Rc w/ a lock out. But i could never get it stiff enough. Then one of the mechanics @ my LBS mentioned leverage ratio. Oh. I was running a 3.33 leverage ratio in the 5" setting (5" travel divided by 1.5" shock stroke). That's bad buisness. I've been told any suspension w/ a leverage ratio over 3 is nasty and will bob and Fox only recomends a leverage ratio of 3 or less anyways. So I put on the original 4.5/3.5 inch swing link (purchased from Psycle werks for $40) and I'm a happy camper or biker, i guess. I gave up a half inch of travel for a better riding bike. Now i can get enough preload out of my air shock and the bike climbs better, though i still lock it out on the long climbs. I actaully like my bike better now. It rips up the XC, does well on the climbs, (the lock out doesn't hurt though), and i can keep up if not pass dudes w/ body armor and 40 lbs freeride bikes. And lastly,8 foot drops are no stess even w/ the air shock. If anyone wants the 5/5.5 inch tavel link just email me. I'll sell it cheap. Pylce Werks sell them for $70. Peace.
Submitted by
Taylor
a Weekend Warrior
from Houston, TX
Date Reviewed: December 29, 2001
Strengths: Caddy plush, chubby stiff, digger-resistant, not the most common rig on the trail. 4 out of 5 dentists agree; it's the BOMB!
Weaknesses: still won't pedal uphill
Bottom Line:
Time for yet another follow up, kiddies. It's been a long year, and my Hare and I have finally done some real mountains. I did NorCal last Spring (I'm thinking SoCal this Spring), and the bike just amazed me. And YES, I did two LONG fireroad climbs uphill. My Vanilla-R doesn't lockout, but it takes all of twenty seconds to crank up the preload. Wow, problem solved. And yet I read posts which say, "Whine, whine, whine, I have to use my lockout switch thingy." Methinks hardcore climbing freaks should be banned from reviewing this bike. Sorta like a Porsche stuck in an SUV shootout, eh? The juice on the Hare's climbing traits is this: it climbs quite smoothly, even though one must be very precise when shifting one's weight. Gnarly climbs are easily taken with a LOT of spinning and little drama. Just motor on up...
Regarding bike weight, I'll say again that my steed tips the scale at 26.2 pounds. V-brakes, a coil shock, and a coil/oil Z1 fork. And YES, Virginia, I have seen a sub 25 pound Hare. It has been done. We have the technology. Here's the cool part- there are NO titanium ultra-flimsy parts adorning my rig. Tru-Vativ cranks, cro-mo BB, stout wheelset (none of that radial lacing crap here, man!), and so on. So if an air fork weighs in at something like a full pound lighter than an old Z1, YOU tell me sub-24 can't be done.
Uh, high, my name is Taylor, and I'm addicted to corners, drops, and jumps. This bike changed the kind of rider I am. I will dispute ANY claims that the Hare corners poorly. At first, I was very uncomfortable cornering the bike what with its tall, nervous front end. But, it was on my third or foruth ride that I blew into a corner WAY too hot, and the bike responded with a lean angle unlike anything I'd ever seen. It will not respect slow corner entries or wimpy slow-in, sprint-out styles. It will bite your arse if you even attempt such a thing. It wants you to rail it in there REAAAALY deep, THROW it down into the corner, and carry that momentum to the next corner. I've been a junkie ever since. Drops and FAAAAAAST decents are what this bike was bred for. I cracked 40mph on the Auburn Loop in Auburn, CA. Gimmie some sugar, Baby. Groovy.
I've said it in three posts now, and whenever anyone stops me on the trail to ask about it, I say the same thing. Were it ever to be stolen, I would buy another one the VERY next day. Don't buy this bike thinking it'll make a great X-Country racer. Hell, I wouldn't buy a Hare thinking it'd make a great Slalom racer even though it would. The dude from Laguna, CA (below) said it best- Buy this bike if you want ONE bike to do EVERTHING right, and not one thing bad. It's like soup, man. It's gooooood for ya. Hail to the King...
This is a review for the Screamin Demon. There are no reviews for it yet, so I thought I would post here. The Demon is basically the same frame as the Wildhare, with the exception of the linkage and an additional tube to reinforce the front triangle.
I've been riding this setup for a year and a half, and I have to say that this bike is as close to perfect as it gets. Truly all-purpose, it is a very well-designed, well-built frame. It eats up 6' drops, erases rock gardens, and can still manage a long fireroad climb without too much trouble. Superior traction on technical climbs. The Z1 is a perfect match for this bike, and the active rear travel is butter smooth, thanks to the burly, plush, and highly adjustable Vanilla RC. I am 195 lbs, and the 800-lb stock spring was too light. Switching to a 1050 spring fixed that. This frame uses teflon pivot bushings instead of cartridge bearings. This has arguable advantages in that bushings are much cheaper to replace, require no maintenance, and are still silky smooth. The pivots are beefy and still free of play after 20 months of serious abuse. As it's setup now, it weighs in at 34 lbs, with Kujo DH tires (which are over 2 lbs each). Built up XC style, it was under 29.
I run it at 5.5" travel exclusively (the 4.5" setting is unnecessary, IMO), and this bike absolutely devours everything I throw at it, or rather, throw it at, up or down. You won't win any climbing contests, but you'll more than catch up on the downs. I would say it's as good as, if not better than, any 5-6" travel frame out there. If want to absolutely rule, and want a go-anywhere, do-anything, freeride/trail/urban-assault bike, this is it.
"It is so choice. I highly recommend picking one up."
Bike Setup: Z1CR 130mm, RaceFace, Rhyno Lite/Hugi wheelset, Hayes, XT/XTR
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Submitted by
Pete
a Cross Country Rider
from Ashland, OR
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2001
Strengths: Goung downhill, strength, not a bike that you see often
Weaknesses: Going up the hill, unless you have a lock out. Long wheelbase, heavy frame. Damn thing bobs like a $5 whoure.
Bottom Line:
I hate to repeat what has already been said so well. So I won't. What the guy bellow me wrote is absolutly correct. I'v had my bike for almost two years. And there's not much to add. The bike rocks going down, but SUCKS going up. Bob, bob, bob! The rear tire doesn't grip well either. I lock out the rear when ever I have a long climb, and here in Ashland, it's all up, then down. I think the bike could be lighter too. It's plush, but the climbing effort doesn't make up for it. It's a fun bike, i just wish it would climb better, and the wheel base is pretty long. I find myself having to slide a lot of tight corners. Though the bike is strong, holding up on the big drops. I'm more the aggressive XC or freeride type, and as a long travel xc bike it does ok.
Similar Products Used: Rocky Mnt. Element race, FSR
Bike Setup: Z1 qr20, Hayes hydro, raceface cranks and headset, Sun DS1 XC wheelset (yeah, they actaully hold up quite well), monkey lite dh bar, Vanilla RC, XTR, XT, 545 pedals, WTB Laser V seat (which rocks!) Thompson post
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Submitted by
Eugene F
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle, Wa
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2001
Strengths: Very stable downhill
Weaknesses: Bad at climbs, tight corners, sprints
Bottom Line:
BACKGROUND: I've ridden FS for 6 years on 3 different bikes - Proflex 856, Santa Cruz Superlight and the Wild Hare. The Proflex and Santa Cruz both have a single pivot, semi-active design. The Santa Cruz is comparable in price, travel, and components to the Wild Hare so my comparisons are between those two bikes. The Santa Cruz has 4 in. rear travel and is configured the same as the Hare (Sid SL, Hayes brakes, same wheelset, XTR). I rode the Hare for one full year about 1.5 times per week. Most of the rides were on fairly tight XC trails. I got it out into the mountains on open/fast downhill trails a few times.
SUSPENSION/FRAME: The Hare frame with the fox RC weighed 6.5 lb. The Santa Cruz with the Fox weighed 5.4. So if you're trying to build a light weight XC bike then the Hare puts you at a disadvantage right out of the gate. IMHO the 24 lb Hare is a myth. I could have dropped a pound from the brakes, and and maybe 1/4 from the crank/bb, but beyond that the grams get very expensive. This bike weighed in at 27 lbs, and I used 1.7 inch tires to get that. With Panaracer 2.1 Fire XC's it was 27.5.
I'm 6 feet tall and rode a size large. The factory said I was on the border and could have gone either medium or large. It felt long. I suspect I would have liked the medium better.
The suspension is radically different than the superlight. It is very, very smooth. The Hare also has a bottom bracket height about a full inch taller than the Superlight. The combination of height and plush allow you to stay seated and keep power to the pedals through rough stuff that requires finesse on the superlight. On the other hand, the Hare is so plush that standing or sprinting is almost futile. It requires a strategy of "no sudden moves". Plan on staying seated when you ride this bike.
ASCENTS: Single track/technical - The suspension was too plush and the bike too long for good performance on technical climbs. The back wheel broke loose long before the Santa Cruz in the same conditions. Even when the wheel had purchase the bike was a slug on climbs. It felt like there was lots of energy going into the suspension instead of the wheel. Standing is out of the question, unless you just have tons of energy to burn. The Superlight walks away from Hare on these climbs. They are not even in the same ballpark. The Superlight climbs stuff that you need not even try on the hare - just start walking.
Logging roads - You can lock out the suspension which makes the Hare acceptable on dirt roads. There is a very noticeable difference between active and locked out. You definitely want to lock it out when possible.
DESCENTS: This bike is a blast on descents. The suspension eats up huge obstacles without worry. It is absolutely rigid torsionally. Obstacles that I pay attention to on the Superlight are not even a concern on this bike. You just ignore the little stuff and keep looking downhill. You really don't have to worry about your pedals smacking into the things due to the high bottom bracket. Just keep pedaling. These bikes are not even in the same ballpark going downhill. The Hare is much more stable.
CORNERS: Tight single track: I define tight single track as trails that keep you in the little ring, or low in the middle ring most of the ride. You are always negotiating a turn or obstacle with very little space to open it up and spin. The Hare was not very enjoyable on these trails. It was sluggish and required huge body english to get it into the turn. I frequently found myself stuck on the outside of the corner because I just didn't get my weight over soon enough. I found it very difficult to link together "S" turns compared to the Superlight. The Hare just didn't seem able to get the tight radius turns. And to make matters worse, "sprint" is not in this bike's vocabulary so recovering from a bad turn carried a high price. I'd give it a below average grade. I did it for a year, but my rides were uninspired - strictly business - just do what you gotta do to keep the mo.
Open Single track: I think of this bike as having a "planing" speed like a boat. Once you get it up on a plane it's a joy. I'm not sure where that threshold is (maybe 10 MPH or so), but you can tell when you've crossed it by the smile on your face. The bike lays into the corner and bites down. You can pick any number of lines because the suspension is so smooth you don't have to limit yourself to the smooth sections. It's stable and inspires confidence. I learned to ride through a corner at speed on this bike much better than I could have on the Superlight.
OVERALL: I guess the overall rating of a bike depends on your expectations and the kind of riding you do. My expectations, based mostly on MTBR reviews, was for a light XC bike. 95% of my riding is on tight XC trails. This bike was too long, too soft, and too sluggish for my tastes. I give it very poor grades in climbing, tight turns and sprints, which are very important attributes for my riding. Based on my expectations, and biased towards XC riding, I would give this bike only two chillies - well below average.
If your expectations are for a "free ride" bike, if you don't care about climbs, sprints, and tight corners then the grade would be much higher. I think if you live for going downhill, if your rides consist of logging road climbs and fast single track descents, then this bike would be very attractive. While not light by XC standards, it is very light by free ride standards and the payoff coming down might be worth the high price elsewhere. I 'spose if these are your expectations and riding environment then this bike gets at east a four, maybe five chillies.
Since I gotta pick one number I'll split the difference and give it 3 chillies.
Similar Products Used: Proflex 856, Santa Cruz Superlight
Bike Setup: Large Wild Hare, Fox RC, Sid SL, Hayes Disks, King hubs and headset, Mavic disc specific rims / Dt spokes, Thompson post, titanium bars, XT bottom Bracket, Turbine LP crank, XTR derailleurs and pods
