Submitted by
Stephen Allen
a Cross Country Rider
from Austinmer NSW Australia
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2011
Strengths: Light, carbon fibre, very fast, smooth, control, looks sick.
Weaknesses: Shimano XT drive train, rough, noisey. Rockshox sid team lockout no so lockout, may need adjusting.
Bottom Line:
Fine cycle, definitely buy one if looking for an MTB and considering the Fuji, though I was lucky with the internet deal I received. I ride a road bike so riding this for the first time was like driving a tractor, yet in the scrub it is pure delight. Cant wait for some serious down hill water bars.
Bike Setup: Full XT groupset, including XT wheels, Ritchey saddle, post, stem bars, rock shock sid team
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
rick
a Racer
from edh's
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2010
Strengths: great for long climbes,very quick response on tight turns, light
Weaknesses: none ....... not designed as a bomber down hiller, but will fly over many rocky sections
Bottom Line:
This bike is a rock star. Done some 8hr MTB races along with x-terra's with this bike. Its so fun .. fast, quick and light. Can be scary fun. I do 5-8 hour rides on this bike all the time it will beat you up.
This bike has made me a better MTBer.
Strengths: Great component spec (they didn't cut corners), light weight (23 pounds), super stiff, responsive, great power transfer
Weaknesses: Rigidity can be harsh on rough terrain, stock grips are not comfortable (obviously no big deal),
Bottom Line:
This is a great light weight racing hard tail XC bike right out of the box. Literally, all I did to get it race ready was swapped the seatpost out and poured some tire sealant into the tubeless tires and it was ready to go.
The SLM excels on buffed out single track and at climbing. I take it on some rough trails, but I suffer behind the guys with full suspension. Then I catch them and drop them on the long climbs.
If you regularly ride super harsh trails, you may want to consider something more forgiving (steel). The carbon hardtail has almost no bump dampening; every hit goes straight to the saddle.
As a race bike, I have no regrets in buying this. And as for bling factor, I have had a number of complements on this bike at races and on rides.