Submitted by
steve127
a Cross Country Rider
from West Yellowstone Montan
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2010
Strengths: Sturdy, comfortable, I like the gearing ratio. PRICE and it seems to be a REAL entry level or better bike. Upgradeable
Weaknesses: Too early to have had any yet. I do ride 5 miles a day, mostly to excersize the dogs. I only ride some logging roads and powerline roads and dirt. so far wow
Bottom Line:
This has been a great start to mtn biking. I am 57 last time i road ANY BIKE was 45 years ago (until this year with the schwinn) so of course anything is going to be pretty nice. That being said I have complete confidence in this bike. I ride in bear country everyday. If this thing leaves me hanging i could be in way big trouble, so i NEED something dependable. The khs Alite 500 is just that!
Favorite Trail: logging tails and yellowstone park
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$525.00
Purchased At: Les's Bike shop
Similar Products Used: only other mtn bike was a 20 year old Schwin Ridgid frame. So i dont have enough experience to be a pro But i still like this bike!!
Bike Setup: Stock See KHS.com
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
jfreebolin
a Weekend Warrior
from Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2010
Strengths: Strong, Sturdy, Big
Weaknesses: None found yet
Bottom Line:
I wanted to try a hard tail bike without having to break one of my friends (I tend to destroy bikes) so I got this one while I was walking through a pawn shop one day and I can’t complain. I didn’t pay squat for it but I have beak the hell out of it and it keeps coming back for more. So until I rap it around a tree or it explodes into a ball of flames (like some of my past bikes) I’ll keep riding it. I wish it had disk brakes and some higher end stuff but for what I paid I can’t B@#$^.
Submitted by
omnimodis78
a Cross Country Rider
from Windsor, Ontario
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2010
Strengths: Nice design
Relatively light and feels like a solid frame
Decent components
Comfortable
Bottom Line:
I have hardly broken in the bike, so it's probably a little premature of me to review it, but I think first impressions are important! This bike (2009 model) feels great! I've gone on about 5 trail rides with it and at no point did it fail my expectations. I know this is slightly subjective but like I said, it's hardly broken in. In my opinion, it either works or it doesn't - and the Alite500 works. Of course the components might not be cutting edge, but it's a $600 bike and my needs don't call for a $2000 performance bike.
Submitted by
Mark
a Racer
from Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2007
Strengths: Great Frame
Weaknesses: Crap components, I have broken or remove most of the original parts, the fork is as crap, stop work after one year of riding, cassette fell apart. 08/22/07 orig hubs blew lol
Bike Setup: Marzocchi EXR Pro, Scud pro carbfiber bar, droped down single crank, avid brakes
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Grox Adio
a Weekend Warrior
from Malaysia
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2007
Strengths: this for 07 frame. Nice color.
Weaknesses: crappy component
Bottom Line:
good frame for low budget beginner. like me, but then upgraded it like hell.. good for small jump/downhill or light xc. just get rip all the crappy oem component first. chillies for the frame.
Submitted by
Superstar Superstar
a Cross Country Rider
from Cornwall,Ontario,Canada
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2007
Strengths: FRame is very stong!
Weaknesses: Pretty much everything. The rear derailler keeps getting cought in the spokes and wont shift properly, so i changed to single speed.Rims warped after hitting small drops. V-brakes rub against rims after hitting small jumps. Forks wont move at all untill just recently they reallyt started moving alot must be because i broke them or sumthing...
Bottom Line:
Every thing on this bike is very poorly made except for the frame... if u are lokin for a strolling bike trhen this is the bike for u, if u are a rider whos uses and abuses theoir bike then u will want a better bike...
Great frame for the price and can take a lot of punishment, can do 5 ft drop, very light downhill, ride it to technical section and the frame is still good as new.. Anyway i use it mostly on trails and cross country as intended to be use so i have no problem with this frame and i love this frame. Buy this frame if you are tight on budget and you will not regret but if you have a lot dough go for KHS team alite.
Similar Products Used: KHS team alite, Gt chucker & avalanche
Bike Setup: Khs Alite 500, Marzochi EXR race, Shimano, Truvativ Cockpit and crankset, Mavic X223 Rims, Kenda Tires
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dan D
a Weekend Warrior
from Fullerton, Ca. USA
Date Reviewed: February 1, 2007
Strengths: The frame is sturdy; it's taken a lot of punishment. It's been a good base to build on. I didn't want to purchase a $1000 bike, ready to go. This frame has given me a good platform to start from and I like it better with every new upgrade I get. *Some* of the components were pretty good for a $430 bike. I'm not a hardcore rider so I really don't need a $3000 bike (though I'd love one). This bike--with the upgrades--gives me everything I need.
Weaknesses: Despite some of the good components (Truvativ crank, WTB headset & stem), most of the OEM parts were junk: No name shock, Alivio FD, no-name calipers on the disks. The brakes require CONSTANT tweaking. The rear wheel (rim, cassette) is a TANK; it weighs a TON.
However, I knew this when I bought the bike, and have been slowly adding better components. That's exactly why I chose this bike--this frame, specifically.
Bottom Line:
You get what you pay for. I bought an *adequate* bike. I've turned it into a bike that meets my XC & AM needs (total of about $500 in upgrades, with $400 or so left to go). I like having a bike that's put together with components I've chosen, not ones that I simply purchased on a bike, ready to go out the door.
If you're not the tinkering type and you want to do any moderate XC riding, this is NOT the bike for you. But, if you want a solid frame that you can use as a starting point for a good hardtail, this is your bike.
Similar Products Used: GT Avalanche, Specialized Rockhopper
Bike Setup: Manitou shock, Hayes 6" rotors, Serfas Vermin & Ritchey Kevlar tires (switch them out depending on conditions), XT FD & RD.
Next on the upgrade list: new rims,BB & cassette. I'm just waiting to use the stock ones for all they have left in them.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Patrick
a Weekend Warrior
from Fairfield, California, United States
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2006
Strengths: very nice frame for a $400 bike. iv seen the same drops on an expensive trials bike. the drivetrain actually shifts rather quickly for being low end shimano. the seat is quite comfortable, although a little too squishy for my tastes. when the weather is warm, the form performs decently. it is soft enough to soak up most bumps and the damping can be adjusted to be very stiff. the pedals, although plastic provide good grip, even in the wet. the no-name disc brakes, after breaking in, perform well. when adjusted well, they provide enough power to endo easily. the wheels are stout and not very heavy.
Weaknesses: the fork is heavy and would essentially sieze up whenever the temp dropped below 50 degrees F. the brakes are a pain in the @$$ to adjust, get set up, and keep from rubbing; the adapters prevent the brakes from aligning flush with the calipers. brakes fade quickly in decents. chainrings come in one package so they cannot be upgraded. QR's are LAME and flex alot. the stem and BB creak when uneven pressure is applied, but it never amounted to anything. the cheap stem and BB flex alot. my biggest complain about this bike is the seat tube. the braised-on water bottle mounts on the seat tube prevent the post from dropping more that 5 inches. there is no way around this. i have to have one post for xc and one for trials.
Bottom Line:
this bike is a absolutely awesome bike for a beginner. it got me into the sport and iv put many miles on it. after upgrading, it is now a joy to ride with both xc and trials. the seat tube problem is tho only thing that cannot be fixed with upgrades. the mounts do not come out and get in the way. if you only ride xc, this is probably not a problem for you. the disc brakes were not worth hassle and extra $$ the cost. i should have gotten the rim brake version since alites come disc brake ready (yes including hubs) whether you buy the disc version or not. overall, this is a great, stout, entry level frame coupled with very crappy components. still though, its better than any X-mart brand bike.
Bike Setup: mostly stock, replaced the mozo fork w/rst gila, replaced crap khs tires w/ kenda, replaced deraileur hanger( my fault), rear wheel was bent visibly by going off sidewalks.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Ben
a Weekend Warrior
from Perth, Western Australia
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2005
Strengths: This is the first bike I've owned in the last ten years, being that every bike I've ever owed previous was a kmart special, so I can't really make comparisons between them. I would say though that if your like me and just getting back into the sport or trying it out and don't want to spend the earth, then this is a pretty fair base to start with, the frame reasonably light, sturdy and has nice geometry.
Weaknesses: Crap components, I have broken or remove most of the original parts, the fork is as crap as they come, brakes shouldn't really be called brakes it they don't stop they just slow u down a bit. bent cranks, folded wheels in half and had sandwiches, customer service - RUDE AND USELESS, I bent my dropout and me and my buddy tried to order dropouts , seven weeks after fax the order through and ten emails, no response, then I get an email telling me that they haven't received it, two days later I check my bank account and I've been charged for 6 dropouts, 4 weeks since still haven't got them - THESE GUYS AT KHS ARE F***KING CLOWN SHOES
Bottom Line:
Aside from KHS being a bunch of tools and all the components that come standard on the bike being crap, as I said earlier, the frame is reasonably nice, and makes a nice base to start on, had I been a bit wiser though, I probably would spent 4X as much and got something better to start with, mind u though, in a years time I'll just pick up a Ti frame and chuck my components on there.
Bike Setup: XTR rear der. XT front der. XT cranks (48,36,26), XTR pedals, Thomspon MG60 stem, XTR v's, EC70 bars, XT dual control levers, Chris King headset, Marzocchi MX comp forks, XT hubs with 517 rims
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Austin Griffes
a Cross Country Rider
from Holland
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2005
Strengths: Its my first bike so I cant compare this bike to any others. I can say that this bike has held up (for the most part) when put to the test. It has take many falls, and slammed into quite a few trees! Many times I thought for sure the frame would be bent as I was walking back to my bike (after slamming into a tree or other stationary object) but it never was.
Weaknesses: The fork is crap!!! Pobably almost as bad as they get.The fork was replaced because the steering tube seperated from the crown causing the fork to "bend" (not actually but it appeared as though it was)when pressure was applied toward the front of the bike. The fork is very stiff-- I was told it is adjustable by the person that sold me the bike but it doesnt adjust at all for me, not even the replacement. seat is horrible!! pedals are crap. The worst component by far is the friggin' rear derailleur hanger, I think it's made out of peanut butter! haha... actually its not funny at all, I have gone through 5 in the three months that I have owned the bike. They are just way too weak and soft. they are made of a very flimsy material-- it should be much stronger. I know the hangers are meant to give so that the derailleur or the frame doesnt, but this is just way too little support. when I was on my third one it broke before they bike left the stand... the weight of the derailleur broke it.
Bottom Line:
Very dissatisfied with many components that come on the bike but the frame is very sturdy. Many of my problems may have initially been due to bad assembly of the bike (the fork problem). I wouldnt suggest buying this bike if you are a frequent rider.In fact I wouldnt suggest this bike to anyone who wants to ride off of the sidewalk--and even on the sidewalk be carefull and watch those hangers!
Submitted by
Mac Tunicci
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: November 3, 2004
Strengths: very rugged, tough bike, stop on a dime.
Weaknesses: crank sounded a little funny through tough usage, could have been weak set-up
Bottom Line:
The bike is nice, price was even betta! very pleased with my grab. Once rode in the rain and was cut off by unaware driver. Slammed on brakes spun the back end right into the car door. Too bad for her, the bike is fine probably dented her door. HAHAHA....Sucka!
Strengths: Frame,headset built into the frame, components (for the price), adjustable Mozo fork, awesome hubs if you get bike with dual disk brakes, Shimano rapid fire shifters, almost everything about this bike is an extremely good deal for the price paid.
Weaknesses: Seat. . . disc brakes are VERY hard to get adjusted at first, but once they are, you're set.
Bottom Line:
I am not an extreme rider, but for 240 lbs, I do tend to treat bikes pretty rough on the trail. This bike has been holding up awesomely though, it's very tough and I have a feeling it's going to last a while. KHS has made a LOT of changes since 2003 to make this bike more durable and higher quality. I would recommend this bike to ANYONE looking for a high quality bike for not a lot of money.
