Recreational XC Hardtail
A reliable, efficient and trail-tough hardtail that packs a ton of performance into a light and easy-to-love package. Maybe you're just rediscovering riding, or perhaps just discovering the unbeatable joy of exploring long, fast, sweet trails. With nearly 25 years of continual refinement and race-bred performance trickled down from our Stumpjumper line, the Rockhopper is a reliable, efficient and trail-tough hardtail that packs a whole lot of performance into one easy package. The Rockhopper's entirely redesigned frame is lighter than ever and classically tuned for trail riding, with just the right blend of quickness and composure.
Submitted by
Steven
a Weekend Warrior
from Ft Lewis, WA, US
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2007
Strengths: Looks, its light and fits my wife well
Weaknesses: For the money, none as of yet.
Bottom Line:
When I was searching for my bikes I really looked at these reviews as part of my tools to get what I wanted and what I should look at, so I think it is only fare to ensure my wife's view get to you. I am writing this review for my wife Toni, but it is her view of the bike. Toni has enjoyed every minute of her experience riding this bike. This bike is an entry level bike and seems to be very durable for the price. This bike is worth every penny and will give you alot of riding pleasure.........She has not had any problems.
Submitted by
Devin
a Cross Country Rider
from Vermont
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2006
Strengths: Tires, brakes, drivetrain pretty good. Fork is OK
Weaknesses: Wheelsets kind of weak, grips are horrible. Should come with clipless pedals. Fork doesn't handle jumps very well.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the money. Once something breaks, upgrade and bike is even better! Is fairly light and is a great climber. Kind of rough on high-speed downhill.
Bike Setup: Stock, Shimano clipless pedals, Mavic Wheelsets
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Submitted by
Peter
a Weekend Warrior
from Lower mainland, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2006
Strengths: Great frame, drive train is decent, well worth upgrading
Weaknesses: Axel fork is junk (soft, flexy, heavy), rims wouldn't stay true, v-brakes not adequate for trail riding in rain & mud
Bottom Line:
I bought this as an inexpensive beginner/commuter bike, but after the upgrades it's turned out to be pretty sweet for trail riding! Great for learning & progressing!
The stock fork is total rubbish, give it to somebody that never rides on trails. I *highly* recommend the fork+brake upgrade, they match the bike very well, and it's a 100% improvement for around $300 (brake levers and hubs are ready for discs). And get wider, stronger handlebars. Or just get the higher spec'd model to begin with ;-)
Bike Setup: Marz MX Comp 105mm, Avid BB5s, DH handlebar + stem, Rhyno Lite rim wheels, lock on grips, WTB seat, 2.30 tires (+ slicks for commuting), bash ring
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Submitted by
Bruce
a Weekend Warrior
from Orlando, FL
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2006
Strengths: Affordable entry level bike.
Weaknesses: You get what you pay for. Many of the componants, while not junk, are not as good as they could be. Front shock is not very good.
Bottom Line:
Great entry level bike. I learned to ride on this and I'm not dissapointed. Over the past two years I went from easy trails to much more difficult ones. The bike has held up nicely. I did have a problem witht the frame, it broke where the rear derailleur mounts. Specialized sent a brand new frame (free of charge) in a few weeks and I was off riding again. I am ready to upgrade to a full suspension soon but I have no plans on getting rid of this one. I'd recommend this if you are not sure if mtbing is for you but you are willing to try. Good bike without the huge price tag.
Bike Setup: Changed rear to XT, Shimano 540 pedals, Mavic rims, Maxxis tires.
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Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Ann arbor, MI
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2006
Strengths: Decent frame, decent components for the money...nice rims...crank is decent. Have ridden this bike through some serious trails and have had no broken parts or abnormal operation (i am 215lb) and found it to hold up really well
Weaknesses: Heavy: wow, had a marin nail trail before this, thought this frame was more beefy, I like the feel and the ride, fork is somewhat soft, no complaints about componentry so far...needs to loose some weight
Bottom Line:
Not a bad bike for a entry level.....I like it so far but I will definatley be custom building my next ride, this frame is worthy of upgrading, but a little too heavy. Worth the money.
If you are lookng for a bike in the $700 range, I would advise you to look around. I tried this bike, and at the end of the day it seemed like you were paying for the name. I'm a big guy, and the XL frame was not the most comfortable. There are a ton of choices at this price that give you more (better fork, disc brakes, etc.) Very mainstream bike, that seems to be getting by on it's name.
Submitted by
joshua
a Weekend Warrior
from new york
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2006
Strengths: decent entry level bike. and i mean entry level. wouldn't really take this out on serious trails, but having said that this thing took some serious abuse and came through it all fine.
Weaknesses: very unstable at high speeds. poor handling, heavy, rides like a sponge i.e. sluggish. clunky feeling. doesn't like drops or jumps - but then again, it's not made for that. very poor breaks - constantly required work on them.
Bottom Line:
i purchased this as a test to see if i would get into the sport. i did, and very quickly found out that i was riding trails that this thing wasn't meant to handle and quickly out grew it. i was riding agressive xc/all mountain - and this bike really isn't meant for that. the steering was terrible - especially at high speeds - constantly skidding out on turns. also felt like i was putting twice the amount of effort into pedaling while going half as fast. the brakes constantly needed to be worked on. didn't feel safe or secure while on the trails. then again, i don't think it's really meant for trail riding. maybe a nice smooth trail in a park. but nothing w/ real tech stuff. good for beginners or people who just want a nice ride through the neighborhood. if yr looking for serious trailriding, there are many other better options out there - but you may need to sink a little more then 650 in on a bike
Similar Products Used: Gt Avalanche, Trek 6500(good bike)
Bike Setup: Sun Ringle Ditch witch rims with deore hubs, also installed discs, getting saint double ring crank, and getting a Rock Shox Pike
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Submitted by
Will Raisin-Shaw
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne, Australia
Date Reviewed: September 20, 2005
Strengths: Awesome frame, good stock componentry, decent wheels.
Weaknesses: Bit heavy out of the box, V brakes and no disk rotors on hubs.
Bottom Line:
I used to ride and race a GT Karakoram when I was a young'un back in the dark ages and I've been meaning to get a new bike for years now. Finally, had a bit of cash burning a hole in my pocket so promptly went out and checked out some bikes. I'd always wanted a Rockhopper back in the day, so I jumped at the chance to get a 05 model on sale. First impressions; its got a pretty impressive looking frame and the componenty is good -Deore/LX/Truvative etc. Nothing has broken yet and shifting is fine. Manitou's Splice Comp Forks seem OK, but I suspect they are pretty heavy. The whole bike seemed a bit overweight out of the box, so I'm putting this lady on a diet... some lightweight XC tyres and a set of Skareb or Reba forks should help matters and I have already shed a few grams with some XC-orientated upgrading. The bike rides really well... I commute on it and it rides fast on the road. Offroad it accelerates and climbs well, flies on fast singletrack and is solid enough to handle jumps, technical descents etc etc. I am yet to start racing it, but I think it will adapt pretty well to XC racing (especially with said upgrades) I would say its a the kind of bike you can adapt to any style of riding with the right upgrades - you can take it down the XC route and make it a mini-stumpjumper, or put some aggressive junp/freeride kit on it and it will make a good hardcore-hardtail. The major weakness in this respect is that the hubs are not compatible with disk brakes, so upgrading to disks requires a new set of wheels - expensive, non? I'm pretty sure that American and UK specs differ to the Australian ones though, and I dont think this is the case for everyone. Overall, I'm loving the Rocky! Its fast, fun to ride, very well made and the name carries a lot of classic mountain bike heritage. Most importantly its got me riding bikes again.
Big shout to the Freedom Machine boys as well for the great after-sales service. Cheers!
Similar Products Used: Errr... I had a look at a GT Avalanche and a Giant XTC 2 but this is my first MTB in 14 years...
Bike Setup: Easton EA 50 flat Bars, FSA XC 170 stem, SPD's, Selle Italia SLR XC saddle. Otherwise stock.
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Submitted by
Ryan
a Weekend Warrior
from Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2005
Strengths: great stock components for the price. I've put over 75miles on it over rough rocks, hills etc. and its climbed right over all of the stuff i hit it with
Weaknesses: The wheel hubs aren't disc ready, and many of the bolts seem loose and have caused troubles. A little heavy overall.
Bottom Line:
For the price it is great for an intermediate level biker on a bit of a budget.
Submitted by
Daniel Ederer
a Cross Country Rider
from Minneapolis
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2005
Strengths: Stiffer crank case and bottom braket made for excellent energy transfer. (Hail the TruVativ Crankset) Box style bottom tube makes for stiffer ride. A big plus for my big plus 220lb butt. SUN wheelset better than the 04 model.
Weaknesses: Manitou forks are too forgiving for my large frame. The bar has too much rise. Rather weak breaks,
Bottom Line:
Being on the loosing side of a conversation with a car, my newly purchased and newly mangled 04 Rockhopper left me needing a new everyday ride. I tried about 10 different hardtail rides ranging form Cannondale, Kona, Stumpjumper, and......Bianchi.
I am of the old school that an everyday bike should never, under any circumstances, exceed $1,000.00 (and that is pushing it) so my choices for a good quality hardtail were actually very plentiful. The 05 Rockhopper Comp had the best power transfer of all the bikes I tested. It was a tremendous improvement over the 04 model. The sturdy frame and solid components make it a very good value for the money. The final big plus for me was that my body would not have to get used to a different overall geometry.
The bottom line is that there are a lot of good quality bikes out there for under a grand. Don't be afraid to test ride as many as you want before you choose. Be sure to pick a bike shop with a good return policy, Erik’s in Minnesota has an excellent 30 day return policy. Because, it may take a week of riding before you realize that you or your body parts, don't like what you bought. Because if the bike is not gonna make you want to ride then just don't buy it.
Similar Products Used: Cannondale f600, Specialized Stumpjumper, Bianchi King Bee, and several Kona models.
Bike Setup: Stock componenets. Time ATAC pedals, Worm tires, and carbon xc rise bar. Carbon post.
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Submitted by
Jesse
a Cross Country Rider
from Warwick, RI
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2004
Strengths: Very strong frame, Good components, very manueverable off road, and precise shifting!!!
Weaknesses: Tires that came stock wear out fast!!! Other than that no problems!
Bottom Line:
This bike has been really reliable and only had one flat in the back tire. It is very stong and holds up good in a minor wreck, the bike works great if properly maintained and kept clean, I ride everyday mostly on road and it has never broken down on me except for once because of a flat!!! I reccomed it!!! its a great BIKE!!!!
Similar Products Used: Specialized Hardrock comp, Specialized Hotrock, Raleigh m80
Bike Setup: Stock with mirror, dirt bag and rear flashing red light
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Submitted by
Ashy D
a Cross Country Rider
from Coppell, TX
Date Reviewed: July 28, 2004
Strengths: Strong Frame, Tires, Fork
Weaknesses: Shifters, Paint, WEIGHT!!,
Bottom Line:
Very capable XC bike when properly dialed.I agree that the fork is quite soft, I'm 6' 175 lbs. I've raced it once, and found it to be incredibly heavy compared to my buddies race bike. However, I do some agressive jumping and hucking and it has accepted the punishment admirably. Bottom line, great learning bike, just outgrew it too fast.
Submitted by
Randall Jameson
a Weekend Warrior
from Anderson, South Carolina
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2004
Strengths: Gearing is responsive. Fork responds well. The frame geometry is a great match for me.
Weaknesses: I'm not the extreme type rider. This bike has performed well in all situations I have placed it in. I would have to say for me, there are no weaknesses in this bike.
Bottom Line:
At the creation of a new bussiness ten years ago, I parked my Giant MTB and left the sport. I eventually gave the bike to my son-in-law. This year while on vacation, I had a new son-in-law (different daughter) ask me to ride trails with him. After a two-hour workout, I realized my love of riding had surfaced again. I immediately went in search of a new bike. The first shop I visited was Giant. Although the service was excellent, the bike was not. My geometry has changed and Giant's hasn't. This sent me into many shops throughout the State. I test-drove a Rockhopper Comp at the Charleston coast. The match was perfect. I called my local shop and ordered one. I now commute daily and trail on weekends. This bike has yet to fail me. In fact it's the other way around. I know this bike is capable of much more punishment and aggressive behavior than I am able to muster. Overall, I would rate this bike and Heather (my sales person)as a five.Finding the right sales person to take the time to explain the mechanics of the bike and then set it up for you is priceless. I love this bike. Thanks Specialized for a Great Ride.
Strengths: Ok, I know I'm a newbie, but I am not so ignorant I can't tell what parts of the bike I like. Everyone talks about the superb frame, and I have to agree, I mean, the thing feels so freaking light compared to my last bike. It takes punishment. I've done some stupid things with my bike, like riding down this ditch thing, which almost resulted in me flying face first into mud, but the brakes saved me. Jumping is also a stupid thing to do, freaked me out I got alot of air and the landing caught me off guard. Almost fell off the bike, not like that's a big deal, it just surprised me how the bike could just fly like that with so little speed before the jump. I only weigh 137, 5'10 so it's not like the frame should be taking a workout anyways, I'm only 14 though. The brakes are nice, they have yet to fail me, I haven't locked up the tires yet, so that's nice, since I ride on pavement so much. The brakes definitely work, and aren't over powerful, they are just right for a novice like me. The gears are alot of fun, too. I'm still somewhat alien to cadence, in fact, I hate to say it but when I got the bike, I just assumed I knew everything about gears, and I was in the second to last or last gear 80 percent of the first 2 weeks of owning it. My scheduled tune up was 2 days ago, so I'm gonna take it in real soon, I'm afraid that I'm gonna learn I destroyed my gear system. I seem to top out at 24 MPH though, which concerns me, once I've reached 24 MPH, I can't really pedal because when I try there is no resistance. Can't get any higher velocity than that. This bike just handles amazingly in off road trails. The whole thing just comforms to your body weight, it turns so smoothly and easily, all you have to do is shift your body weight and turn a bit and you have so much control it's insane. Sometimes it gives me too much control, and I over turn. Overall nice parts, atleast in my limited knowledge, they certainly work for me.
Weaknesses: I dislike the tires, they have awesome grip on the trail, and I ignorantly tore up the trail since I was a newbie, by riding like a mad man when it was extremely muddy. It was so freaking muddy my tires stopped, even so, I wasn't stupid enough to ride on the foliage thank god, I've been a backpacker most of my life so I knew something about trails. I just had never been on a mountain bike trail before, they really are something else. Anyway, the tires are funky, I ride alot on pavement, and I guess that's screwing up the tire. It's getting pretty worn. I hate the pedals, the clips annoy me, I lost my footing one time and almost wiped out because when I put my foot back it was the clip side up and my foot slipped, and so did my body weight, and the whole bike just kinda slid sideways.
Bottom Line:
Well, I want to give it a 4 overall rating, because some things I don't like about it. But then I have to remember it was made for mountain biking, and all my complaints have to do with the road. This bike is just so perfect off road, it moves right, it shifts right, it brakes right, there is no one thing that I am not pleased with. I can't get a great top speed off road, but I can keep a great pace at around 15MPH with turns and obstacles. The bike sometimes feels too light, that sounds kind of strange, but it just moves so fluidly sometimes I overturn or I just turn faster than I anticipated and it catches me off guard. If you are looking for an off road bike, at a decent price, this bike is great. I wouldn't get it if you are planning on alot of road biking, I'm not all that pleased with it's performance on asphalt. I had a TON of fun riding on pavement a while back, it was very wet and raining, perfect biking weather unless on a trail. The bike moved really nicely, lots of fun. It's alot different riding in this bike instead of a wal-mart bike, you REALLY notice the difference.
Similar Products Used: Well, this is the first mountain bike I've had. I inherited my older sisters $200 Giant mountain bike, I forget what type, it was from 1999 I think, it was a great bike for my 10 year old needs to say the least. I didn't consider a different bike when I walked into the store and told Barry the bike I was interested in, when I saw it, I swear to god it was like meeting my wife. That bike was so gorgeous, I was gawking with my mouth open, and mumbling something. Seriously. The paint job is so freaking awesome, it's sad. Coolest bike ever, you bet. Atleast the coolest I've seen up close, the guy assured me this was the right bike, it fit right, and it was superior to the others in it's price range as I had heard. The first time I rode it out back of the shop, it was awesome. This bike is sweet.
Bike Setup: All stock. I put a MITY 8 Cat Eye cyclocomputer on it, if that's important. A water bottle cage of course. In other words, stock.
Does anyone ride a Women's Rockhopper Comp Disc and have an actual (not stock) picture of one? How do you like it? Please post a pic! Thank you! Read More »
Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows how much the Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc Women's bike weighs? I felt a couple women's Fisher hardtail bikes at the bike shop, and they fel Read More »
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