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
chryss
a Cross Country Rider
from Fairbanks, AK, USA
Date Reviewed: July 2, 2011
Strengths: Nimble, lightweight, stable, good tires and wheels.
Weaknesses: Not sure about mechanical disc brakes, fork is meh, drivetrain is functional but nothing special.
Bottom Line:
For my first mountain bike I could not be happier, having found a 2009 model on sale at the LBS in my size. I currently ride 6-10 mile loops a few times a week on the MTB, which doubles as a get-around vehicle over the potholes of Fairbanks, and several longer road rides on a touring bike. The Rockhopper is much fun to ride on the local trails, including through some mud holes, over roots and bumps, or simply on the road down the hill to get lunch in the middle of the workday. Specialized has been making Rockhoppers for a good while, and I guessed they'd have figured out the product by now -- I've not been disappointed.
Submitted by
d0ggie
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: November 9, 2010
Strengths: Excellent bike for the money. I'm a Specialized fan by heart because they are incredibly solid and hold up so well. What comes on the bike is what you can expect for the price.
Weaknesses: DISCLAIMER: The following things you can expect on a bike for this price, but I'll still mention that the brakes are not, and the fork and pedals aren't much better. Again, they should be expected for the price.
Bottom Line:
What you can expect from this bike is very worth the money. You will not be unhappy with the purchase. Of course you cannot expect flawless components, but upgrading stuff is the nature of this hobby. Specialized makes a killer bike and you won't regret getting a rockhopper. With that said, upgrading the fork, brakes, and pedals will make it feel like a new bike.
Submitted by
Archie
a Cross Country Rider
from Hayward, CA
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2010
Strengths: Nice and light Frame, Good BB5 Disc Brakes (learned to adjust it myself after the store couldnt adjust it properly), RockShox Dart 3 fork, This bike is great for the price
Weaknesses: Had to replace the spring in the Dart 3 fork with a softer one because the spring that came with it is for 170 lbs and up. Its not really a weakness but it would be great if they have an option to change it prior to purchasing the bike. After i changed the spring (for $17, It feels more like a 100mm fork than before. Before it felt like a 60mm fork.
Bottom Line:
This bike is a great upgrade from the Specialized Hardrock. Its almost perfect if properly matched with the right spring type(Soft, stock, or Hard).
Submitted by
markaobrien
a Cross Country Rider
from Wichita KS USA
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2010
Strengths: Strong frame, reliable handling
Weaknesses: Heavy
Bottom Line:
This is a bit of a heavy bike, but fun none the less. I was out of biking since my bikes were stolen 6 years ago, and really missed it. Got the bike in Feb 10, and have put ~50 miles per week on the bike. One accident at full speed on pavement hurt me pretty bad, I had to replace the grips on the bike because one got shredded...and that's all that happened to it. (hit sand, then curb at 25mph).
This is a good bike. The components could stand to be upgraded, but that is just part of having a bike.
Similar Products Used: 2001 Kona Nunu, 2006 GF Paragon, 2009 GF Paragon
Bike Setup: Shimano pedals, old man ergo grips, FastTrack Armidillo's, stock otherwise
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Submitted by
mikeyc
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago, IL
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2010
Strengths: Looks great, good component set, durable, works like it should
Weaknesses: Pedals are crappy and should be replaced with clipless (no surprise), brakes are not great
Bottom Line:
Absolutely love the bike to death. I'm a Specialized fan by heart and this bike hasn't let me down. The brakes are starting to get on my nerves...I already bend a rear rotor, and they squeak and don't have great stopping power. They work, just Avid BB are not the best for stopping.
Bike Setup: All stock...X-5 rear derailer, X-4 shifters, Avid BB5, RockShox Dart 3,
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Submitted by
LWR
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle Wa US
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2010
Strengths: Its A great amount of bike for the money, looks good, solid frame.
Weaknesses: pedals, paint chips easily.
Bottom Line:
I spent about $500 upgrading my 08 rockhopper, It was alot of fun doing the work myself, and learning how to setup and tune it. My old steel framed Fischer handled perfectly, this bike is on par, and with my upgrades is the perfect hardtail for all I can dish out!
Bike Setup: truvative crankset, bb7 brakes, x-7, welgo cage pedals, sette bars and saddle, azonic wheelset with staggered bulldog airlites
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Submitted by
kattrap
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Cruz, CA USA
Date Reviewed: March 9, 2010
Strengths: 2007 rig. Nice component set for the price.. it looks like they've cheapened in later models. Lightweight, stiff. Great beginner XC MTB.
Weaknesses: Weak rims. I'm not tiny and don't crash very much.. they still need trued more often than they should. Brakes sometimes need redialed after bumpy "DH lite" sections at speed (not excessive breaking while going down).
Bottom Line:
My rating is based on this bike being a beginner cross-country style ride. I've taken this bike on most legal trails in SC county (not Demo) and some other routes not geared towards downhill madness and had a blast. I've seen this bike setup as a commuter with full mudguards and a rack (a shame) and racing in a cyclocross race (out of it's league). There are your opposites.
I'm a bit miffed at Specialized for some of their corporate trail usage in my area so I won't purchase from them again, but this review isn't of the company. :p
Submitted by
Robb Spence
a Cross Country Rider
from Brentwood Ca.
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2009
Strengths: Awesome climbing abilitty,great handling,good down-hill performance,hit speeds up to 42 miles hr.I've also rode this bike on all day treks quite offten and find it a comforetable and reliable bike.For the price it's a great bike.I would recomend this bike for anyone who loves to be out in mother nature and soak up the fun of exploring new trails and the love to be out doors.Clouds,rain or shine it's always a good day to ride Love this bike!
Weaknesses: Being a Hardtail it does throw you around on the rough stuff, but I still love it.
Submitted by
XCMTBing fanatic
a Cross Country Rider
from Salinas,CA
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2009
Strengths: good frame, fork is decent,good tires, and good shifters
Weaknesses: brakes,crank/drivetrain
Bottom Line:
Good bike for the money frame is very strong I fell about 15 feet and the only thing that broke was the seat. It shifts well only, stuck once or twice throughout the 6 months I've had it, the brakes suck the squeak a lot and need ajustment almost every ride and the crank or drivetrain I'm not sure which one squeaks A LOT whenever I'm going up hill.
But over all decent bike for an entry level rider.
Submitted by
love29ers
a Weekend Warrior
from Boise, Idaho
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2009
Strengths: Geometry is good, climbs very well, Shimano Deore rear derailleur is ok but not great. Rockshox Tora is appropriate for price level.
Weaknesses: Cheap crankset doesn't transfer power as well as I'd like. I cannot make the front brake stop whining very loudly no matter what I do. I've cleaned and burned the pads with rubbing alcohol, cleaned out the brake assembly itself, won't stop whining. Cheap wheelset, heavy and high rolling resistance.
Bottom Line:
This is a good beginner to low intermediate bike and the frame is very strong. I would recommend it to people who are just getting into the sport, and if money is an issue, it is very easy to upgrade the parts on this bike as you can afford it. Don't buy this bike if you have several years of serious riding under your belt and want better parts at the get go. Overall I do like this bike.
Bike Setup: stock components but i did replace the pedals with crankbros clip pedals.
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Submitted by
WettestSummerEver
a Weekend Warrior
from Chillicothe,OH
Date Reviewed: August 25, 2009
Strengths: Frame, Price
Weaknesses: Wheelset, pedals, BB5's
Bottom Line:
This is a fantastic bike. The components are average at best and you will want to upgrade if you're not a beginner. However, once you upgrade, you will be throughly impressed. This bike is constantly pushing me to be a better rider. Just make sure you replace the pedals immediately because they have zero traction (borderline dangerous) once you're on trails.
Bike Setup: DMR V8 pedals, Rhynolites w/ Panaracer XC pros, BB7's w/SL7's, Raceface 34T bashguard, ODI lockons, etc.
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Submitted by
Yes You
a Cross Country Rider
from Tri State, USA
Date Reviewed: August 15, 2009
Strengths: High quality bike for the this price range, solid build.
Weaknesses: Grips, packaging, saddle.
Bottom Line:
This bike is very high quality; every thing feels light and solid. It is a very good looking bike with a very well build frame; the frame build quality is what pulled me to it. Brakes and components work fine and are some things that don’t need upgrading right away. I recommend this bike, but it is important to check out other bikes from other brands so we don't run around with the same model, like carbon copies.
Submitted by
sjd181
a Cross Country Rider
from Greensboro, NC, USA
Date Reviewed: July 2, 2009
Strengths: This bike has many strengths for the price you pay. The frame is strong, the tires are deceptively aggressive, the brakes (BB5) are the best I have ever used, and the shifting is smooth (X4 shifters, X5 RD and Altus FD with an 8 speed cassette). The Dart 3 fork gets the job done (I use the lockout very often) and the geometry of the bike allows me to climb very well.
Weaknesses: -Rims (bent the front rim in a low speed crash; I wasn't expecting that!)
-Pedals (I bought a set of Forte Platform pedals; they work great!)
-8 speed cassette (not really a weakness but some may feel the need to upgrade to a 9 speed)
Bottom Line:
This is an excellent bike for a any biker, from beginner to a veteran. The components are not high end, however they work just fine. If you are going to upgrade this bike, keep in mind the frame (its a little heavier than competitive XC bike frames). I am a recreational rider- this bike was perfect for all of my needs. I have pushed the bike hard and have not been disappointed.
Bike Setup: -Added Forte Platform Pedals
-Added Specialized Bar Ends (I may not keep them; havn't really "used" them; they may be redundant with a riser bar)
