With its M4 frame, hydraulic disc brakes, and trail-ready components, the Rockhopper Comp looks to find the fire road and sniff out the singletrack.
Fully butted M4 alloy frame for lightweight confidence over the roughest trails
Custom-tuned SR Suntour suspension fork with hydraulic damping, lockout with lightweight magnesium lowers, and alloy steerer delivers the supple ride qualities of a high-end fork
Light and durable double-walled alloy rims are tough enough to handle the rough stuff
Specialized Captain Sport tires lend a perfect knob pattern for diverse conditions
Shimano crankset with forged alloy arms and Octalink-splined BB interface means greater durability and better shifting performance
Tektro Draco hydraulic disc brakes with dual pistons assure precision braking under any conditions
Shimano Alivio 9-speed rear derailleur and Rapidfire trigger shifters for reliable, high-end performance
Strengths: Great Frame, Durable Finish, Standard Components Fit great, no special crap required
Weaknesses: Wheels are junk, fork too.
Bottom Line:
I bought my 09 Rockhopper 29er Comp used and have been loving every minute of it. I bought it cheap knowing certain things would need to be upgraded. I was 308lbs at the time, so I went through some parts quickly.
Wheels are Alex, and are known to be junk. Replaced within 150 miles. I replaced the headset and front fork quickly too. The headset was not a fan of a really rainy ride I went on, and the Dart 2 fork is known junk, but might has suited someone a little less massive then myself.
The frame has been bulletproof, zero issues. I did have to face the bottom bracket shell, as it was 1-3mm out of true, and caused bottom bracket issues. Everything else has worked great.
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Submitted by
Drew Doherty
Date Reviewed: June 3, 2012
Strengths: Very light, great for climbs, good front fork, nice gears, pretty good brakes. i love the handel bar grips!
Weaknesses: peadals are junk, seat not the best either, other than that nothing bad
Bottom Line:
GREAT bike i would recommend it to everybody, good bike for the price. Its good enough for serious riding with our breaking the bank
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Submitted by
HaveBlue83
a Cross Country Rider
from Bensalem, PA, USA
This is THE entry bike if u want something that is quality and about $800 as a leftover. I searched for a month and this bike had everything I wanted for the price. Adjust the shock to where u want it and it will take a jump over and over. I was worried about the suntour shock but I actually really like it. I get a little bit of fluid film leaking onto the shock but thats after 8 miles or after multiple rides and no cleaning. the tires ROCK. the Captains are great. no issues. the seat SUCKED. i bent the metal inner frame after a few landings. grab a decent seat and problem solved. the handlebars are kinda wide but they are stable. the bike is light and easy to maneuver. the rear cassette BLOWS. just but a new one right away or the chain will need replacing when the cassette teeth start to deform and create "rollover" of the metal from hard peddling. it took 3 months and mine was SHOT and it broke the chain from the wear. I picked up a $70 SRAM unit and its smooth and much better than the $12 OEM one. I also go a front bash guard and removed the large ring. BIG help. drop the front derailler down and its all good. brakes are GREAT. the rear one seems to drag off and on after a few months. they are very powerfull tho. For my first real bike its GREAT! just did 25 miles and it shined :)
Bike Setup: SRAM rear cassette, $18 padded seat, otherwise stock. SPD clipless pedals
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Submitted by
macdaddy1660b
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles, Ca, USA
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2011
Strengths: SRAM shifters offer smooth quick shifts. Tunable front fork allows the rider to optimize the fork damping for his physical build to gain the most front wheel to ground contact when flying down hills. Tires perform phenomenally in sandy uphill climbs. 26" alloy wheels stay true even when hammered. Frame is light and durable. Excellent for riding on the street as a commuter bike, too.
Weaknesses: The 4 click SRAM shifters take a little getting used to. The lever throw on the 4th click is a bit too far for my thumb. I've remedied this by planing my thumb closer to the fulcrum when I down-shift the rear wheel.
For some reason, it took a few months to break in even with me putting 7-10 miles on it per day. After three months, its finally broken in nicely.
Bottom Line:
A fine example of Specialized quality. Pay a little extra more for the higher quality components over the Hardrock. All in all, an easy and fun bike to ride on the streets and on the trails. I never thought it would be possible to love a bike any more than I loved my old Hardrock.
Similar Products Used: 2008 Specialized Hardrock Comp Disc. This one was stolen from me, so I bought the Rockhopper. Gearing is identical. The frame geometry is similar, except I notice that there is a bit more room to lean forward when climbing. Getting used to this ride was easy, therefore.
Bike Setup: I'm 6'1" and ride a 21" frame. Setup is stock. Avid BB5 disc brakes. Stock wheels, pedal, tires. Added heavy thorn-resistant tubes, but don't feel them in the pedals at all. Been riding it every day to work and on the trails for three months and the chain has not needed to be lubed.
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Submitted by
Matt Wykstra
a Weekend Warrior
from Galesburg, MI
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2008
Strengths: Good frame and great fork for the price. Rockshox Tora 318 solo air is a lighter and better fork than any I could find at this price range. Fairly light for this price range too - about 27 lbs.
Weaknesses: The saddle is not very comfortable, plus mine bent after a crash, I need a new one. The stock platform pedals aren't good for much either. You will need some clipless pedals if you are going to do any off road riding. Not the greatest chain in the world either (no power link), but it works fine - you just have to break a link if you want it off.
Bottom Line:
I bought a 2006 model RH Comp in 2007 at a discount ($640, price tag said $750). I think it was a great purchase for me. Personally I like that it has the V brakes instead of disc. I don't do a lot of riding in heavy mud, but never have had problems braking, plus discs add weight, are more expensive, and harder to maintain. By 2007, I noticed that Specialized no longer offered the RH Comp without discs, downgraded the fork from a Tora 318 air to 302 coil, resulting in a 28.5 lb bike with a higher price tag of $850. I felt like I got a better bike for over $200 less!
So far, I love this bike. Perfect for a beginner/weekender like me. I am 5'11" and the 19" frame fits me well. I also tried a 17.5" Trek while shopping and this felt much better. The drivetrain is so quiet and smooth, but of course I'm comparing it to a dept store Huffy. The trigger shifting is great too, I can always get it quickly into that lower gear when the hills sneak up on me. I would recommend this to anyone who's looking for a first "real" mountain bike.