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
tommmyboy82
a Cross Country Rider
from Detroit, MI, USA
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2010
Strengths: Great frame, Reliable Name, Reliable Mech. Brakes
Weaknesses: Low grade components for drivetrain and wheelset
Bottom Line:
Although stock frame and components worked well the first 12 months, continuous replacement parts and adjustments caused more tuning than riding. Hopefully the new drivetrain and wheelset will generate a reliable ride that rivals the Stumpjumper HT. Still a great frame that allows for upgrading and name brand recognition.
Bike Setup: SRAM X7 shifters, derailleurs, crank, and cassette. Clipless Pedals, Thudbuster seat post, Mavic Crossride wheelset.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
PNLarson
a Cross Country Rider
from Burlington, VT
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2010
Strengths: The frame is bomber and it handles very well. Rides over anything I have thrown at it. For the price it's a great bike.
Weaknesses: Components aren't so hot: broke the front wheel pretty quickly as well as the rear derailleur and cassette. Also, the tires that came with it (Specialized Fast Trak LK Sports) weren't so great: they did fine on dry hardpack, but over rocks, roots, loose sand and mud they don't grip
Bottom Line:
Great beginner mountain bike. I would recommend this frame to a friend. The only downside are the stock components but it's pretty easy to upgrade these to match your riding (or as they break).
Bike Setup: Converted to 9-Speed
32t Chainring, 11-34 Cassette
X.9 trigger shifter and derailleur
Kenda NEVEGAL 2.35 tires (amazing)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
djr8505
a Weekend Warrior
from Rochester
Date Reviewed: October 14, 2009
Strengths: Light-weight M4 frame
Avid disc brakes
Weaknesses: Dart 3 fork
Cable routings
Pedals
Fast Trac tires
Bottom Line:
For the most part the frame is an amazing entry level cross country setup. The most noticeable weaknesses are the Rock Shox Dart 3 fork; in cold weather the fork is next to unresponsive. The derailleur cables are routed under the down tube where they are more exposed to mud, sticks, rocks and other trail debris. The stock tires work fine for pavement and hard pack trails but for everything else they ride sketchy. Same issues with the stock pedals for average flat terrain, they work fine; however, if you are climbing and miscalculate cadence they are extremely unforgiving. Platform/caged/clipless are a must before hitting that first extreme hill. The Alex rims seem to hold true fairly well, especially for a 230+ "clyde" like myself. There is one small thing I would like to mention about the Shimano trigger shifters. For some reason, the rear trigger shifter "sticks" when trying to shift more than one larger cassette cog at a time. The Avid brakes also perceivable took longer than normal to "bed in" and quiet down but they eventually do. BB7's are a clear upgrade over the stock BB5 setup. Overall, I would recommend this bike for anyone who is looking for a potential light-weight racing machine with the correct setup. For the money you get an amazing ride; however, upgrades refine the value of the bike. I would not recommend this bike for anyone looking to ride AM or DH since the frame does not seem designed for such riding.
Strengths: Great bike for a begginner it just keeps getting better as you do, the more you can do to this bike the more it will beg you for more,
Weaknesses: Tyres; I ride alot of downhill in wet mud /dusty gravel depending on the weather, the stock tyres slip and spin on the up hill stuff, but still confident in the corners. Pedals spin and shoes slip off them alot,
Bottom Line:
Pure great fun, if you enjoy going fast with trees licking your lid cliping your handle bars, mud flying everywhere and a giant grin on your face - get this bike
Bike Setup: stock rockhopper disc 09, Maxis advantage 2.4 tyres front and back - dmr v12 pedals and saving for new shocks
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
KinglyRider
a Cross Country Rider
from Chichester
Date Reviewed: August 22, 2009
Strengths: Great frame, brakes, transmission and not bad on the finishing kit.
Weaknesses: Wheelset
Bottom Line:
One of the big contenders for king of the entry level hardtail market. The frame is a great place to start upgrading from no doubt, it's the best part of the bike. All the finishing kit/brakes etc are as you'd expect for a £600 bike.
The ride is tight and fast, geometry is very much geared for cross country whippet types. Can still handle itself on the downhill/tech stuff though.
I'd definitely recommend getting a new wheel set if your thinking of taking it out for anything other than gentle XC though; as soon as it gets rough they won't hold for long. Trashed my set within 3 months during which endless truing/nipple replacement occured. Got myself some XT hubs laced onto WTB Trail rims stiffens the whole ride up, not to mention they're 100 times more durable.
One of the great entry level bike for sure, I'd go for this if your looking for a bike you can work on yourself and upgrade over time.
Similar Products Used: Santa Cruz Chameleon, Commencal Normal, Stumpjumper ..
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Brikeski
a Weekend Warrior
from Redmond, OR
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2009
Strengths: Hint: i cut down the seat post to reduce weight along with all reflectors off. and i took off the back disc brake because it weighed to much. I finished "stacking" the bike and it now weighs about 24# :) Real strength?: ability to mod almost anything :)
Weaknesses: ha ha I absolutly despise the fork... it makes me angry and is a weak piece of... well... you know... Pedals: horrible
Bottom Line:
great bike for the price, wouldnt recommend. but if you did get the bike it wouldnt have been a bad deal. the frame is pretty much indestructable.......
Bike Setup: "the bike" no back disc, no reflectors, a 2008 rock shox pike 140mm fork, 190g carbon fiber handle bar, one aggressive back tire, and thorn proof tubes.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
campredcloudbikes
a Cross Country Rider
from Lake City, CO
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2009
Strengths: Great budget all round bike that rides harder than you can. Avid BB5 disc brakes are great
Weaknesses: seat is very uncomfortable, pedals suck, fork lockout wears out quick
heavy, but what do you expect?
Bottom Line:
great budget bike to ride on any trails. I've had the 06 and 07 non disc brake bikes over 12,500 feet in Colorado, and they worked great. The disc brakes are a huge upgrade beyond that even. Get a good seat and pedals, and you are set.
Similar Products Used: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Rockhopper non-disc
Bike Setup: stock
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
ezfit
a Weekend Warrior
from California
Date Reviewed: January 31, 2009
Strengths: M4 Frame can take all types of abuse
Weaknesses: Brakes - need to bring to the shop atleast once a month for adjustments, i guess its how i use it (he said maybe im a hard rider... i think so too, cause i like to ride hard)
Bike Setup: stock, just changed the pedal to clipless and took out all reflectors
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Regulator
a Weekend Warrior
from Mesa AZ
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2008
Strengths: Strong, capable bike with the ability to handle a lot of different terrain. The component choices work very well on everything from uphill road climbing to whatever you may encounter on the trail.
Weaknesses: Pedals! Upgrade to clipless before you leave the store. The derailers make a lot of noise on the bumps and the chain came off the front rings several times but I'm sure with some fine tuning that will not be a problem. The tires could be upgraded to a more aggressive style if you're going to keep it off road only.
Bottom Line:
This bike can take much more than advertised. At 6'3" and 230# it took everything I could ride it off of. I am confident that,as my ability grows, this bike will take even more abuse.
Similar Products Used: Big...no, huge upgrade from a Gary Fisher Rangitoto.
Bike Setup: Stock set up with adjustments only to the Rock Shox Dart 3 fork.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
sbmac
a Weekend Warrior
from Long Island NY
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2008
Strengths: Amazing hardtail for the money. Great control and fun to ride. I added a thudbuster seatpost...sweet, takes the edge off bumps without losing the hardtail feel. I upgraded to Rock shox Reba Team forks, crankbrothers 5050xx pedals and carbon handlebars. This bike rocks now more than ever. A few mods, and for less than a Stumpjumper hardtail, you can have a world class steed.
Weaknesses: pedals, tires (not the best traction in loose soil, gravel or sandy trails) entry level dart 3 fork could be 1 notch up, but it's fine if you're not jumping off cliffs.
Bottom Line:
For under $700, you get a killer frame and decent disc brakes and gears.
Upgrade from there, and you'll have an amazing bike for under what the high end parts would have been on a more expensive bike.
Favorite Trail: The life story that trails behind me
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$670.00
Purchased At: Cycles Plus, Hunting
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
johnsob3
a Weekend Warrior
from burke mt., VT, USA
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2008
Strengths: Solid, reliable, decent components for entry level. Very fun for cross country rides.
Weaknesses: None found so far.
Bottom Line:
Great for entry level rider (like me). No problems found with riding or maintaining this bike. You will want to ride frequently once you get out on the trails with it. Feels like you are riding a more expensive bike.
Similar Products Used: Test rode Trek 4500 and 6000 (6000 was nice but pricier). Tried a Cannondale F6 or F7, but preferred the Specialized.
Bike Setup: Stock from LBS
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
AudibleE
a Weekend Warrior
from Lakewood, OH
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2008
Strengths: Stable frame, light-weight, entry level shocks but work great, decent shifters.
Weaknesses: Tires are a bit weak, tread not very deep, forks entry level but are decent for the price, seat post too long. Shifting and chain rattles on big jumps or hits, due to entry level derailer. Oh.... the Shimano pedals are garbage.
Bottom Line:
I just got back into MTB'ing this year and this was a birthday gift. This bikes is fantastic!!!! For just getting back into riding, I'm amazed at how well this bike climbs. I've been hitting the trails in Rocky River, granted I'm not getting too hardcore on the trails...yet.... but I'm extremely happy with riding it. The bike weighs I think around 15-18 lbs. which is a big difference from my other tank of a bike.
The new 2008 has a cool color scheme with overall black with green and white pinstriping, woooooo.... colors. It looks cool but if it gets scratched or dinged, who cares. It'll give it more character.
Some things that I'll be upgrading: (In this order)
- pedals
- seat post
- forks (current forks are great for light trails and commuting.)
- cranks
- derailer, shifting set
-
Similar Products Used: Replacing my old GT Timberline
Bike Setup: # A1 Premium Aluminum frame, disc only, double butted TT and ORE DT, externally relieved head tube, internally relieved BB shell, reinforced disc mount, forged 3D dropouts
# RockShox Dart 3 SL fork, 100mm, Mag Lower, 28.6mm Cro-Mo stanchions, coil spring, alloy steer, rebound adjust w/ lockout and preload adjust
# Specialized 3D forged alloy stem, two bolt, 25.4mm, 10 degree rise
# Shimano 415, mechanical disc brakes, 6" Center Lock rotors
# Shimano FCM-341-8 crankset, Octalink Spline, replaceable rings Shimano cartridge bearing BB
# Shimano HB-M65L, Center Lock disc hubs, 32h, QR
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jack Dougherty
a Cross Country Rider
from Bayfield, WI, USA
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2008
Strengths: Solid frame, great brakes, good fork, nice saddle
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
This bike has stood up to everything that I throw at it. Including dirt jumping, urban riding, trials, cross country, and a little downhill. It is not the best at one thing only but is a great around bike and it has better componets than the hardrock which is why I got it. And it can start you off as a beginner and take you as far as you want to go with some upgrades off course.
Weaknesses: Tires, stiff Rock Shox fork, pedals have ZERO grip
Bottom Line:
Easily a fantastic model for the price. This bike will FLY through trails and streets. Specialized did it right with the Rockhopper.
My only major gripe was the tires, as they seem to be primarily made for roads and hard-packed trails. Start hitting some roots, and the rear end will kick out on you. Moreso, if it's remotely wet. The front doesn't absorb a shock as much as I'd like, and I honestly won't have a whole lot of confidence in whipping around rooty trails until I upgrade the tires.
The shocks are adequate, as long as the preload feature is working. They do get somewhat stiff, however. And, get rid of the pedals, ASAP. They're junk.
Those very-fixable gripes aside, I LOVE this bike! The shifting is very smooth, the braking is dependable, with just a hint of scrubbing in those high-output stops. It's lightweight and travels well.
If you're looking for total comfort, you may want to consider going with a full suspension. Hardtails are called that for a reason! But, I've never been uncomfortable on this bike after a ride, and it's always better to learn on a hardtail first. My next ride is going to be a Stumpjumper very soon, but I'm hanging onto the Rockhopper when I do. Too fond of it to let it go!
Bike Setup: Stock. Switched out the pedals and added a Velo computer, with front and rear CatEye lighting. Plan on switching to Maxxis Holy Rollers very soon.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Sam Stone
a Downhiller
from Colorado Springs, CO USA
I just bought this bike for a first bike. I have taken it to some of the most elite of places in Colorado and have had no trouble with it. The chainslap is a bit@h but if you get a chain guard protector it gets much better. Shifts like a dream. Definately needs new tires as the stock tires are a little on the small side at 26x2.0 and the tread is simply crap. No traction on the faster downhills. I don't know if it's because I live in the best place in the world (Colorado) or what. Overall, a good first bike. The frame will hold up for years, letting you upgrade all of the stuff you don't want.
