Submitted by
wscook
a Weekend Warrior
from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2009
Strengths: Durable, GREAT product for the price; Stiff responsive suspension, ideal for large (6'4" ; 230 lb) riders. Stock tires provided excellent traction for intermediate skill trails. Rear shock wore out after 2+ yrs of primarily weekend riding (replaced with Fox Vanilla R Coil). Front Vanilla R forks handled exceptional abuse for over 2 yrs before replacing with Vanilla RLC upgrade.
Weaknesses: Stock rims began experiencing spoke breakage after first yr. Upgraded to Mavic Crossmax ST rims. (No problem for 2+ yrs) The original attractive black/silver paint rubs off too easily along frame components. 2006 original setup weight is relatively heavy by comparison to newer bikes.
Internal bearings wore out almost annually - replaced with external bearings.
Bottom Line:
Outstanding product for price. Upgrades were to replace worn/abused components and reduce the overall weight.
Would upgrade to another brand or model but afraid I'd be disappointed after years of awesome performance of this Dakar XLT 1.0 !
Bike Setup: Original Component Group: Mountain Mix
Brakeset: Hayes HFX-9 XC brakes, Hayes HFX-9 Hydraulic Disc front/Hayes HFX-9 Hydraulic rear levers
Shift Levers: SRAM X-7
Front Derailleur: SRAM X-Gen, top-pull/clamp-on 31.8mm
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X.7
Crankset: Truvativ Firex SX, 22/32/44 teeth; (Replaced with Shimano Deore XT)
Pedals: Shimano PD-M505 SPD
Bottom Bracket: Truvativ GXP, 113mm spindle
BB Shell Width: Unspecified
Rear Cogs: 9-speed, 11 - 32 teeth
Chain: Shimano CN-HG73, 1/2 x 3/32"
Seatpost: Truvativ XR Single Clamp, 27.2mm diameter
Saddle: WTB Laser V Comp
Handlebar: Truvativ LE OS (replaced w/ Titec Hellboy Carbon fiber)
Handlebar Extensions: None
Handlebar Stem: Truvativ XR
Headset: 1 1/8" integrated WTB Team
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
carrot_top
a Weekend Warrior
from Florida, USA
Date Reviewed: August 27, 2009
Strengths: Durable frame, Good geometry (for me anyway), built kinda on the bulky side so it will take a beating. More of an AM bike than an XC
Weaknesses: a little on the heavy side (unless you buy lighter aftermarket parts), suffers a little on the uphills (atleast i think it does for me)....pivots a little creaky, but can be solved by greasing them a bit
Bottom Line:
The bike is a good all around All Mountain/XC bike. Its got XC geometry, but its build heavy like an AM, so it will take a lot more. Great for techy trails and light hucking, but also can be used just as well for XC and wont feel like your pedaling a heavy FR/DH bike. Ive had this for 2 years now, and its been used for pretty much every type of trail short of lift-assisted DH trails and even light street (though i wouldnt reccomend it, i used it for that because its the only bike i have)....
The stock components are a little low end, but i only paid 1,300 for it so i wasnt expecting anything amazing.
So far what has been replaced is the:
1. Stock Manitou fork (it was crap anyway, bottomed out on everything short of a curb and none of the adjustments worked....now have a Marz Z1 freeride fork...kinda overboard, but its holding strong and the 20mm thru axle helps alot with the stiffness
2. Wheelset...stock one was some generic shimano AM type...it was actually pretty decent, but after spokes on the rear wheel kept breaking i opted for some Azonic Outlaws....great wheelset for the price (250$)...especially being DH rims
3. Crankset...internal BB with plastic ( o_O ) housing developed a cranck and creaked pretty bad. Replaced with Shimano outboard BB and raceface DH cranks. works great, very little creaking (at my weight, any BB would creak), and gives you a more stable feeling with the outboard BB.
so far thats all ive replaced....if anything else, i would suggest the brakes and shifters (the XT derrailer is ok tho...its just the shifters....they wear out pretty quickly and dont shift as quick and accurately as a decent XT shifter (their Deore)).....but if anything, ride they till they go first...at 230lbs the brakes still work ok for me, its just they fade pretty bad (but i dont do DH, so it doesent effect me much) and the adjustability isnt too good...
So if your looking for a decent XC/AM bike, but dont want to fork out the 3 - 4 G's for a high end Giant or Trek, this bike is what you want. Versatile, affordable, and durable. The only downside would be the stock components, though if you go one model up to the 2.0 or even 3.0, youll get much better parts, for a price still lower than much of the competition....
Favorite Trail: Redback, Bermuda Triangle, Crime Scene (if im up for it)
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$1300.00
Purchased At: Lee's Bike Shop
Similar Products Used: none
Bike Setup: 2006 frame, 2006 Marz Z1 freeride fork, Azonic Outlaw wheelset, Shimano outboard BB w/ raceface DH cranks & bashguard, Hayes hydraulic brakes (stock), besides the tires, everything else is stock.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
abenz1980
a Weekend Warrior
from golden, co
Date Reviewed: May 31, 2009
Strengths: strong, durable butted frameset, worthy pedaler, inexpensive compared to many ,geometry feels very manageable between XC and all mountain slack.
Weaknesses: a tad heavy, but not enough to sigh on the uphills. Mine is built at around 33pds.
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike on CL for 400$, which included fork!! This bike surpassed all my expectations for pedaling, descending, It truly doesn't feel heavy anymore considered my specialized was at 26 pds. I love this bike more and more each day. It rips though rock gardens like no other, but remains stiff through flowy trails. I think the pedaling platform could be a touch more efficient, but this is comparing it to a giant trance with a foxrp23. I believe a shock change would cure this. The only problem Im having is the Manitou Nixon Elite Infinite adjustment feature is not a great performing fork when lowered to 70-80mm. I normally climb this bike w/out touching this feature. And that said, it has no reflection on the bikes performance since it comes stock with different fork. I due tend to ride this build in technical trails mostly, because I fell like its more suitable for aggressive XC, not so much smooth singletrack. But, thats only because of the slack geometry. I have ridden this all over colorado front range, and slickrock in Moab, and I couldn't have been more pleased in this type of terrain. Buy this bike if your on a budget, but want excellent performance comparable to bikes 1000 Bucks or higher. The component selection will be wear your money is potentially spent.
Submitted by
Jake Olsen
a Weekend Warrior
from Temecula, CA
Date Reviewed: May 9, 2008
Strengths: Good frame for the money. Tough and looks good.
Weaknesses: The stock "integrated" headset is total garbage, it crapped out the first ride. The guys at JensonUSA hooked me up though, they replaced it/upgraded it for free, no questions asked.
Bottom Line:
I am 6'5" and 230lbs, and I am constantly throwing this thing down 4 foot drops, and over jumps and it does fine. Maybe the stock build sucks, but if its done right, this rig is great. Also, if you use this thing as a downhill rig, you have no idea of what a DH bike is like(MT)-- IT IS A TRAIL BIKE, and does an awesome job at what it is built for.
Bike Setup: '05 Dakar,Fox Vanilla fork, Sram X-9 triggers and derailleur, Race Face cranks, SingleTrack wheels, Avid BB7 brakes, Azonic 31.8 strip bar, Thompson 70mm stem, Bontrager Earl saddle
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Daniel Hdez
a Cross Country Rider
from Guanajuato, Mexico
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2007
Strengths: Strong Frame, Good componetry, Best Bang for the buck, nice handling, good acceleration for a 5" travel bike.
Weaknesses: Stock tires (i've found they pinch easily and dont handle so good), wheels should be better in this bike.
Bottom Line:
I've found this bike addictive, it is one of those bikes that each time you ride you love it more!, after riding only rigids i've found, on this 5" travel rig, amazing control and handling on most decents which gives me a lot of confidence specially when riding fast technical trails. Also with Manitou SPV shock and fork i can ride for hours whithout the energy waste of beefier bikes. This is a bike for all mountain riders, not XC Competitive Racing, Freeride or Downhill!!!
Strengths: Frame, decent components, weight isnt bad
Weaknesses: stock tires, shocks
Bottom Line:
A GREAT bike for the money. Wayyy better than my last (Trek Fuel) as I gained an inch and a half of travel, and it just plain rides better. I spent $1400 on the Trek, and it did not feel half as sturdy or worth the value. When you buy the bike for the kind of riding you are doing, you're gonna be good to go. This isnt a DH bike, though it handles big roots & rocks goo, its a very nice AM & FR bike.
The XLT handles small to mid size drops no prob. Shox are a little testy in that its difficult to fine tune them, I plan on upg'in the shox next year. The manitou minute does not have a nice smooth feel to it, but its responsive enough that it has saved me from goin down in washy corners.
Ive raced it once, and the weight was too much to be really competitive on an XC course.
Submitted by
JC
a Weekend Warrior
from Pearl City, HI, USA
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2007
Strengths: Oversized downtube and square taper chainstays minimize flex. Geometry is made to descend at speed, yet still maintain control. Manitou 3-way shock is good value for the money and 5" of rear travel is just enough to allow you to jump that dirt ramp without bottoming out.
Weaknesses: Not enough clearance between the legs (if you know what I mean). I'm 5'8" 165lbs. I have a 30" inseam. I thought the 15" frame would be perfect for me but the standover height is 29", just an inch short of cranging the jewels. 13" frame would have been too small for me.
Bottom Line:
If you bought this bike fully built, it's great deal but you end up changing out parts that you don't like anyway, so save yourself the money and just build up the frame. With the right setup, you can customize the bike to fit your riding style. The trails we ride are combination of downhill, singletrack, rockgardens and ruts, with ramps built into the trail. The XLT 1.0 provides just enough travel and stiffness to tackle anything the trail has to offer. If you are going to go all out, huck 20 foot cliffs, and all that, save your money and buy a downhill/freeride specific bike. If you are looking for a cross-country/all mountain bike that can handle 2-5 foot drops and smaller dirt ramps, you can't go wrong with this bike. Again, getting the right components goes a long way in making this great bike even better.
Strengths: the Hayes HFX-9 HD are a vary nice break to ride and thay give you alot of power when needed
Weaknesses: Where do I even start? Well let’s just get right to the point and say unless you are a 160lb strictly xc rider that wares his or her sissy pants everyday of there life then this bike is for you! But if you have any intention of riding off 1-2 foot drops think again! The frame is poorly designed and if you fully compress the rear shock the frame well bottom out on itself, and you do that enough well there goes the $1500 bike you just bought. From the start there was nothing but problems, first the forks blew the seal and had to be rebuilt, second the derailed hanger is made to just fall of and random either by breaking or the bolts holding it in well work there way loose no matter what you use to keep it on! If you go around any corners or wall ride at any speed the bike has so mush flex it seems it is ready to snap right from under you, you might have a problem with the bottom bracket seizing up, and unless you live on the east coast, you wont get any parts quicker than a two to three weeks. The paint just flakes off if touched the wrong way and the tires that come on it well only hold the trail if your not turning! The wheels are not meant to leave the pavement and if you want to hit some downhill trails, every corner you well hear the sweet sweet sound of the tires rubbing on the forks or frame because they have way to much flex. Thankyou and don’t buy this bike!
Bottom Line:
if you see this bike just run!!!!!!!! i wish i could give this bike negitive flamin chili's
Similar Products Used: kona dawg and kona coiler D
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
David
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, Australia
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2007
Strengths: Level of components you get for the price is great.
Weaknesses: Got issues with the rear derailer ........ the screws that keep the bracket in the rear swing arm have sheared twice, each on a different arm. The design of this part needs some working on??
Bottom Line:
Has anyone had a similar problem with this model bike? The bike otherwise is excellent with great parts, rides good and is fairly well balanced. Good price with level of components on bike. Need to know if mine is the lemon???
Submitted by
Mark B.
a Weekend Warrior
from Indiana
Date Reviewed: April 1, 2007
Strengths: solid, capable platform; geometry nearly spot-on for me. swinger works like a charm!!
Weaknesses: integrated headset (and it's not all that bad so far) spv chamber slow leaks
Bottom Line:
this ride rocks! the frame/crank/bar interfaces are stiff & solid, no flex. swinger spv platform flat does its j.o.b.!(be better if the spv chamber would seal a bit better) i'll never roll a shim drivetrain again -- sram is the sh**! and now that my avids are broken in, stopping power is SCARY! would have preferred a standard headset, but oh well.... i DO think i shoulda bought the nixon air fork, though. the coil is too soft, have to replace. aaahhhhh, adrenalinebikes....
Submitted by
Daniel H
a Cross Country Rider
from Guanajuato, mexico
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2007
Strengths: Maneuverability
Weaknesses: None yet... I'll tell you when i find them.
Bottom Line:
I've been riding my XLT 1.0 for a week and one race!! I really like this bike, i was used to ride only hardtails so i've found a lot of control during descents on this rig. I'm looking forward to review the bike later when i get more miles on it.
Weaknesses: does not help if you buy a bike from fraysers and let some school kid put it together
Bottom Line:
this is a very solid bike and can just about handle any kind of terain. i have been riding my fathers 2005 dakar xlt and im loving it. so i decided to get one of my own. i bought the 2007 model that will be ready in a few days. (not from fraysers) but there are alot of little things wrong with it such as you buy a bike for close to $2000AU and they still put screws in it that rust..i recomend this bike for casual riders who like a bit of bushbashing.
Favorite Trail: royal national park temptation creek
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$1700.00
Purchased At: fraysers
Similar Products Used: first
Bike Setup: fox vanilla shocks and float rear shock
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a Cross Country Rider
from Jim Thorpe, PA
Date Reviewed: February 11, 2007
Strengths: great price, medoicre components, solid frame w/ outstanding suspension front and rear.
Weaknesses: Seatpost, overall pretty heavy, made in Taiwan, mediocre components
Bottom Line:
Great AM bike at a very reasonable price. I bought mine brand new, w/ warranty, in 2006 for $800 on eBay... deal was so good I was worried it might be a scam. So far, the biek has done well, as expected. The extra 1.5 inches of travel are noticeable and appreciated vs my old Dakar. The biek was shipped to me with the rear trianle already upgraded so I'm hoping I will not need to worry about frame failure as noted by some other riders. Brakes are solid but do fade a bit on long DH runs. Manitou SPV front and rear works great... Bike climbs well for a 32 pounder. The stock wheelset was junk, so I upgraded right away. If I was buying again, I would probably get the 2.0 or 3.0.... I will pugrade the drivetrain as it wears out... the only drivetrain component that's truly up to par is the XT rear derailleur. The seatpost is junk, couldn't stop creaking sounds from the clamp/post junction. It seemed destined to fail, so I replaced it with a Thomson. Stay away from single clamp posts in general. All that being said.... I am 95% satisfied with this bike, 100% when considering the price.
this is a follow up to my earlier review. for the second time now i have blown out the bearing on the seatstay. when the bearing blows out it basically ruins the seatstay because the aluminum becomes deformed, requiring that it be replaced. i think this happens because of the force put on the swingarm while cornering. and the fact that there is not much support on the swingarm supports this i think.. dont get me wrong here, this is just my theory. anyways will anyone else let me know if this happens to them. btw i am giving up on it and swapping the parts over to another frame. for this reason i am giving a lower overall rating
Submitted by
Kelcey
a Weekend Warrior
from Canyon, TX
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2006
Strengths: Bang for your buck. You get a very nice bike at a very reasonable price. Love the SRAM drivetrain, smooth and reliable. The WTB saddle is nice, I'll be getting WTB saddles from now on.
Weaknesses: The stock WTB rims that come on this bike suck! I trashed both of them in no time and I don't do big drops. Weight, the buck had to stop somewhere as far as savings, at 32.5 lbs this is not a light bike.
Bottom Line:
This review is for the 2005 XLT. This a great all mountain bike for someone who is short on cash and still wants nice components for their money. I would highly reccomend this bike if you just want to get out, ride and maybe occasionally do something stupid :) This is a very fun bike. Don't expect it to be light, do expect to have to get new wheels at some point depending on your level of abuse. 5 chilis for value because you get alot of bike for your $$$. 4 chilis for overall because it does have some problems it could be lighter and they could have matched it with a better wheelset.
Hey everyone!
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