Submitted by
Wayne40cal
a Weekend Warrior
from Milton,Fl,USA
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2012
Strengths: Looks great, Great Ride, Comes in different sizes, Great price for a bike with disk brakes and DS. Handles great on dirt trails and roads.Better built and fit than the Mart store bikes.
Weaknesses: Get what you pay for.. Bike is not fast.
Bottom Line:
This has been a nice bike to ride. I was looking for a bike that would take the shock and bumps out of the trails as my 53 year old back has been hammered over the years. With the off road tires it takes a little more work to keep up with the family on paved trails but the smooth ride is worth the trade off. After looking and riding the other and less expensive bike this one fit my needs. To me this was not a cheep bike but then it it all relative as what you are looking for and how much money you are looking to spend.
Weaknesses: heavy (mine weighed in at 35lbs after upgraded rear shock and drive train), did not like the stock shifting components, crappy stock suspension, really not happy with the suntour xct v3
Bottom Line:
Stock the bike is decent for the price. I have abused the hell out of it and taken it where more high end bikes even have problems. It has never given me any problems and has taken everything I can dish out. With a few upgrades this can be a very nice bike! Look at the base 3.0. By upgrading the suspension and shifting components you can lighten this bike up alot.
Similar Products Used: Pacific YX8500 , Diamondback Recoil
Bike Setup: All stock except I upgraded the drive train and shifters to shimano alivio 27speed components. Also the best upgrade you can make to this bike is a better rear shock. Got a cheap suntour recon air shock on ebay for 40 bucks. Took alot of weight off the bike and made it ride 100times better! Next upgrade will be the front fork for sure.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
trainerscamp
a Cross Country Rider
from 95138
Weaknesses: * Wt: 40 Lbs ... TOO HEAVY!
* BB [Bottom Bracket]: 68mm [86-92mm best]
Broke after 2 weeks of daily use, 2nd one... Same!
* Rim Valve hole... Continuously cuts into Schraeder Stem of every new tire, every 3-7 days!
* Kenda Klaw 2.1"... No Puncture protection!
* SR Suntour XCT-V3, 100mm Travel... Not as smooth as Fox Float.
* Head Tube Angle: too vertical
* 8 X 3 [24 speed]: 10 X 3 is Best. The Shimano CS-HG30, 12-32T, 8 Speed cassette does NOT allow full use of all gears... too much angular tension on chain. That said, the KMC Z-72 Chain K2 uses on this bike is above adequate.
Still, the rider can feel the stress placed on any chain this bike will use when in gears 3rd : 1,2 ; 1st : 7,8 ; 2nd : 1,8.
Bottom Line:
Note: Actually owned this MTB bike for 4 months but field above did not give option for it.
For those who are new to cycling on/off road, here are my views:
As a [relatively] inexpensive bike, it is ok.
There are a few things every bike should have to start with, yet many manufacturers don't even integrate into their own models, including many expensive ones.
I have researched every major bike made in the world, and none makes their bike frames as well as Pivot [mach 4, mach 5, mach 5.7 models only].
They have the lightest Aluminum and Carbon fiber Frames in the world, and their geometry is exceptional.
* Weight: Any Bike weighing over 33 Lbs [total] is going to be a strenuous workout on any grade uphill... good workout, but tiring and slow if you're in a hurry.
* BB [Bottom Bracket]: Many top of the line bikes have a 68mm BB... this is completely unacceptable!
86-92mm are best, even 73mm is better than 68mm, as they improve performance and life of BB bearings.
* Rim hole on this bike keeps damaging valve stems. Perhaps a lemon for the one I got.
Will be switching to Presta Valves to see if that corrects problem.
* Tires: Kenda Claw has no protection from any kind of thorn, etc.
Changed to Schwalbe Marathon Extreme HS 402 26x2.25.
They are one of the best tires for performance on/off road [if not THE best].
* Shocks: They are ok for their price but if you've ever felt the performance of a Fox Float 140mm or 150mm you will notice a softer absorption and greater range of motion compared to the Suntour XCT-V3 with only 100mm travel.
* Head Tube Angle: Best: horizontal] offers better management against obstacles [curbs, rocks, logs] in the way. It also allows the rider to support their weight behind the wheel while standing on climbs and better control on descent of hills [less likely to fall over bike]. This in conjunction with...
* Front Shock Length: Recommended: 140-160mm [150 Best].
For a workout bike, overall durability, and considering that it is 1/10 the price of a better bike [Pivot mach[s] 4, 5, 5.7], it is sufficient.
For weekend use it's acceptable.
For everyday use it's not acceptable.
For serious competition, it is far from acceptable.
