Submitted by
robert branin
a Cross Country Rider
from mesa, az, usa
Date Reviewed: April 20, 2004
Strengths: I originally reviewed this bike on 9/7/2002....I liked the bike then and I still like it now....unfortunately after 18-20 months of XC riding the frame has cracked about 2/3 of the way around the top tube about 2 inches from the steering head....it looks like it started to crack at the weld where the tubes come together.
Weaknesses: Top tube is about to shear in two....???
Bottom Line:
I just found the crack yesterday and I'm hoping I get a better response from Iron Horse than what others are saying....3 to 6 months....we'll see. I still like the bike alot I'm just disappointed that its cracked and now I have nothing to ride. This was my first and only full suspension bike....hopefully it won't be my last Iron Horse.
Strengths: it was a nicely balanced ride. the front and rear suspension worked well together.
Weaknesses: frame cracked after 2 months
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is the frame cracked 6 months ago and to date there has been little response from Iron Horse with regards to resolving this issue. If you are going to offer a warranty then you should by all means honor it. There doesn't seam to be an issue with new bikes shipping but getting a warranty claim resolved is another matter entirely. It's been very disappointing.
Submitted by
Aaron
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2003
Strengths: Great Parts Spec, Suspension Design is excellent
Weaknesses: Lets see, it broke after only five months of riding. I've been waiting for three months for a new one.
Bottom Line:
I reviewed this bike before it broke and gave it a 4. I feel obligated to let others know that Iron Horse is having difficulty standing behing their product. Apparently Supergo gets their bikes before customers that have already purchased a bike get a replacement frame. I do warranty at a local bike shop and none of my manufacturers (Trek, Specialized) leave a customer waiting for three months, let alone take a week to respond to a phone call or e-mail. The frame broke at the butt of the toptube about 2 inches back frome the headtube. Sounds like this is a common problem from reading some other reviews. I hope I actually get a frame from Iron Horse, but in the meantime I already purchased a frame from another manufacturer so I can actually RIDE my bike instead of looking at a box of parts.
Submitted by
Brandon
a Cross Country Rider
from Dearborn,MI
Date Reviewed: March 24, 2003
Strengths: Excellent components and suspension design.
Weaknesses: Poorly engineered pivot assembly. All of the bearings associated with the lower pivot and upper pivot arms were junk after 250mi. The bearings can be replaced but good luck reassembling without a drawing from ironhorse. This bike has possibly the worst paint job I have ever expierenced on any bike I've ever owned.
Bottom Line:
Iron Horse has come up with a very trail worthy suspension design similar to the Santa Cruz Blur. The suspension travels just enough on small bumps, is fully capable of soaking up bigger hits as well, and resists pedal bobbing. The components and suspension design are excellent but IH needs to do some more extensive durability testing if they want to build a better reputation. Buy this bike. The components alone are worth more than the complete $1500 dollar pricetag from SuperGo.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Stumpjumper Pro
Bike Setup: Stock
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dom
a Cross Country Rider
from Milton NH
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2003
Strengths: Components. Suspension design.
Weaknesses: Frame, Seat color, Poor factory cable routing, Hayes brake line came kinked, FRAME CRACKS!!!
Bottom Line:
I've seen them coming into the shop with cracks appearing on the tube butts. Cracks in the rear triangle. The suspension travel and wheel path is excellent. Hope the 2003s have a better frame. Customers have been waiting longer than 6 months for Iron Horse to do something about the frame failures. Still unresolved! The frames I've seen were ridden by good riders doing nothing but XC riding. One frame cracked on the top tube after 25 miles of use. If you own a Hollowpoint Please check the top tube about 4" back from the headtube a crack maybe happening. Three have cracked in the same place. All owned by different riders. Purchased at different places and times so I'm convinced they're all bad. Not just a certain production run. I've never seen as many cracked frames as the 2002 Hollowpoints.
Similar Products Used: Rocky ETSX-70, Rocky Element, Iron Horse SGSDH, Ventana El Saltamontes, Marin Wolf Ridge, RM7, DBR Super SL
Bike Setup: Stock w/ Hayes stoppers
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Cliff Burton
a Cross Country Rider
from Chevy Chase, MD
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2002
Strengths: Looks Superb suspension Great parts package
Weaknesses: Paint job sux Crappy welds Cheap-o bolts and hardware Bottle mount is on top tube When Ironhorse changed the shock mount to the downtube (2002-1/2 models), it makes the curved top-tube majorly disfunctional. 29 lbs, not 25. Will at Customer Service @ Iron Horse is a d!ck head.
Bottom Line:
Parts alone are worth the $1550. The suspension is first class, the two-stage set up is very similar to the Santa Cruz blur. I use this bike for racing and it ROCKS. I love the tubeless tires, I will never go back. The SRAM X.O just beats the dog sh!t out of anything Shimano. I was skeptical of the SRAM stuff at first but after you get it dialed in its a no brainer, its so much better than XTR.
The frame is a cheap piece of crap. Some of my welds have sharp, jagged areas that were just painted over instead of filed down or whatever. The bolts rusted after a few rides and I bent my shock mount hardware so bad that I had to remove it with a hammer. It was not easy to get a replacement bolt either. The thin paint job has rubbed off in several places (down to the bare metal) from cable rub, mostly from my first ride, then I took precautions. I can live with the paint, but Iron Horse should have taken the initiative to put quality hardware on and charge more money, I think most people will agree after a years use.
The parts from this bike will go onto my next frame, and even though they cut corners on the quality of the frame, it performs great. I saw the 2003 Hollowpoints at the Interbike in Las Vegas and they look great, new frame design. Wish I would have waited.
Bike Setup: Stock except Thomspon Elite post, Easton Monkey Lite Carbon Riser, Egg Beaters, Panaracer Fire XC Pro UST 2.1.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Bob
a Weekend Warrior
from Olympia, WA
Date Reviewed: September 14, 2002
Strengths: Value
Weaknesses: White saddle Creaky joints
Bottom Line:
Agree with all the others. Sweet ride - Great value. I needed to upgrade to discs after I nearly OD'd on adrenaline with the wet rim / old V brake pads combination. Rain happens here. This bike came out of the box clean, took about 45 min to be out the door. The only problem I've had was a steadily worsening creak from the vicinity of the bottom bracket. A few drops of 10W30 on each of the suspension pivots shut the noise down. I may need a bell now as hunting season nears. I am also thinking about stripping the bike down and painting it. The factory paint is good, I am just not a candy apple red fan. My experience with Supergo was great, 5 days from web site to my porch.
Similar Products Used: Proflex 855 w/ Risse shocks Hardtail and old Rigid Novarra
Bike Setup: Stock
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Robert
a Cross Country Rider
from Mesa, AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2002
Strengths: It feels solid under me and goes where I point it. If I'm not where I want to be just flick the front tire and I'm where I want to be very quickly. The 4" of susupension both front and back really smooth things out. I now sit going over areas I stood up for before and I find I am going straight up or down the hills now instead of looking to avoid everything, I now go OVER things. The front forks are excellent and easy to set up, the rear shock takes a little more time and effort to get it dialed in. I was a little concerned about the SRAM shifting since I was used to the rapid fire shifting but it has proved to be very easy to get used to. The shifting is fast and precise. The tires hold their ground very well and I don't feel like I'm about to wash out the front end. It climbs very well and lets me descend even better (faster). The seat looks like it would be uncomfortable but it is in fact very comfortable and easy to ride for long periods of time. The brakes work great, you can stop when you decide you need to stop but I have not felt like I was going to go over the handlebars at any time. With the components on this bike and for the price this bike just outperforms all the others.
Weaknesses: I have not yet found any weaknesses with the bike, it performs as well or better than alot of bikes costing much more. I do have a couple small complaints that could improve the quality of the bike. First - the brake cables are way too long, both front and back (they stick out away from the bike more than they should). If Supergo installed them correctly, which I assume they did then they need to be shortened up from the manufacturer by alot (inches). Second - I do some night riding and I use the Specialized Comp lighting set and I don't like having the battery on top of the top tube, its just a little to close should you misplace your footing at any time, either mounting or dismounting the bike. I almost forgot, I don't know how they came up with the bikes weight of 25 lbs but out of curiosity I weighed the bike and it was closer to 28 lbs right off the sales floor, figure that one out. None of these minor complaints has affected the performance of the bike or me so far, its been great.
Bottom Line:
So far I am extremely pleased with the performance of this bike. It seems light for a full suspension bike even at 28 lbs (25 lbs ???). It rides well, tracks good and it makes you feel like you are in control at all times. It is a relatively unknown brand here in Arizona and when people see it I get questions about it. I like riding something different than everybody else, how else do you know if its you or the bike that is making the difference.
Similar Products Used: I rode my buddies full suspension bikes, Diamondbacks, as a comparison before purchasing this one but this is my First Full Suspension Bike. I have been riding a Giant EB Comp hardtail.
Bike Setup: Frame: Butted Aluminum 7005 (2002 or 2003) Curious, I haven't seen anybody else say they have this frame. Handlebars: Easton Monkey Lite Riser bars (kept original bars but they were a little to narrow for my liking) Pedals: Weyless MG-1 Magnesium flat pedals (kept original pedals, just prefer the flat pedals)
Everything else stock as you see it advertised on the Web Pages.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Aaron
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2002
Strengths: -The suspension design works very well, not a lot of bob on climbs. -The parts spec is increadible for the price. -Bike is very stable at speed.
Weaknesses: -The rear shock is underdamped but works well otherwise -Specing a flat bar on a full suspension? Be in the now Iron Horse! -Supergo sells it! Great price but how about some f*$#ing customer service. Bike came with a leaking caliper that removed all the paint from the caliper body and contaminated the pads. It took Supergo over a month from the time they received the fualty caliper, lever, and hose to send me a new one. They then sent it in pieces so I had to spend a couple hours assymbling and bleeding the new brake. I've purchased two bikes from Supergo and have had customer service problems with both of them. Supergo has lost my business forever.
Bottom Line:
The overall quality of this bike is great. The rear shock is a bit underdamped but works well otherwise. The SRAM XO shifters and rear derailuer are great. I love the tubeless setup, though the stock Maxxis tires are not suited well for trail conditions in the NW. The Fox front shock is a personal preference and has no reflection on the Manitou that comes with the bike. I'm sure its a great fork. My issues with Supergo do not reflect on the bike but should be noted for anyone who is considering doing business with them. When they get it right, you get a great deal but when the screw up, prepare to deal with poor customer service.
Bike Setup: Changes from stock 2002.5 Hollowpoint -Easton Monkey Lite 26"x1.5" rise carbon bar -Hutchinson Tires -Selle Italia Trans Am Flite Saddle (black) -Fox Float 100 RLC fork.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jimmy
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2002
Strengths: Frame geometry, the amount of rear travel, curved top tube for more clearance
Weaknesses: frame is kinda heavy but it feels very solid
Bottom Line:
I built this bike up from frame. I love it however I couldn't get it down to 25lbs as it is in stock even with Raceface next LP cranks and Spinergy wheels. So, I think you are better off buying the wholebike. I also noticed a mistake in mtbr.com's description of the bike. The seatpost diameter should be 27.0 not 26.8mm, no shim is used. BB is 68mm English and 113mm spindle length. Frame is disk only. The rear suspension is actually a 4 bar linkage. The "dog bone" technology is just a modification of the 4 bar linkage so Iron Horse doesn't have to pay Specialize loyalty. Iron Horse had to change the design in 2002.5 (rear shock connects to the bottom tube instead of the top tube) because they were sued for piracy.
Similar Products Used: Jamis Dakota XC, NRS, Leader
Bike Setup: Hayes Hydralic, XTR drivetrain, Raceface next LP crankset, Fox Float RL, Manitou Mars, Spinergy wheels
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Brad Hogan
a Racer
from Charlotte, NC
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2002
Bottom Line:
This is a follow-up to my broken frame problem. I contacted Iron Horse directly through their website with digital pictures of my broken frame. Their product manager Todd Seplavy responded immediately with information in response to the warranty replacement. He had me use a local bike shop to service the warranty. They stripped the bike and sent it off to Todd's attention. He said I should have a new frame within a week, however, they were out of red Hollowpoint frames and I would receive a new frame from their "team" supply. Just like the Hollowpoint but all yellow with the white Iron Horse logo... sweet! I must say I was quite impressed with Todd's personal service in handling my problem. And to re-assure you that these are great frames, he said that of all the XC frames they sold in the last few years there were only about 6 warranty related problems! That is less than 1%. Now that I worked so hard to get a new frame sent back fast, I broke some ribs in a nasty crash on a borrowed bike trying to stay in shape for the race season! I should have just chilled and enjoyed my short down time. Now I am down for 6-8 weeks!Great bike, great ride, great value, great company!
Submitted by
DK
a Cross Country Rider
from Sun Prairie, WI
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2002
Strengths: Top of the line components for an excellent price. SRAM X.0, Hayes Hydraulic Disc Brakes & Manitou Super Air Fork on a stock bike.
Weaknesses: A tad on the heavy side, but not as heavy as some dual suspension bikes I've seen. A little peddle bob in rear shock and the fact that it took a while to dial in.
Bottom Line:
This bike is awesome. I have only owned this bike for about 3 weeks now, but I have been riding the hell out of it. I have already done things on this bike that would put my old bike O.O.C. till I got replacement parts in. It does bob a little in the climbs, but it more than makes up for that with how fast it is in the single track, on straight aways & especially in the fast downhills. Since I already had SRAM 9.0 Grip shifts and rear derailler on my old bike, It was a no-brainer to see the advantage of the X.0 package on this bike, and it is a night and day difference from the 9.0. I decided to write this after my first XC race on the thing, and it made me a better rider and I felt more confident. The bike made it out A-OK with only a bent tooth on the rear cassette. As far as anything else going wrong so far, just a bent rear disc brake. I will keep you informed after a few more months riding.
Similar Products Used: Tested a Gary Fischer Sugar 3+ and a Trek Fuel 90. Previously owned bike was a Raleigh M800 w/ SRAM 9.0, hand built wheels & a Rock Shox Psylo Sl fork.
Bike Setup: Stock, w/ black Selle Italia Flite Ti Saddle. I didn't like the white one either.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Brad Hogan
a Racer
from Charlotte, NC
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2002
Bottom Line:
This is a follow up to my previous post. After less than 3 months of riding my top tube has broken nearly in half. The break is on the tube towards the headset, but not touching any welds. I noticed a creak early on, but never found the crack so I dont know how early it actually broke. At first I thought it was the headset. I dont know if it is a design flaw or just a defective frame, but since it broke so quickly I think it was just a bad frame. I LOVE this bike, but it was such a great deal I cant help but think they cut corners on the frame. Hopefully I can get a replacement FAST! Supergo wants me to strip the frame and send it back... I dont have the tools or the know how so its gonna cost me money even before I send it off! I will post another review on how the warranty replacement is handled. I will have to see if the second frame holds up before I re-nig on the previous rating.
Submitted by
Ed
a Cross Country Rider
from Rochester NY USA
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2002
Strengths: Great Components
Bottom Line:
Supergo actually shipped me the 2002 & 1/2 Ironhorse and not the 2002 (even though I receipt said 2002 Ironhorse). I assume newer is better (or so I hope). Oddly even the Ironhorse website doesn't have the 2002.5 but Supergo's website shows it. It was a little slow coming but it was well packed and in excellent condition.
Biggest differences with the 2002 are rear shock placement - the white seat (I would prefer black) and the SRAM X.0 in the back.
I have put maybe 50 miles so far so this a primarily assessment.
The bike feels very light for FS - it is actually lighter than my GF hardtail. I am getting some pedal feedback on climbs but it is a little too early to judge as I am still dialing this thing in. Rebound damping could be better I am be expecting too much out of the RockShox. I wish they might have considered the Lockout version of RockShox but then again that is another switch to fumble around with while trying to ride. The bike did not come with much info on setting the rear shock up - if anyone has info please pass it along (although it should be the 2002.5 since they did change the geometery enough I am not sure if 2002 guidelines still apply).
I like the SRAM twist shifters - I was leary at first since I have favored shimano thumb shifters but I do like the ability to do multiple gear shifts quickly (good for the surprize climb on the trail). I do sometimes nudge them with my hands which can be annoying.
I assembled it myself - not too difficult - put the $75 it would have cost into more tools!
Overall a sweet ride - I would recommend it for the parts alone. Even the frame was a pleasant surprize - I expected a some corners cut here but comparing finish & Welds with my GF I have to say it is pretty nice. The Silver bar, seatpost and white seat detract a little - I would prefer all black but I am being picky.
Strengths: Very plush (you get 4 and 4), rear lockout, only 25 lbs (if you buy the whole bike)!!! The frame itself is heavy...in a good way. It feels solid, not like soda cans.
Weaknesses: Bearings look cheap. Iron Horse web site $ucks. It gives no info about the part specs of the bikes. Buying from Supergo is a risk you have to take. Supergo is known for bad customer servie.
Bottom Line:
This bike is nothing like the Giant NRS I had before. The rear suspension is silky smooth. At Mt Pinos last weekend, I all of a sudden was able to catch serious air. I feel my riding skill improves by 3 folds. Wash boards are no longer noticeble. Buy it if you are a cross country rider who likes to do technical trails. The frame feels solid. Nothing like the soda can feel of my NRS. The frame is so heavy that I don't know how Iron Horse get the weight of the whole bike down to 25 lbs. Overall, this is a solid bike packed with incredible values.
Howdy,
Does anyone know if a MKIII Trail Hollowpoint front triangle will mate up to a 2008 rear triangle. I'm trying to build up from scratch my first IH. Any help and/or sugge Read More »
I have had the 04 hollowpoint for some time, and I have been very happy with it. Today I found a crack and bending where the brace for the seatstay is clamped. I didnt think this Read More »
Does anyone know the Standover heigth (in inches) of the 2004 IH Hollowpoint Expert, size 17"?
At which point of the top tube is this measure taken? At the highest just behing Read More »
Greetings All,
I have been riding my ironhorse hollowpoint team since purchased new in 04. Absolutely love the bike. A while back I bottomed the rear suspension, snapped the sea Read More »
Hello,
Looking for 03-04 Hollowpoint suspension parts - specifically the black suspension arms for a large frame. Also other parts (bolts, arms, etc...) The right-side suspens Read More »
