Submitted by
Drew
a Downhiller
from C-burg, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2009
Strengths: Bomb proof. Really plush suspension that can take a beating. 24" rear is nice because I don't have to worry about bending/breaking/truing it all the time.
Weaknesses: WEIGHT! It really sucks if you live somewhere where you have to push it up the hill...
Bottom Line:
Great inexpensive bike that can keep up with some of the newer stuff coming out for a fraction of the cost. It's heavy (in large part due to the monster t) but it will really take a beating without letting you down.
Similar Products Used: One of my mates Giant faith1
Bike Setup: 06 rear so i can run 26', 06 fox 3 way rear shock,05 juicy five f/b, atomlab hubs, race face bars and stem, white mtx rims, 05 bomber 66rch2, sram x9 short cage, maxxis minion front and back, front part of frame is painted bronze pearl mattelic the rear is black
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Submitted by
davo brown
a Downhiller
from geelong australia
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2007
Strengths: Awesome for jumping and good cornering its also prety light
Weaknesses: "The damn 24' back wheel,just not fast enough"
Bottom Line:
Will never buy a different brand bike again...AWESOME!
Similar Products Used: One of my mates Giant faith1
Bike Setup: 06 rear so i can run 26', 06 fox 3 way rear shock,05 juicy five f/b, atomlab hubs, race face bars and stem, white mtx rims, 05 bomber 66rch2, sram x9 short cage, maxxis minion front and back, front part of frame is painted bronze pearl mattelic the rear is black
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Submitted by
John Edwards
a Downhiller
from Perth Australia
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2007
Strengths: Great bike. I love it. Handles anything. I put a 3 ring as i like to ride around. Bit heavy but not too bad.
Weaknesses: Derallieur hanger. I have broken 4 of them.. once had to weld one back together as so hard to get.
I was first looking at a norco buzz and i thought wow this is a pretty good bike but as i saved my mony for it i decided to just take another look at another store i was thinking no way anything can beat norco so as im looking i see all thease specialized bike and im like wow these thease bike are way better. Thats when i starter riding specialized i would highly recomend them they can eat up anything!
Strengths: bike is really good. whole set up just goes really well looks a beast not going 2 brake it weighs a good amount to nicest bike i riding apart from demo 8
Weaknesses: 24' back wheel, colour!!!!! o well it not what it loks like what is rides like !
Bottom Line:
brill bike very cheap will NOT BRAKE buy it nuva gd produt form specialized
Strengths: Geometry is amazing, so many variations for headtube angle. Its super awsome on the drops, and its quite forgiving when you case the bigone.
Weaknesses: At 50 pounds its brutal on the hill climbs.
Bike Setup: Monster Ts, Mpr Chain guide, 04 double tracks, xtr-Lx didnt last very long, Maxis High roller in the rear and Intense Super tacky Dh in the front, Monkey light bars, ruffian lock-ons, Avid Jucy 5s-Best two piston brake in the world.
Strengths: big travel strong DH freeride frame for a super cheap price!! ideal for a poor student! rides really well accross pretty much any terrain munching over anything in its path. quite light considering what its designed for!
Weaknesses: few weaknesses. first bloody awkward rear brake hose mounts and a lack of a front mech mount. 24 inch wheel works well but can prove difficult to find good replacement tyres for the good old british winters!high roller works real well in the dry though.
Bottom Line:
this bike looks and is the bollox especially when you consider the price and look at the rivals at this price. tried and tested suspension design that works and strength to weight is good. 8.1 inches of travel is ideal for just about everything down but ok not so good for the ups as it does bounce a bit. Would probably ride super nice with a shiver up front but unfortunatly too much cash for little me!!
Similar Products Used: santa cruse Bullit, Intense M1
Bike Setup: 03 boxxer team, sram 9.0, hayes with razer rock levers,MRP chain guild, Azonic cranks, Trucative stem
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Submitted by
Simon Dannoff
a Downhiller
from Stockholm, Sweden
Date Reviewed: December 17, 2002
Strengths: Its quick, easy to "ride in", smooth travel, exellent working linkage.
Weaknesses: it cant run with 26" inch wheels, leaving my deemax useless for now... and the steering headtube is waaaay too long. almost made it impossible to use my shiver. its only clamped halfway trough the upper crown =/
Bottom Line:
it is great for freeride allthough it has too short chainstays, it would work better with 26" rear wheel, it does great cornering and good balance in bigjumps, i havent tried it in high speed downhill yet but i think it'll work great..
its absolutely worth its price.
NOTE: this is NOT a stock bike. i just bought the frame and moved all my stuff over from the old bike.
Bike Setup: Shiver DC -01, Fox vanilla RC-02, MRP Worldcup 2 -02, Hayes hydraulic with 8" rotors, Halo combat 24" with 3.0 tires. azonic 3-piece chromoly cranks, XT derailleur, club roost stem and bar.
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Submitted by
Andy Boyle
a Downhiller
from peteboghorror
Date Reviewed: November 20, 2002
Strengths: cheap, strong as special brew, dang fast.the 24" wheel means you can run massive tires.
Weaknesses: don,t fancy the colour much, the 03 frames in black are smart as...
Bottom Line:
This bike rules, why buy an M1? i run 24" wheels at both endsand have had no probs with handling, in fact i prefer it for messing about on tight british trails. vary stable on jumps and drops (which is good cos i'm not).the spring and damping seem fine for my 14 stone and are perfectly balanced with the monsters on the front. i've had stacks of bikes over the years but this is the best handling, best looking, fastest yet. i'm moving to vancuver next month and i'm not going to change a thing on it. SEE YA
Strengths: Amazing value, good on jumps, damn good on the DH
Weaknesses: wierd seat tube measurment (hard to find replacement tube) also the frames quite hard to get hold of (i think mine was one of the last ones)
Bottom Line:
This bike frame is amazing value and the on the debate of the 24inch rear i must say i could'nt really tell the difference.I would recomend shivers over boxers on this bike because the desighn suits this frame much more and the adustiable head angle is useful.
Strengths: Great price, and is strong, could not believe my eyes when i saw how cheep this was. If the intense M1 had a baby bro. this frame would be it. 5 yr warranty.
Weaknesses: only 24" wheel option, the rear mech hanger is like a twig, you can break it with your hands.
Bottom Line:
this a great frame, and for the money is even better. The 5 yr warrenty is good, and after that you can still get a new frame at trade price. Stiffness is good, and the rear shock soaks up drops excellent, as i've done 7 foot drops and not felt anything. BUY THIS FRAME!
Submitted by
steve
a Downhiller
from dundee, scotland
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2002
Strengths: strong ,stiff, smooth travel and plenty of it and its a bloody bargin at only £600 for frame.
Weaknesses: dosnt fit a 3" gazzaloddi on the back and a weak rear mech hanger I've gone through 2 alredy but BETD will sort you out with a stronger one.
Bottom Line:
this is a great bike. I dont know why people moan so much about the 24" rear wheel I havent noticed any difference pver the rough stuff and it take a hell of a lot more abuse.
This bike is equally at home on the downhills as it is on the big drops and its not that hevy so you can also ride it up the hills
