Submitted by
charlie diebolt
a Weekend Warrior
from old lyme, CT, USA
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2004
Strengths: frame, grips, brakes and seat, plus looks
Weaknesses: fork, derailers, pedles, and rims
Bottom Line:
This bike is to bikes what british cars are to cars, they break all the time and when they do work they still suck. The fork is the worst ever it took me 2 monhths to break it in, pedles are cheapie, the tires were way too knobby for everyday use and the derailers broke all the time. the frame is the best part of the bike, its light and strong. If you like to upgrade your bike this bike is for you. Also for a real beginner who likes to ride on the street and maybe the trails too.
Purchased At: Old Saybrook Cycles( out of buissness)
Similar Products Used: trek
Bike Setup: contanental explorer tires, bulletproof bmx pedles, everything else is pretty much stock
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
C R
a Cross Country Rider
from Gunnison, CO USA
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2003
Strengths: Nice frame, stiff, light and decent paint.
Weaknesses: Everything else especially the fork.
Bottom Line:
This was my 1st bike. It wasn't bad for the money, but it was horrible off road. The shifters are big and bulky and required more effort than deore shifters. The suspension sucked but what do you expect from a 35 dollar fork. I kept getting pinch flats from the Mosquito tires even at recomended air pressure and they wore out very quick. I upgraded to Maxxis Mofo tires, slapped on a Duke XC and just finished upgrading to a 9 speed drivetrain. The bike handles awesome and takes anything I throw at it, technical decents, steep climbs, and killer drops. If your giving mountain biking a serious thought, save your money and buy something else. If its your first bike and want something better than K-Mart or Wal-Mart stuff go with a Jamis.
Bike Setup: Bontrager wheels, Doeore shifters and, derailers Promax front disc, Kore lite stem and handel bar, Manitou magnum R fork, Ritchey seatpost and headset.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Leon Parmiter
a Weekend Warrior
from Labrador, Canada
Date Reviewed: December 4, 2002
Strengths: Lightweight, good bang for your buck, comfortable ride
Weaknesses: Shocks are light stiff even on the weakest level
Bottom Line:
Very good bike for beginner riders, not to expensive, I would recommend it to anyone. By the way I paid $650 Canadian for mine.
Strengths: lightweight, comfortable ride offroad, inexpensive, good for tall riders
Weaknesses: front shocks are stiff even and the softest setting, TIRES SUCK--I had 3 rear tire flats in the first two weeks and have had 2 more since then. It could be the rims or the tires, but something is letting the tube get pinched too easily, even at the proper inflation.
Bottom Line:
This bike rides great offroad. The geometry feels really good for a tall rider. (I'm 6'2".) This bike rode much better than anything else under $400. As much as it likes the trails, it seems to hate the road. The ride is pretty rough on pavement, and 4 of my 5 flats were on the road. I've been cursing this bike sometimes as I ride to and from school, but have loved it every time I've taken it offroad on the weekends. If I had it to do over again, though, I would shell out the extra money for either the Gary Fisher Marlin or the Jamis Durango SX (next model up). The investment would be worth the improvement in suspension and tires.
Submitted by
Jamie
a Racer
from Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: February 24, 2002
Strengths: Light weight Alloy frame at a Good budget priced bike for a 24 speed that never lets you down. Good strength of the frame at the rear because of the shape of the frame.
Weaknesses: Comes with cheap cage style pedals & bad tyres.
Bottom Line:
The best MTB I have owned yet at a great price. Very good for XC racing & still has enough strength to do a bit off down hill, handling it quiet well.
