Bike Setup: truvativ huafelt crank, pro riser handlebars hussafelt stem, b66 forks, fox van r refitted with a 800lb spring for biggar jumps, slx rear derailer and cluster, arial bash gard and chain device, pro headset, hayes 9 8" brakes
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Submitted by
Tom Housman
a Downhiller
from Oswestry,Shropshire,UK
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2007
Strengths: Wicked frame,unbreakable.you can fit a longer shock for more travel(8" rather than 6.3")unique colour(!),one of the best frames for the price!
Weaknesses: the rear wheel & shock broke within 1 month of use,but they are 4 years old, so that ain't too bad
Bottom Line:
This bike is great for downhill & freeride,suspention is super plush(8" rather than 6.3")its not too heavy and the 24" rear wheel lets you chuck it around more! All in all,a wicked bike!!!!!!!
Similar Products Used: GT idrive 5 4.0 . giant stp. giant teraggo(my old bike) kona shred.
Bike Setup: 03 jr t,truvativ hussefelt crank arms,manitou swinger 6 way shock,truvativ gigapipe team dh bb,halo sas rear wheel,sun sos on specialized hub front wheel,truvativ husefelt bars,hayes hfx 9 hd 8" disc,mrp chain device with e13 bash ring,shimano alivo gears(soon to be sram X9)
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Submitted by
Tom Housman
a Downhiller
from Oswestry
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2007
Strengths: great frame,smooth travel,24" rear wheel,can put longer shock on it,good for downhill AND freeride!
Weaknesses: when i got it ,i blew the shock(fox vanilla r) within 3 weeks,and knacker'd the rear wheel.but they were both 4 years old.
Bottom Line:
this bike is great!wether your a dh racer or freerider,it feels sweet!i put a longer shock on it giving it 7.7" of travel,and it feels almost bottomless.the bottob line is this is a great bike,not for the uphill,but for hamering down it!!i paid too much for the bike because the shock and the wheel were broken,but i didn't know this at the time.still a wicked frame!!!
Similar Products Used: gt i drive 5 4.0. giant teraggo.giant stp.
Bike Setup: 2003 bighit comp frame with 03 jr t, halo sas rear wheel,sunn rim sos front on specialized hub.hayes hfx 9 dh.manitou swinger 6 way(very plush!)fsa pig headset,truvativ hussafelt bars&cranks giga pipe team dh bottom bracket.mrp chain device.shimano alivo gears(crap,but soon to be sram x9!)
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Submitted by
Danny Cole
a Weekend Warrior
from Fullerton,Ca
Date Reviewed: August 5, 2006
Strengths: Everything
Weaknesses: None so far.I have had minor problems finding the right tires
Bottom Line:
This bike is sick. Fast, handles well. Very balanced feel in the air. I have even done a brutal 28 miler on this bike. Was heavy going up and the front end was very light on steep climbs. But hey its not an xc bike.
Similar Products Used: ironhorse,trek. I love ironhorse bikes
Bike Setup: Fsr big link, fox vanilla 8" travel upgrade. Marzochhi super t pro. Azonic pedals, bar and seat. Thompson elite post.Kore elite stem ( stiff as hell) chris king head set and rear hub. Kooka bash gaurd. Panaracer DH pro front,irc kujo dh rear, sun single track rims,hayes 9 hydraulic brakes 8" rotors
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Submitted by
Mark Roberts
a Cross Country Rider
from Adelaide, Australia
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2006
Strengths: This bike handles really well due to the 24" rear wheel. For anything technical you are laughing! I found that the balance of travel front/rear was really good for dirt jumping as well ( I learnt on this bike and having the travel and 24" wheel was good for casing).
Weaknesses: It seems that Specialized are intent on putting their crappy components on their bikes. The bars, headset, seat, seatpost, front hub, pedals etc have all been destroyed on not so harsh stacks. (I went over the bars and managed to bend the bars and strip the seatpost.The lever design for the Hayes brakes is also crap. If you clip a tree or something it is likely that the piston will pop out as it did on both levers with my bike.
Bottom Line:
I have since sold this bike and got into xc (hence my name) however I thought i'd add my two cents. If you are just getting into downhilling and want to try out dirtjumping, racing, freeriding etc before getting a purpose made bike for and individual event, I would reccommend this bike, mainly due to the mid level of travel (freeride), the geometry (DH), and 24" wheel (DJ). I would also reccommend replacing the Spec. gear asap as well for safety's sake...
Strengths: Great frame, sucks everything up. 24' Rear wheel (most always) great accelleration out of the corners and good pop for drops and hits. The manitou swinger 3way seems nice on this bike, my budy has had problems with his 6way and I have had none with mine. Crankset and bottom bracket are really nice. Brakes stop decent.
Weaknesses: -Fork-good for DJ and Urban but DJ II on a DH bike? -Tires -Grips -Front Derailleur -Rotors bend too often, always straightening them, everytime I lube my bike
Bottom Line:
Great bike for building, only have to replace the fork and get a chainguide and you can hit anything. This bike sucks it all up. I hit 12 foot drops with this bike stock. With the 66rc on it this thing is like butter off 15 foot drops. I hit 25 to 35 foot kickers, gaps, everything with this bike. It loves it. The rear rim is bent, but it has stood up to more that it should have. You can overshoot or case plenty with this thing even. This book is now very burly by adding a strong fork. Buy this bike, and put a Marzocchi z150 and hit everything. Everyone compliments this thing, and with a new fork and chainguide you won't want to ride many other rigs.
Similar Products Used: Rocky Mountain Switch and RMX, Norcos
Bike Setup: 04 Big hit comp, 66RC, MRP system 3 alloy, Panaracer and IRC tires, Holzfeller everything, Odyssey mag pedals
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Submitted by
EPICjurneez
a
from sanjuancap, ca,usa
Date Reviewed: August 22, 2005
Strengths: unbreakable for my means! the smoothest, quickest, tank i've ever piloted.
Weaknesses: .....you can't squabble over component spec's when the msrp's so low to begin with!
Bottom Line:
i ride this beast xc while including as many hucks and frame testing activity as possible! it's heavy...i've developed new muscle bulk on my legs from getting used to the extra weight from switching from my ellsworth truth! since i run sub 700gram tires (mutano 2.4 front -- irc mythos xc rear 2.1....i've had a 2.3 pana fire dh on their for a while on the 26"), which theoretically brings down the weight a little. i have a good sense of control over handling the bike off drops and what not, so along with all the ridiculously plush travel the bike comes with, the lighter duty tires are plenty for me.
if you want to learn to kick the butts of your fellow xc buddies, train with one of these when riding alone, and then shrivel your xc buddies' egos when you switch back to your xc rig and smoke them! i even have managed to keep up with most of my friends on the bighit...
Similar Products Used: ellsworth truth? it's much lighter and fragile yielding less travel and fun.
Bike Setup: switched the rear wheel to a 26" sun singletrack! it came with an xt rear cog and thomson post, but otherwise it's stock.
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Submitted by
Bobby Jim
a Downhiller
from Santa Cruz
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2005
Weaknesses: Im only 13 years old and weigh about 95 lbs but when i hucked off a 10 foot cliff the shock blew on me and snapped in half basically.
Bottom Line:
It is a fun bicycle but its heavy as hell coming in around 41.23 lbs. Its climbs like a sloth after a sugar high but descends like a wild monkey on crack. Other than that its all good. Yeah
Bike Setup: stock except: Hope Gothic rotors, Atomlab DHR rims and pedals, DHX shock (as of now), 3.0 Intense rear tire, Chris King ISO Disc rear hub, Dt swiss Onyx front hub, Marzocchi Z150 fork cuz the fork sucks monkey, ect...
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Submitted by
Bobby Jim
a Downhiller
from Santa Cruz
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2005
Weaknesses: Im only 13 years old and weigh about 95 lbs but when i hucked off a 10 foot cliff the shock blew on me and snapped in half basically.
Bottom Line:
It is a fun bicycle but its heavy as hell coming in around 41.23 lbs. Its climbs like a sloth after a sugar high but descends like a wild monkey on crack. Other than that its all good. Yeah
Bike Setup: stock except: Hope Gothic rotors, Atomlab DHR rims and pedals, DHX shock (as of now), 3.0 Intense rear tire, Chris King ISO Disc rear hub, Dt swiss Onyx front hub, Marzocchi Z150 fork cuz the fork sucks monkey, ect...
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Submitted by
Bobby Jim
a Downhiller
from Santa Cruz
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2005
Weaknesses: Im only 13 years old and weigh about 95 lbs but when i hucked off a 10 foot cliff the shock blew on me and snapped in half basically.
Bottom Line:
It is a fun bicycle but its heavy as hell coming in around 41.23 lbs. Its climbs like a sloth after a sugar high but descends like a wild monkey on crack. Other than that its all good. Yeah
Bike Setup: stock except: Hope Gothic rotors, Atomlab DHR rims and pedals, DHX shock (as of now), 3.0 Intense rear tire, Chris King ISO Disc rear hub, Dt swiss Onyx front hub, Marzocchi Z150 fork cuz the fork sucks monkey, ect...
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Submitted by
Bobby Jim
a Downhiller
from Santa Cruz
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2005
Weaknesses: Im only 13 years old and weigh about 95 lbs but when i hucked off a 10 foot cliff the shock blew on me and snapped in half basically.
Bottom Line:
It is a fun bicycle but its heavy as hell coming in around 41.23 lbs. Its climbs like a sloth after a sugar high but descends like a wild monkey on crack. Other than that its all good. Yeah
Bike Setup: stock except: Hope Gothic rotors, Atomlab DHR rims and pedals, DHX shock (as of now), 3.0 Intense rear tire, Chris King ISO Disc rear hub, Dt swiss Onyx front hub, Marzocchi Z150 fork cuz the fork sucks monkey, ect...
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Submitted by
SCIFI
a Weekend Warrior
from MIAMI, FLORIDA , USA
Date Reviewed: April 5, 2005
Strengths: Just about everything like I said before in my review
Weaknesses: Still the spring is for a lighter person. Not like myself.
Bottom Line:
Pound for pound this bike is very good. What ever comes with the bike keep it until it brakes unless you change the spring. Oh yea and bend the seat. Over all the bike is well setup, you will find something wrong only if you look long enough. But remember that man made it so it can not be perfect. You will hear noises of all sort but I can say the same about my truck. I looked at the 05 bighit and if I could trade this one in and get that, I would because it is a big bike for big guys and I feel safe on it.
Similar Products Used: AC1 and all others like that.
Bike Setup: Everything that came with the bike but the seat. Had to replace it. Also the spring up to an 800
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Submitted by
james quam
a Downhiller
from dana point
Date Reviewed: December 28, 2004
Strengths: red,love how light it is on the gaps, smooth , plush, sticks to the ground prety well, nice, the price is a steal durability, attention
Weaknesses: fork, rear shock, grips, seat, very chattery even off curb, rear hub and bottom bracket totaly distroyed within 6 months
Bottom Line:
If you want a great bike that hauls down the mountains, than this is the one. For a small price, the benifits are endless. With some minor upgrades, the bike is comparible to one that sells for twice as much. get one of you want to test your limits.
Similar Products Used: kona, norco, switch, giant, bullit
Bike Setup: fork:04'jr.t rear:04 romic upgraded rims headset:fsa pig tires:maxxis highroller grips: lizard skin lock on hubs: shimono stem: azonic
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Submitted by
Tanner stien
a Downhiller
from camano island WA
Date Reviewed: December 9, 2004
Strengths: Good value and a pretty strong component selection, truvativ parts are nearly indestructible and can handle just about anything you throw at it
Weaknesses: The fork and shock kind of suck and the tires have no grip when its wet
Bottom Line:
Great bike and with a few mods is nearly the perfect bike. once you change out the suspension and tires this thing really rips. It is not a great climber but does the job. It can handle quite large drops, up to about a 25 footer and is great in technical sections. It is well worth the money, for a grand less you can have a better bike than most.
Strengths: This bike is beefy and will take anything you throw at it. The frame is very well constructed. With the 24" wheel it helps you stand back further on the bike to flow over some rough terrain.
Weaknesses: stock fork (not enough travel), seat, and grips
Bottom Line:
great bike, but if your going more aggressive you will need to change a few parts on it.
