Submitted by
mountaintam
a Weekend Warrior
from Edinburgh, Scotland
Date Reviewed: November 28, 2009
Strengths: Quality components, Strong Frame
Weaknesses: Suspect Forks
Bottom Line:
I've had it for a couple of years. The core frame is quality, excellent geometry for my size.
I take it down occasionally to Glentress where it preforms excellently. While the v-brakes are fair, I'm looking to trade up to discs. When that's done, I think this bike will be perfect.
Bike Setup: Stock, bar Continental Mountain King 2.4 tyres.
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Submitted by
Lord Squires
a Weekend Warrior
from Adelaide
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2008
Strengths: It is a solid bike, mine is the 2003 version, so it doesn't have disc brakes, but the Vs it does have a strong and reliable. It also has a fairly decent fork for the price, not some dodgy ZOOM brand or whatever.
Weaknesses: I get the feeling it will break if I do anything to big, which has led me to getting a full suss, which is cool.
Bottom Line:
A good hardtail. I know that the newest bike is supposed to be really good, but my 2003 is good as well, with a solid build and fork quality. I think that the $500 I paid was an OK investment, because I have used it about 6 months and will probably use it more if I don't sell it. For commuting it is a good bike, but my forks don't have lockout, so it can be frustrating. The bottom line is that I like it, but want something better.
Bike Setup: Specialized Rockhopper Comp 2003 with 2003 Marzocchi Bombers 110mm of travel and good V brakes. In orange and black.
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Submitted by
Tee Woodham
a Cross Country Rider
from Sumter, SC
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2006
Strengths: 2006 Rockhopper Comp is a great mid-line bike. The components on this bike make it easy to ride. Base setup includes: Rock Shox Tora 318 (adjustable air preload with dampening and rebound adjustments) Avid SD-3 brakes and FR-5 levers Shimano Deore (front) and LX (rear) derailleurs Truvativ 5D crankset These components set it apart from all entry and mid level bikes.
The Rockhopper Comp is lightweight and very responsive on the trail.
If all that isn't enough, Specialized stands behind their bikes with a great warranty.
Weaknesses: Stock pedals are a hazard when wet!
Bottom Line:
Specialized has really upgraded this bike judging from past reviews. The only way to make this bike better is to slap $1000 worth of component upgrades on it... Point is, you will not find a better bike in this price range.
If you are new to mountain biking, plan to invest some time on the trails, and can afford the initial investment, this bike is for you. Likewise, if you have been riding an entry level bike and want to take the next step, this is your bike.
Be sure to test ride the bike and get the proper frame size for your body.
...and yes, your local bike shop is the way to go! I learned the hard way with big retailers and lack of support.
Similar Products Used: Schwinn (back in the day), Diamondback Coil EX, Jamis Durango, Specialized Hard Rock
Bike Setup: Stock except for Ergo bar ends, Specialized Pro Mountain multi-position stem, and Wellgo Magnesium pedals.
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Submitted by
noone special
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Cruz. Ca
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2005
Strengths: Well, it's nearly indestructible
Weaknesses: Way too heavy. The components that come stock on this is crap. Those Mavic X139's can only take about 120lbs then start to fold. Get a titanium hardtail or a Bianchi Grizzly
Bottom Line:
Don't get this bike. Invest in a lighter hardtail, preferably titanium or chromoly.
Bike Setup: 2003 Rockhopper Comp 23" LX everything, Mavic X139's, Kore Lite Stem, Bontrager Race Lite bars
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Submitted by
JEFF
a Cross Country Rider
from western mass
Date Reviewed: April 28, 2005
Strengths: solid bike, built tough and takes what you throw at it. decently light. has not needed a tune or any adjustments sience the initial break-in
Weaknesses: stock tires and brakes wear out FAST. too upright of a frame build. i tried my bros gary fisher hkek anf the frame is just streached out making it better for climbing(not a huge difference it is all prefrence, this bike climbs great for me)
Bottom Line:
its a great bike for anyone who is begining to get serious about mountainbiking. good value.
Submitted by
Bufflehead
a Cross Country Rider
from State College, PA
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2004
Strengths: Reasonable weight; upgradeable; good mix of mid-level, durable components
Weaknesses: Shimano M-420 brakes (upgrade ASAP if in actual mountains); medium weight spring in fork
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike! It will allow beginner and intermediate level riders to get there and back and to develop their riding skills. The short wheel-base, stem, and 71 deg. head angle make for a quick handling bike, but I did not find this to be a problem as I made the move from flat coastal plain to steep mountains.
The component group Specialized chose for the '03 Rockhopper Comp is great, except for the brake's and headset. I found the Shim. M-420's to be underpowered for steep mountainous terrain, but a quick change to Avid SD-7's fixed that. As for the headset, I just prefer to have something with cartridge bearings as opposed to those in a flimsy metal retainer. The Cane Creek is also sealed better than the stock Aheadset.
Overall, this is an excellent and upgradeable bike that can grow in ability along with rider skills.
Favorite Trail: Scotia Range, Lingle Valley Train, Beautiful Trail
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$412.00
Purchased At: employee purchase from Specialized
Similar Products Used: Hardrock's, Stumpjumper's, and a variety of Trek 4000 series bikes and Trek 6700. Also Gary Fisher Genesis geometry MTB's and Giant Rainier.
Bike Setup: Stock except for some upgrades: Cane Creek S-6 headset, Avid SD-7 brakes, Ritchey Pro stem, heavier spring in fork.
Strengths: the bike always got me into the woods and back out again. I ride it on quad and dirtbike trails all the time and it holds up with no problem.
Weaknesses: I had to upgrade the shocks from 80mm to 100mm, got some disc brakes and a XT, but everything else is stock for the most part.
Bottom Line:
The Specialized Rockhopper i bought and plan on keeping for a long time and i have no real complaints about the bike. Its always done what i needed from urban riding to quading trails to racing. For the price i paid it was worth the money and i would recommend it.
Similar Products Used: Hard Rock Comp 03-sold it for the Rockhopper
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Submitted by
Adam
a Weekend Warrior
from London, England
Date Reviewed: April 29, 2004
Strengths: Light frame, good looks, sturdy ride.
Weaknesses: Front suspension aint too good, does the job reasonably well.
Bottom Line:
This is my first proper bike and has served me very well.For the type of riding I do its perfect. As an entry level bike its great if you want anything more then look elsewhere...
Similar Products Used: Last bike i had was a 1990 raleigh ATB 15 speed! The difference in quality was unbelievable.
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Submitted by
Alex
a Cross Country Rider
from TOronto, Ontario
Date Reviewed: January 27, 2004
Strengths: The frame is nice and light. Bike is very responsive and a pleasure to ride (especially after my countless upgrades!)
Weaknesses: Fork was absolute garbage... it was a stock manitou... crank is garbage as are things like seatpost etc. Garbage front hub... garbage seat post
Bottom Line:
iuts a great entry level bike.. I bought it before i started any serious racing and to be honest shes not strong enough to handle continous XC punishment... but as a base its good to upgrade on (air shocks are beautiful)... and if you do its a super quick and light bike!
Strengths: Great XC bike. I have been racing with it for a year now and it has held up great.
Weaknesses: The manitou fork is not that great. I had major problems with it after 5 months of racing. I would suggest something other than that.
Bottom Line:
This is a great XC bike. It is extremely light (makes it a lot easier going up hills) but that is about it. I tried some dirt jumps with it and it started to fall apart on me. I also tried some drops (less than 3 feet) and the tires have bent so i would not suggest that either. If you want to do that I would suggest a Kona Stinky. But if your looking for a good XC bike this is it.
Submitted by
KimchiMan
a Weekend Warrior
from White Plains, NY
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2003
Strengths: Everything except for the fork. I like the frame and the geometry on this 17 inch-er. I'm 5'6 and most "small" frames I've been on kinda look like women's or kid size frames, but this one looks good and I have enough clearance over the bar. So far I've taken it on light trail ride and over the potholes of NYC and I'm very happy with the bike.
Weaknesses: The fork (Manitou Axel Super) is too bouncy for road, but good enough for casual trails. I don't ride hard enough to really test the fork, but if I did, I have a feeling it probably won't stand up too well because it's too soft.
Bottom Line:
I bought the bike off Ebay from a ski shop in Colorado. It was used as a rental bike during the summer at Breckenridge. The dude there was really nice and he cleaned up the bike and even gave me a break on the S&H. I think the name of the shop is Snow Wave and the dude's name was Carlos. Thanks for the hook up Carlos, although at $40/per rental, you guys probably made back the retail on the bike and than some.
For the price I paid, I am very happy with the bike. It came all broken in and ready to go. I ride mostly in the neighborhood and in the streets of NYC. I find that the fork is too bouncy for the road, but on trails, it gives a good plush ride. I haven't really tested the fork with a hard ride on a local moutain trail, but I have a feeling if I were to ride it really hard, like do jumps and go over really bumpy stuff fast, the fork will not stand up too well. But for the kind of trail riding I do, the fork is good enough.
I probably would not have bought it retail since it's more bike than what I need, but it fit my budget and now I'm very happy. I took off the stock pedals and put on a pair of beefy platform pedals. It lookes meaner like that. I will do more stuff to it to make it more of an urban bike.
The first thing will be to do something about that soft shock. I think it really got beat up during the summer rental season when it was in Breckenridge. After that I will try out some fat road tires and see if I can keep up with the roadies in Central Park who think they are in Tour de France or something.
Overall, it's a good bike and would definitely recommend it for all the weekend warriors.
Similar Products Used: Cannondale F300... Sold it to get the Rockhopper
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Submitted by
Doug
a Weekend Warrior
from Winston-Salem, NC
Date Reviewed: June 9, 2003
Strengths: Fork, shifters, front and rear derailers, rims, hubs, almost the whole bike. Best bang for the buck in town.
Weaknesses: Stock bar, pedals and tires. The bar is too wide - I have to change to a flat or cut this one down. The pedals (Shimano M505) hold great, but don't release great. Not sure yet if I'm just not used to these or what, but I never had a problem with my Nashbar's. The tires grip great on climbs, but washout BAD in mud. I think I'll change them to the Smoke/Dart set up I've been running, at least until the trails dry out some.
Not really a weakness, more of a warning. If you weigh more than 170lb, make sure you get the heavyweight spring kit for the fork. It bottms out and endo's VERY easily with the stock setup;)
Bottom Line:
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Worth EVERY penny. I don't think anyone else has a bike that matches this one in parts spec and price. It's a keeper.
Submitted by
Laura
a Weekend Warrior
from Logan, UT, USA
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2003
Strengths: the gel seat I replaced the custom seat with, the shocks, the frame, the whole setup of the bike is amazing. The price was unbelievable for the quality of the bike.
Weaknesses: the custom seat, the position of the handle bars (I had mine raised 40 degrees upward)
Bottom Line:
If you are in college and have a limited budget, like me, this bike is top quality for a reasonable price. I am also over 6' tall and this bike fits me perfectly. I would highly recommend the females buying this bike to switch the custom seat to a womans gel seat.
Bike Setup: I had the seat switched to a womans gel seat
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Submitted by
Charles
a Weekend Warrior
from Lewes DE USA
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2003
Strengths: Nice frame, quality componants, good entry level bike.
Weaknesses: Grips, tires (which may be fine somewhere else), wasn't sure about the seat at first but my butt has adapted.
Bottom Line:
This is my first mountain bike and I'm really enjoying it. I live and ride here at the shore and the tires that came with the bike just weren't suitable for our terrain which involves lots of sand. Fortunatly I have some experienced freinds I ride with who steered me in the right direction as far as tires.
Bike Setup: I switched to some nicer grips and changed the tires to IRC Mythos Slicks
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Submitted by
Frank Rizzo
a Downhiller
from Rocklin
Date Reviewed: February 7, 2003
Strengths: Nice fork, components, frame, wheels (disc upgradeable) The bike is for my fiance which is a beginner rider. It rides real good and the geometry on the 15.5 is great for smaller women. I think for the price the bike is very good. She loves it.
Weaknesses: The seat sucked, so I had the shop swap it out for a woman specific seat for her. Other than that I dont see any real complaints or problem with the design. The shock is a little stiff being that she only weighs around 115 pounds. I will have to look into getting the softer spring set for her.
Bottom Line:
Cool bike. It definately is worth the extra money from the Hardrock or the regular Rockhopper. The components make a world of differance. The shock upgrade is also a worth it. This would be a great bike for younger kids that want to start doing some trail riding and getting into more aggressive riding.
