Submitted by
trescojones
a Cross Country Rider
from Queanbeyan,New south Wales, Australia
Date Reviewed: November 12, 2010
Strengths: Light, tracks responsively,great for singletrack,lively ride
Weaknesses: descending is good but perhaps not confidence inspiring,mine is perhaps a bit too large. Awkward seatpost size,but no biggie
Bottom Line:
Mie is black,blue writing,red diamonds comp,late 90s I think. Like my reynolds roadies,its a longtime friend, not just a frame and component combo. Lively,snappy,the best qualities of steel in a responsive and fun mtb. Gonna try out a 29er conversion and use drop bars for something different, might raise bb too much but who knows without trying.
Similar Products Used: Joe Breeze custom,Univega Alpina,Shogun prairie breaker,mongoose tyax, for broad comparison,litespeed ocoee, Cannondale headshock hardtail(cant remember)
Bike Setup: Roo x anatomic bars,syncros cattle,sram s9/or campag centaur shifting, xt front,magura hs33 hydraulic caliper brakes,brooks saddle
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Scott Wolfe
a Cross Country Rider
from Eugene, Oregon USA
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2006
Strengths: Light, stable geometry. my purchase price
Weaknesses: components compatability sizing (26.8 seatpost) 1 inch tubing.
Bottom Line:
Bought this bike cheap to get some older components off it for another project. It sat a year in the Lab awaiting it's time. Broke my Spot, so built this up for trails. Had a spare Ritchey fork laying around, so included it. Loved it offroad! Light, responsive. stuck like glue on climbs, kept you back on the descents. Rode it probably 300 plus times in 2 years offroad. Got into 29'ers and singlespeeds in 2003, shelved the bike. Then my commuter was stolen, thought of the KHS; built it up in it's current form. Been running 1x7 as a commuter setup; super comfortable bike. Canno imagine not having it and riding it as such.
I bought this bike around 1995, and I've put many, many, many miles on it. I ran it offroad for 4 years, probably 300 rough rides, and it held up beautifully. I replaced all of the components over time, except for the frame, seatpost, brakes and shifters. Can't blame the parts that failed, because I beat them to a pulp. In 99, I turned it into a touring bike and put about 5000 kms on it with 70 lbs of luggage on it, plus my 200 lb body. Now, in 2003, it's still great. I'm about to replace all of the components again, cause I still love the frame. Long live the Montana.
Strengths: light and strong frame, decent components
Weaknesses: seat and gripshift. the seat is a piece of crap, no badding and bad design to it. the gripshift might be a personal issue, but you could never get it to shift smoothly, i doubt the problem had to do with the shimano xt components
Bottom Line:
this bike is definately worth the money, even used this would make a great bike for someone who was ready to move to a race geometry frame.
I have ridden this bike almost every weekend on single track trails. On the weekdays, I switch out the off-road rims for my street rims (same rims and hubs with Ritchey slicks and a tighter cassette with the same dishing and spacing) and use it for all of my transportation. This bike is light and FAST! It has tremendous response and is more agile than my Cannondale (judy fork). In addition to the mountain tests, I have been run down be a couple of cars and the bike stands up to the tests. This is a good value bike.
Submitted by
Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Citrus Heights, CA USA
Date Reviewed: February 13, 2002
Strengths: Light, strong, light, great tracking, light, great feeling steel frame, and light.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
This little bike is amazing! I picked this KHS Montana Comp up at a local flea market for a giveaway price (who wants an old, no suspension, steel ATB?), and was shocked when I lifted it for the first time. This thing weighs almost as little as my custom built roadie rig! The bike was manufactured, most probably, in the early to mid 1990's, a time when rigid front forks were still the norm, and rear suspension was just a twinkle in a designer's eye. This rig weighs at least 1/3 what my 2001 Rockhopper XC FSR weighs, and the FSR is aluminum! The rigid front forks are actually refreshing, as I get a feel for the trail that I haven't experienced since...well, since I started riding on a front suspension bike. Even after hours of riding singletrack, I experience NO hand or wrist pain, and feel really no different than when riding a full suspension bike, except of course, I'm much less fatigued due to not having to drag a forty-five pound bike up the tough climbs. The little rocket tracks like a dream, and brings back a sense of fun that's been missing from my off road rinding for quite awhile. I'm even tempted to convert it to single speed, but I can't bring myself to strip off that nice XT/LX drive train. Hasn't thrown me yet, despite my best efforts at traveling too fast on twisty trails, and the steel True Temper AVR frame feels nice and stiff, with just the right amount of give when you need it. I used to swear by steel in only my road bikes, but now I've gone steel-only with my ATB's too :) and loving it! It's unlikely you'd be able to find one of these buggers laying around, but if you happen to turn one up at a flea market, give it a shot...my guess is you'll be leaving your full suspension rig in the garage and goin' retro!
Similar Products Used: Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo, Specialized Rockhopper XC FSR
Bike Setup: LX/XT group with NO SUSPENSION!
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gideon
a Cross-Country Rider
from Israel
Date Reviewed: March 27, 1999
Strengths: Light,comfortable,fast,fun. Good value.
Weaknesses: The down tube cracked along the point of the teardrop shape, and up the side behind the head tube.
Bottom Line:
I was so happy with the bike, I rode it for the tours I guide, travelled with it all over the world, reccomended KHSs to all I spoke to, but then the down tube cracked. I ride steel bikes partly for reliabilty, and +/- a year is too quick to break a frme in my book. 5 chilies for before and just the one for after.
Submitted by
MIKE
a cross-country rider
from HURRICANE, UATH
Date Reviewed: February 13, 1999
Bottom Line:
I had a 97 KHS FXT Descent, good bike, just a little heavy. Got it for a great price $600 for a full suspension-great deal. After riding Gooseberry in Hurricane for average one time a week, for over one year, the down tube gave away while trying to go down a steep rock, lock up the front brake and endo- in the process of going over the handle bars the down tube gave away. It took eight weeks and $300 dollars to get a new frame. The end reslut was a 99 new LT-3 frame only. According to KHS I was to hard on the old bike, even though the forks were not bent back or the front tire wrecked. After reading two other reviews about the down tube breaking, I would of not paid the $300 dollars and would of told them to kiss my sunshine. I do love my new 99 LT-3 frame, with the manitou x-vert r shock, and fox vanilia rear, great bike and riding up at gooseberry mesa in hurricane utah, to bad KHS does not stand behind their product.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a weekend warrior
from Toroto, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 17, 1998
Bottom Line:
Bought a 96 Montana Comp for $650 Cdn. Exceptionally light bike for the money. Rides very well. Had to replace the bottom braket after one year ($45). Was told by the bike shop that the original was of low quality. Unfortunaley the bike was stolen. If anyone sees a KHS Montana Comp serial# V50104715, kill the owner. Now riding a 1998 KHS Pro. Theoretically an upgrade, but I miss the old bike.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
bob o
a weekend warrior
from palos verdes, california
Date Reviewed: October 1, 1998
Bottom Line:
bought a older model khs for a really good price. except for the crankset loosening every 50 miles it's been a pleasure to ride. most of my riding is road with some singletrack...the 2.1's were exchanged for a much milder 1.75's with a moderate tread (probably it'd be useless in loose dirt or mud) as a compromise for the pavement. i especially light its relative light weight, comparable to most exotic materials bikes. i do a lot of hills and do a lot better on them than my roadie which is set up for time trialing.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a cross-country rider
from Manitoba
Date Reviewed: September 24, 1998
Bottom Line:
I was completly satisfied with everything on the comp which I got a MONTH ago untill I got 2 flat tires due to defective rims(shreads of metle inside) and a cracked frame right along the downtube, along with a few other things! Im starting to get a little p1ssed now but at least its all under warrenty.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bomberman
a weekend warrior
from SPECTAR INC.
Date Reviewed: August 25, 1998
Bottom Line:
The Comp Rocks!Its light, gotta nice (OX III GOLD TRIPLE BUTTED) flex in the frame.. upgraded the machine to full XT,mavic 517's, KORE head, Z2 lights for legs and a Flite kevler for seats MAN, ITs FASTER THAN SUPERMAN!! But i gotta question: i have a black & blue KHS Comp with blue KHS writing, red diamonds on the top and down tubes. Preeety cool designs, but can anyone tell me what year my Comp is? i bought it May this year.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
BRYAN FLOYD
a racer
from FAIR HAVEN, MI
Date Reviewed: July 21, 1998
Bottom Line:
I CANT BELIEVE THE PEOPLE CALLING THIS BIKE FLEXY AS A BAD THING. THATS THE BEST FEATURE OF THIS MACHINE. THE FLEX THIS BIKE HAS IS VERY PREDICTABLE AND CONTROLABLE. I CAN TAKE THIS BIKE MORE PLACES THAN I COULD AN ALUMINUM HARDTAIL. AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW I RIDE THIS BIKE RIGID AND I DONT KNOW IF I WANT TO ADD A SUSPENSION FORK. THE CHROMOLY FORK IT HAS DOES A GOOD JOB OF SUCKING UP HITS. I RECOMEND THIS BIKE FOR EVERYONE FROM CROSS COUNTRY RACER TO OFF ROAD HOBBIEST.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom Shirey
a weekend warrior
from Albany, NY
Date Reviewed: June 17, 1998
Bottom Line:
I bought a second-hand KHS Comp FZ from a guy who had it for a few years and probably rode it a total of 15 miles. He had no idea how nice this bike is. The XT shifters are way better than my old GripShift setup and everything else (LX/XT) seems ready to take a beating. I put a rebuilt RockShox quadra on the front and will replace the stem soon (too high), but am satisfied with everything else. The bike is barely broken in, but feels terrific in technical (rocks, roots, mud) singletrack. Nice Bontrager saddle and rims. Weighs in at just under 26 lbs. with the shock. Worth every penny.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Herc
a weekend warrior
from Lake Chelan, Washington
Date Reviewed: June 17, 1998
Bottom Line:
I upgraded to a 94 KHS Pro in '95 and still love this bike. I am big - 6'3 210 lbs. and this bike has never failed me. It is strong, fast, flexible with all XT componetry. For the money, it is a great steed and I'd recommend it for anyone.
