Submitted by
Glenn Meade
a Downhiller
from Morehead, Kentucky USA
Date Reviewed: May 23, 2005
Strengths: I just wanted to update my last past made in 2000... this bike is still a great bike after all these years. It has been reliable and fun. I've had to replace parts from wear and tear, but very little. This bike has been fantastic for all these years. They just don't build them like this anymore.
Weaknesses: Original parts were Alivio and I have had to replace them all. The origianl RST brake was replaced with an Avid mechanical, with no problems.
Strengths: Nice looking,Strong Frame,exelent handling years of ABUSE!!
Weaknesses: Lose crank, derailer problems and after 3 years i needed to fix the shifter
Bottom Line:
Good value for the price and this bad boy took a beating. Yes it did as you'r not su'post to do stunts-- i do. after around 4 years of ownership this bike still rock's after a 13 foot jump i was shure somethang had to give- well i was wrong and surprized too as this bike can take what i dish at it (i play hard) to this date it's still working veary nicly and i put around 50+ on road, and 5 off road miles [less air time ;)
Similar Products Used: Pacific 4500. I sold it and bought this one.
Bike Setup: I kept the Ritchy seat,front handle bar(160grm.)and grips, tires and Jalco aluminum rims. Also the Shimano Alivio crank set,9 speed cassette and the RST front disc brake. I upgraded to Shimano LX Deore rear brake,levers,front and rear derailers,both front and rear quick releases and shifters. I replaced the Ritchy bar posts with Newk aluminum post and ram style combined; way cool!!! Replaced the chain to a Shimano IG. Didn't care for the RST front shock at all, so i put Cannondale's awsome Moto FR Head Shok on with FSA bearing sets and a 2" high black aluminum .250 wall tube for highth with a Ritchy aluminum 30 degree neck. I replaced the DMN frame shock with a Fox Vanilla gas with a 450lb 2" coil spring. I then added clip peddals,Sigma Sport 800 wireless with light,duel Cat Eye's for the front and a Cat Eye for the rear,Shockboard fenders and aluminum caps for the tire valves.
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Submitted by
Floyd Sawicki
a Cross Country Rider
from Racine WI, USA
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2001
Strengths: Good solid hand welded frame!!!
Weaknesses: excellent frame, but they put cheap hardware/accessories on the bike.
Bottom Line:
Kick ass bike!!!!!!!! By the time i was done rebuilding this bike, i stuck another grand into it. Really a great bike for the price though. With a little imagination and some extra cash; this is THE bike of all bikes!!!! forget paying four or five grand on bike when i spent about 1400.00. I made a great bike even greater!!!!
Bike Setup: I bought the bike at toysrus in box brand new and built it myself. As i was building it i relized that alot of the accessories were cheep. So i bought all Shimino, Fox Vanilla rear shock, Cannondale's awsome FR moto Head Shoc for the front, and clip peddles. I also have Cat eye's for the front and rear, Sigma Sport BC 800 wireless and front and rear fenders by Shockboard.
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Submitted by
Glenn Meade
a Downhiller
from Chattanooga, TN
Date Reviewed: December 27, 2000
Strengths: Good price, good quality components, been able to keep up and even get ahead of the big boys on their Cannondales, Litespeeds and Treks
Weaknesses: Sun Racer cassettes, chain
Bottom Line:
This is a really enjoyable bike. I realize the weight is a bit heavy for the uphills... but it might not hurt to get a little lead out. I find the bike very comfortable and full of action. It might take a bit of getting used to the bob up and down, but I do not find a loss of grip. I first realized the beauty of this bike going down Clemmer Trail at Chilhowee Park. I was riding behind some guys as I came up behind them... the Litespeeds and Cannondales bounced all around due to their lightness, whereas the YX 8500 bulldozed down the trail. This is a really good bike and as components wear I plan to upgrade... the frame is good and strong... good welds at all juction points. I changed the Richey seat to a Liberator and I am adding clipless pedals... otherwise I feel this has been a very good choice. It's just like buying your clothes at Wal-mart... you get good performance for the price... if you want Abercrombie & Fitch you pay for it... but I'll bet neither will last any longer in the wash.
Similar Products Used: Cannondale, Specialized, Trek
Bike Setup: Front Disk, Alivio Front derailer, LX rear derailer
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Submitted by
Troy Schade
a Cross Country Rider
from Middleton, Wisconsin, USA
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2000
Strengths: Tons of options at a discount price (RST front disc brake, aluminum frame, RST DH Elite front fork & DMV DV-6B rear suspension, Ritchey Z-Max tires,Ritchey handlebars & seat, Shimano Alvio components; Awesome cushy ride on even the most rocky trails (at least for Wisconsin.)
Weaknesses: Have to get used to the pogo-stick feeling in the front fork (only really feel it on pavement, it pretty much goes away on the dirt trails); No grip-shift on handlebars.
Bottom Line:
This is one awesome bike well worth the money. With all the options on it, you would be looking at twice the price if not more with another well-respected brand. Pacific may not be on par with Cannondale or Trek, but if you're looking for a dual-suspension mountain bike able to withstand the rigors of daily use on rocky, root-filled , hilly mountain bike trails and the road and are on a budget ($300-$500.00) this is the bike for you.
Similar Products Used: Huffy Verdict Dual-Suspension (Pacific is definitely a step up!)
Bike Setup: 4" front travel, 3" rear travel. 35 lbs. All stock.
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Submitted by
PAT
a Cross Country Rider
from ATTLEBORO
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2000
Strengths: SURE IS NICE LOOKING,GREAT FOR YOUR FIRST TRAIL BIKE
Weaknesses: WEIGHS 35LBS.,FRONT FORK BOTTOMS OUT TO EASILY AND HAS NO ADJUSTABILITY.
Bottom Line:
NOT FOR SERIOUS RIDERS,BUT IT GOT ME HOOKED ON THE SPORT,I ONLY PAID $350.00 TOYS R US HAD A SALE TO GET RID OF LAST YEARS MODELS,I REALLY DONT THINK THIS BIKE IS WORTH $500.00,IF YOU SEE A NEW IN THE STORES TALK EM DOWN ON THE PRICE,THEY ARE FLEXABLE ON LAST YEARS MODELS....ANYWAY,THE FRONT RST DISC BRAKE BITES THE SAME AS A GOOD V BRAKE.THE FRONT FORK IS LIKE A POGO STICK,NO DAMPNING OR PRE LOAD JUST 2 SPRINGS 4 INCH TRAVEL.REAR SHOCK BOUNCES AROUND TOO,ITS HEAVY UPHILL,DOWNHILL THE FRONT FORK BOUNCES LIKE CRAZY,IT CAN TAKE A BEATING,I WEIGH 230 LBS AND RIDE IT FAIRLY HARD.UPGRADE THE FORK IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT.IF WANT TO GET INTO THE SPORT AND DONT HAVE ALOT OF MONEY THIS BIKE WILL BE YOUR BEST BET.
Submitted by
gabe avila
a Weekend Warrior
from el paso texas (korea right now)
Date Reviewed: April 4, 2000
Strengths: strong frame, rst disc brakes, ritchey componets (tires, handle bar seat) great bike for the price period .
Weaknesses: front derailier is a suntour should have stuck to shimano. rst suspension fork not adjustable, bito on heavy side
Bottom Line:
a good bike for the price 500.00 is the price if you want a good bike for that price you can not go wrong done some serious biking in korea and holds up to the higher priced bikes , i would take this bike anywhere pacfic really did a good job putting this bike together could use some up grading in shimano components ...... bottom line if you have a budget and want a good bike this is the one. and who cares if you get at toys r us .....
Similar Products Used: pro corex winner dh alton attackb/jump trek 200
Bike Setup: ride it at least 50+ miles a week!!!
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Submitted by
skip
a Weekend Warrior
from daytona,fl.
Date Reviewed: December 12, 1999
Strengths: swingarm set-up,rst twin clamp fork and disc brake,rims,tires,-nearly everything
Weaknesses: no a-head type headset-yet-i guess they had to cut a corner somewhere for the price,no rear disc to match the front
Bottom Line:
in my opinion a great bike for the money.rst brake could be stronger,fork shound have type of adjustment.rides great anywhere and havn,t had a problem at all yet.a great looking design also.i give 5 stars based on value/performance
Weaknesses: POS Alvio components, rear shock's alittle bouncy, Saddle'll make you collapse after every run.
Bottom Line:
It only cost $500, 'nuf said... well not quiite, I didn't ride it out of Toys 'R Us. First thing I did was LUG (30-35lbs.) the box to a Bike Shop so they could assemble it. That's not the end, 10 miles into its life, the frnt derailleur broke. For +/-$400 I upgraded the d@#n Alvio Components to 8-spd XT. No problems since... yet For $900 this bike's not bad.
Strengths: This bike frame is built very strong and should last the average person a lifetime when not abused. Pacific decided to use alot of well known products in the biking industry(Ritchy,RST,Shimano)
Weaknesses: I felt that for a downhill bike the front fork should be a lot stiffer. I myself weigh in at a small 125 and I can easily bottom out the front fork. i also found that the rear suspention is also a little to bouncy when just riding flat terrain.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line here is that yes you do get a geat bike for a small $500.00 with well known components. But Pacific should have used stiffer springs in the front fork and a better rear shock and spring settup in the rear. All in all Pacific has built themselvs a great bike and should market their equipment in bike shops instead of a TOYS r US company.
Strengths: +Disc brake +Name brand smooooth suspension +Relatively inexpensive for what you get (RST disc brake, RST fork, DNM rear suspension, Alivio components)
Weaknesses: -Tiny bit heavy (not 35 lbs, but probably in the 30 lb range) -Comes in one size (it does do a good job of fitting alot of people, but some people just won't be able to fit it)
Bottom Line:
I don't have this bike, but I tried it out and it works great. You could definetly notice the rear suspension bobbing out of the saddle, but it didn't seem to waste much energy. The RST front fork should hold up for a while and the rear suspension is name brand (DNM). The RST cable actuated brake means you'll have to suffer cable stretch, and adjust it regularly, but becase it's a disc it will definetly have better wet stopping power in the wet. (Than V brakes)As long as you have some knowledge of how to fit a bike (don't think about having Toy's R Us fit you) and how to set it up well (dept. store assembly isn't first class) You should love this bike. The disc brake costs $150, then another $150 or so for the fork, maybe $75 for the rear shock, even the handlebar is $30 at most mailorder places, so that's over $400 not including the frame, drivetrain, stem, saddle, wheels, etc etc! This is a great buy!
Submitted by
Krazy Freddy
a Weekend Warrior
from Ventura, CA
Date Reviewed: May 22, 1999
Bottom Line:
This bike rocks! Yeah, yeah...it's a Toys-R-Us bike...who cares. For $500 I haven't seen anything else this good. I think this bike is the upgrade from the YX8000. Some of the upgrades are a beefier frame, Ritchey Z-max tires, RST DH-Elite front suspension, RST cable actuated front disc brake (which works exceptionally well with no hydraulic mess), a Shimano Alivio drive train (which is really good except for the front derailleur) and a lifetime warranty on the frame. Pacific also got rid of the triangular rear swing arm and replaced it with a single piece swing arm...almost identical to the K2 4000. Most other full suspension bikes I've seen between $500 - $900 suck compared to this. This bike reacts like a top of the line bike when doing downhill runs...the rear suspension is plush (probably because the swing arm pivot is 2 inches up from the crank shaft). The bad points: it's heavy (as are most full suspension bikes)...around 35lbs so uphilling for my skinny legs is a pain. And the water bottle either goes along the bottom of the frame where the front tire hits it when fully compressed, or on the back of the seat post mount where the rear tire hits it when almost fully compressed. Also, the Alivio front Derailleur is weak. I have to give this bike the full five flaming chili's because of it's price/perfomance margin. The next closest bike that can do what this bike does would cost at least 1,300 bux.
