Strengths: Frame design is bullet proof
Fast handling
Crazy retro frame from when Specilized were experimenting new downwhil frame designs.
Weaknesses: Front and rear shock are very dated,
Rear shock is very noisy on rebound
Bottom Line:
I am one of the few people on here who has owned one of these bikes from new, I bought it when i was 16/17 years old back in 1996, yes 1996 that was 16 years ago!!! I still cant believe i have owned it all that time. In fairness the bike has lasted with no problems other than servicing in that entire time. Its all completly standard and i love it!
It flys up hills well and tackles downhills great although compared to my downhill mates offroading can be tricky trying to keep up on the jumps.
I have just pulled it out today after not riding it for 5 years and i plan to get back into it again :) which prompted a review :P
Submitted by
CT
a Weekend Warrior
from Orange County
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2011
Strengths: Lightweight, strong frame, awesome climber for full suspension, good in cornering.
Weaknesses: Noisy rear suspension. Has bushings rather than bearings. Bushings may be making noise because they are worn or overtightened. My next project is to figure out the noise issues and upgrade to 9-speed XT.
Bottom Line:
I have the FSR Ground Control Extreme (lime green frame). It is a great bike for a great price...can't miss unless you are spending $1,000 plus.
Submitted by
nathankmc
a Cross Country Rider
from Eagle Mountain Utah
Date Reviewed: June 8, 2010
Strengths: For me it was the price. 15 years old and still running strong.
Weaknesses: Shocks are very dated. Technology has come a very long way since this thing was built.
Bottom Line:
This bike is awsome. I got it for 75$ at a pawn shop and it had been sitting outside with flat tires for who knows how long. I cleaned it up and got new tires and I love the thing. It has been super reliable and I ride all the time. Mostly cross country but also some big drops and some very technical technical down hill. Bottom line is I want to keep it forever and I'm glad to find all these review of this 15 year old bike.
Bike Setup: Haven't done a thing to it since it came from the Pawn Shop.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
GoneBroke
a Weekend Warrior
from rowlett, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2009
Strengths: Light weight, Great handling.
Weaknesses: Lack of rear shock upgrades.
No rear disk mount
Bottom Line:
I picked up this 12 year old bike in near mint condition. There were a few scratches from a bike carrier but that was it. Overall I love this bike. Considering I came from a Wal Mart mongoose, I have no real comparison. I just love the way this bike fits, and rides.
Bike Setup: Bike has profile riser bars with profile stabilizer. It has XT rear 8 speed derailer and LX front deraileur matched with LX shifters. Rock shox indy SL front fork and rock shox rear shock. Bike comes with ritchey pedals and selle italia SLRXP seat.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Andrew McWhirter
a Cross Country Rider
from Montreal, Quebec, Canada
When I bought this bike, I told myself I would upgrade the parts as they broke/wore out to higher quality ones to lower the weight and improve performance. I have the mantality that if it aint broke, don't fix it. Over the last 9 years (although 3 of those years I barely rode the bike) the only things I had to replace were the rear wheel, chain, Bottom Bracket and front chain rings. Everything else is stock. I don't see any reason to get a new bike at this point when this one is riding like new. I'm currently looking into getting a Risse Air rear shock and a new Fox Float 130 R '06 to change things up a little, and treat myself to something new and shave a few pounds in the process!
My Riding Style: I use this bike mostly for Cross Country Riding. I have ridden in almost all types of conditions. Mud, Bush, Single Track, Fire roads, snow, urban riding. I go off 5-6 foot drops regularly (Suspension always bottoms out) and love to bomb down hills on this thing. Over the years I have probably put around 5,000 km on it.
If you find one of these bikes for sale, GET IT. As long as you don't mind the out of ordinary frame design you wont regret it. This is one of the best purchases I have made over the years. My only regret at the moment is it doesn't support rear disk brakes, although for a few extra $$ you can buy a linkage bar to support it. (https://www.betd.co.uk/product_list.asp?CategoryID=111) Does anyone know a place in North America that sells this?
Similar Products Used: Manthis pro floater; Sintesi Mamba
Bike Setup: Rock shoks SID race fork, Risse Genesis Rear shock; Ritchey WCS stem, bar, seadle and pedals; Avid single digit Ti brake; Derailleur Shimano XTR 9 speed; FRM Weels
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Geoff
a Weekend Warrior
from Athens, GA
Date Reviewed: March 14, 2001
Strengths: Price, Weight, Frame Strength
Weaknesses: Rock Shox Deluxe and Indy SL front and rear shocks blow.
Bottom Line:
I purchased a $1450 Specialized Ground Control Pro bike with a whole bunch of cool upgrades for $360 on eBay. I sold the Shimano 858s and put on some other pedals I had, bringing the total cost to about $300. What a hell of a bike for $300! Very lightweight, and it will be lighter when I get around to upgrading it. The front and rear shocks really suck (typical Rock Shox). Lots of bob in the rear shock (upgrading soon to Fox Vanilla or something better), and they squeak like hell. Front shocks feel flimsy and elastomers suck. I think if I got some springs in the shocks they might be acceptable, but I think I will just get some Manitou SX-R shocks (had those on an old Gary Fisher, and they were great). Frame is strong and can take about anything I dish out. Components work well, no creaks or groans, ghost shifting, or anything else. Titanium spokes look pretty cool, but really aren't very functional. Titanium stem is a bit too long for my taste. Runs good downhill, and is more than acceptable going up. I can bottom out the suspension off of medium drops, however. Maneuvers well and would moreso with a shorter stem. Overall, a hell of a bike for the money I paid, and would still be decent if you paid about $700-$800 for it used. Before you buy, plan to upgrade Rock Shox to something decent (they really suck). Overall a great value in an intermediate dually. Great for downhill runs, fire roads, and tight turns.
Similar Products Used: Gary Fisher X.0, Schwinn S-10
Bike Setup: Indy SL front shocks, Rock Shox Deluxe rear shocks, Specialized titanium stem, Ritchey Logic ball bearing headset, Bontrager Race Light 5 degree Bar, Specialized bar ends, XT components except for front derailleur (LX), Mavic M231 rear wheel with titanium spokes/brass nipples, Hope rear hub, Mavic 220 front rim, Specialized front hub, Specialized Team Master tires, Sugino CSS III crankset, Shimano M858 clipless pedals
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Submitted by
T-Bone
a Weekend Warrior
from Littleton, CO USA
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2000
Strengths: Weight (built-up=25 lbs. and can go lighter) Strength (1st FS and it's taken a beating) Geometry (efficient uphill and down)
Weaknesses: None yet...
Bottom Line:
Would recommend this frame to ANYONE wanting a Full Suspension (short of needing a full-on downhill bomber unless you changed to a longer travel rear shock). The thing is MUCH lighter than I expected before I picked it up (barely used for $150 - I couldn't afford NOT to buy it!). Built it to 25 lbs w/used parts and will go lighter as parts get replaced.
It climbs "like a Ring-tailed Lemur" and descends like it's on rails (the IRCs are a tiny bit sketchy but they work). No noticable bob after I got the correct rear coil for my 175 lbs. Was worried about going FS, but I immediately felt faster up AND down. Medium size (17") is perfect for my 5' 9" height.
Bike Setup: Fox Vanilla RX; Rock Shox Judy SL; XTR der.s, cranks, b.b., brakes; Ritchey WCS peds, post, stem; Spec. BG seat, S-Works grips; Control Tech Team Issue bar ends, Nuke carbon hubs, Mavic rims, IRC Mythos tires, Titec Enduro bar
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a cross-country rider
from Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 4, 1998
Bottom Line:
I brought last years FSR Comp (1997) because i got a good deal. I was changing from a hardtail Cannondale, a big change i must say!!! Anyhow, it's 3 months later and i've finally got it dialed in. I had to replace the crappy elastomers, out of the Rock Shox, to speed springs, big improvement!!! The other changes i made were merely personal preference; 636 pedals, Syncros stem, Control Tech barends. As a full-suspension concept the Specialized kicks ass. It doesn't biopace like i thought it would (bit of advice, spin like a roadie), and on climbs it hooks way better than my hardtail ever did. Best of all, after a three hour thrash session, i can still go out and do stuff. I don't feel beat up like the hardtail days. I'd give it five, but it required a fork upgrade. So out of the box it gets 4 chilis.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Adam Dowden
a cross-country rider
from Austin, Texas, USA
Date Reviewed: July 1, 1998
Bottom Line:
Hey guys, I ride through lots of stuff. My favorite thing to do is hill climbing, but I do not race. My riding style is similar to C-Xountry. Is the Gorund Control (1996 model) good for any of this? I mostly climb huge hills. Some rock, some mud, some dry, what ever. I found one for $400 used. If I don't get this I might buy a KHS FXT Sport, which would better fit me and the way I ride? I am 6ft, 150lbs. Please e-mail me. Oh yea, the reason I am getting one of those or another used is because I don't race and I will not pay over $800. And I want full suspension.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin Best
a cross-country rider
from Montreal Canada
Date Reviewed: April 4, 1998
Bottom Line:
I've got the chance to buy a new 1996 model Specialized Ground Control in Dark Grey with RTB Forks for C$650 works out to about US$475 will it be worth it, or should I stick out for a 1997 or 1998 model and pay more, any advice from present owners of this bike would be appreciated.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a weekend warrior
from Brisbane Australia
Date Reviewed: March 24, 1998
Bottom Line:
i bought an fsr extreme at the beginning of the year, and i must say that it,without question, kicks ass. a very fast bike down the hills, and not too hard to pedal back up them either. i would definetly recomend this bike to anyone who likes having fun. actually i'm just spinning shit because i already said this is a great bike,which it is, but apparently all reviews must be more than 50 words so i hope this is enough.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
KK aka Scabman
a weekend warrior
from The Third Coast (Austin,TX)
Date Reviewed: March 23, 1998
Bottom Line:
I bought a '97 Ground Control FSR about 4 months ago. Test rode numerous other FS bikes in all price ranges ...This is the best riding of all after replacing the piece of sh-t Judy with a '98 Manitou SX-R ... also changed to XT shifters & front derailer, 747 pedals & an Azonic downhill bar ( about $1700 as equipped from LBS ). This bike is very adjustable. After proper set up it is plush on chattery stepped downhills, doesn't bob, really digs in when climbing, & tears up single track. Why buy a bike that lifts the back wheel when attempting to climb, is scary squirrely descending, has a spaghetti frame that breaks the first time you land after catching some monster air, or beats you to death because of terribly ineffective suspension designs. I'm a big fan of smaller independent builders, but I must give credit where credit is due. Specialized used the enormous resources they have to bring a line of bikes to the market ('97-'98 FSR) that have NONE of these drawbacks.{OK, it is a little heavy. But at 210 I'm not into ounce shaving} Try one, but beware, you will want to own one too. Ride on!!!
