Submitted by
Conrad
a Weekend Warrior
from Lincoln, NE, USA Date Reviewed: April 21, 2003
Favorite Trail:
alleys and parking garages at 3am
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$750.00
Purchased At:
Honker Hanger (no longer in biz)
Strengths:
good solid frame, good parts (excellent wheels) great handling. the UPS brown paint is the best part.
Weaknesses:
the stock parts cut a few minor corners (saddle, stem, headset). i put on a better WTB saddle (with gold glitter vinyl to match) and a synchros stem. i replaced the stock aheadset with a gold chris king.
Similar Products Used:
1998 Bianchi B.O.S.S.
Bike Setup:
stock except for saddle/stem/headset upgrades mentioned above, plus Bontrager RE-1 clipless pedals
Bottom Line:
This is my 2nd aluminum mtn bike. I'm a steel-is-real guy and a die hard roadie, but the single speed bug bit me and I had to try one. Before this I had a 1998 BOSS (the orange one) but sold it because the 19.5" didn't fit (they didn't make a 21" inch size until 1999). I passed on the freaky green 1999 BASS, and as soon as I got word the new 2000 model was gonna be brown I ordered one immediately. I love this bike. I named him 'Rocinante' (after Don Quijote's brown horse). This BUSS is the baddest a** mtn bike in Nebraska! Little kids lean outside their mom's cars as they pass yelling "cool bike"! indierock girls coo at the brown paint. the gold parts scream 'Pimp Daddy'! Ok, I digress. You wanna know how it rides? It's a single speed and it's aluminum. Simple, stiff, and great handling. Great wheels (pauls hubs, wtb rims, nanorapter tires). I've ridden the wheels thru hell and they are still true. It's b*tchin'! No complaints. rock on
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Submitted by
Deke
a
from The Big City Date Reviewed: February 25, 2002
Favorite Trail:
The River Trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$840.00
Purchased At:
Back Bay Bicycle
Strengths:
Shifts great, Light, Fast, Does great wheelies, Fascinates the hell out of people, Simple to adjust Paul hubs, No BS Avid Brakes, Has only one speed, Takes 5 minutes to clean, It makes you smile.
Weaknesses:
1. Doesn’t want to shift when climbing steep grades 2. Makes you question the multi $ Full Suspension XC rig you own. 3. Definitely Aluminum
Similar Products Used:
Multi $ Full Suspension XC bike with broken derailleur inner wire
Bike Setup:
Stock with the exception of Shimano M515 pedals and a secret tweak that adds 5mph to your Average Speed
Bottom Line:
I always wondered what the hell these things were for. Now I understand. After your right thumb “air shifts” a couple times you don’t think about shifting again. When your RPM’s drop you simply stand up. I got home from my first ride both amazed and a bit confused. How can 1 gear do all this? I am not going to spew some BS about never riding my geared bike again, what I will say is that riding this is a blast and I will be doing it for a long time. If you can get on this bike and not smile…well lets just say you need some help. If the single speed idea has crossed your mind. Act on it. The B.U.S.S. is a great bike with a great spec. Go buy one.
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Submitted by
jim
a Weekend Warrior
from nyc ny Date Reviewed: August 21, 2001
Favorite Trail:
anything with bumps humps and stumps
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$489.00
Purchased At:
upstate ny
Strengths:
light and ugly. great to chain up and not be concerned about someone stealing the UPS bike.
Weaknesses:
pedals and the slip grips
Similar Products Used:
1967 schwinn sting ray
Bike Setup:
stock except the ringle nail pedals
Bottom Line:
I was interested in a simple single speed to buzz around town in lieu of taking my main ride out.This bike was sitting in the corner of a shop, dusty, paint touch up in spots, and the rear tire flat.After a test ride, the grin on my face was ear to ear.This bike is to much fun.After living with the bike the grin effect has not worn off. A definite must for a moutain rider in a metro area. Big value rating for the price i paid and big overall rating for the fun factor. Taka da BuSS.
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Submitted by
sean
a Cross Country Rider
from medford,ny, usa Date Reviewed: March 30, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Cathedral Pines
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$750.00
Purchased At:
carl hart bicycles
Strengths:
Race face crank, Titec this Titec that, avid brakes ! !
Weaknesses:
Comes w/platform pedals :-( Have to change grips every other month cause ya wear em out so damn fast.
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
B.u.s.s.
Bottom Line:
Awsome bike for a beginner s.s.er.... People say it is ugly, but i think it is the best thingi ever boughtt..
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Submitted by
Jeff Vance
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Cruz, CA Date Reviewed: December 21, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Plunge
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$730.00
Purchased At:
Slough's
Strengths:
Light weight, simplicity, ease of maintenance, no dish in rear wheel, good hubs and cranks, strong
Weaknesses:
cheap pedals, saddle, headset, bottom bracket.
Similar Products Used:
First ss.
Bike Setup:
King headset, Specialized/WTB ti saddle (from old bike), Time ATAC pedals (from old bike), Hutchinson Python Gold tires/tubes, Avid 25 single digit brakes, and soon a Phil Wood BB.
Bottom Line:
A very fun bike to ride! I like the simplicity and the light weight. I think replacing the stock tires with the Hutchinson Pythons made a hugh improvement. I run these tires at approx 30-31 psi and the traction, braking and cornering have greatly improved. I also get a bit of 'suspension' out of them. I plan on upgrading the bars to Easton Monkey Lites one day and that will also give me a bit more cush. The bike climbs quite well with the stock gearing. At times I want a 32t chainring and other times I want a 40t so I guess the 36-18 ratio is a pretty good compromise. I ride mostly in the Santa Cruz mountains and this bike makes you work to get to the top, but I am not walking too much more than I did on my gear bike.
These days I don't get to do as long of rides as I used to (a wife and 3 kids), so this bike forces me to get a more concentrated workout. I have not ridden my gear bike since buying this one, and that pretty much says it all!!
I knocked off one chili pepper onthe overall rating due to the poor original headset, bb, saddle and pedals.
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Submitted by
Ricky J
a Weekend Warrior
from San Looey Date Reviewed: November 13, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Anything Rideable
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$800.00
Strengths:
Great value, componentry, lightweight, handling, funky UPS truck motif!
Weaknesses:
Rather poor paint quality, rattly headset, clunky Shim- ano rearend
Similar Products Used:
My first SS bike
Bike Setup:
Syncros hinged stem, Titec bar ends, Selle Italia Max Flite Trans Am saddle, gold Chris King headset, thicker WTB grips, Salsa seatpost clamp
Bottom Line:
I loved this thing from the first time I laid eyes upon it- something this ugly, how could ya not? It's a real hoot to ride- it's my 'round town blast along the rail- road tracks companion. Simple and efficient, it's like a dog that fetches its own leash...always ready to go! Great handling and climbs extremely well provided I put in the effort. As you might expect, it's very stiff ev- en in this 21" frame size- my '99 Trans Am saddle takes some sting outta that as do the new grips. Plastic ped- als are super cheapo but mean I can wear anything; may replace 'em eventually (or not). Biggest gripes? Stock headset never felt secure so I swapped it out for some- thing QUALITY. Shimano rearend knocks loudly under most conditions. Who cares, it's superfun. I'm gonna go ride it now...
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Submitted by
Brennan
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles Date Reviewed: October 18, 2000
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
Supergo in Santa Monica
Strengths:
Light weight, low maintenance, quality components, good value, unique.
Weaknesses:
Brakes, pedals.
Bike Setup:
Replaced saddle and pedals.
Bottom Line:
This bike is a blast. I love its simplicity. The aluminum frame and rigid forks do make for a rough ride, but only really unpleasant on washboard surfaces. Climbing hills is a challenge and sometimes the rear wheel begins to spin out under the heavy torque. But when you find yourself on level surfaces, a nice gradual incline, or a smooth downhill, riding this bike is pure pleasure. A lot of people don't like the brown/gold color sceme, but I like it in some weird way. The ugly look was intentional. I understand that BUSS stands for Butt Ugly Single Speed. This is not a glamour bike. It is for purists who ride for the sheer joy of it and are not concerned with winning fashion shows. With some slick tires, this would also make an awesome city bike.
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Submitted by
Bill
a Racer
from Martinez, CA Date Reviewed: October 8, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Mitchell canyon, Diablo
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$850.00
Purchased At:
Napa cycles
Strengths:
Great line of componentry, paul hubs, race face cranks, Titec risers
Weaknesses:
pedals, brake levers
Similar Products Used:
first ss
Bike Setup:
747's, manitou sx
Bottom Line:
Riding a geared bike became cumbersome after 12 years, the B.U.S.S was exactly the cure for a climber wanting more. The ride was easily adapted to my style , the grinds just make one stand a bit more often. The aluminum frame is more forgiving than my previous ones. My first race on a ss brought home first place, and only 3 minutes behind the winner of the expert class . I have neglected my geared bikes since riding the ss , one month and 22 rides later this could be a revelation . The rides get easier and the steep grades are all manageable with determination.
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Submitted by
DAS
a Cross Country Rider
from Palo Alto Date Reviewed: September 1, 2000
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Light, great components, great geometry, cheap, prebuilt
Weaknesses:
Aluminim = OUCH. So ugly but I'm used to it.
Bike Setup:
I upgraded to BMX pedals, riser bars, better saddle. Lots of great titec stuff...stem, seatpost. Good WTB tires and wheels. I tried Ritchey spds and it's much easier to climb that way
Bottom Line:
This bike is great for the price. I got a pretty good discount since it was sitting on the shop floor for months and months. SS bikes don't move very well since they are for a niche market. I instantly upgraded the pedals, bars, and seat so total cost was about $800. The geometry and lightness are great. It handles like a dart on the downhills and it's perfect for commuting to work. I chose to buy this one instead of building up a mix-mash steel bike because the component package was just too sweet for the price.
Downside? I wish I had shopped around for steel bike, since it turns out I spend a lot of time on this bike. But, pain is part of heavy duty SS riding, and the lightness pays off when you're hammering up the trails. It's a painful ride, but that's more because I choose a SS, not because I choose aluminum.
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Submitted by
Fred
a Cross Country Rider
from mission viejo, CA. u.s.a Date Reviewed: August 23, 2000
Favorite Trail:
any trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
The Bike Co.
Strengths:
frame and most of the components
Weaknesses:
headset bottombracket plastic peddles and brakes
Similar Products Used:
someones homemade singlespeed at a local trail.
Bike Setup:
mostly stock except for 747 peddles, EA70 monkey lite 2in. riser aluminum bars and selle italia flite ti. saddle also added xtr brakes and levers and Ringle` front skewer.
Bottom Line:
Other than the cheese ball bb and headset that will be replaced real soon this is the most compliant frame set I have ever ridden. If you stay off the brakes in severe bumpy sections you will be rewarded with a surprisingly smooth ride considering this is a totally rigid bike. If your lungs and heart can hold up to the abuse on the climbs you will be passing people in their granny rings like they are standing still. For the price and the amount of pure enjoyment one recieves from this bike this thing rules! One last thing is the pain only lasts a few moments and the satisfaction of doing your old trail on a ss is endless.
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Submitted by
TONY THEBUTCHER
a Cross Country Rider
from NEWCASTLE CA. Date Reviewed: July 20, 2000
Favorite Trail:
HOLE IN THE GROUND
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
LIGHT, LOW MAINTENENCE,NICE ANGLES.
Weaknesses:
TITEC SEAT POST BENT RIGHT AWAY. CRAPPY BRAKES.
Similar Products Used:
NONE
Bike Setup:
747'S, XTR POST,BRAKES,LEVERS AND B/BRACKET. SUPERFLY FORK,SERFAS BMX GRIPS. THE REST STOCK.
Bottom Line:
I BOUGHT THIS BIKE TO SAVE $$$ ON DRIVE TRAIN COMPONENTS DURING WINTER, WITH ALL THE MUD AND RAIN.AFTER A FEW MINOR UPGRADES, I SOON ENJOYED RIDING IT OVER MY OTHER BIKES.I FOUND IT TO BE A USEFULL TOOL IN COMPETING IN THE GEARED SPORT CLASS IN MY AGE GROUP.THIS BIKE WILL MAKE YOU A FASTER CLIMBER, WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER!!!
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Submitted by
Andy Friefeld
a Cross Country Rider
from Tucson, AZ Date Reviewed: May 17, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Milagrosa Trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Light, stable handling, good parts spec for the price
Weaknesses:
Not that quick, cheap bottom bracket and headset. The Koski Fastback seat is really uncomfortable to me; i'll be replacing it soon.
Similar Products Used:
None, only singlespeed i've tried
Bike Setup:
Stock except I replaced the pedals with 747's
Bottom Line:
This is a really fun bike to ride as long as the climbs aren't too steep. It's light and easy to flick around. The stable handling makes the lack of a suspension fork much less of an issue than I thought it would be. I still use my full suspension bike for the really technical rides, but this bike is great to ride most places and it's really helping to improve my skills.
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Submitted by
Drew Jean
a Racer
from College Station,Tx Date Reviewed: May 11, 2000
Favorite Trail:
dirt, I'm not picky otherwise
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Lots of top-shelf components: Paul hubs,Race-face cranks,WTB rims and tires,Titec controls,Avid brakes
Weaknesses:
crappy plastic pedals and rinky-dink front skewer from the factory--the grips felt too firm to me
Similar Products Used:
mt. bikes in general, no other single speeds
Bike Setup:
Giro Nisene cow saddle, Yeti grips, Time atac pedals, otherwise-out of the box
Bottom Line:
Great bang for the buck. Anyone who is getting burned-out on technology and is looking for a new way to enjoy the sport should check out this bike. Its simplicity is the answer. It can make racers faster by making them focus on keeping momentum going, and smoother by teaching them to loosen up more to absort the terrain. It's ugly as sin (looks sort or like the UPS truck that delivered it), but is a blast on the trail!
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Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Rosa Ca Date Reviewed: April 1, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Rough Go..Annadel
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Price, Weight, Components
Weaknesses:
Ridgid fork
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Added 535 pedals and a 98 Judy XC With heavy springs.
Bottom Line:
Love this bike for the money. As a backup and a trainer, it can not be beat. Very agile and quick compared the multi speed I own. Only fault was the ridgid fork. I hear people say that this is "pure" or some crap like that. In reality, its abuse. Since the fork addition, it tears through rocks. and still climbs well with the stiff springs. Recommend bike to anyone interested in a single speed that will not break the bank.
$ 839.99
Overall Rating:
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