Submitted by
Denis
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, Australia Date Reviewed: March 23, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Everywhere
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1099.00
Purchased At:
centennial park cycles
Strengths:
Lightweight, stiff Aluminium frame is great for climbing, Sram X.9 (rear) and Shimano XT (front, on my bike) work perfectly, shift instantly, best gears of any bike for this price. High Quality Easton Parts (Handlebar, Seatpost etc). Looks great with awesome black spokes and Michelin Tires.
Weaknesses:
The Hayes Sole Brakes on the bike were problematic, they broke several times and had to be replaced. Now they are working very well with Hayes Nine Levers (fingers crossed). (See my review in the disc brakes category). This is the first part of my bike I intend to upgrade.
RockShox Dart 2 fork has a lot of features - remote lockout and rebound adjustment - definetely a step up from other forks. However after riding offroad on some fast, bumpy track, I was disappointed, it was still to harsh, stiff and not soft / linear enough. I am yearning for a better fork, Tora anyone?
Prologo Nago Saddle is too firm - and no you wont get used to it. It has literally no padding, so much for carbon fibre inserts.
Similar Products Used:
Dunlop Assault - an extremely heavy full suspension mountain bike that had plenty of pedal bob, with fiddly gears and brakes and was only fun going down hill [when the 50mm travel suspension would bottom out :-) ].
Bike Setup:
Apollo Enduro 2008. It came with a Shimano XT front derailleur instead of Sram X.7 for some reason...
Bottom Line:
A stunning hard tail mountain bike that shows that Apollo had well and truly done their research and revived their awesome Raceline Brand from the dead. Suits any aspiring cross country racer. Definetely not for a recreational mountain bike rider!
Although it has a few glitches, namely the brakes, it is very light, and with the best gears in its class Sram X.9 / Shimano XT combo - this is one speedy bike.
Quality components like Michelin, Easton and Rock Shox really do work and bring a smile on your face and inspire you to race forward and go faster and faster....
So yes, I would buy this bike again because it inspires you to race, and set new records, like there are no limits
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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