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Submitted by
Jon
a Racer
from Steamboat Springs Colorado
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | MRP | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$750.00 | | Purchased At: | Garage Sale (Lucky M | | Strengths: | I love the xtr rear derailer. The Fox fork and rear shock work great. I have had no problems climbing hills and doing drops of a couple feet. | | Weaknesses: | None that I know of | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Pitch, Rockey Mountain Slayer, Specialized XC | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for oury grips and shimano SPD pedals | | Bottom Line: | I have rode this bike for over 800 miles. I have had no problems yet. I race in the local towm challenges with no problems. I like to take this bike over the technical sections because it can handle them with ease. My buddy baught a specialized Pitch and has had a few problems with it. This is just a great bike !!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Will Jameson
a Weekend Warrior
from Fairfield, CT
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Trout Brook | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Light weight, pretty paint job. Genesis geometry | | Weaknesses: | Chain suck chain suck chain suck.... I have been riding for over 10 years and never had any issue with chian suck until I bought this frame. Something is wrong with the chain-line set up. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized FRS XC | | Bike Setup: | Full XT set up with Rhino lite rims. | | Bottom Line: | Responsive light and fast, climbs like a goat and descends well - it goes where you point it. The geometry, although weird at first is cool once you get into the groove. This frame is a delight when the chain stays on the chain rings BUT it just will not stay there. The chain suck - well... sucks! My chain came off 3-5 times a session and broke maybe 1 in 3 rides.
Bottom line - I had to sell it because of the chain suck. The frame was never correctly engineered which causes the constant chain suck; consequently the ride is so unreliable it should have never gone on sale. Disappointing because other than that Ms Lincoln – its a great frame…
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Lake Almanor, CA. USA
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Auburn and Tahoe | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Sharp Bikes Lafette CA | | Strengths: | Geometry, Frame design i.e. low top tube, Light enough, Fox shocks front and rear, after 2 years of riding and a lot of miles I can say its still a rock solid bike. | | Weaknesses: | No major - just nit picking, tubeless tires are hard to remove from rim of the wheel, the break lever and the shifters are one unit, so you cannot replace the break lever w/o replacing the whole unit. | | Similar Products Used: | GT Karakoram, Specialized Stumpjumper fsr | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for Easton carbon fiber monkey light handle bar. | | Bottom Line: | This is an update; I have had the bike for about 2 years now. Still love the bike; never have the desire to sell it because I am so happy with. I don’t really take good care of it as in washing it or anything else, but still never any problems. Like I said rock solid, and very athletic bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
h2
a Weekend Warrior
from SLC, UT
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | any southern UT singeltrack | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1120.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS in CO | | Strengths: | tough as nails, smooth ride, bike is capable of way more than i am, fork & rear shock are dreamy | | Weaknesses: | some stock components are not worthy of the rest of this bike (see bottom line below), no rear lockout | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Enduro, Kona Bear, Cannondale full susp., Trek hardtail | | Bike Setup: | stock except WTB saddle, SRAM cassette and chain, Truvativ crankset, Crank Bros (Eggbeaters) Mallet pedals | | Bottom Line: | bike is amazing. got mine at unbelievable price, thanks to store going out of business. may even be worth paying full MSRP price, though. will do anything i ask it. everytime i ride, i'm in awe of how smooth, stable, tough it is and what it can handle. bike actually makes me a better rider. now i just need to learn to ride hard enough to really use it's full potential.
as noted in the weaknesses, my only comments of value may be to upgrade some of the stock items. i noticed creaking and had some trouble with chain suck and shifting under torque. after doing some research (on MTBR.com - God bless you), found that upgrading the crankset, chain and cassette solved this. these OEM components did not seem on par with rest of bike, especially the chain (Shimano HG72). also installed Crank Bros Mallet pedals (my first clipless pedals and i can't say enough about them). and uprgraded the saddle to a WTB Laser V (fits me better, OEM Titec saddle had odd shape and felt very stiff).
i may look to upgrade the original Bontrager Race wheels, but that's more because of research i've done and not because i've noticed any particular problems with the stock setup.
i also would have liked to see a rear lockout on the dreamy Fox Float R rear shock, but this stopped being a concern once i learned to climb on a full suspension bike.
bottom line: if you're considering buying this bike, do it. don't even hesitate. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
eric hadzima
a Cross Country Rider
from rockville md
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | patapsco | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | revolution cycles | | Strengths: | frame/suspention the fox TALAS is awsome it feels like a coil but is lighter and more adjustable . The 32mm sanctions give you confedence to ride through anything. the wheels are also TUBELESS bontrage race . GENISIS GEOMETRY sets you perfectly on the bike , and allows you to go on over or down anything | | Weaknesses: | does nt come with tubeless tires | | Similar Products Used: | fisher CAKE, sugar 3+ , countless hardtails enduro | | Bike Setup: | michilen tubeless 2.3 rear and wtb mutano raptor race 2.4 front, race face system stem, old school flite Ti | | Bottom Line: | perfect for varing conditions,agressive x-country, and 24 hour races . dont buy it if you want to enter dowhill races or need disc brakes | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kris Buckles
a Cross Country Rider
from Carmel, Indiana, USA
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Nebo Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Line Carmel | | Strengths: | Comfortable, Nimble and down right fun to ride | | Weaknesses: | It's so adjustable it's difficult picking the ride | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher Pro Cal, and Giant Iguana | | Bike Setup: | XTR/Bontrager Race, Michelin XLS tubeless | | Bottom Line: | This bike is simply incredible, comfortable and adjustable. The adjustability has made every ride a blast with a huge range of riding variability. Not to mention that the bike is faster than I am. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
A Cabral
a Cross Country Rider
from Benicia, CA, Solano
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Sky Line | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | Sharpe's Bikes Lafayette CA | | Strengths: | The Framset is so light, All XT or better componets great. Fox Float R is god send. Great grips and wheel set. | | Weaknesses: | Still figuring out damping callibration for my riding pleasure as do not see big differnce when I make changes. Saddle Titec Ithys is a little small for my big butt and pretty stiff. | | Similar Products Used: | None, first bike | | Bike Setup: | Platinum Series ZR9000 double-butted aluminum Frame, sybil*link swingarm | 6061 T6 aluminum stays Fork Fox TALAS R | 80–125mm travel, Rear shock Fox Float R, Headset Alloy Direct Connect 11/8in Semi-Cartridge
| | Bottom Line: | Even though it is my first real mountain bike. I have had many great rides already and the bikes set up is something that an average rider can diffently grow into as they gain experience. All my serious mountian bike friends are amazed at the bike set up for the price I paid | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a Weekend Warrior
from Lake Almanor, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Forest hill loop divide, Auburn CA | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Sharp Bikes Lafette CA | | Strengths: | Geometry makes me feel very connected to the bike, Climbs great, Fox Shocks are outstanding (and forgiving) No noticeable pedal bob even on climbs, and my riding rapidly improved once I got this bike. | | Weaknesses: | Bontrager components are just ok, not to say I have had any big problems, occasionally it will throw the chain when shifting to the big sprocket. The "tubeless" wheels are a pain when removing the tires. | | Similar Products Used: | GT Karakoram, Specialized Stumpjumper fsr | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for Easton carbon fiber monkey light handle bar. | | Bottom Line: | Well because of my first full suspension bike I thought I hated Full suspension bikes, but the sugar 2+ changed all that. The sugar wins the spot in my hart as my favorite bike ever. I am truly amazed at how much my riding has improved because of this bike. I actually feel like I control the bike opposed to the bike controlling me. Hands down the best bike I have ridden and my riding friend with the same bike says the same. The geometry is fantastic; large is perfect for this 6'2" Guy. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nathaniel Dixon
a Cross Country Rider
from Foster, RI, USA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | it's a secret | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$950.00 | | Purchased At: | local shop | | Strengths: | Great bike, all around. Light enough for XC, but with the FF Talas fork, has amazing stick and handling. Well balanced and comfortable. Takes a beating and doesn't complain. Makes me look like a better rider than I am. | | Weaknesses: | Some trouble with drivetrain (jamming, gear jumping), possibly because of a sloppy earlier repair. Now fixed. | | Similar Products Used: | Pro-Flex 857 Expert series (4 years) | | Bike Setup: | Stock with Rolf Satellite Wheels and Panaracer Fire XC tires. Bont RE-1 pedals. People have compl | | Bottom Line: | Got this bike used when my beloved Pro-Flex was stolen. It's been everything I hoped it would be. The added wheels and tires make the bike not only light and forgiving, but also make it look wonderfully mean. It's no hardtail, but climbs as well as any full suspension rig I've ridden. I bought it for a great price, well under half the new retail value, with some nice upgrades. I haven't had the bike long though. Only time will tell how dependable it is, but I'd recommend it to anyone who digs full suspension | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joshua
a Racer
from Waltham, MA
Date Reviewed: April 21, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Frank's Spoke and Wheel | | Strengths: | Light, fast, great rear shock that doesn't sap power | | Weaknesses: | Fat seat that's impossible to get behind. Leaves get caught between frame and rear tire. Fork is not tunable | | Similar Products Used: | Only hardtails: Trek 7000 and Trek 8000 | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for new thinner saddle | | Bottom Line: | Important Note: I'm reviewing the GS model here because there was no separate place for me to do so. That said, I really like the bike. I'm male, but because I'm 5 foot 7 (and apparently have a girl's geometry) I fit better on the medium sized GS Sugar than I did on any hardtail I was looking at. So far I've been really pleased. I've slowly been releasing air from the rear shock each ride and find I can run it super plush and still accelerate quickly. The fork is light. The bike comes with an xtr rear derailleur which is flashy nice... The bike is fast and comfortable (Genesis Geometry?). My only complaints - the "seat stay" part of the frame has an arch that passes half an inch
over the rear tire. If you ride in leafy areas, get used to a really loud buzz. Also, the Manitou Mars fork, although light, isn't very tunable - it feels almost the same to me from 130psi to 180psi. I fear running it any higher to make it more stiff in the upper range (which I
don't think it would ever do because the spring handles the first 50 percent of travel) would blow a gasket. Other than that, and the too slick tires for loose packed dirt, great bike. This bike is great for lighter cross country riders and racers looking for a full suspension rig. Four Flamin' Chilis only because the Five must be reserved for
perfection. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Yosi Helmann
a Cross Country Rider
from Rehovot,Israel
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$2200.00 | | Purchased At: | Mike-Bike - Israel | | Strengths: | Wonderfull Fox Talas front shox, good Fox rear shock, light weight, xtr rear drailour, Genesis frame, colour. | | Weaknesses: | Price, catastrophic seat (changed to a normal WTB V Speed), crank (changed to XT with no chain-suck problems) | | Similar Products Used: | sugar 2 2000 | | Bottom Line: | I liked this bike from the first sight, so i paid the amount of money and took it. I never disappointed - it climbs very well with good balance and downhill very stable. I feel good on this bike and i'm 1.90 m'. I did'nt like the primitive seat arrived with the bike and i changed it for V Speed. I also like the better mad space behind, comparison to my earlier Sugar 2 2000.
The front fork (Fox Talas) is amazing and very soft, the rear shock is also good without any bobing.
Good Cross-country bike with a nice appearance - heavy price! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Burke
a Cross Country Rider
from Towson
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1580.00 | | Purchased At: | EBay | | Strengths: | Great Components, Great Fork, Great Rear Shock, Lightweight, catches great air, fast, smooth. | | Weaknesses: | Seat uncomfortable and Crank is known to have problems. Do not know why but the rear wheel is not true and the bike is pretty new. Bontrager isn't the brand I would suggest for wheels. | | Similar Products Used: | R.M. Element | | Bike Setup: | XT '03 Crank, Selle Italia Prolink Trans Am | | Bottom Line: | This bike has been all that I have needed and wanted. The price is well worth it. It surprises me that this bike is so hooked up for the money. The Fox Forx and Rear Shock are awesome. This bike does not limit me but my fear does at times. If you are looking for a bike in this price range do two things. Read other reviews. Then write the check. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
isaac tweeddale
a Racer
from barling,ar,72923
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | all trails at stanley draper mtnbike park | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | warranty | | Strengths: | Fells like a hardtail on the smoothe singletrack but soaks up all the abuse you can dish out in the rough stuff and rock gardens. Great at climbing sticks like velcro never had any problems with wheels slipping or coming off the ground. Great for any type of riding because of adjustable rear travel. | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | 2000 sugar 2 | | Bike Setup: | stock parts from 2000 sugar 2 except added chris king headset,grips,rear rolf dolomite wheel,rock shox duke sl,deore cranks,xt cassete,and bontrager jones tires | | Bottom Line: | This is the bike for you if your looking for a full suspension xc race bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Carbonneau
a Weekend Warrior
from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Hardwood Hills, Durham Forest, Short Hills | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$3200.00 | | Purchased At: | Chain Reaction, Toronto | | Strengths: | Everything-Fox Float front shock is smooth as butter and sucks up bumps like nothing else, Rear shock has NO bob and keeps the tire planted. Components are superior to Specialized Epic, and frame is tigher than Giant NRS. Chain suck is minimal, but I'm still tuning in the adjustments. Control is excellent on descents and climbs like a goat. I was worried about the front lifting during step climbs with the weigth shifted back due to the Genesis geometry, but there is no lift. | | Weaknesses: | 515 clipless pedals on a $3800 cdn bike. Give me a break!!! What the hell are bike makers thinking. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Epic Disk, NRS 2 disk | | Bike Setup: | Chris King headset, SRAM 99 chain, XT crank, Time Carbon pedals, Hutchinson Python Tires, Specialized seat. Yes, I read previous reviews. | | Bottom Line: | This is the best bike for the money, including the upgrades I added. I rode descents that would have had me walking with my hardtail. Climbs are solid with no bob. The shock is the best feature, travel and weigth cannot be matched. Tuning the shock is critical, but easy. A few Endo's and I quickly increased the pressure. The cockpit is long and takes some practise on tight technical, but it does perform. This is my dream machine. My brother just bought an NRS 2 (small frame) and my large frame is lighter. No issues with the bike or components, but I know that Gary Fisher will stand behind their bikes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
noah
a Cross Country Rider
from guelph, on, canada
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | twin ponds | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Light, responsive, good fs climber, a hottie! | | Weaknesses: | Expensive. | | Similar Products Used: | Epic, Superlight | | Bike Setup: | XT/XTR throughout, SID Team, Mavic 517's on XTR. | | Bottom Line: | Love it. No real issues as of yet. This is my first FS bike after 16 years of trail riding and I am extremely happy with it. No real issues with chain-suck as reported by others, but I'm not using the stock Bontrager crank (changed to XT) so that might have prevented any problems. The bike is very light for a fs rig, climbs excellently (very little bob) and is reasonably responsive. The cockpit is very long (a good thing if you are tall) so the riding position is very stretched out. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jack
a Cross Country Rider
from Solvang, CA
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Heart Attack | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1950.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | Fast, good components for the price | | Weaknesses: | seat is uncomfortable | | Similar Products Used: | trek feul, specialized enduro | | Bike Setup: | stock except 959 pedals, WTB Laser V Ti seat | | Bottom Line: | The bike handles well under stress. Soaks up the hard hits but stiff enough for long climbes. The adjustable travel on front and rear is huge. Gives lots of options for type of riding. This is a beautiful bike perfect for cross country riding or racing. Give serious look if looking to upgrade. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ross
a Cross Country Rider
from san diego
Date Reviewed: June 8, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | sycamore | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | local trek store | | Strengths: | great suspension, fast, cool paint job | | Weaknesses: | none yet | | Similar Products Used: | stumpjumper f/s | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | As someone who has just made the jump from a hardtail to a full suspension this is soooooo fun. It is faster than I thought and climbs great. If you are someone who is even thinking of switching from a hardtail to a f/s and thought you are loosing speed or climbing ability, forget about. You sure don't feel beat up after riding 3 hours, you just want more. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Huge
a Cross Country Rider
from Texas
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | BikeLane | | Strengths: | No-Bob, solid feel, adjustable rear suspension | | Weaknesses: | Makes me go too fast | | Similar Products Used: | Fisher Jashua F2, Canon jeckel(sp) | | Bike Setup: | Transferred parts from Joshua | | Bottom Line: | Warranty upgrade from Fisher. No hassels. Very used to the F2 bobbing all the time. This feels like a hardtail in comparison. Climbs well. No rear end sway.
No chainsuck as of today. Have about 300 miles on the bike.
VERY SATISFIED | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
skeeter krass
a
from beaver wv 25813
Date Reviewed: April 21, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | bill goats grouf | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | south hill ski and bike | | Strengths: | climbing steeps, not alot of bobing in the shocks when pedleing hard and fast the best all around bike i ever road | | Weaknesses: | the xtr rear derailer will not stay in tune, as soon as it gets muddy sh*t hits the fan | | Similar Products Used: | cannondale scaple, trex fuel,specialized rock hopper, K2 razor back team | | Bike Setup: | my sugar 2 has a fox shock on the rear with lockout a mantio black elite 120mm travel on front atac clipless pedles selle italia seat | | Bottom Line: | don't buy this bike unless you plan on rideing every day and useing it to the best of your abilitys IF YOUR GOING TO RIDE THE BEST YOU MUST BE THE BEST | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lloyd
a Cross Country Rider
from Durango, Colorado
Date Reviewed: March 14, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | dry fork loop | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | replacement frame | | Strengths: | The frame soaks up bumps well with no bob what-so-ever. Fisher also has a good warrenty program. I had a sugar 3 but the weld above the bottom bracket broke. They replaced it with very little grief | | Weaknesses: | The brushing in the piviots will need to be replaced soon. They have loosed after about 500 single track miles | | Similar Products Used: | 2000 sugar 3 | | Bike Setup: | I am slowly replaceing all the bontrager componets with XTR | | Bottom Line: | Good affordable bike that you can ride hard and not worry--lifetime guarutee | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Corpus Christi, Tx.
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Rocky Hill Ranch | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | 1250 employee purchase | | Strengths: | Super adjustability front and rear. The Fox Forx is awesome, and how about those 32mm stanction tubes. Very well balanced bike. I love the Bontrager wheelset. Its tubeless, but i pulled out the strip and am running tubes. Great color and paint quality. | | Weaknesses: | The Fox fork is a little on the heavy side, but Im not gonna complain too much since its so stiff and plush. I also hate the fact that its considered an XT/XTR equipped bike, but they throw in an LX cassette and chain. I took off the stock, anchor weight saddle and replaced it with a much lighter WTB Lazer V. | | Similar Products Used: | Liquid 80 and 90. Considered a Trek 8500 and 9.8 OCLV.
| | Bike Setup: | Pretty much stock except for some Micheline Jet S tires, WTB saddle, Crank Brothers Egg Beaters, Cane Creek Headset,and new grips. | | Bottom Line: | This is a very awesome bike, and considering the components, fork, rear shock, and wheelset, not to mention a very well built frame, it is a great value even at full MSRP. There are a few goofy things with the Bontrager parts that shows just how "corporate" of a company Trek has become, but Ill eventually change them out. Thats what gives a bike some MOJO.
This is the first FS bike I have ever owned, and having the ability to adjust from long to short travel was the biggest selling point for me. When in the short travel mode it really feels like riding a hardtail. There is absolutly no pedal bob, and the thing feels rock solid. I do a lot of urban riding on concrete, and also XC riding and racing, so I can dial it in for my taste.
Two thumbs up to Gary Fisher on an excelent bike.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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