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Submitted by
Average XC guy
a Weekend Warrior
from Finland, Europe
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | pine forests anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Strengths: | Looks (I have the red one from 2008), lightness, and a good parts setup (Fox fork, Avid hydr. brakes). I looked around and could not find a more decent setup in any other bike (for the price, obviously).
Climbs like a mountain goat! | | Weaknesses: | The Bontrager "semi-bent" handlebar that came with the bike was a bit too wide for my taste (I am 175cm, bike size is 17.5 inches). But for someone with longer arms, it might work well as it is. | | Similar Products Used: | Breezer Thunder (Ahh, Breezer ... I stored the frame of that bike for future generations to marvel at) which also climbed like a goat and is also pretty eye-catching. | | Bike Setup: | -For Float RL fork
-Avid Juicy 5 hydr. disc brakes
-Bontrager wheelset, post and saddle
-LX drivetrain | | Bottom Line: | Great XC bike for an average, weight-minded rider who values good handling. The bike is light, but the frame feels up to the task and the parts setup is reliable.
Buy a textile guard (e.g. Lizard Skin) to protect the chainstay.
Do not buy this if you are:
-a clydesdale
-careless & accident-prone (you'll just ruin a beatiful bike too fast)
Buy this if you are:
-tired of spongy full-suspension rigs
-average to light-weight rider
-conscious of what a thing of beauty a well-designed bike can be
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Victor Fernandez
a Cross Country Rider
from Cordoba Ver México
Date Reviewed: February 29, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1540.00 | | Purchased At: | Chkn Peak Laredo | | Strengths: | Light weight (ZR9000 Aluminum), Very stable, and good geometry, Fox fork Excelent, Very Good Value! (2008 MODEL) | | Weaknesses: | Chain is so long and suck, Avid five breakes (disk noise and vibration on low), The Saddle! , the grip is hard. Tires is a bit heavy. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 8000 | | Bike Setup: | Max flite Selle Italia Saddle, Ergon GP1 grip. | | Bottom Line: | Is perfect for a XC race, Very Stable and good cornerig, better in HI speed. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from Newark, Delaware
Date Reviewed: December 6, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Fair Hill, MD | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1399.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Line Newark | | Strengths: | Genesis Geometry ZR9000 - stiffness/fast (reason I bought a Fisher), LX/XT, FOX F100RL, good/dependable Bontrager stuff, GOOD VALUE | | Weaknesses: | Avid Juicy Three brakes good though a bit weak. I'd upgrade if I raced this bike frequently (I noticed the 2008's upgraded to Juicy Fives, probably more for show, but hopefully they add to the bike more than a slight price increase) | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale/Volvo SX2000 (Titanium Lefty), TREK 6000, Cannondale build ups XT/Marzzochi | | Bike Setup: | SPD M545's, MTB Velociraptor's (both weight adding changes) | | Bottom Line: | Same as you've heard before....rapid climber, steering, and an overall nice package for XC racing and all-around hardtail for trail riding. I rocket up climbs and I do feel like a billy-goat charging up hills. Next step would be a full suspension, if I liked going downhill as much as uphill. I'll keep using this frame as long as it holds up. There are no carbon stays as on earlier models, or the chainsuck that other reviews have complained about in the past. My 2007 weighs 25 lbs as I've equipped it, and is very easy to roof load one handed. I am 6'2" and 185 lbs. The cockpit length for my 19" frame is perfect for my build with a short stem. I love the Genesis Geometry feel and look with the (2007) silver and gray matte paint finish, looks only matter with bikes, not people.
Overall, my feeling is that the Big Sur Disc is suitable for all beginners through intermediates seeking a fun, capable, competitive, and dependable hardtail XC racer or trail bike that would be hard to grow out of. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kiko
a Cross Country Rider
from San Juan, PR
Date Reviewed: July 2, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Monagas | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Ciclomundo | | Strengths: | Light and fast. Carbon stays help with absroption. | | Weaknesses: | Chain suck happened so much, it damaged chainstay with structural damage. | | Similar Products Used: | GF HiFi | | Bike Setup: | XTR derailleurs (front and back). Mavic Crossmax SL with 1.95 IRC Myhtos wheels. | | Bottom Line: | Great for just about anything. Handles good on turns. Issues with chain suck were bad. I recommend using the new model without carbon stays. A little harsher on the back, but same lightweight structure. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott Nemeth
a Cross Country Rider
from Kent, Washington USA
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | The one I'm on. | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | Mountain Bike Outfitters | | Strengths: | Weight! This is one light mountain bike. And I can't get enough of the Genesis geometry. I am 6 foot and 210 lbs, and,my 19" is on the upper edge of optimal for me. This is not a small person's bike. It's a big bike with a long neck, but supremely flickable and confidence inspiring. It feels tighter and more balanced than any other bike I have ridden. It loves to climb, and handles trails, uphill and downhill with aplomb. You can soak the Hayes brakes and it makes no difference - they still work perfectly. I am also happy with the Manitou Skareb shocks. They lock out with one side adjustment completely (unlike other makes I rode) and they are very tight, responsive, and confidence-inspiring. The Bontrager 6000 wheels seem to be ok. No complaints yet. | | Weaknesses: | Seat and tires. The seat killed my butt (it was miserable) after only minutes. My dealer told me I would "grow to like it." That may be the case in some other harder seats, but I don't think so here. This seat just sux, and it went away within 1 ride in favor of a WTB Pro-gel. INSTANT relief.
Tires. 4 flats in the first 2 weeks - all on pavement?? 3 punctures, 1 pinch at the stem. One caused by a piece of a peanut shell??
C'mon. I chose to go ahead and wear out the Jones ACXs (which shouldn't take long,they are pretty soft and half worn after a couple hundred miles) but I replaced the stock tubes with heavier ones and a tire liner. The flats seem to have ceased. Most of my riding is on the pavement at the moment, so I will replace them with something a little less aggressive and less resistance, but still able to handle moderate trail riding and gravel logging roads. The comment in the first rating above about the frame breaking at the seat post joints has me concerned. I was out checking my seat post junction welds pretty carefully this morning. No cracks. Yet. As that was the only post on this subject, hopefully.... It was good to hear that GF stood behind that one.
Oh, and I have also experienced the chain suck issue twice. If I keep things centered on the back sprockets while shifting in to the lowest front sprocket, this seems to alleviate it. For now... | | Similar Products Used: | Tassahara disk, Giant Yukon, Cannondale F600, Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disk | | Bike Setup: | Stock, minus seat, heavy duty tire tubes and liners, carbon fiber bar ends, Sigma 906 odometer. | | Bottom Line: | It's a lot of bike for the money. It's just such a blast to ride, on road or off. I simply can't get enough of the Genesis frame - so long as it doesn't crack :(
I was looking at a Tassahara Disk, then my dealer got me to ride the Big Sur "just for the hell of it." Good upsell, but I am glad I stepped up to the plate. A lot lighter, and components are just better. I love this bike!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew Cohen
a Cross Country Rider
from SF, CA
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Pacific Bicycles, SF | | Strengths: | Great geometry for a tall rider with the long top-tube length. Also very light frame for hill-climbing, nice carbon chain-stays, and decent components. Handles well on single-track, and the brakes provide decent stopping power in wet and muddy conditions. | | Weaknesses: | My frame broke at the top-tube/seat-tube junction -- it turns out it's a flaw in the 2006 model, and possibly many other models of the Genesis geometry line. When I contacted Gary Fisher, they already knew about it and told me there was a new frame design already. So I sent it in for warranty replacement, but my new frame creaks in exactly the same way the old one did before it broke. It also cost me considerably in labour costs to rebuild the frame and shipping costs because I don't live near my dealer anymore, though I doubt my dealer would have helped much either.
It broke on me after barely 6 months of using it, with no major falls and not excessive off-road use by any means. I just read a review of the same thing happening on a Tassajara (on mtbr.com). Basically the seat tube is tapered so that the seat post does not sit snugly in the seat tube below the junction. So all your body weight is sitting on the weld-joint -- because of the angle it is actually leveraging quite a bit of weight on that one joint. I did get my frame replaced under warranty, but I had to pay for the labour to rebuild the bike and some shipping charges, and as I said, my new frame is making creaking noises similar to what I heard just before it broke last time. They claim to have redesigned the frame, but the only difference I can see is the welds look a little stronger. Same fundamental flaw of bicycle-construction 101: spread the weight of the seat-post and rider out over the length of the seat tube: above and below the top-tube junction. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Rockhopper 23" | | Bike Setup: | 2006 Big Sur w/Disc, 21". Incl Hayes HFX-9, Manitou Skareb, Shimano XT rear, LX front derailleurs. Only change is the pedals: Time ATAC. And I wore through my rear-tire pretty quickly as it must be a race-style soft rubber compound, and replaced it with a more sturdy Maxxis High Roller 2.35. | | Bottom Line: | I know this is supposed to be one of the best cross-country hard-tails on the market. I loved this bike, I really did, before the frame broke. However, I cannot in good conscience recommend this bike to anyone, especially not taller riders whose weight or higher seat-post will cause the frame to break more quickly.
If you are after a super-light-weight bike and want to risk it, then by all means go for it. But have a look for yourself at the top-tube seat-tube junction and bring along a mechanically-minded friend to have a look and see what he thinks of the design.
Put it this way: the frame should never break at that point. If you are doing something stupid with your seat, then the seat-post should break before the seat-tube does. In any case, I was riding with the seat post only about 1/2 way to the max-limit, so it shouldn't have happened in the first place.
I find it hard to believe that Gary Fisher, who is so well-known for his frame designs, is continuing to sell this flawed frame design. I hope they fix the design soon, though they missed the chance in 2007 as the new geometry hasn't changed at all. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marion
a Racer
from Quickborn, Germany
Date Reviewed: May 25, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Gefu Zweiräder | | Strengths: | Beautiful, eyecatching frame with nice details, e.g. carbon stays, externally butted tubes. Stiff, light, nimble bike that makes extremely fun riding. | | Weaknesses: | Uncomfortable saddle made my butt hurt on every ride. Tires seemed to attract nails, pieces of broken glass. They were carved after just 1000 km. | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher Paragon 2000 | | Bike Setup: | Replaced saddle with Terry Fly GT Gel and tires with Specialized Pro Armadillo Elite | | Bottom Line: | Most time I ride in the city of Hamburg on poor circle tracks and love keeping pace with the cars on the rooads. I appreciate the agility of the bike and its easy handling when circling around potholes and overtaking other bikers. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lindsay
a Weekend Warrior
from Ocala, FL
Date Reviewed: December 2, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Santos (Belleview, FL) | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1490.00 | | Purchased At: | Xtreme Bike and Skate, Ocala, FL | | Strengths: | Light & nimble. Frame geometry (see below). Very direct-feeling drive train. Strong brakes with good modulation. Lockout fork (on 2005 model) | | Weaknesses: | Not the best bike for long rides. Beats you up a bit, due to the short chainstays. A USE Shok Post helped a LOT. Purple? | | Bike Setup: | WTB Rocket V Saddle, WTB Mutanoraptor (rear), Salsa bashguard, Jump Stop, TruVativ riser bars, VP dual-cage pedals, ODI lock-on grips, USE SX Shok Post. (maybe a GravityDropper in the future?) | | Bottom Line: | The frame geometry is the reason I purchased this bike: good standover (27.8", on the small frame), short (16.25") chain stays, long (22.9") top tube, steep (70.5°) head angle, high (12.5") bottom bracket. I wanted a bike to to do basic trials-type riding, as well as technical trail riding, and this bike does the job for me. But it's not for everyone. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Javier
a Weekend Warrior
from St. Joseph, MO 64506
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Honey Creek Conservation Area | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Ride Bicycles | | Strengths: | Lightweight... 3.3 lb frame... perfect for short races, responsive and yet forgiving, beautiful paintjob (2005 Purple) | | Weaknesses: | Constant chain suck on first frame... Something on drive system was messing it up... couldn't go one ride on or off road without getting it at least once. Got to point where chain stay got so scratched up that struc. integrity was questionable. Bike shop really went to bat for me and GF sent another frame. Swapped everything but the chain over and NEVER had problems again. I personally think it was combination of things that included original shimano chain and the very tight tolerances on all three front rings to chain stay. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Singletrack 930 hardtail (old school), Cannondale F600 & 800 | | Bike Setup: | Replaced brake system with Avid Ball Bearing 7 & SL levers (Awesome adjustability & feel), Richey Z.E.D. Race Pro tires for Mt (good bite on turns) & Mavic Speed City Wheels for road.... yes, road! Also replaced 44 front sprocket/ring with 48 tooth. | | Bottom Line: | With budget, I wanted a bike I could do both road (training) & trail races. This seemed like the perfect fit... and was it ever! With Speed City wheels I ended up riding much more on road than off. Got so much into it that was invited by local club to friendly/non-sanctioned road race... was only one with Mt frame. The carbon fiber stays really do soak up the road vibration... couldn't tell off road. Having said that, it's still very rigid and with lock out Manitou Skareb I could pump up hills no problem.
Okay now for the Mt stuff. The bike just wants to keep flying when jumping it and even on bad lands there is no creaks. I can throw it around on corners and still feel in control. Really feels like all my torque is going to back wheel when sprinting. Did point series fat tire race and my lap times kept improving on every lap!!
Bottom line: If you are competitive like me but don't think you should have to spend thousands for a bike, want a light frame, don't mind getting beat up on really long & rocky/technical trails, look no further. For races under 20 miles, I really feel this frame could go up against just about anything out there.
PS... I was hit by car head on and my "puple power" is now dead. Need to go for plush (full suspension) ride now. DON"T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT YOUR HELMET... it saved my life!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Green
a Cross Country Rider
from Issaquah, WA
Date Reviewed: March 17, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Preston - Tiger Mtn. | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Gregg's Greenlake | | Strengths: | At 6'1" with longer than average arms, this bike was by far more comfortable than the others I tested out. Everything has run smooth since I got it. Great bike for climbs and handles the tight downhills well. Very comfortable ride. | | Weaknesses: | Possibly the tires. They work well enough, but you may want to look into something different if you ride in slick stuff a lot. | | Similar Products Used: | Dang, can't remember... | | Bike Setup: | Factory | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike for a tall rider. Climbs well and can handle any type of terrain. Highly recommended. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Louis-Philippe Grenier
a Cross Country Rider
from Montreal. Quebec, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Rigaud | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycletta Rossy | | Strengths: | In overall it's a great bike.
Strenghts : Frame, LX&XT derailleur, Duke front shocks.
Best place to use it for best performance : fire road
Best place to use it for OK performance : Muddy 4x4 trails
Best place to use it for at your own risk : Rocky / hills | | Weaknesses: | The wheels and rims !! Change them if you're an aggressive XC rider like me. I had , in 1 month, 20 pinch flats. The wheels just slip like crazy on rocks and mud ! | | Bottom Line: | It's a very good bike for the price. I was always the first in authorized trails , like urban's park. But always the last in illegal trails, like ski hill's trails, because of my flats. I bought Panaracer Cinder wheels with mavick rims for the rear wheel, and mavick with Panaracer Fire MUD XC for my front wheel. ANTI-SNAKEBITE online ! The discs brakes like crazy ! It's a very good bike for novice / intermadiate people , or someone who's going for a FS next year like me ! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon
a Cross Country Rider
from Upper Valley, Vermont, USA
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1280.00 | | Purchased At: | Banagan's | | Strengths: | It is quite light for a mid-range hardtail w/disc. Disc stopping power! Extremely nimble on technical uphills and downhills. You can really feel how light it is when climbing, climbing feels easy. | | Weaknesses: | The seat doesn't have an integrated gel pad or V off the back. The tires aren't so hot on wet rocks or wet wood, good in mud though. Some better tires would make this bike incredible. I also ditched the riser bar for a carbon straight bar. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 8000 (V-brakes) | | Bike Setup: | XT & LX w/bontrager parts, I added an Easton EC70 carbon fiber straight bar and ST-lite bar end grips. | | Bottom Line: | If you want an awesome bike with hyrdaulic disc brakes for 1200-1300 this is it. It's light and nimble, and has decent suspension. Most bikes w/disc at this price give you only mechanical disc. This bike is for advanced riders to casual racers who want something fun and light to have fun or compete on. The top tube is long (genesis geomentry maybe?), and for a short person like myself (5'7") I notice it. If you are under 5'6" don't buy this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
blend
a Cross Country Rider
from montreal, qc, canada
Date Reviewed: May 24, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Bromont | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycletta Rossi | | Strengths: | Lightness, product's name, agility, GENESIS ! | | Weaknesses: | seat ! also the tires .. water + rocks = slides a lot | | Similar Products Used: | not much | | Bike Setup: | standard .. XT LX | | Bottom Line: | Great bike, It rains a lots in Quebec so .. durt + water = good time with disc brakes ! but this bike can go anywhere ! But the rocks are hard to climb :( pretty good in general , but not for the price tho .. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Keith
a Cross Country Rider
from Lausanne, Switzerland
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Rochat cycles, Aubonne (CH) | | Strengths: | The bike is very responsive and extremely easy to handle. Centre of gravity is nice and low. This proves it's value on technically difficult & steep paths. Didn't try a demanding down hill run yet. But I can't wait to "rough it", because it looks like this bike can take a beating. | | Weaknesses: | None really. I lost some momentum on the straight stretches compared to my previous bike with conventional frame. But, hey, who wants to ride these kind of stretches anyway? | | Bike Setup: | Standard. Might go for some bar ends though. | | Bottom Line: | Overall a very good performer. You won't be disappointed with this hardtail. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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