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Submitted by
Cedric
a Weekend Warrior
from Chelan, Washington USA
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Echo Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$120.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Great paint (except for chips!). Componentry is good. Kinda light, but very strong. Good beginner bike. | | Weaknesses: | Week rims. Stock shocks aren't real great, not enough travel. Seat was crappy for me, too hard. Sometimes it shifts weird. Doesn't have riser bars. | | Similar Products Used: | Huffy Crap | | Bike Setup: | Ritchey Logic Headset, WTB saddle, Specialized stem, and Manitou X-Vert fork. Eventually will have Rhyno-lite rims, Deore hubs, WTB tires, and possibly LX derailleurs. | | Bottom Line: | Great beginner bike. I bought it on Ebay for $120 used. The bike is awesome. I didn't need a real expensive bike, but when I got doen putting parts on it, it came out to be what it would cost to buy it new, but I've got other parts on it that make it quite a bit better. I think I bent the rim already, or it might have been bent when I got it. I haven't done real extreme riding, just 3 foot drops of concrete street drops, nothing big and I might have messed them up a little, not bad. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan Johnson
a Downhiller
from CT
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | anything with drops | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Benidorm bikes and boards | | Strengths: | nice frame stock components can huck it out smoothly for the first couple years. Great feel with the setup of the bike. The shifters and brake levers are pretty flush with everything stock.This is great bike for anyone getting into mountain biking in anyway. i have had it for 2 years but i touched it up a little
| | Weaknesses: | crank defenetly bends with log hopping the 3rd sprocket is my new bash gaurd. Heavy frame about 26 pounds especially for a hard tail yet it is strong. Handlebars are a little low and a threaded headset causes problems when buying a new fork. PLastic pedals and weak rims and crappy tread. But thats just me. Bottomed out the shocks when i hit 4 ft drops or they reset but only till you are hopping up a bench | | Similar Products Used: | i am not sure | | Bike Setup: | were do i begin. didnt touch it till lately but i will give you the modified set up. Tomac 2 inch risers handelbars with the new kona klunk stem( which is cherry beautiful ) Judy sl front fork. I know its not that good but i was cheap. Continental survival tires Odyssey pedal new brake pads Aheadset threadless headsetnew paint job blue and yellow. alot of brake adjustment and ritchey grips. And i went through 2 tubes in one day | | Bottom Line: | IM not really a downhiller im a person who loves drops and getting as much speed as possible to the point unforseen. This bike was my first bike with shocks but lately mountain biking has become my life. I love hucking off 6 or seven foot drops and log ladders with of coarse urban assault sessions. With the upgrade my bike has become the perfect custom hardtail that has becoem a part of me. In the early years i used it for pretty tricky cross country then it started to get old. But it was definetly a great stock beginner enthusiasts bike. Now it just supreme. So if your gonna upgrade rise the front end up 2 inches through on a new fork and change the tires to a bigger tread and it will be fun as ever | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a Weekend Warrior
from Sheboygan, WI
Date Reviewed: May 17, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | dont have any real favorites... | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$325.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike N Ski | | Strengths: | Strong bike that has yet to fail me in doing anything I ask...no real problems with any components. I love the looks of the bike! | | Weaknesses: | Shock isnt adjustable, sometimes the shifting is a little weird, but nothing that really turns me off about the bike.. | | Similar Products Used: | All I ever had before was cheap huffy crap | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for a set of barends and a bottle... | | Bottom Line: | Love the bike...great value...my freind owns a Giant that he aid about 200 dollars more for and my bike will burn his on the trail any day. Have yet to do anything to it yet, nothin has broken, nothin has gone wrong....I've test ridden some nicer bikes, but none had the outstanding value of this one...with some upgrades, I could have a bike thats better than most bikes you can buy for twice the price I paid for this one...outstanding! Excellent bike for anyone who wants to get started in more serious biking but is on a budget....describes me well!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zach
a Cross Country Rider
from Wash.
Date Reviewed: May 13, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | haven't gone to anything big, but Discovery's fun | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | Vancouver Cyclery | | Strengths: | Love the speed shifts, paint job rocks, V-Brakes always good | | Weaknesses: | I want a manitue X-Vert Air, also Shimano crank (LX, or XT)with 9 speed on back, (only 21 speed) new rims, and fatter tires | | Similar Products Used: | nothing, all other bikes were wal-mart quality | | Bike Setup: | bar ends, lights, locks (of course) bag and water bottle | | Bottom Line: | Love this bike, gonna spend some money to buy the standard upgrades. (Price Point) is the place to go. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tyler
a
from Rushville,Illinois, USA
Date Reviewed: November 7, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$346.00 | | Strengths: | great all around | | Weaknesses: | saddle | | Similar Products Used: | Huffy,Magma,Next, and some others I cant remember the names of | | Bike Setup: | Pretty much stock, Specialized Thorn Resistant Tubes, lights, rear fender, water bottle cage, Ritchey grips, Zefal DoubleShot Pump
| | Bottom Line: | Its an awsome ride. It can do almost anything, Took it on some trials in Kerrville, TX, and did very good, and trails in Huntsville, AL, Just cant wait to take it out in the snow and other things that IL will give me. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jalix
a Cross Country Rider
from Boston
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Trails in TX, CA, VT, NH, ME All Good | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS in Austin TX | | Strengths: | It's strong. Built tough and takes anything I throw at it. I dream of riding it all the time. | | Weaknesses: | Stock Pedals Rims & Tires Suck. Go out and get some Rhyno Lites. These rims are the bomb! Components are decent enough, I keep my bike in as pristine a shape as possible and they've done right by me. | | Similar Products Used: | Crap bikes that don't deserve mention. | | Bike Setup: | Sun/Ringle ZU-Zu Pedals, Rhyno Lite Rims, Panaracer Fire XC Tires (These Rock), Sometimes ATAC Pedals if I'm cruising around town. | | Bottom Line: | Get this bike and upgrade as I have and you will have a cheap but tough as nails bike that will get you through anything you can crawl up. I've taken it to places I never thought I could conquer and came out so triumphant that the angels in Heaven were blown away at the abuse this bike took. Quit reading and go get this bike, you budget-minded fool. Ten Flaming Turds. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alan Galley
a Weekend Warrior
from Flowery Branch, GA USA
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Stonewall Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$328.00 | | Purchased At: | Adventure Cycle | | Strengths: | Dependable rapid fires and derailers, great bike for a 6 foot 215 pound 62 year old kid. | | Weaknesses: | Front shock bottoms out , wheels bend, eats chains. I hate it when it gets caught behind the sprocket. | | Similar Products Used: | Fuji low end | | Bike Setup: | upgrades: Rock shox jet sl, riser handle bars, headset, kevlar tires, cranks, seat and post. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is alot of fun. I can fly wide open down most of north Georgia mountains. Great control on technical trails. I have had not breakdowns on the trails and I ride the bike hard. Love to jump log across the trail. I use Price Point for my upgrades. Plan to go to a new wheel set next. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
nick
a
from MI
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Any with drops | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$841.00 | | Purchased At: | Surf, Got all upgrades off internet | | Strengths: | This is a update on my other post. I decided buying a whole new bike was not the way to go, so I decided to get full shimano LX, and Some Marozzchi Bombers, Yeti hardcore grips, new lx brakes, new suingo cranks, 2 new sets of tires (Kenda Kenetics, and Maxxis Mofo DH skinwall), new Kool stop brake pads, new Sun Rhynolite rear wheel with ft 15 gauge spokes, xt hub, full 9 speed, New titec stem and bar, and Dia Compe headset, Bascially everything new except frame and front wheel (the wheel has taken more 4-6 drops and cased jumps, and hasent bent an inch). So all togeather i put approx $841 bike and all upgrades. | | Weaknesses: | None, now that i got sweet assed upgrades. I think this is the way to go, buy a cheap bike, upgrade everything, and soon enough, u will have a better bike than u ever could have bought for what u put into it. | | Similar Products Used: | Ahh.... lets see, I rode my friends Mongoose Pro DX 4.0, good, but not as good as mine (but i really liked the beefy frame) Trek 4300, I wish i would have bought this bike in the first place, the trek came with an alpha alum. frame (probably the lightest and beefiest frame made for under 400), I had a Mongoose D40R, super sHHHty... | | Bike Setup: | New everything, except frame and frt. wheel. Full LX, with Marzocchi z5's. Sun rhynolite rear with xt hub | | Bottom Line: | I'd say buy a cheap bike in the summer, beat the living hell outta it, and get all new parts for xmas, and u'll never have probs again. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a Weekend Warrior
from Fayetteville N.C. US of A
Date Reviewed: December 30, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Smiff Lake | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$329.00 | | Purchased At: | Hawley's Bicycle World | | Strengths: | Hmm After beating the crap out of this bike for over a year I have to think a minute. The fork is ok for anything under a foot. Pedals are ok. Grips are good. Tires were nice. Brakes were and still are good. I like the paintjob. | | Weaknesses: | The fork if you are going off anything above a foot. All my friends complain about the seat but I am used to it. THE FRONT DER BLOWS!!!! The suntour p.o.s. derailler and crankset they put on this bike sucks to put it bluntly. If my chain doesn't derail when I ride it I am praising god. I have had the chain get stuck between the frame and the crankset before and it is a pain in the butt to get out. I guess the shifters are ok but I was pissed when I saw the same ones on a walmart mongoose. The wheels also are bent up. | | Similar Products Used: | Schwinn Mesa GS, Schwinn Mesa, Trek 6000 | | Bike Setup: | stock other than toe clips | | Bottom Line: | This bike is ok if it is going to your first MB and you don't want to spend more than 400. Looking back now, I think I should have gone ahead and saved another 100 and bought a better bike. The Suntours on this bike bottem out like crazy. The other day my friend and I were being stupid and I went of a 3 1/2 foot drop. I thought I seperated my shoulder after I did it because the shock did jack shi*. The shock also bottemed out on about a 2 foot drop but I managed. I love my bike but I am going to get a Specialized A1 FS in the next couple of months because the Saddle back is not worth upgrading. Also some people said the frame was light..... well its not. My friends mesa GS is about 6-8 punds lighter. It is very noticible when you have to pick up your bike and haul it for some reason. Well I am done complaining. By this bike only if you are in love with it, otherwise save up the extra cash and buy a cheaper schwinn, specialized or a Trek if you have to. This bike is only getting 3 flaming craps from me. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick
a Weekend Warrior
from Bay City, MI
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$328.00 | | Purchased At: | Surf, Skate, and Wheel | | Strengths: | Nice frame, good brakes, Ok front forks, nice wheelie rider | | Weaknesses: | Misses shifts sometimes, fork bottoms out on big jumps, chain jumps too easy, seat post scratches easy, and rims bend too easy | | Similar Products Used: | Mongoose D-40 Aka. Crappy department full suspension bike | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | The bike is the best wheelie riding bike i have ever ridden. Lower end componets, but work. The Shocks, SR Suntour MG 8020, nice fork for the price. The rims bend quite easily, if you land sideways. This bike is made for a beginner to intermidiate that is looking for a good bike for the good price. Not a great bike for jumping, but gets the job done. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Roy
a Weekend Warrior
from Atlanta
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | still looking... | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Good brakes, shifts well, sturdy light frame, good suspension for the money | | Weaknesses: | can't adjust suspension, seat is a little hard | | Similar Products Used: | Giant Rincon | | Bike Setup: | stock + toe-clips, bar-ends, | | Bottom Line: | This is a very nice bike for the money. My wife and I each bought one several months ago and we have been very happy with them. I put a gel seat on her's and she is much happier. The pedels grip well, but the addition of toe-clips give you even more control and power for not much money. Be sure to watch the air pressure in the tires. Low pressure could result in a bent wheel :)
This is a fantastic bike for beginners or the money-consious. I would have bought a better bike if I hadn't been buying two of them and a bike rack. I have been plesently surprised at how well the bike rides, though. I enjoy fairly technical trails, and this bike has done well. With a few addons, this can be a great bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chamo
a Racer
from San Juan, Puerto Rico
Date Reviewed: May 17, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | San Juan-Isla Verde | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Light bike. Very responsive, maneuverable. Great value, feels like a $500+ bike, for only $350. Great, great looks!!! | | Weaknesses: | Some lower-end parts (they still do the job, though). But what else did you expect for $350??? Saddle is a bit uncomfortable. | | Similar Products Used: | Mongoose DX, Mesa GS | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | Great first bike. A must-see for the budget-oriented shopper. Most important: it provides a fun, dependable ride!!! Looking for a bike for less than $400? Give it a spin and decide! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Syed
a Weekend Warrior
from Crown Point, IN, USA
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Brakes, Gears, Suspension | | Weaknesses: | Weight | | Similar Products Used: | Schwinn Messa | | Bike Setup: | Stock, with a few additions such as computer, kick stand etc. | | Bottom Line: | This is very smooth and quiet bike. It is quite responsive and fun to ride, for anyone who is a recreational rider. This bike is very good for a beginer, and is not too expensive. I believe it is one of the best in its class. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a Weekend Warrior
from Springfield, MO
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | still looking... | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Price ($320 at cycle shop for rapid fires and front suspension isn't too bad!), nice frame, easy to ride. | | Weaknesses: | Saddle's a little hard. Shocks may be soft for heavy rider...not adjustable. | | Similar Products Used: | Diamondback, Pacific. | | Bike Setup: | Stock, no changes yet... | | Bottom Line: | My third mountain bike...I broke the other two :)
This one seems solid and very easy to ride. Although I described myself as a weekend warrior, I ride this thing almost every day on trails and pavement. The continuous tread rubber makes this possible. I love rapid fires and the Shimano DeR's work OK for the quality. The V brakes work well for rim jobs and, again, for the money your're spending you really can't expect more. The frame is the lightest I've ridden but you can't compare it to $600+ bikes.
I really love riding this thing. It shifts smooth even under pressure and stops on a dime. It's easy to maneuver even in tight spots. Great for pavement and moderate trails. If you've got more to spend then spend it. If you're spending $300 to $400, give this bike a close look! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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