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Submitted by
Steve A
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, ON, Canada
Date Reviewed: November 9, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$575.00 | | Purchased At: | Sports Check | | Strengths: | Frame is tough as nails, tires are great, i ride lots of rocks and before it all went down hill it was a nice solid bike with great handeling | | Weaknesses: | Without gloves on rough trails the grips are a little hard on the hands, seat is hard and somewhat uncomfortable. One day on the trails TOASTED my bottom bracket. on my last race of the season it rained all day, the breaks stopped working within the first 10Km (still had 30 to go) and by the end of the race i had disloged the cables. sports check service is no good | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher Marlin, Cannondale F600, Cannondale Scalpel 900 (all friends bikes) | | Bike Setup: | Stock, spare rims with Specialized Hemespheres for road | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line here is it is a good entry level bike if you are willing to put a little more cash into changing some of the faulty parts (ie. bottom bracket) or if you arent a hard rider. if you are looking for a bike to ride hard and ride often you might want to look elswhere but if you want to learn the sport invest a little more money and get something a little higher end... myself i am getting a Specialized Stumpjumper for the up comming season. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RYAN BARRINGTON
a Cross Country Rider
from LAKESIDE
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Strengths: | Great frame, can upgrade to disk brakes (practically bolt on) speed shifters work great. Nice color scheme. Sturdy rims that can stand up to punishment. | | Weaknesses: | Shocks are less to be desired. After about 1 year I'm looking for replacements. Seat is hard as a rock. | | Similar Products Used: | None, my first serious mountain bike. | | Bottom Line: | A great bang for the buck. I especially like the ability to upgrade the components on the bike(as I brake them). You won't find a better mountain bike with options for the money. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a Cross Country Rider
from MA
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Scottees in Westport,MA | | Strengths: | Nice Shifting,Gears:Shimano Rapid Fire 24-Speed, Brakes are fine (FRont Rst Disc) i'm 11 and the frame is just right for me 18' | | Weaknesses: | You'll need a new fork for cross country, mine came with a Rock Shox Jett, Seat is like a brick | | Similar Products Used: | Gt Saddleback but the Saddlebacks frame is different | | Bike Setup: | 18' frame, Shimano 24-Speed Rapid fire shifters, Rock Shox Jett, Rst front disc, Shimano Deore rear Derailer, Cyclone Precision Cranks | | Bottom Line: | It's a nice bike for the price I got it for I do a little bit of Dirt Jumping so you'll definetly need A New fork for that, but if you're just starting cross country this is the best bike you can get | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Angela
a Weekend Warrior
from Victoria, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | SportChek | | Strengths: | Great frame: I'm small and this frame fits me perfectly. Took me ~2 weeks to get used to the seat (as one other reviewer said, it's like a brick) but now I love it. The stock Manitou shocks are plenty sufficient for me. Brakes are good, haven't had any problems in wet weather. Gorgeous color ;) | | Weaknesses: | SportChek assembly/warranty tuneups are useless. The Acera front derailleur is sloppy and gets out of tune quickly; also chain is liable to fall off when shifting. The bottom bracket is nearly shot, after a year of (mainly) road riding. | | Similar Products Used: | none (well, my last bike was a 1996 Norco Katmandu... not really comparable) | | Bike Setup: | 16.5" frame, stock components for now (I'll be upgrading the front derailleur, bottom bracket, possibly the rear derailleur soon) | | Bottom Line: | Too bad Iron Horse cheaped out on the front derailleur and the bottom bracket. Unless you're a once-in-a-blue-moon rider, you'll want to replace those components. Other than that, great bike. I love it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Weekend Warrior
from Ancaster, ON, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Kelso | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | Sportchek | | Strengths: | Great Price:Performance ratio for an Aluminum Alloy frame bike
Good stock components for the price.
Double-wall rims | | Weaknesses: | Brakes - when wet
Front derailleurs are not as smooth shifting as the rear ones | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Stock 2003 model: JudyTT, Alivio brake/shifter set, Acera Front, Deore back, no-name V-brakes, Truvativ crack arm, Wellgo pedals | | Bottom Line: | For the price, the components are great. It works well in X-C conditions. I haven't had any component failures yet.
I've looked around for bikes in the same price range and none have equivalent components.
Excellent bike for thie price range. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stevil Kenevil
a Racer
from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 27, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | hydro cut | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Sport check | | Strengths: | I have the 2003 model but i cant find it in 2003 so i put it here. Its light, has crazy handiling and nice grippy tires. | | Weaknesses: | Shotty sport check workmanship, horrible crank and the rock shock judys speak for them self. | | Similar Products Used: | 2002 desperado...which is better except for the tires and no disk mounts | | Bike Setup: | stock for now ... ive had it for 6 days | | Bottom Line: | for the price its good... but buying a bike from sport check is like buying ice cream from a poison store. I think that speaks for its self. its been in the shop for half the time ive owned it! | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
T M
a Cross Country Rider
from MA
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | components work smootly together | | Weaknesses: | will need adjustments | | Similar Products Used: | trek 820 | | Bottom Line: | Trek 820 is better because of durability. this bike is good for beginner/intermediate riding but is not very durable. the brakes can not be tusted unless you have adjusted them because they become lose very easily. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
danie van der merwe
a Cross Country Rider
from South Africa
Date Reviewed: November 28, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | magoebaskloof | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Logans Sportmans Ware House | | Strengths: | Handling, weight, combination of components, good tires, good weight distribution on bike alone, easy to carry, easy to maintain, goes excellent in harsh conditions such as muddy & dust terrain & xc - and the best of all this bike is upgradeable in all aspects (disks, derailers....)Good combination of chain ring sizes. | | Weaknesses: | Needs Deore XTR front & back as standard | | Similar Products Used: | Haro V3, Schwinn Mesa GSX, Kona Explosif ... | | Bottom Line: | In comparison to other pre-assembled MTBs available commercially this is the best value for money, not just that, this mtb out=performs all those compared - by far. Well done to iron horse for a superb end product. If this bike is so good i'd like to ride the envy or 2003 desperado replacement/upgrade.
Since the bike is upgradeable it makes for a good entry-level bike.
frame is strong and can take alot of hammering espaecially in the rigid african conditions we have over here. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from Ancaster , Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: November 24, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | sport chek | | Strengths: | Great Value, The componentes on this bike are unbeatable at this price | | Weaknesses: | The stock suspension is cheap and needs replacing after a year of hard riding, i've gone through 3 frames this year but its covered so it doesnt bother me, the bottom bracket is CRAP if you plan on doing and sort of medium to hard riding which includes and drops replace it!! to at leaste a shimano un-52 (Lx quality) | | Similar Products Used: | K2 zed 2.0, kona fire mountain , Rocky Mountain fusion | | Bike Setup: | Everything as was when purchased except for new pedal (shimano m515) and new front fork (manitou black comp) | | Bottom Line: | an excellent bike for what you pay, just upgrade bottom bracket and shocks and it feels like a $1000+ bike | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a Weekend Warrior
from Redwood City, CA
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$399.00 | | Strengths: | Excellent A-frame, Manitou fork, Deore components, Avid brake, ... Beats all other bike I tried at the $400 range. | | Weaknesses: | Not easy to find. | | Bottom Line: | Excellent bike with greate value. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
brian
a Cross Country Rider
from bryson city n.c. usa
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | right loop, tsali | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | epic cycles | | Strengths: | Great components, solid frame, excellent value | | Weaknesses: | Paint chips easily, seat is not comfortable | | Similar Products Used: | tested specialized, giant, jamis. | | Bike Setup: | deore gearset, truvativ crank, avid brakes, wtb headset, no name bar, kooski seat, shimano rapid fire shifters | | Bottom Line: | I rode and priced out a number of bikes in this price range, and dollar for dollar, this beats many of the big name bikes. If "name" isn't your concern, and riding is, this bike is for you. I bought this bike to break up the road riding, and for the winter riding season, and my road bike hasn't been happy since. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Travis
a
from Athens GA
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | iron horse | | Strengths: | very good for the money. Good components for the most part. A more popular brand with same components would cost 2 to 300 dollars more. | | Weaknesses: | Damn seat is a rock. like riding on a brick. | | Similar Products Used: | Gt | | Bike Setup: | stock with maxxis tires | | Bottom Line: | wonderful bike. Great components and I highly recommend this bike for someone who doest have to have the fisher's,trek's,cannondale's etc. Great for a beginning rider that wants more bang for their buck. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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