Parker is designed for riders who want a stout-but-light-&-tight bike they can use for gate racing, jumping, slope style riding, or all day trail riding. We took our proven XLT, beefed up the pivots, shock hardware and bell crank, modified the rear triangle, reined in the rear travel a bit, and bolted on forks with a huge range of travel options so riders can dial in just the right amount of travel they want for specific riding conditions. The result blew us away. We couldn’t decide whether to build the bike as an XLT all mountain replacement, or a fast slope-style freerider, or a dirt jump/gate racer. So we built all three.
The base model Parker 1.0 features an all-mountain/all-day triple-ring set-up, just like the XLT of last year. But with the significantly stronger/stiffer Parker frame and adjustable travel Rock Shox Recon fork, the bike is even more versatile and durable. The 2.0 features a more freeride/slope-style double-ring set-up with an e13 SuperCharger bash guard and 20mm Maxle fork/hub interface. The 3.0 gets a dirt jump or gate race single-ring set-up with an e13 chain guide and 20mm Maxle.
Submitted by
DC211
a Weekend Warrior
from Las Vegas, NV Date Reviewed: November 27, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Any DH at Bootleg Canyon
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
Jenson USA
Strengths:
The bike is solid for the price. Use it for downhill, xc, or freeride. Handles well.
Weaknesses:
Front fork is soft and it would be nice to have at least 160mm up front.looking to upgrade. The new parker comes with an fsa drvetrain setup with a bash guard, nice upgrade compared to the basic shimano setup on this bike.
Similar Products Used:
first all mountain bike
Bike Setup:
stock
Bottom Line:
Can't find a better bike for the price. A few upgrades and the bike can be a solid all mountain bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ASR524
a Downhiller
from houghton,mi Date Reviewed: November 11, 2009
Favorite Trail:
MTU/Copper harbor
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
jenson
Strengths:
Strong, only knocked the rear rim out of true. I havent noticed pedal bob at all. the forks are adjustable!!
80-130mm travel up front and 100mm in the rear.
Weaknesses:
NONE
Bike Setup:
Stock but looking into bash guard
Bottom Line:
This bike is versatile. I literally use it for everything. DJ,DH,XC, free ride it dont matter this bike can take it, I might not be the best climber (or thats me) but it down hills fast soaks up large bumps that a hard tail wont and can be ridden as a XC bike without to much effort.
Perfect bike for someone who wants a do everything bike for the least amount of cash.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
b-kul
a Weekend Warrior
from ma Date Reviewed: October 22, 2009
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
jensonusa
Strengths:
strong, good suspension design, good components
Weaknesses:
kind of heavy, front derailleur is junk
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
stock except for maxxis ignitor 2.35 tires and shimano lx derailleur
Bottom Line:
great bike. im setting it up as more of a trail bike. it eats technical single track up. also i do not notice any bobbing of the rear suspension. and i am running the shock quite bouncy. not the fastest bike on the trails but if you are looking for that why are you even considering a 36 lb bike? it can be made lighter but that is tough with a + 8 lb frame.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
longviewsyndicate
a Weekend Warrior
from washington Date Reviewed: March 17, 2009
Favorite Trail:
schleyer
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
jenson usa
Strengths:
tough, looks cool, blast to ride
Weaknesses:
i greased the bearings myself after a few rides, there was not much in there.
Similar Products Used:
heckler, vp free, coiler, stinky
Bike Setup:
parker frame, 55r fork, single track wheels, king hubs, truvativ cranks and bars, shimano brakes
Bottom Line:
felt good on this bike almost right away. had to get the bar/stem combo figured out, but that was not the bike that was me. the rear suspension is pretty stiff until you need it to work, then it gets pretty plush. pedals pretty good. i am about 6' and have the 18' and it feels pretty good.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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