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Submitted by
jeffrey4js
a Weekend Warrior
from Newport Beach
Date Reviewed: October 7, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Mach 1 (Laguna Beach Canyon-fire road) | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Private sale | | Strengths: | First off, WOW! Really nice full-susp. | | Weaknesses: | A little on the heavy side. But that too me means a well built machine | | Similar Products Used: | First DH bike, and have owened now for 9+ years. Hard to part with it, and have thought about it many times!! | | Bike Setup: | WELL- Done a few things, haha; first put a BigBoy seat which is mando. for DH. Second put Marzzochi Bombers 180 mm to lift up the front. New Orange DH riser bars that you NO MATTER what you do can't bend (reccommended highly). THEN MOST IMPORTANLY I through on Spinergy SPOX rims in the color red to match the bike. I have also converted the front deralor to xtr, which make not a bit of difference. She stands on MaXXiS 2.4 as well (a little heavy though). F-ING cool bike. | | Bottom Line: | Bottom line is, try hitting a fire road at 40+ mph with your buddy who is semi-pro hardtail rider and guess what happens to this "weekend warrior"; He takes a mean digger and broke his wrist and two ribs, ouch!! BUT for real it is a supurb climber and begginer/novice DH, AS well a it does pretty well on the pavement | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jamie Patrick
a Weekend Warrior
from St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | short hills | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | from Brian of St. Catharines | | Strengths: | Wow is this a tough bike, havent really had to do anything to it other than upgrades and routine maintenence. Great ride on trails and road, almost feels like im riding on air. | | Weaknesses: | back shock is really squeaky | | Similar Products Used: | kona cindercone | | Bike Setup: | manitou black comp fork, noleen back shock, magura hydraulic v-brakes, LX derailers, dual ryno lite rims | | Bottom Line: | I have layed a huge beating on this bike since i bought it from my buddy brian and it has taken all the beating and is still able to handle what ever i throw at it, whether it be trail riding or six foot drop offs. Wouldnt want another bike for the world, cause this bike gives me the feeling of riding on air. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael Karlovich
a Cross Country Rider
from Belmont, Ca, USA
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Waterdog Lake | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | bought used, but had never been ridden | | Strengths: | The suspension dampens even the most rough terrain, yet hinders the climbing effort very little. Very light bike. It is lighter than many of my friends' hardtails. | | Weaknesses: | Wheels go out of true easily. | | Similar Products Used: | This is my first mtn. bike, I used to be a road rider. | | Bike Setup: | Deore lx, and deore xt, Rock Shox -judy front suspension, noleen rear shock | | Bottom Line: | This bike kicks ass. I ride it almost every day on very technical terrain, and even small jumps. After a year of pounding, it is still going strong. I've only had to true the wheels and replace the brake pads -and routine maintenance. I ride sometimes with friends who have paid more for lesser bikes than this. The suspension system works awesome and makes off road riding feel like a ride on the road. I think you would have to pay over $2000 to find a bike that is noticeable better. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a Racer
from St. CAtharines
Date Reviewed: February 16, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Iron Creek Loop (Canmore Alberta) | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Sport Chek | | Strengths: | The bike is very light, the XT-LX combo is awsome, the carbon swing arm, is very durable, and the shocks are light and high performance | | Weaknesses: | The seat is horrible, the rims get out of true very easily, but with a few up-grades, it's an awsome ride | | Similar Products Used: | Mongoose DH 40 | | Bike Setup: | At the present time, it is all original parts( XT-LX, Un 52, shimano, i have upgraded the bar to an easton monkey bar, upgraded stem to easton mg70 and the breaks to shimano XTR, and the seat to a sella italia flite gel | | Bottom Line: | This is an awsome bike, the best i've ridden. With only a few up-grades, it is a top quality race ready bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Richmond,CA,U.S.
Date Reviewed: April 1, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Rockville, CA | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Crosslink,Swingarm,Rapidfire,Coil shocks | | Weaknesses: | Sun Sub-IV rimset,Seat,Brakes | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized M2 FS. Hardtail | | Bike Setup: | All stock, except for XT brake pads,Specialized Team Master and Team Control tires, and Specialized Body Geometry seat. | | Bottom Line: | I was a hardtail hold-out. It took this bike to convince me that full suspension is the only way to go. Not to mention the fact that I am now the ripe old age of 36, and these getting old bones took a beating on an aluminum hard tail. This bike is, how should I put this,"Awesome." That is the only way to describe it. This bike does everything better than my hardtail, including climbing. I didn't think it was possible. In fact, it climbs so much better, that after my initial ride I came home and measured the cranks to see if they were longer than my hardtail cranks. They weren't. After the easy climb, what comes next? That's right, the ride down. Most of the time it is possible just to stay seated and steer. This is impossible on a hardtail. Did I mention fire roads? No? Well, let me mention them now. The only thing I can say is that after a 1.5 to 2 hr. long ride I come home and I only feel 30 yrs. old. Oh, yea, did I mention that I LOVE MY BIKE......And because of the price...$710.00 dollars I have to give it 5 Flamin' Chilis across the board baby!!! So, if you are getting a little older, and coming home a little on the sore side after your rides, stop holding out and go full suspension. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ron
a Cross-Country Rider
from West Hills, CA
Date Reviewed: December 31, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Point Mugu SP | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Simple solid design. | | Weaknesses: |
The rims while lite, don't stand up to well.Bad seat. | | Similar Products Used: |
Rode a Fisher Montare since 86. | | Bike Setup: |
So far only replaced the prostate punishing seat. | | Bottom Line: | Been riding this bike at least twice per week for a year and 1/2. I only ride off road and the average ride time is 2 hrs. I have only replaced the seat, filed down that stupid seat post stopper and shortened the seat post. (I can't stand doing downhills with the seat at the usual hieght.) This is an excellent bike. The smart shok is an added bonus. I feel that this and the 5000 reached their peak in 98. The 99s are a little step down. The bike is rough and ready and takes whatever I put it thru. It handles like a dream! And no pogo! I am impressed that little maintainence has been required. My only real complaint are the Sun Sub IV rims. I only weigh 150 and yet I still need to true the rear more often than I would like. I wonder if the squirrelly feel that some have attributed to the rear swing arm might just be the rim flexing? I will just replace these at some point. No big deal. A legend of a bike!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
craig
a Weekend Warrior
from farmington, UT
Date Reviewed: December 11, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Awesome mix of LX XT | | Weaknesses: |
a bit heavy | | Similar Products Used: |
first full suspension | | Bike Setup: |
no upgrades | | Bottom Line: | I actually haven't ridden it yet, but I just got a '98 4000 SE (still in the box) for $675.00. I cannot wait to get going on this. What a steal! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alain
a Cross-Country Rider
from Concord, CA
Date Reviewed: October 31, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Mount Diablo, Black Diamond mines | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Great rigid fork
Good downhill
Good rear traction | | Weaknesses: |
comes LX equipped | | Similar Products Used: |
Prolex 857 | | Bike Setup: |
K2 4000 frame
Cross link Smart shock fork
All XT
Mavic Cross Link wheelset
WTB tires | | Bottom Line: | I previously owned a Proflex 857 on which I rode more than 5200 miles in a year and half (70% commuting to work and 30% on trails). The bike handled very well, was equipped XT. I was a bit skeptical of the sturdiness of the rear suspension but it didn't give me any problems.
I bought a K2 4000 because of the esthetic of the bike and also because of the great reviews in different MTB magazines. I changed the wheelset to Cross Links and the brakes, crank to XT. The ride is excellent, the rear suspension doesn't pogo under effort, the front shock is rigid and is more sensitive to small bumps that the 97 forks. The big hits are no problems for the fork. The bike performs well on the fire roads as well as the single tracks. Going downhill is a pure pleasure.
I forgot to mention that the seat provided with the bike went in the garbage and was replaced with a WTB SST and the bike needed a complete lube before it was ridable.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mr. K2
a Cross-Country Rider
from scolleran@hotmail.com
Date Reviewed: September 21, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Rim Trail | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
light
strong
almost no pogo
good looking | | Weaknesses: |
tires don't always hook up | | Bottom Line: | I'm actually reviewing the 4500, It doesn't have it's own page. It's basically the same except for a CF frame, and servowave levers. This bike is simply amazing, I don't notice any rear pogo, and the fork bounces less than anything I've ever tried. I thought such non reactive suspension would feel rigid on the way down, but it's incredibly plush, especially at high speeds. I'm currently in the middle of saving some weight. My budget will allow me to reach about 23 pounds, but I once saw a mag build it down to 22 lbs and 5 ounces with noleen suspension. Air shocks front and rear plus new tires would save another 1.5 lbs off that! This is my second nr-4 eqipped bike and it's delivering the same great performance and adjustability as the old one. However, the noleen ELTS fork has been my first experience on a noleen fork. It combines the rigidity of a triple clamp (a little more rigid actually), and the weight of a single crown. It tracks like it's on rails and delivers the ultra smooth performance of a rear shock up front. The smart shock is my favorite feature though, it tunes the compression damping 1000 times a second and feels perfect over every sized bump. The light weight easton CF frame is the strongest frame I've ever ridden and looks great. So far I've upgraded the derailluers, crankset, BB, brakes, and saddle- but this was strictly for weight savings, the stock parts worked great. Once I get new hubs, skewers, tires, tubes, and a new cassette, I'll be done. But once again, if I'm only doing this to save weight, every stock part works flawlessly except the tires. I like them in some conditions, but around half the time they just dont hook up. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Erich Schunter
a Cross-Country Rider
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: August 13, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Preston Railroad Trail, Issaquah, WA | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Suspension, frame, handling. | | Weaknesses: |
A bit heavy, terrible seat. | | Similar Products Used: |
Trek FS (model?) | | Bike Setup: |
Medium frame, Smart shock on Noleen fork | | Bottom Line: | Very capable bike, very plush, tracks like a train on downhills. The Smart shock is awesome, though I think I may drop down to the 175 spring, or start running the shock in 'soft' mode. I weigh about 165, right on the threshold between the 175 and the 200 spring... So far I've added a peranaum-saving seat, new Ti seatpost, and chopped some length off the handlebars. I also filed down the seatpost stop, after much debate... Certainly don't want the seatpost to drop down and impact the rear shock, but wanted to be able to drop the seat nice and low to tackle those 70 degree trail drop-ins we tend to encounter out here in Washington! Threw on my existing Cane Creek straight-pull wheelset, with Velocirapter tires (heavy, but bulletproof): the bike is an absolute goat up steep, loose stuff, and a rocket sled sprinting out of corners and up and down rolling hills. Don't know how much of that is the wheels, as they've always treated! Ti riser handlebars are forthcoming, as is a new crankarm/bottom bracket/drivetrain assembly, mainly to save some weight, but I've burred up the stock chainrings several times already. Going to look into disk brakes, may have to settle for Maguras... Would love to get the bike down to about 26 pounds, will let you know if it's doable! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Batman
a Weekend Warrior
from Northwest
Date Reviewed: July 19, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Quality Stock Components
Bike Handling
Rear shock's compression and extension adjustments
Front fork's electronic damping adjustment. | | Weaknesses: |
Seat-post stopper bump in frame | | Similar Products Used: |
Cannondale Super V
Cannondale M500 | | Bike Setup: |
Stock everything | | Bottom Line: | It definitely climbs much better than anything alse I've tried with a full suspension.
The wheelbase is long, hence the bike is a rail downhill. The fork is really stiff laterally, due to its homogeneous leg design, and is very accurate (point and shoot). The bike is fast downhill.
The intelligent fork is a real useful feature. I was afraid it is some sort of gadget, but thinking about it, it makes sense. What all the other front shocks suffer from is the difficulty to adjust them 'on the fly'. The headshock has this handy knob you can turn but it only acts on the precompression (so do most of the other forks top-knobs) and any motorcycle/car suspernsion specialist will tell you that dampening is what really matters. Wether you lean to the front of your bike or to the back, your weight distribution will change and you would need to adjust your shocks accordingly. The smart shock does it accordingly, regulating the oil flow hence the dampening.
It's an awesome idea, I'd even say the only way to go. Wait a few years and you'll see other bike/shock manufacturers will use a similar technology.
The XC ride of this bike on rough terrain is amazing. Even a bold rear tire does not lose traction on wet roots or rocks. It climbs anything, soaks up the bump and sticks to the ground. I am not sore after a ride as I used to be, and can resume normal butt activity. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jacob
a Cross-Country Rider
from Rockford, Il
Date Reviewed: July 15, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Rock Cut-- Aldeen | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
great suspension set up- love the weight- superlite for full suspension- | | Weaknesses: |
tires gotta go- my front end slip all over on high speed singletrack- OH! and the seat kills! | | Similar Products Used: |
Proflex Beast(tank)- mongoose's | | Bike Setup: |
LX/XT- Judy XC- Noleen Nr4, sun rims etc. | | Bottom Line: | Excellent XC bike- love the way it handles- very light , although I worry about the toughness of the carbon fiber swingarm.... anyway the suspension is tight- as long as you treat it right- and the components are decent. wanna good deal on one? www.bennetts.com- GET IT!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sean
a Weekend Warrior
from CA
Date Reviewed: July 11, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
East Government Trail | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Bottom Line: | Well, since I reviewed my bike last, I've converted her into a freerider. I've upgraded to an x-vert-r fork, XTR V's, XTR rear der., XTR front der., XTR crankset and B.B., 636 pedals, bonty crowbar xxx dh handlebar, fire XC tires, and ODI rogue grips. Everything else is still stock, except for the shock which I had replaced after my little incident. In my eyes, the 4000 was made to be a freerider. The rear travel is perfect and the frame is as strong as they come. The suspension doesnt budge while climbing if you stay in the saddle, but it's still 100% active and absorbs everything perfectly, especially at high speeds. I love the wide range of adjustments on my nr-4, which are now matched by my new fork. The crankset was mainly a weight saving upgrade, but the new XTR B.B. is the smoothest one I've ever ridden. The new derailuers shift like only XTR can. I love the 636's giant platforms and my fire xc tires hook up great in every condition. Next year I'm upgrading to disc brakes and disc wheelsets, maybe a new headset too. While Judy (as I call her) tips the scales at 29.5 pounds, she can more or less hold her own on climbs due to the great designing but it's still a royal pain on extended steep climbs. However, the downhilling makes it all worth it. I realize this bike is now one of a kind, but I strongly recommend test riding a similarly spec'd bike. You wont be disappointed. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Art Ballelli
a Cross-Country Rider
from Westerly RI
Date Reviewed: July 10, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
FREETOWN, MA | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
The best bike ever made! I changed most of the parts but the frame and fork I love! | | Weaknesses: |
My 3000 came with some lousy brakes. upgraded to '99 XT Vs. | | Similar Products Used: |
I owned an Offroad 550, a Pro-Flex 856 and I made an Offroad hybrid/commuter/cross bike w/ sick parts | | Bike Setup: |
K23000 with Nr2 shocks an an EXP fork | | Bottom Line: | The best bike a cross-country freak could buy. The frame and fork can't be beat. Some of the parts are cheap but with a little love and cash you can build the nicest ride. Toss some Azonic riser bars on and some Panaracer Fires and it'll grab hold of a trail like a PitBull. I've owned 4 bikes now from Offroad/ProFlex/K2 and this is the best thing going. I ride some pretty nasty s#!t and this bike just laughs it off. If you want the best bike for any amount of money look no further than the 98 K23000! p.s. I ride in Freetown, Mass the real place they designed my bike its just down the road from the old HQ.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sara
a Weekend Warrior
from Novi
Date Reviewed: May 12, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Maybury State Park | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
I went whole hog in March and sold my Trek 850 (with nothing but my boyfriend's old front fork, LX v-brakes and not much else) - I took the $125 and bought a 1998 Proflex K2 3000 for $1075 - THE BEST MONEY EVER SPENT. The full suspension saves my back (since I had a major back surgery two years ago at age 23) and keeps me on the trails at full speed. I upgraded my LX brakes from the old Trek to replace the STX stock - but so what? I weigh 140 lbs and the stock rear shock is plenty tight to get me up the hills without pulling or swinging. At 5'10 the full size frame is perfect - I can take the tight turns up and down hills without feeling out of control. | | Weaknesses: |
The tires are a little gripless - unless you are on nothing but soft dirt and sand. | | Similar Products Used: |
Nothing betwen the Trek and the Proflex | | Bike Setup: |
The Noleen is the coolest - I would never go for that 1999 smart shock. Too many bad reviews from friends who ride it. | | Bottom Line: | Bang for the buck- this bike rocks | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Packnrat
a weekend warrior
from Stockton ,Ca
Date Reviewed: January 16, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Pro-Flex 4000
This is the first f,s bike that i have owned, But there is no reason to change it,
Some people have said that the tires do not hold, Well they do hold in the mud sticky, slimey, and just plane goo. I have owned this bike for only 3 months but it has proven it self very well, on tech single track and high speed down hill's As they say through hill and dale. I say get one now.just try The mountian pedler in angles camp for the best price. This bike gives any one who ride's it confadence to do more than they could before, Be cause it hold's the ground in tight corners at speed and climes like a mountian goat, This summer i plan on doing a lot of riding on vares types of train here in northern Ca, Will post latter on the ride's. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay
a cross-country rider
from East Lyme, CT
Date Reviewed: January 1, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I've been riding my '98 K2 4000 for just about a year now and still consider it the best single upgrade I've ever done. I ride alot in Arcadia Park, in Rhode Island, just 20 minutes away from where the bike was designed, so this is the terrain the bike was made for: sickly technical singletrack. This sled is a terrific tool for picking through the hardest rock gardens, and then for blasting big ring holes in the smoother sections. At first I thought it rode a little tall, but once you've adjusted to the position and learned to spin, it's a rocket. Stop thinking about it: do it! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a cross-country rider
from Utah
Date Reviewed: December 31, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I got my 1998 K2 4500 on thanksgiving day for Christmas. I've had a proflex 756 for about 3 years. I LOVE THE 4500! The 756 was agood bike but the 4500 is alot better. No more flex in the frame or swing arm, just a much more together feeling bike. It also looks beautiful. Full carbon fiber: frame, swing arm and fork legs. The fork has the smart shock which performs great but I'm not sure it's any better than an NR2 with a revalve job. I 've ridden several other forks and I go for steering precision over plushness though one can achieve both by revalving the Noleen. Too much flex and independent leg action resulting in imprecise steering in other forks I've tried. I think the K2 has a good rear suspension: simple, light, effective and appealing to the eye. Maybe a bike with more pivots is more active but I can't tell it on the other bikes I've ridden( specialsed FSR, GT STS) The pivot location is a good one on the 4500. I just saw a picture of the new bike being put out by a collobrative venture between Ventana and Ellsworth (Swift) and that bike has the same basic design and pivot location as the 4500. Maybe they know something. The 4500 weighs about 27 lbs with a mixture of XT and LX parts. My bike was brand new and only cost $1300. I will be working on making it lighter. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
TJ Tremblay
a racer
from Brewer, ME
Date Reviewed: December 12, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
After racing on an 855 for 2 1/2 years, I recently made the switch to a K2 5000. The bike is amazing. It handles very simarly to my old bike, but is a lot more precise. The Damping is perfected and Smart shock is everything that it claims. I would like to tip my hat off to the guys at K2/proflex for doing it again and redefining full-suspension! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sean
a cross-country rider
from CA
Date Reviewed: December 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This is my seocnd review of the '98 proflex and after a month I can honestly say it's great. If you can get your hands on one, go for the 4000 xc, it's exactly the same except in place of the smart shox in front, there are a great pair of judy xc lt<(long travel). The 4000 xc is hundreds cheaper tahn the regular 4000. Judy xc lt's get 80 mm of travel and require almost no maintenence, just a little judy butter every once in a while. I've heard a lot of stories of the noleen nr-4 leaking, but a month's gone by and not a drop yet. Great components... mostly shimano xt and a little ls. My only complaint is the tires. They do clean themselves out pretty fast and grip well in the mud, but they get some pretty bad traction uphill. I'm going to replace them with either Michelin wildgrippers or some velociraptors, any suggestions? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sean
a cross-country rider
from California
Date Reviewed: November 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Well, the proflex 4000 is my first fs bike and it's perfect for my style of riding. Anyone whose looking for a great xc bike in a pretty affordable price range, look no further. I'm not too sure about the smart shox, too new, so I've got some judy xc's for the fork and they work perfect. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a weekend warrior
from Alaska
Date Reviewed: September 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I couldn't quite afford the K2-4000 this summer, so I settled for the K2-3000. I was certainly not disapointed. The bike handles extremely well, climbes like my HT (better actually, because the wheel stays glued to the ground rather than hopping over rocks like a HT does) and keeps me out on the trail like the Energizer Bunny (going and going and going).If I were to have any complaints about the bike, there would be none. But I might recommend improvements. First, I personally don't like V brakes (just my opinion) so I put a set of Maguras on the bike, and now confidence reigns supreme (check out the Magura comments, almost ALL five chilles). Second, when decending dirt roads with wash board the shocks are typically dampened for trail riding and the bike feels a bit stiff (not stiff like an HT). You could stop, loosen the dampening all the way and go, but I usually just go. Here is where I believe the Smart shock would be worth the money as found on the 4000. Not to worry though, next year K2 will be putting the smart shock on just about everything and the 3000, as it stands now, will be a memory.So, If you're in the market for a great bike and would like to take advantage of the end of season sales, this would be a terrific choice. I've seen this bike at local bike stores for under $1,000 this month. Simply put, that rocks!Enjoy! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John W.
a weekend warrior
from TN
Date Reviewed: September 16, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
4500C update ......I've ridden my 4500C since July, and it's been a great summer! The bike has been absolutely reliable. I weigh 200lbs, and have ridden it twice a week over some incredably rough East Tennessee trails, with little more maintenance than cleaning the chain. I don't know how some people are blowing shocks; I'm riding through rock gardens at speed and taking 2ft vertical drops routinely, and both shocks have yet to emit one drop of oil or lose any damping. The ride continues to be very soft, yet controlled. On rough downhills, this bike gives me the ability to leave my hardtail riding buddies behind, and I actually feel safer doing it. The only parts I have replaced are the seat, the tires, the grips (all off my old bike) and the brake pads. I will soon be upgrading the LX brakes to XT or Avid. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave J.
a cross-country rider
from Brewster, NY
Date Reviewed: September 2, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've been riding my Proflex 4500 for about 6 months now and I love it. It is my fourth full suspension and the best I've ridden yet. The only thing that needs to be changed is the tires. I found the Michelins work dramatically better. This bike brings a smile to your face and makes you not want to stop riding. Isn't that what it's all about. Much thanks to Village Bikes in Brewster, NY for all their help and congratulations to their phenominal race team. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
CO2max
a cross-country rider
from Mississauga, Ont.
Date Reviewed: September 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have ridden a hardtale all my life until this year I decided I desperatly needed a full suspension to take the strain off my back. Like most dulies I test rode, they felt great going downhill but uphill was a different story. Most tended to bob up and down and as a result, felt slogish. That was until I tride K2's new Proflex 3000. This bike has 3 up front and 3.5 at the rear which made a plush ride like many dulies out there. But this bike was different. It felt quick and agile like a hardtale up hill with that full suspension plushness going back down. This is a result of Proflex's fully active rear suspension which keeps the rear wheel planted on the ground. If your in the market for cross-country machine that climbs as good as it desends then test ride a K2 3000 at your local K2 dealer. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
nod
a weekend warrior
from cornville
Date Reviewed: July 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
k2 was kind enough to replace my 957 w a new 5000. thanks for nothing, although the smartshocks are a good change, the problem continues that they blow out w/in a month or two, and what about the smartness of not turning off until the batteries get used up, i guess the smart shock people are in cahoots w/ the battery makers...this whole problem has made me get off of dual suspension and get back on my hard tail, and i'm over 50..... | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brent Binge
a weekend warrior
from Alexandria, VA
Date Reviewed: July 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I just got my 4500C a week ago, so have only had a chance to go on a few rides, but have little to complain about thus far. The FS is definitely a nice step up from my StumpJumper M2. I was a bit worried about the bike's climbing ability (having only ridden hard-tail bikes up until now) but it climbs like a champ, with the only problem resulting from lack of traction, which is my first (minor) complaint)- the tires really need to be swapped out for better traction (especially if you're in the mud at all). The Smartshock works as advertised (another nice step up from Rockshox Judys). On my first couple of rides the bike has saved me from my own carelessness a couple of times, and now if I can only get up the balls to trust it a bit more, I'm sure it will handle speed on the downhills (and compensate for my own lack of technique). One final note: great time to buy the 98's if you're interested: they're aren't many left (so they say) but you should be able to save at least $500-$700 if you look around. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John W.
a weekend warrior
from TN
Date Reviewed: June 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I just bought a 4500C from my LBS for $1850, following demo rides on a Klien Mantra Race and K2 5500C. The Klien was a good bike, in fact the Klien was the first full suspension bike I had ridden. But when I rode the 5500C, I was immediately struck by how much softer the 5500C felt. The 5500C was also more stable in gravel, and despite the Klien's rep for being a great climber (which it is), I didn't feel the 5500C was any worse. The Noleen/Girvin front fork was way better than the Rock Shock on the Klien. It swallowed bumps that the other fork kicked back on. The Klien's URT design also gave noticeable pedal feedback to large hits. There were three problems with the 5500C (other than the price). 1) There was an annoying rattle from the rear end that we isolated to the XTR rear brake linkage. This could be fixed. 2) The rear brake noodle rubbed my calf. This could be fixed. 3) The rear Smart Shock didn't have enought rebound damping. After a big hit, the rear end would bounce 2-3 times. I weight ~200lbs, and the amount of spring preload we had to dial in overwhelmed the shock. At this point I tried the 4500C. With the separate rebound and compression settings on the conventional rear shock, I was able to get a good combination of softness on the hit, with good control of oscillation on the rebound. There was no rattle from the LX brakes. So for me, the 4500C worked better than the 5500C, with the main noticable difference being less braking power from the LX brakes compared to the XTR brakes on the 5500C. On my first long trail ride the 4500C worked great. My poor old back took much less of a pounding on the downhills (which was my reason for buying a FS bike), and for once I felt the bike could go a lot faster downhill if I had the cojones to let it run. The only thing I plan to do in the short term is swap the excellent Richey tires off my hardtail and order the correct rear spring for my weight, so I don't have to run so much preload. (By the way, the 5500C is still at the LBS marked down from $4400 to $3100, which is a great deal considering the list price for that bike.) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
nardo
a racer
from chandler az
Date Reviewed: June 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've been riding my 4000 for about a month now and I have to say that it
is a true piece of work. At first I wasn't sure about the primitive
canti design, but I have to admit it works well and is very functional.
I raced it in sunrise az, which is a ski mountain, and the bike goes up
a mountain without bobbing. I was once a hard-tail holdout, but now
I kick myself in the ass for waiting so long for a bike like the 4000.
I do have to admit that the bike is a tad heavy but a different wheelset
changes it all. For those who don't believe, I got second place on my
4000 and all of those others on thier sub 22lb bikes were far behind me.
The little bit of weight is a small price to pay for the comfort provided.
The smart shock is kickass also. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lyn
a cross-country rider
from Wellington, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: June 21, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I found choosing a new bike pretty challenging: it's difficult to find a high-spec FS bike that is a genuine cross-country machine rather than some long-legged downhiller. I tried bikes from Specialized, Giant, Scott, Schwinn and Cannondale until finally I rode the K2 and fell in love (don’t discount gut feeling when it comes to choosing a bike). I’ve had the bike for six weeks (still early days) and my impressions are almost completely favourable. It’s relatively light and climbs far better than my hardtail:- there’s a lot more traction at the back, it doesn’t bob when correctly set up, and you don’t need to do gymnastics to get up and over bumpy bits. The forks are superb: supple on the small stuff and responsive but controlled for the big hits. I strongly suspect that this balance between comfort and control is due to the SmartShock, if anybody’s curious. The bike absolutely flies on the fast stuff - stable and comfortable - and handles single-track brilliantly. I found it really useful to have an understanding of suspension theory when setting up the 4000, as there is so much adjustment available at both ends that it could be pretty confusing: the manual is OK but not 100% clear when it comes to damping adjustments. The rest of the bits are pretty good: XT shifters, LX brakes and Girven pedals are great, and the seat/handlebar setup suits me fine. My only niggles are the less than comfortable bar-ends, and the difficulty of fitting a pump to the frame - the square downtube prevents bolting one next to the bottle cage. The standard Panaracer Duster tyres are good for dirt but next to useless for mud.Overall, the 4000 is a great machine for cross-country work, and the suspension design gives the bike a strong edge over other bikes in the price range. I like it so much it’s still in the corner of the kitchen - I guess it’ll be at least a week or two still before I let it sleep out in the garage.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a weekend warrior
from Fishkill,NY
Date Reviewed: June 10, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This is the update you've been waiting for. I've now been riding the bike
for 6 months. Here is the good, the bad and the ugly, but not in order.
I had the original rear nr4 blow out, it was upgraded to a smart rear for
a minimal charge. The smart shock is great! I liked it so much, I worked
out a deal to get a front smart also (got dumb shocks to get the bike
sooner). The suspension is top notch for a bicycle.
The handling takes some getting used to, depending on what you came off of.
I have the cockpit set up neutral via stem/seat/preload,no front or rear
bias. Very tight technical sections take more effort than my old 856 or
c'dale sva. The bike wants to be railed through turns, not slashed or
thrusted. Everything else the bike is better at.
I stripped the bike as soon as I got her. I upgraded the wheels to white
ind, skewers to ti binders, brakes and cogs to XTR. It's still a heavy
bike, The price to pay for durable full suspension I guess. I'm very
pleased with the bike and dealer (Village Bikes) and have upgraded my
review to 5.
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom
a weekend warrior
from SF Bay Area
Date Reviewed: June 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
This is my second F/S bike. I am 6'1 and 210lbs.
Who ever spec'd this bike did their homework. XT/LX mix mostly XT this bike is ready to rumble as is.I have been riding a 97 Judy XC up front- the Girvin blows it away!!! My first ride was uneasy because the Girvin eliminated many bumps that the Judy smoothed out. The ride was so smooooth, like butter. The bike handles quick- treats tight technical trails like a Gazelle and climbs like a goat. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a racer
from Colorado, usa
Date Reviewed: June 5, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Hey guys and girls,
This bike is truly amazing. I have a 4500C with front and rear smart shocks. The dampening is amazing! I have ridden hundreds of bikes before I rode this one. I am an XC racer and I do some downhill. This bike kicks butt for any kind of riding! It climbs like a dream and descends like a cheetah! I was out on a race recently and hit a jump. I was fairly scared of jumping on a new bike, but boy was I wrong! After landing from 5 feet of air the smartshocks made the landing feel like hiting a feather pillow! It was amazing! Buy this bike please! You will be soo much faster and the ride will be sooo fun! The frame is carbon and amazing looking! it rides very good on technical singletrack and is a very good value. I paid $2449 for my 4500C and it was less than any other competing SF bike. I have no problems with the smartshock technology. Computerized suspension systems will rule in the years to come. Go out and get your now! Get a taste of the futur early! Happy trails! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bobby H.
a cross-country rider
from Tucson, AZ U.S.A
Date Reviewed: May 23, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Iam a previous 857 owner and loved it.It was an awsome climber for a F/S.and of course it decended as controlled and down right fun as only a well designed machine should......And then there was and is the K2 4000se.Two rides is all it took to convince me.To start with the press was right, the smartshock is a great advancment.It is without a doubt above all other shock's.It is easy to adjust and maintain .I resently upgraded the fork blades to the carbonfiber blades .It made the handling a little more predictable and it looks sexy .The rear shock with its full adjustabiility makes it a nobrainer to set it up just the way you like it.For riders 165-175 lbs. i recomend the most sensitive compression and four clicks from the most damping.After owning many f/s's . i can safely say Buy one and love life . | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Blake Hoyle
a cross-country rider
from North Carolina
Date Reviewed: March 3, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I just purchased my new K2 4000 about a week ago. All I can say now is its incredible. I've always been a diehard hardtail supporter. I figured dual suspension would take the agility out of riding. It doesn't take the agility out of riding it takes the need for agility away( not completely). Instead of jumping around trying to avoid rocks and find the best line, you just power right through stuff. Rocks, logs, mountains, no problem. Enough about dual suspension now about the bike. I've tried out several and this is the best. The bike's frame is redesigned form last years Pro Flex( In my opinion last years models were bulky and didn't perform well in a tight single track setting). Apparently this has been fixed in the k2 line. The bike is quick and nimble in all types of terrain. Now for the shocks. Compared to my Rock Shock Judy XC's the Noleen fork in unreal. It sucks up everything. rocks role under me and I don't even now they existed. The rear shock is also a very plush and consitent. The control you have over the shock is great. Damping, rebound, and preload. You can dial in the shock to any riding level or condition. Lets not forget the smart shock. On the 4000 only the fork as this but its well worth. So far its not a gimmick. Technology is winning over Mtn. Biking unfortunatley.
Sorry this is a wordy post but its hard to describe riding this bike. Its killer. You'll find yourself pedaling straight through stuff that you would of never done before. If you like speed and you like comfort without sacrifing the agility of a hardtail then the K2 4000 is the perfect choice. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Harry Shin
a weekend warrior
from California
Date Reviewed: January 30, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Just bought a K2/Proflex 4000 after riding a rigid bike for the last 18 years. I think the bike is well designed and constructed. The principal reason I bought this bike over the other excellent bikes available on the market was the Noleen/Girvin fork. Compared to other bikes in the price range, this fork offers several advantages including stiction free operation and strength. As a mechanical engineer, these are important qualities.Not having a tremendous amount of experience with suspended bikes in general, but having a spent a good part of my youth riding dirt bikes (250cc and Open class), I appreciate what Noleen has accomplished with this bike's suspension. The ride is very good and high speed descents are now a pleasure. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
DAN
a weekend warrior
from CAMARILLO, CA.
Date Reviewed: January 26, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
THIS IS MY FIRST FS BIKE. MY OLD HARDTAIL WAS STOLEN LAST MAY.
I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING FOR 9 MONTHS FOR A NEW BIKE. I DEMOED VARIOUS BIKES, URT AND ACTIVE. I COMPARED COMPONETS
AND PRICE AND FINALLY AFTER LOOKING AT TOO MANY BIKES TO COUNT, I BOUGHT A 4000SE. AFTER 3 RIDES, IT'S EVERYTHING I COULD
WANT IN A ALL-AROUND BIKE. IT KICK ASS AS A TRAIL BIKE. THE GIRVIN FORK W\
THE SMART SHOCK IS AS ADVERTISED. IT TRACKS LIKE IT'S ON A
RAIL. AND I LOVE HOW MUCH YOU CAN DIAL BOTH SHOCKS IN FOR ANY
CONDITIONS. IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris LeFevers
a cross-country rider
from Arcadia,California, USA
Date Reviewed: January 10, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Just bought a K2 4500 Carbon FS. Wow! What a bike. I have only been on two rides but it's been awesome so far. I was riding a tricked out Fisher HT, but there really is no comparison. K2/Pro-Flex rules! I had never ridden this style fork before, and heard they had some quirks. Well whatever it was they worked it out. They work much better than my Judy's. It must that smart shock. This bike rocks, I can only imagine what the 5500 must be like. Buy a K2 as soon as can, PLEASE! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Schuster
a weekend warrior
from Huntington Beach Ca.
Date Reviewed: January 7, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I did two dirt demos on this bike out of a local bike shop. It is in my opinion
thats this bike overall is above average. I liked the bike initially, so i bought the demo from the bike shop. I soon found out that the way a person will view the performance of this bike coralates directly with the terrian they ride it over. In short, its a great bike to ride until the terrian gets technical, then it becomes quit a handfull to control. It motos over rocks and branches and does a good job with the ruts as well, but if these thinhgs come at you when your rideing on the edge of a cliff, your better off walkin! After much research i soon found out that the frame has far too much lateral flex to it and causeing it to not hold a smooth line when the goin gets techy. This is because the pivot bearing is of an inferrior design concept as well as plian old cheap parts. Possibley in the future this pivot mechanism will be upgraded to something wider and of a larger diameter with a zero runout design. Even the full carbon frame has the exact same characteristic. If this one real flaw was taken out, id say its a real sweet ride and it does everything well. The SMART SHOCK is everything the press says it is, its a facinateing thing to experience and the overall suspension action is more than adaquit in my opinion. But the ratical frame flex really takes alot of the predictability out of the whole package. So until K2 handles this problem, i believe thier are much much better FS bikes for the money. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dw
a cross-country rider
from MI USA
Date Reviewed: December 18, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
K2 Proflex 4000
For thoose of you that are interested K2 claims the bike weighs 27.6lbs. This seems acurate because the 5000 that we have in our shop weighs 26.5 and uses a simular frame. The suspension adjusts at 1000 times per second. So far I have been very impresed with the suspension system on this bike. They have combined the experence of several compainies to producea top notch bike. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a weekend warrior
from Fishkill, NY
Date Reviewed: December 10, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
Bought the k2 4000, first one around here. I opted for the NR2/NR4
front/rear shocks to get the bike quicker. In two rides I can say it
has the best quality suspension I've ridden. I'm still getting used to
the bike, but first impressions were very good. I have spent quite
a bit of time on demo/friends bikes like LTS1, SVA1000, Y22, 856's and
857's, FSR's. The 4000 may have them all covered, I'll post again when
I get more time on it. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Pomphret
a racer
from Manchester, UK
Date Reviewed: December 2, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I've just got back from a test weekend in the English Lake District with the UK importers of the K2 bikes.... WOW !!! My ride is a stock 856 and it was blown away by the new longer and much plusher travel on the new 4000 bikes. I'm not convinced by the smart shock, only time will tell.Thanks to all at Biketreks of Ambleside and Ultrasport (UK)
| | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark
a cross-country rider
from SLC, UT.
Date Reviewed: November 11, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
This bike is one piece of art to say the least!! I RODE it at deer valley this year and loved how it stayed planted firmly on the ground. However, I think that I will stay with my 857 untill i see what happens long term to this new shock. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martin Jade
a racer
from USA
Date Reviewed: October 24, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I rode this bike in Colorodo as a test. It rode great. I have no bad things to say about it and I am a hard tail hold out. I am so dissappointed with the reviews I just read about it. They are probably bull shit because they were all posted in a 5 minute span. Why idiots like to do this is beyond me.
This bike rocks for a FS bike. And if I were ever considering getting a FS it would be on the list. I think this page should be edited for the B.S posts and the posters should be ashamed of their selves for making the important information gathered here null and void. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Devin
a cross-country rider
from provo , ut
Date Reviewed: August 25, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I rode the 1998 K2 Proflex's the other week they are awsome. They lowered the
pivot and up'ed the travel. The biggest improvementcomes in the rear shock. It has
electronic damping. It adjusts the valving 50 times a second. It is pretty incredible. We
were up in Deer Valley Ut at the resort and those wheels were glued to the terrain. I
was sold an I have since ordered oneof these machines. I could say more but I'll just
let you all find out for yourselves. | | Overall Rating: |
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