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Submitted by
Chris Vanderlinden
a Racer
from Irvine, California, Orange County
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Canyon Acres in Alta Laguna | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Rainbow Bicycles: Laguna Beach | | Strengths: | it's got a long life. it's still in amazing condition. the frame itself has been powdercoated once which probably voided any warranty, but the only thing broken was paint chips. nothing bent, no dents, no fatigue. i also replaced all the bushings right after i powdercoated it. | | Weaknesses: | i broke the bolt that mounted the shock to the linkage and it ovalized the eye on the shock. i replaced the bolt and the shock and it works fine.
one other weakness is that it won't accept large forks. the steering gets a little funky when it's raked out. and, there's a little issue about fork clearance. my psylo won't clear the down tube. it isn't that big of an issue to me, but i have to mention it.
the last weakness is that it has the old style brake mount in the rear so my brake is hard to adjust and it's hard to replace. | | Similar Products Used: | i test rode a gary fisher pro caliber. i'd say the pro cal is lighter and has better fork clearance, but then again it was set up much differently and is close to a decade younger than my wild hare. | | Bike Setup: | i've got a mavic crossmax front wheel with an 8" hayes rotor in the front. a rock shox psylo coil fork (a little to large for proper handling). i have a short thompson stem, i don't know, but i'd have to guess it's around 70mm. i've got easton carbon bars and seatpost. shimano xt hollowtech cranks with 3 rings. i had a fox vanilla R in the rear, but it got ruined when i broke the mounting bolt. my bontrager saddle isn't so comfortable, i like the SDG saddles more. i have an XT rear mech with a really heavy rear wheel that i had built for a different bike. it has a shimano hone hub and a sun big fat mammoth rim. i've got a 6" hayes brake in the rear. last but not least i've got a maxxis high roller tire in the front and a kenda kinetics tire in the rear. | | Bottom Line: | the bike has lasted me forever and has long since been replaced (i've grown out of it), but it was a great hand me down bike and it's served me well. i'd recommend it be set up for cross country with a 3 inch fork and an air shock in the rear. i'm glad that it has V-brake mounts because the disk mount is kinda old now. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan Campbell
a Cross Country Rider
from Seattle, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 20, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Tapeworm/Mr. DNA | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Wedgewood Cycles | | Strengths: | Still ticking
Still modern
| | Weaknesses: | Not as good a pedaling platform as some | | Similar Products Used: | None lately, you can't get me off this thing. | | Bike Setup: | XTR, RS SID, Egg Beaters, Stan's tubeless. 22.9lbs | | Bottom Line: | Well, it's been nearly 8 years since my review below. This baby has covered probably 10,000 miles since then. It's amazing how full suspension will increase the life of a frame, it probably does the same for the rider's frame. It's starting to fatigue though... The main pivot disintegrated its threads twice. Since I don't have another and the company is out of business I tapped threads into the center of my remaining pivot and screwed the cap on with another small bolt. I know I should get a new bike, but you still can't find a racer/trail bike like this for under $5000, so I'm trying to squeeze another season out of it. We'll see. Figure I should write the obituary now before it poofs into a cloud of aluminum oxide dust.
What a bike this was. It did everything from expert downhill courses at Whistler, to North Shore free riding, to nearly paved XC race courses with equal aplomb. Riders I meet still recognize it, some of them fond former owners. One complained endlessly about how he should never have “upgraded” to a newer bike. I’m faced with that now, and I agree this one will be a tough act to follow. Roy, if you’re out there, get back in the biz, you were a hell of a frame builder!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Westminster, CA , USA
Date Reviewed: November 12, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Big Bear | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | e-bay | | Strengths: | Got this frame which had been sitting around for a few years made in 2004 or 2005 built it up to be King... It's got a great design, climbs almost or as good as my friends hardtail, descends waaaay better. | | Weaknesses: | none so far. I've heard there's one area, the weld where the rear shock attaches the frame, that sometimes is a weak spot, but I haven't had any problems with that at all. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized stumpy & Cannondale Super V
both have their strength, but the Wild Hare is my favorite, edging out the stumpjumper. | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi All mountain SL Fork, Fox Float rear shock, Avid BB7s, Race Face Atlas cranks, SRAM drivetrain (grip shifts rule), Thompson stems, FSA Pig DH headset, Azonic wheels, WTB super V seat, Fire XC tires | | Bottom Line: | Climbs as good as any bike I've had, but the best part is the suspensions, like a wild hare, hops over anything in it's way. I'm very pleased with how it handles the descents. If they still made these, I would stick with this frame. Thankfully, mine should last another few years since they're so well built. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ubaldo "UB" Morales
a Cross Country Rider
from Belmont, Ca
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Revised review. Well after my initial review and only 1 bushing change later this frame is still an amazing purchase. Still tight, creak free, agile and surprisingly able to withstand punishment from big hits, G forces, ruts, rocks, bail outs etc.. | | Weaknesses: | In all honesty perhaps weight, but other than that - nothing. | | Similar Products Used: | None. Have yet to test ride anything that motivates me to give up my Wild Hare. | | Bike Setup: | Few changes. WTB laser saddle. Velomax wheelset. | | Bottom Line: | Keep the legend alive, be an individual and don't buy in to the media hype. Big money = Big hype. Small time manufacturer can't compete but has a quality product. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ubaldo Morales
a Weekend Warrior
from Belmont, Ca. U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: July 2, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | SKEGGS | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | E-BAY | | Strengths: | Absolutely handles everything in it's path providing a feeling of control unlike any hard tail. Suspension settings really do make a dramatic impact; just change the
position of the rear shock bolt and see how much more travel you get; Amazingly engineered!! Chuck at Psycle Werks and... this is top secret...He has a shop at Rainbow Bicycles which if you need to contact him is the place to call. Change those bushings and you've got a bike that will rival anything currently being touted as "The Best" and you know what I mean, all those links don't amount to anything if you have to pay through the nose to rebuild or service. $30 plus shipping and the Psycle Werks gets you back on the Off Road trail again. Buy it..don't always go for the Big Producer Hype; made in the USA. | | Weaknesses: | If you consider servicing the bushings then it's a weakness. I like to jeep my Wild Hare in top shape so I don't mind. | | Similar Products Used: | None compare | | Bike Setup: | Tru Vative Team Cranks, Tru Vative Bottom Bracket, Time ATAC pedals, SRAM PC 69 chain, Cane Creek A5 Air Rear Shock, Full XTR except for XT Rapid Fire Shifters, Thompson Elite Seatpost, WTB SST98 saddle, Carbon Fiber Handlebar, Titus Carbon Fiber bar ends, Aztec Brake cables,
Kool Stop brakes, Nule Proof front Hub/wheel, Mavic Rims,WTB MotoRaptors front & rear...Sweet & worth the care for the pleasure it gives. | | Bottom Line: | People this frame is an excellent investment, buy it build it up and you won't be sorry.
Long Live Long Rides!! Support IMBA, Care for the Trails. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
anthony markos
a Weekend Warrior
from tempe az usa
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | mormon/national loop | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | Rage Bikes | | Strengths: | I liked the suspension design because of the un-interupted seat tube. I can drop my seat as low as I want and city ride. Low cost comparred to others. Easy to service bushings. | | Weaknesses: | Only problem I had was the drop out screw kept coming loose. I eventually had to get a bigger screw and re-thread. This worked great. | | Similar Products Used: | Titus( Quasi-moto ) Trek 8000, Litespeed hardtail, Fisher paragon, Kona Kaboom. | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi z1 5' trvl, Azonic Stem, King headset, Raceface cranks. Azonic 2' riser bars, raceface seatpost. mavic rims, xt/xtr components. | | Bottom Line: | I absolutely love it. I've laid this thing down many times and endured many big hits with no issues. This bike climbs better than both of my hardtails and barrels down the mountian with ease. The shock coil is easily reachable for quick adjustments. Every six months or so you need to overhual bushings which takes 30 minutes and a couple of fingers of greese. Much cheaper than buying new bearings. This bike will reward anyone who buys it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Weekend Warrior
from Chadick
Date Reviewed: October 30, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Vietnam | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
plush | | Weaknesses: |
none | | Similar Products Used: |
All | | Bike Setup: |
XT,XTR,Marzochhi,Fox,Aggresive | | Bottom Line: | The bike that allowed me to ride again!! Because of a bad back. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
taylor
a Weekend Warrior
from houston, TX
Date Reviewed: August 20, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
city park, austin, TX | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
the welds, the so-cal mystique, the telonics bloodlines, magic-carpet ride, big stiffy | | Weaknesses: |
it didn't fit my old rack, won't fit my buddy's top-tube clamping style rack (so what?) | | Similar Products Used: |
fisher crom-mo hard tail, schwinn sweet spot, spec'lized FSR | | Bike Setup: |
'zoke Z1 alloy, fox vanilla R, nukeproof superflys, xt goodies, and so on. | | Bottom Line: | i first test-rode this bike in Warda, TX, at a ranch with some 20 miles of trails (LOTS of rocks). it wasn't set up right, but DAMN, i STILL hovered over the nastiest terrain!. when i decided to finally buy one this summer, the Gods intervened. my trail crossed that of the factory rep whose bike i'd demoed, and it was FOR SALE! months of careful planning and spontaneous spending came together in a DREAM RIDE that i'd always lusted for since i began this sport some 3 years ago. this bike just LEVITATES over ANYTHING i throw at it, and obstacles that used to cause hesitation now brings on VIGOROUS attacks! the ad IS true. they DO build confidence. i hear tell the bike was tested on the notorious Telonics Course in the laguna hills, near the shop. for the un-informed, this is where Lopes and his pals go play, and you've seen it in Kranked, the video. true, the front can push a bit, but once it's dialed in, it encourages you to just say, brakes? who NEEDS brakes? screw slowing down! just place your stones on the bars, light your hair on fire, and go for it! own something you can be proud of, and be the first guy at your trail NOT on a corporate bike! happy trails, amigos! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
D. Sturm
a Cross-Country Rider
from Tampa, FL
Date Reviewed: July 12, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Thompson Trail@Tsali | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
The harder you ride, the better it works. Welds are very clean. Head tube and bottom bracket shell are reamed and faced, ready to go. Customer service is exceptional. Attention to detail is excellent. | | Weaknesses: |
Cable routing causes finish abrasions. During rebound of a big hit on a climb, you can get a ghost shift to a higher gear. | | Similar Products Used: |
Rocky Mountain Element T.O.
Turner Burner
Various test rides(Trek, Cannondale, Pro Flex, Specialized) | | Bike Setup: |
Charcoal metallic candy blue frame(Psycle Werks description, not mine)Fox Air Vanilla Float RC
Manitou SX-Ti
XTR Rear, Brakes, Cassette, Sachs chain
X-Ray shifters
King Headset
Race Face Crankset, HBar
XT Front, Levers, Hubs/Mavic 217
Thomson seatpost, Serfas Arc saddle | | Bottom Line: | Many months of consideration went into this purchase. After comparing many bikes I finally narrowed it down to the Ellsworth Truth and the Psycle Werks Hare. Customer service was the deciding factor. From P.W. I received helpful, informative and courteous replys to my phone calls and e-mails. The bike has performed flawlessly after a bushing change in the Fox.
The long chainstays tend to want to push the front end through slow corners, but pick up the pace and every thing smoothes out. This bike loves big hits and fast choppy terrain(R.E. Thompson Trail@ Tsali).
I've been very pleased so far. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan Campbell
a Cross-Country Rider
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: June 28, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Rock Candy Mt. | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Smart light
Tough
Very Active
Great handling
Rear travel adjustable to 3.5 or 4.5 in seconds. | | Weaknesses: |
Shock bushings can move, causing squeaks and possible damage
Long chainstay | | Similar Products Used: |
Pro-Flex 85x
Cannondale Super V
S-Works FSR XC
Santa Cruz Heckler | | Bike Setup: |
Mostly XTR
Manitou FS Ti
Fox Air Vanilla Float RC
Time ATAC
24.9 lbs | | Bottom Line: | Absolutely fantastic so far. If it were stolen I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.Since there are plenty of reviews pointing out its many merits, I'll concentrate on one flaw. Anyone whose Hare is squeaking should check this. The bushing in the lower part of the shock kept moving laterally on me, until the aluminum spacer/bearing surface would contact the shock body. Then the suspension would squeak and scar the shock body. I moved it back several times, but the bushing kept moving over after just a few minutes of riding. This may indicate an alignment problem or just a bad design on the shock. In any case, Fox sent me a redesigned bushing that appears to be some sort of metal instead of nylon (!). After two rides it's still silent. It does seem to have moved a bit, but it may be that this design has more tolerance and it has reached an equilibrium point off-center. It feels like the new metal-metal bushing has a tiny bit more compression/rebound damping, but no noticeable stiction. In fact, the Air Vanilla RC setup really feels like a progressive coil-sping shock.OK, I do have to say some nice things about the company. I was impressed with the email responses from Roy at Psycle-Werks. I also liked that they shipped the frame to my LBS complete with extra bike stickers since I ordered the bike polished instead of painted, and they even sent a replaceable derailleur hanger spare. I'm going to race it XC over the next few months, I'll post a follow-up at the end of the summer. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mark
a Weekend Warrior
from alamo
Date Reviewed: May 27, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
back creak on mt. diablo | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
does everything well | | Weaknesses: |
none | | Similar Products Used: |
outland vpp5
san adreas
haro extreme | | Bike Setup: |
manitou exvert 80mm
xtr groupo
syncros headset
sycros riser bars
sycros forged cranks
sycros 7071 seat post
mavic ceramic rims
phil wood hubs
phil wood BB | | Bottom Line: | this frame is well gussetted and constructed in a very high quality fashion. i strongly recommend this frame to anyone who wants to climb and descend with equal prowess. this frame does everything well. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jamey M. Blunt
a Cross-Country Rider
from Torrance, California
Date Reviewed: May 22, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Whitting Ranch | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Stiffness, Shock absorbing ability, Tracking on singletrack, Overall balance! | | Weaknesses: |
I should have used a Z-1 instead of a Z-2 fork in my opinion. Also disc brake for the rear would be a nice optinion. | | Similar Products Used: |
INTENSE, GT, KHS, LITESPEED, AMP, CHUCK, ETC. | | Bike Setup: |
Fork- Z-2 Bam
Rear- Fox Vinnillia | | Bottom Line: | It's the bike I bought!! Looking for one for my wife as well!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex
a Weekend Warrior
from Fresno, CA
Date Reviewed: April 9, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
007-Bass Lake Trail, north Fresno | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Adjustable travel from 3.5 to 4.5. 1999 adds a replaceable derailleur dropout. Beautiful hand-polished finish. Plus travel, even with bushings instead of bearings. Ratio of weight vs. travel is nice. High bottom bracket. | | Weaknesses: |
Just a tad too heavy to be raced XC successfully w/o upgrades to air/oil shock and titanium hardware. Decals come off easily. High bottom bracket. | | Similar Products Used: |
Specialized FSR and FSR XC series, Fisher Joshua/Trek Y series, Diamondback V-series, Intense Uzzi SL, McMahon Boom Shaka, Giant XtC DS1, Giant ATX DH, etc. | | Bike Setup: |
'99 Marzocchi Z1 BAM, Full XTR, Mavic X517CD Ceramic rims, Fox Vanilla R | | Bottom Line: | In the quest for an all-purpose mountain bike, I spent about six months doing research and test riding different brands' offerings. I originally had a Fisher Joshua, but the URT design posed a lot of problems when tackling steep or heavily rutted trails. After all the research was done, I narrowed it down to either PW Wildhare or RM Element, both of whom have relatively the same design linkage. I chose the PW because it was slightly cheaper, had more shock options, had ability to upgrade to titanium hardware if needed, and most of all, hand-built from a small, local California shop. So, basically, I'm happy. :) It's all good... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tracy
a Weekend Warrior
from Dublin, Ca
Date Reviewed: March 24, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
All | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
This is a very plush and easy frame to ride
Fully active suspension and minimal pedel induced bobbing. Multiple shock configurations available. Ajustable Travel and optional longtravel kit available. And the best part is the price. | | Weaknesses: |
I haven't found one yet. | | Similar Products Used: |
As far as full suspension, I have tried Trek, GT, Klein, McMahon, Ellsworth | | Bike Setup: |
I am running a Fox Vanilla R and a Marzocchi Z1. I'm in the process of up grading to the 5.5 inch travel kit and a Marzocchi Mr.T | | Bottom Line: | This is the best fully active bike I have ridden to date. It's very plush and handles excellent. Psycle Werks also has Incredible customer support. If you are looking to build an XC or even DH capable bike, the Wild Hare is your ticket | | Overall Rating: |
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