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Submitted by
patrick
a Cross Country Rider
from hayward,ca, usa
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | to/around/back lake chabot- 18 miles | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | fremont schwinn | | Strengths: | price, brakes, overall xc comfort, saddle, shifters | | Weaknesses: | just that bushing under the bottom bracket... everything else was wear and tear | | Similar Products Used: | fisher sugar 4 (better, but cost much more), jamis dakar(junk, didn't ride/fit me well) | | Bike Setup: | ritchey carbon bars, xtr rear cassette, basically stock stuff. used for sea otter 07 tour- not race. | | Bottom Line: | use the hell out of this bike!
aside from a few minor casualties a VERY good bike for the price... especially for the " novice + " rider. if you're "ALL THAT", you're not buying this bike.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
pete hutch
a Weekend Warrior
from australia
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | the reactor | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Purchased At: | on two wheels from memory | | Strengths: | cheap way to get into a duallie with hydro's HFX-9's | | Weaknesses: | rear end flex, front fork Rock Shok Judy's the preload died and it was like running a rigid. swapped for a set of manitou's. suspension bolt snapped, at which stage I noticed that the chainstain also bent. not sure which came first the bend which caused the bolt to snap or the bolt snapped and caused the chainstay to stress. | | Similar Products Used: | marin h/tail, craftworks frm125, | | Bike Setup: | standard except for tyres, manitou splice comp fork (was a get me out of trouble replacement) platform spd pedals | | Bottom Line: | if keeping two wheels on the ground is ur thing and you have a limited budget they are good.
as ur skills outgrow the bike or you start more technical riding the rear end tracks and flexes a fair bit.
good value for $$, keep it in its design parameters and 3 chilis maybe, but go outside that envelope and its 2 chili time | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
vik
a Downhiller
from amherst ny
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | none | | Weaknesses: | everything is garbage | | Similar Products Used: | trek bruiser, trek 6500 disk, gary fisher bitter | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | its a red peice of crap that breaks fast and the person that owns it is a farmer named, farmer scumbridgeand he goes to his grandpa every day and sits in onther red peice of garbage... its a red old farming MACHINE!!!! the CAMARO!!!as i said i highly do not recomend this bike!
GARBADGE GARBAGE GARBAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Douglas George
a Cross Country Rider
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Washington State area | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | Illinois bike shop | | Strengths: | I rode this bike for a while, did some racing, did some traveling out West, had a lot of great experiences on it. Set up with a Rock Shox SID and XT/SRAM components, it was a great climber, stable descender, a really fine machine ...
| | Weaknesses: | ... Then the frame sheared completely in half. A weld failed just above the bottom bracket -- not even on the trail, during a street ride. A second later the crosstube snapped under the added weight. I was thrown from the bike into a traffic area but was not injured. Schwinn's recourse: Do nothing. Not even warranty the frame. Maybe it has something to do with their new, discount-bin Pacifica ownership. | | Similar Products Used: | Schwinn Stage One Rocket 88, Marin Team FRS, Litespeed Niota Ti | | Bike Setup: | Rock Shox SID, XT + SRAM 9.0 drivetrain, Tioga wheels, Thompson seatpost, Titec stem. | | Bottom Line: | I liked Schwinn at one time, I sincerely would have liked to keep liking Schwinn, but that's the story. My advice to anyone with a similar bike is to keep a close eye on your welds or anywhere the frame might fail, and not trust it under riding conditions where a frame collapse could be especially dangerous. Sad but true. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Thomas
a Cross Country Rider
from Johannesburg,South Africa
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Various | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Local dealer | | Strengths: | Bike looks damn good
Strong frame
Overall the best buy for your money.See my previous reports.
| | Weaknesses: | Cable routing for front and rear deraillers.
Weight of bike | | Similar Products Used: | See previous reports | | Bike Setup: | See previous reports | | Bottom Line: | I have had this bike now for 10 months,and can now comment on most pro's and con's
First the cons.
The cable routing for the front and rear deraillers is not good.First too much cable without covering,with the front cable sloping down the main frame,and being exposed,it allows water to get in.Also the routing of the front cable is very tight.I solved this by fitting a new cable covered completely by the plastic covering,from the levers to the actual derailler,and followed a better cable route through the frame of the bike,much better.
The same exposed cable problem for the rear derailler,but the routing was ok.I did the same to the rear as the front.
The BB bearings have gone South after 10 months.In my opinion not good.They should have lasted longer.I am in the process of fitting new one's.
Cleaning the bike is a mission.
The pro's of this bike are the following;
Best value for your money spent.
Strong frame
Exellent brakes,not adjusted them again,or even fiddled with them since my last report.
Never had a pinch flat or buckled rim.
Gear changes are as slick as ever(yes the granny gear as well)
The front suspension seems to to the job well,however I have never tried a better quality fork to compare.
The rear shock works ok,does not like big hits on it,otherwise no problem.I will upgrade the shock one day. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from NSW
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$550.00 | | Purchased At: | local shop | | Strengths: | it has many, it was cheap as got it half price. Has a really good "vibe" to it, as soon as you hop on you can adjust to the awesome arrangement of everything. the brake just sick it up, they rule, pretty much everything on it is sweet as. | | Weaknesses: | the only thing has to be those bloody judys. i sware to my god, i must have got a faulty pair coz these suck so hard, so i went and put a pair of boxxer race on instead. | | Similar Products Used: | NRS, dh comp, boulder | | Bike Setup: | stock except for new shocks and pedals | | Bottom Line: | its sweet as go buy 1 of these now dude they rock, yer its all good. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alan
a Cross Country Rider
from Woodstock, Ga, USA
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | Outspoken Bicycles | | Strengths: | Price, Components, Ride | | Weaknesses: | Forks, Relaxed Rider Position (Can be fixed easily) | | Similar Products Used: | Haro Extreme | | Bike Setup: | See website. I upgraded to a Manitou Black fork | | Bottom Line: | I bought this bike after riding the Cannondales and Ralieghs. It seemed to ride better than the other two. It is a little heavy but for the price and my riding style it was OK for me.
The bike comes with the handlebars set high which in my opinion is a good thing. Some may like it this way for a more casual riding position. I lowered mine by taking out two large spacers and cutting the steerer tube. Now it rides more like I like it.
The Judy XC forks didn't offer much relief on the harder hits so I upgraded to a Manitou Black and it really balanced out the ride. Now the suspension compresses equally front and back.
The Hayes hydraulic disks are great and haven't given me any problems yet. They do take some minor adjustments occasionally to keep the front rotor from rubbing. The brake levers have a small allen screw that needs some locktight or they will come unscrewed.
The rear Bar suspension is working fine so far but the rebound seems to be slowing down a little. I will upgrade if it quits on me.
The ride of the bike is great. The suspension works well with very little bobbing on the climbs. During compression the pedals move slightly towards the rear. This has made me feel like I was going to fall forward a few times on the down hills. It just takes some getting use to. The suspension smooths out the smaller bumps well but the sharper hits (large roots) seem to hit the bike pretty hard. I haven't ridden any higher end bikes so this may be normal. The bumps almost feel like they grab the rear wheel in stead of absorbing the bump.
The frame hinge points have bearings that are all the same size so they are easily replaced. The bolts that hold the hinge points together should be checked before every ride and locktight should be used to keep them from coming loose.
Maintanance is a bit of a chore but any bike with lots of moving parts will keep you busy. I wrapped a couple hinge points with electrical tape to keep the dust out and this has helped.
In short, this is the best bike I have owned but I have not owned one of the higher end bikes. It looks great and in my opinion is a great value. If you are willing to tollerate the weight on the hills (about 32 lbs) you will probably like this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Thomas
a Racer
from Johannesburg,Gauteng,South Africa
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Various | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Local dealer | | Strengths: | Strong frame,excellent brakes | | Weaknesses: | Granny gear does not mesh very well to jockey pulley. | | Bike Setup: | Fitted Hutchenson Pythons tyres,with tyre liners.
Fitted ritchey hand grips,more comfortable.
Fitted longer stem for handlebars. | | Bottom Line: | I have now had this bike for 3 months and completed 4 major races in South Africa,and clocked almost 1000 km.
This bike just handles everything that I throw at it.Now that I know the hydraulic brakes,once you have adjusted them,forget them.Just put locktite on the adjusting screws by the brake levers,as they thend to vibrate loose over a long ride.The brakes grip well in all the conditions I have rode in,from dry to mud and extremelly wet conditions.So far I have not experienced brake fade on long ,rough,steep downhills.
As I have never experienced a top of the line suspension,my comment is this---the suspension on this bike has handled everything so far,without me feeling out of control,or the rear bouncing around over the rough stuff.The rear sock is starting to soften now,lost some air pressure,but after 1000km I would expect it too.Just pump it up to your required pressure again and go.
The gear changing is still very slick and quiet,only complaint is the above comment on the granny gear.
Although I have painted a very bright picture of this bike,it does have it's bugs,cleaning it is one,as there are lots of moving parts for the rear suspension.But,I will do that anyday if thats the worst problem.I switched the standard tyres that the bike comes with for a Hutchenson Python.This tyre is awsome in the rough loose terrain.It's grip is the best I have ever experienced.You guys who did the Fort to Fort race will know what I mean,I rode all those hills without thet tyre slipping.
I fitted a longer stem to push my handlebars more forward,first for comfort and I find the bike nice and sharp on the steering side.Now that i have the riding position sorted,I have yet to suffer from numb hands/fingers or sore bum.
I plan to replace the standard saddle with a narrower sadle, to be able to slide off it better.
The bike in it's standard for is awsome,however after riding it a while you will always find something to improve upon,it's the nature of us,and there are some excellent accesorries to improve the bike even further. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Thomas
a Cross Country Rider
from South Africa
Date Reviewed: February 22, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Various | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Local dealer | | Strengths: | The first review on this bike has already described by myself with nothing extra to add | | Weaknesses: | Same as previous review | | Similar Products Used: | I have a KHS hard tail | | Bike Setup: | Setup complete at this stage and comfortable with thw bike now. | | Bottom Line: | I have just finished the Sabie classic 80km race.This bike does not cease to amaze me.This race is the toughest or one of the toughest on the race calander.Very steep hills,long hills and very rutted and technical.The rain had washed ruts all over the route.
This bike just flew over this terrain.I had no fading of the suspension or the brakes on long rough downhills.The hardtail guys took a beating on their bodies.
This bike just handled everything that was thrown at it.
At the end I cleaned the bike ,lubed the chain, and the moving parts.That's it.
Ready to ride again.Nothing has come loose,or rattling,no gear changing problems.
In my opinion a excellent bike for the serious amature. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
CHRIS THOMAS
a Cross Country Rider
from Johannesburg,South Africa
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Various | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Local dealer | | Strengths: | Good components on bike for money spent.On the reserch that I did it was the best value for money,and was the only model to offer hayes hydraulic hfx-9 disc brakes compared to all the other makes that offered cable disc brakes.This may not be important to a lot of riders,but lets talk when you hit a mega down hill thats rough and needs you to constantly hang onto the brakes to the bottom. | | Weaknesses: | Have not found any yet.The only weakness is in the booklets supplied with the bike.No info on setting rear shock pressures or on setting and adjusting the hydraulic brakes.
There is no place for a second water bottle,unless I drill holes on the top tube of the main framework,however I ride with a hydration pack anyway. | | Similar Products Used: | I ride a KHS hard tail. | | Bike Setup: | It has taken me a month to set the bike up, still not there yet, but this only comes through time and riding different conditions. | | Bottom Line: | I have just finished my first Classic 75km race.This bike was awsome.The full suspension handled the grass nobles really great,actually giving me more speed,confidence and stabillity over this type of conditions,including corrigations in the roads.The hydraulic brakes take getting used to,not grabing handfulls of lever but just easing and feathering them correctly.The brakes gave me far more confidence on steep long downhills,as my forarms did not pump up and not locking the brakes but easing them in to the corners.I was faster and took tighter lines in to corners as I felt more confident.I fitted a small protecting plate made out of plastic behind of the front derailler,which keeps the mud off it and the rear shock end.
Climbing a 20km hill is no joke,and the bike felt no different from my hard tail KHS.The bike is not as light as many other bikes,but if you are no pro, the difference is not that noticable if at all.The bike position feels neutral, not aggresive,which to some can be a con,in my case no problem as my bike is more upright and therefore less back pain from hunching over the handlebars.Having hydraulic brakes to some people is not worth it ,but I can tell you after riding my KHS with "v" brakes for 2 years, to me the difference is day and night.I cannot comment from a maintanance point of view,as it is still early days.But I never ripped my cables on my KHS thereore I do not expect a problem on this system.Gearchanges are slick and no problems so far.The full suspension on the bike for me works very well, giving me more confidence over jumps,as the bike does not bounce you around on landing but feels very stable.Riding over any rough conditions feels far more stable and comfortable.In my opinion this helps on the body from taking a beating which was an improvement on performance.I am sure there are better bikes but VALUE for money,nothing beats it in my book.
The rims have a decal on them stating "anti snake bite".Wheather this works or not, who knows,but I never got one flat or buckle so far,and there were flats aplenty on the race.
My rating for the moment is a five until I have had more ride times and races over a few more months to make a better judgment on this bike.
This bike is a great step up from your first mountain bike to long weekend rides and races.Comfort is important to me and being 40 years old more important than weight.I am faster if I am comfortable ,therefore more confident. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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