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Submitted by
Andrew P
a Weekend Warrior
from Rolla, mo, USA
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Council Bluffs | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$250.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | built like a beast light weight, paint seemed durrable easy to work with good pivot bearings. Little to no pedal bob when ridden sitting down | | Weaknesses: | decal fell off, I didn't care... I had to find a rocker for it that kinda sucked (when I bought it, it didn't have one) | | Similar Products Used: | 1st full suspension bike | | Bike Setup: | Z1 free ride, swinger 3-way coil, king wheels, saint cranks | | Bottom Line: | I build this bike from the frame up it was to be my baby... and well it ran great for as long as I wanted to own it (I got bit by the 29er bug thus sold it) the frame was stiff and work just a full suspension frame should. I rode it in an aggressive XC style and it soaked up every little bump and I never even thought for a second it would break.. Only complaint was Specialized's website when trying to find technical info... | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin Sharick
a Cross Country Rider
from Latrobe, Pa, USA
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Local Trails | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1125.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Fast, inspires confidence, component list is pretty good stock, but'll need upgrading in a few years. Can take a beating. | | Weaknesses: | Some of the components should be a little better. Deore shifters work, but I'd like to see something a little nicer for the price this bike retails.
Some problems with frame cracking? I haven't had anything like that happen... | | Similar Products Used: | 2001 Specialized Rockhopper A1 FS Comp Disc | | Bike Setup: | 2005 XTR Rear Derailleur (Rapid Rise)
XT Front Derailleur, chain, and cassette
Race Face Next Low Rise Carbon Fiber bar
ODI Rogue Lock On Grips
Everything else is stock | | Bottom Line: | I've had this bike for three years now and it has been nothing but a pleasure to own and ride. I posted a review shortly after I purchased it back in 2002 and it has not failed me yet. Sure, I've had problems with components here and there, but with 3 years of heavy use, your sure to have that.
If you can find any of these used I'd highly recommend it or, of course, any of the bikes in the current Enduro line. Good job Specialized!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
EnduroMatt
a Weekend Warrior
from tallahassee, FL
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Cadillac | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | Friend | | Strengths: | my first full susp bike, its totally awesome. not real light, but not too heavy for trail or freeride. | | Weaknesses: | GHOST SHIFTING! I SPENT ALONG TIME AND ALOT OF MONEY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING MY BIKE TO GHOST SHIFT EVERYTIME I WAS PEDALING AGGRESIVELY OVER BUMPS AND DROPS. I SLOWLY RELACED MY REAERR DER, SHIFTERS, CABLES, REAR CASS, ETC. TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. FINALLY, I REALIZED THE PROBLEM WAS A SIMPLE $4 CABLE UNDER THE BB THAT WAS TOO SHORT SO THAT IT WOULD TIGHTEN UP OVER THE BUMPS AND PULL THE REAR DER JUST ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE GHOST SHIFTING. I WAS SO RELIEVED THAT I FINALLY FIGURED OUT THE PROBLEM, BUT I WAS ALSO UPSET THAT IT TOOK SO LONG BLOWING MONEY AT THE LBS. I REALLY HOPE THIS HELPS SAVE SOMEONE TIME AND MONEY SO THEY DONT GO THROUGH WHAT I WENT THROUGH. | | Similar Products Used: | hardtails only | | Bike Setup: | bomber fork, full sram der's and shifters(they rock), lock on grips(a plus)maxxis tires, rest is still stock. | | Bottom Line: | THIS BIKE HAS BEEN LIKE A DREAM EVER SINCE I HAVE SOLVED THE GHOST SHIFTING PROBLEM THAT ALMOST PUT ME AT THE END OF MY ROPE. I FULLY RECOMMEND THIS BIKE TO ANYONE WHO WANTS A GREAT FSR WITHOUT SPENDING SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS! ILL RIDE THIS BIEK INTO THE GROUND! I AM 6 FT AND I RIDE A LARGE FRAME, ITS PERFECT FOR ANYONE 5 10"-PROBABLY 6 2". EMAIL FSU_BOO_MIA@YAHOO.COM IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, ILL TRY TO RESPOND ASAP! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob Burnell
a Weekend Warrior
from Central Joisey
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Chimney Rock | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Wheel Life Cycles | | Strengths: | Good Climber, Supple Rear end, Adjustable linkage and travel. | | Weaknesses: | FRAME BREAKS AT SHOCK MOUNT,Fork just OK.Deore shifters suck. | | Similar Products Used: | First Full Suspension Rig | | Bike Setup: | Stock for now. | | Bottom Line: | This is my first F/S rig. I like the action on the rear end. I wasn't prepared for how well the bike climbs. I'm not so crazy about the drivetrain parts(except for the XT rear der.)but that's not their fault.FRAME BRAKES AT SHOCK MOUNT UNDER SEATMAST. SKETCHY. I just brought it in and am waiting for Specialized's response. I probably wouldn't buy another monocoque type frame after seeing how this one broke. I'll probably wait to see how durable the replacement frame is before I go ahead with my planned upgrades.(Fox Vanilla 130 fork, Chris King Hset, XT shifters, XT cassette, XT front Der., Splined Crank & bb.) | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SKOTTY
a Weekend Warrior
from San Agelo
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | The PORK in Moab | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Pro San Angelo | | Strengths: | Excellent bike for all kinds of different riding conditions. Does well on technicle and rough trails. | | Weaknesses: | Came stock with a 4" inch front fork, Fox float-R works good but will have to be rebuilt every year or so depending on how hard you puch it. Robound control works well and "itch switch" comes in handy. | | Bike Setup: | Marzochi Drop-off 5' inch fork, tubless tire "STANS", softer seat, NRP chain roller and bash gard, egg-beaters, 1.5" riser bar, XT rims and Mavic DH rims. 2.5" MTB motorapters tires | | Bottom Line: | I am 220 lbs and love to climb hills. I have taken this bike to Moab two year in a row and have gone through 5 chains and many sets of tires. I have over 1000 mile on my Frame and it still looks great and does not make any creeking sounds. FSR linkage greating for climbing. It has a little bob on flats worth the trade off on DW hills. Enduro frame is bulit proof after you get your first 02 frame replaced. I did crack my frame at the shock mount which I am sure that many have already found out but I had a new frame in less then a week. Specialized up-graded my frame to a S-works frame RED in color. looks cool. I did like the blue but who is complaining. Not me. It must be a good bike when you see most of the bike rental stores in Moab, UT using Specialized Enduro. That in its self is telling you something. Good Price and Good Durability. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ben
a
from connecticut
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Weaknesses: | Frame breaks! Float in rear seeping air. | | Bottom Line: | Twice as fun as old hardtail. Great bike - flies downhill, great all around. WOULD NOT BUY USED! My frame broke at the weld above the rear shock, and I've heard of others doing the same. Maybe a 2002 issue (I hope, Spec replaced mine w/ 03), but only the original owner gets a warranty. 2nd hand buyer be ware. Also, that Float in the rear may leak after a while - as mine does.
Again, bike rocks both up, down and off small drops. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
skull boy
a Weekend Warrior
from Covina, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | "THE GOAT" | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Incycle in San dimas | | Strengths: | FRAME,FRONT SHOCKS, RIMS,DISK BRAKES | | Weaknesses: | HANDLE BARS, CRANKS, CHAIN. | | Bike Setup: | STOCK | | Bottom Line: | I had been riding a Full suspend for over a year on the road just jumping anything I could. Bus benches, fire hydrants, little old ladies. You know the score, anyway, I needed to hit the trails. Dodging busses and U.P.S trucks are fun but I needed a big change.
So I bought this bike and hit the dirt! Awsome! My buddies where like "DAMN!" "Smooth ride!" It goes up steep inclines very easy and when your ready to go back down the disk brakes are a life saver on the fish tail last moment turns. Upgrades are good when you can afford them but for the most part youll have fun right off the bat with this one!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
at
a Cross Country Rider
from MONTARA, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | MONTARA | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1049.00 | | Purchased At: | talbots | | Strengths: | frame, suspension, brakes | | Weaknesses: | gearing, seat | | Bike Setup: | enduro fsr stock | | Bottom Line: | Bottom Line = Totally Stoked. Faster downhill, smoother ride. Enjoying landing jumps with the FS. Had some shifting and chain trouble initially and the seat seems extra hard. Climbing is a bit softer with this FS, but this bike rocks for cross-country/downhill/tech riding...it really does everything well and comfortable even on 30 mile rides...I'm totally stoked. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wayne
a Weekend Warrior
from Oregon
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Purchased At: | Frame Only - Bicycle Center | | Strengths: | Great looking bike. Excellent all-purpose machine. | | Weaknesses: | The gold rear shock linkage. But I have a cool fix.
1. Remove the linkage.
2. Carefully remove the FSR angle decals so you can re-apply them.
3. Seal off the bearings. I used a couple of washers and a bolt & nut.
4. Spray the linkage down with "Easy Off" oven cleaner. The gold color dissolves and you are left with a raw aluminum linkage.
5. Use a "Scotchbrite" pad to clean it up
Walla, my linkage matches my XT components.
It looks 1000% time better than the gold color! | | Similar Products Used: | Rockhopper | | Bike Setup: | 02 Enduro / 03 Rockhopper | | Bottom Line: | Awesome Frame that can handle it all. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dylan
a Weekend Warrior
from Monterey California
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | huckleberry | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | mtbr classifieds | | Strengths: | Frame, tires & rims, brakes,suspension | | Weaknesses: | Seat, headset, bottom bracket, handlebars, at just a hair under 30 pounds it climbs beautifully. | | Similar Products Used: | 98' Titan, 03' Enduro Pro, Older stumpjumper and beater univega piece O' lead I road for 10 years and thousands of miles | | Bike Setup: | Stock FSR with xtr rear derallieur, Atomlab aircorp platform pedals | | Bottom Line: | I raced BMX from 1980 to 1991 and got on a hard tail in 93' . I'm not a racer anymore nor am I 20 years old either. I ride 3 times a week & the wrists were going out, alot of numbness, alot of pain, thus I finally got on a full suspension. Any one who's on a hardtail thinking about an enduro let me tell you I was VERY hesitant to make that transition, it took five or so rides to adjust, and has made me a much better rider, period. I'm hitting bigger jumps, drops, riding cleaner technical sections and just plain having more fun than ever! Great frame, I have not bottomed out the front shock on my biggest huck (6 feet high at 170 pounds) though the rear shock needs some (hopefully covered by warranty) work. I've killed the seat, headset's going, replaced the cheap bent LX rear derrailleur, broke the stock chain twice in the first month, and the bottom bracket is ready to retire in the next 50 miles so. Also, I had to have my LBS put on a new longer cable housing for the rear derailleur to stop the evil ghost shifting from hell. Don't let this scare you away though, as I'm pretty freaking hard on my bikes but if your thinking of going bigger maybe look into a Big Hit or a Heckler. Chris King and xt b.b. and new saddle are on the way. A good place to start the upgrades. The rims are holding up under regular 4 foot drops with some minor tuning just fine. So, bottom line...get it, and upgrade it as cash allows, it will make you want to ride all the time. I love the frame (and suspension so far) and It makes me search out new lines in places I would not have thought to ride before, and I don't feel like an arthritic cripple after a good day of single track. So far Specialized tech support has been great just don't try to call them on mondays, Cheers! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Cbchess
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond, VA
Date Reviewed: June 10, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Powhite | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | Mountian high cyclery | | Strengths: | A very nice Frameset. I bought just the frame for 500$ and built this bike up over the winter. The geometry of this frame is great. I like the very slack seat angle makes for a great cockpit with lots of room. The head angle is perfect in the 69 Degree setting. The Fox ITCH rear shock is just plain great. I switch back and forth between 4" and 5.2" all the time. the Four bar horst link is one of the best rear suspension packages in the industry. This makes for a real nice trail bike that is not too heavy to pedal all day long. I put Hayes Mag disc which work great for stopping. Nice welds on the frame. good paint. | | Weaknesses: | The seat post and seat collar that come with the frame suck. They are Specialized brand. They did a poor job of holding the post strait no matter how hard you cranked down on the quick release. I had to switch them out to a Salsa collar and a Thomson post- absolutely no problems now. | | Similar Products Used: | Schwinn rocket 88 stage one ( GREAT XC RIG) , Rocky mountain fanatic. | | Bike Setup: | Enduro FSR frame, Marzocchi Z1 with 5+" up front, XT disc/ Sun singletrack wheels. Hayes Mag brakes. SRAM drivetrain and shifters. 2002 LX cranks. Moto 2.4 tires | | Bottom Line: | This is a great trail bike. I built this bike up to be a bit stronger than my lighter 3" travel XC rig. With 5" up front and 5.2" in back this bike really is smooth and plush. I am a big fan of the four bar Horst link it works very well. The rear wheel sticks like glue and it is plush and responsive. Get this bike if you want a great trail bike and don't want to shell out 3000-4000$ for a Turner 5 spot. I am very pleased with the rear suspension - the FOX ITCH is a great shock the ability to switch to 4" or lock it out is an asset. A great value for a really nice bike.
I'll give it 5 for value and 4 for over all because the seat post and collar sucked. If you are looking to get an Enduro FSR, do it you will be happy with it.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ashley Kinghorn
a Weekend Warrior
from Mill Creek, WA
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Preston, Tiger Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$930.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Center - Everett | | Strengths: | Fox float is sick! It eats up roots. Great on the downhills. Great feel. Climbs like goat!....I only knew the rear shock was bobbing up hill, because I was looking at it! Otherwise, it is so minor, you cant feel it. Disc brakes are nice, but you knew that already! Cant beat it for the price I paid. If I had to, I would have paid full price. | | Weaknesses: | Seat post creaks a little. Feels like it wants to wheelie going up hill, however its not that big of an issue. (I like the fact that, thats all I have to complain about) | | Similar Products Used: | None. This is my first full suspension bike. | | Bike Setup: | Stock - However will upgrade to XT components as time goes by. | | Bottom Line: | Excellent bike. If you are in Washington State, go to Bicycle Centers in Everett, as they have them for $1000. They have 6 left.
This is my first full suspension bike. I paid $930 for it, however would have paid $1400. It is just that nice. It is a rocket on the downhills, and climbs with ease, with very little bob on the uphills. Itch switch is great and easy to reach while on the move. Disc brakes are very nice, and stop you at a heartbeat. The seat is a little on the hard side, so that might be my first upgrade. I think alot of my excitement, comes from riding a full suspension bike for the first time, however for the price, you just cant beat it, or even come close. I am 6'4 200lbs. I ride the front on 50 and the rear at 200psi. If you are thinking of going to a full suspension, do it! In my opinion, this bike is built for the XC rider, who loves to go fast and hard on the downhill sections. At this stage, there is nothing that I dislike about the bike, so I give it full marks!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
susej
a
from Renton, WA
Date Reviewed: April 21, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$999.00 | | Strengths: | It looks nice, oh yeah and all the stuff on it is a great deal if you can get it for the price i did | | Weaknesses: | It seems that it doesn't keep its self clean like my cat can, haven't found and real weakness yet seems like its like superman | | Similar Products Used: | other bikes like it | | Bike Setup: | all stock | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line well im number 60 or some damn thing on this review list so what ever i type probabley won't be read i feel as though im some what useless, but whats knew. Not that i think im useless i have hundreds of talents like writing a bottom line bike review and many more talents people could only dream to obtain. So my words of wisdom to you are to find a bike that fits you and your needs and add about 300 dollars to your budget because in the long run you'll be happeir. Heh, your significant other doesn't really need that operation anyway
Love,
Me | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kaz
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Squamish | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | Dizzy Cycles (Van) | | Strengths: | Light, great suspension, plenty of travel for what I need to do. Breaks are awesome, but this is my first bike with disc brakes. The bike feels great on climbs, I can pedal hard and I don't get much bob. It's very solid. Rear shock is great, the itch-switch makes a big difference, stiffer in the low travel mode and climbs great. The bike looks sweet, several people have asked me about it already. | | Weaknesses: | I don't like the seat, too narrow and too hard. I'm not 100% sure about the tires either, I got a pinch flat on the front tire my first time out (for a hard ride). Could have been low air pressure, time will tell. | | Similar Products Used: | This is my first full suspension bike, hard to compare to anything else. I took a look at the Giant XTC NRS 2 and the Norco Fluid before getting this one. | | Bike Setup: | Stock. | | Bottom Line: | A damn great bike, bought this one when the 2003 model came out so I got a great deal. Even at regular price this is a good deal, components are good for the price, proven suspension is great for all-round-use. This bike is a blend of X-country and downhill. Not the full travel of a DH bike but more than a typical XC, and weight is somewhere in the middle too (about 29 or 30 pounds). If you want an all-round bike for doing long trail rides that will still be plenty of fun on the downhill then this is a good choice. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SCOTTY
a Weekend Warrior
from San Angelo, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: January 6, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Pro | | Strengths: | Frame (rigid and looks cool), Disk brakes (stop on a dime w/ one finger) and "itch switch" on rear shock for adjusting from long to short travel while you ride. Front fork respond great after a little play with PSI for your weight. I'm 230lbs and run 15 PSI on each side. Very little to no "BOB" on flats and climbs like a goat. Very dependable!!!! | | Weaknesses: | Have not found any yet. | | Similar Products Used: | First F/S | | Bike Setup: | Stock with a few exceptions, tubless tire, seat. | | Bottom Line: | Awsome ride for the $. Very, very dependable and easy to maintain. If your a looking for a great deal, This is the bike to get. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
LEO L
a
from LA California
Date Reviewed: December 30, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | mt. lowe/echo peak | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | 999.99 | | Strengths: | great frame
great rear shock (cool itch switch!)
great fork
the price I got it!!
light weight bike (weighing 28.5 pds stock)
| | Weaknesses: | front derailleur
chainrings are flimsy (bent when I shifted)
brakes are okay but could have been better
OEM platform pedals(change as soon as you can)
the bottle holder will kill you if you actually use it!!! | | Similar Products Used: | trek 4900
old'old giant warp ds1 | | Bike Setup: | stock except for :
LP carbon fiber handle bar
wellgo 801 pedals
salsa grips
raceface stem | | Bottom Line: | This bike was a nice upgrade from my old rusty giant warp.My wife gave this bike to me on our anniversary because she said she finally supports me in cycling. This bike is good going up the hill with minimal or no bob at all thanks to the itch switch for the fox float.Screams like a banshee going down the hill or that sweet singletrack of yours. The Marzocchi fork is mediocre in performance.What kills me is the front derailleur which I took back to the LBS a week after riding it.Because the chain kept on sliding out when shifting to the granny gear.My LBS took care of it but I was out in the trail then I shifted to the middle chainring which then bent over and got the whole chain stuck to the chain stay and caused me to endo.Now I have my left pelvic and collar bone fractured. My helmet's left side was busted also making me loopy when a passerby found me .Now I'm on crutches ,can't work for a month plus my wife totally does not want me to ride at all !Bottomlime is this is a good bike,infact a great bike ! However, it does have low quality OEM parts which need to be upgraded as soon as you can. Will I ever ride this bike .Hell yeah don't blame it on the bike or the rider blame it on the small details.Just be careful .I give this bike five chilis for price and performance . I probably will post another review six months from now. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
VooDoo 73
a
from Carlsbad, CA
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Light enough bike to go uphills, but burly enough to go freeriding. | | Weaknesses: | Brakes, fork n seat clamp. | | Bike Setup: | Easton carbon handle bar, Raceface Diablo stem, Truvativ Psylo crankset with isis BB, Velociraptor 55/55 YETI grips. | | Bottom Line: | HERE IT IS.....its a good all around bike. Just need to tweak this and change that. I have taken this bike up to BIG BEAR and made it down in one alive. I have eaten the BIG BEAR dust and still kept riding. Changed my fork from Marzochi to Black with 80/100 mm travel. (I'm building a light DH bike) I have the new 03 JR T and want to drop it in my Enduro but the mechanic thinks its too much for a 5 in travel bike so I'm still thinking. I need a BULLIT or Intense Uzzi SLX frame in small so if you are reading this and have one...I will trade you a 98 stumpjumper XC carbon handlebar, Thompson stem, Mavic wheels and Marzochi Bomber 100 compleat for your frame. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
theodore jump
a Cross Country Rider
from austin, tx
Date Reviewed: December 9, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | emma long metro park moto trail | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Sports Shop ( north ) | | Strengths: | suspension design, shock performance, overall package for the price; hydro-discs that work well | | Weaknesses: | derailleur cable routing; crappy crankset; saddle "what were they thinking"; grips slippery when wet ( like with sweat ); stem too short for my taste; tires crappy when muddy - packs-up rear end; discs scream when wet - still work, but scream; original frame broke @ shock mount after two weeks - Spec repl at no-cost to me or bike shop, bike shop had bike rebuilt within ten hours of receiving repl frame. | | Similar Products Used: | stumpjumper fsr; cannondale jeckyll; giant nrs type; trek fuel; cannondale super-v; | | Bike Setup: | stock +++ king hubs; king headset; ebc gold brake pads; shimano lx crankset; eggbeater pedals; thomson post; wtb speed-v saddle; link flipped to steeper head/seat angles; koski engineering stem | | Bottom Line: | I've put in about 1500 miles of riding in Austin TX and "nearby" trails on this bike since I got it, wore out three sets of tires, one set of brake pads, on set of chainrings, and broken both eggbeater springs.
I'm awesom-ly happy with the bike. It just works. Works in the dry, in the mud, up the griders, down the steeps, up the steps of Emma Long, just does it all.
People have annotated "issues" with the fork but I've been really happy with it. I have taken the time to play with a huge amount of different air pressure settings ( after staring from LBS-setup sag settings ) and settled on 15lbs for "tame" trail and 17-20lbs for "more extreme" trail. Likewise, I use the rear-shock @ 220 for tame trails and 235 for other. I weigh about 235, w/o camelback, for reference.
The technical faults were easy to fix: re-routed the rear-d cable in a single continuous housing from shifter to rear-d and eliminated the ghost shifting ( I'm told that making sure the rear brake housing it not between the shifter housing loop and the bb also fixes this ). Rerouted rear brake housing over top of bb to get it more out of harms way; replaced saddle; fixes overly slack angles on seat & stem w/replacement post & stem ( I like more xc-ish angles than downhill-ish ); now that new brake pads have worn into and mated with the rotors the braking seems even better than before ( note that for '03 Specialized uses 1-metal and 1-resin pad on each brake ); replaced tires, put Conti Survival Protection 2.1 on rear for better mud clearance and had no-problems at a recent mudfest of a race ( 24 hours of Rocky Hill ). Will probably be running WTB Mutano 2.4 once the area dries out. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dynamix03
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles, Ca, USA
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1205.00 | | Purchased At: | Jax Bicycle | | Strengths: | Fox Float R, Shimano disc brake, and frame!!!!!!!!!!!! | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | If you're thinking about purchasing this bike and live in the southern California area, Jax Bicycle is selling it for $1,299. You can probably bargain with them and pay for the price I got it for or even better. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Bozeman,MT,USA
Date Reviewed: November 24, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | where the cars can't go | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Bangtail Bikes | | Strengths: | Super smooth ride. Disc brakes. | | Weaknesses: | Rear shock developed leak on about fourth ride, but LBS took care of it. | | Similar Products Used: | Previous bike was Stumpjumper Sport FSR - about five years old. Demo'ed new Stumperjumper FSRs and Trek Fuel. | | Bike Setup: | Stock from bike shop. | | Bottom Line: | I took up mountain biking only this summer. First bought a used Stumpjumper Sport FSR (about five years old). Enjoyed it so much I decided to buy a new bike. My main condition for a new bike: the smoothest, nicest ride I could find without breaking the bank. I've reached my mid-thirties and I don't have to be the fastest or craziest - I just wanted to enjoy the ride the most. After reading reviews and visiting LBS a couple times (downside was that demo runs were only in back alleyway), I chose the Enduro. Great bike, no regreats whatsoever. Nice color, too. Only problem was the above-mentioned rear shock leak, but guys at LBS were great about taking care of it (thanks Bangtail). The disc brakes are a plus, too, especially for someone like me whose previous riding before this summer was done on a banana seat bike more than twenty years ago. I would leave five chilis for both value and overall ratings, but $1400 still put a serious dent in the budget, so I'll leave four for value. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from West Hartford, CT
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Nepaug | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1225.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Great Frame design in theory. Adjustable rear shop a plus allows you to easily adjust to different terain on the trail. | | Weaknesses: | Frame broke, awaiting a replacement | | Similar Products Used: | FSR, Cannondale hard tail | | Bike Setup: | Stock plus XT shifters Race Face Turbine lp's | | Bottom Line: | A fun bike to ride, very stable, can handle anything I asked it to do. Specialize had a problem with the early frames that they made with the big weld area near the shock. They're replacing it with a 2003 model but they keep putting me off on when the frames supposed to arrive. I was originally told two weeks for my frame but now after two weeks have past I'm told I'll have my bike in two weeks.... deja vu? This bike should be a 5 and 5 rating but I'll have to take off for the frame braking and service.
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Submitted by
jake weathers
a Weekend Warrior
from gray, ga us
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | the ant hills | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | biek tech | | Strengths: | main frame | | Weaknesses: | linkage, upper and lower swing arm, pedals, rims, most everything | | Similar Products Used: | 2003 enduro | | Bike Setup: | your common parts, nothing to expensive | | Bottom Line: | i loved it until i hit bigger drops, now i have broken the frame now 3 times in the last month. i am sick and tired of it, i think that if you like to go big then don't get this bike b/c it cant handle the pressure. you should see if you are going to go big or not and go ahead and get a bullet or big hit. and if anyone reads this who can agree with me the email me. oh yeah i just broke my chain stay bar jjust 30 minutes ago and i cracked my linkage for the 2 time. so if you fill sorry for me then send my some money so i can get a big hit frams to 138 hunting dr gray ga 31032, thanks | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tim
a Weekend Warrior
from washington
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Strengths: | Everything, awsome. The bomber forks, and the rear fox shox. | | Weaknesses: | It wheelies too much going up hill, not good, crank set a bit on the noisy side. | | Similar Products Used: | kona stinky | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | It is the best bike that i have ever ridden, it will take anything you throw at it,and i also like how light the bike is, all in all it is just an amazing bike, and i will probably end up getting another one when i wear this one out. Basically anybody that wants an all around bike should get this. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
HUGH
a Weekend Warrior
from OKLAHOMA CITY
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | CLEAR BAY | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | EBAY | | Strengths: | GOOD BIKE . FUN TO RIDE. | | Weaknesses: | GHOST SHIFTING IS ALWAYS A PROBLEM ON ALL SPECIALIZED BIKES.
A LITTLE BOB.. FACTORY RECALL.. CK THIS .. LOCAL BIKE SHOP WHEELER DEALER CHARGED ME 10.00 TO TAKE CARE OF THE FACTORY RECALL! I SAID WHAT IS THAT ABOUT AND THEY SAID IT WAS FOR LAYBOR WHICH IS NOT INCLUDED. THAT TURNED OUT TO BE FALSE ! AND I THINK THEY KNEW IT! WHAT A BUNCH OF WEAK ASS PEOPLE. THE BIKE COMPANY SAID THEY WILL BE PAID FOR THE LAYBOR. WELL KEEP THE 10.00 DOLLARS AND THE BIKES I WOULD OF BOUGHT EVERY YEAR.. | | Similar Products Used: | TRIED ALOT.. HAVE HAD SEVERAL FSR'S | | Bottom Line: | HMMM! LOCAL BIKE SHOP KINDA RUNS THIS ONE. BOTTOM LINE IS IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE BIKE SHOP YOU BUY FROM . BIKE IS GOOD. LBS SUCKED ON THIS ONE. SO IF YOU HAVE A GOOD LBS THAN IT IS A GOOD DEAL. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chad Bratton
a Cross Country Rider
from Breckenridge, CO
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Boreas Pass/Baldy Mtn. | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1450.00 | | Purchased At: | Mountain Sports Outlet | | Strengths: | I love the brakes. I go so much faster downhill just knowing that i can stop on a dime, if needed. The geometry of the bike is perfect for me. I feel super comfortable on it going both uphill and downhill. Though the tires have some toughness issues, they self-clean wonderfully. The frame is incredible, as is the rear shock. | | Weaknesses: | The crankset is very noisy and the shifting has never been 100% (even after a couple of adjustments done by the place i bought it from). Also, I have to wonder about the tires. I got three flats in the first two weeks that i owned it. The handle grips are weak. Don't be fooled by the adjustable rear shock. It's a great shock but i don't see the need to adjust from short to long travel. It really doesn't feel like much of a difference. I just keep it on long at all times. | | Similar Products Used: | None. I've always used either full-on downhill bikes or cross country-never a mix of the two. | | Bike Setup: | stock-i'm going for a bomb-proof back rim in the future, however. | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike for the money. It's a great climber and totally worthy on the steeps. If you're a freerider needing a bike with the ability to cover any distance on any terrain, this is the one for you. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Gaithersburg, MD
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | patapsco-avalon section | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1350.00 | | Purchased At: | Hudson Trail Outfitters | | Strengths: | FRAME!!!! This is one of the best frames you can buy for any price, the suspension is great too. | | Weaknesses: | Fairly low-end components for a bike of this price, but you're really purchasing a kick-a** frame. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 8000 (test rode) | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | This is truly an amazing bike. Perfect for cross country riding, though it's weight makes it a bit awkward on uphills. On downhills it can't be beat. A little pricey, try to get it on sale. The disc brakes it comes with are great, and I am very happy with the suspension. I love the adjustable travel. A great all-around bike for the intermediate to advanced rider. 4 chilis for value cause of the price, but otherwise excellent. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
wes smith
a Cross Country Rider
from flower mound, TX 75022
Date Reviewed: October 1, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Grapevine | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1429.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycles Plus - Flower Mound, TX | | Strengths: | Frame, suspension, brakes and looks | | Weaknesses: | Deore level shifters and front derailleur | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Hard Rock A1 | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | This ride is awesome! I am a 235 pound ex-professional football player that likes to ride hard and fast. I bought a Specialized Hard Rock and in 2 weeks completely destroyed everything but the frame. After seeing the destruction of the Hard Rock the expert and extremely professional staff at Bicycles Plus in Flower Mound convinced me that the Enduro was the bike for me. What a score! (Thanks Aaron and Craig) The trails that I ride are technically very challenging. There is an abundance of tree roots, rocks and drop-offs on the single track trail and the Enduro chewed up everything the trails threw at it and wanted more. The only problem I have now is controlling the vastly increased speed that I have picked up with the Enduro.
The Enduro is not the lightest bike on the trails but I am not a weight wimp. I highly recommend the Enduro for anyone who rides hard and wants a bike that offers awesome suspension, durability, speed and braking. And if you are in the North Texas area I strongly encourage you to buy it from Bicycles Plus in Flower Mound. The staff there really knows there stuff and will help you find the perfect bike you for individual needs.
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Submitted by
Anthony Valentino
a Cross Country Rider
from whittier, Ca 90602
Date Reviewed: September 23, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Shame on you specialized for the way you treated me. | | Weaknesses: | specialized going from a company that backed their product to a capitalistic nightmare.....think Im being absurd. Go to their website and try and find a phone number. when you do watch how long your on...... and have fun with the folks who are lacking in the personal skills dept. | | Bottom Line: | read my review below.......I now have a new goal of sharing with everyone that will listen how specialized screwed me.....be careful!!!!!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan Lorenze
a Cross Country Rider
from Woodland Hills CA
Date Reviewed: September 19, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo Santa Monica | | Strengths: | I really love the rear shock, zero complaints and all good. You can really feel the difference when you click the "Itch" switch. The brakes are just amazing, I couldn't ask for better stopping power. Some reviews say that they don't like the wide bars, I love them and my friends do too. | | Weaknesses: | So far no problems except my noisy shifters that probably need adjusting. The rear derailer is loud and clangs on fast desents over rough terrain, but I think that most FS bikes do this. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized HardRock hard-tail beat-up really bad from years of abuse. | | Bike Setup: | Totally stock. | | Bottom Line: | It's really hard to beat this bike for the price. Just look around and find another Aluminum Full-Suspended bike with discs and good components from a reputable company and you find that this bike is a great ride. Also, I filled out an application on-line for a No interest loan, Same as cash at Supergo and just walked in there with a confirmation number and picked apart every bike they had and walked out of the place with the bike and didn't give them a dollar. (yet)
Im totally happy with the bike... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rene
a Downhiller
from Ogden, Utah, USA
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Wasatch Crest-pipeline-rattlesnake | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Binghams | | Strengths: | Solid frame, rear suspension/Fox shock rule! Shimano hydra brakes stop on a dime, (I thought I loved my Hayes brakes), XT rear end. | | Weaknesses: | House brand products are strange. Handlebars are way too wide and too low, Stem is too short w/ minimal rise, seat is some kind of torture device,low bttm bracket height, (pedal smacking good time)! Noisy! chain slap on the seat stay. | | Similar Products Used: | '99 Enduro HT Pro, Outland VPP5, Balance FS Pro, Stumpjumper FS. | | Bike Setup: | Race Face ssystem stem, answer DH bars, conti survival pros.Future upgrades - RF cranks/rings, psylo SL fork, atomic lab rims/hubs, new seat/post | | Bottom Line: | This bike is for someone who loves to go fast whether technical or fast single track. Bike climbs as well as the rider on board can push it uphill. Pedal BOB is minimal, but sprinting out of the saddle gets some pogo stick action going. Point this knife downhill and hang on for a fast, fun descent. Bike is quick in the handling dept. Corners, berms, whatever. Lauching airs off anything in your way also proves to be no problem, the bike eats everything up!! This bike loves to be hammered!! Bike rivals my Outland. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy Stnford
a Racer
from Halesowen, England
Date Reviewed: September 17, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | forest of dean, cannock chase | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1127.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Scene | | Strengths: | The shimano disk brakes are superb, The frame is really light but very durable, The front and rear suspension are great but i will be upgrading the fork sometime. | | Weaknesses: | The pump fot the air shocks could come with the bike but are only £27.99 from bike scene. | | Similar Products Used: | none. | | Bottom Line: | This bike kicks ass, its very durable, reliable and i am only 15 years old but i race downhill and the bike is great. I will be giving it a new fork and changing the rims to suit my downhill style of riding but it is a great bike for hard riding. Please e-mail me if you could give me any tips to do upi my bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Anthony
a Cross Country Rider
from whittier
Date Reviewed: September 11, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Strengths: | Specialized..... great brakes, good suspension. | | Weaknesses: | read below | | Similar Products Used: | Trek | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | Ok long story short. Purchased brand new. First ride out th e gears kept slipping to the point I could not climb a hill. 10 minutes into the ride I had to quit. $50 dollars later I take it out. 10 minutes into the ride....again....goinmg up a hill......clang ! The chain breaks, the derailer breaks, the chain stay breaks........ 20 minutes of ride time and 300 dollars later my new bike is new again........ I just got finished with my real first ride and I'm VERY impressed with this machine.....it almost makes me forget the beginning. One last note. I wrote specialized and they said tell my local rep. I told the local rep and he said because I did not by the bike from an authorized dealer there is nothing they can do. Even though I have the original box , the original warranty cards, THE BIKE WAS NEW!!!!! But the long story longer is, great product and less than desired customer service rep. Bast-ard. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
WILLIAM
a
from OKLAHOMA CITY
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | DRAPER LAKE | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | EBAY | | Strengths: | HANDLE BARS ARE STRANGE FEELING. SEAT POST AND SEAT POST CLAMP ARE NOT UP TO PAR. DISK BRAKES SQUEEEEL AT FIRST SPRAY ON DAWN SOAP AND WATER AND THE BURN IN.. NO IS ALL GOOD. GHOST SHIFTING !!! BOO !! NO VERY QUICK HANDLING | | Weaknesses: | ALMOST ALL.. I HAVE HAD A 98 FSR AND A 2001 AND 2002 FSR STUMPJUMPER I COULD NOT KEEP THEM GOING .. | | Similar Products Used: | THOMPSON SEAT POST AND STEM.. ( WICKED ) . GOLD ANSWER TAPER HANDLEBAR.. FOX FLOAT RLC FRONT FORK.. | | Bike Setup: | SUPER FUN BIKE.. NOT LIGHT , BUT IT IS SO FUN YOU WONT CARE. FRONT FORKS ARE GOOD BUT WANTED TO TRY THE FOX FORX. WOW THE FORX ARE SUPER PLUSH.. ALL AND ALL VERY HAPPY SO FAR. OVERALL 4 FLAMIN CHILIS. | | Bottom Line: | SUPER BIKE. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Woodbury
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | Erik's Bike Store | | Strengths: | Great ride. Comes with descent equipment. | | Weaknesses: | It broke dang it! | | Similar Products Used: | GT RTS-1, GT XCR-1000, GT XCR-LE, Specialized FSR Comp | | Bike Setup: | Bought bike complete at a discount, kept the frame and fork and put full XT on, Mavic 317 Disc, Hope Minis. | | Bottom Line: | The frame cracked on the weld that holds the funky looking metal piece that the shock mounts to, right below the seat mast. I am starting to think I am a fat a$$ or something, with this being the 3rd frame I cracked or broke (the other 2 were GT I-Drives). I'm not though, I am 5'10", 180 and can't seem to find a bike that can hold me. What's going on. This is getting expensive, time consuming and frustrating as heck. I am a X-coutry rider that bought what I thought was a beefier bike with added weight hoping it would be strong, only to have it crack too. I don't jump, I never crash, I maintain my bike and it still cracked. Don't let that discourage you from buying FS though. I haven't owned a hardtail since 1992 and I will never go back! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin Sharick
a Cross Country Rider
from Arnold, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | anything remote | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1125.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Awesome monocoque frame, strong, burly, yet light. Shimano 525 Discs will stop on a dime, just a little squeaky the first couple rides, but that is normal. Mar. MXC Air fork is great, very plush, responsive, and easily tuneable. Last, but certainly not least, the Fox FLOAT R shock w/ ITch Switch... most versatile shock i've ever used, (never used FLOAT RL). | | Weaknesses: | Nothing that i can find... | | Similar Products Used: | nothing | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | I only weigh 150 lbs and my other bike is a light 2001 Spec. Rockhopper A1 FS Comp Disc and it weighs in at about 24 lbs. The Enduro can climb just about as good as any hardtail, with minimal bob (unless you force it). The ITch Switch is awesome, and incredibly useful. Great bike for anyone who just wants to go out onto a trail and bomb around and have a great ride. This bike will take pretty much anything you will throw at it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan Roshio
a Cross Country Rider
from Holloman AFB NM
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Outdoor Adventures | | Strengths: | Strong frame. The weight/strength ration is nice. It goes uphill fairly easy. Just make sure that you get the right size. I ended up with a size too big and it's a pain. The itch switch is very handy. Simply flip it and you have more travel. ...sweet. | | Weaknesses: | The stock tires are good to keep on the front, but suck on the back. This will make more sense if you go uphill or through mud. The swingarm seems to be a little flexy. Although the shock and fork are nice, they need to have more pressure to prevent bottom-outs. I've bottomed-out a lot comming down hill. There could be better brakes on it to be a bike designed to go down hill. I have v-brakes that stop better than these. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Super-V 1000 | | Bike Setup: | Ritchey Motovader 2.4" on back
Gipiemme Pro Team saddle
XTR chain (a must) | | Bottom Line: | This is a very nice bike for the price. Although the rims are a little thin, the shocks absorb most of the bumps. I haven't bent them yet. The bike goes up hill well and definitly comes down well. It is best on fast technical trails. You can definitly handle this bike as it comes stock. If you have it for a while, replace the tires, brakes, chain, and bar. Bike bobs as well.
-Great bike if it's fit for you. Fast technical trails. Go downhill! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ivan Vukomanovic
a Weekend Warrior
from UK
Date Reviewed: August 4, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | snowdon bridal path | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | leisure lakes, manchester | | Strengths: | Great frame, beautiful welding throughout along joints and good use of butting to make a strong, responsive, but lightweight(ish) frame. A reasonable spec for the price considering the frame | | Weaknesses: | Poor bb and cranks, the flex and don’t feel very sturdy, I'm expecting to snap them soon! Also the tires are a big let down in the wet and will really slow you down. Get a thinner set of treads for winter use. Wheels are v heavy too. | | Similar Products Used: | scott g force | | Bike Setup: | stock except for some flattie pedals | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike for the money. It’s a bike that with a few decent upgrades as parts wear out will become a truly great machine. If you put a bit of time and money into building up the components, it will ride like a bike of twice its price. This is no bad thing as I feel you need to do this with all production bikes. Buy this bike if you want somthing strong that you can thrash down hills and ride back up. If you want somthing lightish, but hardcore look no further | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RAM
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, CO
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Hall Ranch | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | 1450 | | Strengths: | ITch Switch and Shimano Hydraulic Discs | | Weaknesses: | What is up with the frame/pivot/chainstay bolt? Gets loose and backs out into the chainrings. | | Similar Products Used: | 99 Enduro
99 GT idrive
2001 GT idrive 2.0
| | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | The bike handles well up and down. I asked the shop to cut the bars down to 24". Only have about 50 miles on the bike so far, can't complain except for the above mentioned bolt. Specialized says white locktite (not blue) and 250 ft/lbs or tourque on the bolt into the aluminium frame. We'll see- otherwise this bike is sweet. Take one for a ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ben demeter
a Downhiller
from SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | THE POST OFFICE JUMPS, 40' ERS | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1670.00 | | Purchased At: | CYCLE WORKS | | Strengths: | ON THE FLY ADJUSTMENT 4-5.2", STRONG FRAME, JUMPS 35 30S EASELY, GOOD TIRES. | | Weaknesses: | COULD USE A NEW FORK BUT NOTHING YET. | | Similar Products Used: | ENDURO PRO, BULLIT, V-10 | | Bike Setup: | STOCK | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike, more than capable of absorbing whatever I can throw at it. It jumps surprisingly well and feels very light. A good bike for a anyone who loves to ride agressively. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Glenn Bergevin
a
from Woburn MA
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | White Rocks | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle Loft | | Strengths: | The frame: The frame is an incredible piece of engineering. The top tube/seat mast monocoque section is made from two peices of stanmped and folded AL, tiq welded together. The downtube is extruded in its final shape, meaning that it is pre bent, ovalized, and double butted. This makes it very strong. The shock mount is made of machined AL stock. The stays are extruded, seamlessy ovalized AL. The dropouts are artfully forged and machined, as is the swinglink. All this means your frame is light: no extra materiel is introduced into the monocque design; strong: the shaped downtube and monoque section makes gussets redundant; and active: four bar linkage, with a true Horst link, means the frame is active under pedaling, saeted or standing, in any gear, and active under braking, with minimal bob.
SWEET shock
Deore disks are surprisingly responsive, IO really like them. | | Weaknesses: | Slightly subpar component spec, becasue your paying for the frame.
You can "force" it to bob, but it doesn't happed on the trail.
MXC fork is terrible, sticky, harsh and strangly progressive.
TERRIBLE cranks. Squeaky, flexy and creaky.
The rear end seems to flex somewhat under hard cornering.
Crapy grips.
Crapy tires
| | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuels,
Instense Tracer and Uzzi SL
Fisher Sugar+
Specialized BigHit, and older Enduros | | Bike Setup: | Stock, plus a woodman shorty stem, Ruffina Lock Ons, Fox Forx 125R, cut seatpost, and Conti Vert/Survival tires | | Bottom Line: | The ideal do it all bike. This is my XC, DH, FR, nad urban bike. I love it, and you will too. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jesse James
a Downhiller
from Southern California
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Burma Trail, Jaws`s trails | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Palace | | Strengths: | Burly frame, good geometry, and the FSR suspension design has always been killer! This bike can take a pounding. The Shimano 525 Hydraulic disc brakes are the shiznit! I have Hayes on my other ride, and I like the Shimanos a little better. Most components are good. | | Weaknesses: | Some cheezy components, but those can be changed. Definately needs splined BB and better cranks. | | Similar Products Used: | Haro X2 Extreme, and I`ve got a Cheeta dual slalom. | | Bike Setup: | Rock Shox Psylo SL fork, Bontrager Crow Bar riser bars, THE downhill stem, Tioga multi-control downhill saddle, and I took off those geeky fenders and cut the seatpost way lower. Soon I`ll upgrade to Sun-Ringle Mammoth wheelset, better seat post, and better cranks/splined BB. | | Bottom Line: | First off, I`ve seen reviews on this bike stating that it "wasn`t a freeride bike" or things like that. Well, that`s kinda true about how it comes stock. But with a plush, long-travel fork, some nice platform pedals, a shorter stem, better riser bars, and a little love, this thing rips! I`m 6`4", 200 lbs. and ride hard pretty much every day. Personally, I`m not one of those weight weenies who needs the lightest rig on the trail. This bike is cool because it excels at whatever type of riding you do and have it set-up for. I like big drops and jumps. My bike is set-up to take hits and charge big, on the trails and on the streets. I`ve read the reviews about things busting on this bike, but none here yet. Bottom line is I have found a bike that I really love and that suits my needs. As for you, maybe it will suit yours, maybe it won`t. As far as value, 4 chilis because I love the frame and brakes but some components are not so good. Overall I gotta give it 5 chilis because it is a very well designed bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Bare
a Cross Country Rider
from Wyoming, USA
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Bucking Mule Falls | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1680.00 | | Purchased At: | Back Country Bicycles | | Strengths: | Fox Itch Switch 4-5.2" of travel with the flick of a lever while on the run. Strong frame. (done 2-3' drops onto flat pavement without problems) Killer looks. Well rounded performance. (won't kill you on the uphills, great on the down hills, and can take a little freeride) | | Weaknesses: | A $1,500+ bike should have a splined bottom bracket. The MXC is a solid bomb-proof fork, however, small hit response is highly compromised. (even after the fork is broke in)During the cable break in period,(about the first 200 miles) you may need to occasionally adjust the rear derailer or you will experience phantom shifting. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant NRS | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for a new fork. Put a 2002 Z.1 Wedge on the bike. It is responsive to small and big hits. Plus, an extra inch of travel is nice to have in the rough stuff. | | Bottom Line: | This is an update now that I've had time to ride the bike. I've put about 250 miles of trail riding on the bike. I ride allot of xc single track. I do frequent 1-3' drops and occasional pavemant pounding. This bike excels at it's purpose. (a compromise between an ultralight xc race bike and a heavy weight freeride bike) It tracks very well, the rear suspension is very responsive but pedal feedback is minimal, it climbs better than most 30 lb bikes on the market, the shimano's are excellent breaks, and it handels the down-hills without any problems. The componets are solid with the exception of the square taper BB. If you are on a budget and want a do it all bike, the FSR is highly recommended by me. NOTE: there is a recall on 2002 enduro parts, however, Specialized will replace them free of cost. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Neal Haines
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything I can ride away from relatively intact | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1900.00 | | Purchased At: | Leisure Lakes UK | | Weaknesses: | Crap standard seat post, Bent it at the first off and I'm not the most daring of riders.Dealer seemed suprised! Now replaced under friends advice with RaceFace post. Seat also extremely uncomfortable but will give that the benefit of the doubt for the moment and persist.
Can't get on with the bar width, need to replace or cut down. Bike assembled with not enough loose cable for the rear deralier hence when suspension compressed bike attempted to change gear automatically. Dealer resolved this | | Similar Products Used: | GT I drive 3 | | Bike Setup: | Standard except for seat post and flat pedals. Will address the bar width! | | Bottom Line: | Fantastic bike so far. Unfortunately relatively expensive to buy in the UK. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron Oppenheimer
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, Ca
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Bella Vista Trail, Monte Bello Open Space Preserve | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1550.00 | | Purchased At: | Pacific Bikes | | Strengths: | The frame is built tough, the suspension (front and rear) is excellent, and the disc brakes work wonders. | | Weaknesses: | Upon purchase I found out that there was a recall on the rear seat stay; the bike shop took care of this problem for free. Another problem I had was with the rear suspension. I noticed after every ride the shock would decrease by about fifty PSI. I called Fox Shocks and they told me that they had a problem with some of their 2002 Float R shocks, so they sent me a new O ring seal which fixed that problem.
I also broke the chain on the third ride. Know after all the minor (cost free) problems I have had, I truly feel that this bike rocks. Now I just tear through the down hill single track faster than I ever have before. | | Similar Products Used: | Can't really compare bikes due to the fact that I only sat on the other bikes. Trek Fuel 90 Disc, Gary Fisher Sugar +3 disc., Giant NRS 2 | | Bike Setup: | Stock, except for new seat and pedals | | Bottom Line: | This bike really kicks ass. If you can get a good price on this bike (around $1550)you should buy it. I have been riding this bike for about 2 months about 8 good long rides. I am about 6'3" 240lb. so if you are a big guy you will appreciate this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ian MacLean
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | North shore or squamish | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | 1600 | | Strengths: | tough frame, not too heavy ( 30 pds ) enough travel to handle most terrain, great price. Discs are great too. | | Weaknesses: | you really need to get over the front wheel going up hills - but thats the price you pay for it beeing so nice downhill. Discs seem a little squeaky in the wet but nothing to worry about. | | Similar Products Used: | test rode: trek fuel, Giant AC Air, Rockey Mountain Element, Cannondale Jekyll | | Bike Setup: | Stock except pedals - swapped for flats | | Bottom Line: | wicked bike, goes anywhere, great price, looks funky. You can't go wrong with this beast. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jake weathers
a Weekend Warrior
from gray, ga Us
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | rose hill graveyard | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1650.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Tech of Middle Georgia | | Strengths: | very durable going off 4-6 ft drops. love the on the fly adjustment. love the disc's brakes, they work great. | | Weaknesses: | so far i haven't had any. bought the bike 5-15-02
(rims aren't made for drops) | | Bike Setup: | rhino light rims, 300 dollar value | | Bottom Line: | i have had a hardtail for about 6 months and after riding this bike just after 5 days i don't know how i ever survived. all i can do is think about riding. love the color. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jimmy Straatman
a Downhiller
from Bellingham, WA
Date Reviewed: June 4, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | All North Shore, Snakeonia | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Fairhaven Bike and Mtn Sport | | Strengths: | Rear linkage hides the air shock to give a plush ride | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Specilized Big Hit DH, Santa Cruz Bullit, Santa Cruz SuperLight, Intense Tracer | | Bike Setup: | Psylo xc, Shimano Deore Disk Brakes, Nokian Gazzoladi Dual Tires, Welgo pedals, | | Bottom Line: | I bought this bike for my girlfriend but am having too much ridding it myself. The bike gets off the ground and lands exceptionaly well. It is perfect for the xc rider who prefers going down the hill more than up. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Miller
a Cross Country Rider
from Pacific Grove, CA, US
Date Reviewed: June 3, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | my privite jumping pit | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Aqarine bicycles | | Strengths: | FSR suspension rides like a dream, lighter than it seems, and iv taken it of 7 foot drops and 13 foot gaps and its held together fine! | | Weaknesses: | that fox "itch" sags way to far for my like im constantly hiting things with my pedals, but if i pump it up too far its too stiff for me. | | Similar Products Used: | rock hopper FSR, not much | | Bike Setup: | stock, but changing soon to stonger comp... | | Bottom Line: | Its a geat all around bike that handles great, its durable and is fairly light. and im going to ride the !@#$ out of it till it dies. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
eric sams
a Racer
from seattle
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | rangercreek | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | I got this on warrante replacment and I found that it holda a line really well in rough stuff. It climbs well and does not feel its weight. | | Weaknesses: | I broke the shock link after about four months I hope that anyone who owns one will keep an eye on that so they don't get hurt. | | Similar Products Used: | 200 enduro | | Bike Setup: | Psylo 5", downhill wheelset, king headset, hayes brakes,raceface crankset,XT drivetrain | | Bottom Line: | Durability is a concern. The ride is great. The conpany will stand behind its product. If you are agresive and like to ride for a long time have fun with this bike. If you want to worry about how light you bike is then stay away. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Betancourt
a Weekend Warrior
from Alameda, CA USA
Date Reviewed: May 31, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Tamarancho | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Alameda Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Easy to upgrade. Balance of the bike and the way it is designed makes it super easy to control and turn. Bike is also super durable, love abuse and comes back for more.
I trust this bike to take me to hell and back and be eager to do it again! The blue is the best color out of the lot and the fact that it comes with fenders is another money saver. Adjustible suspension makes it easyier to climb and quick to bomb. | | Weaknesses: | Sag can slow down climb but, who cares, that s not it s main purpose. I would have liked to see the Enduro come out with Vanilla coil over shocks too. I ve already seen some air shocks get blown out. It would ve been great if Specialized had offered a street package with a stronger stem, chain guide, and bashguard ( i ve already lost a couple of teeth on my large ring ). | | Similar Products Used: | '02 Rockhopper FSR | | Bike Setup: | Hayes Race breaks, all XT components, XT hubs with Rhino lite rims, LX casset, Psylo front fork, Specialized Pro tires,BMX style bear claw pedals | | Bottom Line: | SUPER SWEET!!!
The Enduro will handel anything you can,...within reason.
Even with upgrades, the bike only weighs 30lbs. which is really light for a bike that can withstand FR, some DH, and street riding. If you want to do big drops (4+ ft) I d suggest bumping the rear shock psi about 15-20lbs above rider weight. And, it s always worth some extra $ to get tough rims. This ride really covers all the bases, it s fun for anyone from begginers to experts. I even use the Enduro to commute, just so i can hit drops, bomb stairs, and jump banks on the way to work! Can you think of a better way to start the day? And, when the work day ends, the riding just begins. The bike is so durable it requires very little maintance but, it s easy to work on if need be.
I d endorse the Enduro any day and recomend it to anyone. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John McClenon
a Cross Country Rider
from San Antonio Tx.
Date Reviewed: May 23, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | O.P. Schnabel | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1650.00 | | Purchased At: | Helotes Bicycle | | Strengths: | Frame design is almost bullet-proof and the bike lines are eye catching. Eats up rocky trails AND comes with disc brakes. | | Weaknesses: | Pedals like to whack on rocks if you don't run 250lb in the rear shock. Chainstay pivot bolt on the chainring side has unscrewed on 2 frames. Rear derailleur hanger mount point is way too flimsy for this type frame. | | Similar Products Used: | None. Slayed a Pacific Summit to learn what I needed to look for in a bike. | | Bike Setup: | Stock, but now has FSR Pro frame with rear shock lockout due to rear shock gusset weld crack. (warranty) | | Bottom Line: | If you're looking for a bike that can take hours of ride time and still be ready to roll then this is the bike. You're a little on the Clydesdale side? No problem, this frame can take it. I've put 600 hard off-road miles on this bike since Feb 19th. My rides take me up power line trails and along baby head strewn creek beds. No drops, jumps, or freestyling.... (yet) Bring on the goat paths, this bike rides and climbs like a dream!
Minor issues: The bottom bracket could be an inch higher to prevent pedal smackage. I'm 205 lbs and have to run the rear shock at 250 to minimize that. I had a stick pop up during an in-seat climb and rip my rear derailleur plumb off. In the process it bent the lower mount point for the hanger almost off. Specialized really needs to redo that seat stay again. The lower mount point for the hanger is not in alignment with the rest of the otherwise "bullet-proof" concept of the frame. Has to be an oversight.... Initially the handle-bars creaked on every climb. That was reduced by trimming them down but did not eliminate it. The same is starting to occur with the seat post. Have gone over frame repeatedly for evidence of cracking but find none. It's obviously not affecting performance, just annoying to have to explain what that noise is to other riders. Wiping a little grease on the post reduces it for a while. The bolt hidden behind the chainrings that attaches the chainstay to the frame has unscrewed itself on both my FSR (Blue) and FSR Pro (Silver) frames. It has jammed into the second chainring once and stranded me on the trail. Be mindful of this fact when performing maintenance and look for it. A retightening of the bolt has seemingly cured that on both of the frames. All in all, this entry level Enduro has been well worth the money spent. I'm very pleased with the overall performance of this bike. I'll be watching for what the future holds for this bike line.
The Enduro gets 5 Value chilis for putting this bundle together and 4 Overall because of the minor issues I've pointed out.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Woody
a Racer
from Clarksville, TN, USA
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | The ones I dream of | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | This is an "all mountain" or trail bike and it excels in that category.
Suspension, plenty for aggressive trail riding. The rear Fox shock "Itch switch" lets you quickly change from 4 to 5.25 inches of rear travel.
Decent components for the price.
The Enduro tires hooked up well and worked great in rocky, hardpack, and mud. | | Weaknesses: | It's heavy when compared to the typical XC full suspension bikes. The Marzocchi fork and Fox shock do not have lockouts (most bikes don't include lock outs at this price point though). The shimano disc brakes on the demo model leaked fluid. I think it's due to the fact it's a demo bike that has been thrashed. If you maintain your bike it will do much better. I didn't particularly care for the handlebars, I'd replace them with an Easton carbon riser. | | Similar Products Used: | 2001 GT I-Drive 2.0 | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for 3rd party brake pads. | | Bottom Line: | This is an all around great mountain bike. I demo'd it at the Helen, GA Fat Tire Fest. Used it for my pre-ride of the XC course which included over 1500' of climbing. The Horst link suspension is efficient on the climbs and flats, I never felt the suspension bob. The bike rides much lighter than it's 30 pounds suggest. On the downhills the bike is a dream compared to lighter weight XC full suspension bikes like the Specialized FSR or Trek Fuel. There were many racers pre-riding the course but no one could come close to my speed on the downhills. With the bike set for 5.25 inches of rear travel I hardly felt 6 inch diameter rocks on the trail. The bike was very forgiving, I purposely took the worst lines on the downhills and never had a problem. This level of the Enduro line has no lock outs for the suspension but for fun riding I don't think they are necessary. The bike's steering felt a little slower than my Trek 8000 hard tail but was very stable at speed. This bike is not one I'd recommend for XC racing but it is a great all around trail bike. This bike is also not a "freeride" bike capable of large hucks but it handles anything an aggressive trail rider would consider riding over. All in all a good value. 5 Chilis for value, 4 Overall because nothing's perfect. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Kolb
a Weekend Warrior
from San diego ca usa
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | techolote canyon | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | performance bikes | | Strengths: | This bike is spounge-a-licious if that is a word. it is nice and bouncy but does not bottom out under pressure. | | Weaknesses: | chain rusts too easyily...get the stainless upgrade. | | Similar Products Used: | raligh hardtail, gary fisher sugar 4...(a huffy in expensive bikes clothing). | | Bike Setup: | two nice spungy shocks, and huge tires to grip the trail. | | Bottom Line: | No, this is not one of those 5000.00 downhill mountain bikes A.k.A (a motorcycle without an engine), This is a bike for a XC rider, that does not want to eat s*&t on the downhill with some weak skinny tires and a unresponsive, or worse yet an over responsive shock set. Not too much bog on the way up either...air shocks are fully adjustable. good beginner-intermediate bike for the money. next stop the pro...specialized is highly reccomended by me. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Owen Thistlethwaite
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | I bought this bike hoping it would be appropriate for mostly cross country riding and a bit of downhill. I haven't had it for long but so far it's been ideal. It handles well and the suspension is great. It "bounces" a bit at the back but I suspect that's because I'm pretty heavy (90 kgs) and I haven't pumped up the rear shock enough. The bike seems really durable, not too heavy and looks great as well. I have done a few small drops (2 feet) and it didn't have any problem at all and still felt solid. | | Weaknesses: | The bike is a bit heavy but really if one of us (the bike or me) needs to lose the weight it isn't the bike so I'm not fussed.
I wasn't overly impressed by the Specialized's product warning regarding the frame problems but I haven't had any problems so far so I hope it all goes well. If the frame does fail I'll get it replaced. | | Similar Products Used: | I had a good look at the : Giant AC Series, Giant NRS series, various Ellsworth bikes, Cannondale Scalpels, Kona's - everything. And nothing compared in terms of value for money, strength and the duration of the frame warranty. | | Bike Setup: | As bought. | | Bottom Line: | My previous bike didn't have any suspension so it is taking a while to adjust to it. The thing that has surprised me the most is how much more confidence I have in taking any sort of terrain. The suspension and disc brakes are fantastic for high-speed descents and you always feel in control. When you spend that kind of money you expect a great bike and so far it hasn't disappointed. If you are a bigger guy who wants a bike which does a bit of both (light downhill and XC) and isn't overly fussed about the weight then it's a great bike to buy.
For a rating I give the bike for performace a 5 but for value a 4. It's a fantastic bike but it is still a huge amount of money (approx. 3k $AUS).
(I think I have to mention a few months ago I was definitely going to buy one of the Giant NRS or AC series bikes. I was ready to go until I discovered that the warranty on all of Giant's full-suspension frames (at least in Australia) is 12 months. That is unbelievable. Who wants to buy a bike worth a couple of grand which has a 12 month warranty ? I have read all sorts of comments on this website that mention flimsy Giant frames as well as talking to shop owners who describe Giant frames as coke cans because the aluminium is so thin. I wanted to inform Giant of my disappointment but they don't have an area on their website to get customer feedback. My only way of showing my feedback is to go with another brand like Specialized). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Bare
a Cross Country Rider
from Sheridan, Wyoming, USA
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | bucking mule falls | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1680.00 | | Purchased At: | Back Country Bicycles | | Strengths: | Love the Fox Itch switch.
Marzocchi MXC is stiff and bomb proof.
Shimano discs are great.
Color and design is very attractive. | | Weaknesses: | A little heavy compaired to my Giant NRS, however, the FSR can take a bigger beating and appears to be a better all around trail bike. The MXC is a little sticky and will take some ride time to smooth it's self out. The rear suspension sags a little under my body weight. (not a real weakness just much different from the NRS's hard tail feel. The FSR is more responsive to the small bumps than the NRS) | | Similar Products Used: | This is my first enduro. Have a 2001 Giant XTC NRS,2001 Giant Rainer hardtail, and a 2001 Kona Lava Dome hardtail. | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for air lock tubes (I always seem to get allot of thorns when I ride) | | Bottom Line: | This is an excellent all purpose trail bike. It is a little too heavy to seriously XC race, about 30 lbs. (Oh well I didn't plan on winning 24 hrs of Moab anytime soon) and a little too weak to do serious down hill, however, it is perfect for everything in between. The Itch switch adjustable rear travel is amazing and highly responsive yet resists pedal induced bob fairly well. Compaired to my Giant, it feels like my butt is riding on air. I will be able to ride much more aggressivly with this bike than my NRS. The Wyoming spring bring allot of snow and cold, so my ride time is a little limited. I will review again when I get some real miles under my belt. Until then, 4 flames for value(A little pricy) and 5 flames overall for a super plush and highly responsive ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob
a
from Birmingham, AL, USA
Date Reviewed: March 24, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Oak Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Bob's Bikes | | Strengths: | Suspension, Brakes, Frame. For the price, nice parts mix. | | Weaknesses: | Front Derailer, recall on swing arm (stated weak design around rear disk brake mount). | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale F600 (hardtail) | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | I had lower back pain when riding my hardtail for a long length of time, no problem with this bike, in fact I am able to ride until physically worn out. Screams down hill. Pretty good climber. I recommend this bike for anyone who wants to do little bit of everything on a mountain bike and finish the day off with a smile. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tom
a Cross Country Rider
from fresno,ca
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | the one with the most butter | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Lemoore Bike shop | | Strengths: | Cockpit (geometry), Suspension, Brakes, color | | Weaknesses: | Tires, seat, cable routing, front axle (threads chew up the fork), Deore components, a little flexy in the rear (I weigh 200 lbs) | | Similar Products Used: | Santa Cruz Tazmon, K2 Razorback, GT I Drive, Giant AC Air, tested many others | | Bike Setup: | Spent about $130 Upgrading to Fire XC Pros, XT frt derailleur and LX shifters | | Bottom Line: | Probably the best all around bike, especially for big guys. I am a 6 ft, 200lb XC rider and now do some free riding. I ride aggresively nearly every day. I loved the K2 Razorback but I was just too big for it. I can ride the Enduro just as fast but it is a little more unpredictable on fast single track and it gets to me at the end of long climbs but is very comfortable and loves going down hill. After spending only $130 on upgrades I feel that I have a great, reliable, all around bike. I am an Engineer so am very picky about my purchases. I found that the bikes with the rear pivot on the chain stay reduce the pedal induced bob and that was a big decision maker. Got the low end model because I like the Zokes (air) better than the Black (too soft and they are having too many problems), maybe next year after the bugs are figured out I will try them. The threads on the front axle are chewing up the fork dropout, I smoothed out another 1/4 inch of threads with a file to reduce the wear and let the skewer do its job better. The itch switch rocks, I hope all manufacturers start using this shock when Fox makes it available to everyone, way more convenient than the Giant bikes. The brakes are very impressive but a little touchy at slow speeds. I would give this bike 5 chilis overall if Specialized did a little cleanup: cable routing, frt deralleur, shifters, axle and seat. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy Austin
a Downhiller
from Uk-England Manchester
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Harry hall cycles | | Strengths: | suspention,itch switch,bombers,frame,wheels and top brakes | | Weaknesses: | low bottom bracket,catches wil frnt derailer sum times.Swing arm | | Bike Setup: | stock,downhill,shivers,5'spring,stronger head set ... | | Bottom Line: | great bike 4 all round use,good climber good xc er good downhill good bike.i wrote before mentioning a broken swing arm.specilized did replace it but the new 1 broke too.specilized have designed a new swing arm for the bike as there was a design fault with the standard arm.they beefed it up abit.contact specilzed 4 futher info.Email 4 general chat about the bike ect(ANDY316DANGER@aol.com.good bike,can 2 convert 2 downhill bike or xc.27.5lbs is not that heavy! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill
a Weekend Warrior
from USA
Date Reviewed: February 27, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere with rough riding | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Landry's | | Strengths: | Nice fork, real smooth. The rear FOX shock. The bike is overall about just under 30 lbs. | | Weaknesses: | The frame cracked but Specialized replaced it with the ENDURO PRO frame | | Bike Setup: | stock except different pedals and diferent enduro frame. | | Bottom Line: | The ride is real smooth over just about everything. Smooth off jumps and drops. It's a great all round performer. This bike is great for someone who is looking for a downhill/freeride/x-country type of bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Owen
a Weekend Warrior
from CT
Date Reviewed: February 22, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | MDC Res.-Penwood metacomet | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | light for long travel full suss., pretty good spec for price range, go anywhere bike | | Weaknesses: | some components need to be upgraded (tires, front derailer, handlebar) | | Similar Products Used: | fisher 3+, giant AC | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | i've only tested this bike, so i don't have a huge amount of exp. on it's ride. when i rode it, it felt really stiff, accelerated well, and itch switch on rear shock is great. it's a good deal for the money and beats out all other bikes in the price range. once i scrape the change together, i'm definitely buying this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tommy million
a Weekend Warrior
from soap lake, wa 98851, usa
Date Reviewed: February 17, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | game trails | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1550.00 | | Purchased At: | recycle bicycle ellensburg, wa | | Strengths: | disk brake, front and rear suspension, fenders | | Weaknesses: | stock tires | | Similar Products Used: | huffy, mongose, gt i-drive | | Bike Setup: | stock execpt tires have armadillo, and platform pedals | | Bottom Line: | Rode the bike in snow, ice, mud, shell rock, gravel, and hard dirt and uphill, downhill, and cross country. The bike performed better than any bike I have owned or ridden. It handels just as good as my motor cross bike. The brakes are outstanding they stop even with snow and mud on them. For a all around weekend warrior this bike will due anything you want. It likes to go fast downhill and makes you want to go faster. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Lincoln,Ca
Date Reviewed: February 10, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | Bob's Cycle | | Strengths: | bomber forks, fox rear shox (itch-switch), color, frame design, brakes, handling | | Weaknesses: | got rid of the clipless pedals and got platforms, none other than that. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant warp ds1, enduro comp fsr | | Bike Setup: | All stock except new pedals | | Bottom Line: | A great bike. It is great on the trails, and also with freeriding. The gears are great, and the discs grab very well. I did alot of rocky trails and jumps and this bike handled it fine. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy Austin
a Downhiller
from England-Manchester
Date Reviewed: February 9, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1650.00 | | Purchased At: | Harry Halls Cycles | | Strengths: | Great breaks,although noisy in the wet.nice frame design, excellent on the fly suspension adjustment.nice ride feel,very comfortable.bike can be used from road riding to downhill. | | Weaknesses: | noisy breaks,bottom bracket rubs against the chain sometimes,ft crank should lx compound. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | stocky,stiff sus for jumping with,low seat ect. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is excellent for $1600,it can be used for almost anything.Great for descents aswell as climbs and strong enough for any drops up 7 feet-i weigh 10 STONE though.Rescently my rear swing arm broke above and to the right of the disk mount near the weld.This specilized have assured me was a one off frame build problem and are replacing the arm free of charge,to my relief.The bike can be used for Free riding,xc or downhill.Excellent value. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Downhiller
from South Carolina
Date Reviewed: February 5, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike To Nature | | Strengths: | Frame, Suspension and Color | | Weaknesses: | Components and Bottom Bracket Heighth | | Bike Setup: | All XT Components, BMX Seat and Peddles | | Bottom Line: | I came from a GT Palomar so I can't give a good comparison review. I will say that compared to other full suspension bikes in this price range, it can't be beat. I am planning to get more into downhill and freeriding, so it seemed like the perfect bike for me. I will probably take the biggest chainring off and put a bash gaurd and chain tensioner on instead, but it won't bother me because I don't ride cross country anyway. I will give another review in a few months, once I get to ride it some more, but so far, I give it 5 flaming turds for value and only four overall since I had to upgrade most of the components to XT. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rick Diaz
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles, CA USA
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | The one I'm on | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1450.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Stiff frame, Horst link suspension, Shimano brakes, XT rear derailleur, Fox shock with Itch switch, Marzocchi fork. | | Weaknesses: | Crappy wheels, Deore shifters and front derailleur, stock tires, stock seat and post, single water bottle mount. | | Similar Products Used: | Fisher Sugar 3, GT i-Drive, Haro Extreme, Diamondback VS | | Bike Setup: | Bontrager Race Lite wheels & hubs, Maxxis Helter Skelter tires, LX shifters. | | Bottom Line: | For a bike with a personality conflict, this thing rocks. It's a little bit (X)country, it's a little bit freeride. Got tired of thrashing my Sugar 3 so I took this out on a demo and immediately knew I had to have it. Far plusher suspension, way stiffer frame, and able to tackle almost any terrain. This is the bottom of the Enduro line (and the component spec shows it), but with a few minor upgrades you'll find the bike a very solid platform for just about anything. The Shimano hydraulics perform every bit as good as Hayes and modulate even better. Nicer rotors, too. The Fox shock (custom-built for Specialized) is by far the best working air shock available. Drivetrain/braking is unaffected by suspension compression and climbs are comparable to the Sugar, which is great. It's not light (29 lbs.), but if you often find yourself airborne on a downhill singletrack you'll appreciate the sturdiness of this frame. The Marzocchi air fork works great and the optional ECC cartridge is a worthwhile upgrade for those who do a lot of XC riding. Definitely pitch the Specialized tires immediately, though, as they are completely wrong for a bike of this type. Sketchy traction and flexy sidewalls do not instill confidence. Would have given 5 flaming chilis if not for the weak wheels and tires. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Maarten
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: February 1, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Mine Hill. quicksilver park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1540.00 | | Purchased At: | Oakland | | Strengths: | Versatility. Component combination for the money. Except maybe the ft. derrailleur. So far the bike has taken a limited beating. It jump litle moguls well. goes over trunks and debris well. maneuverable. the disk brakes are nice -hella hot to the touch and noisy when wet tho' | | Weaknesses: | Little heavy. but I'm not complaining. I love the bike. the cabling around the pivot needs to be tied up with zip-ties. the same goes for the front brake cabling -it needs another tie. | | Similar Products Used: | None, my first FSR | | Bike Setup: | Stock setup. Shorter stem. | | Bottom Line: | If you want a versatlie bike you can take almost anywhere. I recommend this one. Dunno if you want attention, but it seems like it does -at least from street folk around sawyer trail. I spent my wad on the stock bike. it'll be a while, but I'll probably upgrade a few things like the tyres and ft. derrailleur | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Staka
a Weekend Warrior
from Adelaide, SA, Australia
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | JT | | Strengths: | Lighter than my old cro-mo hardtail, decent travel, doesn't bounce too much, flies down hills. The brakes rock. | | Weaknesses: | Standard forks and un-splined crank bite. The price is a little steep - but you do get what you pay for. | | Similar Products Used: | Mongoose VRS3, various 3" travel bikes. | | Bike Setup: | Upgrade to splined LX cranks, and Manitou Black Elite 120. forks. | | Bottom Line: | Upgrading from a hardtail, this machine is the bomb. It still climbs like a goat, although not like a fly-weight hardtail. It is light enough to get decent air over logs and stuff. The standard forks are a bit wimpy, the manitou's suit this bike much better. It is a very plush ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bob bauer
a Cross Country Rider
from hobart indiana usa
Date Reviewed: January 13, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | kneebone | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1550.00 | | Purchased At: | schererville cyclery | | Strengths: | parts mix and weight the fox itch system.....worth the price of admission. | | Weaknesses: | routing headaches can make any lamb a lion, tires nuthin' to brag about. | | Similar Products Used: | ellsworth id, 01 enduro,can o ale 900custom, san andreas, kestral rubicon, idrive 1.0/2.0, intense tracer, titus loco,tomac "i forgot ",schwinn 4banger, alot of rigs | | Bike Setup: | stock-----did put a coil in the bomber(silly thought) rode on it for about a month then pulled it out...much too stiff, also rebuilt the fork out of the box swapped oil for the hell of it | | Bottom Line: | for someone who wants to travel everywhere and take just one bike this setup is perfect for you, for the weekend warrior i'd say give it whirl....its all wrapped up for you in a nice little package lots of room for all those little mail order close out deals you drool over weekly. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay
a Weekend Warrior
from Kingman, Kansas
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Captain Jacks, CO or Horizon, KS | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1730.00 | | Strengths: | Marzocchi MXR 100mm air fork
Specialized New Enduro Pro, 26" X 2.2, Kevlar, blackwall
Fox Float R rear shock | | Weaknesses: | TRANSFORM Monocoque chasis | | Similar Products Used: | 99'FSR SPORT....Now this bike can take a beating!!!!! | | Bike Setup: | 2002 Enduro.size medium - stock setup | | Bottom Line: |
After coming off a 2'5" launch ramp the frame busted. Just above the rear shock top pivot about 1 inch of weld busted and the frame 'swelled' up in that area.This bike is advertized as a heavy cross country-light freeride bike. Well....its not a free ride bike at all. I weigh 177lbs and am 5'7" the bike is a medium. It climbs good for a FS. and does a great job soaking up 8" bumps and roots on the downhill. The bottom line is that this bike cannot take the big hits and jumps that my old stock 99'FSR SPORT can. This bike is probably just good for aggesive cross country riders. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Elkton, MD
Date Reviewed: December 28, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | my backyard | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$929.00 | | Strengths: | well, its a great parts mix for the dollar, a far cry from last year's model. it now features a dual air fork and a nice fox air rear. i like the monocoque frame design, but its too new to tell really. decent travel. | | Weaknesses: | initially, my gripe was the deore components. i think that for the money, he rest of the bike is fine, but at least lx pods would have been nicer. they could have dropped the xt rear and used lx instead, and it would have been a smoother shifting setup. my only real gripe is the ft. der. cable which rubs on the rear tire at times and has to be cut short, and the rear disk cable routing, which needs to be zip tied past the pivot to prevent it from rubbing on the crank. i also wish you could fit a decent set of 2.3 tiogas comfortably on the frame | | Similar Products Used: | '00 specialized enduro expert, and demos on a kona stinky five and a '01 big hit | | Bike Setup: | stock so far, with the exception of an azonic love seat for jumping. broke the rails on the stock saddle. my cross country saddle is a spec. body geometry comfort saddle. i'm looking to upgrade to a psylo race or a long travel single crown, hayes instead of shimanos, beefier wheels for playing around on, and a coil over rear shock | | Bottom Line: | this bike is not for stupid weight weenies. its 30 pounds of beef. it rides up hills. it makes you do stupid things going down a hill. it likes to go down hills. buy it if you want a bike that does everything, but expect to swap parts if you intend to race it.
i wanted a freeride bike. my upgrades are going to make it heavier, but make no mistakes. this is far from a downhill bike, and far from xc. you can do a little of both with it, but its main strengths are long rides with lots of downhill sections and few climbs. its ok in the technicals but the bars need to be chopped down a little. the vari-travel is a nice touch.
the bike deserves a five for its value (i got an employee purchase on it from my lbs) its overall rating desrves a 4, but i'll make it a 5 as a point to all the idiots out there who complain about a bike being too heavy or not spec'd just right. buy it if you like it. then shut up and enjoy it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from San Clemente
Date Reviewed: December 19, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Ortega | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | SuperGo | | Strengths: | Since I'm the weekend warrior type I wanted a bike that had several different personalities. This one does. | | Weaknesses: | Some of the entry level components will be replaced over time. | | Similar Products Used: | My last rig was a custom LiteSpeed. | | Bike Setup: | Stem was replaced with a Race Face with a higher rise and longer. Stock other then that. | | Bottom Line: | I'm 6'8" and they just don't make bikes in my size unless you want to go the custom route. I didn't want to spend $2200 (minimum) for a frame. I have looked at everything and this bike came the closest to fitting my size and what kind of ride I wanted. I will be interested to see how the bike stands up to my weight. (240 pds. w/ my winter coat)
This is my first full suspension bike. So I really don't have anything to compare it too. I can say this, the bike is a lot of fun. Some people might complain about the weight but you won't hear that from me. You won't see me on the podium for winning an up-hill race any way. 25 pounds, 30 pounds, 40 pounds who cares how much the bike weighs when your 240. This was my list of "wants" when I was looking for a bike: 1. Something that fits 2. Above average travel front/back 3. Sturdy 4. Under $1600.00
This bike met that criteria and surpassed it in some areas. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a
from Pismo Beach, Ca. U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: December 7, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | Art's Cyclery - S.L.O. | | Strengths: | Sealed bearing pivots, frame!!!, weight, disk brakes, wheels, tires, shocks... | | Weaknesses: | I think the deore front derailer is ghetto. They should have upgraded it to at least and LX. | | Bottom Line: | Great bike for the money. All the components are what I want in a beginning downhill mountain bike. The bike also looks freaking kick-ass in the candy blue color. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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