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Specialized
Hotrock A1 FS 26
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Submitted by
john
a Cross Country Rider
from st.catharines, ontario, canada
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | bike fit | | Strengths: | Frame | | Weaknesses: | Everthing else. | | Bike Setup: | the following were upgraded: fork, casette, new new bars, shifters, brake levers, brakes, tires, rims, seat, seat post, cranks, chain, pedals, headset, stem. | | Bottom Line: | The frame is good, everything else will do if you are a light cross country rider, or for gravel commute. If you are an agressive rider, alot of upgrades will be needed (not as many as me). I got a jekyll 800 (love it) so this bike became my beater and i ended up taking it off jumps and doing trials etc. I have basically destroyed it (including the frame , it creaks like crazy) but i still use it as a one speed for bombing around on. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe Mitchell
a Weekend Warrior
from Toms River, NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | Marty's Reliable Cycle | | Strengths: | Bombproof frame, Good default setup | | Weaknesses: | Suntour fork too squishy for big guys, but it can be tolerated if you're not into big drops. | | Similar Products Used: | long time ago BMX bike | | Bike Setup: | Stripped off gripshifters and replaced with Acera-X EZfire, replaced grips with Specialized BG comfort grips | | Bottom Line: | Starting mountain biking at 30 years old, weighing 380 pounds you could almost hear this bike beg for mercy on its virgin journey, 25 miles of towpath. Since then it has survived a crash with a car ($800 damage to the car), and my enormous self riding it 15 miles or so a week, mostly street with fun jump ups and down on 4" -6" curbs. Trust me if it was weak it would have been toast. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
hedgehog 37
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 17, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Magnolia Bike Route | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Gregg's Greenlake Cycles | | Strengths: | Frame, price, brand, components, cool paint job, versatility, saddle | | Weaknesses: | Fork, pedals, no bar ends, Grip Shifters, gets muddy very easily | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | hotrock, headlight, CicloMaster computer, TREK rack & 2 water bottle cages, Specialized mountain SPD shoes w/PD-M324 pedals, bar ends, KAVU stickers | | Bottom Line: | An excellent commuting and light off-road bike. I like the color scheme, the frame, the almost-flat handlebars, the Shimano components, the powerful rim brakes, and the speed its granny gear gives me on hills. What I dislike is the mud-slinging tires, lack of bar ends for climbing, small grips, fragile plastic pedals, and lack of a kickstand. All told, this bike is great for those who want a ride-to-work bike that's not afraid of a little dirt. A word of caution to potential buyers: Swap out the pedals as soon as possible, even if only for platform pedals. These will snap and fray easily, letting your foot slip off and throw you off balance. Also, the small grips may cause some shifting problems on hills, as the Grip Shifters are taking up a lot of your space. What I did was to move the brakes, shifters and grips inward, slicing off the outside of the grips, and put bar ends on the tips of the handlebars. This allows you to go up hills without shifting your chain off the sprockets and wrecking. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lance
a Weekend Warrior
from southern california
Date Reviewed: December 18, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | drops, and jumps | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | open air bikes | | Strengths: | good frame, components will withstand most xc rides | | Weaknesses: | fork fork fork!!! | | Bike Setup: | hot rock with Manitiou fork, race face cranks w/bashgaurd, race face bb, deore disk hubs with rhyno lites, deore lx rear der., magnieseum platforms, shimano rapifire shifters, new tires, dirt bike renthal handle bars with gt stem, | | Bottom Line: | this was a good beginner bike, I bought it and started riding and upgraded things as they broke,all that I have left stock is the frame, headset, brakes and seat.This frame has withstood me doing 4foot drops to flats and 14 foot doubles, and I'm 190 pounds! it was finnaly time to upgrade the frame and all of the stout hardtail frames were $300-$400 and disk brakes were going to be another $200 so for $550 I'm getting a 2003 specialized P.2 with should be here any day. this bike was a pretty good stepping stone. this was a follow-up to my preivious, review. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbia, SC, USA
Date Reviewed: November 24, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$275.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle Center | | Strengths: | Strong, lightweight aluminum frame. Good-looking paint job. Excellent stock tires. Shinamo components (NOT bottom-of-the-barrel stuff). Perfect entry-level bike. | | Weaknesses: | Saddle a potential source of pain for male riders. Components WILL require upgrades for hardcore off-roaders. | | Similar Products Used: | Raleigh M-20 & M-40, Specialized Hardrock, Trek 800, 820, 4100, 4300. | | Bike Setup: | Stock. | | Bottom Line: | Based on other reviews I'll keep an eye on the front shock bottomming out in warmer weather but have had no problems yet (and I'm 5'10 190 lbs).
If you're an experienced, hardcore downhiller look elsewhere.. but then why would you be looking at a $300 bike in the first place?
Overall, a top-notch starter bike for the price. If you're looking to break into the sport but don't want a Wal-Mart bike, get one of these - you won't find this quality at this price point. Very hard to beat this value.. if you can still find one. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Philippe Labelle
a Cross Country Rider
from Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Montreal Nord Bikes | | Strengths: | Overall good product. | | Weaknesses: | Derailleur and front suspension. | | Similar Products Used: | Rockhopper by Specialized. | | Bike Setup: | Custom | | Bottom Line: | Frame is good. Front suspension is not. Custom package is average but unless you ride hard, this bike should provide you with a good ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shawn
a Weekend Warrior
from Lynchburg, VA USA
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Any | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$250.00 | | Purchased At: | CMT Sporting Goods | | Strengths: | The frame. The bike is relatively light and very maneuverable yet strong. The frame has a lifetime warranty, not 5 years. Saddle is also very nice. Not too soft, not gonadally destructive. | | Weaknesses: | The front fork, low grade Shimano chainset, the front fork, the front fork, the front fork... | | Similar Products Used: | Mongoose Roc-a-dile?, Jazz steel tank. | | Bike Setup: | Duke fork (I hope) coming soon... Front disc brake setup shortly after. | | Bottom Line: | The bike is a very good beginner's bike and if you like riding hard tails, its highly upgradable. You could just put the extra $$ into buying a better bike from the start, but I did not have the cash, so I'm kinda making my own machine. I think this is better anyway. Its a keeper. I've seen much crappier bikes out there for more money without a name like Specialized on them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kris Bunch
a Cross Country Rider
from Tucson, AZ
Date Reviewed: August 15, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Fantasy Island, Desert Single Track | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$269.00 | | Purchased At: | Full Cycle | | Strengths: | Light Frame. Very responsive. Price, Good for someone who does not have a lot of cash up front | | Weaknesses: | Everything except the frame. But that is to be expected for less then 300$. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Rock Shock Duke XC Fork, Shamono Clipless pedels. Everything else is stock, but not for long. | | Bottom Line: | Yes the components on this bike are low grade, but it is a low end bike. If you have the big bucks to spend on a bike now then forget this bike, get a stompjumper m4. However, if you are like most people, who want to ride now and don't have their daddy buying their bike for them, then get a low end bike and upgrade as you go. I have beaten this bike up, and it has taken the pounding. Well except for the fork. That thing is crap, change that out as fast as possible.
My Final conclusion, this bike has been a good entrance into the sport of mountain biking. I don't mind falling hard, cause i know i am going to change out the components. It has allowed me to go out and ride, and have fun. So get a bike, bomb down some trails, and have fun. After all FUN is what it is all about; no matter what you are riding.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lance
a Weekend Warrior
from california
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | urban | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$310.00 | | Purchased At: | open air bikes | | Strengths: | nice paint sceme, I like the seat, rear derailure works nicer than I thought it would, brakes work well | | Weaknesses: | THE FORK!!! the fork is junk it bottoms over every thing (I'm 185 pounds). the rear shifter worked fine untill it broke out of know where.the tires where a little loud but are now quieter sence the tread has worn in. The crank started creeking and moaning after I put on a new fork and got more aggressive. | | Similar Products Used: | 2002 Gary Fisher marlin, 2000 specialized HardRock | | Bike Setup: | 2002 hot rock, cateye enduro 2 computer, Manitou six delux fork | | Bottom Line: | I like the bike, it's a good first mountain bike as long as you don't mind putting a new fork and crank on it(by the way the Manitou six delux is awsome). I will be updating the crank soon to probably a Shamano DeoreLX. I plan on eventualy replaceing alot of parts not be cuz the stock parts suck I just want better ones. this would be a great bike for a less agresive kid just not for any big guys(or gals). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joel
a Weekend Warrior
from Cordova,TN
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Herb Parsons Lake | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$330.00 | | Purchased At: | Peddler Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Good Entry-level bike. | | Weaknesses: | Components. Suntour SR shock will beat you to death. All other components tend to give out when ridden off road more than once a month. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Stock-Any money used for upgrades shold be invested in another bike. | | Bottom Line: | I was a first timer on MTBs. I went into the bike shop and told them I wanted a good entry-level bike and this is what I left with. To be fair to the bike shop, they are a very good shop and I will continue to use them. The sales person said 9 out of 10 will buy the bike and let it sit in the corner, so he will recommend the lower line bikes sometimes. I was one of the one bitten by the bug and now am saving up the money for a Stumpjumper M4.
Bottom line...if you want a bike to ride around the park on the hardball, maybe go off road to dodge a jogger, GREAT BIKE!
If you plan on doing any serious riding, invest the $300 in a higher end bike! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Travis
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything with dirt hills up or down | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Excellent bikes | | Strengths: | Frame,color scheme. | | Weaknesses: | cranks flex like a soggy noodle shifting under any kind of power is not possible Stupid handle shifter is always shifting when you are powering up a hill (i say shift i mean make the chain come off)the fork bottoms out over anything bigger than a popcorn seed. I was told this would be a good Newbie bike i told them i am a Motocrosser and they still said this bike would work now i am going to lose money on the trade in. Keep in Mind i am a BIG guy 5ft11 and 210 pounds if you are a small beginner rider just looking to ride country roads or putz around this bike is excellent my wife loves hers she thinks its the greatest thing since sliced bread. | | Similar Products Used: | None BMX bikes | | Bike Setup: | Stock not worth upgrading for me. | | Bottom Line: | If you are small timid dont like to go fast Buy it well known brand name. dont do any weird stuff Frame is 5 year warranty only. I hate to be this mean but i could have saved that 300 dollars and added it to the 1200 i have saved to go towards the specialized enduro or giant AC air dual suspension bikes. Its mostly my fault i should have been much more specific in what i wanted but i really had no idea. if bike is used how it is intended it would be an awesome bike for the money. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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