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Specialized Big Hit Expert

MSRP $ 2710.00
# of Reviews 43
Average Rating 4.74/5
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    Submitted by Alex a Downhiller from Lions Bay, B.C., Canada
    Date Reviewed: May 21, 2007
    Favorite Trail:A-Line (all of it top to bottom)
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $2000.00
    Purchased At:buddy O'Mine
    Strengths:the thing's a beast, love the 8" rear suspension, soaks up everything and the frame is damn near bomb proof
    Weaknesses:little difficult to go uphill but hey the thing's meant to go DOWNHILL
    Similar Products Used:brodie 8-Ball
    Bike Setup:26" 321 24" mag 30, '04 super T pro, 8" hayes hydrolics, raceface prodigy cranks, E-13 chain guide.
    Bottom Line:4 words...."Love Of My Life"
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by bilbo walkings a Downhiller from kamloops
    Date Reviewed: November 16, 2005
    Favorite Trail:mount lowlow
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $1200.00
    Purchased At:vancouver wiggers
    Strengths:i love this bike its so sexy. love the 24 in the back sokes up everything.
    Weaknesses:bahhh, there is none this bike is cool.
    Similar Products Used:cherokee climber from zellers. supercycle from canadiantire
    Bike Setup:super t,easton bars, race face stem, hayes purple 8", double tracks.
    Bottom Line:its my first good bike its so sexy, im going to play with it ,tata
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Erwing Parra a Downhiller from Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia South America
    Date Reviewed: September 22, 2005
    Favorite Trail:Deer Valley Fire Swamp
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $24500.00
    Purchased At:Canyon Bicycles Draper Utah
    Strengths:The frame fits perfect. Awesome weldings. Nice Rear shock with a lot of set ups. Marzocchi Junior T, very responsive and plushy. I`ve upgraded the stock 7.5 wt oil to a 15 !!! It changed from hell to heaven.
    Weaknesses:Grips, stock pedals, hard to find 24 inches wheels. I hated the 2 small chain rings... The seat post keeps on loosing it. The frame has dents where the fork hits the frame, it should be more beefy there.
    Similar Products Used:Specialized Demo 9, Santacruz Super8, Azonic Eliminator, Specialized Old FSR, Trek y26, Giant DH one.
    Bike Setup:Almost stock. Crank bros mallet C and ruffian grips in the 1st day. I`ve changed the 2 small chain rings to a 1 big chainring with chain guide. Ready for downhill racing
    Bottom Line:This bike rocks for the price you`ve payed. If you want a pro downhill machine, you`ll need almost the double of the price of this bike.

    I`ll never change my bike for anything less than a demo 9.

    Simply rocks.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Daniel Leon a Downhiller from Tucson, Arizona, US
    Date Reviewed: August 20, 2005
    Favorite Trail:Soldier trail shuttle
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $2800.00
    Purchased At:Supergo
    Strengths:Super strong frame! Hucking 15 foot drops dosn't fase it! Rear shock super adjustable, good pedeling for 40 lb!
    Weaknesses:Urge to go bigger than your skill!
    Similar Products Used:Kona stinky, dosn't compare!
    Bike Setup:Stock
    Bottom Line:Exelent buy super huckable, fast in the shutes!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by cameron a Weekend Warrior from edmonton, alberta, canada
    Date Reviewed: August 10, 2005
    Favorite Trail:mill creek 15 foot drop
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $2400.00
    Purchased At:revolution cycle
    Strengths:so meny. the fork is great, eny were from as soft as you can sit and they will go half way down, too rock ass hard. i had it not evan half way did a 15 foot drop and used maby 2 1/2 inches of travle. the rear shock it good too a little hard to set just right but its all worth the time. i dont evan have it set it on its full 8.1 inchs of travle and it feels bottomless. evan the off set tires, i dont eavan realize it ( 26' in the front and a 24' in the rear )only when going up hill gets hard to pettle. shifters are good , brakes are great, stop you on a dime. every thing from ground up on this bike is just great! .
    Weaknesses:the smaller rear tire make it hard to go up hill
    Similar Products Used:RMX R1 , kona stinky D
    Bike Setup:what ever came with it. big hit expert frame, junior T fork
    Bottom Line:great bike for 3200 canada this bike was worth every pennie. i can do 20 foot drops ( with trany ) no problem , it dosnt evan bottom out. the forks are great kuzz they get stiffer as they get compresed so its hard to bottom them out too. so if your looking for a cheap but sweet beginers bike this is the one evan a better riders can buy this bike and find it to be better than more expensive bikes.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Ross Leach a Downhiller from Lydders
    Date Reviewed: September 24, 2004
    Favorite Trail:Ski run at Pedal a bike away centre in the Forest of dean, ENGLAND
    Duration Product Used:Tested or demo'ed only
    Strengths:Very stong and agile, like the angle that it takes when jumping makes the landing smooth and fast. Can do anything form big hucks to twisty donwhills. Thoroughly enjoyable ride all round
    Weaknesses:24" back wheel limits tire choice. Only two different travel setting for rear shock.
    Similar Products Used:Kona stab, Orange patriot and 223
    Bike Setup:Forks: Marzocchi Monster T, Rear shock: 5th element progressive shock, Brakes: Hope mono 6-Ti's, Chain device: MRP Bones,
    Bottom Line:Its a lovely bike to ride, it will get you through anything and can take you all the way to world cup races with the right set up. SPec out of the box is not brilliant as the junior T's have only 170mm of travel. Excellent value for money for the bike. If you are looking for a specific donwhill racer though other bikes may be better e.g the demo 8. But all in all a fantastic bike for the money paid.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Andrew Palmer a Downhiller from Halifax, UK
    Date Reviewed: May 3, 2004
    Favorite Trail:Owt
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $1200.00
    Purchased At:Ebay
    Strengths:This is impossible to break so far, this is the first full sus bike ive owned, ive been through frame after frame of hardtails but this is 1 hell of a step up.
    Weaknesses:I havent found any on my build. Weight is to be expected....
    Similar Products Used:Identiti Dr Jekyll. Orange 222, 223, Patriot 7+, Karpiel Disco Volante and a Santa Cruz VP Free (wouldn't reccomend, i shatted the bushes on the swingarm)
    Bike Setup:Stratos S8 with fork guards, 5th element titanium coil, Motocross Bar, Race Face diablos stem, Thompson seat post, Azonic hot seat, rear Sun Modo wheel with 24x3.0 intense tire and Hope Big 'Un hub, front Sun Double wide rim with marzzocchi 20mm hub and 26x3.0 gazzolodi tire, Hope Mono 6 Pots, Evil chainguide and FSA x-drive 3 piece cranks
    Bottom Line:This bike, for its price, is damn good. I was lucky and got it full spec'd for extreme huckability. I ride with monster 8" travel forks upfront aswell. No snapage yet but pleanty of time 2 go. So far it is trouble free riding. I recently, last week, travelled up to Fort William, Scotland and Les Gets, French Alps (just when i got it) and i done some massive drops on those DH courses. Yesterday i did a 12ft drop onto the flat of a stream, no problem it didn't even bottom out, but there again I am only 16 yrs old. You will all become Josh Bender's on this rig.........
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Ugorico a Racer from Spokane, WA
    Date Reviewed: April 28, 2004
    Favorite Trail:Beacon
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $2400.00
    Purchased At:Local Shop
    Strengths:Great pedaling bike...have taken on 20+ mile xc rides too, strong as nutz for the money, lightweight for a DH bike
    Weaknesses:Bike seems small and comes with some sub-standard parts. Get new tires, grips and pedals before you go big with it. After 5 months of x-ups, the frame has dents where the Jr. T. bump stops hit the frame...no cracks..just dents
    Similar Products Used:Big Hit '03, Bullit, V10, Specialized Hardrock
    Bike Setup:Nokian Gazzo Jr on rear, Maxxis Mobster on front, FSA pig headset, '03 Jr. T w/ stiff springs, MRP slalom, ODI lock-on intense grips, everything else is stock
    Bottom Line:After riding a basic '03 big hit (the black crapper) for a season, I found this to be one heck of an upgrade. Within two months after buying this bike, I found myself doing drops and jumping gaps that I had previously only dreamed of doing. It took awhile to dial in the suspension...the Jr.T took stiffer springs to get it right and the Vanilla RC took a 650lb spring to do the trick (I weigh 165lb). Also, swap out the stock pedals, tires, and grips and headset before you do your favorite drop. In the last 6 months I have raced this bike in several races and I freeride at least 4 days a week and can count the number of times I have crashed on this bike on one hand. I attribute this to an unbelievable product thats worth 5 flamin chilis!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by dev a Downhiller from Los Altos, CA
    Date Reviewed: December 3, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Braille
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $1500.00
    Purchased At:Ebay
    Strengths:Plush suspension front and rear, great geometry with the 24" in the rear, no bob in the rear suspension, great components for the most part, awesome drop bike, climbs surprisingly well for this type of bike.
    Weaknesses:Some people will complain by rote about the Specialized parts. The grips and stem are fine. Judgement is out on the seat still, great shape but a little hard. My only true complaint about this bike is the freakin' tires. The stock Highrollers suck in the wet, dry, loose, whatever. I've given them a chance but now they're gone.
    Similar Products Used:Kona Stinky-Deelux, Yeti DH 9, Yeti ASX, Bullit, plus various hard tails
    Bike Setup:Stock except tires. I replaced the tires with a Panaracer 2.4 FR on the front and a Kenda Nevegal 2.5/24" on the rear.
    Bottom Line:This is a great freeride bike. With a chain guide and maybe a different fork it would make a great downhill racer. Get this bike if you want a heavy duty downhiller with a front derailleur that allows you to climb (slowly) instead of pushing or shuttling. This bike is 45 pounds +/- but climbs well given that it has 8" of travel in the rear and doesn't bob. It is harder to climb up REALLY steep sections with this bike's geometry but the rear gives great traction over rocks and roots. Buy it, huck it, enjoy!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Mike a Downhiller from Michigan, USA
    Date Reviewed: November 22, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Bloomer!!!
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $2300.00
    Purchased At:Paint Creek Bikes
    Strengths:Front and rear shock. Incredible stopping power with the Hayes Hydraulic Disc Brakes. Super Strong.
    Weaknesses:Weight, Stock Seat.
    Bike Setup:Stock
    Bottom Line:I've had this bike for a week now and have been riding the hell out of it. The bottom line is this bikes rocks!!! I'm riding more aggresive lines then I ever expected to in my life. This bike really shines over drops, I mean I ran out a 10 footer about 20 feet and wasn't even phased the bike is a beast. The hayes disc brakes also provide precise braking that hasn't let me down. I love this bike.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by X-Vert a Downhiller from NorCal, USA
    Date Reviewed: November 10, 2003
    Favorite Trail:The one I'm on.
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $1800.00
    Purchased At:LBS
    Strengths:Proven FSR design, balanced overall handling, strong fade-free braking, excellent value, life-time frame warranty, drop dead good looks.
    Weaknesses:Stock Pedals, heavy (expected).
    Similar Products Used:None. Die-hard Specialized/FSR fan.
    Bike Setup:Completely stock (for now) with the exception of the mandatory FOX sticker ;o).
    Bottom Line:The BigHit was meant to supplement my 00' Enduro for more demanding trails and DH racing.

    My first ride included a demanding uphill to fully assess the FSR suspension on such a heavy/travel endowed bike. To my surprise, it pedaled almost as efficiently as my Enduro. As long as you stay seated and spin smoothly it goes just fine. Of course the overall weight, slacker head angles, and heavy wheels flat killed me on the long climb. But that has to do with my leg strength and fitness, not the bike's design.

    Downhill it just rocked!! I ride some pretty agressive lines on the Enduro but the BigHit as expected just ate it up. The handling was very similar to the Enduro's but with two bottles of Nitrious added! I just love the FSR design! The 24" wheel didn't bother me. Great for wheelies and manuals. Maybe took a tick off the net top speed but oh well. 3.0" tires next?

    Now with the downfalls. I was OK, with the seat, fork, grips, yada yada but the pedals were flat dangerous! Beyond the fact the pins were not replacable and the pedal body looked like it was carved by a high school shop class student, the pins were just too short had minimal grip. I slipped off once on steep descent and luckily kept my composure to avoid disaster. Those are going to be tossed soon. I'm adding a 3Heim Guide cuz I don't want to loose my triple. So far the Jr-T is OK but miss TPC. Wish I could get a 04' Slider or Dorado.

    Overall, I was not disappointed but solidly impressed. There's more verstile bikes (Bullits), faster DH (V-10) but you'd be hard pressed to find a better performing complete bike right out of the box. And that's the bottom line!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Seth a Racer from Lynden
    Date Reviewed: October 12, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Dirt Merchant. Whistler B.C
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $2600.00
    Purchased At:Fairhaiven Bike
    Strengths:Lots, the 24 inch rear wheel is god for fast starts, and the suspension is easy to adjust anywhere from 6-8 inches, it also is really easy to jump, and the jr t's are a big plus, they are good for any type of riding, except X.C
    Weaknesses:24 inch wheel makes climbs a pain
    Similar Products Used:Santa Cruz V10, Intense M1, RM7, Stinky Dee-Lux
    Bike Setup:Everything Stock
    Bottom Line:This bike is awsome it works good for me in stuff from street riding all the way up to doing 12 ft drops, this bike is a good deal for the price, the only thing you need is a chain guide and maybe a better set of pedals other than that this bike is the best
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Rob a Cross Country Rider from Westminster
    Date Reviewed: September 8, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Chutes/Waterfall
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $2500.00
    Purchased At:Supergo
    Strengths:Frame is very burly, plenty of travel, adjustable travel/spring rate, does more than just downhill. 24" wheel is great for downhill, but makes climbing a bit more of a chore.
    Weaknesses:Stock pedals, seat, seatpost, grips, and tires SUCK!! 6" rear rotor is too small in my opinion. QR bolts on fork are very fragile, I stripped one out and replaced them with stronger bolts.
    Bike Setup:XTR rear der, XT fr der, XT shifters, 8" rear rotor, 2.7 Mobster/Minion tires, Block 8 pedals, WTB Power V saddle, Race Face Diabolous seat post, Oury lock on grips.
    Bottom Line:When I first tried this bike at my local trail, I thought it may have been a mistake to buy this bike. It was a bear to climb with, bobbed a lot, and the seat couldn't adjust to be more level. After weeding out all of the stock components that were junk, and making adjustments to the fork and shock....I now LOVE this bike! I weigh 160#, and the stock springs in the Jr.T were too stiff for me. I was given the advice to take the left spring out and add a bit of air to compensate. This made the fork WAY more plush and I'm now getting full travel out of it. The 500# rear spring seems perfect for my weight, and after adjusting the rebound in quite a bit, I don't get launched off bumps and it doesn't bob nearly as bad now. The bikes weight took a few rides to get used to since my Foes FXR weighs roughly 15 pounds less. The bike actually climbs pretty well, it's a matter of your legs being able to push it up the hill. Since upgrading to the 8" rear rotor, I have zero complaints about the brakes. They don't fade or squeek hardly at all and have plenty of power and modulation. I don't do huge hucks or drops (although this bike will certainly handle them), I wanted a bike that I could pedal uphill to get to my favorite technical downhill trails and this bike delivers. Once you spend a little extra to get the few crappy stock components upgraded, this bike is ready for most anything you can throw at it.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Erin Reed a Weekend Warrior from Irvine, CA
    Date Reviewed: August 31, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Urban
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $2710.00
    Purchased At:JAX Bicycle Center
    Strengths:Accelerates very Fast, seems lighter than 45lbs, bob is almost non-existant, easy to bunny hop, great for stairs, suprised the way it handles jumps for the weight.
    Weaknesses:Rear shock just isnt strong enough (500lbs), popped it in a month. Getting a 700lb spring. Stock tires have cruddy grip; riding when its wet is a nightmare! Getting Maxxis hookworms.
    Similar Products Used:nothing at all like this, i completely demolished my old Trek 4500 trying to do drops on it
    Bike Setup:Stock, but its in the shop right now getting 700lb spring and Maxxis Hookworm tires.
    Bottom Line:As soon as I got this bike in the morning I rode it hard the entire day until I could barely walk. I was having so much fun! It was such an improvement from my trek 4500. I almost doubled the amount of stairs I could jump on the first day. Its a great DH bike as well it soaks up all the bumps and drops very nicely. Besides the tires, there arent any noticeable problems with this bike. But if ure into big drops with flat landings and other abusive stuff then you need to upgrade the spring on the rear shock. Highly reccomended for begginers and experts, its a great confidence booster.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Brian Buell a Downhiller from Ft. Worth, Tx.
    Date Reviewed: August 26, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Urban Assault
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Purchased At:Bicycles Inc.
    Strengths:Sweet look, even better if u take off the goofy black big hit sticker. solid feel, no noticable flex. comes with either bash guard or big ring, both come with bike. feels like it will take anything. Awesome suspension design
    Weaknesses:the spring on the rear shock...500 lbs?? thats no good for the hardcore riders out there. I blew out my shock within 3 weeks, so I sent it in and had it fixed and put a 650 lb spring on, no problems so far. Tires suck, but unfirtunatly with specialized, thats a given with tires. 24" rear wheel, but it's really not a bad thing, I've come to love it. grips are horrible.
    Similar Products Used:nothing this big, Specialized Enduro Pro, Fisher Sugar 1 and 3+ disc, Specialized P1
    Bike Setup:complete commuter/urban assaulter. 26 and 24" Maxxis 2.5" Hook Worm tires *best damn tires out there* switched the 22/32 rings for 28/38/bashguard. Lock Jaw Oury grips, Time Z pedals *can't beat 'em* otherwise stock
    Bottom Line:I don't know what some of you guys are saying about a bad suspension design. I commute on my Big Hit every day, and I never notice a problem with efficiency. Off road, this bike is a dream. 10 foot drops.. this bike eats them up, but the flat landings at the end are a little hairy. I blew out my rear shock within 3 weeks doing my normal 10 foot drop at the Water Gardens in Ft. Worth. I have the shock fixed, and this bike is even better. I'm also a mechanic for Bicycles Inc. and in the last 5 months this is my 3rd bike, I break a lot of stuff. so far this bike has passed the "Buell test". I thouroghly enjoy it. Within the right hands, with the right suspension know how this bike will ride like a dream for anyone, so those of you who hate the bobbing of this bike, take out the tampon, take it to your local shop who knows suspension setup, and have it set right. When the bike is dialed in, there is nothing better. Oh yeah, I may ride my bike mostly urban, I do take it off road, and downhill occasionally. My hook worm tires track better than those crappy tires that came on the big hit, even offroad. for those of you who want a tire for the road.. Hook worm all the way. they may be 6.5 lbs a pair. but you bought a 42 lb bike... whats another 3 pounds?
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Andrew Hasting a Downhiller from ... Living in Leysin Switzerland
    Date Reviewed: August 4, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Leysin Downhill World Cup Double Black Dimond
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $1500.00
    Purchased At:Bought from a Mechanic and Ex-Pro Specialized Downhiller
    Strengths:The options for the bike are limitless, it has enough travel to drop a canyon but the capability and versitility to harden way up for all of you "it bobb's" babies. I bought the bike used from a guy who had it just long enought to sift out all of the crappy componets, besides the stock forks cuz of the wheel size limitation, and then just when he got every thing all souped up the fu*ker broke his wrist, poor dude, non related to biking. So he just wanted to sell the bike and so he did for $1500 with all of the componets new as can be. Perty sweet stuff don't chya' think, I DO! This is a dream bike, definately something to behold, at least when I left the shop with it a fine lady said "wow," and then her boyfriend muttered "I want one," that perty much describes it...
    Weaknesses:On the other hand I am a noise finatic and so every time I hear an unfilmilar squeak or something to that extent I have to flip it over and check everything out, since its not completely new I still don't have total trust for it. The disc brakes front and back keep on squeaking and sh*t and I'v been going nuts trying to get them perfectly silent, no luck yet. My friends say it's not possible, but then again my friends say alot of things. I have a fetish for big wheels and this bike looked like it could handle 3.0 but I noticed that the stock tires barley fit and they are only 2.50 so mabey a new fork would be in order to fix that duzey. Other wise at the I cannot think of anything else thats bugging me about this bike, so there it is.
    Similar Products Used:Kona Stab Primo w/ shiver upgrade, Scott High Octane (Used too), and some really pimped out Marin bike but the name's isn't comming to me.
    Bike Setup:Too much to mention, but it's now set up for urban riding, but that could be adjusted in a matter of minuets, just depends on what's your poison.
    Bottom Line:For what I paid for the bike is worth the money. You will want to later look in to replacing a few of the stock items, specialized went a little cheep on some of the componets. The bike looks good but with a full facer(helmet), a few personalized decals, a name for the bike, and some TLC the bike will be your best looking friend for a long time.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Connor a Weekend Warrior from SLC, UT
    Date Reviewed: July 26, 2003
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $2700.00
    Purchased At:Canyon Bicycles in Draper, Utah
    Strengths:Very responsive, comfortable in the air. Feels alot lighter then it actually is. The 4 bar suspension is amazing and soaks up everything I have thrown at it. 24 inch rear wheel is very fast off the line and is easy to wheelie with. Great for urban hits or hauling on a downhill course. Beautiful welds, and over all a pretty solid ride. If you are looking for a great all around freeride bike this is a good buy.
    Weaknesses:One thing, Jr. T up front.
    Similar Products Used:Wade RM7, RM7 FR, Bullit, Gemini 1000, Stinky Delux
    Bike Setup:Stock, Shiver DC soon to come w/chris king headset, and 2.7 high rollers front and rear.
    Bottom Line:Best Bang for the Buck. I like it better then all of the more expensive bikes I rode.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Gman a Downhiller from ct
    Date Reviewed: July 17, 2003
    Duration Product Used:Tested or demo'ed only
    Strengths:jrt is nasty, so is the rear linkage. i only had it a day, but i wheelie dropped some loading docks at the local market and it ate it up. this bike will take anything you throw at it.
    Weaknesses:the rear travel (up to 8") is a little much for freeriding and urban. it's great for downhill but a little too cushy for when you need to ride to your freeride spot.
    Similar Products Used:cannondale gemini, older big hits, rm switch,
    Bike Setup:stock, jrt, hayes, etc. . .
    Bottom Line:great bike for downhilling and heavy freeriding. for lighter stuff and urban , go with the comp, the 8" rear supension is a little much for this. if you have the cash and want a bombproff freeride bike, invest in this bike.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Rocker Johnson a Weekend Warrior from Ellensburg
    Date Reviewed: June 27, 2003
    Favorite Trail:gooseberry
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $1400.00
    Purchased At:my shop
    Strengths:Pedals up hill super rad. Downhill is plush and fun and actually really quiet. Confidence inspiring and it manuals better than any MTB I've ever ridden. I love the forks, they feel soooo good.
    Weaknesses:The bob on the forks when you stand up and pedal, but you can't have everything with a fork that has such nice travel. the weight took a bit to get used to (2 rides), but now the bike rocks my face off.
    Similar Products Used:Giant AC 1, Kona Stinky
    Bike Setup:Stock sans stickers.
    Bottom Line:This bike is rad and it pedals up hill like a dream compared to other DH bikes w/ less travel. Once you get used to the weight, it's totally worth it. It manuals so stinkin good and it feels good in the air (drops or jumps). Buy one if you want to rock hard and have fun.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Tom Thumb a Weekend Warrior from Ca
    Date Reviewed: May 29, 2003
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Purchased At:2250
    Strengths:Big travel, adjustability, 24" rear wheel
    Weaknesses:Nada
    Similar Products Used:GT LTS, I-drive, Foes Weasel, Santa Cruz Heckler, Kona Stinky
    Bike Setup:Stock - 8.1/15.2/68.2
    Bottom Line:This bike is the shiznit!!! 24" wheel is bombproof and accelerates like a rocket. The bike is at home on full tilt boogie freerides or twisty singletrack (handles amazing in the tight stuff for a long wheelbase and slack head angle, rock solid on the downhills). Very little bob on steep granny climbs, this extreme bike can be ridden for hours. Fully active suspension (Horst Link) which you don't get with the Kona. You'd be hard pressed to find a better value. Highly recommended!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Dan Hovington a Downhiller from Baie-Comeau,qc
    Date Reviewed: May 28, 2003
    Favorite Trail:MSA Worl Cup
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Purchased At:Spin Sport (employe discount)
    Strengths:This bike rocks,the assymetrical rear linkage if awesome,pedals like a dream,suspension is so smooth,24 inch rear wheel,looks awesome,just THE BEST BIKE
    Weaknesses:If I had to say one weakeness about this bike it would be not enough tire clearance on the jr-t
    Similar Products Used:Balfa BB, Balfa beaubonhomme, Marin Team DH, Oryx DHO-One, Oryx Spitfire etc....
    Bike Setup:Changed to an 8 inch rear rotor,Mrp slalom chainguide with 40 tooth sprocket,Lock jaw grips,Marzocchi fender,
    Bottom Line:This bikes is the best thing you can get for the money ! Specialized did an amazing job with this frame. anybody who talks sh*t about this frame abviously just demo'd it and knows nothing about DH bikes ! I'm about 5'7 and ride the medium frame an it's just right for my size. It is really stable in the air and you can pedal it for hours and even do some small clims with it ! The only thing I'd change is the fork so I could run bigger tires.

    specialized rules man !
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by J a from mass
    Date Reviewed: May 24, 2003
    Favorite Trail:shanderham
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Purchased At:bicycles plus
    Strengths:sick bike it rides mad smooth with no pedal bob and will launch off anyhitng
    Weaknesses:nothin yet
    Similar Products Used:kona, rocky mountain rm's switchs, pipelines, santa cruz's
    Bike Setup:stock with mrp chainguide
    Bottom Line:the biek is sick and a wicked good deal for the mula. take it freerideing in the back yard or take it to the races.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Mike a Downhiller from Phoenix
    Date Reviewed: May 21, 2003
    Favorite Trail:National (so far)
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $2499.00
    Purchased At:SuperGo
    Strengths:Incredible bike for the $$$
    Weaknesses:Front brake does appear to be a bit noisy, but hey, it aint as loud as me screaming while blasting down the hill...
    Similar Products Used:Rock hopper - not really the same, but still made by Specialized
    Bike Setup:Stock as listed on the website...
    Bottom Line:This bike really does rock. My friend has a *oes tube and honestly, I'm glad I didn't pay the $$$ he did, cause' it aint twice as fast, but it costs twice as much...

    If your on a limited budget but want a good bike, by this rig, I would do it all over again if I had to.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Luca Ranieri a Downhiller from Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
    Date Reviewed: May 14, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Fox Creek
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $3660.00
    Purchased At:Trak Cycles
    Strengths:handles damn well, soaks in big drops, and is very light to pull through corners while pedalling...
    Weaknesses:none so far
    Bike Setup:killa
    Bottom Line:Very good bike for the price paid. good value and very strong
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by G,A, TKACHUK a Downhiller from CANADA
    Date Reviewed: May 10, 2003
    Favorite Trail:the red
    Duration Product Used: