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Specialized
Big Hit Expert
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Submitted by
hayden vanderwolff
a Downhiller
from south australia
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | eagle on the hill downhill | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | a guy selling it | | Strengths: | every thing, the brakes stop you dead, the front forks are so Confinable and they are big conpared to my old bike with 100mm | | Weaknesses: | havent found any yet, Perfect bike | | Similar Products Used: | kona stinky | | Bottom Line: | Perfect bike if you buy it you wont be Disappointed | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
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:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
G,A, TKACHUK
a Downhiller
from CANADA
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | the red | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | my shop | | Strengths: | bike looks rad, rides rad, period. the componenets are great for a mid priced bike, the 24" wheel is unreal, welds are beautiful, lots of travel, good wheels. you name it man! | | Weaknesses: | front brake is noisy, not much rom for a wider tire on front because of jr. t fork. drivetrain a little messed from rear wheel, otherwise this bike is rad as f**k | | Bike Setup: | still stock, soem race face parts comin in, black spire cranks, new tires, new springs in fork | | Bottom Line: | for the $$$ this bike is worth it, ive ridden some fast ass xc race bikes, and this bike is f-a-s-t. for havin 8 inches in the rear and very little bob, u can climb, and ride this thing for hours, great for urban rippin. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Oren
a Weekend Warrior
from Tel Aviv - Israel
Date Reviewed: April 28, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Ketalav | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2600.00 | | Purchased At: | Matzman | | Strengths: | Specs are great for the price you pay, Hayes , truvativ holzfeller , Jr T etc.
Very Plush, but still efficiant peddler.
Great clearance, exeleration and looks. | | Weaknesses: | Specialized tires are very bad for wet conditions, they're just OK on dry condition.
tire clearance at the front (JR T's fault), and the 8' rotor on front won't shut up. | | Similar Products Used: | giant AC-2, Ellsworth ID, Santa's bullit | | Bike Setup: | stock exept for Race face bash gurd | | Bottom Line: | I use this bike as my daily transportation, night urban assulter and a weekend downhill rig.
It does the job and more.
This is a fun bike and will take all the abuse I'll ever be able to put it through.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rupert Fowler
a
from Guildford, UK
Date Reviewed: April 28, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Pitch Hill, Blackdown, Chantry | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | Beyond Mountain Bikes | | Strengths: | Travel for the price, Adjustability, Strength, Looks | | Weaknesses: | Gearing messed up due to 24 inch rear wheel, good acceleration slow top speed
Still way heavier than an XC bike | | Similar Products Used: | Orange 222 | | Bike Setup: | Standard Expert eg. Junior t's, Vanilla RC XT R mech, Hayes Hydraulic. r shock set at A and the middle hole for progressiveness. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is the best for the price, the only similar bike is the kona stab/stinky dee lux but it lacks the bighits adjustability and looks, there is no real pedal bob and i have yet to bottom the rear out althought i have with the Jnr t's. If youve got £2000 ($3000) to spend on a DH/Freeride bike then you cannot go wrong with this. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brad
a Downhiller
from Toowoomba
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Fellcrag or Ipswich | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$4500.00 | | Purchased At: | Brian Page Cycles | | Strengths: | Very strong and well made frame. Specialized really do lead the way in the MTB world. 8" of travel and next to no bob! 24" wheel is awesome, great acceleration and climbing (This is my only bike so it goes on big 3 hour rides!). Handles great, eats big drops and rocks. Fork is nice and stiff. Wieght is really good, it's the lightest DH bike in the club. All the components are great. Awesome bike for the money, no other companies can match this bike for the price. | | Weaknesses: | Only real problems are the tire clearance in the forks. And finding 24" DH tubes and tires. Not many places stock them. | | Similar Products Used: | Similar to most 8" travel DH bikes. | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for custom built chain device. | | Bottom Line: | I recomend this bike to everyone. It handles great, accelerates very well. Lands big drops easily (Just look at Brett Tippie or Darren Barrecloth. If they can do that to the bike it's got to be tough!) Specialized have done a great job on this bike. For the money it cant be matched. If I could run a 2.8" tire in the front it would be better, but that is a problem with the fork not the bike. For the Downhiller or freerider, this is a great bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ty
a Downhiller
from Salt Lake, UT
Date Reviewed: April 8, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Urban | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | Canyon Bicycles | | Strengths: | very fun bike... | | Weaknesses: | Not much of an issue but I did notice that the rear brake not being an eight inch rotor did not have quit as much braking power as opposed to an 8" of course. | | Similar Products Used: | Bullits (3 of them), Super8, Balfa BB7... etc | | Bike Setup: | Stock for now except for a 03 Shiver on the front. | | Bottom Line: | Took her out for a little fun last night... I love her... she will definately not be a one-night-stand. I am 6' and 190lbs and ride urban pretty agressively. First thing I did was throw a Shiver I already had on the front and went for a ride. I got a Medium frame and it fits perfect. Put in the most progressive setting on the frame and the 6.8 travel setting on the link (14.3BB; 66.3HA; 6.8inches). I thought the spring on the medium would be really soft for my weight and ride style at 500lbs but in the most progressive settings it felt awesome... I might switch to a 550/600 after riding more but not as soon as I thought cause it felt great last night. I have ridden a lot of other DH bikes- Super8, 3 Bullits, (I still currently own one), Balfa BB7, and various others. I have to say that the BH has definately given me the best first impression out of any of them. I was kind of worried about the 24" rear wheel because I had tried both a 24" rear and 26" rear on my Super8 and found that the 24" inch wheel definetly did not roll as smooth on square edged hits like stair gaps. However, the BigHit feels awesome with the 24", rolling resistance seem almost non-existant... it handles stairs awesome. Front end is also super easy to pick up because of the 24 rear wheel. This bike pedals awesome... it feels like it pedals even better than my Balfa did- feels real quick and snappy (for lack of a better phrase). I was even bunny-hopping this bike by the end of the night. I think I might be selling my bullit soon. Felt very stable in the air, though, I have not really aired it out as much as I plan on. Anyways, I am just really excited about this bike because it felt so awesome... realy stiff too love the new rear link. Well thats about it I am going to head off for a ride tonight... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
josh
a Weekend Warrior
from davis
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | clementine | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Purchased At: | cambria bike (go there!) | | Strengths: | the measurements and angles are really great. The 24 inch rear wheel helps jump and manuever the bike. the bike runs reall smooth and comes with truvativ holzfeller, jrt pro, singletrack rims 2.5 tires .. great package. | | Weaknesses: | a chain guide option would be nice, the 24 inch rear wheel doesnt roll over bumps quite as easely but, this is canceled out cause Its great for freeriding | | Bottom Line: | If you freeride and downhill and you do 7ft+ drops, do it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chad
a Downhiller
from irvine
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | direct dial | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | super-go | | Strengths: | super stiff, 24 inch wheel industructable, Junior T, the parts spec is amazing for the price, the rear link is huge | | Weaknesses: | 6in rear brake(can't really feel the difference though) | | Similar Products Used: | first full on freeride rig | | Bike Setup: | stock except for irc kujo in the front | | Bottom Line: | the bike can climb just as good as my xc bike but not as fast. flys down any down hill you want to throw it down. i have jumped bmx jumps cleared rode gaps and this bike as come out of all of them with ease. my other bike i would have blown through a pair of rims with and forks in the 1 month that i have had it. get it it is a big confidence booster | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
alex hardmen
a Weekend Warrior
from calgary
Date Reviewed: March 12, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | dick sucking | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | bowcycle | | Strengths: | the bike looks strong so i guess its strong. I bought it because i think it looks cool. I have no other reasons | | Weaknesses: | Everything- it just looks cool-Right? | | Similar Products Used: | my bro d#ck | | Bike Setup: | I have sparkels that make it look eevn cooler. Should i paint it purple? | | Bottom Line: | i like to ride cool looking bikes. It doesnt matter how strong it is but all that matters is its looks? Bye now!
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a Weekend Warrior
from Provost, AB, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Mount 7 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Price Paid: |
$2700.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Junior T, Hayes 8", Fox Vanilla RC, parts spec, sweet polished look and frame design | | Weaknesses: | Alot of settings with the rear shock, so dialing this bike in may take a while. A little too pluch for my liking | | Similar Products Used: | Santa Cruz Bullit, Heckler, Kona Stinky/Stinky Dee-Lux, Trek Liquid 30, Devinci Magma, Norco Launch, Cannondale Gemini 2000, and Giant AC2 | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi Junior T, Sun single track rims, XT/LX drivetrain, Truvativ crank and bb, Hayes 8", Fox Vanilla RC | | Bottom Line: | At a glance this bike is sharp looking, the polished frame and geometry are amazing. Once you ride this puppy you wouldn't believe that it has an 8" rear travel capability. Pedalling this bike is a breeze, its smooth and plush. I do believe that you can take this bike DH or on an all day epic ride. I haven't really done much climbing on this bike but I am sure that it will ride up hill with ease. So when climbing, you won't be like a pregnant female dog on this one. With the 24" rear wheel the acceleration feels good, and can probably take bigger hits. The Junior T is plush and stiff enough for DH, and should prove worthy on those 10 foot drops.
This bike is great, probably one second best bike i've ridden next to the Cannondale Gemini. So if you're looking for assurance on this bike, here it is..BUY IT, YOU WON'T REGRET IT!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom Bunyan
a Downhiller
from Calgary, Ab, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Kicking Horse B.C. | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$3500.00 | | Strengths: | Good parts spec for the money eh, awesome frame design and color. Good acceleration with the 24" tire. Huge amount of rear wheel travel, Junior T is plush, and Fox Vanilla RC shock works great with the setup | | Weaknesses: | A little too plush for heavier (200+ lb) rider, but that can be fixed with doing the proper adjustments | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Gemini 2000, Santa Cruz Bullit, Heckler, and a ton others | | Bike Setup: | XT/LX drive train, Junior T, Fox Vanilla RC, Hayes 8" | | Bottom Line: | So I can't figure out why the Aussie would give this bike 3 out of 5 chilis eh! He says the bike is great eh, yet he can't give it a good rating??? c'mon eh? I ride out near the Canadian Rockies alot, and I am from a family of lumberjackers eh. I take this bike out every morning to work, and I stop off at the local Tim Horton's every morning where I get my coffee and dougnuts. Its a 4 mile ride up hill and i don't get any pedal bob, This bike is great, I'm gonna recommend it too all my cousins in the territories eh! Smooth ride, great value, and go anywhere confidence!
There's Noo Dooot aboot IT!!! this bike is amazing!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joel Riddell
a Weekend Warrior
from Burleigh Heads,QLD,Australia
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Nerang State Forest | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | Nerang Mountain Bike Centre | | Strengths: | frame, front and rear shocks, adjustability, quality finish, good components, tyres, brakes | | Weaknesses: | none really | | Similar Products Used: | khs fetish | | Bike Setup: | marzoochi jrt, fox rc rear shock, hayes hydraulic disk brakes, shimano LX | | Bottom Line: | This is a sick bike at a good price. I reccomend it to anybody. It's so smooth ! Handles drops and jumps extremely well. Good for any rider beginner or advanced. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Manish
a
from Melbourne, Australia
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Price Paid: |
$4499.00 | | Purchased At: | TOTAL RUSH | | Strengths: | 1. Hell of a lot stiffer Junior T with 7" of plush travel.
2. Nice looking monocoque frame with extra welds for greater strength.
3. 24" rear wheel. Even though your top speed is decreased a bit there are many advantages such as quicker acceleration, the 24" is perfect for technical downhills which is where downhill racing is being headed. The tracks are just going to get harder and more technical and you need a machine that will do the job well, and what better beast to do it than the Expert.
4. Very stiff, responsive and very adjustable rear end, bear in mind that this is the same frame that the Big Hit Pro and the Big Hit DH use. Option of a BB height of 14.3" or 15.2" with either 6.3" or 8.1" of travel. Even in the 8.1" travel setting, I felt no bob and it really felt like a hardtail on climbs (and I'm 88kilos!).
5. Overall this is a beast that SCREAMS for abuse and tells you to go faster and bigger, it may not be the ultimate freeride/DH beast but it sure comes close.
| | Weaknesses: | Not even a question dudes! | | Bottom Line: | Bottom line is that the technology put into this rig is amazing. Specialized have done a beaut job on their 2003 range. Remember this is the company that lends it technology to Norco, Giant and all the other big names but they don't give em the whole recipe...
This rig will give all the confidence you'll need to bust big moves, whether on the ground or in the air. I have already paid a deposit for one and I'm so looking forward to riding it...hard. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rob
a Downhiller
from vancouver bc
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | aweome engineering
adjustability
ride | | Weaknesses: | dont fully like the expert part spec
changed out some parts and now its all good | | Similar Products Used: | VPS shore/Drop/brodie devo-thumper/santacruz-bullet/rocky RM7/ norco a-line | | Bike Setup: | max travel, low BB
(monsterT/raceface NS DH cranks/envy chaingang/michelin,maxxis tires/funn bar-stem
| | Bottom Line: | this is an awesome bike. what james below is talking about i dont know? he doesnt sound very knowledgeable about freeride/dh bikes anyways. this bike is best at freeriding. its stable on skinnies, soaks up drops, and is comfortable at speed. the 24" wheel will slow you top speed alittle, but it is strong, accellerates quik, rails burms and is easy to pedalkick. the design of the frame impressed me. the Asymmetric rear triagle is good for improved chainline with guides that can mount direct to the iscg tabs. the adjustability of the rear shock it great. you can change BB hieght/head angle and travel to your liking aswell as the progressiveness of the shocks stroke. the standover clearance of the bike is ample for quik ejections and for dirt jumping and clearance. im 6'4" and ride a medium. its comfortable because the top tube is long. if your looking for the ultimate freeride bike, the big hit is one to consider... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dave g
a Downhiller
from UK
Date Reviewed: January 15, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | L.B.S | | Strengths: | it feels bomb proof, it rides like a dream and it just "WOW" | | Weaknesses: | it aint a weekness bit i didn't like the JR T forks so i put shivers on, the discs r curd, i got Hope M4 8" front & rear | | Similar Products Used: | karpiel armageddon, kona stab primo | | Bike Setup: | Shiver DC forks, Hope m4 8" rotar & 42tooth saturn with mr gizmo chain device rest as purchased and i have done BIG stuff on it and had no problems. | | Bottom Line: | If ur lookin 4 a bike u can use and not worrie about strength this is it, its CHEAP 4 wat u get, and its a good bike, The FSR system is pluch as hell and if very adjustable 4 personal preferance, 8.1" or 6.8 of rear travel with adjustable ride hight & head angle THE DOGS DANGLY BITS OF A BIKE!!!!! need i say more | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Russ
a Downhiller
from Sussex, UK
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2650.00 | | Purchased At: | www.freeborn.co.uk | | Strengths: | Stiff front end. Responsive rear. All round solid bike. Accelerates nicely on the flats. Jumps and drops well maintaining stability at speed. Looks sexy. Very configurable. | | Weaknesses: | alan bolts on the hayes levers are in imperial, so rounded them out using the closest size uk alan key! be careful and try both metric and imperial on everything for the best fit.
If fitting a higher rate spring, be careful and check for interference with the gas cartridge on the RC. Bushings on the RC need to be removed professionally to change the spring. | | Bike Setup: | stock. although considering swapping the hayes for my hope enduros. | | Bottom Line: | go and buy one. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dirty dave mcgillacuddy
a Downhiller
from jersey
Date Reviewed: December 20, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | ringwood | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | the shop i work at | | Strengths: | the frame-the welds are f**king beautiful man, burly tubing, the swingarm holds only a 24"-but that will put a stiffer wheel in your arsenal. the fork-marzocchi jr.T, with a slight modification of the drop outs, is a damn good fork for the money. good wheels-sun singletrack. decent components. Hayes hydrolic. | | Weaknesses: | rear hub-I'm getting a King ISO hub and rebuilding my rear wheel. it's a decent hub-the shiman 525-but it's gotta go. the pedals, SPECIALIZED Pedals suck. Switching to Brooklyn Shin Burgers.The fork-the fork is solid, but one of the quick releases stripped out.(the 2mm screw just isn't strong enough) So remove the screw and lever and drill out the top of the qr. Drop a 5mm hex bolt thru and into one of those cylinder nuts. Bam, quick release is even better than before. | | Bike Setup: | all stock | | Bottom Line: | save yourself 2,000. this bike retails for $2,700. The frame is EXACTLY the same frame you get with a bighit DH. It's awesome for freeride and downhill, pretty much right outta the box. If you've really got it bad for a downhill specifc rig, swap out the wheels, fork, and crank-you're golden. This bike is badass. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff Dein
a Downhiller
from Maconga
Date Reviewed: November 26, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Bike Tech/Macon, GA | | Strengths: | Stiffer laterally than last year's DH model...pedals better too. Totally adjustable set up, damn strong frame and very BMXish geometry. | | Weaknesses: | Rear link doesn't look like it will accomodate aftermarket shocks and you could nitpick some of the spec. | | Similar Products Used: | '02 Big Hit, lots o' other DH bikes | | Bike Setup: | Mostly stock w/'02 Monster, Azonic DWs, Atomic flats and Thomson shorty stem. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is everything last year's bike was with some key refinements. The new link stiffens the frame and something about the leverage is different - it definitely pedals better than last year's model. Btter colors, too.
Biggies don't get the credit they deserve and if you take a serious look at the bike IN PERSON, not just online or in ads, it's obvious that this is one hella strong frame. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James
a
from San Jose
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | Very cool frame, nice lookin' welds, great choice of fork. (Marzocchi Jr. T.
cool color
not too heavy | | Weaknesses: | Most inefficient suspension for a free-rider i've ever thrown a leg over.
Specialized always uses their crappy house brand stuff. Hardly any rise in handlebar.
No steerer tube left over in case you don't want to use the integrated Marzocchi stem.
24" rear wheel??
junk tires.
6" rear disc?
No bashguard, three rings.
Adjustable travel always fails. | | Similar Products Used: | Kona Stinky Dee-Lux, Stinky Primo, Stinky Nine, Stinky, Stab.
Santa Cruz Bullit.
Cannondale Gemini | | Bike Setup: | Totally stock | | Bottom Line: | What specialized was thinking we may never know. No full-length seat tube means weak in drops. You can't even come close to dropping the seatpost for drops for that matter, because the bottom of the seatpost will hit the rear shock. Dumb design. Blows through nearly all of the travel when you pedal. Weak, weak weak! More than a 4 foot drop and you're bottoming it out. Not to mention the silly 24" rear wheel.
The total lack of pedalling efficiency is the reason that this bike is a waste. Many other shortcomings (tires, grips, no bashguard) can be overcome. Dumb suspension designs cannot.
It's a shame from a company that makes the FSR -- a great design that is proven. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hadrian (freerider)
a
from CT
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | trumbull | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | -Strong frame, well built
-Very nice suspension, very plush
-Great fork and shock
-Geometry is perfect for downhill and great for freeride
-Fast on the DH
-Responsive rear
-Easy to do drops | | Weaknesses: | -Cheap Specialized components like the tires, saddle, and seat post
-Suspension is so plush, the bike feels like it'll bottom out easily on drops
-24 inch rear wheel is something to get used to
-Long cockpit, however this can be a stregnth too | | Bottom Line: | I took this bike out to demo and I had a blast on it. Let me say that Specialized improved this model by ten times compared to last year. BIG difference with awesome results. The FSR rear suspension is extremely active and responsive to small bumps and hits. The frame looked very strong. The head tube had extra supports at the down tube joint to increase stregnth. The frame honestly looked bomb proof. The rocker is a hundred times more beefier and efficient than last year's comp and DH models. There are four holes for clearance/travel and 3 holes for spring rate. It's very adjustable.
For some reason, pulling drops seemed easier when I was riding the Big Hit Expert. Whether it was the geometry or the 24 inch rear wheel, I don't know why but it felt real good on big drops. The only thing I worried about was the rear shcok bottoming out. I hit some 8 foot drops and didn't notice any bottoming, but my friends told me it came pretty close. The Big Hit took all the drops with ease and soaked up the downhill. I was very very impressed. The 24 inch rear wheel slipped into a couple small ledges and gaps, which allows the rear end to kind of drive itself. However, it wasn't that noticeable and wasn't a big deal at all. The bike felt great at high speed and did well at turning. The cockpit is fairly long which felt different when compared to my other bike. Like any new ride, it's all about getting used to the bike. Would I consider getting this ride? I definitely would. I've never felt so confident in my riding. I would recomend this bike for any downhiller whos in a tight budget, and also any freeriders who are into the big drops and fast technical riding. Superb job by Specialized. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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