Submitted by
JAMES MICHAELS
a Cross Country Rider
from STEVENAGE Date Reviewed: October 18, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1800.00
Purchased At:
evans
Strengths:
STUMPJUMPER 05[BLACK]light / looks like its built for the job.
Weaknesses:
front wheel creaks when i lean over frame / may be because of the stout hub has bigger flange on 1 side hence the spokes are at different lengths??at easton web they recommend you oil the nipples on the wheels at the rim and hub. also creaky crank, would like some feedback if you can help. there is a noticable lack of "trick products on this bike, which ok, its fun to upgrade, but after you have spent 1200 sterling , its somewhat in vain?
Similar Products Used:
Had a Kona Nunu a while back , hated it , and sold it within 3 months.
Bike Setup:
As stock / i have xlite stubby bar ends in red [ on black stumpjumper 05] and an x-lite angelo stem.
Bottom Line:
I dont say it often but i was pleased that 2 weeks after i purchased this bike i still love it, i am going to get the creakiness" out of the equation, basically i think the bike could do with 6 weeks break in " time before i get serious, although having these noises in a new bike is unsettling to say the least.it would be nice for all bikes to be tuned before sale, perhaps with a test pair of wheels, repaced with its new wheels at point of sale? the bike looks great,a real head-turner, its probably the closest ill get to driving a convertable 911, [ similar looks of envy but in bike form?]the only HT i can think of that looks cooler is from PACE but they are way out of my league. i almost brought a kona dawg and im so glad i never, having rode up hills a lot over the last 2 weeks , really a FS bike would have been surplus to requirements, i think many have to be careful with buying FS, there is not a lot of need for them if your a general XC rider.all in all a great bike that will be there for the long haul, albeit precariously during the short.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Traverse City, MI, USA Date Reviewed: September 13, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Vasa Singletrack
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At:
Crystal Adventure Sports
Strengths:
Super light bike, great frame, derailleurs, brakes, shifters, decent SID fork, very good production bike
Weaknesses:
Crap tires (obviously spec'd for weight), Crank flexes and creaks
Similar Products Used:
GT Avalanche, Schwinn Homegrown
Bike Setup:
changed tires to Specialized Roll X, carbon bar ends.
Bottom Line:
Without question one of the best hardtail bikes out of the box for most anyone. Everyone wants to yak about the specialized parts and that's ok, it's how you keep the price affordable (I bought mine at 40% off in the dead of winter in Northern Michigan). It can take alot of abuse and is a lightweight dream to ride. Gotta love climing those hills with only 23 lbs of bike under you! Upgrade what you don't like, remember that's why we break stuff in the first place.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Erik
a Cross Country Rider
from Chicago Date Reviewed: April 2, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Palos is most frequently ridden
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1100.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
You get a lot for the money. I have no complaints. Very light, fast, and more comfortable than I expected.
Weaknesses:
I'm eyeing the SID shock with suspicion - but no probs so far.
Buy this if you are going to be cross-country racing. Nimble handling keeps you in control. Accelerates quickly, and comfortable for an aluminum hardtail.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Larry
a Cross Country Rider
from Brownsburg, IN Date Reviewed: September 16, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Nebo, Winona Lake, Avon
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1200.00
Purchased At:
Matthews
Strengths:
Lightweight… good mix of components… climbs like no other bike I’ve ridden… rolls super fast on the flats… surprisingly comfortable for a hardtail… reputation of Specialized backing their products and did I mention this bike is light.
Weaknesses:
Handling is a slight bit twitchy on tight trails… front end feels vague if SID is not precisely tuned in… lets you know you have no rear suspension on rooted or rocky downhills.
Similar Products Used:
Older GT hardtails, Bianchi Osprey
Bike Setup:
Stock so far.
Bottom Line:
Just purchased this leftover 2001 model in Aug. of 2002. Bought the bike for racing only, I’ll continue to ride my Diamondback XTS-3 as an everyday rig. I had a little bit of trouble at first getting used to the hyper-quick handling of this bike and the really vague feeling from the front end. I’ve been told the SID fork is a bit flexy for my weight (230 lbs.) and that’s probably the reason I’ve not been real pleased with the feedback, or lack thereof, I’m getting at the handlebars. I raced a very hilly course (not my strong suit for sure) in the AMBC event in Nashville, IN and just missed the podium by one spot. The bike enabled me to become a much better climber. I felt pretty good at the end of the race despite 95-degree heat. I was a little concerned riding such a lightweight rig at my weight, but so far no problems. The wheelset seems to be solid. I’m still not sold on the bike’s handling – especially on technical downhill sections - but perhaps a more rigid front fork will help. And after all, this bike is made for climbing and speed, not downhilling. I’ll update if I change the fork.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Loren
a Weekend Warrior
from Cambridge, MS Date Reviewed: August 15, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1200.00
Purchased At:
Bike Shop
Strengths:
Great frame: this bike is so light that it is scary.
Weaknesses:
Headset, seatpost, rear tire,
Bike Setup:
Chris King headset, thompson elite seatpost, easton monkeylight bars, raceface crank
Bottom Line:
This bike is amazing. Aside from the creaking problems -- and I'm a rather heavy guy at 180 -- the bike is amazing. Climbing hills is no problem on this bike. Ride it for a week, then try your old bike -- you'll never go back. Buy this bike if you have the money to spend and you want a fast bike that you'll love for years
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mick
a Racer
from Sacto, CA Date Reviewed: June 27, 2002
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1200.00
Purchased At:
American River Cyclry
Strengths:
Stiff, light, beautiful workmanship. Everything that made me decide to buy another stumpjumper hartail and more!
Weaknesses:
Headset, seatpost, Rear tire. That's it.
Similar Products Used:
Zaskar, Sugar, NRS, FSR, Moab, etc.
Bike Setup:
Spec'd to the max: SID SL, RF Next LP ISIS cranks, RF Signature XC BB, Black spire 46-34-24 rings, FSA XC 200 stem, King headset, Hugi 240 hubs, thomson seatpost, Fire Pros, WTB Rocket Laser V saddle, Onza bar ends. 23 lbs
Bottom Line:
Got an awesome deal on this bike and left me plenty of money to play with. Upgrades kept the weight about the same but parts make this bike this bike insanely fast and extremely responsive.
Saddle and post were the first to go. Ritchey post is junk (I now use it to pound out headsets), rear tire is scary on anything but hardpack. The tires weren't spec'd for racing, they were spec'd to keep the published weight down.
This is a follow-up review. After 6 months of riding, my opinion of this bike is stronger than ever. I raced it all season long and wound up with a 3rd place finish (got 10th on my last bike). Trust me, it was the bike. It gave me the edge I needed to pass other racers with ease on the uphills and keep up with the full-suspension guys on the downhills. You really will never know how good this bike is until you ride single track. It feels like the bike knows what you are going to do before you do it!
BUY THIS BIKE! If you are fortunate enough to come across a '01, go for it over a '02. '01 is the last year that Specialized built these in the U.S. Stumpjumpers are now manufactured in Taiwan.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Floyd Taylor
a Cross Country Rider
from London Date Reviewed: June 14, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Box Hill
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1476.00
Purchased At:
second hand
Strengths:
Lightweight, rigidity, 2 bottle mounts, replaceable dropout, short rear-end, finish and welding.
Weaknesses:
Expensive - that's it!
Similar Products Used:
First hardtail
Bike Setup:
Marzocchi Z3.5, Shimano M575 Wheelset, XT groupset everything else standard
Bottom Line:
Ridiculously light (around 24 pounds with light component choices in 18" size). If you have 'migrated' from a full suspension bike, the light weight will impress you for a long while. Makes you a faster rider, particularly with light, stiff wheels. Easy to wheelie, bunnyhop, climb etc. even if you couldn't do these things before - you can now. Gets the nod from riders in the 'know' and there is little out there to compare it with.
With slicks - this is the perfect 'urban bike' at a price.
Off road you can climb, climb, climb with ease. 2002 model has Shimano Hydraulic discs but is pretty much the same. The price is the only real weakness especially when you spot the 'made in Taiwan' sticker on the frame (and the frame is what you are paying for as it's light). Not impressed with some of the cost cutting component choices which bumps up the spend but these are easily changed. The inhouse components precludes full marks for value but this is an excellent rig to hang your fave parts on without it being overkill. I'd buy another over anything else.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Ma, USA Date Reviewed: May 4, 2002
Favorite Trail:
None
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1386.00
Purchased At:
Intl' Bic.
Strengths:
Frame... I love the frame. Light, stiff, and responsive! Took me a while to get use to how responsive. Slightest indication and the bike responces. Great climber. Derailers, brakes, rims.
Weaknesses:
seatpost, stem, rear hub (with x517, would have prefer'd better the deore), crank, tires.
Similar Products Used:
'96 stumpie, OLD rigid trek 8000, '99 Voodoo Hoodoo.
Bike Setup:
Stock (no money:( ) sept for rear tire. Python Airlight back there now.
Bottom Line:
Some sub-standerd components, but the frame is really what makes this bike. Light, stiff, responsive, responsive, and did I mention responsive. Takes a bit of getting use to, but when u do... the snappy feel is amazing. U almost feel like you can will the bike to turn. RS sid xc is ok. Haven't had any problems, and takes the edge of as it should. Still will replace when I can. To flexy. Tires will be shreds in short order, and don't grip all that well when new. I'm not sure of the saddle yet. It use to pain me to no ends but believe it might be braking in, and myself to it as well;). I think I'm gonna give it longer before making a call on that one. Avids are nice. Derailers are top notch (xtr/xt). Very nice bike, just some parts to ditch as either u have some cash to throw away, or they break.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim S
a Cross Country Rider
from Louisville, KY Date Reviewed: March 31, 2002
Favorite Trail:
all of 'em
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
light, great design, responsive, gorgeous
Weaknesses:
seatpost, tires
Similar Products Used:
Cannondale M800, GT Zaskar...
Bike Setup:
all stock items except tires
Bottom Line:
This is a race bike so the tires it came with had almost no tread/knobs (faster in dry condition). The stock tires are fairly expensive though so I sold them immediately and replaced them with a set that had very aggressive knobs. The only other componenet I dislike is the seatpost. The Ritchey singlebolt design should've died a long time ago. The seat ends up tilted up by the end of the ride. I can make it work but torquing down the bolt extra hard but in the near future I'd like to replace it with a Race Face XY. All this said, this is an outstanding hardtail. The M4 frame and components are super light (19" = 23.25 lbs out of the box)and the bike is unbelievably responsive. This is my first air fork and I really like it. The seat is decievingly comfortable and I really like the crankset (I weigh 185 lbs if that has any bearing). This bike climbs like a goat and and low top-tube/center-of-gravity make this bike so easy to ride. It just feels like I'm gliding over the trail. Listen, I can't say enought good things about this bike so I'll stop
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cody
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, TX, USA Date Reviewed: February 10, 2002
Favorite Trail:
muleshoe trail
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1700.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle Sport Shop
Strengths:
Very Light. Good Geometry for person my size...5'8". Fabulous drivetrain. Breaks are great. Good Uphill climber.
Weaknesses:
Seat blows...change immediately. Hard to adjust the rear derailer to stay in proper gear. SID XC's aren't all they're cracked up to be. Headset seems to be weak. Rear tier is useless!!
Similar Products Used:
Diamond Back Apex, Accent pro.
Bike Setup:
Stock except for the pedals, seat & rear tire.
Bottom Line:
Good all around bike for the money. Change the seat and the rear tire and you will enjoy this bike much more. Set the XC's pretty firm or you will destroy them or your headset real fast. Best value for a hardtail.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Adam
a Racer
from Sydney Date Reviewed: December 3, 2001
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
freedommachine cycles
Strengths:
Frameset is probably one of the best hardtails that ive ever ridden (and i've ridden and raced a few) super stiff rear end relatively light weight geometry is spot on for racing
Weaknesses:
Flexy cranks (specialized strongarm II) ritchey post headset hubs tyres SID XC (not really a weakness, but a dissapointment)
Similar Products Used:
Giant ATX LE, Santa Cruz chameleon, Avanti Competetor,plus a few cannondales - F1000sl and the 2001 F3000sl
Bike Setup:
ok, pro frame, 2002 Sid sl,XTR front,Rear deraileurs,Shifters,brake levers and calipers,Race Face Next crankset and Titanium Bottom Bracket, 2001 X- Max ust wheelset,Easton MG60 stem,CT2 handlebar, Titec carbon 100 barends, Time carbon/titanium pedals and a selle italia flight titanium gel saddle, and chris king headset
Bottom Line:
well i basically built up a s-works with out all the crappy specialized parts for a lot less !
ok basically this is the best hardtail i think that i have ever ridden, it's just so light,fast and nimble.
i use this bike purely for racing, and with great success.
i would reccomend this bike to anyone really, especcially racers.
anyway if you would like to see the bike in all it's glory email me and ill get you some pics.
happy trails,
Adam
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve Young
a Cross Country Rider
from Southeast England Date Reviewed: November 7, 2001
Favorite Trail:
It's a secret !
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1900.00
Purchased At:
Marshalls, WGC, Herts, UK
Strengths:
Frameset is the best I've ever ridden. SID XC's are a good choice and well suited to fast trail riding.
Light weight
Weaknesses:
Strongarm II crank: No creaking but it flexes quite badly under load and this is really starting to wind me up. Tange headset's a bit weak on a bike of this price. Ritchey seatpost is useless - keeps slipping and I'm a pretty gentle rider (no airtime). Seat didn't suit me but this might be down to my geometry rather than the seat itself. Tyres were sketchy even when new and after a couple of weeks wore down so much that I replaced them to stop myself from falling of all the time (at least that was the excuse) Looks like the guy who put the stickers on was p*ssed when he did it (that's the English sort of p*ssed i.e. drunk not p*ssed-off)
Bike Setup:
Stock except for: Wheelset: Mavic X317 disc rims Front and X517 ceramic (rear) both on hope hubs (rear ti). Velociraptors Selle Italia Flite Gel Ti saddle Hope mini front disc XTR rapid rise (fantastic bit of kit notwithstanding anti-XTR comments below)
Bottom Line:
This is the best bike I have ever owned and is fabulous for fast cross country riding which is what I like. The frame and forks set-up is exceptional (once you have dialed the forks in which is pretty straightforward). As noted by others, it is pretty difficult to beat uphill - I reckon it would make a good race machine and although I've not raced before I'm seriously tempted to try since buying the Stumpie. The bottom line has got to be buy one if you like a fast responsive ride - I spent months researching bikes and trying out a variety before selecting this one and I don't think that there is anything to compare with it for the price. Having said that I'm going to list the things I would have changed at point of sale if a) I could have afforded any more and b) I had realised the stock parts were sub-optimal.
I think that the frame (which is very stiff) is let down by the degree of flex from the Strongarm crankset. However, apart from a slight loosening of the cranks after the first few hours on the bike (easily tightened) I have not had any of the creaking problems that others complain about so I guess that it's an acceptable compromise for a bike built to a price point (I think I'm becoming a convert of the splined BB setup). Nonetheless I'm aiming to replace the strongarm with an XT crankset in due course and with hindsight should have got the bike shop to swap it out when I bought it.
I couldn't get on with the stock BG pro seat and replaced it after a few weeks with a Selle Italia Flite Gel Ti saddle. This isn't agreeing with me either so the next stop is going to be a WTB SST 2K when I can source one. Difficult to recommend or critize saddles as they are so personal but I wish that I had kept the ancient no-name seat which went when I sold my old bike. The ride on the bike is quite hard which is, I guess, a trade-off for the speed and responsiveness. The consequence is that it takes it's toll on your backside when you're in the saddle for anything much longer than a couple of hours. I think the right seatpost/saddle combination should sort this but I'm not there yet.
The seatpost keeps slipping and this is driving me spare - I've been looking around for replacements and was tempted by the Moots laidback Ti but so far deterred by the price and the fact that it would have to be shimmed - why Specialized opted for a 30.9 inside diameter for the seat is beyond me - it cuts out a lot of seatpost choice unless you are prepared to shim. Other possibilities are the Thompson elite and a new one Answer/manitou carbolite which was pointed out me me by Derek who sumbmitted a review below - that looks pretty good and comes in the right diameter but not apparently in the length >350mm that I was after.
As noted by othersthe headset and stem would also bear changing (I'm thinking Chris King and Thompson) but we'll see.
One word summary: AWESOME.
Overall, I think the bike is worthy of 5 flaming chilli's. I wondered about the value in view of the "cheap" components that I've complained about. However I considered an S-works and decided that the pro M4 frame was indistinguishable for my riding ability (I prefer the colour of the Pro but obviously that was not a factor). For the money I saved I could put all my ideal (that's XT/king/hope/Thompson etc - XTR is not good value for my money) components on it and still save on the S-works. That's a long winded way of saying that despite the wrench with the cash I think it's fair value.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mick
a Cross Country Rider
from Humboldt Date Reviewed: October 5, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1249.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Weight high end components where it counts looks fit The handling has to be ridden to believe! Very responsive
Weaknesses:
tires were gone in 60 seconds. Cool if you're a racer (very light) seat--can't imagine being a fit for anyone.
Similar Products Used:
Zaskar Sugar NRS-1
Bike Setup:
Stock except I noticed one thing... mine came with a SID SL and Avid Ti brakes. I though it was the F-up of the year until I saw the specs for the 2002 SJ Pro. So I guess this review is actually for a 2002 Stumpy.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that this bike makes a suck-ass rider like me ride like a pro. I get a kick out of passing guys in team jerseys up the hill when I'm wearing street clothes.
I like the fact that there are disc brake mount tabs because I will switch to Hayes once the rainy season starts (which in Humboldt is 9 months out of the year).
My last bike was a 95' Stumpy. Specialized has made leaps and bounds since that bike came out. M4 has the best feel out of anything I've ever ridden.
No creaks yet but I'm sure they'll come someday. Evey bike creaks at some point. My advise is to get over it. This is mountain biking, not fancy-boy road racing! If you can hear the creaks then your not riding fast enough or breathing hard enough!
5 flaminin' tirds for the best producting value on the market!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Daniel R
a Racer
from La Jolla Date Reviewed: September 25, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
UC Cyclery
Strengths:
Light, for out of the box. Not much you have to change on it.
Weaknesses:
The bike adds a pound after you put some tires that you can ride on for a while(I like the Survival Pros). Then you have to add oil to the fork so it will quit its squeaks(Rock Shox SIDs never come with enough oil, so you should get your local bike shop to add or change the oil before you ware out the seals and bushings). Thats about all I have to complain about.
Similar Products Used:
Enough to rave about. I like the Cannondails.
Bike Setup:
I put XTR but I left the crank and the wheels until I am stupid and spend money on Chris Kings/517s
Bottom Line:
I noticed that not to many people like the Strong Arm cranks that come on the bike(First I Know why many of the chain rings come lose on the cranks. Some of the aluminum bolts that are on the crank set are cracked from over tightening them. What Specialized did was put aluminum bolts on ther rings to make the cranks as lite as posible, I guess what they didnt think about was ther heavier riders. So what you have to do is go to your bike shop and get steel bolts for it.) I am also 160 pounds so the crank does good for me. This is a nice bike for everyone. This is a good bike for racing, or just riding on the trails; but sence it is such a light aluminum frame it is a harsh ride up and down the trails.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
F A
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego Date Reviewed: September 25, 2001
Favorite Trail:
too many
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1200.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
This bike is light and fast. It handles very well on the technical. Its great on climbs too.
Weaknesses:
The rear tire gets worn out quickly. The grips also slide off from the handle bars pretty easily. The cranks are starting to creak too.
Bike Setup:
Stock
Bottom Line:
This bike is a good bike in general interms of handling. The components could of been better. I would replace the crankset, tires and the grips.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
paul
a Cross Country Rider
from ft lauderdale florida usa Date Reviewed: September 4, 2001
Favorite Trail:
markham park
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1240.00
Strengths:
overall value, avid mag speed dial brakes, really light, fast
Weaknesses:
friggin crank had to be locktighted down -would come loose after a half hour of riding. seat post sucks -seat would move after big hits in the completely pulled back position. go with a two bolt design lick thompson or something. rear tire has little traction and that is almost worn off after a couple weeks of good riding. i'm sure those tires were produced and selected solely to aid in lowering the bike's published weight. stem and headset are the same as those found on the lower end bikes
Similar Products Used:
trek 8000 -if you're riding my bike, i WILL find you
Bike Setup:
stock for now. but a new seat post stem and uhm crossmax wheels would be nice.
Bottom Line:
depends on how much money you pay for it. not much to upgrade on it. you WILL have to buy a new rear tire. if you are thinking about buying this bike, make sure you check the crank bolts after every lap or so. supposedly they come loose after initial set up. could be bad if you don't catch it within the first hour or so.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Vacaville, CA Date Reviewed: September 3, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Rockville Park
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1399.00
Purchased At:
Ray's cycle
Strengths:
Light weight, components, and most of all price.
Weaknesses:
Seat, I changed it before I left the shop.
Similar Products Used:
1992 Specialized Stumpjumper FS.
Bike Setup:
I kept the fork at 80mm and flipped the stem upside down. Added coda bar-ends and a wireless computer.
Bottom Line:
I finally deceided to by a new bike and I'm glad I found this one. This bike is incredible. It is 5lbs. lighter than my last bike and what a difference that makes. When I picked it up I immeadiately put it on the bike shop scale...22 1/4 pounds!! On my first ride I passed a bunch of guys on those fancy multi-link full suspension bikes that weigh 26 to 30 pounds up hill. I've heard people say that full suspension bikes can be better for climbing, I think a light weight, stiff, high quality bike is better and that's what this bike is. At $1399 (end of model year clearance) I don't think you could find a better bike. It handles great on single track and the 80mm travel SID fork is very nice. The brakes work fantastic and are very easy to adjust.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Grand Junction Date Reviewed: August 28, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1700.00
Strengths:
Light, stiff frame. Climbs and descends very well.
Weaknesses:
Rear wheel had to be rebuilt with about 300 miles on it. Seat post creaks. Bottom bracket or crank creaks badly. Crank arms too flexible.
Similar Products Used:
Schwin Homegrown
Bike Setup:
stock
Bottom Line:
The review by Chet below is accurate. Lots of bad noises coming from the drive train and my rear wheel fell apart. The shop where I bought it is trying to get things fixed, but they are as frustrated as I am and have commented this has been a common occurrence lately with this bike. Based on my similar situation with Chet I am not looking forward to the future problems with this bike. My bike has only been worked on by professionals at my LBS so the review below doesn't mean much to me. Daniel from the post below: my shop also replaced the hub clutch (they said it has been a common problem).
I would like the bike a lot if the creaking would go away. It handles well, is quick and goes up and down hills great. I'll rate it in the middle just because of the problems I've had with it. If i were planning on buying one, I would replace the seat post immediately and have the rear wheel rebuilt before I took it from the shop.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Daniel
a Racer
from San Diego, CA Date Reviewed: August 23, 2001
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
This bike is lite, easy to ride in tec spots, and has one of the best build spec I have ever seen.
Weaknesses:
They stick you with there top line tubbed tires
Similar Products Used:
I work in a bike shop, I have riden a lot of bikes and this is the one I picked.
Bike Setup:
The bike is factory except the CrossMax wheel set I put on there because I keep getting pinch flats. Nothing aganst the 517 wheel set, I love 517's.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike for any one that wants an upgrade on there curent XC racer(s). Nice price and it comes out of the box almose race ready, just a few changes to the stem, tires and seatpost, then your ready to go. The guy that wrote the last report sounds like he came down with the case of I Worked On My Bike Myself (and I did not know what I'm doing). All the cracks and creaks he is hearing is from him taking parts off and not regreasing them before he puts them back on. The hub breaking does not sound right to me, an XT(510) is nice and strong. NO One should listen to him, he does not know how to take care of his bike. You have to love and take care of your bike, and then it will take care of you!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chet
a Cross Country Rider
from Littleton, CO Date Reviewed: August 20, 2001
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1800.00
Strengths:
None
Weaknesses:
Rear Wheel had to be rebuilt after about 100 EASY miles. Seat post replaced because it was creaking. Chain ring bolts break when loosening up to replace chain rings. Creaking from bottom bracket/crank area. this problem has not been fixed yet. Fork needed repair at about 500 miles. Cable stop broke off chain stay. Rear hub clutch replaced.
Bottom Line:
This bike is a pile of crap. Specialized should be ashamed selling this thing. Everytime I go out for a ride I wonder what is going to break next. Poor quality all the away around. Frame is still in one piece but expect it to go next. I wish I had never bought this bike. I've had more problems with this bike in the 6 months I've owned it than all of the other bikes I've had combined. Very disappointing product from a big name manufacturer. I'll never buy another Specialized product (let alone a bike or frame) again based on my experiences with this bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jim
a Racer
from Waterford, Ont, Canada Date Reviewed: August 8, 2001
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
light stiff fast excellent handling bike, very good parts selection for the money, the brakes which are hayes hydro (Canadian version is disc equipped, body geometry saddle
Weaknesses:
rear tire wore out fasts
Similar Products Used:
giant mcm, stumpjumper m2, norco, trek
Bike Setup:
a few changes, easton carbon bar, scot bar ends, white bros XC4 fork, FSA conix top cap, teflon coated cables, teammaster pro rear tire, ribcage bottle holders, lizard skin cahinstay protector, coming soon fsa headset, USE Ti post, sram chain
Bottom Line:
very light 24.3 pounds with disc brakes, the wheels are great mavic 317 on hugi designed spec. stout cartridge bearing hubs, super fast race bike, as for the guy saying the crank was bad, i would've thought a splined drive truvativ built crank was very nice and it is, chainrings shift great, the whole bike is flawless
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ryan Parfet
a Cross Country Rider
from Golden CO Date Reviewed: July 31, 2001
Favorite Trail:
ones withoout kids or horse crap
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1500.00
Purchased At:
Wheatridge cyclery
Strengths:
I don't know where to start. Frame, frame geometry, fork, shifters, brakes, crank(yes, the crank) TIRES, RIMS AND TUBES ARE SOOOO LIGHT.
Weaknesses:
Crank bolts needed re-greased and the XRT deraileur constantly comes out of adjustment. Stickers look like a teenager who didn't give a crap put em' on
Similar Products Used:
Moab 2, GT I-drive 2.0
Bike Setup:
Shimano 858 pedals, Easton bars.
Bottom Line:
Why there arn't more reviewes and buyers of this bike is beyond me. This bike is so fast and climbes so well I try not to smile when I pass other riders busting thier lungs trying to show me up. Pedaling that marvoulous frame uphill combined with that rediculously light wheel set is like cheating. The components don't bother me at all and I actually think that crank shiftes great. This bike does everything I want it to in all riding conditions. It stops on a dime, accelerates like it's on fire and is the most manuvuable bike I've ever ridden. I've been searching for a bike this good for a long time and it cost me a lot of money looking for it (this is my third bike this year alone). You simply can't beat Specialized resourses and competence to build great bikes. BUY ONE!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pete Hall
a Racer
from Caledonia, MI, USA Date Reviewed: July 30, 2001
Favorite Trail:
deep lake
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
through specialized
Strengths:
The frame is super stiff, light, and responsive. I love the geometry, its a quick handling bike that makes it great in single track. The brakes on this bike are the best i have ever used, i perfer them to shimano xtr, and they are godly light. Quality wheels, fork, and drive train(minus crank) round out this great bike. Oh yea, it looks fast.
Weaknesses:
The in-house stuff from specialized. But that is how the price is brought down. The crank is slightly heavy, as is the stem. The front skewer is really anoying. The stock specialized s-works team masters and controls dont hook up well in anything when pushed, they may be light(350 grams)but are to low of a profile to use in anything remtely lose, like sand, which is 80% of the time in western mi.
Similar Products Used:
98 steel Schwinn Moab 1, 99 Cannondale f3000
Bike Setup:
xtr crank, dura-ace b.b., tompson elite stem and seatpost,easton carbon flat bar, panaracer greenlight tubes, panaracer 1.8 fire xc pro tires, profile briefs bar-ends, king rasta headset, everything else stock.
Bottom Line:
A great bike for the money, period, the in-house stuff from specialized is how they get it down to this price point. so dont complain about those. just swap out the tires and seat if u dont like it, and u are pretty much good to go. a racers bike, and a good one too.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a Racer
from San Diego, CA Date Reviewed: June 30, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
From Specialized
Strengths:
This bike is nice! It is really light, stiff and is the great master of the "single tracks." I like this bike because there is not much you have to change on it.
Weaknesses:
What I changed! Seatpost to Carbon Easton. Stem to Magni Easton. Handlebars to Carbon Easton. The Cassette to XTR and the peadels to titan/carbon Time. I am thinking about going full XTR on this bike so I may change the Shifters and front deraillure, and mabey some Avid Ti break levers.
Similar Products Used:
I work in a bike shop
Bottom Line:
This is a strong XC racer for the price! I have the bike down to 21 pounds and 3oz. Oh, I see in the reviews that have been writen about this bike, and people have a problem with the crank, this strongarm II is a $250 crank and it is a little stronger than the XTR in some places.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Derek
a Cross Country Rider
from Edmonds, WA Date Reviewed: May 26, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Tiger Mountain
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Gregg's Aurora Cycle
Strengths:
Pretty much everything on this bike is, if not the very best, then darn close to the best. XT/XTR, superlight Avid Mag brakes (the newer 2001's come with Avid Ti's, pretty similar), light, plush, and stiff SID XC, very light and high-quality wheels....simply the best wheel/component/fork package for the money on a super-responsive, quick frame.
Weaknesses:
Some semi-cheesy parts that do the job but aren't great--Ritchey post (heavy), Tange headset (light but not very smooth/tight), Strongarm cranks (flexy, known to wear out), heavy-ish stem. The head tube and stem's top and bottom contact surfaces weren't that precise and had to be machined down a bit to be smooth
Similar Products Used:
Trek 7000, various bikes in same price range.
Bike Setup:
XT splined crankset, Panaracer Trailblaster tires, Selle Italia Flite Gel Ti saddle, Ritchey WCS Ti pedals (personal preference, the Times that come with the bike are great, too), Rox rim tape. Coming soon: King headset, Moots Laidback Ti seatpost, Ritchey WCS stem.
Bottom Line:
A killer deal!! 22.4 lbs out of the box (18"). A few parts to upgrade, but that's part of the fun. The important, major stuff, like the wheels, drivetrain, brakes, and frame, are top-notch. It's just the more minor parts that work decently but not great and are a bit heavy. An exceptional package that will make you faster. With the stiff frame, light wheels, and a stiffer XT splined crankset, it accelerates like nothing I've ever ridden before - almost like cheating. Very fast bike with solid parts.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nick
a Cross Country Rider
from Montreal, Canada Date Reviewed: May 23, 2001
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
ABC Cycle
Strengths:
The frame is light, stiff, responsive and has a great paint job. Great pedals(Time atac). The brakes(hayes hydro). XT/XTR. SID XC.
Weaknesses:
The Ritchey seatpost is weak. The Tange headset is cheap. The strongarmII crankset is questionable.
Similar Products Used:
Norco
Bike Setup:
Stock
Bottom Line:
First of all, the frame. I was surprised to see how stiff and responsive an alu. frame is compared to other materials. It also offers you great upgrading possibilities. On the trail, this thing climbs like a scared goat on steroids. This makes you realize the impact of a good frame geometry. With the hayes hydro and the XT/XTR der., your always rinding on the edge in any conditions. The time atac makes it really easy to "clip-in" in muddy trails. The SID XC gets the job done pretty well. On the darker side, some parts of this bike are cheap, like the seatpost, the headset and the crankset, but that's a way to get the price down. Those parts may hold on for a while, but your always waiting for the worst to come. From what i have heard, specialized did some modifications on their strongarmII, but the comments are still not that positive. You also get average parts like the rims, hubs, stem and handlebar wich can be replaced for lighter ones. Some others may criticize the 5 years guarantee... but even with a longer one, I think that most companies dont give a !!!! about it. Finally, this bike offers a lot for a fairly good price, and the modifications needed are minor compared to the benefits. I give it a 4 flamin'chilis for the value since you get some poor quality part and an overall rating of 5.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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