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Specialized
2000 Hardrock A1 Comp FS
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Submitted by
Rick Davies
a Weekend Warrior
from Mars
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | The one with the trees | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | cant remember | | Strengths: | cheap, great frame, decentish components for the money | | Weaknesses: | the fork is rubbish and weighs a ton but good for the money. better than a friggin suntour or an rst anyway | | Bottom Line: | Good bike for the money | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
matt bodman
a Downhiller
from lincoln, ma, usa
Date Reviewed: November 3, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | any rooftop over 20 feet high | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$399.00 | | Purchased At: | wheel works in belmont mass | | Strengths: | none, when i was demoing it, the frame broke in five places. | | Weaknesses: | if you jump off 100 foot rooftops this bike is good | | Similar Products Used: | garyfisher mudpuppy (kids bike) size three and 1 1/2 inches, and i jumped off a car, and it lasted longer then this bike. | | Bike Setup: | frame, wheels 9 and 3/4 gears, shiver dual crowns, and no brakes i just spill. | | Bottom Line: | this bike is good for jumping, but if you jump more then one foot the frame snaps.
(Just kidding, this bike is the best). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wayne Foster
a Weekend Warrior
from Burlington Ontario Canada
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Minising Algonquin Park | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | Squire Johns | | Strengths: | Tough light plush feeling frame. Light bike overall. All around good value for the buck. | | Weaknesses: | Chain slap. Bottom bracket cheap and lasted one year. Rims bend easily. No rebound adjustment on Jett
Seat hurts butt. | | Similar Products Used: | trek 6700 | | Bike Setup: | Trex seat, Shimano bottom bracket, Cool stop brake pads | | Bottom Line: | THE SLAPPER. I am 200 LBs and 6ft 1 and have hammered this bike a lot for the last year... This 21 inch bike is great value for the money and handles well. The Jett works well for slow to average speeds. I enjoy riding this bike even after just purchasing a new Trex 98 full suspension bike.
Plan to upgrade some of the parts as time goes on. Overall a great lighter bike for the money with a great frame. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dean
a Cross Country Rider
from Pembroke Pines, FL
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Markham Park | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | Easy Rider | | Strengths: | Solid frame with nice looking chrome and black finish.
Tires are fine for all-purpose riding. | | Weaknesses: | Wheels are OK for light trail riding but go out of true in the rough stuff.
Seatpost is not durable.
Cranks are tough, but too heavy.
Seat is ridiculous uncomfortable.
Chain slap makes a Lizard Skin or the like mandatory. | | Similar Products Used: | Schwinn Homegrown Factory | | Bike Setup: | XT tranny, Judy Race, Titec Hell-Bent riser, Mavic 517s, Titec Big Al stem, Selle Italia saddle, Avid Arch Rivals, Wellgo 813 clipless. | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike to learn on. It's just when your skills begin to improve and you move on to more demanding trails, you have to upgrade. When I changed out every single component, this sled was a lot of fun on the trails. Just completed my last upgrade: the Homey Factory. Climbing with the Hard Rock's geometry was difficult, but I'll always remember that this was the bike that got me into the sport. Now it will be retired into a single-speed play bike.
Bottom line: If you're going to use this as a mode of transportation and some light fire-road trail riding, it's perfect out of the box. If you want to thrash trails, plan on upgrading or shelling out a lot more for a higher-end sled. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a Racer
from Colorado Springs, CO
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Tempelton | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$450.00 | | Purchased At: | Criterium Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Looks sweet, descent components for the money. | | Weaknesses: | Chain slap, really heavy. | | Bike Setup: | Changed out the Rock Shox Jett's for Manitou SX and upgraded brakes. | | Bottom Line: | I loved that bike. It was the bike that got me started. I won my first race on that bike. It was easy to upgrade and the best starter Mtn. bike you could ask for. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mat
a Weekend Warrior
from Sacramento
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Cool Loop | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$440.00 | | Purchased At: | City Bicycle Works | | Strengths: | Strong frame and decent component set. | | Weaknesses: | Tires, Wheels (came out of true in first week), Front Derailleur | | Bike Setup: | Mavic CrossRides, Panaracer Smoke/Dart, Clipless pedals, riser bar | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike for the money, but if you plan on doing any serious trail riding your money would be better spent on something else. The one thing that really sucked about this bike was the rear wheel. It would go out of true after almost every ride. Otherwise, if all you need is cheap transportation then this would be a good choice. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from spokane
Date Reviewed: May 19, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | great frame, good looks, price | | Weaknesses: | Cheaper components | | Similar Products Used: | giant | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi z3, truvativ crank, BG saddle, kore bars and stem, XT brakes and derailers, mustang wheels w/xt hubs | | Bottom Line: | This was my first true mountain bike. I've had it for a year now and It has been great. I had the cheap kmc chain break on me about 2 mo ago but that is my only complaint. When I bought this bike I didn't want to spend alot and I liked that it had a good frame.When I was looking at bikes this was the best bang for the buck, other bikes with similar setups ran anywhere fro $700-$900. This spring I've upgraded just about everything except for the grips. You can always find great deals on components. I would recommend to anyone who wants a great bike at a great price | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bobby Bryden
a
from calgary, canada
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Fish Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | Bowcycle | | Strengths: | Aluminum frame, sweet color(yellow) | | Weaknesses: | RS jett wore out fast, tires to skinny, chainslap, no name brakes, component could be better, rims dont stay true | | Similar Products Used: | Norco reactor. I hope i get my hands on a Schwinn Moab disc! | | Bike Setup: | stock except:RS judy xc, riser bars, maxxis tires,longer stem | | Bottom Line: | The bike is not to good, but was a great bike for me to learn on, and you need to start some where. It wasnt so bad i didnt improve. I should have bought a better bike instead of all the upgrades. well it gets the job done. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave McNasty
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond VA
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Poco | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Agees | | Strengths: | Strong Frame, ummmm durability, good bike to see if you like mtb, doesnt cost a whole lot, if one gets serious, one needs to get a better bike though, good climber | | Weaknesses: | weight of jett on front makes the descents a little scary, deore rear, crap every where else (acera) brakes wear quickly, handles like a school bus on slow tech stuff | | Similar Products Used: | none, getting a moab 2 soon | | Bike Setup: | deore rear, nameless rims, specialized comp tires, specialized seat, stem , seat post, brakes no name (i'm a cheapskate), acera front, acera cranks | | Bottom Line: | Good bike to start on, i started on it. I ride 4-6 times a week from 12 to 16 miles a ride, and the roc kept through it all. Very good durability, fine point of bad components is that they may be heavy, but can do the job. As i said, good beginner, but if rider seeks harder trails, more xc, then a better bike is needed, period. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bogdan
a Weekend Warrior
from Hamilton, Ontario
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Frame: strong and sweet looking (ball-burnished Aluminum)
Rims: Weinmann 519 held out well despite what I've heard
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore | | Weaknesses: | Seat: good if you like a numb ass
Crank Set: soft chainwheels shark-finned & caused chain suck | | Bottom Line: | As good a bike as you can get for the money, but if you really get into the sport you can count on wanting to upgrade. If I knew I would enjoy the sport so much I would have probably spent more money and get a bike with better components right off the bat. To be fair, I need to put my riding experience in perspective ... so here's my story: I have had this bike for 1 year now and feel that I've got my money's worth riding it. I started out as a novice, but improved on my skills fairly quickly and have been doing a lot of riding on both XC trail and city concrete. My particular fetishes now are fairly technical trail riding and jumping & thrashing about on stairs and concrete ramps in the city. The frame has taken a lot of abuse as I am 6'2", 185lb and was not afraid to experiment (read as "crash") at both high and low speeds many a time. Through all this the frame held out beautifully and the rims only needed some minor truing a couple of times (to be honest, I don't think other rims would have stayed completely true after what happened). The only major problem I had was with chain suck which was resolved by replacing the crank set with a Ritchey Logic (still under warranty, but I had to pay the difference of course). As I got more involved in the sport and my riding abilities got better, the stock parts begin looking and feeling more like crap. First things to go were the seat and crank set (see weaknesses). Then were the tires both front and back, the stem and handlebar, and then the brakes and leavers. The next upgrade will be the Rock Shox XC fork ... I will ride the life out of it and then change to Marzocchi.
My final verdict is that the bike is great for anyone starting out and if you get more into it, the frame is worthy enough of some decent upgrades.
OVERALL RATING: 4.5 but had to round up! ;-) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
nico wilson
a Weekend Warrior
from maui hawiia
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | mt halakula | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$444.00 | | Purchased At: | maui boards and bikes | | Strengths: | good entry to intermediate level bike, good pryce, luv the rapid fires! nice weight | | Weaknesses: | grips feel purty good but SLIP ALOT! seat sux along with the wheels the jett shox arent worth payin fer cuz ull probly wanna get a different shock that actually does sumpin within a week or two. | | Similar Products Used: | trek 820 sport (sigh) | | Bike Setup: | pretty much stock sep for seat and grips but a pair of wheels and marzocchi z3 on the way fer my burfday! | | Bottom Line: | good bike but count on upgrading
i give it 4 falmin poos | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
MiKoL
a Weekend Warrior
from Corvallis, OR
Date Reviewed: March 26, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | too many | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$450.00 | | Purchased At: | the bike peddler | | Strengths: | Great bike for all-around riding. | | Weaknesses: | Stock seat sucks ass. The back tire was uneven, making the ride a little bouncy. This bike is known as the "chain slapper!" | | Bike Setup: | Stock, with new tires, seat, and wheels. | | Bottom Line: | Great bike, but I had to replace the tires for some higher quality tires, like the Hutchenson Pythons. I also had to get a new seat, and a chain guard. The chain is just way to close to the frame! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill
a Cross Country Rider
from Jacksonville, FL
Date Reviewed: March 5, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Hanna Park - close to home | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$450.00 | | Purchased At: | Open Road Cycles | | Strengths: | Great hardtail frame. Rapid Fire shifters work nice. | | Weaknesses: | I busted my ass when I couldn't bail out of my clipless when the front deraileur jammed...and the shop had just tuned the bike. Dump the FD. | | Bike Setup: | Stock, added clipless. About to upgrade to SID XCs and definately a front XT or XTR. | | Bottom Line: | Like everyone else...great bike for the money. I was considering buying an FSR xc...but may wait and upgrade this nice hardtail frame. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon
a Weekend Warrior
from Buffalo, NY
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Milaca, MN | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$430.00 | | Purchased At: | Erik's bike shop | | Strengths: | Deore shifter works well. Frame is sturdy. | | Weaknesses: | Cheesy Specialized parts like brakes, stem. Jett is a terrible fork | | Bike Setup: | Judy SL fork, Mustang rims w/ XT hubs, Avid arch brakes & levers, Rock Shox seatpost, Time pedals, Panaracer tires, Trimatic saddle, Icon stem, Bontrager bar. | | Bottom Line: | It's a 15" , and I'm 5'6" at 170lbs. I have wrecked on this bike so hard, that I thought the frame must have been split in half. It just keeps on going. I have had no problems with the shifter pods, or derailleurs. A new fork is worth it, plus clipless pedals. I wrecked the rims 1 month after I bought this bike. In hindsight I should have bought a $1000 bike, but this one is perfect for a beginner. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Drewby
a Cross Country Rider
from Mooresville, nc
Date Reviewed: December 10, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Beech Springs | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$550.00 | | Purchased At: | the wheel | | Strengths: | Great Bike, Light Frame, Good brakes and shifters. | | Weaknesses: | Hard Seat, Dinky Tires, Squeeky shock | | Similar Products Used: | trek 8500 | | Bike Setup: | Serfas seat, bar ends, clips, soon to be clipless, geax tires | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike for your money. I'd invest in a Judy or a manitou shock if you're serious into the sport. A new seat is in order too. This bike is much better than a Specialized Rock hopper........This is definately the best hardtail Specialized makes! I give it 5 flaming piles of poo. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
T-dawg
a Cross Country Rider
from Md, USA
Date Reviewed: December 7, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$460.00 | | Strengths: | jett xc is pretty decent for the price, i like pretty much the whole bike. | | Weaknesses: | front derailleur | | Bike Setup: | stock bike except, i put some shimano 545 cliples pedals on. | | Bottom Line: | incredible bike for the money. Highly recommended for anyone just starting out. Everything works really well except for the front derailuer which doen't shift well for me... upgrade to XT to solve that problem. Everything else works incredibly well and i must say is a money bike... "bling bling" if you will.... 5 flaming chilis for this trick. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gregory Lau
a Weekend Warrior
from New York, NY
Date Reviewed: December 5, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Strengths: | Frame, Look, Stops on a dime, front shock, good price | | Weaknesses: | front derailleur, brakes squeak now | | Bike Setup: | stock except for a new seat that was stolen in good old nyc. so i got a specialized body geometry seat. | | Bottom Line: | the front derailleur sucks. you have to shift up and down and up sometimes to find the next gear. other than that, the bike is fine. just got back to riding a bike after years and i love riding this bike. the shocks definitely help riding in the pothole ridden city. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
thom
a Weekend Warrior
from Ft. Wayne IN
Date Reviewed: November 7, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Robinson park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$430.00 | | Purchased At: | Summit City Bikes | | Strengths: | rock shock jett xc, for my 170lb frame held up very well | | Weaknesses: | front derailer, rims are so/so; any rim will bend with the wrong move. Chain slaps alot. Get a lizard skin. | | Similar Products Used: | Went from a huffy iron man to this!! | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for seat change before 1st ride. I did read the reviews | | Bottom Line: | I love this bike, for my body weight and my level of riding I feel I scored big time. I have done some urban assult with this bike along with a lot of trail riding.I feel I beat the hell out of this bike with bunny hops, stairs, 5' drops, and a face plant. This bike is a a steel. Perect for the intermediate rider. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Ball
a Weekend Warrior
from McKinney, TX
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Erwin Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$419.00 | | Purchased At: | Plano Cycle | | Strengths: | A1 Frame, Deore rear deraileur, Rapidfire shifters and beautiful ball bernished finish. | | Weaknesses: | Front Deraileur | | Similar Products Used: | Giant Iguana SE
Trek | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | I'm 6'1", 180lbs and ride the neighborhood streets during the week and hit the trails hard on the weekends. Theres lot's of great mountain bike trails around D/FW.
This bike is nice and light with great handling characteristics. The tires hook up pretty well, though I might try a bit wide front when this one wears out.The rear deore works great with the rapidfire shifter for sharp precise shifts. The front Alivio works well for normal street riding but on trails when pushed often misshifts and the chain jumps around to get back on a sprocket. I plan on replacing the front unit with an Deore XT soon. The Jett XC works suprisingly well (this was the one component that when shopping had wished was a Judy) and I'd have to say that at this point have no intention of replacing.
Overall I'd highly recommend this bike to anyone shopping in this price range and even slightly higher. The only caveat "if you ride hard plan on swapping out the front deraileur." | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Spider
a Weekend Warrior
from Huntsville, AL
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Anyplace really, just ride! | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$430.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycles Etc. | | Strengths: | Outstanding overall value, handles great, super balance, very light for the size (21), good components for the money compared to other bikes in this class, nice solid and confident feeling on the road or off at any speed. The A1 frame will most likely last me a lifetime. Really awesome appearance. I like the polished aluminum finish trimmed in black and red. A real looker. Other brands seemed to cost more with equivalent or similar components. | | Weaknesses: | Hard saddle, I replaced it after one good ride. Tires could be a bit wider for better handling in loose dirt. Shifts smoothly most of the time but I have to make sure its locked in 3rd (high) before pumping hard. That could just be a minor adjustment though because the rear deore is smooth in every gear. I noticed the chain tends to slap over rough terrain so I added a lizard skin chainstay guard to protect the frame from dings. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 4500, Trek 6000, Giant Iguana, GT Timberline, KHS Crest. I knew the price range I wanted so I rode several bikes in similar price ranges. | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for the saddle which I replaced with a body geometry sport. Hey, when your butt gets to be 45 you'll be looking for something easier on the tailbone too. I can ride for hours with no pain at all. I stripped off all the reflectors because they tend to come off eventually anyway. Added a Cateye Tomo CC-ST200 computer ($17). I'd like to upgrade to LX front and rear next year and wider tires. | | Bottom Line: | I am 6'2", 200lbs, and a novice having not ridden a bike in 20 years or so. I shopped for a while, read a lot, and talked to several seasoned riders before finally selecting the Hardrock. For the money it just can't be beat. Other bikes either lacked the ride or the components I wanted for the money. I'm sure this bike can take more than I can dish out and it rides really super. Easy up hills and glides smoothly over just about anything I want to tackle. I train on the road during the week and ride trails on weekends and it does great on both. I must say I'm very pleased and hope to enjoy it for many years to come. If you're looking for good equipment at an affordable price this is definitely it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom S.
a Weekend Warrior
from Philadelphia, PA
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Where else? The Wissahickon. | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$409.00 | | Strengths: | A1 Frame, Jett XC are under-rated, mixed terrain tires | | Weaknesses: | rims and front deraileur (I know I spelled that wrong) | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 6000, Fisher Tassajara | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | It's early still in my assessment, but the hardrock A1 Comp is a very strong performer, on and off the trail. The frame is an awesome building block and the components are sufficient. My brother-in-law has a 5 yr. old Rockhopper FS and this compares favorably with it (the frame is probably nicer!)I give it five hot habaneros on value, and four on overall (afterall, it's no stumpjumper).
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan
a Weekend Warrior
from Camp Pendleton, California
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | right now... lake hodges....next week....daley ranch... | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$399.00 | | Purchased At: | supergo | | Strengths: | great value, strong frame, handles well.... | | Similar Products Used: | Giant 2000 Iguana SE, Univega Alpina 500 & 600 | | Bike Setup: | factory everything, rockshox jett XC and all..... | | Bottom Line: | To start with I am kind of large... feet 200 pounds, but I found this bike handles my weight very well. After shopping around I settled on this bike when supergo put it on sale for about 100 bucks off. I had fallen in love with the giant, but found this bike equal except for the shock ( the iguana comes with a Judy TT) same front and rear deraler.... etc... I was surprised at how well the jett xc held up under the use it was put to on the day I bought it ( 12 miles of singletrack/fire roads) With me just getting back into the sport I think this is a great deal...good entry level components, and a frame worthy of upgrades. I see a layback seat post, riser bars and a Judy in my future... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Toby
a Weekend Warrior
from Eastham, MA, USA
Date Reviewed: September 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Nickerson | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | Orleans Cycle | | Strengths: | Light frame, good handelbars, back derailer, treads, and a good bike for a beginner. | | Weaknesses: | Soft shocks and seat.
| | Similar Products Used: | Kona Lava Dome, Similar Specialized | | Bike Setup: | All stock except for front fender. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is a good bike for some one who does not love to race, but to just have a good time. Just be careful with the shocks. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
S
a
from WV
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | any | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$550.00 | | Purchased At: | Ridge Rider Bicycles | | Strengths: | Very good frame, a shifters, and crank set. had nice rear derailler. good shocks
broke old derailler and got an alivio now
have body geometry seat | | Weaknesses: | shocks are a little soft for more rigged trails, broke the rear derailler and needs better seat | | Similar Products Used: | trek | | Bottom Line: | a very good bike for the price other than the few flaws. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bazz
a Weekend Warrior
from Delft
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Good setup for it's price, light and stiff frame, polished frame looks cool!
Handling is very nice. | | Weaknesses: | RS Jett suspension, that's why I replaced it by a SID XC (makes the bike lighter also).
The ProMax V-brakes are not that good (especially in wet), but I'll upgrade to hydraulics anyhow sometime.
Tyres are narrow and less stable in loose terrain.
Saddle is soft and looks dumb. | | Similar Products Used: | '99 Hardrock A1 Comp FS | | Bike Setup: | Standard, apart for '99 RockShox SID XC and Specialized bar ends. | | Bottom Line: | Great bike, I ride it on tracks and in the city. The handling is very good. Still very stable when going down at 65km/h (hard track).
Some parts may not be the best, but I will upgrade them when I've got more money... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kelly longtine
a Cross Country Rider
from wausau, wi, usa
Date Reviewed: July 24, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Suntrac in da U.P. | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Decent componets compared to sim. bikes. Frame!!! Good, I Like. | | Weaknesses: | Shifting is a little sloppy, not too bad. Stock tires not for serious mud n slop. All bikes (I think) do it but, damn the chain really likes to slap the frame a lot. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized RockHopper, G2 Aggresive... | | Bike Setup: | Stock... | | Bottom Line: | It's a specialized and I have ridden a rockhopper for 6 years with no complaints. I would of liked to go to a new rockhopper but, hey. So, I got the next best thing. I am happy so far. It took me a while to get used to the narrower tires that come stock with the Hardrock. I like the glide and "feel". Balanced sweet for climbing. Components are good but, upgrades foreseen. If you're used to wider tires watch out for sand, I bit it bad my first day out. Luckily sand is soft. Good bike. Nothing more... nothing less... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
T
a Weekend Warrior
from maryland, USA
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | not bad shocks. Good ride with nice handling | | Weaknesses: | components are kinda weak, deore in the back though. | | Bike Setup: | all standard, would like to upgrade to lx eventually | | Bottom Line: | nice bike rides well, It's deinately a great starter bike for the money. i gotta good deal, only $430. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil Bennett
a Cross Country Rider
from Felling, Gateshead,England
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Coast to Coast (England) | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Weight, Handles well, Goes up hills well | | Weaknesses: | Brakes | | Similar Products Used: | Raleigh max lite, GT timberline | | Bike Setup: | Standard apart for Shimano clipless pedals and Panracer semi slicks | | Bottom Line: | Superb handleing, light, goes like a rocket ( mates cannot keep up ). A dream changeover from the Raleigh. A comfortable ride, easily the best in the price range. A must test bike for anyone in the £350 - £500 price bracket If you are a 30 - 40 year rider with dodgey knees and back, you can't go wrong with this product. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jody Baze
a Weekend Warrior
from Albuquerque, NM
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Any hardpack | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Great price. Strong, decently stiff frame that's pretty light. Fun ride! | | Weaknesses: | Questionable tires and minor rattles. | | Similar Products Used: | 1988 Rockhopper Comp, Trek 4500, Trek 6000, Cannondale 400. | | Bike Setup: | Avocet seat (for now), Shimano clipless pedals, Onza bar ends, Cateye Enduro 2, but mostly stock. | | Bottom Line: | I bought this to replace a 1988 vintage Rockhopper Comp that I *loved* but was starting to deteriorate. This bike is better in every way! It's lighter, handles better, is slightly stiffer but still is not harsh. The brakes are good and the shifters work well. The Rock Shox XC is certainly not a top-of-the-line fork but I think it works amazing well at this price point. The top tube slopes down a little which gives me a little more standover room - something I certainly appreciate! I've only ridden this bike for 2 weeks so I obviously can't comment on how well it holds up under abuse, but my old Rockhopper was a warhorse. I have no reason to believe this will be any different. I'm an extremely happy camper! The price was also attractive - I paid $430 and anything cheaper seemed a lot worse, especially in the way of components, and anything much better was a lot more money. Good bike, good price! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Artnes Nustad
a Weekend Warrior
from La Verne, CA
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Inexpensive. Decent drivetrain (Alivio/Deore) for the money. Rapid-fire shifters. | | Weaknesses: | Generous use of in-house Specialized brand garbage: bars, stem, seatpost, cranks, grips, brakes, hubs. I really hate this about Specialized. They do this even to their high end models to a degree. All that in-house stuff looks like Wal-Mart/K-mart crap. At the very least dress up your in-house crap to look nice like Trek does (Icon). Jett XC fork seems kinda soft for big hits, but it's not that kind of bike. | | Bottom Line: | The idiots at Incycle did a crappy job setting up this bike. The brake levers were mounted too high too or low on each side. The bar sweep was up instead of straight back. Front derailleur wouldn't shift into the large chainring. And the brakes would bind on the rims. Knowing I was dealing with incompetent 15 year-old bike mechanics (shouldn't you guys be in school?), I decided to fix the problems myself.
After some wrenching around, the bike runs great. Nothing really special, but for a entry-level true mountain bike, it works.
I paid $419 but seen it as low as $349 (yes, A1 comp FS) at Pro-Bikes of Arcadia. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
T Dog
a Weekend Warrior
from El Sugundo, CA USA
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Santa Monica Mountains | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Strong, front shock very firm, Shifting is very smooht | | Weaknesses: | Seat is very, very uncomfartable | | Similar Products Used: | GT Outpost | | Bike Setup: | Standard | | Bottom Line: | Very good bike, Very secure for trail riding and jumping | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve Aitken
a Weekend Warrior
from Kelty, Fife, Scotland
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Blairadam Forest | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | In Scotland there is a massive premium charged on USA bikes; mines cost the equivalent of $680. However compared to Trek 4500 and British bikes the level of componentry and quality of frame is in my opinion the best on the market in the price range.
The rockshox are good for mild terrain whilst still allowing reasonable uphill acceleration on tarmac. The shifters are very good value and mine's are smooth as any I've tried on more expensive bikes. | | Weaknesses: | Saddle very uncomfortable. Should be either a low weight racing saddle or a gel comfort, not a poor trade-off between the two. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 4500, Giant ATX 830 and GT Timberline. | | Bike Setup: | Plain vanilla. | | Bottom Line: | I am a true weekend warrior and the Specialized is the perfect bike for me! I can't find any faults or upgrades (except for the saddle) for trail riding and have not had any problems with the rims at all and I've taken a few tumbles and log bashings. I think it's more appropriate to compare similar priced products which I've tried. All the following are the same price as the specialized in the UK except the Trek which is $200 more expensive:
Trek 4500 - It's almost identical! I wouldn't pay the extra for the same bike!
GT Timberline - heavier and derailleur hanger broke very easily
Giant ATx 830 - better rims, worse tyres and no replaceable hanger!!! If you break the 6061 aluminium hanger you need a new frame!!! $680 for a poorly designed frame.
The bike is in my opinion the best available in the UK for the money. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David L
a Weekend Warrior
from Voorhees, NJ
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Wissahickon | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Weight, handling, front shock, rear deraileur, shifters | | Weaknesses: | saddle | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 4500, Fisher Marlin | | Bike Setup: | standard | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike for the $$. The upgrades over the Trek 4500 and Fisher Marlin are well worth the additional cost. This is my first bike and I could not be happier. It should give me plenty of room to grow without killing me financially. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Wilson, NC, USA
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | faulkland trails | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | strong bike, lightweight, great front suspension, good handeling, the shifters are strong and reliable, this bike comes stock with a whole lot of goodies. If you are looking for a strong bike for a good price you need look no futher. This is it | | Weaknesses: | I have had a few problems with the rear derailoure. I am very rough on a bike and this seems to be the only weakness. It has a tendency to bend easily. That is the only weakness. | | Similar Products Used: | I owned a Diamondback Outlook, a Jamis Durango, and a Gaint Yukon. | | Bottom Line: | light weight, but very durable, very strong on climbs and in jumps, great in immediate cutbacks, the quickshifters and breaks are very impressive for the money spent. This bike can take a beating and still go. The front suspension Rock Shox XC was very impressive and makes a great ride for the rugged terrain. All in all i am very glad I got this bike, as a all out weekend warrior (actually ask my wife and she will tell you every day rider) the money you invest in this bike you will never loose. The bottom line, I researched every bike in every brand and this is no doubt the VERY BEST BIKE for the money. I suggest that you check in to it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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