Submitted by
dvng
a Downhiller
from Malaysia Date Reviewed: August 3, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Kiara
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1400.00
Purchased At:
Independent
Strengths:
Very stiff,
Very strong,
Fantastic suspension feel,
Comfortable and fast geometry,
Adjustable travel settings,
Climbs as well
The best build quality I have ever seen on a mountain bike,
Looks great!
Weaknesses:
None i can think off..except the shock eye to eye length is difficult to find aftermarket brands. The matching spring rates is so low up the scale of bike size.
An ideal bike for a freeride and downhill who wants to get results on tight, technical and pedally downhill courses.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Aric
a Downhiller
from Vancouver , WA, USA Date Reviewed: January 11, 2008
Favorite Trail:
brake check
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2200.00
Strengths:
nice geometry, light on jumps, pedals great, the brakes are the most kick ***!
Weaknesses:
Hmm???? let me see. In 3 months of weekend riding. the chainstay broke, The cranks have be replaced 3 times and the fox 36r dropouts cracked. I weight 190 and would say this bike cannot handle and big drops, jumps or maybe just a 190lbs dude.????? I will say specialized and other manufactures warrantied everything, but not very robust for aggressive riding. how the hell any professional rider only goes through one a year is news to me. my first specialized product and i am not impressed. I am very nervous when it is out of warranty
Similar Products Used:
I am embarrassed to say that my Ironhorse sgs pro that i bought for 800.00 is more durable.
Bike Setup:
stock, but upgraded springs for fork and dhx 5.0
Bottom Line:
Like big hits??? Like durable?? not for you.
If you like to look cool and have people want to steal your bike then this is the one for you.
I mean i like the bike, just not as much as everyone told me i would.
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Submitted by
Tom
a Weekend Warrior
from Yucaipa, CA Date Reviewed: May 1, 2007
Favorite Trail:
SART
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Don's Bikes of Rialto
Strengths:
Stiffness in the rear triangle, awesome feeling suspension. Also the cable routing is well thought out and full length housings to keep the crap out. Shock sits low in the frame for low center of gravity.
Fox Van 36RC2,Sun 8 track wheels, Minion DH tires, Deus crankset (3 rings), Thomson stem, Azonic double wall bars, X9 triggers/X9 derailleur, Juicy 7 203mm brakes, weight=36 lbs
Bottom Line:
My previous favorite bike was my Uzzi DH. Rode it for over 5 years. I sold it to one of my riding buddies and decided to explore the lighter weight bikes (reading WAY too much MBA)The 04 Enduro was OK, but the bottom braket height was too low, and I missed the lively feel of the coil spring and the awesome control that comes with that style of (heavy) bike. So I bought into the Enduro SL hype. This is a very good bike, but.......the rear suspension just felt dead. It was good on smooth trails with jumps and drops, but not good on fast, rock strewn trails. I had finally come to the realization that I needed the feel of all coil suspension. The SX Trail is the bike for me. I knew on the first outing that this was what I was looking for. The bike weighs in at 36 lbs, but it climbs very well. The control at speed is like that of a downhill bike. The other 2 bikes I mentioned earlier in this paragraph weighed in at 30 lbs, and climb better than the SX Trail, but don't even come close to handling the descent like the SX does. And for me, that is where all of the fun is! Going down!
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Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from SLC, UT Date Reviewed: March 22, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Agate Creek
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$3500.00
Strengths:
Everything!! This bike climbs better than most hardtails, while still being totally bomber on the downs! I ride this bike everywhere and kill all my friends going up, down, or during street jibbing! Also the Hope hubs are totally cool, bomber and have a REALLY loud freewheel to help scare people and animals off of trails in front of you(if you actually stop pedaling!)....
Weaknesses:
A bit on the heavy side, but what did I expect when I built it?!! (38.5lbs) Also there was a noise that sounded like a frame crack that developed in the headtube after my first DH style crash, but after pulling and resetting the headset she was good as new and have no problems since!
Similar Products Used:
05, 06 Kona Stinky, 05 Specialized XC pro, Gary Fisher Sugar 3+ from a few years back, Santa Cruz Bullit, and few of the bigger Rocky Mtns too.
Bike Setup:
I custom built this bike because they offered a size large built, but only the ex-large frame...06 Specialized SX trail II frame with the DHX 5.0, Marzocchi 66Light w/ eta, RaceFace Diabolus(everything) cranks, o.s. stem, handlebar, and headset, Hayes 8" El Caminos, Shamino XT derailers and shifters, XT 11-34 cassette, Hope pro 2 hubs, DT swiss spokes, Mavic EX 823 Discs wheels, Michelin tubeless tires, ODI lockjaw grips and plugs, and Time Z-control pedals
Bottom Line:
I am a large guy who had problems finding a bike that I really fit on. This is how I ended up building a custom bike, but now that I have it I think it was the right choice for me. This was especially true since I didn't like the whole package as it was sold from Specialized anyway, but really liked the way that it rode. I am really glad that I ended up with two chainrings up front instead of that single with chainguide that everyone hates. Also I know that the fork I choose was heavier than the Fox, but the ETA makes up for any of that weight while climbing. Great bike, best pedaling 7 & 7 bike I have ever seen or ridden!!!!!! For anyone that wants the do it all bike, this is it(at least as I built it!) Happy Trails, and good luck beating me to the top of anything...
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Submitted by
Andrew H
a Weekend Warrior
from Whidbey Island, WA Date Reviewed: December 12, 2006
Favorite Trail:
A-Line
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1800.00
Purchased At:
E-Bay
Strengths:
Well thought out geometry. Suspension - both the rear shock and fork feel amazing and are extremely adjustable. Avid Juicy's are the standard for brakes now.
Weaknesses:
Not so much a weakness but a personal preference... I would prefer to have two chainrings up front and lose the chain guide. Expensive if you don't get a good deal on it.
Similar Products Used:
Cannondale Prophet, Cannondale Gemini, Trek Liquid 65, Santa Cruz Bullet
Bike Setup:
Stock except the guy I bought it from put on a carbon fiber handlebar and hollow-link chain. Which I guess just makes it that much lighter.
Bottom Line:
The bike is honestly the best feeling bike I have ever ridden. I haven't had a chance to take it off anything burly yet so I can't speak to the strength but I think the most amazing thing about it is the adjustability. The fork, shock, and brakes can adjust on the fly and everything is incredibly smooth. As I said above I would prefer a double chainring up front, lose the chain guide but keep the chain tensioner. I mostly ride on Galbraith Mt. where I have to ride to the top before I can ride down. If you are using it as a park bike then keep the chainring setup as is. Bottom line: You definitely will not regret it. Specialized did the thinking for you so all you have to do is buy it and ride it.
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Submitted by
Gary paasch
a Downhiller
from hood river,or,us Date Reviewed: September 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
funchui
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$2400.00
Purchased At:
mt view cycles
Strengths:
fox 36, the dhx is great, the geometry it perfict for dh and fr it is the lightest and the best full suspention bike that jumps good
Weaknesses:
the wheals are prity week and i broak the stock hub but they gave me a new one
Similar Products Used:
demo 9, big hit, sx 1
Bike Setup:
all stock exept it is set up for bar spins
Bottom Line:
the bike is the best all around bike that is made in this day and it is worth every penny of it
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Submitted by
Will
a Weekend Warrior
from Britain Date Reviewed: June 14, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Brockley
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
Umm everything
Weaknesses:
Um........... pardon wot a weakness on this bike u must be joking
Bottom Line:
Absolutely awesome, best ever, buy it now, lush looking, great ride and it takes the lot!
$
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