Description:ATB - All Terrain Bike
The bike for whoever you are, the Hardrock delivers utility and durability without ever missing a beat. Whether rollling across campus to class, heading home from work or out for a night on the town, you gotta be you, right? To do that you need a bike that's tough enough to take what you're dishing out, but quick enough to keep up with your many moods. From the not-somean streets to the back alleys and the toughest trails in your 'hood, every Hardrock delivers utility and durability without ever missing a beat. It's the perfect bike for you...whoever you are.
Submitted by
e Haynes
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver, WA. Date Reviewed: November 6, 2008
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
used
Strengths:
Tough frame
Weaknesses:
Tires,Judy 100tt,
Bottom Line:
I love this thing. It is'nt the best bike for any one application...But it does do everything pretty damn well! I'm no pro but I am 6'1 and 210lbs. I like jumps and small drops. This thing does hold up. Well worth the 300 I spent!
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Submitted by
reconboy
a Weekend Warrior
from ottawa canada Date Reviewed: October 4, 2008
Favorite Trail:
beaver creek
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
T&L
Strengths:
great frame and brakes over all good bike
Weaknesses:
the shocks arn't amazing but they work good
Bike Setup:
stock except new rear disc
Bottom Line:
great overall bike and is perfect for 14 year olds looking to have some fun
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Submitted by
skotniczny
a Cross Country Rider
from Clarksville TN Date Reviewed: September 4, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Rotary park
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
bikes and more
Strengths:
tough, descent parts, good brakes, looks good, feels good.
Weaknesses:
The fork could be beater, a little heavy, other then that its great bike.
Bike Setup:
Stock other then a new deore rear derailleur, and soon to be new fork.
Bottom Line:
Great bike! this is an awesome entry level mountain bike.
it may be a little heavy to some people but i don't see that as a problem for the price. the bike handles well and changes gears smoothly making it a fun bike to ride. I have ridden this bike over some tough stuff and it has held up very well, the only thing was the fork, its not as smooth as it was in the beginning so ill be upgrading it to a tora. i even plan to start doing races on it.
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Submitted by
EZ
a Weekend Warrior
from Ballarat, Australia Date Reviewed: July 28, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Creswick State Forest
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$700.00
Strengths:
Nice strong bike. All of the components seem very sturdy. Great breaks.
Weaknesses:
None to speak of. While not the top of the line, the bike more than meets expectations.
Similar Products Used:
Similar bike: my old Specialize Hardrock from 1985!
Bike Setup:
Standard bike. Added pedals for clip on shoes.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for my kind of riding which is just enjoying being out in the bush. I ride around town sometimes, and also go get lost on long rides out in the middle of nowhere. Mostly old logging tracks or narrow animal trails. As I said above, we've had a 20 year old Specialized that I decided to replace. I don't do any special racing or anything, but just wanted a nice, good quality bike to enjoy riding. In some ways, I didn't ant anything too fancy so I wouldn't need to worry about it being stolen or breaking down. If this bike is as good as the last one, we'll be buying another Hardrock in another 25 years!
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Submitted by
boozegob
a Cross Country Rider
from Bloomington, IL, USA Date Reviewed: June 21, 2008
Gears could switch a little smoother, painted lettering is pretty cool but hard to read for those that want to flash that name brand around town, and it was made in Asia :(
Similar Products Used:
Gary Fisher Marlin Disc, Trek 4500, Specialized Comp Disc, and my old department store Mongoose full suspension.
Bike Setup:
2008 21" Silver/Charcoal Specialized Hardrock Pro Disc. Vetta 100 wireless computer, sweet front headlight, and an easily accessible can of pepper spray for those pesky mutts and old lady's (jk).
Bottom Line:
This was my first entry level hard tail purchase and boy was it an adventure, it's funny because I'm not sure if I spent this much time on buying my car or house. Anyway, the lockout front suspension was what sold me on the Hardrock Pro Disc. After test riding the bikes I've listed above, all of their front suspension was entirely too forgiving (even when locked out) for my 220lb body with the exception of the Hardrock Pro. I was leaning heavily towards hydraulic breaks as well (ie, the GF Piranah), however after some heavy duty test riding/breaking and determining I'd NEVER take this on extreme downhill mountain biking that would require hydraulics's, I decided to go with the mechanical disc instead. So far i had to do some minor tweaking on the front Hardrock Pro's brake(turned the knob one click out) b/c it was rubbing slightly from my 1st day abuse, however it has been fine since.
The 21" frame suits my 6'2.5" highly muscular frame perfectly ;) I tried the 19" frame and it seemed very agile, however it looked like I was riding a small bmx bike when I saw my reflection in the store front window. The Hardrock Pro frame's girth is also very solid and attractive. In my opinion there was really no comparison next to the Gary Fisher frame which looked kind of wimpy by the Hardrock. Ok, enough about the superficial stuff, the 21 inch took a lot of pressure off my wrists and the seat has been easy on my precious parts if you know what I mean.
The only real negative I have about the bike so far is that if you're pedaling at a high rate of speed on a straight away and change gears, there's enough jerk to cause your feet to slip on the pedals or even slip off the pedals. However, this is nothing that toe clips, a higher end drive train, or shoes with grips wont resolve.
So far I'm extremely happy with the Specialized Hardrock Pro Disc, and am really glad I was able to scoop up a 2008 model as it look like gas cost are driving bike sales which are expected to increase 2009 bikes by 20%... ouch. Or maybe that was a sales pitch I fell for :P Nevertheless, in retrospect I'd buy this bike again and that makes me happy.
Hope this is as helpful as all of the other reviews on this site were for my decision.
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Submitted by
Simon
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne Date Reviewed: May 20, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Woodend
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
Sealy's Cycles
Strengths:
tough nut!!! i've been riding this bike almost everyday since september last year. it's tough, durable and a hell of a lot of fun. needs to be upgraded to make it faster in the future, but you should have no problems with it! the fork is the best part about the bike. while only a relatively cheap fork, it works wonders and just keeps on working.
Weaknesses:
slightly on the heavier side for a proper race convertable bike
xt cassette, deore cranks, mavic wheels, specialized bodyfit seat, crank brothers pedals, rest is stock, still got the fork-working well after a year.
Bottom Line:
this bike is great for anyone who wants a great bike. it's especially good for kids who want to get into some racing or just want a bike to ride around on. the only downside is that the 2008 hardrock pro disc is no longer of the same standard.
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Submitted by
Brian Bowles
a Cross Country Rider
from Cordova, Tn. Date Reviewed: April 27, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Stanky Creek
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$750.00
Purchased At:
bIKE wORLD
Strengths:
This is an updated review, after five years of owning this bike, it has held up pretty god over all. Best thing as to be the frame super strong and fairly light. the disk brakes have been awsome.
Weaknesses:
the tires were enduro sports and thehad thin side walls, but they lasted four years. the components are marginal. especially th derailers, they always need to be adjusted. and the front fork adjuster knob broke off. And of course the seat really needs to be changed as soon as possible
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
stock other than tires, I am now using Specialized Roll-X tubless.
Bottom Line:
this is a five year old bike now, and the bottom braket needs to be changed partially due to the square tapper being worn out. the brake pads finally need changed. and the front fork is nothing to brag about.
over all this bike as done very well for the past 5 years wit minimal service.
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Submitted by
Landon Hoover
a Weekend Warrior
from Fishers, IN, USA Date Reviewed: January 30, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Town Run
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1200.00
Purchased At:
Motion
Strengths:
Great bike, Strong but light frame, easy turning abilities and great for single tracks. Wasn't sure whether i would like the avid brakes but it turned out excellent even when temps get below 20s...added chain guard and candy crank bro pedals two best investments
Weaknesses:
Horrible tires. first thing i would change other than that its solid
Similar Products Used:
Giant Boulder SE until got hit by a truck in a race
Bottom Line:
this bike will allow you to ride over anything excellent
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Submitted by
Jay Hieb
a Weekend Warrior
from Rapid City, SD 57703 Date Reviewed: January 3, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Storm Mountain
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At:
Two Wheeler Dealer
Strengths:
Great Shocks, Excellent wheels and tires. Disc brakes are a definite plus. Super tough frame.
Weaknesses:
Front derailleur has two gears, speed shifters have three positions. Hard as hell to tune up. Handlebars too low and no adjustment, which is fine for single track, but road biking makes rider put too much weight on their wrists. Plastic guide around front gears cannot be removed and cracks easily. $50.00 a whack to replace. Ouch!
Similar Products Used:
Rock Hopper
Bike Setup:
Easy to remove wheels and adjust seat.
Bottom Line:
This is one tough bike. I have put it through several months of single track hell and then took it on a 108 mile trail without any major mechanical issues. I particularly like to hill climb with this bike. When I first got it I would get frustrated because my back tire would always spin out on a steep climb, but I put less knobby tires on and by doing so increased the tire surface area which turned it into a mountain goat.
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Submitted by
Hamish Wilkinson
a Weekend Warrior
from L'ton, TAS, AUS Date Reviewed: November 8, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Brisbane St
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
Avanti Plus Launceston
Strengths:
Solid frame Awesome shocks, with Lockout for cruising the streets Chunky tires which are super sticky and hold any tight corner Light frame (not sure on the exact weight)
Weaknesses:
The be honest, I snapped the seat clap on my first ride....it was a manufacturing fault and the guys at Avanti Plus in Launceston replaced the whole seat pole with a better one.
Similar Products Used:
Avanti Ridge Rider
Bottom Line:
This is a sick bike and if you can pick one up on sale its a really great deal. I live in the city and commute to work on my bike sometimes, so being able to lock out the shocks is a big bonus. But on the weekends I like to hit the trail hard and so far the Hard Rock Pro hasn't let me down. The only thing I would suggest is to check the seat clamp before you ride out of the shop.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Matthew Bye
a Weekend Warrior
from UK Date Reviewed: October 22, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Epping Forest
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$750.00
Purchased At:
Edinburgh Bike (EBC)
Strengths:
Hardrock Pro 2007: Hardrock frame bullet proof frame, Marz MZ Race Forks with lock out - which are great for the trail use i put it thru, great smooth gears, great tyres. Good spec for the cash.
Weaknesses:
Hayes Sole brakes have bad reviews. Mine are okay so far but not enough power on the front with the 160mm rotor. I'm planning a 203mm rotor upgrade which should do the trick, otherwise a new front brake system will be in order.
Similar Products Used:
None - this is my 1st 'proper' bike.
Bike Setup:
2007 Stock.
Bottom Line:
For a entry level good quality bike you can't really go wrong. I got my 07 pro for £375 in a sale. But even for the £450 is generally sells for at the moment it's a great option. Looks like the 2008 pro version has lower spec components and forks. Be prepared to upgrade the brakes to give more power and consistancy tho.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Brooklyn New York, USA Date Reviewed: August 26, 2007
2007 Specialized Hardrock Pro Titec Pluto Carbon 7075 Gold Bar 31.mm Titec Hell Bent 6061 Silver Seatpost ODI Rogue Lock-on Grips
Bottom Line:
Well worth the money. I had the 2006 Hardrock Sport before I purchased the 2007 Hardrock Pro and the biggest difference was the weight factor. The 2007 Pro feels lighter. I love the disc brakes and the stock Specialized BG Saddle. The 2007 Hardrock Pro is a lively package that offers a good bang for the buck.
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Submitted by
Jake
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles,CA Date Reviewed: August 26, 2007
Favorite Trail:
SART
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
SuperGo in Santa Monica (2004)
Strengths:
Solid frame and good components (I've had no problems on/off the trail).
Weaknesses:
a little on the heavy side.
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Stock except for Specialized Milano seat I bought a few weeks ago.
Bottom Line:
I've ridden this bike mostly in urban areas and some fireroad trails. While I thought it had "eh" components from what everyone tells me, when I actually took it out on the a single track (SART in Big Bear) it performed flawlessly.
I was riding with guys that had 4,000+$ bikes that were super light and had full suspension. I seriously thought I was in over my head with this bike but after finishing the ride it changed my opinion of it. It was a little bouncy at times but it' is a hard tail. I had no problems from the bike before during or after the ride.
A good bike for the money and I'll have it for a long time but am in the process of spec'n out a full suspension bike but only for my comfort and not to make up for a bad hard tail.
I love the bike.
5 for value 4 for Overall just because of the weight
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dylan
a Weekend Warrior
from Canada Date Reviewed: August 24, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
lbs
Strengths:
2005 model
-the frame holds up to everything surprisingly -the brakes work well when adjusted -rims have been good
Weaknesses:
-fork(mz comp) -pedals -cranks/bottom bracket make a lot of noise -front derailleur is annoying
Similar Products Used:
lots of bikes
Bike Setup:
stock except for 2006 Fox Vanilla RLC
Bottom Line:
it's a good all around bike that works for almost everything. i ride a lot of trails, but also a lot of jumps, and the bike has basically held out, even on the local downhill trail with an almost 20 foot gap. Overall it has been good, except for stuff coming out of adjustment, but that happens with everything.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Austin
a Weekend Warrior
from van Date Reviewed: August 6, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At:
a place
Strengths:
everything but back deralier and chain
Weaknesses:
back deralier chain and back deralier hanger
Similar Products Used:
norco wolverine
Bike Setup:
sram sx5 back deralier shimano deore front deralier marzocchi mz race and hayes sole hydrolic
Bottom Line:
it is a good bike but it is very very breakable my back deralier hanger snapped in half. my back deralier was bent 3 times and i snapped my chain in half. it it a good bike to buy for someone who rides often and does jumps and stuff
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pacho
a Weekend Warrior
from Bogota, Cund, Colombia Date Reviewed: July 1, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Guatavita
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$819.00
Purchased At:
BIKE TECH, Miami
Strengths:
Bulletproof frame, good rims and spokes.
Weaknesses:
Crankset, was a little disappointing is just a Shimano Alivio, too heavy. The Hayes Sole brakes were not what I expected for hydraulic disk brakes, I prefer Avid BB7 mechanical that I upgrade to my older bike. I will upgrade them to Hayes HFX 9 pretty soon. I replaced the platform pedals the day after I received for a shimano PD-M520. Finally Saddle is far from being comfortable.
Similar Products Used:
Hardrock Sport (older bike) Kona Dawg Deluxe, Trek Fuel EX8,
Bike Setup:
Stock but pedals and crankset, upgraded to Shimano Deore LX.
Bottom Line:
This is a strong bike, good frame and wheels, but is a really heavy bike; you feel the weight when you are climbing after 20 miles of trail on any given Sunday afternoon. To decrease the weight, I changed the Crankset, and will upgrade the fork and brakes. We will see if I can manage to keep it this way.
I should invest a little bit more and buy a higher quality bike, but anyway, I trying to upgrade it to a descent bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
x
a Racer
from Arkansas, USA Date Reviewed: June 17, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Price, quality.
Weaknesses:
No real weakness.
Similar Products Used:
Lots
Bike Setup:
2006 Stock
Bottom Line:
Great all around bike. I'll be racing it XC. Gotten 10ft of air on it several times and not even a creak (I don't jump to flat). Gotta make sure you keep the bottem bracket/cranks tight being that its ISIS drive. Overall bike is strong enough if you know how to ride.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sean McCaffrey
a Downhiller
from Corvallis, OR, USA Date Reviewed: May 25, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Falls City
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
Peak Sports
Strengths:
Hydro brakes, good stout frame, lockout on the forks.
Weaknesses:
Poor shifters (the front shifter busted on me within the first month of owning it), weak forks, grips suck.
Similar Products Used:
Iron Horse Sinister DX
Bike Setup:
Stock.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for riding around in the city or on flat trails. If you get into the air on this thing, you're going to ruin it. The frame is solid, but the components are crap if you ever want to get any more air than jumping a curb. Pick out what kind of rider you are and get that bike, don't go the undecided route and get this one that says it can do it all. That's what I did, and it's not working out for me in the slightest.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brett
a Weekend Warrior
from Lewistown, PA, USA Date Reviewed: May 18, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
the Bicycle Shop (state college)
Strengths:
tough bike, looks good, good for decently technical trails and around town use.
Weaknesses:
Seat
Similar Products Used:
P.2, rock hopper, hardtail treks
Bike Setup:
stock 2005 with Salle royal seat and new specialized tires.
Bottom Line:
great bike. its done me well and the only thing I've had problems with was the hanger for the rear derailleur but it was my fault. I've taken it on some pretty rough trails and some pretty big drops and its still kickin'.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Sussex, England Date Reviewed: May 3, 2007
Favorite Trail:
South downs way
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1600.00
Purchased At:
Bakers
Strengths:
Beautiful strong frame for the rider who wants something they can hack up big climbs but bomb down singletrack at high speed.
Weaknesses:
Poor fork, and brakes are not so good.
Similar Products Used:
Giant Terrago disc
Bike Setup:
Standard except
Mavic 717 on deore Raceface deus stem 70mm bad ass black Raceface evolve xc bars Odi yeti lock on grips Shimano clipless pedals Push layback post Carbon headset spacers Hayes nine HFX with goodridge hoses Bontrager select Saddle
Bottom Line:
Sweet bike, especially with a little cash spent on it
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mat
a Cross Country Rider
from Flagstaff, AZ Date Reviewed: April 21, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
Sports Outdoors
Strengths:
Tough as nails. Sram X-7s provide very responsive shifting. Powerful disc brakes. I took this thing on a few decently technical trail rides before it was stolen. The bike took everything I could dish out to it considering my ability. Cool paint job.
Weaknesses:
The frame is quite heavy, but the bike still rides like a light one. The seat sucks. Replace it if you can. One of the ugliest headsets I've ever seen. Fork could use a lockout. I also shattered a reflector on one of the pedals when I hit a rock, but that's no big deal.
Similar Products Used:
Older Specialized Stumpjumper (I'm guessing a late 80's model, but I'm not sure.)
Bike Setup:
Stock 2006 model.
Bottom Line:
This is a great value bike. I would not recommend it for dirt jumping or downhill, but it rides like a dream on trails. Bashguard prevents pant legs from getting caught up in the chain and sprocket.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Devinci Krendell
a Downhiller
from Bublington Date Reviewed: April 6, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Any flat street
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At:
Bike Koolz
Strengths:
Awesome fork, strong frame, good brakes, good shifters, shimano equipped, specialized
Weaknesses:
Not very upgradeable
Similar Products Used:
Norco Katmandu
Bike Setup:
This
Bottom Line:
This is the best bike I have ever used under 200 dollars. I bought this bike for such a good deal now that I look at it. I love the marzocchi fork. I want to die it to death. I love this bike so much I want to eat it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sean
a Cross Country Rider
from Welches, Oregon, USA Date Reviewed: March 13, 2007
Favorite Trail:
The Glade
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
Peak Sports
Strengths:
-Decent enough components -Strong frame -Lockout on forks -Strong brakes
Weaknesses:
-Terrible grips...but that's kind of a normal thing. -Fork isn't great, but it's not bad either. I use the bike for agressive urban riding and they're a little soft. I should have gone with the P3, but I didn't want a single-speed to ride to work or occasionally hit the trail. -Brakes are squeaky. The Hayes Sole is pretty good. I've already had to adjust the front brakes and replace pad so...eh...they're marginal of my liking. -Shifters suck!!!! I laid the bike down into a sheetrock wall and the front shifter blew up. I'm going to have to replace it... -Frame geometry isn't exactly great. It's not awesome for urban riding...and it's not great for trail riding. They really did go middle of the road to create this bike...
Similar Products Used:
Iron Horse Sinister DX
Bike Setup:
2007 Bike Stock components
Bottom Line:
Decent enough bike. Not the best thing I could have gotten but there isn't really a bike that fits what I do well. I like the hydro brakes, the lockout on the forks, but everything else isn't exactly my favorite...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian Boscia
a
from pittsburgh Pa Date Reviewed: March 12, 2007
Favorite Trail:
ALL Arount! WENT TO BC WHISTLER
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Salam Cycles
Strengths:
Got just frame an no problems at all
Weaknesses:
with my parts NONE only have front an rear derailers that came with the bike!! Sometimes it will jump gears but it actually came with a 8gear in rear an i have a 7gear
$ 610.00
Overall Rating:
