Submitted by
matt martinez
a Weekend Warrior
from san antonio tx Date Reviewed: March 7, 2008
Favorite Trail:
flat rock ranch, comfort tx
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At:
internet
Strengths:
sram drivetrain, x-7 shifters an f.der., x-9 r.deraileur, 4-bar linkage developed by specialized, adjustable rear air shock (comp & reb), and you can throw a lot at it
Weaknesses:
heavy wheels, crank, frame squeaks, soft front shock
Similar Products Used:
raleigh m80 hardtail, haro v-4
Bike Setup:
hutchison python 2.0 tires, xt rear cassette, truvativ blaze 2.2 crankset w gxp bb and big ring from a blaze crank, ritchety race x lite stem, vuelta xrp team sl rims and skewers(1560g total), rock shox recon 351 u-turn coil w. remote lockout and adj. compression, juicy 3 brakes
Bottom Line:
on top of the 650 i paid for it i've put in another 400 or so in upgrades. upgraded drivetrain is super light and brand new. the bike new is quoted 2k, so i think i got a great deal. i like personalizing the bike anyways. ride about 15-20 trail-miles every other day and the only problems ive had are flats. bike is awesome and plan to keep upgrading. bike looks very similar to ellsworth. its just cheaper to fix. quality of the bike is excellent and i put it to the test all the time.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, Canada Date Reviewed: September 22, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Don Valley
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1050.00
Purchased At:
EbAY
Strengths:
Great entry level bike - intermediate package. Specialized FSR suspension design, Fork Travel Adjust, decent components,
Weaknesses:
Front shock a little soft, no lockout can cause pedal bob - dial it in before riding! Busted Deore LX R derailer after one week - raplaced with XT and Shifts way smooth!
Similar Products Used:
Spec Epic - Cannondale Rush
Bike Setup:
SR Suntour XC fork with 90 - 130 mm travel adjust, New XT R derailer, Deore Levers, Front Derailer, Deore hydraulic disc brakes, MTB saddle, Truvative cranks, stem, ritchey post
Bottom Line:
Bought on eBay new in the box for $1050 - Awesome bike for that price, great bike still at the MSRP ($2k?). I'm a new rider after years out (last bike was a Ritchey P23!) and still getting used to the full suspension. Frame is quite solid, with the Specialized FSR linkage - can bob a bit on climbs - important to dial in the shocks and drop the fork down (It came with a remote travel adjust as a surprise). The fork and shock are Suntour - not the greatest, but adjustable with rebound.
Great trail bike, but a little sketchy on the rough stuff. I'v been following my friend who is a pretty intense rider on a Santa Cruz with heavy spec - can really feel the difference as the Fuji is really set up for cross country (even though it has lots of travel.
Superb entry or trail bike - lots of milage (km?) in this baby fo rthe price! Frame construction is excellent
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Overall Rating:
