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Submitted by
Shea Locke
a Weekend Warrior
from Richmond Va U.S
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Buttermilk In Richmond | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | Frame off ebay | | Strengths: | Bullet proof frame and awesome look | | Weaknesses: | Haven't found any yet....no complaints | | Bike Setup: | 2004 Bighit Spec, Avid brakes,Fox Vannila rear shock and Rockshox Tora front forks with 130 mm travel, Truvativ crank set, 9 speed Sram X-7 shifter and derailer | | Bottom Line: | This is on tough bike that I have no complaints about and I can scream through the woods on this think.I havent hit anything more than a 6 foot drop but it was nothing for this bike. I weigh 150 pounds and it rides really smooth for me.I built the frame after getting it powder coated with all new parts and love it | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
paul binny
a Weekend Warrior
from templeton, ca, usa
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | anything downhill and fast | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | someguy in a-town | | Strengths: | frame is super strong i am 222lbs and this thing is solid | | Weaknesses: | forks and shock are pretty weak for jumpin with my fatass on it | | Similar Products Used: | first full suspension so not to familiar i like hardtails but starting to like this with all the new parts | | Bike Setup: | 2008 fox 36 vanilla r forks,stock shock with fox 800lbs spring, truvativ hollzfeller cranks 165, azonic pedals, atomlab dh wheels,diety 31.8 bars,diety neck,diety seat,kenda navegal tires 2.7front and 2.5rear,shimano xtr rear derailer, and hayes nines hydrolic brakes with 8inch rotors | | Bottom Line: | i bought the bike cheap and put alot of money into it but i am very happy with the bike and the money i spent on it. like i said i am 220lbs and 39years old and have found a new love for bikes i still love to ride my hardtail the is nothing like jumping a hardtail, but this bike hangs up there with all my friends $4000 dollar bikes and i still have money for beer when i am thirsty maybe thats why there still my friends????? i really do recomend buyin this bike even though it is a little dated | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Hampton
a Downhiller
from Artemus, Kentucky/ U.S.
Date Reviewed: November 20, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Local Mountains.. | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$870.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Smooth, Good For Strength Training, haha.. Stock Components Work Nicely If Purchased NEW.. Love The Tires. | | Weaknesses: | REAR SHOCK! And Front Fork.. Quality Of Travel Is CRAP.. Cranks Are A Little Long For The Ride Hieght As Well. | | Similar Products Used: | No F/S Bikes, Trek 8500 And 4500, Specialized Hardrock Sport, Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo. | | Bike Setup: | Stock. But Plan On Buying 1500# Spring Or Just New Shock. | | Bottom Line: | Great For The Money If Purchased NEW.. Needs Rear Shock Upgrade. Wieghs About 7,894,398,586.65 lbs. But I Rode A 2 Mile DH Section And Averaged About 35-40.. So I'm Happy:] | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Fahy
a Downhiller
from holly springs
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | shilo's run | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$450.00 | | Purchased At: | craigslist | | Strengths: | strong frame, really solid bike havent had any problems | | Weaknesses: | none so far, the only thing is that the chain has been coming off and its anoying. | | Similar Products Used: | giant glory, iron horse 7 point 5, kona kikabu, gary fisher posum. | | Bike Setup: | ne one know if a boxxer will fit? | | Bottom Line: | awsome bike, i have hit drops 4-7 feet no problem and plan to go bigger. this bike is awsome but i have to admit it could use upgrades. and that is what i am planing on doing, upgrading the heck out of it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex Cecilio
a Downhiller
from Gloucester
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | bruce and toms | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$520.00 | | Purchased At: | friend | | Strengths: | FRAME | | Weaknesses: | rear shock | | Similar Products Used: | grom | | Bike Setup: | manitou stance flow 150mm | | Bottom Line: | ILL BIKE!!! i droped a 6 footer to flat and my bike is all good!!!only probolem was that my rear shock bottomed, | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Will
a Cross Country Rider
from Georgia, USA
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Flat Rock is alright | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | a friend | | Strengths: | I have a 2003 Spec model. It's strong. The brakes work better than expected. The components are good. | | Weaknesses: | The Mozo X5.5S fork hasn't held up. The rear X-Fusion shock isn't working as well as it used to. But then again I've beaten this bike for a while. This bike is heavy. I think about 40lbs. You need a lighter frame for long distances. | | Similar Products Used: | custom build XC and DH | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | You can get one of these for cheap. I think it was a good purchase. The bike works great. Brakes are better than I expected. Stock tires are huge which helps me in the sand. I haven't had any problems with the drivetrain except for the chain falling off once in a while. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sean
a Downhiller
from Harrisburg,PA, USA
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | frame, wheels, tires | | Weaknesses: | rear shock, fork | | Bike Setup: | 05 bighit spec, fox vanilla rc, marzocchi junior t, hope hub | | Bottom Line: | this bike is good if you upgrade it a little | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
cory
a Downhiller
from P.G. , Ut. , U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay/ guy in logan ut. | | Strengths: | bomb-proof frame. nice overall setup. plush rear and an easily adjusted front air setup! love my ditch witch wheels. i put some GEAX 2.25 tires on it and they are awesome. nice BIG disc's on front and back! i really like the hussefelt crank set and neck. lockable rear shock! | | Weaknesses: | only 8 speeds so i put a howitzer two speed on the front and it makes a world of difference. | | Bottom Line: | awesome starter bike, even better if you put a little money into it. love the 5+ inches of travel especially for how light the bike is (about 35 lbs.) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luke Dale-Hicks
a Downhiller
from Forest Ontario
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | dunno | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$850.00 | | Purchased At: | bikes and ski's in collingwood | | Strengths: | good frame, awsome single pivot swing arm set up , really strong, ohk rear shock, good specialized tires with ditch witch sun rims really strong also | | Weaknesses: | crap stock fork, and not a huge amount of overall rear travel, not the best breaks (mechanical) but they get the job done | | Similar Products Used: | norco shore | | Bike Setup: | big hit spec, with stock rear shock .. upgraded to 07 32 vanilla rlc 140mm travel fork .. im fine with stock rear shock | | Bottom Line: | AWSOME bike, takes big drops no problem, really strong overall , other then stock fork, even ohk for xc because its not a real heavy dh/fr bike. good for urban riding and dj | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mike
a Downhiller
from Park City, UT, USA
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | PC mountain DH+FR trails | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | White Pine Touring | | Strengths: | Frame, Crank, pedals, brakes, stem, bars | | Weaknesses: | front fork, rear shock, a little heavy | | Similar Products Used: | various FR/DH bikes | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | This bike has been awesome. The suspension isn't the plushest by any means, but with a nice double crown fork, it's awesome. I'm about to retire mine, just because I'm upgrading to a Turner DHR, but if you're just starting to get into DH/FR, then get one. It will give you many seasons of good riding. It will take a beating if you want it to. For the price, it's hard to find anything better. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Branden
a Weekend Warrior
from Pa USA
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | I, don't know | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$120.00 | | Purchased At: | from a guy | | Strengths: | The frame feels solid, the single pivot design works good.(I always been a fan of single pivot designs) It has inspired confidence in my riding. Decent rear shock. Good geometry. | | Weaknesses: | The OEM Spring, The frame is a tad bit on the heavy side (Then again it was design for free riding) the big tubular rear swing arm amplifies sound. | | Similar Products Used: | 1999 mongoose intake (A bootleg version the Santa Cruz superlight) 1998 proflex 857 pro (smoothes bike I every rode) 2000 Specialized stump jumper fsr with MRP speed link (Just dang good bike.)Various hardtails | | Bike Setup: | 2003 Bighit Spec Frame out fitted with Manitou minute 1 fork, avid bb5 discs and a mix of shimano decore and xt part that make up the drivetrain. Rhino lite rims with decore hubs. | | Bottom Line: | First of all I’m just writing this review on just the 2003 bighit spec frame. I know there are other bikes out there that are better than this, but for what it worth it’s a great bike frame. For years I have rode an fsr as do anything bike. My main goal was to build this strictly as free ride and light downhill bike, but that change after the first ride. Even with the weight pentaly I feel less tired climbing with the bighit than I did with Fsr. I roll through tails with a lot more ease than I ever did with fsr. Yes climbing up a nice smooth flat trail, the fsr was a better bike, due to its weight, but throw roots and rocks into the mix and the suspension would soak up the bumps, but also all your energy. With the bighit when you climb it’s like riding a hard tail with a little bit of give in the rear. On descents its great do to the increase in the travel of the suspension. Now it isn’t as agile through the corners as XC bikes, but if you dedicate yourself to turn you will make it through. I read and hear every on bashing on the X-fusion shock, but my experience with it has been great. It does what it was designed for and that is to control the rate of speed of the rear suspension as it compresses and decompresses. The spring was the only problem I had due to its poor construction. When first rode the bike ride through rock gardens and over logs with decent amount speed the rear would just collapse, but going off of drops the rear suspension was nice and smooth. (I never have drop anything more than 3 foot big) So I examine the shock. But nothing was wrong. Then notice the spring looked a skewed. So I measured the spacing between each coil and it varied greatly. I also measured diameter of each coil and that also varied greatly. I ordered a new spring and that took care of the problem. So in conclusion it’s a great bike frame. Because of it, have gotten rid of my other bikes, because this one does it all. If you are tight on money or you don’t want to spend a great deal of money get it. If you have money to spend look elsewhere, but I also recommend giving it a try first.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
nigel mohan
a Weekend Warrior
from qualicum beach
Date Reviewed: November 9, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | the hack | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Strengths: | nice ride | | Weaknesses: | nothing | | Similar Products Used: | ? | | Bike Setup: | good | | Bottom Line: | i just bought this bike and im moving from riding bmx for 18 yrs to riding a bighit forever.....this bike slays...good deal too | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kailea
a Downhiller
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 15, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | COP | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | built myself | | Strengths: | well, basically the frame is BOMBPROOF. virtually indestructable. i'm running a Fox Vanilla R in the back.. i dont like it to much. HOWEVER.. i'm going to experament with a air shock.. a friend of mine said that it would be pretty sweet with it. so i'm going to give it a go.. This frame is a Single Pivot, therefore you cant feel the suspension to much just sitting on it. i Took it to Canada Olympic Park and it was amazing on the drops, the frame is super durable.. i'm running 2003 Rock Shox Boxxers that are black boxed for forks.. so i've got a good 7 inches of plush travel. this bike is a beast. | | Weaknesses: | i wouldn't know anything about the stock parts. my bike is funny custom and there are no weaknesses | | Similar Products Used: | Norco A-Line | | Bike Setup: | 2004 Specialized Bighit Sport (spec), 2003 Rock Shox Boxxer races, few truvativ components, sram x-9 components | | Bottom Line: | This bike is amazing, you cant go wrong | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
sam
a Downhiller
from winston- salem NC
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | pauls schwinn | | Strengths: | the frame is strong. The fork works great, good components. Its a solid bike. The bike is extremely light so you can jump whole staircases. they are extre,ely durable | | Weaknesses: | the rear shock isnt the best but it gets the job done | | Similar Products Used: | I used to ride cross so i havent had any other duals | | Bike Setup: | my bike is all stock and thats just how i need it. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is awesome whether you ride urban or mountain. I have jumped stair cases and not felt a thing.For anyone who wants a dual suspension bike i reccomend that you buy one of these. they're awesome. The best biuke ive ever ridden | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
scott j
a Downhiller
from pepperell,MA
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Attitash | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | joe jones | | Strengths: | great frame, great breaks, good drive train, good bars and neck | | Weaknesses: | front and rear shock | | Similar Products Used: | specialized hard rock pro | | Bike Setup: | marzocchi Z1FR3 150 mm fork, fox vinalla r rear shock, mavik front rim, e-13 bash guard | | Bottom Line: | sweet bike. i just took it down attitash mtn and it took a beating and laughed at 5 ft+ drops | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rincon
a
from Missoula MT USA
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$899.00 | | Purchased At: | Big Sky Cyclery | | Strengths: | Very tough bike! Awesome if you put dualcrown forks on it! | | Weaknesses: | Its suspension is not all that plush. Although having a single pivot suspension system it works very nicely. | | Similar Products Used: | Demo 9, Rocky MT switch, Kona Stinky | | Bike Setup: | I have my spec upgraded with 8" travel Hanebrink dualcrown forks. It is a very basic setup and is perfect for beginner DH racers and 4-cross racers. | | Bottom Line: | The bottomline is that you can not go wrong with specialized. They have been around forever making mountain bikes and they have never disappointed me with any of their bikes. If you wish to become a great DH race this is a great bike for starters. However, It would be wise to buy a Specialized Demo 9 once you have mastered a Bighit Spec. There is only so much you can do with such a cheap bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard
a Weekend Warrior
from Moraga
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | cinderella | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | great frame for sure, can handle anything. brakes are nice, no need for hydraulic unless you want to waste money. pretty good front and rear shocks. good rims, could be better. good bars and stem. like the chain stay and cranks | | Weaknesses: | only has 8 gears, still pretty good. tires are thin so thorns come through alot. | | Similar Products Used: | specialized hard rock comp | | Bike Setup: | stock so far | | Bottom Line: | great beginner downhill, frame could last forever. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
EHargrove
a Downhiller
from Sandersville, Ga USA
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Anything I can Ride | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | Oconee Outfitters | | Strengths: | Nuke Proof frame, pretty good set-up as far as components | | Weaknesses: | Rear Shock. It is ok if you are not gonna push this bike or gonna use it for what it was meant for. A smaller gear to give you some climbing capability would help. | | Bike Setup: | Manitou Stance Blunt front fork, Marzocchi ROCO RC rear shock, TekTro Talon Magnesium brake levers, Specialized Lo-Pro Magnesium pedals, Specialized Body Geometry seat, Oury Grips, Maxxis Holy Roller tires | | Bottom Line: | I love this bike. Been riding it since last December and I love it more and more everyday. I've ridden everything from urban assault to XC on it and it hasn't let me down. I changed out the rear X-Fusion shock for the Marzocchi ROCO RC. I can bomb all kinds of stuff on this bike now. Handles 4+ foot drops like a breeze. It was built on the proven Single Pivot Elevtated Chainstay design which doesn't get the recognition that it so justly deserves. Too bad Specialized dropped production of this bike after 2005. It got better and better every year. I'm sure there are better bikes with better factory set-ups for more money, but for the price, this bike is the sh*t. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
santiago perez
a Downhiller
from Quito, Ecuador
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | 1100 | | Strengths: | The frame is a very good frame, | | Weaknesses: | too heavy | | Bottom Line: | i recomended is the best bike i had have | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Micah P.
a
from Massachusettes
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Mt. Snow | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$899.00 | | Purchased At: | Bycicle Alley Worcester MA. | | Strengths: | I believe it is industructible it comes downhill/freeride ready out of the box(like most good bikes). has fairly good shocks and nice dampning controll for front/rear very good buy. i have seen many pros using this same bike in videos doing some insaine stuff so i thing this is very worth the price. | | Weaknesses: | only 8 gears and all fairly high, i can ride up hills but one lower gear would be nice. | | Similar Products Used: | none that compare to the greatness of my bike. so far... | | Bike Setup: | full suspension, manitou 150mm forks with dampning control, dampning control also on rear and spring tension adjustment. truative crank. nice 2.4 tires :) and full 8 inch. disc brakes. | | Bottom Line: | very very good bike for the price and is fairly new... definately a good bike. i got one :) if you got a hard tail and want to upgrade to a full suspension bike this is a good deal. especially the price. if you allready have a fairly nice full suspension bike i may suggest a better bike if you want something better than the one you have. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Isaac Butler
a Downhiller
from Lakewood, CO USA
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | ? | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$450.00 | | Purchased At: | Online | | Strengths: | Listen... this bike is bad ass. It does not get the attention it deserves in the media because it is too frickin cheap... Do you think the manufactures what to advertise in a magazine that revealed that the SPEC is a rival to the more popular(and expensive)high-end options. Throw the original shocks(front and rear)out! They are crap... crap, crap... I put rock shox boxxers with 162mm total travel and a rock shox Ario shock in the back- granting the full 5 1/2" travel. The Ario shock is another underrated component that is perfect for this bike. It is simple, reliable, cheap and light- very, very light. This shock shifts the center of gravity and makes the bike feel like 35 lbs. Also, this shock has a hesitation from zero and creates an artificial "stable platform". Climbing is reasonable and damping is great for a bike of this weight. I am getting used to this machine and starting to ride hard. If you can find one cheap, pick it up and save about $500 to $1000 for upgrades... I paid $450.00 for the bike, $160.00 for the Boxxers, and $75.00 for the Ario. I also have a new seat, front rim, tires, grips and cables. The derailleur is upgraded to LX. I love this bike. | | Weaknesses: | Weight(hit the gym you lazy ass). Shocks... There is no excuse for the crap that is on this exquisite frame. Buy a bash guard. I don't have one yet but it is on the way. Lastly, buy a full face helmet because you are going to want to try some sick s$*!. Oh, a 9 speed drive train and rims are a bonus. | | Similar Products Used: | More or less the entire specialized line that I couldn't afford. Yes, some were pretty sweet but I am not a trail rider so I don't need the bike with the compromises to fit everyone. | | Bike Setup: | Front: 00'Rock Shox Boxxer Pro. Rear: 05 Rock Shox Ario w/o lock-out. New rubber- nothing amazing- 2.10 front and 2.25 back. Kona SDG seat. Yeti grips. "Loco" downhill 20mm thru-axle from wheel. Teflon cables all around. LX derailleur. Everything else is stock. | | Bottom Line: | Great buy. Do It! Get this frame small. I bought most of my gear at auction (Craig's list and EBay). I don't know what more to say. If it wasn't a great bike for me (5'9"-165lbs), I wouldn't have taken the time to write this review. Add a chili if you have the money to add carbon fiber components... you will be the man. Enjoy! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ryan salo
a Downhiller
from poway, CA USA
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Off Camber | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$661.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | great stregnth and durability. This SPEC has a huge rear swingarm which is good. | | Weaknesses: | weight- 50 pounds and bad stock fork and rear shock(not a problem for me because i bought the bike non-stock | | Similar Products Used: | Haro X-2, Kona Stinky, Giant AC | | Bike Setup: | Manitou Swinger 3-way, Manitou Sherman | | Bottom Line: | Great bike with lots of capability for beginning downhillers or dirt jumpers and feels | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a
from Sna Rafael, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Solstice | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | Mikes Bikes | | Strengths: | very strong frame, decent components, great for DH/FR | | Weaknesses: | the pedals suck! (i hit a jump and when i landed, my foot slipped off and i broke my leg!)the fork got effed up when i was testing it in the parking lot, and the rear shock bottoms out on a 2 ft drop! also, the grips wear down really quickly, and the bike doesnt come with a bash guard | | Similar Products Used: | too many to say | | Bike Setup: | everything is stalk except for truvativ bash guard, azonic a-frame pedals, fox vanilla r rear shock, marzocchi drop off triple fork and sun rims ryno lite front rim | | Bottom Line: | this is a decent bike, but you will need to put in a lot of $$ to make it good. once i had the fox vanilla r fork and rear shock, i thought i was set, but then i broke my leg so i put on better pedals. the bike doesnt have a lot of clearance, so i had to put on a bash guard, and now the bike could take 12 ft. drops, but then the fork got loose so i had to put in a stiffer spring, but now i have a drop off triple because i traded with my friend. if your willing to put in $$ then this bike will rock, but otherwise, its mostly a beginners bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff
a Weekend Warrior
from WB
Date Reviewed: March 28, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | The pits were I build stuff | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1050.00 | | Purchased At: | Bikebarn. | | Strengths: | It can take a beating | | Weaknesses: | A lot of stuff like the rear shock, drive train, fork, frame, and tires. Have you ever had that feeling when you go off a drop that the bike is going to fold up under you like a peice of paper when you land cuase I get that a lot. This bike really isn't worth the money save and get a Kona stinky or something higher price becuase that bike is basiclly a cross country bike with freeride looks. | | Similar Products Used: | I use to ride hard tails and I cracked the frame on my last on so I need a bike quick and cheap this is what I got stuck with. | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | Don't buy it save and get something more expensive like a kona, | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jain Joseph
a Downhiller
from New Brunsiwck, NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: February 26, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | mountain creek | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | Somerset Bike N Gear | | Strengths: | The 2005 comes with a Manitou Stance fork, which provides plenty of plush travel. It is worthy enough to take decent dropoffs.
Insanely strong frame.
Dual 8" Hayes rotors allow you to stop pretty easily. (May want to upgrade to Hayes nine Hydraulics though). | | Weaknesses: | Rear X Fusion shock. Although it's coil overed, it still doesn't take that much of a pounding and will bottom out.
The seat feels like something awful underneath my rear. | | Similar Products Used: | Big Hit Comp (3 pivot full suspension system) | | Bike Setup: | Stock Frame, Manitou Sherman Slider front fork, Fox Shox Vanilla R rear shock, WTB Rocket V Saddle | | Bottom Line: | The bike hauls ass for the price. I couldn't find the 2005 SPEC on this site which retails for $1100 from Specialized. But the bike is still worth the money. Just need an extra $700 to upgrade to a true mountain worthy machine. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
matt
a Weekend Warrior
from stratford
Date Reviewed: January 26, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Bike Setup: | black e.13 bash, mod'd stock chainguides, FSA pig headset, 32t, panaracer fire 2.4's, manitou sherman flick plus, oury's, diabolous stem/handlebar, avid 203mm's cable, Azonic Outlaw rimset using QR's, xtr 8sp drivetrain/levers, t.h.e./tioga black and white custom fenders, specialized BG saddle, custom 5th element air CVT setup. | | Bottom Line: | OK I post alot about this bike (3) because we all need time to get the right setup and for good freeriding this bike is finally setup the way it should be. Sure I sunk some cash into it and it is still a bargain the way it is built up. My terrain/riding in New England may be different but the bike adapts easily. The tires are perfect for loose and most hardpack around, especially the semi moist stuff. I put an air rear shock on that doesn't exactly fit the way it is supposed to be spec'd but the small neg. chamber gets set once anyway so I don't need to get to it often. The avids are a big step up from the stock mx-2 hayes and the better full metal jacket avid cables are much better than stockers. Other than the frame, crankset, pedals and seatpost I replaced everything else. The 38t chainring just seems too big for an already hefty bike weight so I toned it down to a 32t. The air shock is also more for trail/XC because it is light but for 4-5 footers it seems to be just fine. I don't go that big simply because I deal more with roots/rocks than dropoffs. This setup unleashes the bikes potential and it sucks that the frame doesn't get more respct/credit for simplicity and function in magazines compared to other frames that are way more $$$. Total build on this bike was around $1400 but I was able to make the bike of my dreams on a relatively small budget. It stands at roughly 40 lbs but it rolls over/up just about anything. Out of the box I give the bike 3.5 turds because of the fork/shock that could have been spec'd better. Unfortunatly I just never see anyone who bothers to build this frame up. Alot of guys prefer the 4 bar setup/multi pivots of other specialized bikes. Judging from this site the SPEC is one of the top 5 bikes people freeride on which kind of sounds wierd for a bike no one talks about. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
daniel
a Downhiller
from montreal canada
Date Reviewed: January 20, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Purchased At: | neron sports | | Strengths: | bullit-proof frame,good components,worthy to upgrade,
| | Weaknesses: | a chore to pedal up,bb height on the low side.(a bashguard will save u a lot of money & time)
change the saddle right away.
| | Bike Setup: | selle italia xo,odi oury grips,dmr flat pedals,kenda nevegal 2.5" frt & rr,super god bash guard | | Bottom Line: | after 2 yrs i still think that i bought the right rig.
a quality specialized for such a low price!
i recommend it to anyone on a budget but put a bash guard. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ryan
a Weekend Warrior
from Green Lane, PA
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$880.00 | | Purchased At: | Scooters Bike Shop | | Strengths: | frame, cranks, chain guide, and pedals | | Weaknesses: | first of all the stock fork and shock suck! I blew out the shock after riding the bike for only two months and im not a very heavy rider. I got a new one through warranty and havent had any problems since. The fork bent after about 6 or 7 months of riding and i couldnt get one through warranty so i ended up paying for a jr. t. I also had a lot of problems with the headset and after my 2nd one in 3 months i decided to upgrade and havent had problems with that since. I still have the stock wheels and they have just started to bend so i will be getting new ones soon. | | Similar Products Used: | bighit comp, gemini 900 | | Bike Setup: | marzocchi junior t, maxxis mobster tires, shimano bash guard | | Bottom Line: | This is an awesome frame with some bad components but for 880 you get what you pay for. I have not had any problems with this bike since i bought the junior t. I am looking to get a mongoose black diamond double soon but im am going to keep my bighit because it is and awesome bike that can take the abuse! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dave
a Downhiller
from novato california
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | karpiel | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | mill valley cycles | | Strengths: | frame, cranks, brakes offer good adjustibility, wheels are pretty good, chainguide does the job, | | Weaknesses: | fork tops out..i rode it like this for 4 months and it was annoying..after messing with oil, springs and air the guy at CYCLEPATHS in tahoe said it was the TOPOUT SPRINGS. he installed better topout springs and the fork performs good but not for my type of riding (i put it on a souped up hardrock) so if you have this bike just ask the guy at your shop to get new topout springs, it cost me 25$..also the rear shock is crappy..reminds me of a pogostick..rear derailluer is a little weak | | Similar Products Used: | bighit comp, demo9, | | Bike Setup: | fox vanilla R rear shock, DH tubes, better topout springs in fork | | Bottom Line: | i got a pretty good deal on this bike, and i used it a lot..i have an upgraded rear shock that brought the travel to a little over 6 inches which is still low for the weight of the bike. however, this frame is bombproof..very strong bike..my only complaint with it was that it was too heavy for the amount of travel..other than that it was a great beginner freeride bike..i got a lot better on this bike for the short time i had it..you will reach a point where you feel you have outgrown the bike and you have 2 options: upgrade it with better dh/fr components or get a downhill bike with more travel, i chose the second | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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$ 880.00
