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Submitted by
trumancapote
a Cross Country Rider
from
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | terwilliger park | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Strengths: | light, superb suspension and handling, glides over rocks, climbs well | | Weaknesses: | fragile, seat | | Bike Setup: | shorter stem | | Bottom Line: | great cross country bike that can do more. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
neil
a
from scotland
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | alpine bikes | | Strengths: | Fantastic climber - linkage and platform from the 5th element shock scrub pretty much all bob once you get the settings right.
Longer wheelbase (it's a strength for me)- very stable, predictable descender.
Great (generally) stock component package - aside from the grips, I have only been changing parts as I've killed them. Love the Pike fork, super plush. SRAM stuff good too and Hayes Brakes have worked well throughout. | | Weaknesses: | Rear tyre clearance. I'd love to try running a 2.5 in back, but the very widest the bike can handle is a skinnier 2.3/5.
A little heavy for weight weenies.
Slightly steep head angle?
Weedy paint which rubs off if you so much as look at it too hard. | | Bike Setup: | Pike fork, 5th element air rear shock. 2.3/2.35 tyres. | | Bottom Line: | This is the 2nd review I've posted for the bike and I still agree with most of what I wrote the 1st time, so rather than repeat myself I'll try to focus on what I've picked up during the year.
Mechanicals during the year have been.
Rear hub failed at about month 3 (I think the seals on the WTB hubs may be a bit rubbish, not best for wetter riding), replaced with an XT which is still fine.
I am now on my 4th BB in a year - the FSA one did 8 weeks before breaking. Shimano's have been better but not much. Not sure why the wear rate is so high really (don't spray wash).
Eggbeater pedal snapped about month 8 landing a drop, pedal snapped right off the spindle - switched to SPD's, and will not be returing to eggbeaters in a a hurry.
Not on my first drivetrain anymore, but hey I, ride a fair bit...
Generally though the bike has held together well with all the big components (fork, shock, brakes etc) being of high quality.
It took me a while to work out, but I now run one of 2 shock setups - about 70ifp/85-90main for lumpy steep descents (like laggan or steep innerleithen bits)when i want the bike to be super plush, and 85ifp/95-100main for faster freeride and longer XC rides. (i weigh about 66kg) In the firmer setting I can get up and crank standing and still get little pedal bob.
As before, I still think the ride quality of the bike is fantastic. It's comfy,climbs like a goat, descends with massive confidence and handles drops & jumps well - for the price it is hard to beat. Mine has done everything from long XC days to innerleithen downhill runs, to north shore and eaten it all. If it could just take a wider rim and fatter tyre it would be near perfect. Minor niggles aside, I'd recommend one to anybody who rides neither out and out XC, or downhill, but somewhere between, it can do it all. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ashwinearl
a Cross Country Rider
from Blacksburg, VA 24060
Date Reviewed: June 26, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Beast | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$450.00 | | Purchased At: | used | | Strengths: | incredible pedaling, adjustable travel, burly, most incredible climbing bike ever ridden | | Weaknesses: | Weight, slack seat tube, water bottle location, 27.0 seatpost, takes some playing with to get the right settings. | | Similar Products Used: | Salsa Caballero | | Bike Setup: | X0 twist grips, X0 rear, XT front, Laserdisc lights/Stans Olympic rims, Race Face turbine, Thomson post, WTB rocket V J7 brakes | | Bottom Line: | You can read a indepth review with pictures here:
http://ashwinearl.blogspot.com/2005/10/2004-hollowpoint-review.html
Bottom line is this bike is the best value hands down in a FS frame. You can find them really cheap. The DW link is as advertised, and this thing climbs like a billy goat. The adjustability of the rear linkage is great for someone who doesn't know if they want an XC bike or a trail bike. I've used an 80mm and a 100mm fork and both work great. Others have used up to 130-140mm forks. This is the most versatile bike around.
I adore the bike. For 2005 Iron Horse took the HP and split it into two bikes: the Azure for XC and the MKIII for trail. One drawback of the HP is that it was designed for two different applications which means that compromises had to be made for both. I lean towards the XC side so would love to go with an Azure.
But for someone on a budget, or someone who isn't sure what they want the HP is an awesome bike to get their feet wet. I am so in the DW-link cult that I won't even CONSIDER any other bike other than a DW-link frame.
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Submitted by
Myron MacNeil
a Cross Country Rider
from Poway, CA
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Vail Lake | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance Bikes, | | Strengths: | frame, stability, climbing, VPP, whatever THAT is. | | Weaknesses: | it's a bit long and needs riding style adjustments.
Weight. The paint job wears quickly | | Similar Products Used: | Jamis Dakar Sport | | Bike Setup: | Chris King hubs(front/back) mavic rims, SRAM x0 rear, X9 shifters, Manitou Black Front Shock, Manitou Swinger 3 rear, Tomac Blue Groove tires that ROCK. | | Bottom Line: | Update to my originals.
Rugged mountain goat. I'm not a beginner and I'm not an expert. I got better after the Chris King upgrade, which DID suprise me, but I'm not convinced the cost was worth it. I'd heard a lot about frame cracks, but I've done things that have scared the crack out of me and it's still going strong. Great bike and great component package at delivery. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Racer
from Syracuse, NY
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Holiday valley | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Advance cyclery | | Strengths: | I would have to be able to ride it to tell you. | | Weaknesses: | Progressive 5th element leaks from the negative chamber. Chain rubs on the swingarm when climbing. An iron horse rep admitted to the swingarm defect and say it's being fixed on 2007 models. When asked if I can receive an updated swingarm, I got the silent treatment. Angry? Extremely | | Bottom Line: | This is more a review of Iron horse customer service. Brand new bike, and the shock is leaking. I contacted Iron whors, and they tell me to send the shock to progressive. So they expect me to wait for the shock to be fixed. Meanwhile I'm the owner of a $3000 un-ridable bike. When I asked for an alternative shock to be sent to me, I got the silent treatment. So lesson learned. Do not buy another Iron horse. Read reviews of components that are on the bike. Make sure to put high end purchases on a credit card so the credit company can get your money back. I'll be riding an epiphany soon! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Billy Brough
a Cross Country Rider
from Hawkes Bay, NZ
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Craters of the Moon, Taupo | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Strengths: | Frame geometry seems excellent. Had a few fun and games setting up the Ario shock, but after trial and error, it seems to function well. Have moved from XT/XTR to Sram X9 and wouldn't go back if I had a choice. | | Weaknesses: | Frame is heavier then hard tails i've owned, but you have to expect this with the rear end configeration. | | Similar Products Used: | First full suspension bike | | Bike Setup: | Ario 2.1 and Reba Race, Sram X9 running gear. Easton stem, headset and seat post. WTB rocket gel seat | | Bottom Line: | I like it. Climbs pretty well, but really gets cool points in decent mode. The Ario and Reba combo works very well together. Sram componentyr is golden.
I have improved time and endurance in long decents quite a bit. Didn't really want to move from hard tail, but this ride works well. Recommended. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ken Santiago
a Cross Country Rider
from Albany, NY
Date Reviewed: February 5, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Strengths: | Bombproof! Climbing ability. Inspires confidence. | | Weaknesses: | Pedals. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek, Mongoose, Iron Horse. | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | I love this bike because of its all mountain characteristics. It's solid and can climb better than any bike I've ever ridden...even my Trek 8000 hardtail! The suspension is fantastic. The only gripe are the eggbeater candy pedals. I had to cut up my shoes just to get these things to clip in and out. They still provide absolutely no float...even with 2 spacers. OVERALL: It's a blast to ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Howard
a Racer
from Chandler, AZ
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | I love them all! | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$2100.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Durable. Light enough to race and tough enough for the big hills. Reliable. | | Weaknesses: | A little heavy, but you get used to it because it rides so well! | | Similar Products Used: | K2 Razorback, Specialized Epic Marathon | | Bike Setup: | Pretty much stock 03/04 model (03 components on a 04 warranty frame) | | Bottom Line: | I Love this bike! I have thrashed it daily for almost 2 years. I've proabably got close to 4,000 hard miles on this bike. Other than the initial frame break on the 03, the 04 frame has been bullet proof.
Suspension is Swinger 3 way shock and Fox float RLC fork. It's a great combo. Very plush with the swinger SPV set to minimun 50#.
The shimano XTR rear DR has been replaced with a Sram X0 with appropriate shifters. although they both work great right out of the box, the Sram seem to hold up better when it gets crudded up.
The original Maxxis Larson tires (ugh) were quickly replaced with Hutchinson Spiders (hmmmm) which were quickly replaced with Gen II Air Lights (OK) which were changed to Panaracer XC 2.0's (YES!). All these tires were tubeless and I love tubeless! Squirt in a little Stans and I never have to worry!
Mavic Crossmax wheels are bulletproof. I check them regularly because I'm used to doing that on my other rides (looking for broken spokes, bent flanges, cruddy brearings, etc) but I have never had to toch these wheels. Incredible!
Head bearings are Cane Creek and require some attention to keep them clean.
Shimano Hollowtech crank and outboard bearing set-up is nice. I lost one bearing after about a year when the seal was somehow torn and allowed crud to get in. Replacement bearing was $40 (ouch!)
The ride that this bike delivers is incredible. Very smooth on the small bumps, good handling over the big stuff...turns well (with the right tires!) Brakes are great..Hayes...good modulation...no maintenance prob's.
I highly recommend this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Neil
a Cross Country Rider
from Scotland
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Tweed Valley Routes | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1450.00 | | Strengths: | DW Linkage is excellent - provides a solid platform for the shock and keeps the bike very solid when climbing, I have my 5th element set quite firm (95ifp/100main - I weigh 67kg)(it has worked brilliantly so far despite the scary reviews.. I'll post again if it breaks) and can push hard climbing with little to no bob, but still get full travel on bigger drops and jumps.
The bike is amazingly stable and predictable descending, inspiring confidence on fast jumpy terrain and tracking brilliantly on steeper technical ground. I haven't dead dropped anything much bigger than 3 feet or so yet on it, but it sucks them up without bottoming and makes landing easy.
SRAM X9 shifters seem excellent too, thumb only is the way forward. Smooth & totally reliable so far.
Componentry is generally excellent, Hayes brakes have behaved well so far, Rock Shock Pikes are plush, solid & work great though the lockout cap is a bit flimsy & floaty.
| | Weaknesses: | A wee bit heavy, but not so that it holds the bike back at all on more technincal ground. Only time I've noticed the difference is on longer gradual fireroad climbing sections. Paint on mine seems to be wear & scratch a touch easily.
Have switched the front tire - may be imagining it but I think I was getting the stone bashing others have commented on? Seems better now. | | Similar Products Used: | Lightspeed Niota Al, Specialised FSR - but both only briefly. | | Bike Setup: | Stock, but switched front tire to a Continental Diesel | | Bottom Line: | Overall a brilliant machine, not a bike you're going to win XC races on maybe, but one which climbs tricky ground very well and comes down again even better - will get you through harder sections than you thought possible and leave you smiling. Were it to be stolen tomorrow - I'd go out and replace with another just the same. Stable, predictable solid, fun. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Fountain Hills, AZ
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Bike Setup: | Fox Vanilla RLC fork, Time Z pedals, Thomson seatpost, Shimano XT M760 crankset, Terry Fly saddle, Panaracer Cinder tires, PUSHed RP3 rear shock. | | Bottom Line: | This is a followup to my review that I posted nearly a year ago. The bike in question is a 2004 Iron Horse Hollowpoint Expert. My earlier (one month) review focused on setup issues. This one year review focuses more on maintenance and reliability issues.
I really, really like this bike. The rear suspension is awesome. It pedals well through rough terrain with negligible pedal induced bob. I had purchased this bike to keep me on the trails while my Specialized Enduro was in the shop due to a cracked frame. (I'm on my fourth Enduro frame now.) I had intended to use the Hollowpoint as a "backup" to the Enduro. However, I was almost immediately blown away by the Hollowpoint's pedaling efficiency. Over time, I found myself riding the Hollowpoint more and more, and now the Enduro is relegated to backup (and loaner) status. I found myself increasing the length of my rides. I was able to ride further, more often, with less fatique. I estimate that I now have close to 5000 miles on my Hollowpoint.
The Hollowpoint frame has been very reliable. By way of comparison, I had cracked two Enduro frames in the space of a year's time. The paint on the underside of the Hollowpoint's down tube and back of the seat tube has been pitted by rocks, but this is not unexpected over the course of a year's worth of hard riding.
Unfortunately, much of the damage was caused during the first week of riding due to the Maxxis Hansventure tires. These tires peppered the frame with an almost constant barrage of tiny rocks. Apparently not all riders have problems with these tires. I think it depends on where you ride. The trails I ride have a lot of the wrong size of rock - around the size of a popcorn kernel or perhaps slightly bigger. If I had kept these tires on the bike, there likely wouldn't be any paint left in the problem areas. I've had Panaracer Cinders on the bike since disgarding the Hansventure tires. I've gone through several sets of the Cinders and am most pleased with them.
Tires aside, the Hollowpoint Expert's component selection was quite impressive, especially for the price. That said, I did have a few problems and reliability concerns.
I went through two ISIS bottom brackets during the year, both the original Truvativ BB and a supposedly heavier duty cousin. I learned that ISIS bottom brackets are prone to bearing problems due to their small size. I briefly considered an ISIS solution with outboard bearings, but in the end opted for a Shimano Hollowtech II crankset. Time will tell if this was a wise investment or not. Bottom bracket aside, the Truvativ cranks and chain rings that came with the bike held up well.
I also had problems with the Manitou Black Platinum (w/ SPV) fork. On paper, this looks like a great fork. It offers 90-120mm of adjustable travel and gives the rider a platform via the SPV damping technology. Unfortunately, the SPV valve in the fork got stuck open fairly early on, though it took me a while to recognize this fact. It may even have been defective when I bought it. It took Answer's customer support several months and repeated calls to send me a new SPV damping assembly. I tested the fork with the new damping assembly, but even with minimal SPV pressure, the Black Platinum gave me a much harsher ride than I had become accustomed to. Another drawback to the Black Platinum is that there's no real way to set the sag aside from swapping springs. (And forget about fine tuning the sag; it's just not possible.) On the plus side, this fork is fairly easy to work on if you like to do your own maintenance.
In the interim, while waiting for Answer Products to send me a replacement SPV assembly, I had installed a Fox Vanilla RLC fork on my Hollowpoint. I really like the Vanilla RLC. It has given me a plush, reliable ride. The Vanilla RLC is user serviceable - I've done one oil change so far. I rarely use the lockout, but the low speed compression damping adjustment is worth having. I have no complaints worth mentioning.
I also had problems with the Manitou Swinger 3-way (rear) shock. At around the five month mark, I noticed that the amount of shaft protruding from the air sleeve portion of the shock had decreased, making it no longer possible to get full extension. This affected the sag adjustment; more air was required in the main air spring, resulting in a harsher ride. The shock was bottoming more often. Increasing the SPV presure no longer increased the amount of platform and the rebound adjustment no longer worked. Manitou rebuilt the shock and got it back to me in about two weeks. At around the ten month mark, the shock needed to be rebuilt again. (Note: You ought to run minimal SPV pressure in the Swinger 3-way. The Hollowpoint's DW-Link suspension does not require much, if any, platform from the shock. I only attempted to increase the SPV pressure as a means of diagnosing the problems with the shock.)
Answer has provided a service manual for the Swinger 3-way on their web site, but in my opinion, it's not user serviceable unless you have some fairly specialized tools.
When I first had problems with the Swinger 3-way at around the five month mark, I began to test a replacement solution in the event that the 3-way's reliablity problems should prove to be chronic. I rode with a Fox RP3 on my Hollowpoint for a few months, but its performance was somewhat disappointing. The RP3 feels overdamped even in the (-) propedal setting. Oddly enough, the shock sometimes felt better in the middle (light propedal) setting. I think the low speed compression damping filtered out the trail noise that caused the shock to wallow leaving it in a better position to absorb the significant bumps.
I sent the RP3 to PUSH Industries and like it better now. So far, I've only done significant testing of the (-) setting. The ride provided by Swinger 3-way vs the PUSHed RP3 is quite different. The Swinger 3-way feels cushier at times, but it also has a tendency to blow through much of its travel on relatively small bumps. The PUSHed RP3 is more judicious in its use of travel, but, as a result, feels harsher at times than the Swinger 3-way. The PUSHed RP3 feels good at speed through severely rocky terrain. I plan to use the PUSHed RP3 as the primary shock and the Swinger 3-way as a backup. The warranty period is up now on the Swinger 3-way, and I do not wish to pay to have it rebuilt every 5 months or so.
The Mavic Crossland wheels have been mostly trouble free. I did have a problem with a rattle in the rim of the front wheel. Apparently, the sleeve used to hold the rim together during welding had come free and was sliding around. A small amount of quick setting epoxy injected into the rim cured this problem. Shortly after a cassette change, the freehub had stopped engaging. I disassembled the freehub, lubed it, and reassembled. All was well afterwards. I'm running slime tubes in the Panaracer Cinders that I have mounted on these wheels. I don't know if it's the Cinders or the wheels, but I'm getting significantly fewer flats than I had been in the past on my Enduro's wheels. I've also noticed that I'm able to run with less pressure than I used to on the Enduro's wheels. As noted in my earlier review, it can be a pain getting the tires off the Crossland rims if you don't do it right. Pushing the entire bead into the small channel in the middle of the rim makes it fairly easy to get tires off the wheel.
I wore out several chains in the course of the year, but this is not surprising. What was surprising is that I needed to replace the SRAM cassette at around the 10 month mark. The Shimano cassette on my Enduro has been going strong for over two years. I installed a SRAM PG-990 cassette in place of the original. If it too lasts less than a year, I'll switch to a Shimano cassette next time.
The FSA headset has worked well. I particularly like the "split" crown race as this makes it easy to swap forks. I've had three different forks on my Hollowpoint at various times and swapping the crown race from one fork to another takes less than a minute. There's a slightly gritty sound coming from the bottommost headset cartridge bearing. I've puchased a (higher quality) replacement bearing, but have not needed to use it yet.
The front and rear derailleurs have also worked well. I had some rear shifting problems at around month 10, but this turned out to be a cable that had frayed near the shifter. I get a slight chain rub against the front derailleur in some gear combinations that no amount of adjustment has fixed. I've just adjusted the derailleur so that it doesn't rub much in the gear combinations that I use most frequently. (As adjusted now, the rubbing is particularly bad in the high gears using the middle or large chain rings.)
The Hayes HFX-9 brakes have performed well. They have more than enough stopping power and offer a lot of control. The original rotors became worn in the middle where there is less rotor material. (The original rotors have large oval cutouts situated around the rotor surface. There's very little rotor material in the middle of the braking surface.) I've replaced those rotors with ones that ought to (hopefully) provide a more uniform distribution of rotor material along the braking surface. (One is a Hayes V-cut rotor; the other is an Avid rotor. I want to see which fairs better...) Anyway, the concave (due to wear) cross section of the original rotors were causing the pads to wear unevenly (in a convex shape). This became enough of a problem that one of the pad retention springs became damaged during one of my rides. By way of comparison, the Shimano rotors on my Enduro have lasted longer. However, the Shimano rotors have much smaller cutouts (only tiny holes). Also, the pad material used with the Shimano brakes is different; it's probably less abrasive. I've serviced both the Shimano and Hayes brakes. In my opinion Shimano brakes are easier to refill and bleed. The Hayes brakes use DOT brake fluid (instead of mineral oil) which is nastier stuff. That said, there are most likely performance advantages associated with both the more abrasive pads and the DOT fluid.
In my past review, I dinged Iron Horse for lack of documentation regarding suspension set up. Iron Horse now has this information on their web site, so I'm giving perfect marks in this review. I still think the Hollowpoint Expert was a good value even though I had problems with several of the components. (These problems weren't the fault of Iron Horse, so I'm not counting that against them.) What's more important to me though is the quality of the ride offered by the bike. It is simply outstanding. I highly recommend this bike for trail and XC use.
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Submitted by
John
a
from Portland ME
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Bradbury State Park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | Specialized | | Strengths: | This is for the 2004 Expert: Awesome downhill and climbs technical uphills great - my 1st bike with disks and love them. What I love is that I can just go thru/over a lot of smaller technical stuff that I used to have to pick carefuly lines with (my old bike really sucked) | | Weaknesses: | Rear suspension took a few rides to sort out but now it just rules(thanks to the MTBR Ironhorse board for tips - you guys rule!) - weakness is that I had to do a lot of research to figure it out is all. A litle heavy, but that is a small beef. My buddy's Blur is faster on flat ground but I smoke him on technical uphill and downhill. | | Bike Setup: | Stock except WTB Speed V seat | | Bottom Line: | Kick ass deal with nice components - really fun to ride on east coast roots and rocks - just soaks them up. Can climb stuff I never could before. I love this bike and I really love the deal I got! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Fort Collins, CO
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Coyote Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1350.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance Bike | | Strengths: | Components are absolutely top notch. Zero pedal bob. Hydraulic brakes! | | Weaknesses: | A little heavy at 32.5 lbs. Saddle isn't the best. | | Similar Products Used: | Schwinn Rocket 88, Gary Fisher Sugar 1, Trek Fuel 98, Giant Trance 1 | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for 130mm stem and a flat bar. | | Bottom Line: | Good Colorado bike. Not a true XC speedster bike, more of an all-mountain bike given the longer travel suspension and beefier frame. Absolutely unbeatable deal.
Note: Frame is sized larger than normal. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ANDREW
a Weekend Warrior
from BATON ROUGE, LA. USA
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | COMITE RIVER AND HOOPER | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1749.00 | | Purchased At: | RANDALL SCOTT | | Strengths: | PRICE, SUSPENSION TECHNOLOGY, LOOKS, PERFORMANCE. | | Weaknesses: | NONE YET, TOO SOON. OK, MAYBE THE CRANKSET. | | Similar Products Used: | TOO MANY | | Bike Setup: | STOCK | | Bottom Line: | THIS IS THE 2005 MODEL HOLLOWPOINT MKIII EXPERT LARGE SIZE. I WEIGH 245 LBS, 6'3". SOLID MUSCLE. OK, OK, STOP LAUGHING. I DID ALOT OF RESEARCH BEFORE I PURCHASED. IT WAS A TOUGH DECISION, WITH THE GIANT REIGN, AND MARIN WOLF RIDGE AS FINALISTS. I DON'T RACE, SO I LEFT OUT THE HIGH PRICED SANTA CRUZ, INTENSE, AND BMC. AS YOU CAN TELL, I PREFER A FOUR BAR VPP TYPE SUSPENSION. WHEN I RAN ACROSS RANDALL SCOTT'S WEBSITE GIVING THEM AWAY, I HAD TO STEAL ONE!
WHEN THE BOX ARRIVED, I TORE INTO IT LIKE A KID AT CHRISTMAS AND STAYED UP ASSEMBLING, WAXING, AND ADJUSTING IT. THE GREEN COLOR IS MUCH MORE APPEALING IN PERSON. THE BIKE LOOKED REALLY SUPER-COOL. TOTALLY UNLIKE ANYTHING YOU SEE AT YOUR TRAILS. THE BUILD QUALITY IS EXCEPTIONAL. THE WELDS, PAINT, FIT, AND OVERALL ATTENTION TO DETAIL ARE SWEET. THE BIKE SHOULD COME WITH BETTER INSTRUCTIONS, A SHOCK PUMP, AND ALLEN KEYS.
THE FIRST RIDE WAS A DISAPPOINTMENT. THE FIFTH ELEMENT SAGGED ALL THE WAY DOWN ABOUT 30 MINUTES INTO THE RIDE. I THOUGHT I WAS SO STUPID TO HAVE DISREGARDED ALL THE BAD PRESS THAT SHOCK RECEIVED. THE FORK IS, HOWEVER, A REAL GEM LIKE ALL THE REVIEWS STATE(PIKE RACE). WHEN I GOT HOME, I PUMPED UP THE MAIN CHAMBER OF THE FIFTH AGAIN. I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM SINCE, AND IT WORKS BEAUTIFULLY! ADVICE; BUY A SHOCK PUMP, REMEMBER TO TAKE IT WITH YOU ON THE FIRST RIDE, UNDERSTAND HOW TO SET THE SHOCK, MONITOR THE SAG CAREFULLY DURING BREAK IN, IF YOU SINK DOWN, STOP RIDING, YOU MAY DAMAGE THE SHOCK.
SUBSEQUENT RIDES HAVE ALLOWED ME TO FINE TUNE THE SUSPENSION AND FIT OF THE BIKE. I AM FLYING NOW! I LIKE THE FORK WITH 20 MM AXLE, THE REAR SHOCK, THE SRAM DERS AND SHIFTERS, THE EASTON BARS, STEM, AND POST, THE HAYES BRAKES, THE MAVIC WHEELS, WTB HUBS,AND THE CRANK BROS PEDALS. I EVEN LIKE THE FIZIK SEAT! THE CRANK IS THE ONLY WEAKNESS TO ME. IT IS KINDA FLEXY. NOT GOOD FOR A BIG GUY.
IF YOU ARE A BIG GUY WHO BREAKS STUFF BUT STILL WANTS TO SCREAM DOWN SINGLE TRACK AND CLAW UP HILLS LIKE THOSE LITTLE JOCKEYS ON ULTRALIGHTS, THIS IS IT! YOU WILL WANT TO TAKE IT TO BED WITH YOU! JUST DONT GET SUCKERED INTO BUYING THE WRONG SIZE BIKE. THERE ARE MANY WEB DEALERS MISREPRESENTING THE SIZING. THERE ARE SOME LEFTOVER 21" BIKES BEING PUSHED HARD. OH YEAH, YOU WILL HAVE MORE PEOPLE ASK YOU ABOUT YOUR BIKE THAN IF YOU SPEND 50% MORE ON A SANTA CRUZ.
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Submitted by
Shane H.
a Weekend Warrior
from Burgaw, NC
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | San-Lee Park | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | www.bicyclebuys.com | | Strengths: | Great components, nice feel. I like the standover height, and great looks. | | Weaknesses: | A little on the heavy side, but I haven't ridden enough different bikes to really notice it draining any performance. The handlebars are a little wide too, but they can easily be cut. | | Similar Products Used: | N/A | | Bike Setup: | Completely stock, love it the way it is. | | Bottom Line: | Great bike for the average/experienced rider who occasionaly tackles a few obstacles on the trail, you really get your moneys worth out of the components and performance. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Z
a Weekend Warrior
from Alberta
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Terwilliger Park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | SChk | | Strengths: | Awesome bike!!! Great components. Great frame. Takes anything you can throw at it. | | Weaknesses: | A little heavy, but not noticable when riding. The seat - OUCH. This seat has to go. Something like the WTB Laser V ProGel would be much better. | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | This bike rocks. This is the first FS bike I have ridden and in less than 1 week, my riding style has forever changed. As you can see from the price that I paid, this bike was mis-tagged, but the store honored it. The "Made it Taiwan" sticker peels off easy - it was gone before my first ride. Not that being made in Taiwan is bad - the quality of this bike is top notch. I rate this 5 chillis out of 5. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Lakewood, CO
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Bergen Peak/ Too Long, Evergreen, CO | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance Bike | | Strengths: | Sturdy and balanced bike that is exceptional at climbs and downhills ... good componentry for price | | Weaknesses: | Weight of bike and the seat is awful ... still not so sure about the Hansventure tires ... manual does not explain how to set-up for longer travel | | Similar Products Used: | Santa Cruz Heckler | | Bike Setup: | Stock with exception of seat, seat post, and handle bars (WTB, Thomson Elite, and Monkey Lites, respectively) | | Bottom Line: | This bike seems to really "grip" the surface you ride on, especially once you get the suspension set-up to your liking. This is true for both uphill and downhill. I had to read these reviews to set up the longer travel for the rear shock, but just a small flaw. The Hansventure tires seem to be ok, but I think I am going to change into some Panaracer Fire XC Pro's. Iron Horse truly made a good product here, so go ahead and make this purchase, unless weight is truly an issue. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jaime Bueno
a Cross Country Rider
from Colfax, NC
Date Reviewed: April 29, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Hobby Park, Winston Salem | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1390.00 | | Strengths: | -Great components: XT shifters, Hayes hydraulic disc brakes, Manitou SPV 3 way rear shock, Manitou Black 90-120 mm travel front shock.
Climbs well but descends even better. | | Weaknesses: | On the heavy side (33+ pounds),
Paint scratches easily | | Similar Products Used: | Giant VT2, Specialized Epic Comp | | Bike Setup: | Standard setup. | | Bottom Line: | For the money it is hard to find a better bike with so many outstanding components. After 6 months of single track trail riding, (3 times a week), today I got my first flat with the Maxxis Hansventure tires. I kept a tire pressure between 40 and 45 lbs. I don't understand why other reviewers were getting "lots of flats". Changing the tire, on the Mavic Crossland rims was not more difficult than on a regular "non-tubeless" rim.
Excellent brakes, although there is a need to use LocTite glue on the small (allen) screw that adjusts the "opening", (distance from the handle bar), of the brake lever. After 6 months of riding the brake lever screw has become loose. All you need is a 2mm allen wrench and some LocTite.
One last word, before you take it for the very first ride make sure you tighten all screws, bolts, and preferably have it checked by a good mechanic.
Strengths
- Great components.
- Excellent brakes.
- Excellent Rear suspension, (MANITOU SWINER AIR 3-WAY 6.5x1.5"), is excellent; no noticeable bob when pedaling yet soaks small to medium size bumps well.
- Front suspension is also very good, (MANITOU BLACK PLATINUM W/SPV DAMPING, 90-120MM TRAVEL).
- Climbs well; but descends even better.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Randy
a Weekend Warrior
from Cruso,North Carolina,USA
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Tsali (right loop) | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Epic Cycles Black Mtn NC | | Strengths: | no bob suspension, finally someone got it right! | | Weaknesses: | comes with some really HEAVY crap tires. other than that, none | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Jekyll, Super V, Raven | | Bike Setup: | Full XT, black platinum fork, carbon seatpost, carbon bars, hutchinson scorpion ust, wtb rocket v, hayes 9 discs. | | Bottom Line: | after all the claims of a no bob suspension from every manufacturer in the world, finally one that actually doesn't bob! I have been a loyal cannondale rider since 1994 but when I threw a leg on this thing I knew I had found a perfect fit. It is a true do-it-all bike. 3.75 or 4.5 travel means you can truly have the best of both worlds. I would have never considered Iron Horse before, because honestly, I thought they were cheap bikes. Little did I know! The quality on this thing is top notch with any other builder out there. The bottom line is, if you want the true "holy grail" of suspension, get a hollowpoint. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mtv
a Cross Country Rider
from yorktown, ny, usa
Date Reviewed: November 28, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | Single Obsession - Blue Mtn Park | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay,/LBS | | Strengths: | Excellent design - no bob suspension. Excellent climber and low center of gravity | | Weaknesses: | Heavy, at little slow in responding - could be the longer travel fork. Made in Taiwan | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Gemini 2000 and Super V 700 | | Bike Setup: | Fox AVA float shock, Fox Vanilla 125RLC (at 125mm)fork, Avid mechanicals (180mm rotor up front) with Hayes mechanical specific levers, Scram X.O/X.9 derailer/shifter. XT wheels and hubs. | | Bottom Line: | Overall an outstanding bike design - a poor man's Blur. Once properly set up (go to Hcore.net for details)the suspension is flawless. I set the sag at exactly 3/8in and the suspension is both completely locked out while pedalling but completly active. The ride is more plush than the Super V but not as plush as a 4-bar design. I can't describe it, but the suspension seems to pull the rear wheel down when climbing. I can stand out of the saddle on the steepest climbs and not have the wheel break free. I consistently clean climbs that everyone else walks - even the 24lb X-country bikes. Weight is not an issue because the design is so good. However, at 32lb, I would like to bike to be lighter.
Handling is generally good but not as crisp as the Gemini or Super V. This is most likely due to the head angle, dropping the fork to 100mm may help. If your a cross country rider racing on tight, twisty, smooth single track, this bike is not for you. If your riding the north east, rock infested, root strewn dirt ribbons that I do, this is a excellent bike to consider. The geometry will never throw you over the bars or toss you off the back -you just ride and ride.
The made it Taiwan thing is definitely a draw back - not because of the quality - that's first rate. It's just an image thing you have to get over. I get over it and everything else every time I ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
steve
a Weekend Warrior
from aosta italy
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | every trail in aosta valley -italy | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1450.00 | | Purchased At: | supergo | | Strengths: | Rear suspension is very good; no noticeable bob when pedaling, yet soaks small to medium size bumps well.
- Climbs well.
- Good components for the price. | | Weaknesses: | Poor documentation: There is a user manual, but it is fairly generic. Iron Horse needs to provide a manual which describes suspension setup and tuning for this bike.
Weight e little more than i desire | | Similar Products Used: | Jamis dakar xlt2 - Specialized enduro - Cannondale Jeckyll | | Bike Setup: | Stock componenets except Syntace stem/bar combo - geax tubeless tyres | | Bottom Line: | This bike kicks ass! It is a excellet climber and a very good descender. I love it's solid feel during climbing and predictable handling in the rough descents.
I have other bikes, but i prefer the hollowpoint in every situation for its excellent compromise in every situation.
I live in italian alps and the trails are very steeps and fulls of rocks! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Fountain Hills, AZ
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1650.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | - Rear suspension is excellent; no noticeable bob when pedaling, yet soaks small to medium size bumps well.
- Climbs well.
- Good components for the price.
| | Weaknesses: | - Poor documentation: There is a user manual, but it is fairly generic. Iron Horse needs to provide a manual which describes suspension setup and tuning for this bike.
- Stock saddle (Fizik Nisene) is uncomfortable.
- Tread pattern on stock tires (Maxxis Hansventure) throws up lots small pebbles. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Enduro | | Bike Setup: | Stock components for the 2004 Hollowpoint Expert except for:
- Saddle: replaced Fizik Nisene with WTB Shadow V ProGel.
- Pedals: replaced Shimano M540 with Time Z.
- Tires: tried the Maxxis Hansventure for a week; now replaced with Panaracer Cinder.
| | Bottom Line: | I purchased this bike to keep me on the trail while my Specialized Enduro is in the shop (due to cracked frame). I knew very little about the Iron Horse Hollowpoint aside from what I found on Iron Horse's web site and what I found in the MTBR product reviews. These reviews were very positive, so I gave it a serious look.
I am very pleased with how well this bike handles. Although the rear suspension of my Hollowpoint does not seem to soak up the big bumps as well as my Enduro, it performs very well on small and medium bumps. It does much better than my Enduro at cancelling out pedal induced bob. (I should note that the shock on my Enduro is a Fox Float w/ Itch switch from 2002. As such, it lacks the current Propedal technology which might well make difference in this regard.) The Hollowpoint climbs very well; I am able to attack hills and it feels like all of the energy that I expend is being used to propel me up the hill. I am really quite impressed with the DW-Link suspension technology.
The MTBR manufacturer Forum for Iron Horse provided crucial information for setting up and tuning the rear suspension. (See http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=40 ) Here is a brief summary of the necessary details gleaned from several threads:
- The rear shock is a Manitou Swinger Air 3-way. The SPV pressure should be set to the minimum amount specified by Manitou: 50 psi. Apparently, the DW-Link suspension is designed so as not to require this feature. Others have reported using shocks lacking SPV (or Propedal or the like) technology. They report that the anti-bob and anti-squat response is just as good without it.
- Sag should be set to 1/3 travel. Thus, 0.5 inch of the Swinger's 1.5 inch stroke should be used up when sitting on the bike in a neutral position. Apparently, this setting is very important. Straying in either direction from this setting will cause the suspension to behave suboptimally. (I have my bike set up using this recommendation and it performs great.)
- By default, the bike is set up for 3.75 inches of travel. If you wish to change the travel to 4.5 inches, you must detach the rear of the shock from the shuttle by removing the top bolt. You must then remove the bolt immediately below this bolt so that the shuttle may be flipped over. After flipping the shuttle over and reattaching the (now) upper bolt, the end of the shock should be reattached to the bottom hole of the shuttle AFTER rotating the shock's shaft 180 degrees. (This is done by deflating the shock and turning the shaft 180 degrees -- the front part of the shock should not be detached from the bike to perform this operation.) Once this is done, the red SPV inflation valve at the very rear of the shock will be on the bottom and will not run into the shuttle when the shock is compressed (which is the reason for rotating it in the first place). For more information including pictures of the default position, see: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=18406 . (I have performed this modification and am happy with the results.)
- If you run the bike in the 4.5 inch travel position, the main air chamber will require (in PSI) roughly the rider's weight (in pounds) in order to achieve the recommended sag. I.e, if you weigh 200 lbs, you should inflate the main chamber of the shock to 200 psi. This setting will get you in the ballpark; you should verify that this setting produces the correct amount of sag (see above). If not, tweak the air pressure as necessary.
As noted in the "Product Weaknesses" section, above, it would be nice if Iron Horse would provide this information in their product documentation as well as on their web site. The MTBR forums are a nice resource, but it's not the first place one would expect to look for this kind of important information. Also, the necessary information is scattered amongst various forum threads and it takes quite a lot of time to sort out the good information from the chaff.
I found the Fizik Nisene saddle to be uncomfortable in my parking lot tests. I had the shop replace it with the WTB saddle before taking the bike home. My cycling shoes are set up with Time cleats, so I got Time Z pedals. I like the Z pedals because they provide a more substantial platform to stand on when not clipped in.
I tried the Maxxis Hansventure tires for about a week before giving up on them. They actually perform rather well; my main gripe with them is that the tread pattern is arranged in such a way so as to pick up and propel lots of small pebbles into other parts of my bike. After only a week, the paint on the down tube is slightly pitted from the constant pebble blasting caused by these tires. I am accustomed to (and like) Panaracer Fire XCs. The Fire XCs will throw up some sand and rocks when brand new due to the stickiness of the rubber, but this usually goes away after one ride. I've replaced the Hansventure tires on this bike with some Panaracer Cinders. I don't have any experience with the Cinders yet.
My other gripe about the Maxxis Hansventure tires is that they seemed to puncture more easily than the tires that I'm accustomed to. When replacing the tires, I found no fewer than seven punctures in the tube for the rear tire. (I put a brand new Slime tubes in before doing any serious riding with these tires.) Since I'm running with Slime tubes, so I noticed no problem on the trail, but I can't help but wonder how the tube/tire would've held after 10 weeks of riding. (7 punctures per week * 10 weeks = 70 punctures. Would there have been enough slime to fill that many holes? What about after 20 weeks?) Typically, when I replace my Panaracer Fire XCs after six months or more of riding, I find only a couple of punctures.
The Mavic Crossland rims that come with this bike took some getting used to. These rims may be run either tubeless or with tubes. I haven't tried the tubeless option yet. However, I think, due to this either/or feature, tires are somewhat more difficult to mount and unmount than what I'm used to. On the Mavic Crossland rims, the trick is to start near the valve and push one of the beads from the edge of the rim into the center channel in the middle of the rim. Work around the rim and push the rest of the bead into the center channel. Once this is done, the bead that's in the channel may be easily removed from the rim. Mavic recommends AGAINST the use of tire irons! If it's necessary to remove the entire tire, the above procedure should be repeated for the other bead. If you buy this bike, be sure to practice taking these tires off (and on) these rims at home before hitting the trail.
I'm still undecided about whether I like the Manitou Black Platinum fork yet. It seems to handle the bumps pretty well, but the steering response isn't as predictable as I would like. I've ordered the firm ride kit to replace the default spring. At the moment, I have the SPV pressure on the fork set to the highest recommended pressure in an attempt to compensate. After each ride, there seems to be more oily gunk on the fork legs than I would've expected. I'm hoping that this residue that I wipe up at the end of each ride is just extra grease packed in the fork. I know that I've seen similar stuff after doing air sleeve maintenance on my Fox (rear) shock on my Enduro. After a few rides, the quantity of grease left on the shock shaft decreases. I might do a separate review of this fork once I've gotten more experience with it.
Apparently others have had issues with the Hayes HFX 9 XC disc brakes. Mine required some adjustment, but so far I don't have any real complaints. They certainly seem to perform as well as the Shimano Deore disc brakes that I'm accustomed to. I did put a drop of blue loctite on each brake lever adjustment screw as a precaution; apparently others have had problems with this screw wandering around and making breaking unpredictable.
Overall, I am very satisfied with this bike: 5 flamin' chilis for value. 4 flamin' chilis overall. (I would've given it 5 overall if there'd been Hollowpoint specific setup instructions supplied with the documentation. Things like tires are easily replaced, and there might be some settings where the Hansventure tires work really well, so I'm not going to ding the bike for that.)
Please note that I've ridden this bike for only a week so far. I will post a followup review if my opinion of the bike or its components changes substantially. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jim
a Cross Country Rider
from staatsburg,NY,USA
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | happy | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1450.00 | | Purchased At: | supergo | | Strengths: | parts specs, looks, price | | Weaknesses: | none so far, tho right heel sometimes bangs upperswing arm.. could be curved the way lower is to avoid this..seat sucks for anything but looking at.. | | Similar Products Used: | none.. old bike is an 85 ross mt rainier, almost bought a FSR stumpjumper elite for 1600, but specs couldnt compare | | Bike Setup: | stock except for selle saddle.. the nice looking butt buster that came with it had to go.. | | Bottom Line: | buy it.. if you are looking for a well spec'd full susser for under 2000 this is it.. I can't beleive how well this thing eats up rough terrain.. it just glides over rough jagged rockie trails.. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Myron MacNeil
a Cross Country Rider
from Poway, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | Sycamore Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Parts Specs are unbeatable. Tubless! | | Weaknesses: | Who thought up that seat?!? Was the first thing to go! | | Similar Products Used: | '02 Jamis Dakar Sport upgraded so much it's worth almost twice what I paid for the Hollowpoint | | Bike Setup: | All stock with the exception of the seat(wow) and some egg beaters. I'm saving the Shimano pedals for "later" | | Bottom Line: | Took it for my inaugural ride into Mission trails last night. LONG top tube takes some getting used to. Changes the ride a lot. Fantastic climber and downhill bomber. I'm not crazy...yet, but I can FEEL the difference in my ride and know it'll only get better. Be Careful when switching from mechanical disks to hydraulic. Endo-ed on a downhill during an "Oh S__T moment. Did my usual brake grab and ended up in front of the bike! Very forgiving. I can't wait till i get it all "dialed in". Good bike for anyone who hits the single track. I went cheaper first and ended up spending more. Might as well buy this and NOT have to upgrade everything. | |
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$ 2599.99
