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Submitted by
Jeff
a Cross Country Rider
from Longmont
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Great ride, smooth climbing | | Weaknesses: | Durability | | Similar Products Used: | Trek fuel | | Bottom Line: | Nice ride if you like to climb with just enough travel for descending.Biggest problem is durability. After some average spills I cracked the carbon swingarm. The rep couldn't do anything for me.If you ride aggressively and occasionally take some spills I'm not sure this frame will hold up. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aquila
a Weekend Warrior
from Maui, HI
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | they're all good | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | yeehahbay | | Strengths: | Weight, handling | | Weaknesses: | um....no place to store my pipe | | Similar Products Used: | test rode other sugars | | Bike Setup: | Race Face everythig except XTR brakes, shifters, hubs | | Bottom Line: | This bike is awesome. I had a Supercaliber before this, and the extra 3/4 pound is more than made up for by the ride. I ride XC and don't do huge drops etc so I can't vouch for it taking that kind of abuse, but if you want a bike that handles like a hardtail but grabs the dirt better and is easier on your hurtin' bod, this is your ride. Gary's the man! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Henry
a Cross Country Rider
from California
Date Reviewed: January 27, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | The Flume | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2700.00 | | Purchased At: | Dave's Bike Sport | | Strengths: | ACCELERATION! This baby hooks up! I just switched from a hardtail to the sugar 1 and the 2.5 inches of travel in the rear are sweet. I love the on the fly lock out on the sid sl. I use it all the time on steep sections of trail. Remember this is a XC full suspension bike not a DH bike so don't be dissapointed by the small travel in the rear. | | Weaknesses: | Are you kidding me? | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel 100 | | Bike Setup: | Chris King Threadless headset, Race Face Next LP Isis Crankset, XTR rear casette, XTR levers and pods, shimano 858 pedals, sachs PC-99 chain, Race face XC Isis bottom bracket, Avid mag v-brakes. | | Bottom Line: | The best full suspension cross country bike, PERIOD!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
andrew bost
a Cross Country Rider
from dallas, texas, usa
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | dinosaur state park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1149.00 | | Purchased At: | bicycles inc. | | Strengths: | This is the best fitting bike I tried. It is very confident and nimble on the rough and technical downhill sections and has allowed me to climb sections of trail that I had not previously conquered. | | Weaknesses: | Literature for rear shock (cane creek cloud nine) was completely misleading about initial setup but once dialed in it is an excellent ride. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel 100, Trek Suspension Track 9200 | | Bike Setup: | 2002 sugar 1 with xtr shifter/levers/cranks/cassette, race face seatpost/chainrings/sySTEM, cane creek dc5 brakes/s6 headset/cloud nine shock/ergo bar ends, mars cl fork, easton ct2 bar, king hubs with D521 rims, michelin comp s tires. | | Bottom Line: | Overall this is a great bike and has handled my aggressive yet sane style of riding very well. It is quick and efficient as well as comfortable. The custom build was also great, giving me a unique package that is still top notch - thanks to the guys at Bicycles Inc. for the build using my components on the frame I bought from them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
-B-
a Racer
from ROCKY MOUNTAINS
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | NOT MOAB | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | EFFICIENT | | Similar Products Used: | EVERYTHING | | Bottom Line: | THIS IS THE FASTEST MOST EFFICIENT XC RACING BIKE THERE IS PERIOD. ALSO THE THE TREK AND KLINE COPYCATS ARE GOOD. FISHER HAS BETTER GEOMETRY. THE REAR SHOCK DOES NOT HAVE LOCKOUT =YOU DON'T NEED IT THE REAR SUSPENSION DESIGN IS MORE ABOUT FUNCTION THAN COMFORT.MANY TIMES I RACED THIS BIKE WITH THE FORK LOCKED OUT THE RIDE WAS SMOOTH THE WHEEL KEPT GOOD TRACTION ON CLIMBS AND CORNERS. I WAS ABLE TO STAY SEATED AND SPIN THROUGH ROUGH STUFF=SAVING ENERGY A++++++++++ | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
john stevens
a Racer
from bryant arkansas usa
Date Reviewed: December 12, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | camp robinson | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | bicycle outfitters of bryant | | Strengths: | everything - this is one great bike. Has stood up to a years worth of racing our local norba series | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | sugar 2 - 2000 model | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | you need this bike! It has propelled many racers to the top of their class, and you could be next. I was finishing mid pack with my old hardtail, untill I hopped on the super sweet sugar. Soon I was finishing at the front of my field. The guys over at Bicycle Outfitters of Bryant deserve a pat on the back for helping me choose the perfect bike... www.bike-oufitters.com thanks Scott | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | All of them | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$4000.00 | | Purchased At: | Bikelife | | Strengths: | Light weight
Looks good
Extremley comfortable | | Weaknesses: | Rock Shox SID SL
Bontrager
Bontrager
and Bontrager | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel 90
Mongoose 8.3? | | Bike Setup: | Standard except for;
Bontrager Crow Bars (Comfy but Heavy) | | Bottom Line: | A fantastic bike as far as the frame goes. Very fast and agile (Spat me off due to too much tyre pressure, not bikes fault)but happened very quickly.
The strength lies in the fact that the rear end feels as though it does nothing, but is in fact soaking up the big hits and vibration, making the ride less tiring over 50-60km. Very little to no bob-depending on how smoothly I pedal, and the handling is awsome and precise, even when compared to my old hardtail.
BUT why, oh why Gary did you spec the finest bike around with Bontrager?
Cranks creak, chainrings flex. I have two unwanted friends who ride with me constantly. Their names; chain suck and poor front shifting. Funilly enough, all of my buddies with Bontrager specced bikes (Trek, Fisher etc)have the same constant companions. Difference being that they have lower specced bikes and therefore chain suck and poor front shifting hang around a heap more with them.
The Bontrager bits that are good are the Wheel set (Excellent), seat post and handlebars (on my request the bike shop swapped them from flat to riser, a great loss of quality and gain in weight to me. Not a fair swap. Ta!)
And now the Forks. Brand new ride, and the forks were as loose as a hookers um, morals. Went back to the factory to be fixed, returned and yes still doing a good impression of a prostitutes money making attribute. Morals of course. Over $1000.00AUS for SIDs' and dont work properly. Next forks will be Marzocchi's(Have a look at the Hall of fame on this web site). The SIDs' are hard to set up properly-both front and rear.
Anyway, Sugar 1 is one sweet ride, infact so good that I am willing to forgo the Bontrager whinges untill I can replace them, which I will.
If this bike was specced with XT-XTR (are you listening Gary) it would be 5 flaming Chillis from me. Unfortunatley..... | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a Racer
from Pensacola
Date Reviewed: November 7, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | all that is hard and fast | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$950.00 | | Purchased At: | Alpine Bikes | | Strengths: | The suagar is a great bike, It is light and fast just the way I like it,increditable handling, excellent customer service. | | Weaknesses: | Well I broke the rear stay about 2 inches past the pivot point, but I had a new one in two and half weeks, great turnaround time. | | Similar Products Used: | 2000 fsr, 2000 fuel 80 | | Bike Setup: | 2002 rockshox Duke Race
race face next lp crank
race face bb
race face sl headset
xtr shifters
xtr chain
xtr v-brakes
xtr brake levers
xtr cassette
xtr hubs
mavic 517 wheels
easton monkey lite riser bar
easton carbon ct2 seatpost
specialist mens saddle
xt rear derailuer(xtr 9 spd is crap)
| | Bottom Line: | Best all around bike,
Best handling
Light weight
very fast
keeps a lickin and keeps on tickin | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
andrew bernard
a Cross Country Rider
from geneva
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | les gets | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | england | | Strengths: | light, strong, superb suspension | | Weaknesses: | some dodgy components when buying 'off the rack' | | Bike Setup: | Thomson stuff, + XTR all over | | Bottom Line: | Still, in my opinion, the best FS cross country bike there is. The rear just does not move under pedalling, yet allows very fast descents.
My question is this - the bolts and bushes that hold the rear triangle / shock / pivot together are very heavy steel items. Does anyone know where you can get relacement titanium parts? This would save a significant amount of weight, in a weight critical area (i.e. an area that moves). Any help appreciated. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
andrew bernard
a Cross Country Rider
from geneva
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | les gets | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | england | | Strengths: | light, strong, superb suspension | | Weaknesses: | some dodgy components when buying 'off the rack' | | Bike Setup: | Thomson stuff, + XTR all over | | Bottom Line: | Still, in my opinion, the best FS cross country bike there is. The rear just does not move under pedalling, yet allows very fast descents.
My question is this - the bolts and bushes that hold the rear triangle / shock / pivot together are very heavy steel items. Does anyone know where you can get relacement titanium parts? This would save a significant amount of weight, in a weight critical area (i.e. an area that moves). Any help appreciated. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard Tibenham
a Racer
from Lincoln
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere but here | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Bros. | | Strengths: | Good ride,light wieght,great frame and forks,nearly everything really. | | Weaknesses: | Those god damn Michelin tyres-doin' my head in !!! | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Stock 2001 model | | Bottom Line: | Frame and forks are excellent,climbs like a hard tail,but the suspensoin's there when you need it.Don't expect huge amounts of travel,it just takes the sting out of things and gives a good forgiving ride for enduro events especially.Its an XC race bike,its light weight ,don't expect to be doing big drop offs and stuff its not made for that,but for XC race,as its intended,its excellent.
The forks are great,the lock out is very useful,they've been used in some very wet Welsh forests for 5 hrs and were still plush at the end of it,as was the rear shock-so no probs there.
Drive train is good,no complaints,very smooth rear shift,the cranks are good a reliable and give a good shift.The shifters,as with most Shimano stuff are smooth and reliable,you kinda forget they're there,Avid brakes are very powerful and feel good on the ceramic rims,some people say they sqeak,but mine don't at all.The stem,post and bar aren't that amazing but do the job,I had to cut down my bar.
The wheels are good in most aspects.Very light,strong,if your not that heavy like me (10 3/4 stone)hubs are nice and smooth.Main problem is the Tubless tyre system.The Michelin tyres are absolute crap,I'm never buying a michelin product again-I'm fed up paying large amounts of money for crap products.The tyres are way too tight and the rim tapes on the wheels are very teperamental.If you can manage to get your dealer to swap the tyres before you buy do so.I've had to use metal tyre levers to get mine off and it badly scatches and chips the ceramic rim.Why do companies spec products that obviosly don't work?And why can't the industry have a proper industry standard for tyre and rim sizes-its a joke.
Overall,I'm highly satisfied with the bike,especially as I only paid trade price for it,its just those crap tubeless tyres that let it down.I feel i've been slightly let down by The Fisher rep',he agreed to get new rim tapes as he admitted that the seemed type had produced problems.He wouldn't admit the tyres were a problem,he said they were awkward and even went on to say you could get them off with no tools at all-I'd like to see him try! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian Buell
a Racer
from Keller, Texas
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | Grapevine Bike Center | | Strengths: | They don't call this bike SUGAR for nothin'.. soooooooo sweet | | Weaknesses: | BRAKE SQUEAL!!!.. I built mine up from scratch it mine did it.. BUT!! I have a remedy.. I called up bontrager and asked WHAT THE HELL!!!!.. one.. clean your rims with alcohol, sure they're new, do it anyway, second, the Ceramic coating on teh racelite rims is NOT.. I repeat is NOT Shimano brake pad compatible, I'm using Kool Stop Cearmic THin Lines, no sqeal except for when you have to clean the rim, but no problems but the rims do take a bit of maintenece just for cleaning the rim a dremel and polish attachment works wonders for cleaning the ceramic coating | | Similar Products Used: | only hard tails... '98 Trek 8900 SL... broke it... '97 Trek 850 Mountain Track..... Broke that too... '95 Specialized hard Rock......YUP! you guessed it.. broke that too | | Bike Setup: | custom... race face cranks, time pedals, CT-2 H-Bar, Sram levers, XTR brakes, XTR Ft and Rr der., LX Shifters, ended up builidng up my 2000 Race Lite to the 2002 Tubeless version since I beat teh hell out of those literally super strong rims, can't bust 'em... unless you like doing trials at low pressure... oops! | | Bottom Line: | I built it up from scratch after getting a SWEET deal on a SWEET frame, broke the trek frame.. worth 400 bucks.. I work at Grapevine Bike Center, so we cut a deal with Fisher... since Trek owns Fisher.. got 400 dollar credit on my 800 dollar cost of the frame and got it for 400 bones.. HELL YEAH! So anywayI LOVE this bike if i break it I"LL GET ANOTHER!! this thing climbs like a hard tail, corners like a hard tail, and descends like a dual suspension, soooo sweet. If you like the ride of a hard tail but don't like the punishment and you don't want a super squishy 4+ inches of rear wheel travel the sugar with it's 2.5" of travel is just for you. Do you know where Trek *BLAH* got the Idea for the Fuel???? SUGAR! look at the rear triangle, but the shock is placed differently yes, that's cuz Trek can't match Sugar's Pure instinct. ohn yeah seent eh New Klein for 2002.. look at the Sugar.. Go ahead get the original. And for those of you wanting more than just 2.5" of travel, for 2002 Fisher is making in all sugar but the 1 a variable travel rear linkage and looosing a 1/4 pound off teh frame alone, so you can get either 2.5 OR 4.1" of travel.. now the sugar is even better I"M GETTING A NEW ONE! Go ahead Bring sugar home, soooo sweet | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$2700.00 | | Purchased At: | Sun-N-Ski | | Strengths: | Fast, great handling, climbs like a goat | | Weaknesses: | Michelin tires | | Similar Products Used: | Sugar 2, Specialized FXR | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | This bike is so SWEET!!!!! No wonder they call it SUGAR!!
I've been riding the Sugar 1 for nearly 8 months now and have had zero problems. It's super quiet (after the brake squeal stopped when it was new). Super fast and like all the Fisher genesis bikes climbs great. I don't know how many hundreds of hours I've had on it but the tires are now nearly bald and I need new brake pads so it's been quite a few
I'm 6'5" and I fit on the XL great. If I could find a longer seatpost I'd buy it 'cause I'd about another inch there. But I love the cockpit, the fit there is perfect for me | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Eagleston
a Weekend Warrior
from Katy, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: August 5, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Hard pack | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2700.00 | | Purchased At: | Sun Ski | | Strengths: | Handling, light weight and stretched out feel. | | Weaknesses: | I tested a Sugar 2 and, if I had to say there was a weakness with the Sugar 1, it would be that it has a little livelier rear end due to the carbon fiber, but I'm still getting used to the bike. | | Similar Products Used: | My last mountain bike was a Motobecane 650 with a lot of boing in the back and almost none in the front, quite different (inferior) from the Sugar, and about 10 pounds heavier. Also tested DS bikes from Trek, Specialized, Cannondale and Klein. | | Bike Setup: | Stock except I swapped out the Bontrager pedals for the Time pedals the bike used to come with. | | Bottom Line: | It's much quicker than what I'm used to. Quicker up hills, quicker on the flats and smoother and quicker on downhills. Fast turning, almost twitchy, but I love it. Haven't had it long enough to break anything yet and I'm still playing with the shocks (still waiting on my manuals that didn't come with the bike). When I was ready to buy, I definitely wanted DS and tried a lot of bikes. This Sugar was the best ride. However, I did not actually try the Trek Fuel or the Giant XTC. There seemed to be less that could go wrong with the Sugar re: pivots, brakes, etc. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lynn Gardner
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise, Idaho
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Boise foothills | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | Georges Cycles | | Strengths: | Light, well ballanced, sid front shock with lockout. I have had the bike now for 3 months and have put about 500 miles on it, the bike rides well seems evenly balanced front and rear. I've made some upgrades that have made it a little better than the out of box bike. When I first started riding it the front end seemed very "twitchy", I may have caused some of this when I put on the easton carbon handlebar which was narrower than the stock bar. I improved the handling significantly by putting a Thomson stem on it that was 1cm longer and slightly more angled. | | Weaknesses: | 1)Bontrager Wheels-To light and flexy for me, lightweight riders may do ok.
2)Bontrager pedals-was on a ride yeserday and couldn't clip in on the right because the spring clip on the back folded over. I was able to fix it when I got home but I've never had this problem with a Shimano product.
3)Rear hub has gotten really loud, another reason I don't like the wheel set.
4)Conflicting information from Rockshock/Gary Fisher about how to set up the bikes shocks.
5)Bottom bracket 11/2 oz. heaver than XTR, crankset weighs the same as XTR 180mmcrank (stock bottom bracket kept loosening up and creaking-no problem since changeout) | | Similar Products Used: | Schwinn Homegrown | | Bike Setup: | Easton Carbon fiber handlebar, bar ends.
Thompson stem
Sella Italia flight saddle
XTR crank and bottom bracket
XTR rear cassette
Mavic crossmax wheels | | Bottom Line: | Great Bike, Still best IMHO. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sug
a Racer
from Gary Fischer, WI
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | dirt | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | This bike is incredible. Frame & suspension couldn't be better for it's intended use. I've spent over 12 hours in the saddle on this bike without a problem, on a hard tail I would have been in agony. There are weaknesses though(see below) | | Weaknesses: | The wheels. Tubeless? Yes. Hold air? No. The rear DT Swiss Hugi hub on the RaceLites, good for maybe 1000 miles, if your lucky, then you'll get really good at high cadence track standing, cause you won't be going any where. Rock Shock Sid SL fork appears to have bled air between the postive & negative chambers since it rolled out of the shop brand new. It still works pretty well though. | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for Ritchey Rizer Pro Bars and Bontrager Super X tires & superlight tubes. The support people at Fischer were great as they replaced the garbage Michelin Tubeless tires with the tire & tubes mentioned. | | Bottom Line: | If the RaceLites still came w/Chris King hubs, I'd go 5 for this bike even with the tubeless deal not workin. But with the junk DT Swiss Hugi hub, I can only go about a 3.5 or 4. I'll go 4 because the GF support people really have been very helpful & done everything possible to resolve the problems with the wheels. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matthew
a Cross Country Rider
from Soundbeach, NY
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | not certain | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Carl Hart | | Strengths: | Light and fast-bike especially once you learn how to make the thing turn. Very efficient with minimal rear travel and geometry. Great suspension, tires. | | Weaknesses: | Not sure if I am the only one with this problem, but i find the machine tough to turn, especially while breaking hard and sitting over the rear tire. this is particularly noticeable when you are descending and breaking and turning all at once. This combination seems to unweight the front end-particularly with the genesis thing-and causes the bike to push wide in the turns. I really have to concentrate on my riding to get this thing to fly through technical singletrack. With that said, once you get it all right this thing flies and is so satisfying to ride! | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Jeckyl-bobbed a little too much under power (so, maybe I'm a little sloppy on th epedals sometimes) and felt a little scrunched together, I preferred the laid-out feel of the Sugar | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for Easton Monkey and Time-definately worth the upgrade. | | Bottom Line: | This bike has one mission in life and that is to travel at warp speed through cross country trails. If you use it for this purpose you can't go wrong. Don't try and expand its mission by doing silly-high drops and crazy trials riding, this bike is not meant for that. According to my uneducated seat of my pants, I think I riding a bit faster through the trails and am leaving without my usual lower back issues-don't laugh young ones this will afflict you in the future. The suspension works very well once you dial it in correctly. Hookup in the loose and traction over some rough stuff is definately better than a hardtail but remember we are not talking about a plush 4 inches back there, more like 2.75 or so (I think) the moral here is that the limited travel suspension appears to mute the normal background noise of the trail and reduce the impact on larger hits as well as produce better traction while not bobbing stupidly with every pedal stroke. Personally, I love the bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Hugh
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: July 21, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Forest Ridge - now, saddly closed :( | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | Discovery Cycle | | Strengths: | Practically pedals itself up climbs!! This is aqn awesome climbing bike. Makes the lack of plush suspension a non-issue. | | Weaknesses: | I haven't found any yet | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher Joshua XO | | Bike Setup: | My Joshua had a frame problem. The great people @ Fisher warranted the frame and let me get the Sugar for a small charge. All components except for the seatpost are from my '97 Joshua. When my wife lets me, I'll start upgrading!! | | Bottom Line: | This bike must be called Sugar because it is SWEET!!! On my Joshua, I would frequently go to the granny on climbs. On the Sugar, I don't think I've even grabbed for the granny yet! I've only had time to ride this on mostly hardpack, so I haven't tested the FS much yet. I can tell that the ride is not as plush as the Joshua, but that's so far been a worthwhile sacrifice. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tyler Grahovec
a Racer
from Kennesaw, GA
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Happy Trails Woodstock, GA | | Bottom Line: | In response to my earlier review after talking to Chuck Mcfarland at Fisher he really helped me out. He gave me some back ground info on the carbon fiber and the company. They replaced the part for me at a small cost.
The bottom line is that some times you need to talk to the people yourself.
It's nice to be reunited with my bike.
Please remove my last review. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark H.
a Cross Country Rider
from Chico, CA
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Ten mile house | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$3600.00 | | Purchased At: | North Rim Adventure Sports | | Strengths: | very light. Handaling is fast and responsive while at the same time amazingly stable. Genesis cockpit design keeps you in a perfect position for technical descents and climbs. flys down hills and up (wow!!!!) | | Weaknesses: | Although I've had only minor problems with mine, the Rock Shox SID has a reputation and track record of serious failures (although when it works it's one of the smoothest and most adjustable rear shcok's around) | | Similar Products Used: | SC Superlight | | Bike Setup: | Ordered the frame and built a bike that is considerably beefier then a stock Sugar 1. All XTR, Marzzochi Z2 X-fly, Easton Carbon, Chris King, Mavic 517 on XTR hubs, Koobi saddle. still weighs 24.6 pounds !!! | | Bottom Line: | This is the best XC dual suspension platform there is period. The superlight is good also, but it's not as stable as the sugar and no more responsive, it also suffers from too much suspension on an XC oriented bike. At first I thought that the Sugar had too little rear travel, but its modest rear travel responds nearly perfectly to everything within the normal scope of XC riding (including bombing down severe trails, fireroads and singletrack). If your planning on using this bike for serious sport oriented fun but not racing I would order this bike without the tubless wheel set and without the rock shox SID front fork. Go with more reliable and performance oriented wheels and fork. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shaun R
a Cross Country Rider
from Staten Island,NY
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | South Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Julio | | Strengths: | Genesis Geometry=great handling & fit. Solid rear end. No waisted energy. This bike is FAST!!! | | Weaknesses: | None. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized, Cannondale, Trek, Santa Cruz, Giant, K2, GT | | Bike Setup: | Stock, except for XTR shifters. | | Bottom Line: | Nothing is as fast or handles as well as the Sugars. Everybody I talked to said get the Sugar and when I finally got to ride one (most shops won't let you take a $3000 bike off rode) my search was over. Nothing compairs. Nothing I rode has the same efficiency, handling and speed of the Sugar. The fit is perfect. If you're racing or just riding XC, this is the perfect bike. I've been riding offroad for close to 15 yrs and nothing I've ridden satisfied me like this bike. RIDE THIS BIKE!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Hurley
a Racer
from b-TOWN , aL aBAMA!
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Spruce Knob, W.Va. | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Bob`s Bikes | | Strengths: | Rear Shok from having NOthing! | | Weaknesses: | Low BB | | Similar Products Used: | You name it | | Bike Setup: | esp Gs w/rr der, xtr ft der, RF crank 44/30 w/xt bb ,747`s, Avids w/eagle claw red pads, King hubs on valiant rims Revo` spokes the trick lacing job, king HS,Synco post, ti seat, 8 spd xtr cass, Mars elite, Ti bars, 9.0 levers 23.6 w/ heavy tubes | | Bottom Line: | I`ve moved, got married, ride more hills, but ride less often, got this bike, now I`m faster!
Got Sugar?
I started w/ the frame and went from there. Ive done some modifying to get my Q-factor tighter, by shaving my frame and crank, then getting a cup for the bb driveside that doesnt have a lip to center the bb. 73x107
I`m 150lbs 5`9" rear shock is set at 120/120
fork is at 130 w/ 10wt. oil remove boots.
Folks I`ve been racing since `94 and really looking at FS
for 3 years -this is the best!- and I cant wait `til it gets better. Aint that right Jaydott? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tyler Grahovec
a Racer
from Kennesaw, Ga
Date Reviewed: June 15, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Any Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | Happytrails Bike Shop | | Weaknesses: | Customer Service! | | Similar Products Used: | 2000 Sugar 2 | | Bike Setup: | As is some small changes. | | Bottom Line: | This company has the worst customer service I have ever dealt with. It take to long for them to get back to you with information. I cracked the carbon fiber chain stay and now they are telling me that it was do to a crash. The funny thing is that I don't recall having this crash but I guess they have spys fallowing me so they know the truth! So instead of replaceing the rear triangle under warrenty they want me to buy the rear triangle. The worst part is that it took them 3 weeks to come to this conclusion.
The biggest thing that bothers me is that this is the second Sugar I have bought in year and a half and I have talked allot of people in to buying Sugars over other brands and to see their customer service work this way it really sucks.
Well if there is any change I will change my rating but for now I am on the look out for a new bike that someone stands behind. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gaylord Wonesa,
a Cross Country Rider
from Killingworth, Ct, U.S.A
Date Reviewed: June 14, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | At my 24 acres | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | The Town Bike Shop | | Strengths: | I love to ride it, but I crashed one day because the handles go way to far out. So there is really no strenghs. | | Weaknesses: | The handle are to long. It isn't that pretty. When I first got it I was happy, but not any more. | | Similar Products Used: | Zero G3 is a nice bike. My brother son has one. | | Bike Setup: | Bad | | Bottom Line: | It is that good the price is to much and it really bits. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lynn Gardner
a Cross Country Rider
from Idaho
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Hard Guy/Easy Guy-Boise ridge | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | Georges Cycles | | Strengths: | Sharp looks,light-24#s,nice components,Genesis frame (I'm 6'4" and I like the exta room). I've only put 40 miles on this bike at this point so it's hard to say very much and I am still in the honymoon phase with it. Never the less the bike seems very responsive,and it's very quite on the descents. While it has limited movement it seems to be enought and it is very smooth. As I write this I feel like I'm "damming it with faint praise", That's not my intent because I really do like this bike and would buy it again. It's that I really liked the handling of my Schwinn Home Grown which I wore out. | | Weaknesses: | The short stem and Genesis geometry make the bik |
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