This was my second mountain bike and held up well over the years with little frame damage but at 15,000-20,000 miles it is starting to show its age.
In 2015 this became my daily ride because road bikes suck if you ride as hard as I like to in the streets!
I say for entry level riding you can't go wrong I have had for 5 years and it's done the job. I'm looking to upgrade now. This bike has never left me stranded
I've been riding since 2007 and unfortunately had to get a new bike recently. Got this used for $175 and had it tuned up and put a bash guard on it removed the big ring. This is absolutely fine for the aggressive riding I do on my local trails. Takes a lot of abuse and keeps on ticking. Down the road will probably replace the plastic petals when they break soon and the shifters and derailleur when they go.
Bought this December of '07 from Dicks. Hardly nothing left on it of the original components. I like the bomb-proof frame but it is heavy. The original fork was terrible, rockshox tora air fork was a huge upgrade. I added disk brakes, an XL bottom bracket and other goodies so its a whole different animal than when I plucked it off the shelf. 3500 miles all over the US and more soon in the DominicanRepublic...still ove it. But if you don't wanna go through the trouble of upgrading all the cheap parts, pony up $500 or a grand and get something nicer.ProsStrong frame, good geometryConsHeavy, stock components were cheap.
Overall I love the bike, first bike I have had with disc breaks and they are great. I ride about everyday and it has mostly held up, over all it is a great beginners bike.
Pros Light frame, good handle bars and breaks, handles well in mud and water
Cons Plastic pedals and single clamp shifter and breaks
If you plan to, or do ride aggressively, I would not recommend this bike. If you are looking for a budget bike, and you are not concerned with becoming an aggressive rider, then this bike will probably work fine for you.
Pros Seems to be a great frame. Strong, and nice lines. Price point is there for sure.Good for an entry level rider who does not plan on getting to aggressive, or even a seasoned rider, who doesn't get real aggressive.
Cons The jury is still out, but I will say that on my first "real" ride... 3 hours...15 miles...single track...some technical stuff...one of the pedals completely stripped from the crank, and came off while turning into a chute. Not cool. The components seem to be of lesser quality fr sure. Most are saying it's a good value, entry level bike, and that if you replace the parts with better ones as they break, you will eventually have a really nice bike. I might be returning mine. tough I am technically a beginner, I am more aggressive by nature, and I pick things up fast... I believe I need more bike right from the start.
Bought this bike when I decided to get back into MTBing and didn't want to spend too much $$. Got this one for about $350 and have rode the crap out of it since. Love the bike and am very pleased with the puchase. the front shock is garbarge, but gets the job done. when it breaks I'll replace it. Would recommend if anyone asked.
So far I'm very pleased with my bike. Once I get more experience I will probably invest in a better bike. But for now it's a great bike and it's taking care of me
Pros Great ride so far, had for about a 2 weeks. Considering i'm a beginner this seems to be a great beginner bike so far
Cons I had some issues with the shifter that eventually corrected itself
Considering the fork and some other items were destined for quick replacement from the get-go, the bike was at a solid place to start as a beginner. The value is excellent and I hadn't busted my wallet getting the right components rigged for hard and frequent rides, and for the last year it has been perfect as my rigid 69er 1x9 city bike. The frame is cheaper aluminum and pretty clunky, but it's a great platform for entry level upgrades, and if you can get rid of that fork youll have a healthy bike by the time you need one. and put a chain stay guard on that thing because itll tonk like a cowbell.
Pros It turns out the BB, rims/tires, rotors and calipers have pulled through the last 4-5 years with little fuss. The frame is the real value here, however, even though it has that crappy tonk sound to it.
Cons Well, it's a department store bike. The stock fork was trash and is long gone, basically anything that will break has broken a long time ago.
if you have the chance to buy this bike. DO IT! probably one of the best bikes in its price range and is not cheap feeling, looking, or performance wise. overall a good bike!
Pros feels sturdy, light, looks sharp
Cons my handlebars are a little creaky probably just loose
For the price it is pretty good, but you might as well save a few more bucks and get the sport or comp version... but if your into spending that much then you might as well get a specialized hard rock.
Pros The frame is brilliant, love it.
Cons I broke the rear hub in under two months of owning. V-brakes leave allot to be desired, but there are disc mounts. All the gear on it is basic entry level.
Buy this for a first-time mountain biker. Great value, great features.
Pros Great bike and features for the price. The XE model that I bought has disk brakes. Needed the larger frame size (20") and it feels perfect so far.
Great bike for the money. Good for camp grounds and light XC riding. Leaves plenty of room for upgrades, and is good enough to get someone interested in trail riding.
Pros Light weight. Robust frame. Great beginner specs.
Cons plastic pedals. linear brakes vs. disc brakes.
Overall, this makes for a great first bike. The frame is a tank, and the overall component spec is enough to get someone started on begginer to intermediate cross country trails.ProsGreat set up for the price. Good for someone to get started into mountain biking.ConsThe fork can bottom out easy for heavy riders, or aggressive riders. The SRAM X4 drivetrain is only 24 gears
I have upgraded everything on this bike, aside from the fork and original shifters, and in general it holds up to the abuse of heavy XC, all mountain, and even some light free ride riding. Other then the fact that I basically had to upgrade every bit on this bike to get it to where I wanted it to be, it's been good to me.
Pros Great bike for the price. I put it through it's motions with some heavy XC riding, all mountain, and some light free riding. It does well in pretty much every condition I've been able to ride it in here in Ohio.
Cons The general description for the 2010 version states that this bike is an "all mountain hardtail". Well... after talking with some customer service reps at DB, they seem to agree that it's not really built well enough for all mountain riding with factory specs, and one even said "it's a XC bike, and you may run into problems riding it for all mountain." I sell the response series at my place of employment, and was somewhat surprised to hear this. My bike does have a slight creek that you can hear every once in a while when you're really cranking uphill, but not a performance issue.
great old bike and great for upgrades
| ThankThis was my second mountain bike and held up well over the years with little frame damage but at 15,000-20,000 miles it is starting to show its age.
In 2015 this became my daily ride because road bikes suck if you ride as hard as I like to in the streets!
Pros
Strong frame, well built, very nimble
Cons
| ThankHeavy, bad front fork
Pros
| ThankI'm looking for this bike & I want to know what's the price for it?
I say for entry level riding you can't go wrong I have had for 5 years and it's done the job. I'm looking to upgrade now. This bike has never left me stranded
Pros
Affordable, very reliable takes a beating
Cons
| ThankLow end shifting parts and junk forks
I've been riding since 2007 and unfortunately had to get a new bike recently. Got this used for $175 and had it tuned up and put a bash guard on it removed the big ring. This is absolutely fine for the aggressive riding I do on my local trails. Takes a lot of abuse and keeps on ticking. Down the road will probably replace the plastic petals when they break soon and the shifters and derailleur when they go.
Pros
Sturdy, affordable, kenda tires ok
Cons
| ThankCheaper components, derailleur, shifters
Own The Bike For 2Yrs, Bottom Bracket Had A Lot Of Pay In It. Up Graded One From DB. Front Fork Has Too Much "Give" During Hard Braking.
Pros
Great Price! Decent Hardware.
Cons
| Thankfork, Bottom Bracket
Great bike for the price from Dick's Sporting Goods, and it's better than what the un knowledgeable bike techs say it is.
Pros
Great starter bike that's easily upgradable.
Cons
| ThankForks
Bought this December of '07 from Dicks. Hardly nothing left on it of the original components. I like the bomb-proof frame but it is heavy. The original fork was terrible, rockshox tora air fork was a huge upgrade. I added disk brakes, an XL bottom bracket and other goodies so its a whole different animal than when I plucked it off the shelf. 3500 miles all over the US and more soon in the DominicanRepublic...still ove it. But if you don't wanna go through the trouble of upgrading all the cheap parts, pony up $500 or a grand and get something nicer.ProsStrong frame, good geometryConsHeavy, stock components were cheap.
| ThankOverall I love the bike, first bike I have had with disc breaks and they are great. I ride about everyday and it has mostly held up, over all it is a great beginners bike.
Pros
Light frame, good handle bars and breaks, handles well in mud and water
Cons
| ThankPlastic pedals and single clamp shifter and breaks
Good starter bike
Pros
Great handler bars and shifters. Wheels have great grip. Suspension does great on the trail!
Cons
| ThankPedals
If you plan to, or do ride aggressively, I would not recommend this bike. If you are looking for a budget bike, and you are not concerned with becoming an aggressive rider, then this bike will probably work fine for you.
Pros
Seems to be a great frame. Strong, and nice lines. Price point is there for sure.Good for an entry level rider who does not plan on getting to aggressive, or even a seasoned rider, who doesn't get real aggressive.
Cons
| ThankThe jury is still out, but I will say that on my first "real" ride... 3 hours...15 miles...single track...some technical stuff...one of the pedals completely stripped from the crank, and came off while turning into a chute. Not cool. The components seem to be of lesser quality fr sure. Most are saying it's a good value, entry level bike, and that if you replace the parts with better ones as they break, you will eventually have a really nice bike. I might be returning mine. tough I am technically a beginner, I am more aggressive by nature, and I pick things up fast... I believe I need more bike right from the start.
Bought this bike when I decided to get back into MTBing and didn't want to spend too much $$. Got this one for about $350 and have rode the crap out of it since. Love the bike and am very pleased with the puchase. the front shock is garbarge, but gets the job done. when it breaks I'll replace it. Would recommend if anyone asked.
Pros
brakes, frame, handlebars, crankset, seat, price
Cons
| Thankgears slip, front shock (terrible - wish it would break)
So far I'm very pleased with my bike. Once I get more experience I will probably invest in a better bike. But for now it's a great bike and it's taking care of me
Pros
Great ride so far, had for about a 2 weeks. Considering i'm a beginner this seems to be a great beginner bike so far
Cons
| ThankI had some issues with the shifter that eventually corrected itself
Considering the fork and some other items were destined for quick replacement from the get-go, the bike was at a solid place to start as a beginner. The value is excellent and I hadn't busted my wallet getting the right components rigged for hard and frequent rides, and for the last year it has been perfect as my rigid 69er 1x9 city bike. The frame is cheaper aluminum and pretty clunky, but it's a great platform for entry level upgrades, and if you can get rid of that fork youll have a healthy bike by the time you need one. and put a chain stay guard on that thing because itll tonk like a cowbell.
Pros
It turns out the BB, rims/tires, rotors and calipers have pulled through the last 4-5 years with little fuss. The frame is the real value here, however, even though it has that crappy tonk sound to it.
Cons
| ThankWell, it's a department store bike. The stock fork was trash and is long gone, basically anything that will break has broken a long time ago.
if you have the chance to buy this bike. DO IT! probably one of the best bikes in its price range and is not cheap feeling, looking, or performance wise. overall a good bike!
Pros
feels sturdy, light, looks sharp
Cons
| Thankmy handlebars are a little creaky probably just loose
For the price it is pretty good, but you might as well save a few more bucks and get the sport or comp version... but if your into spending that much then you might as well get a specialized hard rock.
Pros
The frame is brilliant, love it.
Cons
| ThankI broke the rear hub in under two months of owning. V-brakes leave allot to be desired, but there are disc mounts. All the gear on it is basic entry level.
Buy this for a first-time mountain biker. Great value, great features.
Pros
Great bike and features for the price. The XE model that I bought has disk brakes. Needed the larger frame size (20") and it feels perfect so far.
Cons
| ThankNothing so far
Great bike for the money. Good for camp grounds and light XC riding. Leaves plenty of room for upgrades, and is good enough to get someone interested in trail riding.
Pros
Light weight. Robust frame. Great beginner specs.
Cons
| Thankplastic pedals. linear brakes vs. disc brakes.
Overall, this makes for a great first bike. The frame is a tank, and the overall component spec is enough to get someone started on begginer to intermediate cross country trails.ProsGreat set up for the price. Good for someone to get started into mountain biking.ConsThe fork can bottom out easy for heavy riders, or aggressive riders. The SRAM X4 drivetrain is only 24 gears
| ThankI have upgraded everything on this bike, aside from the fork and original shifters, and in general it holds up to the abuse of heavy XC, all mountain, and even some light free ride riding. Other then the fact that I basically had to upgrade every bit on this bike to get it to where I wanted it to be, it's been good to me.
Pros
Great bike for the price. I put it through it's motions with some heavy XC riding, all mountain, and some light free riding. It does well in pretty much every condition I've been able to ride it in here in Ohio.
Cons
| ThankThe general description for the 2010 version states that this bike is an "all mountain hardtail". Well... after talking with some customer service reps at DB, they seem to agree that it's not really built well enough for all mountain riding with factory specs, and one even said "it's a XC bike, and you may run into problems riding it for all mountain." I sell the response series at my place of employment, and was somewhat surprised to hear this. My bike does have a slight creek that you can hear every once in a while when you're really cranking uphill, but not a performance issue.