Mountain Biking - iron horse maverick or specialized hardrock

i have two local shops; one carries IR the other carries specialized. i'm looking to spend no more than $400 and these two both seem to be nice bikes. the hardrock seems to be quote a popular bike so i;m leaning towards that one. but does anyone have any experience with the IR? oh and i'm a complete mountain bike newb just looking for an entry level hardtail to start riding some trails. thanks for any help.

Spec Name Specialized Hardrock XC Disc
Frame Specialized A1 Premium Aluminum
Fork RST Capa T26, 80mm-travel
Rims/Wheels Alex Z-1000
Hubs Specialized aluminum
Spokes 15-gauge stainless-steel
Tires Specialized Fast Trak LK Sport, 26 x 2.0
Crankset Shimano FC-TX70
Chainwheel 42/34/24
Front Derailleur Shimano FD-C050
Rear Derailleur Shimano Altus
Rear Cogs Shimano MFHG-37, 7-speed: 14-34
Shifters Shimano Revo twist
Handlebars High-tensile steel
Tape/Grips Kraton Revo
Stem A-Head aluminum
Brake Levers Tektro
Brakes Tektro IOX, mechanical-disc
Pedals Steel cage, composite body
Saddle Specialized XC
Seat Post Aluminum, micro-adjustable
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=32283

or

iron horse maverick 5.5
Seatpost: Aluminum Black, 30.8mm
Frame: Aluminum Hardtail Frame
Headset: Black Steel
Pedals: Black w/ Chromoly axle
Stem: Black, 17 degree rise
Handlebar: Black, 30 degree rise
Crankset: FSA Dyna Drive, 42/32/22T Alloy
Bottom Bracket: FSA Power Drive
Brakes: Hayes MX4 Mechanical Disc
Chain: KMC Z-72
Rear Shock: NA
Tires: Ninja 26” x 2.10”
Fork: Rock Shox Dart 2, 100mm travel
Rear Derailleur: Shimano RD-M410
Cassette: SRAM 11/32T
Shifters: SRAM 24-speed
Front Derailleur: SRAM dual-pull
Levers: Tektro RS360
Wheelset: WTB 32H
Grips/Tape: WTB Black
Saddle: WTB Speed V Sport
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=24904&subcategory_ID=3050

i have two local shops; one carries IR the other carries specialized. i'm looking to spend no more than $400 and these two both seem to be nice bikes. the hardrock seems to be quote a popular bike so i;m leaning towards that one. but does anyone have any experience with the IR? oh and i'm a complete mountain bike newb just looking for an entry level hardtail to start riding some trails. thanks for any help.



First priority is to ride both. Go with the one you're most comfortable with. If they feel the same to you, get the IronHorse, since it has better components.

That said, if you do choose to go the Hardrock route, get a Hardrock Sport (http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=32576). The reason that the Hardrock is so popular is that it's known to be a sturdy entry level frame. The Hardrock XC does not have this frame. Besides, the disc brakes at this price point are useless, and you end up getting worse components for the price.

specilized hard rockmy two friends ons got the specilized and ones got the mavric themaveric got beet to **** so easi it cant take drops jumps or anything cranks usleess but the hardrock took everthinglike my warrior with full supension it was smooth and consitancce but if u do ba stuff like 6 foot drops plus dirt jumps invest in a diablous dh freeriode crank

specilized hard rockmy two friends ons got the specilized and ones got the mavric themaveric got beet to **** so easi it cant take drops jumps or anything cranks usleess but the hardrock took everthinglike my warrior with full supension it was smooth and consitancce but if u do ba stuff like 6 foot drops plus dirt jumps invest in a diablous dh freeriode crank

wow...

lol.

thanks for the advice, benli, and for clearing up the information on the hardrock frame. so is the ironhorse a good frame? even though i'm a newb, i would like to get a decent frame that can hold up for a while and go through some upgrades if i start to really get into the sport.

I've ridden a hardrock before, I love the feel it has. It just feels solid, and its light!

I've ridden a hardrock before, I love the feel it has. It just feels solid, and its light!

uh, no, it's not.

lol.

thanks for the advice, benli, and for clearing up the information on the hardrock frame. so is the ironhorse a good frame? even though i'm a newb, i would like to get a decent frame that can hold up for a while and go through some upgrades if i start to really get into the sport.

I'm sure that the Ironhorse frame will hold up fine as long as you don't try anything too crazy. Though a word of advice: as far as upgrades go, if you plan to upgrade a lot, you might as well plunk all the cash down now to get an overall better bike. If you just plan to upgrade as you break things (and you will, if you ride trails), then that's okay.

Last thing, I noticed you linked to performancebike. Do try to get yourself to one of their physical locations and try out the bike before you buy.

thanks again for the advice. the upgrades will most likely be on an 'as they break' basis, haha. and there's a performance bike shop less than a mile from me so i will be in the store for sure. :)

just an update. i went with the iron horse. i just have to wait a couple days for it to arrive at the shop. they didn't have the green one in my size. i can't wait for it to get here. :)