I'm planning to purchase my first bike and need some help/suggestions.

A friend of mine knows someone selling this bike for $500. It's been used for roughly three months. Is this a good deal?

My riding preference will be 50/50 street and offroad.

Thanks in advance.

if at all possible, try to talk it down to a bout 400. otherwise, it seems to me a fair price. one of my friends rides one, and it's a decent bike.

Thanks for the reply.

Also what are the pros/cons?

A quick check reveals that the 2007 model retails for $880. So, if the condition of the bike is very good, $500 may not be a bad deal. Do you have a pic??

... Brad

Yeah, as long as the fork isn't shot, I'd say $500 is a great deal. I have an 06 rockhopper (base) and it's a tank except for the fork, and the fork on the comp disc is considerable better.

It's a solid all-around bike. The only cons I can think of are that it's not ultra-light (i.e. it weighs in around 30lbs) if you're a racer/weight weenie type (not that there's anything wrong with that), and that the discs aren't hydraulic -- but depending on how that bike was spec'd (sometimes shops build them up with diff. brakes), it should be fine. BB5's (as per the website) are nice brakes, not as easily adjusted as BB7's, but still good for stopping.

Pros are: it's tough, it's not that heavy, so you can climb with it, and it's a solid go-almost-anywhere bike. Moderate drops (3' ish), trails, street (with lockout fork and some decent-rolling tires, I can cruise at 15-18 mph all day long on the road without much effort), you name it, this is a good bike.

I own one, and i havent a complaint. Fork is very good considering the price of the bike, and the bb5's arent hard to adjust.

the only real complaint i have is the brake rotors. no fault of specialized's, but that rotor design is the WORST i've ever encountered.

Asthetically speaking? Or functionally? Rotors are cheap, if there was a performance upgrade id do it.

functionally. aesthetically i think they're beautiful. as for their function though, constant vibration (and avid apparently has actually attributed this with the rotor design, and therefore do not make the roundagon rotor anymore)

Hmm, perhaps i got lucky then because mine dont vibrate.

I have one. Not that I have anything to compare it with considering this is my first mtb bike. I really like it and have fun with it. Things do break though. My bike still has the original wheels and quick release seat post clamp. I'm getting new wheels next month, which will probally cost more than the original bike was worth. I think I'll keep the seat post clamp just to say it's still stock. I think this bike is the perfect place to start a very unhealthy and expensive addiction. I probably would have suffered fewer injuries and spent less money had I got into crack instead.

i have one and i love it.

i'm gonna stick semi-slicks on it though, i ride a lot of road... and getting into the urban/dj scene, with yes, a rockhopper.

fork is really good for the price, it feels stiff and precise. brake rotors pulsate a bit sometimes but it's just because of the rotor design, as al mentioned earlier.

it's really a great deal... mine weighs in at about 29 pounds with heavy platforms - other than a shifter+derailleur swap to sram, everything's stock. and oh yeah, a bashguard instead of a third chainring.

bb5's are one of the best mechanical brakes out there, pretty much only outdone by the bb7, but that's only better in terms of adjustment and little minor extra features.

go for it - 500 is a great deal for something that's only been ridden for 3 months. i paid over 1200 cdn for mine last july.

Thanks for all the help guys. I'll go check out this bike in person and see the condition of it. If it looks good I'll go ahead and buy it.

If the rotors are what you guys said they are I will replace them. What is a good rotor to replace with?

Thanks again for all your help.

remember to take some pics for us, especially me. and remember to focus on the ride, i love my rh for the way it rides. very comfy, and fast. of course i run my tires at around 25 psi but still. it's very comfy.

and as for the rotors, don't worry about it. your 80 bucks that would go towards that would be much better spent elsewhere, i.e. new tires if they're worn out, tools, lube and other gear you may need. it's a very minor problem and doesn't affect my braking performance at all. 95 percent of the time i don't notice it, or it doesn't happen at all. it's just a very small quirk that's not worth the money and hassle to replace, unless you get free rotors. only replace it after you've ridden for a while and it really bothers you.

btw, what colour is it?

creamsoda, what kind of tape are you using on the back part of the frame, that connects it to the cassette, to stop the chain from scratching up the bike?

AND making a CLINK noise everytime the chain hits it!

i use an old tire tube.

well it softens the clink... and it is a tire tube, cut up and zip-tied. i think i need to replace it soon. thanks for reminding me