They are more highly priced aswell.

Yeah i totally forgot about Trek when i posted that. I got to admit, Trek do have some nice bikes.

I found some of the specs for the 06 Rockhopper on my bike store's web site. Its funny the Specialized web site does not list them even though the 06's are allready out.http://mikesbikes.com/site/itemdetails.cfm?ID=860

oldtaylorcraft, thanks for the info.

It looks like it comes with SRAM SX4 & SX5 components. Anyone know how that compares to the Deore line?

I'm up to bat.

There's a bit of information overload here :( 30 pages is alot of info!


SO. My LBS has suggested:

Giant Yukon
Specialised Hard Rock
Specialised Rock Hopper

I'm looking for 1 with disk brakes (I know, the rest of the components will be cheap)

Any other suggestions?

CE

sorry no one's responded yet...

i would definetely go with the hardrock.

Glad to hear you're having a great time! I'm in your same situation, although we're still waiting to pick up my gf's '06 Rockhopper this upcoming weekend while I've had my '05 Rockhopper since the Labor Day weekend. We were fortunate enough though that the LBS honored the $399 sale price for her "berry punk" Rockhopper since the shop had no women's specific bikes on hand.

She was equally as excited though that it was purple as I was about getting a great deal on the bike. Then I later started wondering what different components were on hers. Anyway, after reading Raiyn's earlier post ('05 & '06 Rockhopper differences) it looks like I won't have to try swapping out forks on our bikes, assuming she'd be willing. ;) But i doubt that.

Anyway, we can't wait to take them out for a spin this weekend! Thanks to all for the advice on this thread. :)

hey raiyn the tektro's really aren't that bad... but that isn't to say that they couldn't be better... (i am planning to go BB7 /5 f/r)

Big price difference between 4500, Blast and Rockhopper. Trek being the more affordable and Specialized Rockhop being the more expensive. Comes down again to how much cash you are going to want to pay. "You get what you pay for". Go the RockHopper for the better bike IMO.

great explanation, and well said...I haven't read "The Thread" but I'm guessing your post says it all...though I still think I should be able to use "thx"
;)

Are there any tips on getting a ~$500 used HT? Would a 98 stumpjumper m2 comp frame be too old? they're asking 450.

Timehoc you better change your username or you will get slammed with spam! A 1998 stumpjumper for $450, that is too much in my book. You could get a brand new Hardrock Comp Disc for 50 or 100 more dollars. However it has been repeated over and over, ride it, if it's comfortable jump all over it. However I think you will have some remorse later if you buy the used bike you speak of.

First of all a thousand thanks to whoever started this thread. It has offered a wealth of useful information. My Trek '03 4500 was stolen recently with literally every other bike from my apartment complex in college station tx. The blankety blanks took the whole bike rack out the front door under the security cameras. As yet I'm sure the college station police are far more concerned with the single greatest threat to any college town, underage drinking. Anyhow I digress. My 4500 did not stand up well to my 6'0 195 lbs very well over the years and I was already in the market for something new. After reading the rave reviews of the Specialized rockhopper I tried one out at the LBS. Just the basic model, Manitou Axle Comp, no discs . They want $529 for it. It rode beautifully and if my g/f hadn't been there lecturing me about such an obscene amount of money for daily transportation , instant gratification would've whisked the visa right out of my wallet. (trust me I will return the favor in spades next time she drags me into Nieman Marcus) Shopping around I found exact the same bike at Bicylces Inc. in Fort Worth for $450. They have a free service for the lif of the bike and I will be moving to the Metroplex in about a year.

My two questions.

A. Is this a good deal, specialized website suggests $500 I think for the MSRP
B. Is anyone familar with bicylces inc. the store. They have several locations throught D/FW where I will be working next year after graduation.

id vote for the 06' hard rock sport disc...i just got one....ooooh baby :) sweetness

I'm pretty sure I'm gonna shoot for an '05 or '06 rockhoper sans discs. I'm by no means an expert but in the several hours I've devoted to research and test riding it seams like the tradeoff for disk brakes isn't worth it to me. I'd rather spend that money on things like upgraded shocks forged cranks etc. I'm not going to be taking this thing down any ski runs next summer and I'm bothered by brother's horrible luck with his '04 Giant Iguana's disks. They seam like such a gimmick at this price range and for a guy my size I think I want to emphasize stronger compenents wherever possible. Again I'm no expert please tell me if I'm totally off base here.

You got it spot on.

ok last question before I go plunk down a sizeable investment for a college kid like me. I spoke one more time w/ the guy at Bicycles Inc. in Fort Worth and he said he could get a me an '06 rockhopper for $500 vs. $450 for the '05 model. As far as I can tell the only differences are.

2005
Manitou Axle Comp
Shimano Alivio mostly


2006
Rock Shox J3SL w/ lockout
Shimano LX & Deore all around

Is this worth 50 buck more? The lockout might be nice for riding paved trails up and down the river, but only if you the Manitou is seriously soft?

I would say the $50 is worth the better components :beer:

This is just my unprofessional opinion here and I may be totally wrong but...

11 years ago when I bought my bike, Alivio was sort of higher end stuff, Deore was top of the line.

Now Alivio is considered budget, Deore is middle of the road and it goes up from there. I have Alivio, I've maintained it, cleaned it, lubed it, crashed it and it still to this day works VERY well. I wonder if Alivio is such a bad thing for the recreational rider? i'm sure tecno advances are great, but will the non-racer, non 30 miles a day, non cliff hucking 7 days a week off road user ever see the difference? I really don't think so.

I can't comment on shocks as I'm out of the loop, but are lockouts *really* necessary for riding a road or even most recreational single track? I have some of the first shocks made, they still work fine (I'm sure there's better, but I'm not training for races) for my riding and I don't need to lock them out to ride gravel paths or roads.

I think the hype of marketing is seriously starting to cloud consumers judgement in biking...Are we being sold more than we really need?

If you are a Pro racer it's one thing. If you are a recreational rider doing roads and single track on the weekends at human pace and risk, it's another. The middle of the road $500 +/- bikes and their components will last very well if not abused and well taken care of. Just my 2 cents after taking a more than few years off from this sport and returning recently to see what seems like overkill in some areas of the component dept.

I think if you are buying a reputable name, with Deore or even Alivio components (if it fits your budget) that have been around for 10+ years you're OK. 10 years ago racers raced on Alivio stuff and did just fine...but you're not racing, are you? It seems what to watch out for are the cheesy suspension and braking components/marketing gimmicks (especially braking, cheap-o disc brakes for one) these days. Am I incorrect?

So, it seems like the advice to a college kid like Txaggie would be save the 10% and take the 05 model b/c the Alivio components are good enough for a recreational rider and a lock out is not really needed, right?

We all like to dream we're making the 10' drops and riding downhills like a Pro...but how many *really* are?

I think not as many who like to think they are...

Have fun.

P.S. I know there are many pros and even amatuer riders here with serious skills...and are not to be confused with the run of the mill weekend warrior, like myself and many of the "about $500 bike" thread posters I'm typing about :)

txaggie44, where did you get this info regarding the '06 Rockhopper? I'm still trying to confirm whether the '06 RH comes with SRAM or Deore derailleurs.

Hi, I'm new here. First post and all that. Funny how everyone has a budget of $500. That's where I am at right now as well. I have been researching periodically for 2 years, but have yet to commit. I was basically dead-set on a Hardrock, but now I am leaning more toward a Rockhopper as it seems to offer better quality where it matters at the same price point. I plan to do all-mountain riding, but it will be something that I build up to.

The problem that I am facing now is all this talk of buying the less expensive model in the range and upgrading the components down the line. Wouldn't this end up costing significantly more than buying one factory-equipped with better components, ie: Rockhopper vs Rockhopper Pro? The difference in price, while massive, appears to be more than made up for in the parts. Granted, I had hoped to keep the price low, but if I am going to end up spending more on upgrades later, I might be willing to forego my budget on the initial purchase if it is going to make more sense. I may not need the better parts right away, but I don't want to be shelling out cash every other week to replace a mediocre component.
Any opinions and/ or comments will be appreciated. Thanks!

I couldn't agree more...

in response to Cadd's querry. The specs for the '06 plain jane rockhopper arren't aren't listed on the specialized website. I can confirm that after seeing one in person at the LBS it has Deore and LX all around. The bike tech agreed w/ "Too Rass Goat that Deore is now more middly of the road but very durable just not as light as some of the higher end shimano. I took a 17 and a 21 inch around the parking lot, but decided that a 19 would be perfect. They only had one in this I thought ugly Berry Punk color. They have orderded me a 19inch in the new black color scheme similar to the '06 hard rock, its just an unbelievably good looking biking, especially sitting next to the rainbow chrome monstrosities from trek and giant. Anyways here are some links w/ the specs

http://www.leisurewheels.co.uk/produ...id=m1b3s2p1274

here it is in balck (the one I'm getting, pretty swee huh! lol)
http://mikesbikes.com/site/itemdetai...=39&sort=Price