A Really "Special" Bike
Written: May 30 '02 (Updated May 31 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Classy looking and comfortable to ride.
Cons: none yet
The Bottom Line: As I start my second summer of bike riding on my HardRock Classic, I am more pleased than ever with this bike.
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| ed_grover's Full Review: Specialized Hardrock |
When I got this bike in the late summer of 2001, I looked for the name and classification in the owner’s manual and on the web site. I also looked for it on the database Epinions provides, HardRock is listed, so that’s where I thought I’d place the review. The closest picture I could find in the manual last August was of something called a The Cross Bike. It’s designed for on or off-road performance and the information included says that by changing tires, handlebars and shifting and braking controls, your dealer can alter your bike . . . to suit your intended use.
It seems that Epinions has been updating the database, and I now I see a Specialized HardRock 2000. The picture looks like what I have, so I’m posting it here. Wish me luck on not getting an “Off Topic” rating from some hard-nosed reviewer. If it’s in the wrong slot, just tell me where to move it and I’ll comply. Thanks!
I’ve been a bike rider most of my life; not a racer, just an ordinary bike rider. As a kid it got me out of the house and with my friends for trips to the gravel pit for skinny-dipping. I could easily ride the five miles to my grandparents’ home on one of the nearby lakes and spend the day swimming and playing in the old boathouse. I was always assured of a nice lunch or snack from my grandmother who was always busy on the kitchen making something wonderful to eat.
Now, as an old guy, I’m just a casual rider who likes tooling along the back streets and numerous bike paths of metro-Milwaukee. I’ve never biked the whole bike loop, but it is possible to start out at the lakefront near my apartment and circle the whole city. It’s great exercise and I don’t have to depend on anyone to get around. I can ride over to the LGBT newspaper I write for, pick up books, strap them on the carrier and continue on my way.
The last bike I owned was stolen out of the basement of the building I live in. That was a couple of years ago and security has been increased; I’ve had a new or used bike on my wish list since then. When I went to our local PrideFest celebration in June of 2001, I filled out a questionnaire at the ARCW booth (AIDS Resources of Wisconsin). This included a chance to win a new bike. I put my name and phone number on half of a set of tickets, popped the other half in my pocket and forgot about it. At the beginning of August I answered the phone one morning and was told I won a bike. Now, I can never say, “I never won anything” again, but I sure did that morning.
A week or so later the bike was delivered to my door, pictures were taken for the local gay newspaper and I took possession of my spiffy new treasure. I was told I needed to have a professional tune-up since all ARCW had done was have it assembled. I noticed I needed a few accessories like a kickstand, rear view mirror and that useful rack at the back. I also needed a new U lock: the last one was sawed through when my other bike was pinched.
My new bike is dark metallic green and the brand name is Specialized; the model is a HardRock Classic.
Specialized Bicycle Components is a California corporation and the bike comes with a Limited One (1) Year Warranty on the complete bicycle. The Owner’s Handbook is in English and French and there is a web site located at http://www.specialized.com/ Here you can find out about the company, shop online, locate a dealer near you, join a riders’ club or sign up for their newsletter.
Since this prize was a promotional item that was donated to ARCW, I have no idea of price and neither does the staff of the organization. I have to assume the dealer gave them a basic bike that could be used by wide range of riders, either male or female. There were no prices on any of the papers that came with it, but the bike shop that tuned it up said it was an excellent bike that could range in price anywhere from $500 to $3,000. I’m sure mine is on the lower end of that price scale.
I have a twenty-one multi-speed gearshift with a combination derailleur and internal gear hub drivetrain. Please don’t ask me to explain that, it just has what I call motorcycle handlebar shifting and it’s great. It’s so easy to use and according to the owner’s handbook, I get greater sustained power and greater endurance with higher pedal revolutions a minute. What this means to me is that I can make it up some hills that I had to walk up before.
One will find lots of bold triangles with an exclamation point inside them that are labeled caution or warning throughout the manual. These alerts highlight things like frame size, saddle (seat) position and brake use. There’s a lengthy explanation of what is referred to as “Standover Height.” Suffice it to say that the frame is large enough to handle my once lanky but still tall self. As for the seat, it is adjustable and removable . . . as are the quick release wheels. The brakes are tight and sensitive; it’s recommended that they applied gradually and simultaneously or you may go flying arsh-end over the handlebars and get yourself permanently disabled or killed.
That brings us to the section that explains basic road rules, rules of the trail and rules for downhill, wet weather and night riding. Courtesy and safety are very important when riding, but there are no rules are given for dealing with those awful folks on roller blades who seem to think they own sidewalks, bike trails and any other flat surface they can practice and spin on. The other folk who make me furious are the packs of female teenagers who walk the paths and sidewalks five abreast. They have their arms linked and dare anyone to make them unlink. Families who don’t watch their small children run a close second.
My first ride was to the bike doctors on what turned out to be a 95-degree day. I started out earlier in the morning when the temperature was only in the mid-70s and got myself to the bike trail. I ended up riding and walking and resting and riding and walking and resting all the way to the shop, which is generally a half-hour ride. I had to leave my bike for a week but that turned out to be fine because it only got hotter more humid in the following week.
After the heat spell broke, I was glad I did some stretches and loosening up before I went to pick the bike up. I took an extended ride through a rather large park that runs along the Milwaukee River and then linked up with the bike path that runs along the shore of Lake Michigan and back to my neighborhood. The ride was so easy, it hardly seemed that I hadn’t been on a bike in almost two years; I wasn’t even winded. The bike is easy to handle, the shifting up or down is a dream and I am more than pleased to be the new owner.
A week later, after daily rides along the lakefront, I rode south along some of the back streets while the skies started to cloud up. There was some light rain and the bike, with its wide tires, handled well on the wet pavement. Just as I got where I was going the skies opened up. I had a few sodas, made some chit-chat and had a few laughs. A few minutes later I was on my way back home riding in bright sunshine and high humidity.
An hour later, I went to a party at my boss’s house. The sky clouded up again and I ended up walking, but I sure would have loved to come riding up on my new Specialized HardRock Classic. This is a bike and model I would recommend to anyone who wants a classy, comfortable, reliable bicycle to ride around city streets, bike paths or country roads.
It’s also nice if you can get one free!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ed_grover
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Member: Ed Grover
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Reviews written: 332
Trusted by: 400 members
About Me:
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