Great Beginner Mountain Bike: Specialized HardRock A1 CompFS
Written: Nov 06 '00 (Updated Nov 13 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent Street and Trail ride for one low price.
Cons: Stronger wheels would be nice.
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| rodeo7's Full Review: Specialized Hardrock A1 Comp FS |
The Specialized HardRock A1 Comp FS is an excellent bike for the beginner trail rider on a budget. Right on the boarder line of casual cruiser and hardcore trail rider, this bike is well worth the $550 retail price.
Specialized, a leader in the mountain bike industry, did well when they created the HardRock line of bicycles. They are affordable bikes that one could casually street ride for transportation, but could also take out onto the trail since they are durable enough to handle an aggressive ride. The line is made up of the basic HardRock, Hard Rock FS, HardRock A1 FS, HardRock A1 Comp, and HardRock A1 Comp FS. I own a ’99 HardRock and my girlfriend purchased a ’00 A1 Comp FS a few months ago.
I chose the HardRock for it’s ability to get me to my college campus comfortably while still letting me get on the trail all for one low price of $350. Even though it does not have the all mountain prowess of a Rockhopper or Stumpjumper, I have little trouble negotiating the trails and keeping up with friends who have better bikes.
The A1 Comp FS is the most upgraded and most expensive of the HardRock category. It has the same geometry as the basic HardRock, which allows for a slightly more upright and more comfortable posture than a mountain bike. Unlike the HardRock’s steel frame, the A1 Comp FS has a Specialized A1 premium aluminum frame, which makes a lighter bike. Front suspension in the form of Rock Shox Judy TT’s add to the mountainbike feel of the A1 Comp FS. The suspension fork is also slightly better that the Rock Shox Jetts found on the Hard Rock FS and A1 FS. My favorite thing about the A1 Comp FS is its Shimano Alivio Rapid Fire Shifters. It is a rare thing to find rapid fire shifters on these less expensive bikes.
Getting the chance to ride the A1 Comp FS now and then, I find that it handles very well. It is responsive, light and easy to handle. The Shimano New Deore rear derauilleur is very smooth when shifting gears, as are the rapid fire shifters themselves. The Jett fork is a very nice touch to smooth out the bumps on the trail. The Ground Control tires handle all types of terrain very well. One tiny aspect which I noticed are that the grips stay on the handlebars without any hint of sliding off. On my HardRock, the grips tend to slide off ever so slightly each ride. After a while it’s very noticeable and I have to slide them back on all the way. Not a big problem, but it is a little annoying.
The only downside to the bike is that the Weinmann wheels are not incredibly strong. This would be expected on a lower end bike such as the HardRock line, but I do see it as a problem because the bike handles so well. I want to ride it hard on the trail, but I have to remember not to push it too much or else an accidental bump into a rock or stump might kink the wheel.
I definitely would recommend this bike to the novice trail rider looking for a bike that would also provide a comfortable street ride. For those of you that already have a street ride and want a better mountain bike, like myself, I would recommend saving up to buy a Rockhopper or Stumpjumper. Overall, the A1 Comp FS’s relatively low price tag makes this bike one worth seriously considering.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
rodeo7
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Member: Eddie
Location: Virginia, USA
Reviews written: 29
Trusted by: 71 members
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