I've got £550-£600 to spend and I've decided on a specialized but not sure which one. I'm new to the sport and want advice so I get the right bike and the best bike for my money. What do you think would be the better buy, a rockhopper 2009 @ £587 or a hardrock pro disc 2010 @ £550. Why is the 2010 rockhopper now £130 more at £700, how annoying! Please help
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 All prices are going up, there's various reasons being banded about, all very dull. Get the Rockhopper, far ligther and better specced.
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 buy a second hand rockhopper and then upgrade the parts - its a sweet frame
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Were have you seen the Rockhopper disc pro for 700??
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No, Hardrock Pro, or standard Rockhopper. Just buy a new Rockhopper if you've found one, why bother with second hand!? They are M4 frames these days and are very respectible, although the forks are pretty weighty generally!
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Definitely go for the Rockhopper. The 2010 bikes are out in the shops now so go for a reduced 2009 one.
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 Rockhopper
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Rockhopper = horse. Hardrock = Donkey.
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 funny you saying about the rockhopper. i have a brand new rockhopper expert disc 2009 model in black. 19` frame total brand new just over 1 month old, it an insurance replacement as my last one was stolen. but have decided to fund a new road bike so that the reason for the sale. RRP £889 on sale £550
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As myself having Rockhopper and me wife Hardrock, would say even entry level Rockhopper outperforms Hardrock. Actually if i had to buy again, would go get second hand rockhopper on e-bay if tight on money.Shame didn't realize it before ... but its all ok, me wife has to do extra work on uphills, that extra weight will make her legs look good too =P.
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If you are new to the sport, why confine yourself to Specialized - or is that what your LBS stock? You are better ensuring you get the right size, than the 'right' make - and that can really only be done sat on one.
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 I upgraded a rockhopper to a Kona Caldera in 2005 and was very pleased. However Kona keep making radical changes to the shape of the Caldera so I don't suppose the current one is anything like the light XC bike it was in 2005/6. Rockhopper is a good choice but also check out What Mountain Bike's £500-£600 reccomendations.
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mate it has to be the rockhopper definately the hardrock is heavy and the M4 frame is the same as my 2007 stumpjumper. I have sold loads of rockhoppers and the expert model i thionk was possible the best value especially whent he list price went down to £749 a bout 3 months ago, The Weav i would say that Paul Cleverley's rockhopper expert for £550 is a good buy, you will be lucky to find one new at a shop now and the rock shox's on the expert make it a much better all round option the darts on the lower models are not great. If you can find one of these new get it. The next one up i the range the Pro has some better kit but i think even with discount you will struggle to get one for under £750, if they are available at all. Alternatively i can get hold of an 18'' 2009 Stumpjumper for £1050, which is 20% of list price. The reach is a bit longer due to a longer stem than on a rockhopper but this is easily changed. As for the price increases, alot of this is down to the increase in the cost of shimano parts. The current trade price is not far off the retail price of a year ago. The has had an effect of the price of the bikes for 2010, some have gone up alot and others have had a reduction to the spec level to bring them in at the same price or a smaller increase.
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| Edited: 21/10/09 10:34 |
Definately the Rockhopper, its the Ford Mondeo of the cycling world. The hardrock is more of a Fiesta (allbeit the same size as a Mondeo!)
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Mondeo man FTW. Seriously it's bad thing to compare hardrock with rockhopper. It's in different league.
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