Strengths: Quick handling, comfortable ride, strong and designed to go up as well as down very very steep things. It's cheap and the best bike I think I have ever owned.
Weaknesses: Not the lightest and if you don't like that blue or green then look elsewhere. Can flex at bottom bracket when you really mash the pedals. Not got the sprint of alluminium.
Overall: Great infectious ride. I mean really really fun. Good for all day hacks or riding yourself into the ground on two hour sprints. Forgiving at the back end and very accurate in the singletrack. Sure it flex's but that is the 'real feel of steel' after all. Build it up as you want it I stuck some 04 TALAS on it with Hope Mini's and LX/XT gear....magic.
One of those bikes that the faster you ride it the better it gets. Just stick a short stem on it and I swear that if you have full suss bikes in the shed that cost 2-3 the price...thay will just gather dust (subject to not living in the rock strewn heavens of Wales/Scotland etc).
I've been riding since 1990 and I swear I have never had this much fun on a MTB & this is my 8th.
Strengths: Cheap....came fitted to my Marin Wolf Ridge. Simply put they do the job.
Weaknesses: A bit heavy for performance, & don't corner great if you get the bike 'right' over.
Overall: After years of searching around for the best tyre starting with the original Spesh Ground control, moving to the IRC Backcountry, and then a welcome leap to Conti Verts, I was pleasently surprised to come across these great allrounders.
I have only used them in seriously stupid muddy conditions....and I have been gob-smacked at their performance considering they are not mud specific.
Strengths: The rear end is an absolute revelation. Smooth as silk, no bob unless you stand up. Adjustable to suit mood and conditions. Forks finally match the capabilities up front, and are as good as they come. Just point and shoot.
Everything else just does the job really well...but this bike is more than the sum of it's parts, that's what makes it a great bike!!
Weaknesses: Wheels are purposeful but don't accelerate well. The bars don't suit me and the stem was too short for my taste. Change to suit it to your requirements. Saddle is a bit cheap.
Overall: All the bike you will ever need. Inspirational to ride. The money has been spent on the heart of the ride with frame and suspension being 'top notch'.
Cockpit tweaking aside, what makes this bike inspirational is the ride quality. It just encourages you to go loopy, to try silly lines.
If it were a person it would be a cross between a body guard and a NASA test pilot. It'll take care of you but if you want to go into orbit and go bannanas...it'll do that to.
