Specialized raised the price of the bike after the release of this video. The bike is currently 850 on the market. At that price point, I would recommend looking into the new Trek Marlin 7.
It's out of stock or it isn't sold in your market? It seems like there is a lot of stuff available in the US that isn't in Canada. Makes you wonder...PS I haven't been vaccinated, you can have mine.
Back in the 90s when I first got into MTB I bought the 'hard-rock' (pre-rockhopper) I thought it was the best bike I had ever ridden in my life, it made me love this sport. Five years ago I re-connected with mtb again and I bought the rockhopper expert. I've made more than 4000 miles and got no need to worry about the bike, only changed tyres, no real issues with the fork, everyhing working well until now. That I'm jumping to the 'epic ht' because I'm really satisfied with the brand in each upgrade I''ve gone for.
Do you guys feel it has enough gear for on and off trail? I never really used the 3rd gear on the front of my bike much but mostly I used the 1st for trail and 2nd for road. I guess the big factor is does it go low enough for steep climbs?
Thanks for an extremely useful and relevant review! There are so many vids of people reciting angles and specs, I can read a spec sheet! But this is excellent, thank you!
First bike I ever bought I got the base rockhopper 2021 model in a medium on fb market place for $600 brand new . I have put WAY over 400 miles on mine riding everyday 20-50 miles and I haven’t had to replace a single part or do any major fixings . I HIGHLY recommend this bike for people looking to ride normal and learn mountain technique at the same time . If anyone has upgrade recommendations I am definitely open as I plan to upgrade this bike a good bit . It has been amazing to me
I love my Rock hopper XXL comp, i bought less than a month ago and I have already done about 75 miles in 20 days EASILY. However this is my first high end mountain bike and i didn't know any better! needless to say it is a great bike and i am happy customer.
Hey thanks for the info video. Much love for the smaller channels. If you keep looking to make more professional videos, looking at your lighting will help make things more polished.
I have the 2× version of the 2021 model, and I have changed the cassette, fork (SR Suntour Epixon air fork), tires, cranks and the front gears to raceface, pedals and honestly love it, good looking bike and plan on keep upgrading the bike
Great review, and still relevant. In 2024, a lower headset cup can go external, to allow tapered fork steerer. Mitigates upgrade concern mentioned in the vid.
I found your videos very helpful in deciding to buy the 2022 rockhopper comp. I had the 2021 rockhopper entry level and I loved it, but it was stolen, so I’ve upgraded. I really prefer the 1x, the lockout is perfect for paved rides, and the hydraulic brakes are a whole world better than the mechanical. Ok yeah it’s a coil fork, it’s not great, but you can’t have it all. Now let’s hope I can keep this one from being stolen……
I remember my Raleigh xxix with avid brakes and a rockshox Reba. Very solid bike I only pair 499 for it and it was 7 years old. Unfortunately i was hit by a car the day after I bought it. Luckily the wheel was the only thing bent. Unfortunately a few months later it was stolen and I haven't been able to find one since
I got 2021 rockhopper i agree shox are stiff and it heavy because its not playing well. I upgraded my tyre to vittorai barzo and tubeless front and rear. The rear hub replaced by novatech i finally reduced the weight of my bike now its fun during uphill.
Really solid review on this bike and the comparisons. Best I've seen so far. Looking to buy this bike for my two sons. What are your thoughts on the Kona bikes in this price range. To me they look like a much better bike. But I have been out of the MTB scene since the late 90's and a lot has changed.
Got this bike a few months ago in the gloss oasis color. Totally agree with you on the fork; it's pretty bad. For basic XC trails it's okay but downhill or anything sketchy it just doesn't perform well. Definitely worth looking into a cheap air fork.
Thank you for the review. It was really well done and very helpful. It would seem to be an ideal bike for my needs but the lack of a through axle is making me hesitate. The QR axle in the rear seems to be the one thing on this bike that you can't upgrade.
I have one around my 120th mile I bought a dropper post and it was so helpfull and I wouldent go without it. On the thing about the shifter I have no idea how you use your shifter but I deffnetly dont take my finger off of it.
Hey man, I was just wondering whether you could answer a couple of questions regarding this bike. First of all I would like to know how it feels going uphill, is the smallest gear enough to get past 10% uphill tracks? Second question would be how does it feel when goin on flat roads, can you get some speed using the last gear? Thanks in advance, great review!
The largest gear, easiest gear can get you up some hills but it will test your fitness. I swapped the cassette to a 11-48 for better climbing ability. Yes you can get some speed on the last gear however the sport version has better gearing for going fast on flats.
I’ll just save more and get the fuse comp or expert 29r. I’m still riding a 1996 Rockhopper comp in a 1x config. Still holding up was thinking about striping it down and doing a retro build with the frame.
I loved mine it’s been threw hell I have scratches on it and everything the specialized rock hopper it’s durable you could update them to and make them faster ..
It also comes in a XXL 29er. My build.... so far?! I equipped 1 × 10 Shimano deore clutch derailleur, Shimano hydraulic disc brakes 180mm/160mm, With WTB wheel set, And a Cush core Pro rear tire insert. (Full tubeless) Also including a rockshox Recon fork 32mm/ 51mm offset. Cane creek headset.
Not sure why you'd buy a mountain bike for greenways, gravel, etc. Seems like a hybrid would be better suited for that. I have a Diamondback hybrid with a wider tire and front/seat suspension and it's much better suited for that. Have even done trails with it. It's almost a cross between hardtail and hybrid. I don't think they make them like that anymore.
You would be surprised how many people I have come across that almost exclusively ride their mountain bike on Greenway and gravel paths. They are mostly families.
Something I've not seen addressed on any of these bicycling videos I've watched. If you live somewhere, say Ohio like me, that gets crazy cold in the winter and crazy hot with crazy humidity in the summer, is it best to keep your bicycle indoors or would it be ok. to keep it say in a shed/garage that isn't heated..? Or does it even matter..? Thanks..!
I wanna buy one but they’ve been out of stock for the past 6 months. Probably the reason why they increased the price cuz the demand for these bikes is too much
Specialized has the overall reputation that their bikes are highly cost optimized. They price their bikes only 30-40% higher than their competitors so they have to optimize the cost of material down to the cheapest components available on the market just above junk level. Paying U$ 800.00 for a 1x9 Microshift and a unresponsive U$60.00 Suntour XCM is like paying a price premium for a KIA car. We had 9spd cassettes back in 1997! At least a 1x11 should be available at that price range. And a tapered steering tube on the frame is not feasible because they supply their bikes with crap forks from suntour on Walmart level. You'd need to go quite higher in price for a solid Rockshox fork or a food Suntour fork.
Rockhopper now comes w/ a Suntour XCM fork which is just awesome compared to the XCT which is a true piece of sh%¨t. If well-maintained, XCM is preety smooth and does a pretty good job on keeping the front wheel on the ground. And it can be easily serviced at home, besides being very cheap and durable. It's obvisously not as good or progressive as an air suspension but it's way better than most of the coil spring ones available, including most of the higher end ones.
I dont have any experience with the kona. However, looking at the specifications, I would go with the kona. The kona has a tapered head tube which gives you more options if you upgrade the fork later down the road.
I'm about a half inch off from 6'1" and weigh 175 and I can go either way. I've had XL bikes and large bikes as well. I would probably stick with L because some companies XLs can be difficult to stand over.
You are kind of at the spot where you could almost go either way but I would probably go medium. My wife is 5'8" and the large frame is too big for her.
I’m enjoying the bike so far ru-vid.comUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA My only real complaints are the brakes and the pedals. I feel like a bike designed for bigger people should have much larger pedals and more heavy duty brakes. I’ve only gotten two really good rides out of it, minimal downhill action, and the brakes feel like they’re already going out. A larger person has more momentum, so I think this wasn’t thought through very well. Also, I wear size 13-14 wide shoes. My feet cramp up on these pedals that are clearly made for smaller feet. Since I’m not a pro rider (and I don’t think many are who purchase this bike) I don’t think that the straps on the pedal are necessary at all. None of this takes away from the enjoyment I get from riding, however. I’ll just head to a bike shop to improve on a few things.
NO. You're NOT getting the same range. Just divide the number of teeth of the front gear by the smallest and the largest cassette sprockets and you'll realize that it doesn't provide the nicest gear uphill neither the fastest gear on the road, after leaving the trail to go back home. Period.
The rockhopper is not made for racing or top rough trails, not for the highest technical skills, it's just for normal riders and beginners in the sport.
