Specialized HardRock

Simon Harris said:

Hi All,

Thanks for all the replies to my earlier post, asking for opinions on
a Specialized HardRock.

What I didn't mention is that I do 95% road (Commuting) but do enjoy
the other 5% which is mediocre off road.

Does that change things much? A friend has a hardrock and rates it
even for road use, apart from the tyres!

Another friend says to get a Hybrid of some sort as that will be
'easier to ride' for road use.

Any ideas? Should I look at something else?

I can see this turning into one of those 'the more I ask the more
confused I get' things! 🙂

Simon.

mmm, stay away from a hybrid. They are good for no one thing, mediocre at
everything else.

"Simon Harris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi All,

Thanks for all the replies to my earlier post, asking for opinions on a
Specialized HardRock.

What I didn't mention is that I do 95% road (Commuting) but do enjoy the
other 5% which is mediocre off road.

Does that change things much? A friend has a hardrock and rates it even
for road use, apart from the tyres!

Another friend says to get a Hybrid of some sort as that will be 'easier
to ride' for road use.

Any ideas? Should I look at something else?

I can see this turning into one of those 'the more I ask the more confused
I get' things! 🙂

Simon.

Get something that feels comfortable and is going to work for how you need
to use it. You're the only one that can decide. Unless you plan to do any
type of "mountain biking" in the typcal sense, a hybrid would probably work
just fine.

CG

"small change" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Simon Harris said:

Hi All,

Thanks for all the replies to my earlier post, asking for opinions on
a Specialized HardRock.

What I didn't mention is that I do 95% road (Commuting) but do enjoy
the other 5% which is mediocre off road.

Does that change things much? A friend has a hardrock and rates it
even for road use, apart from the tyres!

Another friend says to get a Hybrid of some sort as that will be
'easier to ride' for road use.

Any ideas? Should I look at something else?

I can see this turning into one of those 'the more I ask the more
confused I get' things! 🙂

Simon.

mmm, stay away from a hybrid. They are good for no one thing, mediocre at
everything else.

True, but why have a mountain bike if you aren't going to mountain bike?

CG

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Thanks for all the replies to my earlier post, asking for opinions on
a Specialized HardRock.

What I didn't mention is that I do 95% road (Commuting) but do enjoy
the other 5% which is mediocre off road.

Does that change things much? A friend has a hardrock and rates it
even for road use, apart from the tyres!

I used to ride a HardRock on the road a lot. Put some high pressure
smoothies on it and it will roll along just fine. Having a mtb on the
road means you can hit potholes, jump curbs and do a lot of other fun
stuff on your commute without worrying about wiping out a wimpy road
wheel. I'll second the opinion that hybrids do nothing well and
generally suck.

Dave

[email hidden]

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability
to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable
for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams

Simon Harris said:

Hi All,

Thanks for all the replies to my earlier post, asking for opinions on a
Specialized HardRock.

What I didn't mention is that I do 95% road (Commuting) but do enjoy the
other 5% which is mediocre off road.

Does that change things much? A friend has a hardrock and rates it even for
road use, apart from the tyres!

Another friend says to get a Hybrid of some sort as that will be 'easier to
ride' for road use.

Any ideas? Should I look at something else?

I can see this turning into one of those 'the more I ask the more confused I
get' things! 🙂

Simon.

Well, I can chirp in here, I guess.

In terms of hybrids, here's a couple cents from my observations: My wife
picked up a hybrid after her retro bike got swiped by some lowlife scum.
As a lot of people here have implied, the bikes are real compromise
machines and suffer for it. My wife uses hers on road for getting
around town....they aren't bad in that case and the riding position is a
lot more comfortable than a proper road bike. That being said, it isn't
fast like a road bike, can't handle the local multi-use trails (gravel
chip topped) worth squat and forget about singletrack!

Myself, I use the same bike for commuting and off road work. Right now,
I've got a hardtail with a little more of a cross-country design...kinda
like the Hardrock (in fact, I was looking at a Hardrock before getting
what I am riding now). It works for me and the riding I do...you'll
need to discover what works for you and your riding style. Try to get
your hands on the bike you're looking at and ride them.

If you think you're going to go off road, I'd recommend staying away
from a hybrid. If you're looking at some occasional off road then
perhaps a hardtail is the way to go. Myself, I'm starting to look at a
full suspension bike as my skills have come up and my riding style has
evolved.

Hope it helps,

Psycho Mike

Michael Halliwell said:

Simon Harris said:

Hi All,

Thanks for all the replies to my earlier post, asking for opinions
on a Specialized HardRock.

What I didn't mention is that I do 95% road (Commuting) but do enjoy
the other 5% which is mediocre off road.

Does that change things much? A friend has a hardrock and rates it
even for road use, apart from the tyres!

Another friend says to get a Hybrid of some sort as that will be
'easier to ride' for road use.

Any ideas? Should I look at something else?

I can see this turning into one of those 'the more I ask the more
confused I get' things! 🙂

Simon.

Well, I can chirp in here, I guess.

In terms of hybrids, here's a couple cents from my observations: My
wife picked up a hybrid after her retro bike got swiped by some
lowlife scum. As a lot of people here have implied, the bikes are
real compromise machines and suffer for it. My wife uses hers on
road for getting around town....they aren't bad in that case and the
riding position is a lot more comfortable than a proper road bike. That
being said, it isn't fast like a road bike, can't handle the
local multi-use trails (gravel chip topped) worth squat and forget
about singletrack!
Myself, I use the same bike for commuting and off road work. Right
now, I've got a hardtail with a little more of a cross-country
design...kinda like the Hardrock (in fact, I was looking at a
Hardrock before getting what I am riding now). It works for me and
the riding I do...you'll need to discover what works for you and your
riding style. Try to get your hands on the bike you're looking at
and ride them.
If you think you're going to go off road, I'd recommend staying away
from a hybrid. If you're looking at some occasional off road then
perhaps a hardtail is the way to go. Myself, I'm starting to look at
a full suspension bike as my skills have come up and my riding style
has evolved.

There are jeep trails and there's singletrack. The OP hasn't given us
enough info to judge.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Per Chris Glidden:

Quoted message said:

True, but why have a mountain bike if you aren't going to mountain bike?

There's "mountain biking" and there's "mountain biking".

I've got a mountain bike, but I don't think any serious MTBer would call me a
mountain biker. I'm really just somebody that likes to ride a bike but
doesn't like to do it around motor vehicles.

I'd say that 98% of my miles are on paved surfaces, fire roads, or smooth
single track - and probably could be ridden on the average road bike with 28mm
tires and a cyclocross tread on the front wheel.

It's the other 2 percent that makes the MTB more functional. Jumping concrete
curbs, hopping over the occasional small tree, going down stairs, plowing
through wet leaves/mud, crossing a field with no path, and so-forth.

I have a hard tail and an FS - and the FS gets the nod for all except what I
call "road" rides (including the ride to where I'm currently working).

Every so often - especially when I'm maxed out on a paved surface and some
roadie just sort of floats past me - I get the urge for a road bike. But then I
realize that the roadie is just in vastly better shape than I am and a road bike
would get me a couple mph more absolute max.

The MTBs are just vastly more comfortable, they're more durable, the parts are
interchangeable, and the reduced speed doesn't matter because I don't have to
keep up with anybody.

Besides, riding the hard tail to work on HP slicks takes about an hour - average
speed around 13 mph including stops. On a road bike, I'd gain 2 mph absolute
max - and getting there five minutes faster wouldn't make any diff to me.
--
PeteCresswell

And there you have it. Bottom line, it comes down to personal
preference.

(PeteCresswell) said:

and the reduced speed doesn't matter because I don't have to
keep up with anybody.

The reduced speed can be an advantage on those
cold morning commutes.

I've found myself soft pedaling on my cross bike
to get down to warmer, and slower, MTB speeds.

I have had my specialized hardrock since '99. Unlike teh newer ones it
had a rigid front fork until I replaced it with some judy Cs.
I commute to work with it all the time. It is still a great bike for
commuting to work on the road and going off road with.
As parts needed replacing I have generally upgraded. The frame is
nowhere near as lightweight as a more contemporary bike which is the
only downside.
I'd recommend the specialized hardrock. 🙂

I have had my specialized hardrock since '99. Unlike teh newer ones it
had a rigid front fork until I replaced it with some judy Cs.
I commute to work with it all the time. It is still a great bike for
commuting to work on the road and going off road with.
As parts needed replacing I have generally upgraded. The frame is
nowhere near as lightweight as a more contemporary bike which is the
only downside.
I'd recommend the specialized hardrock. 🙂

I have had my specialized hardrock since '99. Unlike teh newer ones it
had a rigid front fork until I replaced it with some judy Cs.
I commute to work with it all the time. It is still a great bike for
commuting to work on the road and going off road with.
As parts needed replacing I have generally upgraded. The frame is
nowhere near as lightweight as a more contemporary bike which is the
only downside.
I'd recommend the specialized hardrock. 🙂

small change said:

Simon Harris said:

Hi All,

Thanks for all the replies to my earlier post, asking for opinions on
a Specialized HardRock.

What I didn't mention is that I do 95% road (Commuting) but do enjoy
the other 5% which is mediocre off road.

Does that change things much? A friend has a hardrock and rates it
even for road use, apart from the tyres!

Another friend says to get a Hybrid of some sort as that will be
'easier to ride' for road use.

Any ideas? Should I look at something else?

I can see this turning into one of those 'the more I ask the more
confused I get' things! 🙂

Simon.

mmm, stay away from a hybrid. They are good for no one thing, mediocre at
everything else.

I disagree. I thought the same as you until my workmate got a
Specialized Cirrus Pro (or something like that).
It has roadie wheels, MTB components, and flat bars. He uses it
primarily as a road commuter and sometimes does some tours on it. He
never takes it offroad. Basically it's a road bike with flat bars and
lower gearing and he loves it for comfort and utility. He also has a
rack on it and it can carry stuff well. It seems to suit his preferences
perfectly.

I'd still probably never get one, but after checking his out I'm
convinced they don't suck, they just aren't right for me. I'd rather
have a mountain bike (or a few) and a road bike, but he doesn't MTB and
wants only one bike.

Matt

Thanks again guys n gals - I'm going to have a ride on my mates hardrock
tommorow (Ooo err missus!) to see how I get on with it.

What really has put me off a hybrid is this comment from Dave:
"Having a mtb on the road means you can hit potholes, jump curbs and do a
lot of other fun stuff on your commute without worrying about wiping out a
wimpy road wheel."
Yup, love the 'fun stuff' on the way to/from work, so mountain bike it is!!
🙂

Also, the fact that a moutain bike will do off/on road, where as a hybrid
will only do on road.

Thanks again! ;-)

Simon.

Simon Harris said:

Thanks again guys n gals - I'm going to have a ride on my mates hardrock
tommorow (Ooo err missus!) to see how I get on with it.

You're going to get it on with your friend's wife? 🙂

Quoted message said:

What really has put me off a hybrid is this comment from Dave:
"Having a mtb on the road means you can hit potholes, jump curbs and do a
lot of other fun stuff on your commute without worrying about wiping out a
wimpy road wheel."
Yup, love the 'fun stuff' on the way to/from work, so mountain bike it is!!
🙂

Also, the fact that a moutain bike will do off/on road, where as a hybrid
will only do on road.

Thanks again! ;-)

Simon.

Have fun and try the trails, you'll be hooked.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

Per Simon Harris:

Quoted message said:

What really has put me off a hybrid is this comment from Dave:
"Having a mtb on the road means you can hit potholes, jump curbs and do a
lot of other fun stuff on your commute without worrying about wiping out a
wimpy road wheel."

Also, you've got a huge range of tire sizes/treads to choose from.... all the
way from 1.25" slicks at 90 psi to *really* fat tires at 35 psi - or even lower
if you go tubeless.
--
PeteCresswell