Submitted by
Ricky
a Weekend Warrior
from South Carolina Date Reviewed: April 26, 2009
Favorite Trail:
The trails around my house, made by dirtbikes and 4-wheelers.
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$180.00
Purchased At:
Bike To Nature
Strengths:
This bike is very light. Shifts through the gears well. Frame looks awesome, due to the design and paint job/graphics.
Weaknesses:
The only thing on my V-1 that I have found to be a weakness is the fork. Its crap. But then again, I have put it through a dump-truck load of abuse. It works..but it has alotta flex. And it should come with disk brakes. THAT would be a nice touch.
Similar Products Used:
None, when it comes to this caliper of bike.
Bike Setup:
I've got Specialized Hardrock wheels (comes in a set), and Avid BB7 disks, front and rear. Other then that, the bike is stock. Two LED headlights and a small red LED in the rear, for night rideing.
Bottom Line:
This bike is well worth the money I paid for it. The first time I rode it in the parking lot...I knew right from the get-go that this bike had my name it. The light-weight frame, rather good parts. The rims are great, even with the turns I do while locking the rear brakes and the stoppies I do from time to time. My uncle has a GT thats rather nice. The first time he saw it, he said "How about you just leave the Haro here and take my GT home?" I'm like.."Naw man." But hey, if you buy this bike, you won't be let down. It has yet to let me down. Its a solid bike that has held up to everything I threw at it. From some downhill rideing (with alot of rocks on the way down..) to some jumping. This is the best bike I have EVER owned, hands down. Even though I'm 19 years old, I've been through alotta bikes, and this one chews them all up and spits them out.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Pat
a Cross Country Rider
from Pine Colorado Date Reviewed: November 1, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Colorado Trail/Buffalo Creek
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Gynans
Strengths:
Pretty industructable, Price point, climbs great with new wheels and tires
Weaknesses:
Wheels are junk, poor shifting
Similar Products Used:
K2 Zed
Bottom Line:
I have used and abused this bike for the past 4 years about 6000 miles a year. With a little maintainance and new wheels it did all that is asked.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
PAbiker
a Downhiller
from New Holland, PA Date Reviewed: July 20, 2008
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle Barn
Strengths:
Incredibly strong, cheap, good components for the price, very balanced feel
Weaknesses:
"suspension" fork is very lame
Similar Products Used:
Giant rincon
Bottom Line:
I took this bike off drops, jumped it a lot, and took it down very gnarly trails, and it held up very well except for the back axle (I broke it three times till I upgraded the rear wheel). The newer ones have a different wheel and they hold up much better. Fun to ride, and handles very nicely. Don't expect this bike to perform like an expensive bike, but for the money its pretty good. Buy this bike if your on a budget.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Zachary Moore
a Cross Country Rider
from JC, MO Date Reviewed: February 10, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Monarch Crest
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$200.00
Strengths:
Near bullet-proof lightweight aluminum frame at a fraction of the cost of boutique brands. Easily upgradable.
Weaknesses:
Little flexy in the BB area. Otherwise none.
Bike Setup:
Avid BB7, Manitou Magnum forks, WBT Speeddisc rims, LX hubs, otherwise stock and under 24 lbs!!!
Bottom Line:
Second favorite bike next to my old C-Dale. I've looked at upgrading the frame on several occasions and haven't yet been able to do it for the sake of how well this baby handles, climbs and not to mention the extra grand or two I have in the bank that could have been spent only to try and impress the same guys I blow by on the trail on their $2000-$3000 bikes.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
gage
a Downhiller
from springfield, oregon, usa Date Reviewed: December 9, 2007
Favorite Trail:
ridgeline
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
hutches
Strengths:
nice strong bike. built tough.
Weaknesses:
none really
Bike Setup:
king pin front forks 8 in travel disk brakes suspension neck. shimano carbon fiber rims
Bottom Line:
nothin really
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dave
a Weekend Warrior
from us Date Reviewed: July 24, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Rockcut at steele creek
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$180.00
Purchased At:
adventure cycles
Strengths:
good bike to get into mountain biking. i've takin this bike through black diamonds and it rides well for the price of the bike
Weaknesses:
the drivetrain isnt the greatest and is a little slow shifting but you cant expect much for the price. also the derailleurs loosen about every other time on the trails from being jolted around.the stock tires are junk enough said. and the mozo 30a fork is a sorry excuse for a fork.
Similar Products Used:
scott reflex
Bike Setup:
replaced the stock tires and hoping to replace the fork [any suggestions for a good fork] also want to replace some drivetrain components and i'd also like to replace the v-brakes with some avid juicy brakes but a little out of my price range
Bottom Line:
great bike for the price.i bought this bike used from a bike shop that rented it out on the virginia creeper trail and everything works like new. i dont think you can find this good of a bike for the price
Crappy Omni Shocks. Poor Kenda Tires. Weak handlebar, bent on first crash. Gears aren't the greatest.
Similar Products Used:
Giant Boulder
Bike Setup:
Replaced Omni shocks with Rock Shox Tora. Replaced handlebars with Crowbar handlebars. Ouri grips.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike to start out with, especially for the price. It's definitely a bike you'll have to upgrade as you get better and braver. I'm looking to add some clipless pedals and replacing gears and bottom bracket soon.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Michael
a Downhiller
from Avon, CO, US Date Reviewed: May 5, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Eby Ranch
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
buddy gave me it
Strengths:
i'm average height and got the 15 inch frame. Set it up with burly components all around and dirt jump/race the heck out of it. Seems to be holding up to all the abuse i can throw at it. Super low top tube, makes the bike very manueverable and easy to throw around in the air.
Weaknesses:
I just am using the frame and i haven't found any weakness with it. If it ever breaks i guess that would be a weakness, but it's working good right now.
Similar Products Used:
Old School trek 830 AL used to be the dirt jumper, but it was 18" and i wanted something smaller!
Bike Setup:
Bighit bars, ODI lockons, Tecktro mechanical disc, WTB DX23 wheelsets, Manitou minute 1:00 fork, sram x.5 shifters/derailleur, Mr. Dirt Chainguide system, Road bike speed cassette, kenda k-rad tires.
Bottom Line:
Good bike to fart around on. Not exceptionally lightweight, but still lighter than cro-moly. Good bike to mess around on. Not really flashy but great for the price. (free for me) Don't buy it if you wanna impress anyone, but do buy it if value is high on your list of priorities.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Sean Larson-White
a Racer
from Mahwah, NJ Date Reviewed: November 9, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Cannonball Trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$330.00
Purchased At:
Ramsey Bike and Ski
Strengths:
bullet proof fram nice paint job ok fork, easy to wheelie.
Weaknesses:
bad shifting, bad seat, bad brakes, needs new grips.
Similar Products Used:
2003 Haro V1.
Bike Setup:
stock, will upgrade fork. upgrade brakes to disc brakes. upgrade handle bar to FUNN Fat Boy
Bottom Line:
I think it is pretty good for the money you have earned. Great to get into the sport of mountain biking. Do not purchase if you are not willing to buy parts as they break.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Michael
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin, TX Date Reviewed: June 5, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$175.00
Purchased At:
Used, on craigslist
Strengths:
Lightweight, rigid frame. Stellar looks with the Black and Silver graphics. Great geometry.
Weaknesses:
Cheesy crankset with riveted chainrings, cheap bottom bracket. Horrible Kenda tires that were out of round when new. RST forks are too soft (I'm 170lbs) and boingy.
Bike Setup:
Kore stem, flat specialized carbon handlebar, upgraded saddle, Bontrager tires
Bottom Line:
With it's sturdy, lightweight frame, this is a good entry level bike worthy of upgrading as funds permit. I upgraded the bottom bracket, ditched the riser bars and added some tires that are actually round and have some grip. Next on the list is as set of forks. I didn't have $700 to shell out on a new bike, so I was looking for something with a quality frame that I could upgrade over time. Overall. I'm happy with this bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jon
a Cross Country Rider
from Bozeman, MT, US Date Reviewed: May 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
local trails
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$270.00
Purchased At:
Owenhouse
Strengths:
Great starter bike, good price, excellent frame and my girlfriend approves of the colors on the frame. Great bike for around campus and even some trails.
Weaknesses:
It's not light, it's obviously not a bike for a serious rider. Toy fork, expendable components.
Similar Products Used:
Trek, Kona, GT, and Giant products in the price range
Bike Setup:
Stock at the moment. This is my girlfriend's ride and she's new to cycling. I have many parts to upgrade it as she gets better and or breaks parts.
Bottom Line:
This was an excellent investment for someone just getting back on a bike after 12 years. I have a big hit bianchi hardtail with about $1400 put into it and it was a bit intimidating for her to ride. This was something she felt comfortable with, liked it because it was "pretty", and can grow into it if she gets into cycling. She can ride it to campus, and all around our fairly small college town, and out on some less technical trails with her friends or myself. The mix of components is fine for getting started, and the frame is one that you can "grow into" by replacing things like the wheelset, fork, shifters, derailleurs, even disc brakes - although buying a new bike at that point makes much more sense. I highly reccomend it to someone just getting into the sport.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Dominkowitz
a
from Austin Date Reviewed: February 1, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Still deciding
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$270.00
Purchased At:
Ozone (Austin, TX)
Strengths:
I have been out on a few rides and Beat this thing up. It has hit trees full force and washed away by river currents. It is still in one piece. I treat it like a red headed step child, and it still treats me great. Comfortable bike. Definately buy it. I looked at specialize, giant, and gary fisher. I made the right choice.
Weaknesses:
Rear hub loosened quickly. That's it.
Similar Products Used:
Giant
Bottom Line:
Great bike for a beginner. Feels good riding and feels good falling. Can take a beating.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Dominkowitz
a
from Austin Date Reviewed: February 1, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Still deciding
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$270.00
Purchased At:
Ozone (Austin, TX)
Strengths:
I have been out on a few rides and Beat this thing up. It has hit trees full force and washed away by river currents. It is still in one piece. I treat it like a red headed step child, and it still treats me great. Comfortable bike. Definately buy it. I looked at specialize, giant, and gary fisher. I made the right choice.
Weaknesses:
Rear hub loosened quickly. That's it.
Similar Products Used:
Giant
Bottom Line:
Great bike for a beginner. Feels good riding and feels good falling. Can take a beating.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Dominkowitz
a
from Austin Date Reviewed: February 1, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Still deciding
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$270.00
Purchased At:
Ozone (Austin, TX)
Strengths:
I have been out on a few rides and Beat this thing up. It has hit trees full force and washed away by river currents. It is still in one piece. I treat it like a red headed step child, and it still treats me great. Comfortable bike. Definately buy it. I looked at specialize, giant, and gary fisher. I made the right choice.
Weaknesses:
Rear hub loosened quickly. That's it.
Similar Products Used:
Giant
Bottom Line:
Great bike for a beginner. Feels good riding and feels good falling. Can take a beating.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alex Bonvie
a Weekend Warrior
from Sackville Date Reviewed: October 22, 2005
Favorite Trail:
the great outdoors
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Sport Wheels
Strengths:
the frame is very light an strong as hell, will stand up to most anything, just dont take it off drops higher than 10 feet.
Weaknesses:
All the componets are crap, don't buy the bike, just the frame if possible. replace the fork throw on some single tracksand this bike will be a beast
Similar Products Used:
norco katmandu, wolverene, 125
Bike Setup:
rock shox judy, single track front and rhyno light back, race face crank
Bottom Line:
just replace everything on the frame and it will be one of the best, lightest freeride/dirtjump bike thatu can ride (depending how much money u put in to it)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Davis Kroeker
a Downhiller
from Medicine Hat, Alberta Date Reviewed: August 21, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Dirty Little Secret, C.O.P
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$180.00
Purchased At:
Cyclepath
Strengths:
Frame is very tough.
Weaknesses:
components suck, all of them. But for the price its not a big deal. i took this bike off a 6 foot drop to a tranny and didnt have any problems with it except the fork bottomed out. Rims are easy to bend. shifting is hard
Similar Products Used:
norco bigfoot, norco tactik, speciallized big hit grom, kona shred
Bike Setup:
stock setup
Bottom Line:
Good Bike for the beginner rider. this bike can take a pretty good beating without falling apart, for a good price, buy it
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dan mowery
a Weekend Warrior
from newville Date Reviewed: July 30, 2005
Favorite Trail:
doben
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$275.00
Purchased At:
biketech
Strengths:
frame is awsome, but heavy. for the money the components were nice.
Weaknesses:
it broke, period. the seatpost, rear derailer, crank, pedals, and the shock is crappy.
Similar Products Used:
none like it
Bike Setup:
new tires, grips, pedals
Bottom Line:
the frame is bomb proof but everything else is crappy. but that is what u get for the money. good for the novist, not someone serious or brakes there toys.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cori
a Weekend Warrior
from Austin Date Reviewed: May 30, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$160.00
Purchased At:
Ozone
Strengths:
This was a GREAT starter bike for me. It took a licking and kept on ticking. I've graduated to a Santa Cruz but still just love this bike. It's got a very stronge frame, comfortable seat for soemone new to the saddles. It served me well on hard packed. loose rocky as well as sandy terrain. This was the prefect bike to introduce me to MTB biking.
Weaknesses:
Heavy but then any beginner bike is going to be heavy. The shifting was difficult. You have to remember to hold the shifter for longer than normal to make sure it's in gear. For a newbe, this was a problem. I took it back to the bike shop to see what was wrong and the fella let me know about the extended hold down required for shifting. However, these components could always be swapped out if it caused too much of a problem for the rider. I highly reccomend it for the new MTB biker.
Similar Products Used:
Kona
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Superlight
Bottom Line:
Great beginner bike that can have the components swapped out as the rider becomes more proficient with their skills. This can help avoid dropping so much cash on a bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chuck
a Weekend Warrior
from Burr Oak MI USA Date Reviewed: May 8, 2005
Favorite Trail:
any
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$240.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Low weight for this price range, brakes are excellent, rolls extremely smooth, quite comfortable.
Weaknesses:
I liked the GT frame geometry better, though this one also has a stiff, responsive feel to it.
Similar Products Used:
GT Outpost, Aggressor, Haro V2
Bike Setup:
stock
Bottom Line:
I have always been a GT person, but I must say this bike is as good as any other in its price range and maybe even better. Bought my wife a Haro V2 as it was on model year end closeout and liked it so much that I bought myself the V1 The V2 had better components, but I couldn't see the extra price for it. All around a great bike for road, off road or mild trail riding.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Weekend Warrior
from Rothesay, NB Canada Date Reviewed: August 27, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Saunder trail, gondola park rec centre
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$389.00
Purchased At:
Bungays @ Moncton
Strengths:
Weight, brakes(but have catapulted otb!),feel, seat. It is just a great bike. It loves the trail, but is great on the road.
Weaknesses:
None that I've discovered yet. Took a major road accident that left me banged up, bleeding and bruised and kept on ticking....
Similar Products Used:
none - I'm new to this - last bike was a 1985 12 speed Free Spirit
Bike Setup:
Stock. Any suggestions on modification?
Bottom Line:
It's a great bike. I have used it to commute quite a bit lately - it's great. Slicker tires might be better, but jeez theres a lot of crap on the roads!
It's been awesome on the trails. I've crashed a few times, and the only thing hurting is my old body. It shifts very smoothly, and really rolls nice, even with the knobby tires. Great bike for a beginner - more than I expected.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Frank
a Downhiller
from Bethlehem, PA Date Reviewed: June 25, 2004
Favorite Trail:
anything thats goes downhill with lots of rocks
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$270.00
Purchased At:
saucon valley bikes
Strengths:
frame is stong.....brakes are great......ok drivetrain for price..
Weaknesses:
the deraillers are kinda weak......the fork is weak....
Similar Products Used:
giant
Bike Setup:
old marzochi z1 freeride(4 inches of travel)....deore rear derailuer...lx front derailuer.....lx shifters....mrp long range patrol chain guide....race face handle bars.....titec stem.....wtb weirwolf 2.5 front tire......maxxis ignitor 2.35 rear tire....race face cranks and bottom bracket...sun ryhno lite rims...xt hubs
Bottom Line:
great bike...i use it for dirt jumping and mountain cross racing...great beginner bike....u don't need to modify it as much as i did to have fun with it.....i suggest this bike to anyone that wants to get into mountain biking
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Phil Stever
a Cross Country Rider
from Webster, New York Date Reviewed: June 24, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Webster Park
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Galyans
Strengths:
Surprisingly nimble frame, brakes are above the expected quality for a bike in this price range, shifting is surprisingly fluid. Glad that the parts are not as low as Tourney.
Weaknesses:
The drivetrain is the weakest part, but expected. I encountered chain suck when in the extreme lows when going up hills. Switch the riser bars if your into XC. I've always had problems with the Kenda Klaws but if your new to mountain biking you'll think they're amazing but when you lose traction up a steep hill you'll quicky change your mind.
This review is for the bike when I first bought it. I can't think of a better bike for $260 (if you can let me know.) I took the bike for about 50 trail hours before the major part swap. I was originally going to get a Marin Nail Trail and currently riding with a broken *cough* Huffy *cough* I needed something to hold me over until I saved the $800. I was so impressed with this bike I decided to spend the extra $600 I would have spent on the Marin on parts for the V-1. I've seen all the V-Series models. With the $200 price difference there is a fork and color difference. Don't be stupid, I know Haro has a reputation for freeriding bikes but don't take your chances with the V-1. It is an exception to "HARO=FREERIDE/BMX!" rule. Thats the biggest misconception with this bike. If your interested in mountain biking go for it, you have nothing to lose. If you have a trail nearby that you can grace this bike on, buy it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric B
a Cross Country Rider
from Huachuca City, AZ Date Reviewed: June 19, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Any;-)
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$220.00
Purchased At:
M&M Cycles Sierra Vista
Strengths:
Great entry level bike. Bought for my daughter's 12th B-day. Suspension is perfect adjusted all the way to the left, then one turn for her weight (70 lbs). Brakes are awesome. The front brake will send you OTB in a flash;-) Best brakes I've ever seen on a sub 500.00 MTB. Wheels very close to true. Tracks well. Handles desert terrain with no issue. Shifters are surprisingly nice.
Weaknesses:
Bit heavy. Other than that, can't ask for more on a MTB in this price range. Much better than other similar priced bikes.
Similar Products Used:
Looked at the Raleigh M20, a Giant, and a KHS. The Raleigh was very comparable but did not have as good a fork.
Bike Setup:
Bone stock, suspension adjusted as above.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for your kids or young college student. Handles long rides with no problem, and holds adjustment well. Bike shop gave me 75.00 trade in for her 2 year old Haro T2.1 BMX bike. We've been Haro fans for a while and have had nothing but good luck with them and M&M in Sierra Vista is fantastic! I would give it a 5/5, except there is no such thing:-)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
HKS GGAWAGON
a Weekend Warrior
from Southern California Date Reviewed: February 25, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Local Bike Trails
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Strong frame,good geometry,great brakes,good componenents for the price. Beautiful Black Paint. Great beginners bike!! For the price, I got a great deal!!! The frame has disk brake tabs for you to upgrade and replaceable rear hanger. For the $ it's a great bike!!
Weaknesses:
Cheap front derailuer,and mozo shocks.
Similar Products Used:
Old BALANCE MTB bike.
Bike Setup:
Stock components.
Bottom Line:
A great bike for the begginers. I haven't had too much time to ride this bike, but so far everything works right off the box. Buy this bike if you're just getting into Mountain Biking and replace components as you get better and stronger. The main reason this bike was purchased was due to it's upgradeability and great price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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