Spec Rockhopper versus Trek 4500

tlamay

Hello all,

Wife and I are brand new into Mountain Biking, but I've been doing some extensive research for the past week on some entry level Hardtails. Been to a few LBS in the area and have narrowed my search down to (2) bikes:

06' Specialized Rockhopper
06' Trek 4500

Both are at the same price point (approx. $500 USD) and have very similar componentry. However, it seems as if the Rockhopper has a few slight upgrades, such as the shifters and the shocks. The Spec bike uses SRAM components and the Trek has Shimano. A bit hard to really compare the two at the moment as I'm not as educated as I want quite yet, but I'm looking for some input...any comments, etc. are appreciated.

Thanks,

Troy

davebee

I say shimano others say sram. more importantly compare the forks, chainset, frame material/weight and the wheelset. components tend to be upgraded regularly so dont get too hung up on them. a fork costs £100s to change

fishNbike

A bike that seems to have better parts in one place, will probably have something not as good in another place to get to the same total price. And, frankly, almost all of the "entry level" parts are pretty much the same. One kind is not going to operate significantly better, or last significantly longer than the other kind. So, really the choice comes down to personal preference. Ride the bikes! Hit some bumps.. shift in and out of as many gears as you can. Ride through some mud and mash the brakes. Make your decision on how the bike performs, not the name on the parts.

fishNbike

Well, it just so happens, that just yesterday, I did test rides on both of these bikes. They were at different stores, though. I rode the Rockhopper in a 19in and a 4500 in a 19.5in. Both seemed strong and solid. The 4500 clunked a bit during rear gear changes. The hopper rear gears were smooth as butter, except there was some chain rattle on the smallest cog. I bounced both bikes and jumped a couple curbs with each. The hopper fork was quite firm.. the 4500 was noticably softer. I didn't feel much pumping during hard pedaling with either bike. The brakes on both were quite smooth. The 4500 stopped a bit quicker. Overall, I liked the hopper a bit more.