These are reviews from riders of their bikes & gear over a tried and tested period of time.

Bikes (for actual factory specs please go to the manufacturer websites)
Ellsworth Truth (03)
Santa Cruz Blur (03) Coming Soon!

Trek 6500 (98)
Trek 800 Sport (98)
Giant NRS1 (02)
GT Aggressor (01)
Schwinn Homegrown (01)
GT Avalanche (97)
Santa Cruz Superlight
Specialized FSR
2002 Ellsworth Truth
Rocky Mountain XS Speed (96)

Just finished building this sweet bike. It's a 2003 Ellsworth Truth with the updated frame & seatstay. This is the best (cross country) full-suspension bike I have ridden. I tried one out for several months that was built like a tank (for a Truth) and weighed 30.5 lbs. This new one weighs 27 lbs (Romic shock weighs 1.5 pounds).

Here's what's on it: 2003 XTR drivetrain (w/sti shifters), disc brakes & hubs (not an XT part on it), Koobi Au Enduro Saddle, Thompson aluminum seatpost & stem, Easton Carbon XC Hi-Rise (1.5") bar, King headset, '03 Marzocchi Marathon SL 105mm fork, Time Atac pedals, Wheels: '03 XTR hubs laced to Mavic UST 3.1 Tubeless rims, Hutchinson Scorpion tubeless tires. I could drop another 1/2 pound by getting Eggbeater pedals and Hutch. Python tires. Also, I have a Fox Float RL shock that only weighs 1/2 lb - but the Romic shock outperforms it & I need to lose a few pounds off my body anyway.

The new STI shifters are a no-brainer to get used to - contrary to some people's popular belief. I'll never go back. I even removed the optional thumb shifters that came with them. Just a brake/shift lever now. The Marzocchi Marathon SL (2003) is a little harsh - it's my first air fork. I'd probably recommend going with the spring version of this fork to match up better with the Romic in the rear.

Trek 6500 (98) 19.5" & 16.5" frame

The Trek 6500 (aluminum) can be considered an entry level bike. But it is a strong bike. You can get one for about $630. It's a good bet for the person who is starting out and doesn't know if they'll be hooked or not. Parts are mostly low-end (Acera,LX,RSX shifters) but held up well over 2000 miles. At 2000 miles, I upgraded to a PsyloXC fork, XT crankset, XTR cassette, Mavic 517 wheels, Continental Vertical Pro tires, Specialized Body Geometry Comp Seat, Avid rollamajig. I have raced it many times and rode on every possible terrain from beginner to advanced 5 to 50 mile mountain rides. It's never broke - even with the original parts. The original Bontrager wheels have never come untrue - but I have retired them as commuting/winter tires. I now have over $700 in upgrades. Great bike, still riding it everywhere. My wife has the exact same bike in the 16.5" frame - great bike for her too - she'll never need an upgrade. Update: now over 3000 miles. Finally trashed my rear Mavic 517. Ran the tires kind of low & got a dent. Tried to straighten - but the side wall on the rim was worn to thin & cracked. Picked up a replacement Crosslink for $75 - but the spokes keep loosening. Will go with Mavic UST next.

Upgrades	Original Parts Replaced	Performance gained
Rock Shox Psylo XC Fork	Rock Shox Judy C Fork	Increased travel 3 to 5”, more plush, stiffer.
Bontrager Race Light Bar Ends	None	Increased comfort with more positions for hands.
Cateye Enduro 2 Cycling Computer	None	Keep track of miles,speed,time and set goals.
Specialized Body Geometry Comp Seat	Stock Bontrager Seat and Specialized Body Geometry Sport Seat.	Narrower to avoid tendon pain on inner thigh during high mileage rides. Less pressure on the “sensitive” areas.
Seat Pack	None	Comes with essential trail tools and holds inner tube. Expandable.
Trek Frame/Triangle Pack	None	Holds cell phone, id, cash, keys and a small can of mace.
Wrench Force Small frame pump	None/Kamikaze Mtn Air pump	Gotta have a pump!
Time Carbon ATAC Pedals	Toe clips and then Shimano 545 clipless pedals	More power on the climbs, better ability to “hop” over obstacles.
Shimano LX “V” brakes	Shimano STX brakes	Stonger, smoother, more adjustable brakes.
Kool Stop Eagle 2 brake pads	Shimano STX pads, Eagle Kool Stop Thinline pads, Shimano LX pads.	Eats wheels less – but doesn’t stop as well when wet! Dry performance is superior and no squeal.
Shimano XT Crankset & bottom bracket	Shimano Deore Crankset & bottom bracket	Stiffer, more power transfer.
Shimano IG 90 chain	Shimano HG90 chain	None noticed – recommended for XT upgrade
Rollamajig	None	Better rear shifting – no gumming up of rear internal cables
Mavic 517 Wheel w/SRAM 9.0 Hub (front) & Mavic Crosslink (rear).	Bontrager Corvair wheels w/Bontrager hubs.	Lighter wheels – old wheels had considerable wear – used for road riding now.
Shimano XTR Cassette	Shimano LX Cassette	Gained a higher gear (more teeth on large ring) – easier climbing.
Continental Vertical Pro Rear Tire 2.3”	Bontrager Jones 1.9” rear tire	Superior climbing traction, softer ride for technical trails. 2.3" tire has better handling in the soft stuff & can run a lower pressure.
Spin Skins Kevlar Tire Liners	Plastic Tire liners	Worth every penny – cut my flats by 90% - but wore out from swapping tires often.
~~Salsa light weight tubes~~ WTB tubes	Generic tubes	'Salsas' offered less weight equals faster speeds – but too many pinch flats now - switched back to heavier WTB tubes.
Shimano XT Deraillers	Acera/LX	Much crisper & reliable shifting
Shimano XT Shifter pods	Shimano STX	Much crisper & reliable shifting
Personal Equipment
Giro Mojave Helmet	Bell Vertigo Pro helmet	Better fit, smaller profile, less bulky.
Trek fingerless gel gloves, Diamondback full fingered gloves, Azonic full fingered gloves	Na	Gotta wear gloves. Use full fingered on technical rides – or lose skin off ends of fingertips in crashes (I know).
Specialized Body Geometry Sport Clipless Shoes	Specialized Rockhopper shoes	Stiffer, better power transfer. Lighter, more breathable.
Pearl Izumi, Performance, and REI lycra shorts	Na	Pearls took longer to break in and fit larger than others (had to go medium instead of large). But I think will last longer.
Zoic, Pearl Izumi jerseys.	Na	I like the thicker ones – as opposed to straight/thin nylon. Have to have a rear pocket!
Smart Wool socks	Cotton generic dork socks	Shortest top you can get and wicks sweat from your foot. Holds up forever.
Clif Bars	Candy Bars	Clif Bars rule! Can go all day on them.
Clif Shot gel (mocha mocha)	Na	For emergency use to prevent bonks. Used properly – will re-energize me for about 25 more minutes.
Revenge drink	Orange juice/salt/water mix or Grape juice mix	The best nutritional find I can say I have found. This stuff does what it says it does – but it helps to be in shape in the first place – or you may not notice it’s benefits.

Trek 800 Sport (98) 16.5"

This bike is a good starter for in town trails and as a "not sure if your wife is going to like it" bike for intermediate trails. It is a $250 bike. Beware that the shifting, etc will be no match for even a $600 bike. Only a very light rider (100-120lbs.) will be able to make it last. It is much, much greater than some department store bike by far - especially when you get the full support of a bike shop. We initially made the mistake of buying my wife a dept. store bike at first and she hated it because the bike shifted crappy - wasn't ever put together right and just plain crap. This bike was 10x the bike of the dept. store version. There is no suspension fork and it has cheapie looking chain guards/wheels/tires, etc. It's steel. Bought this one for my wife after I got hooked. It worked well (she's 4'9" and 100lbs.) but we were constantly adjusting the shifter. She needed an extra gear (it's only a 7 speed) and a front suspension fork to ease the jarring on her hands. But if you don't know how it's gonna go or if they are going to like it - start with a cheap bike like this - but make sure it's from a bike shop! Better yet - let your potential ride partner ride several bikes at the shop before plopping down any cash. It's a great kids bike or a great town/smooth trail bike!

Giant NRS1 (02) 16.5"

Rob just bought this one - so it hasn't been tested much. This thing is about a $2000 bike. It is packed with great parts (tubeless wheels/tires, Hayes hydraulic discs, SID fork/shock, RaceFace & XT components), I took it for a spin today and it was cushier than my hardtail - but I noticed there wasn't as much squish due to the NRS anti-bob geometry/linkage. So if you are coming from a hardtail - you may love it! But if you are used to squishy free-ride type bikes - you may not. I have heard that you have to be careful how you set up the rear shock. If you don't do it right - it will destroy the ride. Tubeless is good because you can run low pressures + they supposedly roll faster. We'll write more after it's been on the trails more.

GT Aggressor (01)

My 190-200lb. friend found the wheels and drivetrain to be the weak link - but it's a comfortable and capable bike. He followed me around for a year and only had to replace the rear wheel/cassette and bottom bracket so far.

Schwinn Homegrown (01)

This thing is incredibly light. A raceworthy hardtail. SID up front. XTR all the way around.

GT Avalanche (97)

Santa Cruz Superlight - excellent for my lightweight rider friend. Not so sure it would hold up to my thrashing. Maybe as a race bike.

Specialized FSR - time proven design. Friend thrashes on it (since 98') & it keeps going. Had to replace a chainstay - but what do you expect for 4' drops on a XC bike?