[email protected] wrote:
> I'm assuming you are referring to mountain bikes, as this is alt.m-b.
> That said I'd avoid them, especially in the low-end arena. My first 5
> or so MTB's were Haro's. Haro bought all but the first. All of them
> combined lasted less than one year.
That is some unusually bad luck or possibly just the wrong tool for the
job.
> I started with a Vector V1.
It is often hard to find any bike at the under 300.00 price point that
will handle hard trail riding. Not impossible ... just difficult.
>Within a week I'd snapped a crank arm.
> New crank, and I bent the forks next time out.
That is the typical sort of spec problem you would expect on a bike at
that price point. It is not really a Haro problem as much as a problem
with any bike at that price point, with those components.
> A few months later I
> was sick of going back to the shop, sick of getting hurt when the bike
> failed, and sick of walking my parts home.
> They eventually got me to the top of the line V-series (V5 I believe)
> and I broke that too, though I can't recall if it was frame or fork.
The V5 is actually ...almost ... a trail worthy bike. But even Haro
points out that V series bikes are intended for "easy to moderate
riding on bike paths and dirt roads."
Definitely not a Jump or big hit bike but as far as the V5's price
point goes, it compares well to the Raliegh M80 or Specialized
Rockhopper Disc.
> When I got my new one (still gratis, props to Haro) I sold it without
> riding it. I then quit the MTB thing and went back to 20" for
> another few years, until I was ready to come into this sport properly.
>
>
> In all fairness, Haro & the shop both handled things great. I can't
> imagine Haro was anywhere but in the red on the deal by the time they
> issued me the 5th bike. I never heard a whisper of complaint from them
> or the shop.
Sounds like the shop wasn't selling you the correct bike for the type
of riding you were doing.
> Still, I get the feeling they are walgoose level bikes.
You bought an intro priced bike that was designed to be ridden on bike
paths, and thats what you got. Even the V1 is miles above anything sold
through pacific/big box inc.
Haro makes bikes in all the major price points. The Werx, Sonix, and
Thread lines seem to do very well. Then again the V series seem to do
pretty well for bikes at there level and intended purpose.
Too bad the OP didn't mention what model he was after, or the type of
riding he was intending on doing.
> They may be the cat's pajamas for a dad's annual lap of the block,
> or a couple middle aged soccer moms doing a few miles on the fire road
> to stay in shape. They certainly looked fine to a young kid who loved
> to ride, and rode hard every day. Turns out that they are not fine,
> IME, for any real riding. Alas....
Wrong tool for the job ... that is to say they had you driving nails
with a pair of pliers.
> As I expect everyone here will tell you, you can find a "real" bike
> used for the cost of a walgoose/haro/whatever new. IME, if you throw
> in the cost of the first repair or two on the cheap bike, and this is
> about the case. I'd def. endorse spending the extra scratch.
You get what you play for ... for that matter Haro also owns Masi.
I will say that my background with Haro is strictly XC and that the
Mary SS is a sturdy bike, and nicely spec'd at its price point.
One of the things I will say about Haro, is that I like their honesty.
Grab one of their catalogs and look at the bike descriptions. Not only
do they point out that the V series is intended for "Easy to moderate
riding on bike paths", they also have such quotes as: (about their
freeride bikes) "Not designed for all day epic cross-country rides."
(about their DH bikes) "Bikes in ths category are designed to be ridden
down the mountain, not up it."
R
(Nothing from the above had anything to do with the beer and sake....
don't be touch'n my monkey balls.)
