Haro Group 1999 1 Monocoque

Advantages: Lightweight, strong, precise, fast
Disadvantages: hopeless police (lack of) effort against stolen bikes

...The first time I got on this bike (Mount Vision Pro version), I cycled some 30 yards and I was immediately struck by how fast it was. How? Why? This bike is wierd in that its so good. The frame is completely stiff and just magnifies your muscle power. The rear suspension is so precise that its really fun jumping over bumps and down hills and climbs. Its so fun. You think this thing with its springs and pivots would be very noisy but it isn't - no rattles or 'slack' noises to spoil your cross country confidence. There is always the associated extra weight, argument, too but this is so light at 26.6lbs (frame just 6lbs). The frame was designed with input from someone who designs F1 race cars but it works really well much better than the new Specialized brain suspension that is being pushed at the moment. The 6061 T6 alloy aluminum... Read review

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Advantages: lightweight; very strong; slick gears; very fast
Disadvantages: cost; keeping it yours !

...Enthusiasts might tell you this is only the best downhill MTB. I don't care which way you're going, you simply have to ride this bike to appreciate how fast and slick it is. Its hard getting a dealer demo because of the cost but more about that later. Features: 6061 Series Aluminum twin Monocoque front, light-weight Monocoque swingarm with integral disc brake mounts and cable stops; Answer Mars Super, 80mm of Travel with Lockout; excellent Fox Float RL, with Rebound Adjuster and Lockout rear air shock; Shimano XTR throughout; Mavix X517. I chose downhill bars which I find more comfortable. Most dealers give you these for a free swap. disk brakes are extra but possible. You don't have to be fit to be the fastest thing on the road and off-road it knocks about 5 to 10 years off your age. A great bike. The XTR gearchange is amazing... Read review

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Advantages: A good workout for the forearms, and addictive too.
Disadvantages: Sometimes tricky to get started.

...the ball spinning. As soon as the ball is spinning, the powerball should be held with the moving parts held away from the palm of the hand (SAFETY: the rotor can reach over 15,000 revolutions per minute, and may cause burns if you hold it the wrong way - though in 3 years this has never happened to me). To begin with, fairly slow, longish circles with your wrist (about 1 circle a second) are needed to keep the powerball spinning. If you hear a knocking noise then the chances are you are trying to 'spin' the powerball too fast, slow your movements down. I found that this is the most difficult part of using the powerball. Despite having used one for over 3 years, I still sometimes need 2 or 3 goes to get the powerball up to speed. Furthermore, on one occasion I have seen the plastic tip on the starter cord break, which makes starting it more... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful