I bought my Reflex 20 about 6 months ago. From the off she was upgraded so I can only give you the low down on what I rode.
Upgrades are tyres, pedals, stem, forks and brakes.
I ride a bit of all terrains. Commuting to work along a 6 mile route that rakes in a bit of road, steep hills and some smooth single track, worth the slight detour, so it gave me a good indication of where the bikes strengths and weaknesses were.
Strengths:
The frame is light but stiff as well. Okay, you'll never get a hardtail riding as smooth as a FS, but she handles fast downhill sections very well and takes all the abuse I have thrown at it in it's stride and climbing is great with the frame putting everything in the right place. I upgraded my forks and brakes so I cannot comment on them but it seems well specced for the price. The wheels are also up to the tasks as I have hit a few rocks and ramps and they still track as true as they did from new.
The gears shift smoothly and the cables are sleeved almost their entire length so there is little chance of griming them up. You could even file out the final cable guide in a few minutes and run fully sleeved cables if you wanted to.
The bike's geometry is well suited to fast riding and the steep saddle post angle improves things when raised up.
Weaknesses:
The biggest weakness on my bike were the tyres. They gripped pretty well and cleared the mud well once it got gloopy but they wore out really quickly. I don't skid everywhere but I expect my tyres to last more than a couple of months. I now run 2.1 muds instead of the 2.0 Scotts and all is good. Clearence at the front allows tyres of up to about 2.35 or 2.5 if you feel brave but there is less room at the back and I like to leave a bit of room for a buckled wheel to get me home. I would say that 2.35 is your sensible maximum at the back but make sure the wheel is trued to be central to the frame to give you the most room.
The other weaknesses are far less intrusive. The pedals aren't the grippiest on offer but do a good job none the less. The only thing I would recommend as an extra purchase from the shop is a cover for the drive side lower frame rail that runs between the upper and lower chain. When you are bouncing down a trail, the chain whips about a bit and knocks paint chips off the frame making it look tatty. This is only a cosmetic issue though and a few minutes with a touch up brush and some paint would cure it but i will get some neoprene or some duct tape and sort it properly some time on mine.
Also, if you are fitting bigger brakes, the biggest disc you can fit on the back is a 185mm one as the frame has a tab welded to the inside of the left lower frame rail that prevents fitting bigger discs. It's a small issue though and not one to stop you buying this bike.
Overall:
A very well made and well specced bike for the price and a real "go anywhere" ride that can handle all the (sensible) abuse you can throw at it. Highly recommended for anyone who wants a capable all rounder for all types of riding with plenty of potential to upgrade later.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
very helpful by (100%):
