Fuji is one of the oldest cycling brands, tracing its roots back to 1899 at the turn of the last century. Founded by namesake Nichibei Fuji, the brand has been changed drastically over the last couple of years. With changes in ownership, the brand has developed and grown, with current owners being the US-based Advanced Sports International Company. Now, you can see the latest Fuji Mountain Bike Reviews as well. One of the reasons I would recommend Fuji is definitely the 17″ Fuji Nevada Comp 1.1 26″ Hardtail Aluminum MTB Bike.
While the brand might be old, technology has definitely no remained the same. Many years of growth have led them to be one of the top brands for many people. My experience in the mountain bike industry has given me the much-needed knowledge to understand these features and find the top mountain bikes.
Fuji might be more renowned for their road bikes, but they have been developing and evolving with the market. Their winning track bikes have made massive strides in the development of all road bikes. However, we have focused more on the latest mountain bikes and some of the key features to see how they could benefit you.
In this article, we closely look at the Fuji Mountain Bikes and find out more about their key features. After reading this article, you should have much better insight to understand the benefits and the drawbacks. We have also included some of the top bikes to give you a few suggestions when it comes to finding the right one for your needs.
Product Rating
It is no surprise to see that the Fuji Bikes all have excellent ratings. Finding bad reviews is not that easy and they have a few flaws, but not a bike brand can be perfect. Being in the industry for more than 118 years, it means they have had a lot of time to make changes. Here is what many of the top sites have rated to Fuji Mountain Bikes:
Target – 4 out of 5
PerformanceBike – 5 out of 5
Wallmart – 4 out of 5
For mountain bikes, these bikes are surprisingly affordable and this makes them a popular choice among many bike lovers. However, they can be quite heavy with most frames being constructed from aluminum. This should still make them an excellent choice amongst beginners and breakout riders trying them out.
Pros
- Reasonably priced bikes when compared to the elite brands
- The aluminum frame makes them quite durable in all situations
- A wide variety of different sizes means everyone can have one
- The stylish designs and reputation of the bike makes it extremely popular
- Disc brakes are mostly used for optimal stopping power in all conditions
- Excellent warranties have been added to ensure you have peace of mind
- Reasonably weight for most bikes and beginners can use them
Cons
- Many people have claimed them to be a little heavy for smaller riders
- Pedals are not always included in all the models
- Expert assembly is always needed for the warranty to take effect
The Breakdown – Benefits
Overall Stylish Design
Fuji bikes are some of the oldest bikes on the market today. As you already know, they have been around since the turn of the last century. While they specialized in the older road bike models, the designs have drastically improved over the last couple of years. New ownership definitely played a massive role to ensure this.
The bikes are fundamentally stylish and they offer a way for all riders to actually look good when riding. Aluminum has been used in the construction of most of these bikes and this gives it a lightweight feel, while also adding some durability. The 17″ Fuji Nevada Comp 1.1 26″ Hardtail Aluminum MTB Bike is a stylish option and helps you significantly when it comes to climbs. The white color might be from 2015 but allows the bike to still turn a couple of heads.
Excellent Brakes For Technical Descending
Like many of the pro brands, we have seen that brakes make a massive difference on the road and in the mountains. The best-rated braking system is disc brakes, especially for wet weather conditions. Most Fuji bikes have the more expensive hydraulic disc brakes integrated. The main braking system is from Shimano as well.
Using these brakes over many miles, I have found them to be a little more efficient when it comes to longer rides. The hardtail design of the Fuji bikes make them excellent for scaling up mountains, but these brakes help you when coming down. The Fuji 2012 Nevada 23″ 2.0 MTB Bike Hardtail Frame is one of the older frames, but if you are a pro at downhill, this frame will make a massive difference.
Durability For Pros And Beginners
As you might have already seen, most of these bikes are actually affordable, but aluminum has been used for the construction. Some of the more advanced options like the Fuji Tahoe 1.5D 29″ Mountain Bike has been constructed from hydroformed aluminum this gives the bike even more overall durability and keeps the weight down.
While the Iron Horse bikes might be designed for the larger user, these bikes can still be found in 29-inch sizes. However, you might need to look at a different bike if you are near the 300-pound mark. Even though the frames are a little different on the high-end Fuji Bikes, they still don’t command such an expensive price that many people cannot afford it. This is exactly what is need when you are a beginner or intermediate rider.
Drivetrains Are Really Versatile
Versatility is actually key in the modern era and when selecting a bike that is needed for climbing and riding on the flat. As we have already mentioned, the drivetrains are all sponsored by one of the top brands. Shimano might not always be on the same level as the SRAM drivetrains, but they still make life really easy for you.
The 17″ Fuji Nevada Comp 1.1 26″ Hardtail Aluminum MTB Bike is one of the best examples and using this 10-speed drivetrain was a breeze. It meant the bike was easy to use when navigating through different terrains. However, men and women can equally use this bike with comfort. This serves a kind of like an added bonus for anyone wanting to match with the fairer gender.
The Breakdown – Drawbacks
Assembly
The assembly seems to be a problem with many of these elite brands. Yes, they do have excellent warranties included, but this will not kick into effect if you do not have the bike assembled by an expert. It might be frustrating if you consider that the bikes can already be expensive off the bat when you do purchase them.
Occasionally, you can be frustrated by the fact that not all the parts are included. Pedals might be one of these additions that are occasionally neglected by Fuji. However, you can always make a few of your own upgrades. The 2013 Fuji Altamira 2.1 Frame is one of these timeless upgrades that remain a favorite to the modern-day.
No Full Suspension Bikes
The full-suspension mountain bike is one of the most used modern bikes. They are slightly more expensive but make descending easier. They also allow you to take some of the strain off your joints on those rocky paths. However, Fuji does not necessarily design these full suspension bikes and this could be a big let down for some of the fans.
Nevertheless, we have also found some of the best full suspension bikes if this is your cup of tea. Many of these bikes have also been thoroughly tested and should help you on the roads. You should check out our best full suspension mountain bikes article if you are to get better value for your money when riding as a professional.
Bottom Line – Fuji Mountain Bike Reviews
By now, you should have a decent idea of the Fuji brand and as we would like to mention again, they are mostly in the market for road bikes. However, mountain bikes are affordable and still feature some of the best technology. After testing all of these bikes, we would still recommend that you give these bikes a shot.
We would like to thank you for reading this article and encourage you to share some of your thoughts on The Best Fuji Bikes. We would love to read some of your comments or experiences with these bikes. Let us know which Fuji bikes you love the most or would recommend to any beginner or intermediate cyclist.
