Budget HASA Mountain Bike, or alternatives?

• 

  siraitken on 27/01/2015 - 10:29

  I have a 2012 model of this bike.

  I haven't had many issues with it.
  The brakes have been my only issue.
  After a few months they loosened quite a bit but I took it back and they fixed them.
  It's been about two years & now I am getting them fixed again but mainly due to wear & tear.

  For $300 you can't go too wrong. The price is misleading on the website though. It is a $300 bike and always has been, do not think you are saving yourself $300. It is not a $600 bike.

• 

  cacique on 27/01/2015 - 10:50

  yeah i was pretty sure the "$600" wasnt a true reflection of the price!

  I went to the warehouse to check them out, look and feel great, the shimano gears one seemed smoother than the other one. What have u mainly been using it for the past 2 years? and how often do you ride it, if you dont mind me asking?

  Cheers!

  • 

    siraitken on 27/01/2015 - 11:09

    +2

    I've only been riding the MTB trails at Lysterfield Lake. I've ridden all the trails apart from a couple with the big jumps/drop offs without any issues. I'm not sure the bike would handle large amounts of force well.

    In summer I try get there once a week.

    • 

      siraitken on 27/01/2015 - 13:56

      +1

      I forgot to mention you will also need better tyres for Lysterfield. The standard ones are ok but not really offroad. I think I am using Maxxis Crossmark or so.

      • 

        cacique on 27/01/2015 - 13:58

        no worries, if theyve worked well this long for you ill take that on board. did you get it from cycling deal as well? how is their post sale support?

      • 

        siraitken on 27/01/2015 - 19:11

        @lowrider88: They are a fairly standard tyre and haven't had any punctures. I bought them via one of the cycling website advertisers on here. Can't remember what site but they had a buy one get one free deal. I think it was approx $35 bucks a tyre.

• 

  frondono on 27/01/2015 - 11:00

  -1

  The Hasa with the SLX Gear for $999 would be my pick as I haven't really seen another bike comparable for the same price. If you are a regular rider you're probably better off ponying up for that one as it's of much better quality, will last a lot longer and have much better everything.

• 

  cacique on 27/01/2015 - 11:53

  a grand is well out of budget, thats why im asking about a $300 bike! i dont trust the anaconda fluid or kmart/target bikes either, so I was wondering on these as they seem to be alright for the price.

  • 

    blitz on 27/01/2015 - 15:49

    +1

    I would totally do it. I got back into riding with a low-end roadie, and now I own quite a few higher end bikes. It's a lot easier to spend on quality gear when you know you're going to use it.

  • 

    Euphemistic on 30/01/2015 - 14:23

    The anaconda fluid bikes should be in the same category as the Hasa you are looking at. Don't even think about a kmart bike for off the road (or on it for that matter). Effectively a Hasa, or fluid, is a bike shop level bike without the brand name premium on the price. At the end of the day the frames probably all come out of the same factory as giant, avanti etc.

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  Jam0864 on 27/01/2015 - 11:55

  +1

  Better off getting something second hand, especially for cheaper bikes.

  • 

    cacique on 27/01/2015 - 11:59

    Something off gumtree? Any suggestions? I prefer new because of warranty and support mainly, with used you wouldn't get that post sale support, but then again, a better quality bike & components shouldnt need as much, right?

    Again, im not a serious rider, i want it to last and take it out once or twice a week, maybe on those lysterfield tracks as well, but im not needing racing pedigree components, etc, just a solid, quality bike, that will last through its paces.

    • 

      Jam0864 on 27/01/2015 - 12:31

      +1

      On second thought, if you don't know much about bikes and don't have any friends who can help out, buying a second hand bike may be difficult. There's plenty of crap to sift through. I can see some good ones on gumtree, but I don't know if they're in your area and you'd have to have a look in person as well before buying it.

      The HASA is surprisingly good for the price, with most of the more important components at least having a decent brand name. The models of the components are all things I've never heard of though, so they must be the lowest end parts these brands produce.

      You'd probably be happy with it as long as you don't try to go too fast on the trails, as the tyres would be slippery, the forks bouncy and the wheels would likely bend. If you just want to cruise around leisurely on smoother trails then it's quite a good price.

• 

  2ndeffort on 11/02/2015 - 23:48

  Looks very low end as you would expect I guess. I built a MTB as a project last year to help me understand how they go together (taught myself using youtube vidz). I've never heard of most of the brands of stuff on that bike, they certainly arent mainstream model stuff, probably 'generic' brand components from the factory in Taiwan. Obviously the KMC chain and the Shimano gears are mainstream but the rest of the stuff is 'black and gold' style stuff. I would be worried about the forks and the brakes. This bike is what you would expect, a cheap MTB with low end parts. Probably OK for some light offroad use riding up some of the trails but I wouldn't be trying any downhill or jumps etc.

  I would have a look on www.bikeexchange.com.au and use the filters to narrow down and see if there is a bike shop near you selling anything mainstream in your pricerange. I would have a look on Gumtree and the Facebook swapboards as there might be an awesome bargain there but realistically, $300 is pretty light . This would be a better option that the Big W bikes but I would be wary about any serious offroad stuff.

• 

  Lectrik on 16/05/2015 - 12:01

  -1

  Your observation that reviews on Hasa bikes are difficult to come by is quite accurate. This is a bit odd for a model of bicycle that has been around for more than a few years. Especially for one that is so inexpensive and that has sold so many. But, there are several reasons for this. The first is that due to its very low price and lack of advertising, most of the usual reviewers will ignore it since giving it a decent review would compromise their position with big advertising brands that cost twice as much for virtually the same equipment. Secondly, the Hasa bikes are a terrific buy for the money and are equally as well constructed as brands costing twice as much. It would really p*ss-off the big manufacturers being compared to as good a quality bike as theirs for less than half the price. But the point is that without a lot of complaints about quality, there is not much written about the bikes (people are much more likely to write and complain than write and praise).

  I own two Hasa MTBs. Before I bought them, I was quite concerned that an equivalently equipped, similar model Giant cost well over twice as much. Something MUST be wrong with them. So, I went to one of their retail/warehouse stores and checked them out. That was quite eye-opening. They even had a few additional brands that could be compared (I don't quite know if they sell those brands or just have them around as sales props). In any case I could NOT find anything wrong with their bikes. Hanging around, I also saw many return customers coming in to buy accessories and/or additional bikes. The service guys seemed pretty sharp and they were quite responsive to the customers I saw during that time.

  Getting the bikes home, I made note of what few deficiencies I could find. The first very noticeable one was that the frame welds, while very robust, were also very visible. You don't usually notice welds but on the Hasa they were quite visible (to me). I didn't much care for that.

  Additionally, there were no kickstands provided with the bike so I had to buy two in-the-blind and they ended up being junk. That was a PIA since I later had to buy much better ones at 3x the price. The bike's supplied equipment ranged from very good to just, OK. It seems that the lesser known bits were much better known in Taiwan (according to Google searches). In any case, virtually all of the supplied equipment functioned well, looked as well-constructed as the equivalent big name pieces and seemed to exhibit equivalent durability (I will do a proper review after using the bikes for a year). As you all know, sometimes the name brands are really no better than the the apparently unknown ones. The trick is knowing when the parts are NOT equivalent—time will tell.

  The saddles were pretty mediocre (like virtually all bikes at twice the price) and were not comfortable nor particularly pressure-reduced on the pudendal nerve. That could take the lead out of your pencil if a lot of time was spent sitting on them. These were quickly replaced with cushy, old phart saddles that were much more pleasant.

  Now the pros. The frame quality was quite impressive and other than welds was very attractive. The buttresses appeared robust and well fitted. All connecting tubing appeared perfectly aligned which helps to reduce stress on the joints. The aluminum was the common-in-good-bikes and sport aircraft, 6061 T6. This alloy is very strong (many sport planes are made of it) and is REASONABLY resistant to corrosion. Not the best aluminum for corrosion-resistance but good enough that a wipe-down after salt air exposure should be enough to prevent corrosion on the powder-coated and/or anodized parts. The other alloys that are more corrosion-resistant tend to be weaker. I would clean the bike carefully if directly exposed to
  saltwater (like virtually all metal bikes).

  The brakes are mechanically-actuated, discs. These appeared just adequate for the use we were going to give them and are likely the first parts we will replace when they start wearing out. I will not fix them but replace them. I would buy larger discs and hydraulic actuators next purchase. But, given the price of the bike and the fact that for now the brakes are adequate, I considered them acceptable. I've seen much worse on other bicycles.

  The derailleurs/shifters and controls were good Shimanos and seemed quite decent and smooth. Again, I've seen much worse on more expensive bikes. The rest of the supplied equipment looked to be well-constructed and of decent materials. Frankly there is no way to truly evaluate the lesser-known pieces until I've had a year or so of riding. So, I won't do so other than to comment on their appearance and initial function.

  Some folks on here, from pictures, decided that the frames were marginal. This is very incorrect and I would put the quality of the frames up against ANY mainstream ones at two or three times the price! Apparently, so would Hasa as they include a genuine "lifetime" warranty on the frame! That could be VERY expensive for them if their MTBs frames were marginal. As far as the frame quality is concerned, you have NO CONCERNS greater than any other MTBs at 2x-3x the price.

  My belief in the Hasas has made me comfortable enough to put one of my electrical drive systems on one of them. Yes, yes, the purists will be weeping and/or snarling but for an ole' phart like me, there is nothing like running out of steam 20 miles
  from home. Said electrical drive systems require reinforcing the dropouts or the forks to prevent torque-damage. We use this type of reinforcement for ANY BRAND bicycle as no standard bicycle is meant to withstand the kind of twisting torquey hub motors can inflict. Time will tell how the bike(s) do with the electrical drives. These will be the ultimate test. If the bike(s) withstand them, then it is proof-positive that their quality meets or exceeds much more expensive bikes.

  The electrical drives, even when used primarily to supplement exhausted muscles, can propel the bike faster than one would normally ride. It is for this reason that I don't love the mechanical discs. This will quickly determine how soon I will need to replace them in order to be safe. Who knows, they may surprise me and actually do OK. I don't ride like a maniac so that should help.

  In summary, IMHO, the Hasa MTBs (and what I've seen of their other models) are EASILY equivalent to models costing twice as much and some costing three times as much. You will likely be quite happy with your purchase and will have reason for even more happiness when you see the marks riding the much more expensive, mainstream brands while knowing yours is as good or better. Do NOT take anyone's opinion about Hasa bikes unless they either own one or have professionally tested them. There are a lot of folks more than willing to pontificate on the weaknesses of products they have never handled (or even seen). What they offer is uninformed opinions. Yes, some things can be evaluated on appearance alone…but not very many. In the long run it IS the long run and overall performance that determine quality.

  I suspect Hasa will not remain such an intense bargain in the future. As they gain traction outside of Taiwan, I suspect they will raise their prices close to (but still less than) the mainstream. It isn't just my group that is electrifying these bikes and, eventually, the reports will be piling in on how well they have performed when compared to most of the much pricier models.

  As I noted earlier, I will do proper reviews of the bikes about a year from now. I hope I have conveyed to you the initial good, bad and ugly about Hasa MTBs. They are CERTAINLY as rugged, attractive and comfortable as any equivalent model MTBs from mainstream manufacturers. Hasa puts their money where their mouth is with the lifetime frame warranty. Many mainstream bikes are way overpriced (similar to jewelry when you compare the cost of manufacture). Unquestionably, the super pricey, specialty bikes do their specialty quite well. But are the outrageous prices worth it if you are not a professional bike person? Frankly, IMHO, some are just overpriced, puffed-up, thief magnets that are, more or less, jewelry for the wealthy and MAYBE a necessity for the professional. If you aren't one of those, go buy a Hasa and see what YOU think.

  Regards,
  Lectrik

  • 

    rob247 on 27/07/2016 - 07:40

    Lectrik, i found your review very good to read as i am about to buy a HASA bike. only question i have is… do you work for HASA by any chance?

• 

  benderz on 12/10/2016 - 18:31

  Any updated reviews of this bike? Seems a few people have gone to buy but no further updates.

  Am going to go down to their showroom on the weekend and have a look.

  • 

    easybiz on 31/01/2017 - 11:09

    Hi Guys

    I recently purchased a HASA Gallop 3.0 29r. I was into bikes as a kid and so it was a little difficult to purchase an unknown brand for me at first.

    I bought this bike for an e-bike project. Like lectric said my main concern was around the frame being able to hand the power of e-bike running gear and so far this has been the least of my worries. I'm running a Bafang BBSHD mid drive on my HASA and its been awesome. I made the fatal mistake of not getting the bike serviced straight out of the box so after 270kms there are all sorts of small niggling things. I have the bike booked in for a service this week, which should resolve these issues. The most annoying niggle has been squeaky spokes on the rear wheel!! To be fair this bike spends most if its life doing somewhere between 40 - 60kph, and travels 30 60km per day so its a big ask.

    Honestly these bikes are really good value for money. Given the pounding I've given it so far I wouldn't hesitate to buy another. Try to spend your money on better running gear and don't worry about the frame too much. The truth is all the big brands come from Taiwan factories anyway (Giant being the most famous) so you're not really taking a risk.

    • 

      Bikhosis matt on 29/11/2022 - 21:14

      Well that's it I'm convinced the hasa exd dual suspension MTB for $650 secondhand marketplace will be my next bike ,will post a post purchase post.

• 

  benderz on 06/02/2017 - 14:15

  People must really like these bikes! Making am account just to sing its praises and never posting again.

  • 

    2ndeffort on 06/02/2017 - 23:28

    We've been waiting nearly 2 years for the follow-up review. I am waiting to find out how the expensive kickstands went.