Unique Set-Up
Remember those Stomper 4x4 trucks? That was a big toy for kids in the early 80's. They had these big honking wheels that allowed them to roll right over just about anything. The Outcast is a bit like that, featuring the over-sized 29-inch wheels that came into vogue for mountain bikes in the last five years. I personally like the big wheels - I think the momentum they generate really helps bust over and through big obstacles.
What I don't understand in general is why you'd ever put single-speed gearing on mountain bikes. Isn't the whole point of a mountain bike to go riding on, um, mountains? At the least, up and down hills, which if they are of any size, will make you wish like the dickens for a range of gears. Otherwise you'll find yourself pushing the bike up the steep parts because the incline makes it too tough to pedal, and then twiddling your thumbs on the downhills because you can't spin your feet fast enough on the pedals to keep up with your speed.
With that said, however, if enough of your riding is going to be on reasonably flat surfaces, this bike will work well for you. In my case, it has turned into a favorite commuter bike. The gearing is steep enough (42t in the front, with 18t freewheel and fixie cog in the back) to allow for some decent speed, and setting it up as a fixie makes it a heck of a lot of fun. Plus, the big knobby tires and the oversized wheels allow me to bust right through the potholes and cracks in the concrete that make my skinny road bike tires weep with fear.
The Good Stuff
The Outcast has a nice aluminum frame, which makes it a strong but still remarkably light bike given how stout it is. Plus it is set up nicely, with a frame geometry that gives it plenty of clearance yet still allows for a fast sweeping feel. A cro-moly steel fork gives strength that you need up front to keep things intact if you're really giving it a pounding.
The Outcast comes in a choice of three basic and classic colors, white, slate and copper, so you don't have to worry about it clashing with your outfit. Plus, its clean lines make it a pleasure to look at and something that will turn the heads of people who know bikes.
And my experience with customer service at Bikes Direct, the primary seller of this bike, other than a couple of people on eBay, has been good. They responded quickly to my emails and when I complained about a paint scrape on the seat post, they responded by offering me a Park Tools multi-tool to make it all good.
The Bad and the Ugly
As I mentioned before, chances are you'll find yourself wanting to upgrade a couple of components pretty quickly. Specifically, the seat that comes with the Outcast is terrible. It's mushy, like sitting on a lump of dough, if that makes any sense. But the good thing is that bike seats are cheap cheap cheap, and chances are, if you're like me, you maybe already have an extra one laying around to put on that you'll like better.
The other two gripes that I have about this are fairly minor. I detected some vibration in the Alex 29 black anodized aluminum rims that I can't seem to shake. That, and the brakes started to squeak so loudly after a time that they frightened people out walking and drivers in cars going by would stare at me. Cleaning the rims real good with solvent did the trick, but sheesh, it's a problem I've never had with any bike before, let alone a new one.
So - final recommendation?
If you want an entry level bike to try out the whole 29er thing, especially with the Outcast's unique flip-flop hub set-up that allows you to ride it as either a single-speed or fixed-gear bike, something I haven't seen anywhere else, this is certainly a good cheap way to do it. I like the bike and still have a lot of fun riding it. But, beware that the low price point means they've had to make concessions on quality with some of the components. But if you're aware of that, and go into it with eyes wide open, you may find yourself with a decent bike at a pretty darn good price.
