|   light freeride/xc bike | the boss
Aug 4, 2002 12:41 PM | | i recently was the owner of a gary fisher sugar 2, till air canada decided fragile meant run over with heavy machinery, anyway i now have some insurance money coming into my way and am looking at buying a new frame with a bit more travel in the rear and something a bit more fun to ride, the sugar was great, it's just that it didn't quite suit my riding style as i would rather be able to do some aggressive downhills and possibly some light freeriding, but still have a bike light enough for cross county riding. so far i've thought of replacing it with a rocky mountain slayer or a specialized enduro. I'll have about $2500 cdn to spend but i would be happy not spending all of that. Anyone have any other sugestions on suitable frames?
thanks alot |
| re: light freeride/xc bike | foobar
Aug 4, 2002 10:41 PM | | I just replaced a Sugar as well... Try looking at the Kona Bear. I tested the Rocky Mountain Edge (kind of a little bro to the Slayer), and did not like it. It felt like less travel than my old Sugar 2 and had bushings at all the pivots. The Bear felt real nice because it felt the most balanced of the lot, but it bobbed a little more than I was looking for, plus it's pretty heavy (though solid). I ended up with an Enduro. It seemed to pedal the best to me out of the Edge type design and the Bear, and it's fairly light at 29.5 lbs. There's a lot of expensive options out there, but you have a budget. It is certainly fun to ride, though does not climb as well as the Sugar (maybe I just need time to re-adapt to standard geometries). I'm pretty sure I would have been happy with the Bear as well though. If you are looking for something a little more playful feeling than the Enduro, take a look at the Bear, because it fits that bill perfectly. |
| re: light freeride/xc bike | scott.com
Aug 5, 2002 7:52 AM | | Some to consider
Kona Bear
Specialized Enduro
RM Slayer
I went with a Specialized Enduro Expert. Descending is great. More then enough travel for my needs. Climbing is ok. Still feels a bit heavy but then I came from a light weight HT. |
| you may not find them at $2500 CDN, but... | gonzostrike
Aug 5, 2002 3:28 PM | | I would suggest these frames:
Ventana Pantera
Ellsworth Isis
Santa Cruz Superlight
Santa Cruz Heckler (not available yet)
Hammerhead 100X
All can be built up to weigh less than 30 lbs and will handle light freeriding (4-5 foot drops with good technique, for example). The Ells Isis and Ventana Pantera will be the most fun in descending/freeride mode, but will perform very well in XC mode. The Santa Cruz bikes will be equally balanced in FR/XC traits. The Hammerhead will be more XC than FR. |
| LocoMoto too ... | woodyak
Aug 8, 2002 5:56 AM | | The Loco should be a consideration as well. Put it in 4.75 mode and it becomes very plush. I've got mine built up with some solid parts and it weighs in at a little over 26 lbs. I've dropped this thing 4'+ and it doesn't complain about it. A very solid bike at pretty good price. |
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