|   How much abuse a TRACER can take? | pl
Jan 10, 2004 11:23 AM | | I'm 160 lbs with gear. I've a 2003 tracer with a Talas RL front and AVA R ProPedal rear. My question : how much abuse this frame can take (abuse = drops and stuff like that) with a minimum risk of braking it ?
happy trails,
paulo |
| re: How much abuse a TRACER can take? | Jrm
Jan 10, 2004 1:51 PM | | Ive seen seat towers break. Also the main pivot bolts have a tendency to bust. Just carry an extra bolt with you |
| re: How much abuse a TRACER can take? | Quattro
Jan 10, 2004 5:21 PM | | The Tracer frame weighs in at about 6 lb. with an air shock(which it was designed for). So if you add coil shock it is somewhere between 6.5-6.75. You have a frame somewhere about midway between a Truth and a Turner XCE. It was designed for xc(trail)riding. I have a Tracer and weigh about 185 lb. I don't do big drops, but ride trails. They consist of fast and technical DH runs and steep technical climbs.
If you are doing jumps and drops a lot,then it might not be the bike for you. You are light,so you can probably be a little more agressive than I can. How is that AVA Pro Pedal shock in the rear? I have tried the Vanilla R in the rear and have gone back to a Float RL. I'm considering the AVA sleeve as a way to get a little more travel and plush feel in the rear without the weight of the coil shock. |
| re: How much abuse a TRACER can take? | pl
Jan 11, 2004 11:11 AM | | Propedal works fine to me. The same shock in my spider really improved the already good pedaling performance. |
| 2 foot jumps to flat | derby
Jan 10, 2004 7:06 PM | | Even then if you make a mistake and land sideways the links could bend and maybe break. The new reinforced tower and gusseted frame can probably take more abuse. The links are very light, I'd worry about them for more than up to 2 foot jumps or drops to flat.
Maybe use wheels with light spokes for the weakest part of the bike to break or twist first and save the more expensive frame stress.
- ray |
| Same question but now for the Switchblade | pl
Jan 11, 2004 11:19 AM | | and, do you know what the shock stroke for the 2004 switchblades.
Here in portugal there is no TITUS dealer too so I never contacted with a titus. Are they nice? building construction? performance and reliability?
thanks,
paulo |
| Same question but now for the Switchblade | FM or MF
Jan 11, 2004 12:26 PM | | They are suerp nice, build quality is as nice or nicer than turner, nicer than intense, almost as nice as ventana inho. You won't be dissapointed.
I weigh #175 and have done up to honest 4' to flat wheelie drops on mine, and do 2-3's all the time. The frame is halding up great, but I don't think it was designed for this, so I'm moving to something burlier. Still, i've had the frame long enough that I don't see it breaking anytime soon. I would have no problem buying a used switchblade, whereas other frames I would be concerned about... |
| Titus says... | fonseca
Jan 11, 2004 11:03 PM | | ...that the SB can handle the occasional 3' drop to flat, but it's not a FR frame.
Titus builds the best FS bikes available. |
| How often is occasional? | FM or MF
Jan 12, 2004 11:31 AM | | Once per ride? then what if you ride every day? If I did a 3' drop last ride, should I avoid it this ride, but next ride it's OK?
I'm just kidding, but I do think it's kinda funny.
Nobody wants to haul more weight than they need to, but everybody wants more travel and many of us want to learn new skills like bigger drops or jumps. Worst of all, nobody wants the image of riding a big free-ride bike but not backing it up with skills. Yet aquiring those skills means compromising your equipment if you follow the manufacturers guidelines, or riding a bigger bike than you really need.
I think the marzocchi disclaimer says it best. It says something to the effect of "you can free-ride on a cross country fork, but it might break, you might get hurt, and we will not warranty it. You are free to ride XC with a free-ride fork however. We leave it to your best judgement to decide which equipment is best for you."
I'm sick of buying a new, bigger FS frame every year so I'm going to just build my next bike up really burly. Then I will not have to wonder "how big can I go on my XC bike?" It might hurt your ego on climbs, but thats a small price to pay. I'll get over it. |
| SB designed for 5.25 inch travel / 3 ft jump to flat | derby
Jan 15, 2004 7:25 PM | | Although most riders have used it in the 4.5 inch travel option in previous years. But that may change now that the new generation platform shocks can make longer travel bikes pedal like the travel is 2 - 4 inches shorter but absorb bigger hits.
The SB is almost 1/2 pound heavier (and less flexy) than the Tracer with the same shock to support the 5.5 inch max travel option use. The SB and 5-Spot and other 5 inch travel bikes should stand up well to occasional 3 foot jumps to flat. The head angle is about a degree slacker than the Tracer's slackest frame adjustment with the same fork crown height, but the seat tube is slightly steeper than the Tracer's slack frame setting.
Titus engineering quality and customer service and support is second to none. They have true classic Horst link designs for the best pedaling and braking efficiency and control in rougher terrain. Almost all their bikes are built in house by long term employees. The welding is as good or better than the best outsource shops that Turner, Santa Cruz, and Ellsworth contract with to manufacture their frames. The downfall of the Switchblade is the lack of warrantee support when using a coil shock. Perhaps it's too easy to often bottom a coil with the right sag. They recommend their slightly heavier built Moto-Lite for those who want a coil shock.
- ray |
| 3 ft jump to flat | andy f
Jan 16, 2004 10:23 AM | | Misleading to say a given bike can or can't handle an x ft. jump to flat. Like most other aspects of riding, it's 90% rider, 10% bike.
Prior to being hit by a car and my following back surgeries, I rode my 3.5 lb. Easton Ultralight-tubed Bianchi B.u.S.S. w/ rigid fork off a 3' to flat drop on my 2x weekday evening loop along with 2-3' concrete stair drops along my commute. That frame is still going strong today. |
| 5 ft jump to flat | dbAbuser
Jan 16, 2004 11:34 AM | | oh, to be young and not worry about wrists and ankles working beyond today... used to drop up to 5' and not think about it on a pretty flimsy bmx bike (compared to currents standards) back when I was 15... |
| Right you are! However.... | FM or MF
Jan 20, 2004 3:51 PM | | you can't really compare hardtails to FS frames, when it comes to strength.
For instance, I have always had (at least for the last 4 years) both a dekerf steel hardtail and a FS frame.
First I bought a SC superlight, 5 lbs. It broke after 10 months (chainstay) So, I bought &rode a used dekerf... Started jumping and doing drops on the dekerf. Loved it. Then SC sends me another superlight. Snapped the top tube off the seat tube after 4 months. Back on the dekerf, more drops and jumping, still going strong. SC sends me another superlight. That one got sold immediately. kept riding the dekerf.. eventually bought a titus switchblade. Dekerf breaks, repaired quickly and cheaply by derkerf who guarantees it. Now I'm offing the titus, as I weant something beefier.
So, point is, an FS frame needs to be about 6lbs to be comparable strength to a light hardtail. more travel requires more weight. Most of these 6-7lb, 4-5" travel FS frames are not any stronger than a fat chance or dekerf hardtail. If you plan on doing drops over 4', look for at least an 8lb FS frame- or a 4+lb hardtail.
I do agree though, if you can land a 4' on your hardtail, your technique is smooth so a light FS frame will last longer than it would for somebody who lands with their knees locked... |
| At your weight, probably lots if you're smooth | Adman
Jan 11, 2004 11:37 AM | | The Tracer's a great technical XC frame, and if you're fairly smooth with drops it should last you a long time. My friend's '99 small frame survived a significant amount of abuse before he retired it for an Uzzi SLX this season. He's about your weight and does drops up to 4' to flat on it. His last most advanced season on it included riding with a Z1FR QR20 & Intense Mag30s w/ DH tires. He's got the balance of a cat & is very smooth with the drops he does.
On the other hand, I'm over 200# without gear & saw my large Tracer frame crack 3 times in 3 years: twice at the seat tower and once at the lower swingarm strut. I rarely did any drop over 2-3 feet, and I always rode with an extra bolt for 1) main pivot, 2) upper & lower shock mount as well as spare derailleur hangers.
With a Z1FR up front my Tracer was a real hoot on technical, rocky terrain & felt like a little Uzzi SLX.
-Adam |
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