2004 Kona Coiler opinions

Philthy said:

Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on up on
request :-) konaworld.uk.com2k4 coiler.cfmOpen ↗

Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to suppliment my hardtail.
"If" they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others to try, my LBS will order
sale or return anything they can get they're hands on for test.

I think you'll struggle to find anyone with any opinions as they're brand new.

Don't know if they're in your price range, but there's the SC Heckler and Orange Patriot.

--
a.m-b FAQ: j-harris.netambfaq.htmOpen ↗

b.bmx FAQ: t-online.debmx faq.htmOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

I think you'll struggle to find anyone with any opinions as they're brand new.

Well I thought I'd ask.

Quoted message said:

Don't know if they're in your price range, but there's the SC Heckler and Orange Patriot.

Love the Heckler but a build is well out of my range unfortunalty, Just how heavy is a Patriot as
the last one I rode seemed to weigh a ton, but I was a lot less fit back then. I'm looking to spend
1500 and was after something tougher than an XC FS but not as heavy and full on as say a Stinky or
Gspot. I may look at Orange again but think it's probably still above my price range. This new
coiler seemed to fit the bill nicely, but there will be others. Phil

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Philthy
Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on up on
request :-) konaworld.uk.com2k4 coiler.cfmOpen ↗

Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to suppliment my hardtail. "If"
they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others to try, my LBS will order sale or
return anything they can get they're hands on for test.

Thanks Phil

I was at my LBS here in Phoenix last night and they had a Coiler on the floor. I thought it was a smokin bike just by the looks. I give it a quick test ride out in back as they have a small test track. It rode great just as I expected. I own a Kona Bear so I am familiar with the Kona ride. I did notice that the front fork on the Coiler had much more travel than my fork. I have a 100mm Fox fork and I am sure this had at least 120mm of buttery Marzocchi travel. I think it is a great bike for the money. You can't go wrong with Kona. I got my Bear frame last year on clearance for $699.00 and it has performed admirably. I do wish I had one more inch of travel though. 5 inches is perfect. 4 inches is just a tad too small. That's why I am currently looking to get a Turner 5 Spot next. Good luck.

"Philthy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on up on
request :-) konaworld.uk.com2k4 coiler.cfmOpen ↗

Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to suppliment my hardtail.
"If" they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others to try, my LBS will order
sale or return anything they can get they're hands

on

Quoted message said:

for test.

Saw one at the bike shop. They weigh a ton and are spec'd with low end components ( a lot of
housebrand parts). I didn't test ride it so I can't comment on how it rides.

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

Philthy said:

Quoted message said:

Don't know if they're in your price range, but there's the SC Heckler and Orange Patriot.

Love the Heckler but a build is well out of my range unfortunalty, Just how heavy is a Patriot as
the last one I rode seemed to weigh a ton, but I was a lot less fit back then.

There are now 2 types of Patriot, the 7+ for DH, FR-type stuff, and the more XC-oriented normal
Patriot. It will probably be lighter than the 34lb Coiler.

Quoted message said:

I'm looking to spend 1500 and was after something tougher than an XC FS but not as heavy and full
on as say a Stinky or Gspot. I may look at Orange again but think it's probably still above my
price range.

Prices start at 1700, I believe, but you might get a deal on a '03 model.

--
a.m-b FAQ: j-harris.netambfaq.htmOpen ↗

b.bmx FAQ: t-online.debmx faq.htmOpen ↗

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Philthy
Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on up on
request :-) konaworld.uk.com2k4 coiler.cfmOpen ↗

Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to suppliment my hardtail. "If"
they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others to try, my LBS will order sale or
return anything they can get they're hands on for test.

Thanks Phil

I have had my coiler for a week now and i love it. I rode a 2003 stinky and it was a bit to soft, but the coiler stays solid. I love the bike, it pedals without bob and the front and back suspension is great. I wanted one bike i could ride everywhere, so this was perfect for me, its also not 40 pounds like the new stinkys.

Quoted message said:

Subject: Re: 2004 Kona Coiler opinions From: "Carla A-G" [email hidden] Date: 9/17/2003
9:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time Message-id: <[email hidden]>

"Philthy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on up
on request :-) konaworld.uk.com2k4 coiler.cfmOpen ↗

Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to suppliment my hardtail.
"If" they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others to try, my LBS will order
sale or return anything they can get they're hands

on

Quoted message said:

for test.

Saw one at the bike shop. They weigh a ton and are spec'd with low end components ( a lot of
housebrand parts). I didn't test ride it so I can't comment on how it rides.

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

I'd have to disagree. The weight is 33 pounds, which I think is still repsectable, and here's the
specs.......

Kona Clump 7005 Aluminum 5" travel Fox Vanilla R with ProPedal Marzocchi Drop-Off Comp 130mm FSA
RaceFace Ride XC ISIS
44/32/22 RaceFace SRX ISIS Shimano PD-M505 clipless Shimano CN-HG53 Shimano Deore (11-32 9 speed)
Shimano Deore Shimano Deore LX Shimano Deore Koski Riser Koski Stronghold Kona Jackshit Hayes
Hydraulic HFX-9 XC Hayes Hydraulic HFX-9 XC Shimano HB-M475 disc Shimano FH-M475 disc
Stainless 14g front and rear Tioga Factory DH 26 x 2.3 Mavic XM 321 Disc SDG - Kona Gordo IRD
Quad 2 Kona QR Matt Grey/Black
45.2 lbs

Far from being alot of low end house brand components to me

[email hidden] (MTBdipshitski) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Subject: Re: 2004 Kona Coiler opinions From: "Carla A-G" [email hidden] Date: 9/17/2003
9:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time Message-id: <[email hidden]>

"Philthy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on up
on request :-) konaworld.uk.com2k4 coiler.cfmOpen ↗

Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to suppliment my hardtail.
"If" they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others to try, my LBS will order
sale or return anything they can get they're hands

on

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for test.

Saw one at the bike shop. They weigh a ton and are spec'd with low end components ( a lot of
housebrand parts). I didn't test ride it so I can't comment on how it rides.

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

I'd have to disagree. The weight is 33 pounds, which I think is still repsectable, and here's the
specs.......

<snip yet another kona commercial>

Let's see, who are you going to trust here? A Can-Am Girl who obviously rides, rides a lot and has
been riding for years, or howdy doody's evil twin who obviously doesn't know jack [censored] about
mountain biking or bicycles?

JD

[email hidden] (MTBScottie) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Subject: Re: 2004 Kona Coiler opinions From: "Carla A-G" [email hidden] Date: 9/17/2003
9:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time Message-id: <[email hidden]>

"Philthy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on up
on request :-) konaworld.uk.com2k4 coiler.cfmOpen ↗

Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to suppliment my hardtail.
"If" they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others to try, my LBS will order
sale or return anything they can get they're hands

on

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for test.

Saw one at the bike shop. They weigh a ton and are spec'd with low end components ( a lot of
housebrand parts). I didn't test ride it so I can't comment on how it rides.

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

I'd have to disagree. The weight is 33 pounds, which I think is still repsectable, and here's the
specs.......

It's on the high end of respectable for a freeride rig, IMO.

Quoted message said:

Kona Clump 7005 Aluminum 5" travel

For the weight, that is a short travel bike.

Quoted message said:

Fox Vanilla R with ProPedal Marzocchi Drop-Off Comp 130mm

Coil and oil, IIRC. Low end for Marz, but still a darn good fork.

Quoted message said:

FSA

Uhhh, which one? Some are better than others.

Quoted message said:

RaceFace Ride XC ISIS

Low-end for RF, like the Prodigy line.

Quoted message said:

RaceFace SRX ISIS

Low-end RF BB.

Quoted message said:

Shimano PD-M505 clipless

Low-end SPD pedals.

Quoted message said:

Shimano Deore (11-32 9 speed) Shimano Deore Shimano Deore LX Shimano Deore

For a $1.6k bike, this is a pretty low-end parts spec. We're not talking Avilio, but close.

Quoted message said:

Koski Riser Koski Stronghold

Not low end? Give me a break.

Quoted message said:

Kona Jackshit

Oooo, house brand. Coda, anyone?

Quoted message said:

Hayes Hydraulic HFX-9 XC Hayes Hydraulic HFX-9 XC

Decent brakes. Well, to haul down 33.5lbs of bike, in addition to the rider, I guess the brakes
better be good.

Shock and brakes are the only high-end parts so far. The fork too, when compared to the available
competition *in that performance range*.

Quoted message said:

Shimano HB-M475 disc Shimano FH-M475 disc

Lower than Deore, IIRC. Deore parts would be HB-M5** and FH-M5**, right?

Quoted message said:

Stainless 14g front and rear

Weaker straight-gauge spoking on a free-ride rig. Good idea.

Quoted message said:

Tioga Factory DH 26 x 2.3

Some folks would consider this tire the first replacement item on this bike.

Quoted message said:

Mavic XM 321 Disc

Low-end Mavic rims, right?

Quoted message said:

SDG - Kona Gordo IRD Quad 2

Low-end seat and post

Quoted message said:

Kona QR

House-brand.

Quoted message said:

Far from being alot of low end house brand components to me

No, not a lot of house-brand, but still low-end components. This bike is no bargain at $1.6k - which
is one of the reasons I didn't buy a Kona to replace the one I gave my nephew. Kona charges a
premium for their bikes, for no discernable benefit.

If it were all LX or a mix of LX and XT, then I'd say it was a decent deal.

Spider

"bomba" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Philthy said:

Quoted message said:

Don't know if they're in your price range, but there's the SC Heckler

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Orange Patriot.

Love the Heckler but a build is well out of my range unfortunalty, Just

how

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

heavy is a Patriot as the last one I rode seemed to weigh a ton, but I

was a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

lot less fit back then.

There are now 2 types of Patriot, the 7+ for DH, FR-type stuff, and the more XC-oriented normal
Patriot. It will probably be lighter than the 34lb Coiler.

Quoted message said:

I'm looking to spend 1500 and was after something tougher than an XC FS

but

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

not as heavy and full on as say a Stinky or Gspot. I may look at Orange again but think it's
probably still above my price range.

Prices start at 1700, I believe, but you might get a deal on a '03 model.

--
a.m-b FAQ: j-harris.netambfaq.htmOpen ↗

a.bmx FAQ: t-online.debmx faq.htmOpen ↗

WHen you see Coiler think Stinky of four years ago.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Philthy
Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on up on
request :-) konaworld.uk.com2k4 coiler.cfmOpen ↗

Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to suppliment my hardtail. "If"
they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others to try, my LBS will order sale or
return anything they can get they're hands on for test.

Thanks Phil

Got mine on 9/2/03 here in So Cal. Love it. Easy to pedal (climb- ProPedal works), nimble, jumps well, best all-around bike for 2004 hands-down at only $1600.

Quoted message said:

Subject: Re: 2004 Kona Coiler opinions From: TrojanNation [email hidden] Date:
9/22/2003 12:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time Message-id: <[email hidden]>

Philthy said:

Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on up
on request :-) konaworld.uk.combiOpen ↗
kes/2004/2k4bikes/2k4_coiler.cfmhttp://www.konaworld.uk.com/bikes/2004/-
2k4bikes/2k4_coiler.cfm Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to
suppliment my hardtail. "If" they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others
to try, my LBS will order sale or return anything they can get they're hands on for test.
Thanks Phil

Got mine on 9/2/03 here in So Cal. Love it. Easy to pedal (climb- ProPedal works), nimble, jumps
well, best all-around bike for 2004 hands-down at only $1600.

--

Quoted message said:

--------------------------<

Posted via cyclingforums.com cyclingforums.comcyclingforums.comOpen ↗

Just wondered what type of riding you do and if you kept the stock fork.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Philthy
Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on up on
request :-) konaworld.uk.com2k4 coiler.cfmOpen ↗

Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to suppliment my hardtail. "If"
they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others to try, my LBS will order sale or
return anything they can get they're hands on for test.

Thanks Phil

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Philthy
Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on up on
request :-) konaworld.uk.com2k4 coiler.cfmOpen ↗

Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to suppliment my hardtail. "If"
they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others to try, my LBS will order sale or
return anything they can get they're hands on for test.

Thanks Phil

Hello Phil,

I own a 2001 Kona Stinky (5" travel f/r) and it has been good to me. It is a blast to rip around on or to take for a long aggressive ride. I purchased it because the 19" put me in an excellent riding position and the suspension felt balanced front to back (though this is somewhat setup dependent). In fact, the Stinky felt better, (more controlable/predictable than the other comparable bikes in our shop at the time) when pedaling off of an object. Though it did feel sluggish compared to my hardtail.

When I started out I wanted to upgrade the Stinky right away. Instead I held off since the Stinky functioned just fine stock. Over time, I replaced parts as I went (or broke them) -- slowly building it into a fancier bike.

Perhaps the best thing to do is take a demo Coiler for a ride. Since the Coiler is expensive perhaps you should try some of its competitors -- just to satisfy your curiosity. Plus, you may you prefer another bikes geometry.

Also, the differences between full suspension and a hardtail did take some getting used to. Hope your search goes well.

Regards,

Jeremy

"Philthy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on up on
request :-) konaworld.uk.com2k4 coiler.cfmOpen ↗

Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to suppliment my hardtail.
"If" they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others to try, my LBS will order
sale or return anything they can get they're hands on for test.

Thanks Phil

I like the name of the seat. /s

Quoted message said:

Subject: Re: 2004 Kona Coiler opinions From: osobailo [email hidden] Date:
9/22/2003 9:24 PM Eastern Daylight Time Message-id: <[email hidden]>

Philthy said:

Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on up
on request :-) konaworld.uk.combiOpen ↗
kes/2004/2k4bikes/2k4_coiler.cfmhttp://www.konaworld.uk.com/bikes/2004/-
2k4bikes/2k4_coiler.cfm Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to
suppliment my hardtail. "If" they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others
to try, my LBS will order sale or return anything they can get they're hands on for test.
Thanks Phil

Hello Phil,

I own a 2001 Kona Stinky (5" travel f/r) and it has been good to me. It is a blast to rip around on
or to take for a long aggressive ride. I purchased it because the 19" put me in an excellent riding
position and the suspension felt balanced front to back (though this is somewhat setup dependent).
In fact, the Stinky felt better, (more controlable/predictable than the other comparable bikes in
our shop at the time) when pedaling off of an object. Though it did feel sluggish compared to my
hardtail.

When I started out I wanted to upgrade the Stinky right away. Instead I held off since the Stinky
functioned just fine stock. Over time, I replaced parts as I went (or broke them) -- slowly
building it into a fancier bike.

Perhaps the best thing to do is take a demo Coiler for a ride. Since the Coiler is expensive
perhaps you should try some of its competitors -- just to satisfy your curiosity. Plus, you may you
prefer another bikes geometry.

Also, the differences between full suspension and a hardtail did take some getting used to. Hope
your search goes well.

Regards,

Jeremy

--

Quoted message said:

--------------------------<

Posted via cyclingforums.com cyclingforums.comcyclingforums.comOpen ↗

I actually wish I didn't read your post. I had a 2001 also, and traded it for another bike. I miss
it so much!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Philthy
Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on up on
request :-) konaworld.uk.com2k4 coiler.cfmOpen ↗

Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to suppliment my hardtail. "If"
they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others to try, my LBS will order sale or
return anything they can get they're hands on for test.

Thanks Phil

I've had my Coiler for about 3 weeks now, and I love it. This bike is a replacement for my 2001 Kona Mano Mano. I bought the Coiler to use as an aggressive X-Country bike...not just a gravity free-ride bike. I test rode a 2003 Stinky and felt that I didn't need all the heavy duty parts and extra weight. Suspension felt too mushy for XC riding too. I decided to make a leap of faith and order a Coiler.

I ride daily with a group, and on the first day with the Coiler I got my butt kicked on the uphill. I moved from the front of the pack to the back. The downhill was awesome, but I still had a checklist of things to adjust/change. I took off the Tioga Factory Downhill 2.3 tires. Very heavy at 900 grams a piece, and the front tire doesn't hook up where I ride. I put a GEAX Blade 2.25 on the front, and a Mutano Raptor Race 2.4 on the rear. This tire change saved me 500+ grams of rotating mass, without sacrificing tire volume. HUGE difference. I also softened the rear shock by a couple turns, and put 10 psi in each fork leg. I'm back at the front of the pack now.

Frame: Burly frame that can take a lot of abuse. Minimal lateral flex. Makes tight technical sections easier because the bike doesn't wiggle. Feels more like a hard tail. Plenty of tire clearance front and rear so you can run just about any tire you want.

Suspension: Fox pro-pedal rear shock works as advertised. I don't detect any pedal bob while seated, but the rear remains plush over bumps. The Marzocchi Drop Off fork works great too. The low psi preload tuning is nice, and the fork is a lot more sensitive to small bumps compared to my Rock Shox Psylo. It's more stable in the nasty stuff than the Psylo too...stiffer. The front fork only bobs about 1-2 inches when you're out of the saddle climbing...not bad, but I miss the lockout on the Psylo.

Components: The Hayes Hydros work great. My first disc brakes. It's nice to still have brakes after a stream crossing. They will be wonderful for winter time. The rear cassette is an 11-32...I'll be switching to an 11-34 soon. The handlebars are only around 25 inches wide. They felt narrow at first but I'm getting used to them. Might eventually get some wider bars.
Some of the other components are on the budget side, but they work fine. I'll just replace them with something nicer as they wear out.

Overall Impression: You do notice the extra weight...makes my old 31 lb FS feel like a race bike. The higher center of gravity makes tight single track feel different. Tight turns require more body english. On the plus side...downhills are way more fun, and require less effort. My downhill confidence is way up too. I don't have to carefully pick my line anymore...straight on through usually works fine. The plush suspension really gobbles up the rocks. Anytime the trail gets nasty, I can pull ahead of my buddies on their shorter travel bikes...uphill or downhill. The pro-pedal rear shock works great. You can really get all the power to the back wheel on sprints. I'd say you could have this bike as your only ride if you had to (as long as you don't plan on racing XC)...it does everything pretty well. I'll probably put semi slicks on my old Mano Mano and use it as my "road" bike or for the occasional XC race.

Jeff

Hi I just built my own coiler due to the huge price diff between the standard coiler which is reall low spec. and the primo which is TWICE as much.
I ordered full xt including disc brakes, an '03 z-1 free ride and xt hub x-223 wheels, I am running WTB Weirwolf kevlar tires. my 18" only weighs 30.5 lbs.! The fox propedal shock rocks and compliments the awesome Z-1
I have to climb about 1400' on a regular ride so I do use the eta and low gears. I love it!
peAce!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by osobailo
Hello Phil,

I own a 2001 Kona Stinky (5" travel f/r) and it has been good to me. It is a blast to rip around on or to take for a long aggressive ride. I purchased it because the 19" put me in an excellent riding position and the suspension felt balanced front to back (though this is somewhat setup dependent). In fact, the Stinky felt better, (more controlable/predictable than the other comparable bikes in our shop at the time) when pedaling off of an object. Though it did feel sluggish compared to my hardtail.

When I started out I wanted to upgrade the Stinky right away. Instead I held off since the Stinky functioned just fine stock. Over time, I replaced parts as I went (or broke them) -- slowly building it into a fancier bike.

Perhaps the best thing to do is take a demo Coiler for a ride. Since the Coiler is expensive perhaps you should try some of its competitors -- just to satisfy your curiosity. Plus, you may you prefer another bikes geometry.

Also, the differences between full suspension and a hardtail did take some getting used to. Hope your search goes well.

Regards,

Jeremy

Thanks for the review!

I'm considering one for next year. I was interested in a Dawg, but with the pro-pedal rear I figure
the extra inch of travel will be usable. A friend bought a 2003 Dawg and he's really loving it.

"jmoser" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Philthy said:

Hi, Before I ask my local shop to get one of these in for a test ride (Kona UK will drive on
up on request :-)

konaworld.uk.combiOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

kes/2004/2k4bikes/2k4_coiler.cfmhttp://www.konaworld.uk.com/bikes/2004/-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

2k4bikes/2k4_coiler.cfm Has anyone seen one or riden one yet, I'm after a 5" travel FS bike to
suppliment my hardtail. "If" they're awful then has anyone got any reccomendations for others
to try, my LBS will order sale or return anything they can get they're hands on for test.
Thanks Phil

I've had my Coiler for about 3 weeks now, and I love it. This bike is a replacement for my 2001
Kona Mano Mano. I bought the Coiler to use as an aggressive X-Country bike...not just a gravity
free-ride bike. I test rode a 2003 Stinky and felt that I didn't need all the heavy duty parts and
extra weight. Suspension felt too mushy for XC riding too. I decided to make a leap of faith and
order a Coiler.

I ride daily with a group, and on the first day with the Coiler I got my butt kicked on the
uphill. I moved from the front of the pack to the back. The downhill was awesome, but I still had
a checklist of things to adjust/change. I took off the Tioga Factory Downhill 2.3 tires. Very
heavy at 900 grams a piece, and the front tire doesn't hook up where I ride. I put a GEAX Blade
2.25 on the front, and a Mutano Raptor Race 2.4 on the rear. This tire change saved me 500+ grams
of rotating mass, without sacrificing tire volume. HUGE difference. I also softened the rear shock
by a couple turns, and put 10 psi in each fork leg. I'm back at the front of the pack now.

Frame: Burly frame that can take a lot of abuse. Minimal lateral flex. Makes tight technical
sections easier because the bike doesn't wiggle. Feels more like a hard tail. Plenty of tire
clearance front and rear so you can run just about any tire you want.

Suspension: Fox pro-pedal rear shock works as advertised. I don't detect any pedal bob while
seated, but the rear remains plush over bumps. The Marzocchi Drop Off fork works great too. The
low psi preload tuning is nice, and the fork is a lot more sensitive to small bumps compared to my
Rock Shox Psylo. It's more stable in the nasty stuff than the Psylo too...stiffer. The front fork
only bobs about 1-2 inches when you're out of the saddle climbing...not bad, but I miss the
lockout on the Psylo.

Components: The Hayes Hydros work great. My first disc brakes. It's nice to still have brakes
after a stream crossing. They will be wonderful for winter time. The rear cassette is an
11-32...I'll be switching to an 11-34 soon. The handlebars are only around 25 inches wide. They
felt narrow at first but I'm getting used to them. Might eventually get some wider bars. Some of
the other components are on the budget side, but they work fine. I'll just replace them with
something nicer as they wear out.

Overall Impression: You do notice the extra weight...makes my old 31 lb FS feel like a race bike.
The higher center of gravity makes tight single track feel different. Tight turns require more
body english. On the plus side...downhills are way more fun, and require less effort. My downhill
confidence is way up too. I don't have to carefully pick my line anymore...straight on through
usually works fine. The plush suspension really gobbles up the rocks. Anytime the trail gets
nasty, I can pull ahead of my buddies on their shorter travel bikes...uphill or downhill. The
pro-pedal rear shock works great. You can really get all the power to the back wheel on sprints.
I'd say you could have this bike as your only ride if you had to (as long as you don't plan on
racing XC)...it does everything pretty well. I'll probably put semi slicks on my old Mano Mano and
use it as my "road" bike or for the occasional XC race.

Jeff

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