FRAME Titanium 3AL/2.5V Butted and Geometric Multishaped 29Specific tubes, 2xH2O Bosses (15.5" size has 1xH2O Bosses), S-Bend seatstays, 29Specific chainstays (Room for most tires up to 2.35")
REAR SHOCK N/A
FORK Rockshox XX Edition Reba 29er 100mm Fork with hydraulic bar mounted PopLoc lever. (advanced FloodGate low speed compression to "lock out"/platform damping) 1.125" threadless aluminum steerer tube
HEADSET FSA Orbit XLII precision bearing headset
DERAILLEURS SRAM XX clamp-on front derailleur, SRAM XX long cage rear derailleur
Submitted by
DOUGGR
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston
Date Reviewed: January 27, 2012
Strengths: Light, responsive, good geometry for me, top quality components, good feel, cimbs like a mountain goat. stand over is a little high so be sure to measure your self first. then pick the one that fits.
Weaknesses: tires don't meet the bikes capability, handle bars too short and grips too squishy, seat didn't match my rear end but that a personal preference. fork lock out is a pain ITA to bleed.
Similar Products Used: Specialized rock hopper, GT zaskar, Diamond back Sorrento
Bike Setup: Changed out handle bar to ritchey wcs low rise carbon,with wide grips, switched to bontrager 29-0 team issue for smooth trail and specialized crossroads armadillo elite for trekking. switched to 153mm specialized avatar saddle. with felt no. 1 post
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Submitted by
C Gallegos
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Gatos, CA
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2011
Strengths: OMG just about everything, XX components – have ridden XTR for years (have only tried this year's XTR pedals), frame – great on all day single-track, weight – reasonable for the largest frame size in 29er trim, handling – super great wet or dry, climbing – can go all out sitting or standing, PRICE – nears private pro-deals.
Weaknesses: Get wider bars, get better grips, get wheels rebuilt or replaced, get different tires, get better chain, get better shift cables/housing, get larger front rotor, get better seat post clamp.
Bottom Line:
I’m 220lbs, 6’3” and put out killer watts all day long. Bike is beat upon 4+ days a week on trail, road, and big descents. Yes I had to make a few changes to the stock setup, but I am very demanding on my equipment and super competitive. This bike is stupid solid, no need to knock on wood.
Let’s see: I broke my Stumpy frame and got a crash replacement, Trek Fuel 98 would creak everywhere like no other, Trek 8500 was boring, went through 2 sets of pivot bearing kits on the Yeti in 3 years, and flat out broke the Truth and then went through a 6 month warranty hell.
This bike puts all my other bikes, including my Enduro SL, to shame. I like it on the road better than my SRAM Red equipped Kestrel Evoke (BikesDirect). With a few tweaks, this is the do all bike. I was seriously thinking about buying another one of these and doing the same setup, just in case this bike ended up in the shop for some crazy reason. But they are sold out.
Sure, your LBS will hate you for getting this bike, but times are tough and your money is too hard earned to pay for a pedigree. I'd rather spend my pedigree savings buying my broke friends another round of après-ride beers while listening to all the reasons why they couldn’t catch me again.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Stumpy HT, Trek Fuel 98, Trek 8500, Yeti ASR SL, Ellsworth Truth
Bike Setup: Stock plus: WCS Flat 10D bars 700mm, ODI grips, Stans Crest front Arch rear wheels, Maxxis CrossMark front and rear tires, KMC X10SL chain, Jagwire cables and housing, XX 185mm front rotor, current generation XTR pedals, WCS stem (a little shorter than stock) flipped upside down, Salsa seat post clamp.
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Submitted by
C Dewar
a Weekend Warrior
from Waterloo, ON, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 16, 2011
Strengths: Ti frame, climbing, maneuverability, speed, components?
Weaknesses: I had hella problems with front derailleur, chain jumping, skipping, chain getting wedged in derailler... it likely wasnt set up properly but with a bunch of tweaks it still wasnt working, so i removed the whole damn thing
Bottom Line:
I ordered a 29" carbon stumpjumper last year that never arrived. my shop offered me a refund and by that point I had seen this bike and always wanted a ti bike. the 29" seemed to make sense and i had tested one for a short period of time. i researched a lot of bikes and felt this one was the best, and i really liked the colour scheme and frame.
this bike does what i tell it to basically... I have a heavy BMX background so whipping this thing around corners and leaning hard is great. it can explode up hills. flat windy single track is destroyed at top speed. Pumping through rolling flowing sections is hella fun. Descending is fine. the trails here is short climbs and descents and windy rolling smooth singletrack. this bike is the perfect weapon for my trails and i ride them exclusvily when riding MTB.
I liken this bike to a performance automobile. it took a lot of tuning to get right, and still isnt perfect. i had to take the friggen front derailler and granny gear off. I expected near perfection when seeing the price tag on those XX components.
The fork lockout doesnt seem to do much - its a bit stiffer but certainly isnt locked out. I can actually barely tell if its locked or unlocked. I wonder if I should havea shop look at it actually.
the wheels have been fine. they say they are hand built. OK hubs, sealed, nothing fancy. bladed spokes, rims OK - doing the job. its the only 'no name' product on the bike and ill probably get some dirty wheels in future but that is a luxury.
the bike is super light and looks very unique. the welds are clean as hell and the rear end is curved seat stays and very aesthetically pleasing.
If I crash i wont be worried about the frame as i was about crashing a carbon bike.
I would have given this bike 5 stars if i had no problems with the drivetrain (could have been my fault as it wasnt set up properly) and the fork locked out better than it does....
I had it shipped to a friend in the USA and I picked it up as they do not ship to Canada. Overall outstanding value in comparison to what 3k will buy you for anything else, and the ride is very enjoyable. Have not ridden my 26" since!
Bike Setup: 17.5" frame, I am 5'8" approx... stock except for easton carbon riser bar, Oury Grips, 1x10 drivetrain with e13 chain guide, i took all the stickers off with aerosol paint stripper except for the 1 downtube motobecane sticker on one side.... that may affect the warranty but i am not concerned about breaking this frame. knock wood! Bike seems big when you are getting onto it, standing at a stop, and can feel a bit awkward at low speeds. Thats why it is best to stay on the bike at high speeds.
Strengths: This bike is a great climber. I think it rolls over technical terrain very well.
Weaknesses: The wheels: I've tacoed both of the Vuelta wheels and bikesdirect told me I must be riding them wrong. In all the years of biking I've never had a new bike and then have problems with the wheels. They are just crap.
Bottom Line:
I've had this bike for 3 months and the wheel problems have kept me off it for 1 month of that time!I really like the performance with the new hand-built wheels. Riding a hardtail again after a full suspension 26" has taken abit of getting used to. I think on rockier descents I may give up some time but on the climbs and cross-country sections it performs and handles well. Overall I'm faster on this bike.
My complaint is with the customer service aspect: Bikesdirect left me out to dry on the wheels. They are poor quality factory-built and this bike needs a set of hand-built wheels in my opinion. If I have a problem with the frame what are they going to say??? Sorry its your problem??
In hind sight, although I like the performance after modifications, I'll think twice about being a bikesdirect customer. Maybe better to deal with a shop and have the strength of a good customer/shop relationship.
Good value for the componentry (except wheels and handlebars. Some may not like the seat either; however, I do).
Low value for the company/customer service.
Bike Setup: Stock except rebuilt wheels with DT Swiss rims and spokes.
Changed flat bar to RaceFace low-rise carbon bar with Yeti grips.
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Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Las Vegas
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2011
Strengths: Excellent components, light, fast.
Weaknesses: Narrow stock handlebars and crappy foam grips. Bike stickers could certainly be more subtle.
Bottom Line:
Great value. I looked at lots of more expensive bikes with better brand recognition. None of them could match the value for this bike build so I took a chance on it and could not be happier. I am definitely a faster rider on this bike than anything else I've ridden. Believe it or not, it climbs even better than the Niner single speed. I've only ridden it 7-8 times but no flaws thus far - I highly recommend.
Similar Products Used: Niner single speed, Santa Cruz Blur LT, Canondale Rize
Bike Setup: Stock except for Easton Monkeylite bars
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Submitted by
JKBaker
a Cross Country Rider
from Washington, DC
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2011
Strengths: Light, light and light especially with Easton Haven carbon wheels.
Weaknesses: Stock handlebar is too narrow; stock seat post too short; grips should be on a Huffy
Bottom Line:
Have ridden 26 full suspension (Intense spider) since 2005. Love that bike but got to point where I didn't want to worry about rear linkage bearing maintenance. Also the bike never had the best clearance. First 29er was Raleigh XXIXer rigid single speed. Again fun bike - totally different experience from geared FS. Like low center of gravity which allows big lean into turns but laso with higher ground clearance. 29er wheels great for log crossings. But rigid SS makes for more work for any given trail. Lastly, I wanted to go as light as possible which in my experience makes even technical x-country riding more effortless. I honestly don't understand the trail bike phenomenon at least in this part of the country.
So decided I wanted geared 29er hardtail to address alll these issues. Chose Motobecane over Niner Air 9 carbon because Niner sizing less certain (not sure if I was L or XL); Ti should be more resilient than carbon; and most importantly the price, which allowed me to splurge on the Haven wheels (which I'm running tubeless with Captain Control 2.0) and still have roughly $2k less invested in the bike compared to equivalent Niner setup. I commute on a Motobecane x-cross Ti which has given me sufficient confidence in the bike brand.
Ride is basically what I expected. Low weight is noticeable on the climbs. Absence of rear suspension is not so noticeable on x-country trails. Acceleration requires less effort. 2x10 takes a little practice but again I like the simplicity which is overall theme with this bike. Still, not giving up on FS completely which does make for easier riding on more technical trails.
Strengths: Great price, excellent group of components, fast in every way. Ti frame rides as one should and welds are as nice as Moots and Lynskey. Bike fits about .75" taller in standover height, i bought a small, fits like a 16.5"
Weaknesses: Only gripe was the narrow Ritchey handlebars with no sweep. Swapped for carbon low rise Easton Monkeylite. Vulta wheels were very lite but wished they were UTS (tubeless ready).
Bottom Line:
Bike is worth every penny! Get over yourself and what others may worry about. Bottom line, it rides, climbs, and impresses everyone that was skeptical. Not bad a 21.4lbs either!
Similar Products Used: Fisher Paragon G1, Trek 8900, Fisher Rig
Bike Setup: Stock SRAM XX, Crossmax 29 tubeless wheelset, and monkeylite handlebar.
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Submitted by
den2mtn
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2010
Strengths: Sram XX, FSA cranks, Weight, saddle..
Bike is efficient and rides great. First Ti frame I have owned and am super impressed, high quality welds.
Weaknesses: handlebars are short ~580mm?. small block 8s are not super versatile. Sells out fast.
Bottom Line:
It would be hard to beat the value rating for this bike unless you can get pro deals. Thought that I might sell the frame to get a FS but have been so impressed with the ride that I am keeping as-is. Was annoyed with 4-5K price tag for 29ers with XT builds and didn't have money to burn so decided to get off the beaten path.
You should buy this bike if you are in the market for a HT 29er in the price range of 3-6K. Maybe you should buy this bike if you are in the market for a XX build kit??
Submitted by
bbung
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise, ID
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2010
Strengths: Light, responsive & predictable - climbing with this bike is like cheating. If you ride where full suspension isnt needed this may be the bike for you.
Weaknesses: None yet for the bike...One weakness is the "experts" who opine about geometry, tire clearance, etc, w/o even riding it.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike at an unbelievable price, light, fast and a lot of fun to ride.
