The fourth generation Dillinger 29er frame is based upon one of the company’s core beliefs. If possible, design a frame to satisfy more than one desire as long as it does not appear gross and offensive in appearance. The Dillinger frame can satisfy everything from the desires of hardcore singlespeed riders to those venturing into the 29er realm for the first time. The frame’s modular dropout inserts combined with the custom one piece custom CNC machined eccentric bottom bracket allow the frame to be configured as a singlespeed or geared rig. On top of this the frame features a CNC machined yoke that allows for the Dillinger to have one of the stiffest rear ends on the market.
Strengths: Great handling, Great Build Quality. It looks like a much more expensive frameset.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Buy one. I love this bike. Handling is spot on and built up like mine, weight is reasonable for a very sturdy XC/trail bike. Did I say I love this bike?
Bike Setup: F29 100mm Fork. X9 2x10 Drivetrain. No Tubes Arches Wheel Set.
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Submitted by
dalmore
a Weekend Warrior
from Tampere, Finland
Date Reviewed: September 9, 2011
Strengths: Frame
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
I bought this as frameset so comment for frame only. Anyway, with my component selection the bike is awsome to ride and I simply love it. And extra 5 chilis for Chad, for best customer service ever.
Bike Setup: Full Xt 2x10 drivetrain, Fox Float Rlc fork, King headset, Thomson stem and seatpost, Wtb rocket v Ti saddle,Hayes Stroker Trail 160mm discs, Stans Arch rims laced to Xt 15mm front and Hope pro2 evo 10mm axle rear, Schwalbe Nobby Nick (front) and Racing Ralph (rear)converted to tubeless with Stans.
I have been a long time rodie and a bit of cross. I long held out on getting into MTB- I just have too many other hobbies to learn another skill set. My Dillenger was my first MTB, so I can not atest to its quality in comparison to other frames. What I can atest to is the customer service of Soul. Chad was always available. When I left a message he called back within an hour. When I was building the bike and encountered user errors he was there to assist. Non stop great customer service, and beyond my expectations of any company. Thanks Chad for helping me in re-expierenceing biking and for taking the time to assist. I would give 5 chilis, but I simply don't know MTBs.
Submitted by
cherrybomber
a Weekend Warrior
from Philippines
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2011
Strengths: great value for money. surprisingly forgiving for aluminum. very agile. gorgeous colors and logos. really great that it comes with an SS dropout and an EBB for your pleasure. :) i got a longer review over here. http://www.mynextbike.com/3/post/2010/03/soul-cycles-dillinger-review.html
Weaknesses: some people may not like EBB. no real problems on my end though. just make sure you torque to the proper settings.
Bottom Line:
love it, not just because i sell the product but because its a really great bike. ended up buying one for myself. :D hats of to Chad!
Strengths: Easton Racing 7005 Aluminum (probably the best tubing available)
Convertable from SS to geared with included hangers.
Comes with anodized color hardware parts (color of choice) Seatpost collar, EBB, and hangers.
Weaknesses: Standover height for frame sizes, maybe.
Bottom Line:
Buying a Dillinger from Soul Cycles revitilized the idea what buying a bike was like a long time ago. Chad (the owner) is a one man show, and you get one on one service, and he does everything he can to make things right for you!
These are very high quality frames! I payed $450 for mine being that it was the brushed/clearcoat, it cost a little more. I am still considering getting the rootbeer, but need to justify having a 3rd 29er and the components to build it up.
These frames are laterally stiff, very good quality weld, and good materials. I was a slight skeptical about the EBB with the bolts at the bottom, but they have not moved at all. The frame designed is very admiral for such a budget frame cost, and the chainstay yokes look like something that would cost 3X what it did. The geometry is really good and accepts an 80 or 100mm fork. It have "wedged" chainstays that resemble somewhat of the C'Dale Flash
My normal bike is a Santa Cruz Tallboy. So when I go into ride quality, of course it isn't going to compare to a Carbon Full Suspension 29er, but I will tell you that I haven't been on a hardtail since 2002, and started riding full suspensions in 99. I am very impressed with the ride quality of the Dillinger. I do not have a steel or titanium frame to compare it to with ride quality, but if I can go from my SC Tallboy Carbon, and ride this. I think it is fair to say that the ride quality is good.
I really like this frame for versatility. I plan on using this for bike packing, and take on tasks like Muddy Buddy. I bought the Soul Cycles CroMo fork (100mm corrected)to fill such full rigid duties. At that price, its worth picking up! I have not tried the fork out yet, but it is intended to be an occasional use component.
In my opinion, Soul Cycles offers quite a lot of value for the cost. You can check ebay, Pricepoint, Nashbar or any other website, and you will be hard pressed to find a quality NEW 29er frame that is both SS and Geared for $399!
*Note* Just before purchasing this frame. I had a deposit down on a Tomac Flint 29. It can do both SS and Geared duties and has a Bushnell EBB. It is ligher than the Dillinger, but I don't think it would be as strong, and only comes in white. It was going to be a 3-6month wait for the frame at $500.00. When I asked Joel at Tomac if it came with a SS hanger, he said that you use the existing one, and either leave it be, or cut it off. As insignificant as this is...Really, cut it off?? Then I have to buy another for a geared setup? They managed to engineer what appears to be a quality MTB frame, and they are going to cut the corner on something as insignificant as a derailleur hanger? It would cost them cents on a dollar to manufacture a dedicated SS hanger that was alread cut off, sanded and painted. I just feel that, this was a failure to attention to detail. How as Soul Cycles able to not cut corners in such a way, but on top of that, anodize it in different color options, and lower the price of the frame by $100?
Just food for thought.
If you are interested in seeing what mine looks like, here is my MTBR profile. If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email or message!
http://forums.mtbr.com/member.php?u=283007
Strengths: Everything about this bike is a strength, looks, handling, versatility, ride.
Weaknesses: I don't have 2 of them.
Bottom Line:
This frame is the best value 29er anywhere. It's aluminum and it's light, but somehow it rides like steel... chain and seat stays are designed very well. Handles like a race bike, quick. Run gears or as a SS with the eccentric BB.
Watch their website and order one if they are available because they soon wont be... they make a batch and then they sell out fast. With all the anodized parts they have now the frames are works of art.
Similar Products Used: Niner EMD-9, Fisher X-Cal, Fisher Superfly Carbon.
Bike Setup: SS with Fox F29 RL fork 100mm, Hope Pro II with Stan's Arch rims, Avid Juicy 3.5 brakes, WTB Exiwolf tires and WTB seat, Rennen cogs, Syntace bars and seatpost, tips the scales at 24 lbs.
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Submitted by
yoyoville
a Cross Country Rider
from Marikina, Philippines
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2010
Strengths: Such a beautiful finish in Pearl white! Ultra stiff frame! Great geometry!
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Best bang for every buck! Get it FAST! You will not go wrong!
Submitted by
Ashevillemike
a Cross Country Rider
from Asheville
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2010
Strengths: Everything!
Weaknesses: EBB can be just a bit troublesome...but totally worth the effort.
Bottom Line:
This bike rocks! This is my 2nd rigid single speed and I built if up for about a grand and I hardly ride my full suspension anymore. The easton tubing is totally stiff when standing and hammering, but it rides more like steel otherwise. Customer service is second to none! Bottom line, if something were to happen to this bike I'd order another without hesitation.
Anyone looking for versatility, good product, decent price, and top notch customer service...this is where the search ends.
Similar Products Used: Monocog, Cannondale Rush, GT LTS
Bike Setup: Single Speed, rigid fork (Soul), Mavic TN719 rims, XT Hubs
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Submitted by
Dallas Mafia
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas, TX
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2009
Strengths: Good looking frame, with simple graphics and nice welds. It has a EBB so you can set it up as SS or geared. The bike rides well, it's lighter than my older GF and I like the long top tube.
Weaknesses: Stand over clearance for me is a little close for comfort. However, I noticed this on the Haro XC Mary that I test rode. I can't comment on the Bandersnatch because the demo that I rode was a medium frame and was clearly too small for me.
Bottom Line:
This is my first 29er. I was able to build this bike for about 1600.00 dollars. Chad at Soul Cycles was a great person to work with and he was able to sell me the bike frame, fork and many other components at a great price.
After a few rides, I am glad that I switched to a 29er and I am very happy with the Dillinger frame.
Similar Products Used: Previous bike was a 19" Gary Fisher hard tail (26er).
I test rode a Vassago Bandersnatch and a Haro XC Mary prior to purchasing the Dillinger.
Bike Setup: 20" blue frame, 1x9, sram x9 rear, fox r29 fork, stans arch rims with DMR revolver hubs, shimano lx disc brakes
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Submitted by
plaidvillain
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2009
Strengths: Beautiful welds and finish. Easton Ultralight Race tubing for this price can't be beat.
Weaknesses: The blue paint is so bright I can't get a good photo of it.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is: you can't go wrong with this bike or this company. Chad at Soul Cycles will spend as much time discussing the product as you want. Buying this frame without seeing it made me a bit hesitant, but Chad assured me I would not be disappointed. When I received the frame and looked it over, I couldn't have been happier. Beautiful product. Feel like I stole the frame from them...they gave me a great price for a paint blemish (took my buddy and I 15 minutes to find the blemish - a thin spot in the paint right where the front derailleur goes). Highly recommended! Almost wish I was doing it all over.
Bike Setup: 3x9. XT cranks, SRAM x-9 everything else. BB-7's. Reba SL. Mavic 719's with XT hubs.
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Submitted by
schlafsw
a Cross Country Rider
from Virginia
Date Reviewed: March 9, 2009
Strengths: I was looking to get into the 29er world. Several friends of mine had mentioned the hugh advantages of riding a 29er. Ran across Soul Cycles in an issue of Dirt Rag. Decided to give them a call and get some additional info. Spoke with Chad the owner. Upon the initial conversation, you could sense Chads commitment to making Soul Cycles a bike company that cares about us, the riders. He is committed to offering the best best bike frames for the money, to cover cross country hardtails and on up to FS rigs for downhill abuse. He is presently working on his Gen 3 frame of the Dillinger. New for this year, will be the color, pearl orange. I have the Pearl Green, this color is Awesome. The welds and attention to detail are top notch. As my first 29er the Dillinger has far exceeded my expectations. Chad also offers build kits now to go with any of the Soul Cycle frames. Customer service and frame warranties are top in the business. Check them out at www.ridesoul.com
Weaknesses: More folks are not aware of the top quality and customer service that one receives from Soul Cycles. Chad goes above and beyond to make each customers experience, an extremely positive one.
Bottom Line:
If have been wondering about the hype and all of the talk about 29ers being that good, they are! My suggestion is, pick up a Soul Cycle Dillinger, and just ride it! I built mine up with the rigid steel Soul Cycles fork. Could not be more pleased with the overall ride and performance of this bike. The 29er rolls over everything, and this bike climbs incredibly well. The tubeset is an Easton Ultralite. Excellent welds and this frameset is stiff and power in, equals power out. When you hammer on the pedals, this bike jumps at the opportunity to find more trail. Top shelf company, top shelf people, excellent attention to detail. Give Chad a call,480-642-9582 Take Care
Similar Products Used: Trek 8700, Moots YBB This is my first 29er
Bike Setup: Keep it Simple. Wanted fairly light and fun to ride. 1x9 Drivetrain, Raceface cranks 32T, 175mm, SRAM X9 rear der with X9 Shifter, Thomson post and stem, Monkey light low ride carbon bars, Yeti ODI lock on grips, Avid BB7s with Avid levers, Stans ZTR 355 rims with Hope Pro 2 Hubs, Schwalbe Racing Ralphs 2.4 front, 2.25 Rear, Running tubeless with Stans, Incredible System, Excellent combo with these rims and tires. Rigid Soul Cycles Steel fork
