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Submitted by
Blatant
a Weekend Warrior
from Scottsdale, AZ
Date Reviewed: February 1, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Phoenix Mountain Preserves | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$750.00 | | Purchased At: | Astrix direct | | Strengths: | Cheap, strong, nice-looking, near-perfect geometry. Simple single-pivot design. | | Weaknesses: | I suppose it's a bit heavy, but I don't really notice. The paint is gorgeous, though I wish there were more color options. I'm nitpicking. | | Similar Products Used: | On*One Inbred HT 29er. Yeti 575. | | Bike Setup: | Manitou Minute 120, Hope M4, SLX 2-ring setup, Stan's Flows with Maxxis Ardent tubeless | | Bottom Line: | I ride pretty technical AZ trails. The Monk is the finest bike for these trails that I've owned ... and I've owned several nice bikes. I was through with 29ers after a mediocre experience with my Inbred. Thankfully I gave Astrix a try and am extraordinarily pleased. The geometry is spot-on for technical riding, particularly paired with a 120mm fork. I'm 6'2" and the L size fits me perfectly. Great tech support from Astrix, helping get the build fully dialed. Great bike. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Randy
a Cross Country Rider
from MI
Date Reviewed: February 5, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Poto | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Plush single pivot design,stiff frame,good tire clearance. | | Weaknesses: | The frame could lose one pound. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Prophet,Santa Cruz Blur LT,Giant Trance. No 29ers | | Bike Setup: | Reba 100,Stan's rims with Hugi 240 hubs,Avid mech disc.Twist XO,XTR crank,Bontrager 2.2 tires | | Bottom Line: | Plush ride,stiff frame,great geometry,I just rode Tour De Dump in SC.The trail is tight,tech and very rooty. I first did a lap with my Blur LT and then with the Monk.
The 29er was way smoother on the roots,turned as good as the Blur and seemed to climb as good as the Blur. I did one long hill over 3 times because I could not believe that the Monk could climb as good as the Blur,but it sure does.Great for a big guy. You will spend less time going over the bars and you will leave your budds on the decents.
I'm sold | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kyle Asel
a Weekend Warrior
from Peoria, AZ, U.S.
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Trail 100 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$950.00 | | Purchased At: | South Mountain Cycles | | Strengths: | Stable, affordable, love those 29er wheels over the rocks. Manitou spv rear suspension. | | Weaknesses: | Could be a little lighter. | | Similar Products Used: | Surly Karate Monkey, Gary Fisher Rig | | Bike Setup: | Rock shok Reba fork, Easton carbon fiber bars and seatpost, XT components. | | Bottom Line: | Great bike! With the combo of 29er wheels and 4"+ suspension really smoothes out the trail. Go see Scott and the guys at South Mountain Cycles- they know their 29ers! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbia, SC
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Schaeffer Farms, MD | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Astrix Direct | | Strengths: | Stiff rear end. 29" wheels roll over anything. Surprisingly efficient suspension design. Great geometry, for me anyway. Durable & gorgeous paint job; nice finishing work, too - BB threads were perfectly clean. | | Weaknesses: | Heavy (in XL size, anyway). Only one pivot uses sealed bearings. Slightly wonky cable routing near the headtube; required liberal application of frame-savin' sticky patches. | | Similar Products Used: | First 29er. Rode a Bianchi Grizzly hardtail for five years and a '98 FSR with 4.5" of travel in there for a while too. This feels nothing like either. | | Bike Setup: | Reba, XT, BB7s, Laserdisc lite laced to Speed disc rims with Sapim spokes, Thomson & King & Truvativ cockpit. 30 pounds on the dot. | | Bottom Line: | I wanted a squishy 29er, but couldn't afford most of the options out there. This puppy fits the bill nicely. All-day trail geometry with 4.5" of rear wheel travel feels great on smooth rolling stuff. It feels like the headtube angle with a Reba on the front is just a bit too shallow for twitchy tree-weaving (esp. with 29" wheels), but you can safely assume anything coming will be easily rolled over and look further down the trail as a result. It might also just be me coming off an 80mm travel Italian race hardtail. It works out. At 6'3" the XL size fits me like a glove; friends comment that when I'm on the bike it looks (proportionally) like a normal 26" bike.
Here's where I should complain a bit about weight. It's standard 7005 aluminum - no fancy scandium or anything. The extra little linkage and groovy head tube gusseting probably add up to a couple hundred grams. In all honesty, however, it's a good-quality Taiwan frame, and I'll probably never be able to break it. I'm happy to deal with not having the raciest 4.5" bike out there... and it's still right at 30 pounds, so that works fine for me.
If you're a taller person and want a squishy 29er, this is definitely worth a good look. Five burninated peasants. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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