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Submitted by
schmidt911
a Cross Country Rider
from Hong Kong
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | All of them | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2100.00 | | Purchased At: | Slippy Pig (Pheonix, | | Strengths: | I have owned this bike for 16 months and ride it 2-3 times a week. I have been riding and racing mountain bikes for over 14 years and I can say that the El Rey is the best all around bike I have ever owned. Normally when something is good at everything it isn't great at anything. But in the case of this bike this doesn't apply. This bike is super fun to ride, stable, can handle decent downhill duties and climbs as a XC bike should. It can be pushed in turns and is rock solid at speed. The bottom line is that it is a really fun bike to ride in a wide variety of terrains. One last thing, the quality of the construction and finish is as nice as you read from other reviews | | Weaknesses: | None really. Stickers are useless, but head badge is nice. The paint although nice when new, faded or I should say lost it's luster, after a year. | | Similar Products Used: | I have had a stable of every bike under the sun. | | Bike Setup: | the way) the With mostly XTR (XT Cranks & Rear Derailuer) and other top line components to include Stans Arch/Swiss DT (another great product by the way) bike comes in at 27 LB for a large frame. | | Bottom Line: | Rock solid, can be pushed hard, Climbs well, can be raced when the terrain is tough and over 3 hours, and most importantly to me it is pure fun to throw the leg over this bike and put it through the paces.
If you are in the market for a FS 29er you absolutely cannot go wrong with this bike.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
andig
a Weekend Warrior
from Texas
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | varied | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$5000.00 | | Purchased At: | WRENCH SCIENCE | | Strengths: | Excellent Frame quality and paint finish. Ideal suspension travel and the rear end feels nice and stiff | | Weaknesses: | none other than it took a bit of experimenting to set up the RP23 to my liking (not really a weakness though) | | Similar Products Used: | Demo-ed Niner Jet 9 and RIP 9. Both good bikes but i felt that the Jet geometry was a bit too aggressive for the trail riding I do and the RIP a bit too burly. To my mind the El Rey falls nicely between the two and I do think the frame quality and finish is better - but it should be as it is a little more expensive | | Bike Setup: | Fox F29 with 15TA, Stans ZTR Arch with Ignitors and King hubs, Truvativ Noir with X9/XO, XT discs, Egg beater Ti"s Thomson post and Easton bars | | Bottom Line: | An awesome bike. not cheap with the spec but definitely worth the $$$. Wrench Science did a first rate job of putting it all together as well | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
bkndwdz
a Cross Country Rider
from Bumpass, VA
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Pocahantas State Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | Competitive Cyclist | | Strengths: | Solid frame. No lateral flex. | | Weaknesses: | None. | | Similar Products Used: | Demoed Titus Racer X 29er, Specialized Stumpjumper FSR. I liked both bikes, but the El Rey handled the best. | | Bike Setup: | Bought the frame and built with Fox fork. Fox RP23 shock. XTR crank, cassette. X9 shifters and ders. Hayes hyd. brakes. Easton EC90 bar, Thompson post. Mavic 719 rims, XT hubs. | | Bottom Line: | I've been riding a Santa Cruz Superlight for about 6 years. I loved the bike at first, but the better rider I became, the more I realized how much lateral flex the bike had. Started thinking about getting a Racer X, or El Saltamontes, but everyone kept saying: "try a 29er". I tried, and I liked! The El Rey seems to have the best handling of the bikes I test rode. Tight turns, or sweeping runs, it's like riding on a rail. I've been very surprised how well it climbs. It carries much more speed up hills. Of course long climbs will take more energy with the heavier bike and wheels than a 26 inch bike, but the El Rey more than makes up for it everywhere else on the trail. Although I ride fast cross country, I've always been tentative on downhill rocks and logs. The 29er makes all this a non-issue.
On short steep climbs, the El Rey goes over roots, rocks, and holes with no effort. I can get slowed by another rider, just stand on my pedals, then continue much easier than any other bike I've ridden. The most impressive thing about this bike is how it carves the turns. It's like driving a slot car. Point and shoot. No twist or slide. Most other bikes I've ridden would flex and slide, or you'd have to correct your line. The El Rey handles great!
The RP23 shock has plenty of adjustability and with the larger bike, I have it set quite stiff. Very little bob, and yet the ride is still smoother than my Superlight was on a softer setting.
The only upgrade I would suggest is a lighter wheelset for epic rides in the mountains.
It took me 2 years to decide to finally break down and spend the money on a new bike. I bought the right one! If you're looking to get a FS 29er, try the El Rey. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
too_tall
a Cross Country Rider
from Billings, MT
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Rims | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1995.00 | | Purchased At: | Wrench Science | | Strengths: | Super stiff even in the larger frame sizes. Great BB height while still maintaining a relatively low CoG. Semi-custom/custom option gets the fit perfect for those of us who aren't "standard" size. Fantastic support/customer service from Ventana. Beautifully made. | | Weaknesses: | Maybe the weight but I'll give up a pound or two for durability and strength - which the bike appears to have gobs of. Ok, none. | | Similar Products Used: | Fisher Xcaliber (Gen 1) | | Bike Setup: | Semi-custom 23" frame, X-9, Avid CR brakes, Wood BB, King headset, RP-23, RockShox Team 29 (100mm), 4" rocker, Mavic 719 rims, tubeless Spesh Control tires, Zinn 195mm cranks, and so on. | | Bottom Line: | It's not fair to compare this bike to the Xcaliber - especially since the Xcaliber frame busted after 1 year. And that was after other non-stop frame/ mechanical/handling issues with the Xcal. I hated it.
The El Rey has been a revelation. I'm 6'7" (all arms and legs) and weigh 210. I ride single track in the rimrocks around Billings 3-5 days a week and approx. 45-70 miles/week. It's been in snow, ice, mud, sand, loose gravel, hardpack, rock gardens, technical, climbs of all types, and rolling terrain. It handles it all better (way better in some cases) than my '08 Stumpy Expert. It rolls the technical stuff much more easily, sticks on steep climbs great, and absolutely smokes on the flats and downhills. The fact the bike fits me perfectly (for the first time ever) may help, too!
It is definitely a different ride as turns at speed need to be set-up earlier. It will just rail through turns when you do this. Momentum is your friend with this bike and once you figure that out the technical stuff is way easier to deal with. None of that is bad in any way, it's just a different technique than a 26er. I put wider bars on the bike and that has helped with steering in the technical stuff too. The longer Zinn cranks have absolutely no clearance issues and seem to have made the gearing feel equal or even lower than on the Stumpy, which is geared exactly the same. Changing the forks from 120mm to 100mm made a very big difference. The ride was a little less plush but it seriously improved the bike's efficiency. Even with the suspension on full plush, pedal bob is minimal and gone when the RP-23 is locked out.
No matter what your physical size or build is, if you're thinking of a 29er, you can't go wrong with this bike. If you're a taller rider, this really is "The King". Theresa or Sherwood (builder) at Ventana will always answer the phone and any questions you have and are super friendly and helpful. Get Leif Fleming at Wrench Science to help you put a package together and build it. That guy has all the answers and is amazingly patient. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tngabs
a Cross Country Rider
from North Carolina
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | None Specific | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | MTBR | | Strengths: | Stiff, Handling, Ride, Most important-Absolutely NO BOB | | Weaknesses: | Nothing Noted | | Similar Products Used: | Pivot Mac429 | | Bike Setup: | Bontrager Wheels, XTR and Avid Mix, RS Fork, RP 23 shock | | Bottom Line: | Thinking about a 29er but unsure? This bike will make you sure.
I rode the Pivot and really wanted to like that bike, coming off of a Titus I like Cochalis work, but it was kinda dead feeling to me. I then threw a leg over the V and HUGE difference. Immediatly I started searching for one.
I built it up and really took my time getting it dialled in. Very good climber, handles extremely well.
If you ride a 26 don't be intimidated like I was. This thing steers, turns and rolls much better than 26.
I am 5'8" and went with a Large-perfect fit.
Definately test ride if you can before spending the cash, but you will NOT be disappointed.
One of only 3 bikes I've ridden in last 17 years MTB that I would say is Awesome. The others: C'Dale Raven, Norco Rize and El Rey. I purchase a bike and plan to ride it hard for at least 4-5 years. Cheers | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
warton
a Cross Country Rider
from jermyn pa
Date Reviewed: February 23, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | prompton | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | ventana bikes | | Strengths: | better traction and stability than a 26er....fits me better than all my other bikes...they are all xl...also seems to turn better than my 26ers....definatly will have you climbing technical sections that you can't climb on your 26er...i have a ventana x-5 that has three hard seasons of trail riding on it and the rear suspension bearings (quad option) still don't have any play in them and they are just as smooth as when they were new.....i assume these bearings on the el rey will also last.... | | Weaknesses: | can't think of any but have only had the bike for a couple of weeks.... oh yeh, the price... they are not cheap but you pay for quality... | | Similar Products Used: | gary fisher sugar in xl size
gary fisher mt tam ...xl
ventana x-5 in xl with 5 inch rockers and also 6 inch | | Bike Setup: | fox f29 100mm
magura louise brakes
chris king head set
quad bearing option
nevegal 2.2 tires
rp23 rear shock
wtb lasar disc lite wheelset
thomson stem 8 degree rise and thomson straight seat post
carbon 25mm riser handlebar | | Bottom Line: | i thought my x-5 was a great bike till i rode the el rey..maybe because i am tall that the 29er just seems to fit me much better... no more wandering front end when the climbs get really steep...my x-5 desends very good but the el rey is just as good... big wheels definatly roll over roots,logs, rocks, everything much easier...plus the el rey is about 4 lbs lighter coming in at around 30.5 lbs...but if accelerates and feels alot lighter than the x-5...i have to admit though that the 2.2 nevs on the el rey probably turn alot easier than the 2.5 diesel contis on my x-5... its amazing that the thinner 2.2 29er tires absorb trail obsticals just as well as the larger 2.5 26 inch tires...i read where the gearing on a 29er is taller so it should be harder to turn the pedals over in the same gear compaired to a 26 inch bike.... but i find myself actually climbing one gear higher on the el rey compaired to the x-5...i'd say this is a good bike for anyone looking for an all mountain trail bike... probably not heavy duty enough for jumping but well equipt for technical xc riding... even the most technical rock gardens.... and light enough to enter your local xc race.... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Salty Dog
a Racer
from Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Date Reviewed: January 21, 2009 | | Favorite Trail: | Phil's World, Cortez, CO USA | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Ventana Bikes | | Strengths: | Balance, stability, climbing and stiffness. | | Weaknesses: | A bit on the heavy side, and powder coating is hard to repair once it's scratched - but it's a beautiful Cosmic Orange. | | Similar Products Used: | Kona Unit 2 9 - hardtail. | | Bike Setup: | Mostly XT drive train, Sram Gripshift, Mavic 719 wheels, Specialized Fast Trak tires (tubeless with Stan's strips), Monkeylite bar | | Bottom Line: | Great bike for overall XC racing. 19 inch frame is sweet in it's stiffness and climbing. The Fox RP23 shock is the best I've ever used and the lockout feature is absolutely the best for our rocky and wash burdened trails in Arizona.
I haven't had this bike on Phil's World yet, but will be running it during the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde again in May. I can't wait to ride this bike on the Rib Cage!
This is a great bike for the intermediate to expert racer. The price was for the frame, only and did not include the shock upgrade. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
FATTRAXX
a Weekend Warrior
from Arizoan
Date Reviewed: December 20, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | willow canyon system | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | rear end stiffness makes for a flex free ride.
climb's anything the legs & lungs can handle.
makes you a better rider,both up and down! | | Weaknesses: | i waited to long to buy one.should have been the first 29er i purchased. | | Similar Products Used: | gf 292 | | Bike Setup: | all components from the gf292.thompson laid-back post. | | Bottom Line: | fantastic bike!a great do-it-all bike.has handled everything i've thrown at it with no problems.
highly reccommended | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Odnis
a Cross Country Rider
from Kyringe
Date Reviewed: November 26, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | All of them | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$3600.00 | | Purchased At: | http://www.northamer | | Strengths: | Tig welding craftmanship | | Weaknesses: | Finish, top tube flex, dealership in Sweden, standard Fox RP23 rear damper cannot be adjusted with air pump b/c of rear stay. | | Similar Products Used: | None. My background is 26" race full sus. | | Bike Setup: | Bontrager Race X-lite, Crank Bros Cobalt Chainset, Formula Oro brakes, SRAM X.O shifters and deraillers. | | Bottom Line: | A rather nice bike, but it is made for big mountain trails. It is a trail/all mountain bike. It doesn't ride quite as XC-like and agile on the trail as claimed by the mtbr-reviewers. It is quite heavy and not nearly as lively on the trail as a race xc full sus 26" (which was what I was expecting after reading the mtbr.com 29er shootout). The top tube is soft as a well cooked noodle. - But still, I like the bike. It is a comfortable and very cool bike which gets a lot of positive attention in my part of the world. The dealership in Sweden is incompetent, though. I recieved the frame kit after a 2 mths. delay from a (self-admitted in mtbr.com context) crook in Stockholm, Sweden. Reason? He had to pay his bills with my money before he could pay Ventana with new incoming money for my order which consisted of 1 frame plus RP23, Reba shock and CK aheadset. It took me seven calls to Ventana to sort this story out and to get the dealer to confess his crime. When I finally recieved the frame it was dented in the down tube. I called Ventana in the US and talked to Sherman (designer of the bikes and CEO of Ventana). He advised me to ignore the small cosmetic damage which origin could not be identified, he claimed. I should just try and get used to the bike. The seller in Sweden swore he hadn't damaged the frame when mounting the aheadset. He promised me to look into my case and find out if it was the Swedish post that had damaged the frame. He has not given any - online - life signals since July 2007 and I have sent him maybe 20 e-mails ... I have been riding the El Rey a lot for more than a year now and I think I can say that Ventana is a really small scale company with a both weak and incompetent representation in Scandinavia. - Would any of the very honoured native americans accept to pay top dollar for a dented frame? I doubt it very much. As a European, if you are brave enough to order American handmade MTBs, you are likely not to get the full customer warranty. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
cosmo06
a Cross Country Rider
from Kansas City, MO
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Rim job at Landall | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$3200.00 | | Purchased At: | Rbikes.com | | Strengths: | All around great cross country bike! Does especially well on rocky technical climbs...very stable and responsive. | | Weaknesses: | N/A | | Similar Products Used: | 575 Yeti, Ibis moots, trek 4900 | | Bike Setup: | reba race, x-9, avid 5, truvativ 3.3 team noir crank, thomson post, monkey light xc bars, xt hubs with salsa rims. | | Bottom Line: | Beautiful beast that delivers everytime! It took at least a dozen rides before I truly understood and appreciated this awesome rig! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jjs
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: July 29, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | SUnset | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Price Paid: |
$25.00 | | Purchased At: | Slippery Pig Bike SH | | Strengths: | Climbs like a mountain goat. Tracks well going downhill, easy to keep on line. Nice lateral stiffness. Frame feels very solid. | | Weaknesses: | Stand-over height was a bit of an issue for me (I'm 6'0 but long torso). | | Similar Products Used: | Giant NRS 1, Titus Moto-lite | | Bike Setup: | WB fluid 29 135 thru-axle fork, x-9 / race face drive train. Mavic Crossmax wheels with Panaracer tires. Hope disc brakes. | | Bottom Line: | I liked this bike quite a bit. Fun to ride and I was definitely able to clean some areas on trail 100 that usually give me trouble on my moto-lite. The downside was that now that I have the traction to climb those areas, I realize I need to get in better shape!
Suspension felt much more active than my NRS-1, about the same as the motolite.
I liked the WB fork ...felt laterally stiff and didn't seem to deflect very much, however I did bottom it out a couple of times which is surprising given that I only weigh about 190 and have never bottomed out my 04 marathon S. Again, however this may be due to setup rather than a problem with the fork.
I did have some issues with stand-over height, but as there was only one size frame available as a demo this may be correctable with a smaller frame.
This was my first experience with a 29er. Overall I like the concept of a FS 29er as an all day trail bike. I think this bike fits that category perfectly.
I will be demoing some other 29ers for comparison and will update this review with some comparisons.
And a plug for the Slippery Pig...Great shop, wish I had found it earlier. Eric the owner was very helpful in arranging for me to demo the bike and if you're in the Phoenix area, I highly recommend checking the place out. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Glace
a Weekend Warrior
from Nevada City, Ca
Date Reviewed: April 25, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$4300.00 | | Purchased At: | ventana | | Strengths: | Gorgeous, climbs great, handles like it is on rails, feels very agile. | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | own a Redline MC29'r, had a Ventana Marble Peak. | | Bike Setup: | 17in frame, Fox F29 100mm, rp23, King h/s, Avid J7s 180/160,SRAM x9, x7shifters, Salsa rims, Hope Hubs IRD fire 29 xc tires. | | Bottom Line: | I am 5ft 10in, the bike felt just right as soon as I rode it. I use a standard Thompson post, and 90mm stem. This keeps me upright, but my hips/torso feel very efficient,and I feel balanced, ready for anything.It can be set more agro with a laid back post, longer stem, which is the way I have seen most set up. This thing will climb anything seated. On trails with rollers in the big gear, sit down hammer & enjoy. I feel in total control on switch backs. True it is less X/C than last review sounded like he wanted, but is a balanced bike that does all things well. I love it!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tbone O'Reilly
a Cross Country Rider
from Chicago, IL, USA
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | wherever | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Purchased At: | the path | | Strengths: | appeared stiff and durable, cool orange color. Handles pretty well over ruts | | Weaknesses: | rear suspension a real energy sucker, bob, bob, bob. Felt like a tractor trailer in the switchbacks, not very manuverable at all | | Similar Products Used: | spec epic marathon, cannondale F500, KHS comp all in da stable | | Bike Setup: | mostly X-9, nevegals | | Bottom Line: | I would not spend the $$$ for this bike based on my demo. Seemed like a high quality frame but did not sell me on 29er's at all. The handling in the tight and twisty was really slow. The rear suspension was not that impressive in terms of efficiency. Maybe I'm spoiled with my Epic Marathon given it is so light and efficient. If I went 29er I'd probably demo one of the new Spec 29er's that have a Brain. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Date Reviewed: February 22, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Slickrock, Telluride, Womble, Syllamo, Vista, Red Star, Devils Den, Hobbs, CAMP, Burns | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Competitive Cyclist | | Strengths: | Beautifully built, incredibly stiff laterally, highly customizable, climbs like a billy goat yet very stable inspires lots of confidence in all types of situations. Very plush, yet you can stand and hammer without any lost efficiency. Lots and Lots of tire clearance. Very solid bike, let light enough to race. | | Weaknesses: | The bike comes standard with a Float R rear shock, I highly recommend going with the Fox Float RP23. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Epic, Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper 120, Gary Fisher Rig, Gary Fisher 293, Turner Five Spot, Ventana X-5 | | Bike Setup: | Fox F29 Fork, Fox RP23 rear shock, Chris King Headset, Formula Oro K24 Brakes, SRAM XO and Shimano XT mixture, Industry Nine and spokes with Stans Flow 29er wheels, Polar CS100 Computer, Time Atac XS Carbon pedals. | | Bottom Line: | I absolutely love this bike. If you want a very well constructed bike that climbs, decends, and just rides very well overall, and/or if you are a cross country/trail rider that enjoys 29" wheels then I can't see why you wouldn't love this bike. If you are looking at buying one, I highly recommend talking to any of the folks at Competitive Cyclist. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Patrick
a Cross Country Rider
from San Juan Capistrano
Date Reviewed: December 27, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | San Juan...or the trail I'm riding. | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | The Path Bike Shop, Tustin, CA | | Strengths: | Quality in every aspect, welds, paint, geometry, stiffness, handling, climbing, everything that is important to a mtb enthusiast. | | Weaknesses: | None so far. | | Similar Products Used: | Paragon 29er, Giant Reign, Fat Chance Yo Eddy | | Bike Setup: | X-9, Thompson stem, Syncros Bulk CF bars, Easton E90 post, Bontrager RaceLite rims, Bontrager Race cranks, Juicy 7's, RP23, Reba 100mm, Weirwolf 2.55 F, Exiwolf 2.3 R. 29.4lbs | | Bottom Line: | Probably have read every article and review on high end 26's and 29ers, ridden most of them, and I can definitively say this is the finest bike frame available. It feels quicker and more nimble than the best 26'ers yet has all the benefits of the 29'er. Leans more toward a trail bike than XC racer. Glorious. If your going to buy one, buy it at The Path Bike Shop in Tustin, CA. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chuck Howard
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix,AZ. US of Frikin A..
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | The one I'm on. | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | The Slippery Pig Bike Shop | | Strengths: | I am 6'3" and Clydesdale sized..I love this bike. It fits like it's made for me. I gives me plenty of pedal clearance yet better overall balance. The transition from sitting to standing pedal is the best I've experienced. I can use my whole body on this bike. I can keep the front end down and the rear stable while climbing. I had never experienced the "pulling on the bars", while throwing the bike back and forth, that I had seen, until I test road one for the weekend. Now, it's a comfortable skill. It feels like climbing a ladder! My last build was a Santa Cruz Blur LT. I loved that bike too. After a weekend test ride on the El Rey in Flagstaff, I sold all my 26" bikes and wheels. | | Weaknesses: | The rider! | | Similar Products Used: | I've had Fisher Sugar 2, Haro EX 3, Kona Stinky Dual Crown, my last build was a Santa Cruz Blur LT. | | Bike Setup: | XT Drivetrain, Rock Shock "REBA" SL, w/Lock Out, RP3 shock, Thomson Stem, RaceFace Seat post, Monkey Lite riser bars, Chunky Fuel grips, wheels are Bontrager Rythum Elite, Chris King headset. Burnt Orange paint. | | Bottom Line: | I have witnessed changes in technology, "neon powder coat, suspension stems, bar ends", every time a change comes along traditionalist have protested and I have been called a traitor in the past. I rode some of the 1st 29er hardtails and was waiting for the bugs to get worked out of the Dual Suspension. Ventana has done it. Bottom Line!!!
I'M SOLD!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy Heckl
a Weekend Warrior
from Irvine, CA
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Yes | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$3200.00 | | Purchased At: | The Path - Tustin CA | | Strengths: | Bike fits me. I'm 6'1" and the 29er geometry feels great. Bike is nimble and rolls over items as descibed in numerous reviews. Traction difference coming from 26ers is a marked positive. | | Weaknesses: | Standover height. I have about 1.5" of clearance between my "you-know-whats" and the top tube. Still a tenor so all is good. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Allez - Roadie, Softride Powerwing - Roadie, Specialized FSR, Ellsworth Evolve, Gary Fisher HT, Schwinn Stingray | | Bike Setup: | Sram x-9, Bontrager wheelset & hubs, Avid Hydr. brakes. Kenda Nevegal Tires, RP23 rear shock and REBA fork. Weighs 29 lbs. | | Bottom Line: | Great bike. No reservations. It is stable downhill, climbs well and is nimble & fast on XC. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg
a Cross Country Rider
from Morris Cty NJ USA
Date Reviewed: August 22, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Ruby | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | The Path Bike Shop, Tustin, CA | | Strengths: | Stiff, well built, gorgeous paint, plush on descents, firm on climbs (RP23 shock) | | Weaknesses: | some brake jack in firmest RP23 settings. Feels sluggish when climbing in full open RP23 mode, but might be because I am currently running heavy wheels. | | Similar Products Used: | Voodoo Canzo, various 29'er hardtails | | Bike Setup: | Reba 100mm, XT 2X9 drivetrain, Deore/WTB wheelset (slightly heavy), NEvegal 2.2 | | Bottom Line: | This bike rocks. I have ridden horst link bikes (Tracer, Epic) for 6 years prior to moving on to 29'ers and was afriad I'd be giving up some performance by moving away from that design. However, other than the brake jack in the firm setting, this bike performs better all around than any of my prior FS bikes. I have found myself making steep climbs I could never do on my older bikes. Part of that might be the 29'er set up, but the El Rey climbs like a fiend. I would recommend getting the RP23 upgrade over the standard Float R...gives you MUCH more flexibility. Check out The Path in Tustin, ask for Tani. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | www.hammerheadbikes.com | | Strengths: | Climbs like a goat! | | Weaknesses: | None so far. | | Similar Products Used: | Hammerhead 100x, Demoed the Intense Spyder 29er. | | Bike Setup: | SRAM X.9 drivetrain, Reba, I-9 wheels, Martas, RP23, stock geo, quad bearing upgrade | | Bottom Line: | This bike is flat out awesome.
You point it uphill and pedal. If you lose traction, it is your own fault. Sometimes, I feel like I am cheating. It just smooths out a lot of the rough stuff.
The El Rey is also incredibly stable. On the 29er Spyder, I didn't get that feeling and it also felt 'twitchy' to me. The El Rey instills confidence in the downhills and you can still hit the corners hard.
I also considered the Niner RIP9, but I have no regrets about going with the Ventana.
I was skeptical of the 29er "fad" at first, but I am fully behind it now. I could see how a freeride type wouldn't jump to a 29er, but for an XC person, it is great.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brad
a Racer
from Alberta
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | pro1imports | | Strengths: | It's a Ventana, in a name that speaks volumes about the quality of the build. Awesome welds, perfect paint, lateral stiffness approaches a hardtail. Ventana as a company sets the bar really high for customer service, You can phone them up and even speak to Sherwood directly, that is if he's not in the process of laying a fine bead on your frame. | | Weaknesses: | Riding this bike makes me want to sell all my other frames and buy more of his, which I will. | | Similar Products Used: | This is my first 29er. I have nothing to compare it to. 29ers in Canada are few and far between. I got the first El Rey to cross into this land. | | Bike Setup: | 4", quad bearings, custom geo, 970 with ceramic bearing upgrade, WB magic 100, RP23, etc. | | Bottom Line: | I jumped at the 29er thing from talking with the guys on the MTBR forums who ride these big wheels all the time. Thanks, it was money well spent and you get what you pay for. If your going to b!tch about the price, get lost. I've spent the same amount of money on other 26er bikes to only keep them for a month or less because of poor quality, this is a keeper plus if I want I can change it into a 5" trail bike with a new set of rockers. At 6'2" the riding of a 29er is as advertised, you sit between the wheels and not above them so cornering is stable and I ride my local trail faster than I do on my Ellsworth or my 5.5 26 bikes.
I was going to get a custom El Saltemontes, sure glad I didn't because the 29er thing is friggin' awesome. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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