Submitted by
Pieter W
a Cross Country Rider
from Klerksdorp Date Reviewed: October 27, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Rietspruit Farm Alberton
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
Finish Line Cycles
Strengths:
Great great great ride....from XC to mild downhill. Very responsive. Easy to do maintenance on rear suspension. I had enough time spend servicing rear suspensions for hours at an end.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Intense Spider
Bike Setup:
Build with X0, Next Cranks. Formula Oro Brakes and Chris King Wheelset
Bottom Line:
The best bike ever ridden. Will buy one tomorrow again. THANKS PATRICK AND THE TEAM AT MOREWOOD.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Peter Dicks
a Weekend Warrior
from Cape Town, South Africa Date Reviewed: May 26, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Tokai
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Re-Cycles
Strengths:
Simple frame which has evolved over a period of time. Single pivot design means good feedback from rear wheel movement. Back end stays planted like glue. No chain rattles as bottom tube of rear triangle slants upwards. Frame looks the part, especially in white.
Weaknesses:
None so far.
Similar Products Used:
Mongoose Teocali, Santa Cruz Superlight
Bike Setup:
Basically built the Mongoose components over to Morewood frame. RockSox Pike fork, Fox RP23 rear shock (supplied with frame). Hayes 9 brakes, WTB rims and hubs with Kenda Nevegal rubber. Thompson seatpost, Time Z Control pedals, Easton stem, Truvative crank. Gonna upgrade these bits over time, although it all works well at this stage.
Bottom Line:
Still have the grin on my face after tackling the downhill bits at Tokai Forest (Cape Town). This frame is so simple, yet has evolved over time to what it is today. A very versatile frame that can be beefed up to all mountain or detuned to cross country use and happy at both discipines. It makes me wonder if all the larger volume manufactures have not come up with all the complicated and elaborate syspension systems as a method of marketing new products each year without actually improving the performance. All I can say is ride a Morewood and you will understand what I mean.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
E86
a Downhiller
from Huntington Beach,CA. USA Date Reviewed: September 29, 2008
The Shova ST is normally a XC ride, but i built mine more All Mountain/Slopstyle/Urban bike. The bike handles like a dream. I can take it down most downhill trails, and up them. I would highly recommend the Shova ST for anyone that needs an all around bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
nintense
a Racer
from Los Angeles Date Reviewed: August 28, 2008
Favorite Trail:
All over SM mountains
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$5000.00
Purchased At:
Bike Improve
Strengths:
One of the best bike / frame I ever own, lite enough for all day ride (I built mine around 32lb with DH wheels, but they can be ease build around 27lb), and strong and stable enough to smoke the DH course in Fontana. this is a true AM bike.
Weaknesses:
I like better the cable routing on the Izimu, not ease to sale used high end single pivot bike, some people are thinking that more pivots mean better frame.
Similar Products Used:
Every other trail / AM high end bike that available in the US.
Bike Setup:
Single Track wheels, XTR / XT the rest, 4WAY Air / Nixon Platinum.
Bottom Line:
The best frame for who ride a lot and like to stay away from service bearings every 3 months, like VPP / DW etc.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
LoveRider
a Weekend Warrior
from Regensburg, Germany Date Reviewed: May 19, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Innsbruck
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Love Hurts
Strengths:
great manufacturing quality, fair price, perfect handling, stiff, goes up and down equally nice
Weaknesses:
hmm...may be more sophisticated supension designs work better? just don't feel the difference on the trail. could be lighter?
Wow. Great bike especially for the value. Handling is great up and down as a all mountain should be. suspension works really fine even on technical climbs, no bob or pedal feedback at least on the middle chainring (do you need more?...) Would buy it again. Thank you Phil!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from Tilburg Date Reviewed: April 29, 2008
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Handling is superb! Simplicity of the design, looks (I think ;-))
Weaknesses:
Cable routing could be better (and has been changed for the 2008 model). Decals not under clearcoat.
Similar Products Used:
See below (Cannondale SuperV, hardtails)
Bike Setup:
See below, XC-ish setup for all day riding (no changes).
Bottom Line:
Well, it's been about a year since I started riding the Shova and I still love it. The handling is the best I've ever seen, the bike reacts instantly to your input without being too nervous. Gives every ride that extra touch of fun! I noticed some serious cablerub when cleaning the bike, so I had to stick some extra protection on the frame. For 2008 MW has changed the cable routing so maybe that solved this little problem. After a year I can say I'm still very happy with the bike and would buy it again without a doubt.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul
a Weekend Warrior
from Netherlands Date Reviewed: September 7, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Simple and durable design (single pivot), looks good, rare (in Holland that is)
Weaknesses:
no clear coat over decals, no bottle cage possible in size S.
Similar Products Used:
hardtails, Cannondale SuperV
Bike Setup:
Talas fork, RP23 shock (with frame), Hope pro2/mavic717 wheels, X0/X9/XT shifting, XT 4-piston brakes (203/160mm), RaceFace cranks, Hope stem, Syntace bar+seatpost, Nobby Nic 2.4 tyres. Total weight just under 13,5kg.
Bottom Line:
In one word: GREAT bike. Handles exactly like it should in any situation, feels very well balanced. The bike gives you confidence. When choosing a new frame I wanted a durable frame with 130-150mm travel, preferably a single pivot. Where I live it's not easy to test ride the frames I was choosing from (Heckler, Yeti 575) so I had to get my information from the internet and bikemagazines. All magazine tests said the same: a very well balanced bike and fun to ride. They were absolutely right. No regrets ;-)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Juergen Reichel
a Weekend Warrior
from Giessen, Germany Date Reviewed: September 1, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Woodcutter
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1300.00
Purchased At:
www.simonbikes.de
Strengths:
tough, well-built, no flex, lovely colour, good geometry, the most fun bike I've ever ridden (and I also have a Nicolai, so that says a lot)
Weaknesses:
chain bangs into elevated (!) chainstay, cables rub at frame, both issues are easily solved
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
I bought the Shova as a frameset with a Fox RP 23. Components: Avid Juicy 5 brakes, DT Swiss 5.1D rims w XT hubs, Schwalbe Fat Albert tyres, Marzocchi All Mtn 2, Shimano Deore/Sram X7, Race Face Prodigy cranks, Thomson post, Specialized BG saddle, Syntace Superforce 60 mm stem, Syntace Vector DH bars, Tioga DH pedals, total weight approx. 14,5 kg (~ 32 lbs)
Bottom Line:
This bikes is very confidence inspiring and makes me go faster on the downhills, sometimes beyond my limits. It helps me keep up with riders on heavier machines and it's still light enough to climb back to the top, just flip the ProPedal lever and lower the fork. It's also nice to have a bike not everybody rides around here. If you want a bike for serious trail riding, enduro/freeride and bike parks and can afford only one, the Shova ST is the one to get.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Louis Titshall
a Weekend Warrior
from PMB, South Africa Date Reviewed: April 26, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Karkloof
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$3500.00
Purchased At:
Autobahn Cycles
Strengths:
Well built, bomb proof, great finish
Weaknesses:
None so far
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Full XT, Mach1 rims, Ringle hubs, FOX float RLC in front, RP23 outback, Geax Lobo Loco tyres, SDG seatpost and seat.
Bottom Line:
I got this bike for serious trail and light freeride. It has a reputation of being bombproof and will handle some really serious stuff. If kitted properly it will make a good marathon machine, but not the most ideal XC machine. So far I'm pleased. You can get cheaper from a bulk manufacturer, but they just don't come with the Morewood reputation... Will post again once I've abused it some more. Louis
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Gary Barnard
a Downhiller
from Cape Town, South Africa Date Reviewed: November 7, 2006
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
The Morewood Shova ST is the best All Round Mountain Bike I have ever ridden.
I have ridden and broken a lot of bikes in the last 15 years of Mountain Biking and the Morewood has changed the game for me. The bike is extremely versatile and is at home under most MTB conditions. The handling is great and the stiffness of the frame gives the rider a lot of confidence, this bike goes exactly where you point it.
Weaknesses:
This is a Mountain Bike for Mountain biking, not road riding on gravel (Fire) roads that a lot of people try and pass-off as Mountain biking.
Formula Oro Manitou 3-Way SPV Sram X9 Fox 100 DT Swiss 4.1 wheelset for XC Mavic 823/Ringle Wheelset for Trail riding.
Bottom Line:
If you enjoy singletrack climbing and descending then Buy this bike. It is extremely versatile and can be setup to suit most MTB requirements. The suspension linkage is bullit proof (I have NEVER had a problem with the suspension on any of the Morewood's I have ridden, 4 bikes across DH and XC).
The technolgy is shocks today (SPV,Propedal etc) means that there is no bob (Pedal induced movement of the rear suspension) and this bike responds to every watt of energy that is pushed through the pedals.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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