El Ciclon, is a force to be reckoned with. With its 5" of rear travel, this burly XC/all-mountain bike makes the conditions just right for blowing through singletrack at high speeds and leveling rough terrain. With its powerful but surprisingly light weight frame, El Ciclón makes sure that the only havoc wrecked is on the trails, not on the rider.
beautiful all mountain bike, everything you want to do can be done. Up, down, steep, rolling and all around versatile bike. Nothing is wrong with this bike, the blue has a beautiful metalic and shines in the sun. The pivots are super ridgid for this frame, rear has NO flex, (and i ride it hard).I know it is a short review as in time, but i have owned or own 7 different bikes and rate this one at the top.IF U ARE IN CANADA AND LOOKING FOR A VENTANA DEALER>>>GO TO "FHR TRADING" IN ONTARIO AND FRED WILL HOOK U UP WITH AWESOME PRICES AND SERVICE...I LIVE IN BC AND LOOKED TO HIM FOR A FRAME AND BUILD UP..!! :)
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Submitted by
Phishin Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Date Reviewed: September 3, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$20000.00
Purchased At:
The Path
Strengths:
Superb climber, rails switchbacks, stout build, well balanced on descents
Weaknesses:
None so far.
Similar Products Used:
Ventana El Saltamontes
Bike Setup:
Fox TALAS RLC 32
RP23
Quad Bearings
King hub Mavic 819
Avid Juicy 7
SRAM XO/X9
Bottom Line:
This bike replaced an older model El Saltamontes that I ran for over 4 years. I had tried the Salty in 5 inch travel mode and did not care for the way it handled. The El Ciclon is made for 5 inch travel and you can tell in the way it handles. I have had the bike for just over 2 months and I am 100% satisfied with the purchase. Initially I was nervous at how it would handle steeper climbs and I have to say it climbs better than XC bikes I have owned, including hard tails. It sticks to the trail and feels so balanced where I find myself able to almost completely stop on a techy section, change a line if needed, and pedal right through while hanging on a rock. I have become obsessed with climbing because this bike gets me through rocky switchbacks and sections I have never cleaned before. Stiff, stiff, stiff. Enough about the climb...down rocks! So smooth, so fast. You will think you are riding a 6-7 inch travel bike when you hit the ruff stuff only to feel the beauty of the stiffness when you rail a corner leaving your friends with bigger travel bikes to wonder.
Sure, I have only had the bike for 2 months but I ride it almost everyday. Having come off the El Saltamontes I was already familiar with the Ventana "feel". The El Ciclon is a step up and will add confidence to any rider. If you want a bike that is stout, climbs well and descends like a dream, this is it. This is not the bike for weight conscious riders. This is a bike that you will have for many years to come because it is built to last. Oh, and the paint job is spectacular! Super Dust will get notice.
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Submitted by
forestrider 007
a Cross Country Rider
from Eugene, OR Date Reviewed: August 11, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Monarch Crest, CO
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$1750.00
Purchased At:
Manufacturer
Strengths:
Bike handels great
Weaknesses:
Welds Suck, they break under normal use. Warrenty is 2yrs at best. Its a gimic get you in and keep replacing parts at a fraction of new bike replacement. O.K.If you like walking out of the ride carrying your bike. Welds Fail regularly.
Similar Products Used:
All other FS Bikes
Bike Setup:
XT, sram XO Hayes Disc.
Bottom Line:
Do not waste your money. Buy a Trek or something with a real warrenty. My buddy & I have broken the frame at the same location more than once. No Quality control to the welds. Welds should be the last place to break, if welded properly. This is not the case with Ventanas. Sherwood should stand behind his product, not his warrenty fine print.
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Submitted by
mtnriider
a Weekend Warrior
from Eugene, Oregon USA Date Reviewed: June 11, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Monarch Crest & Ape Canyon
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$3500.00
Purchased At:
Red Barn Bicycles
Strengths:
Aggressive, plush ride. Nice cornering and climbs like a cog railcar.
Weaknesses:
Decals suck. Were already peeling/tearing off the first day i put on a rack. Seems slightly heavy for all around freeriding uses.
Similar Products Used:
2001 Trek Fuel
Bike Setup:
Full Suspension with Manitou Black and Fox rear shock. Bicycle took an overall beating on Southwest / Rocky mtn Trails. I would buy again
Bottom Line:
The el ciclon handles real nice..no complaints really to speak of. I have had the bike one year and have had to replace the headset, hanger, and lower swingarm. I cracked the weld at the swingarm/drop-out connection. I think it was due to braking forces on a bad weld. Ventana was very responsive to my warranty request and had a new lower swingarm component in the mail to me in less than a day. Thankfully this occurred within the two year warrany period...i have approx. 1 year remaining. This $3500.00 purchase was huge for me in my progression of mtn bike purchases, which started with a 1988 LL Bean release and than a Giant Butte!! Besides supporting a small faction i.e., ventana HQ, I wonder if the consumer is really getting the overall best hand in the small bike manufacturing world. Warranty periods seem too short and the overall "personal" dealings have not been felt in this purchase.
Not a True Believer in Ventana yet, I will have to see if the El ciclon can perform for season #2 in the wet, rooty, twiggy PNW.
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Submitted by
Hatchit
a Cross Country Rider
from Murray, Utah Date Reviewed: March 27, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Red Barn
Strengths:
Perfect geometry and size for me (5'10" with a 34" inseam). Excellent customer service from Ventana. Traditional front triangle. Quality CNC machined parts and beautiful welds. Good standover.
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Ventana Pantera
Bike Setup:
Medium frame with quad bearings and high volume RP23, Fox 32 Vanilla RLC, XT cranks and f-der, X9 shifters, XO r-der, Thompson post and stem (410mm and 90mm respectively), King headset, XT hubs and 717 rims, Nevegal 2.35 tires, Avid bb7 mechanicals with 160mm rotors, Dangerboy levers, ODI lockons, Easton EA30 high rise bar, WTB Pure V Team saddle.
Bottom Line:
The Ciclon is perfectly balanced with a FOX 32 fork. I feel centered sitting on the bike. Steep climbs are easier than they were on my Pantera because the suspension remains active under pedal load. It's also more active under braking than the high-forward single pivot was.
The rear triangle with quad bearings feels just as solid as the Pantera did with a super link. Because my only two full suspension bikes have been from Ventana, I don't have any comparison to other designs in terms of flex.
There is more compression damping on the RP23 than I would like. My riding weight is 175lbs and I'm fairly smooth. The shock will be going to PUSH soon for tuning.
I ride trails that vary from smooth single track to chunky technical climbs and descents. The Ciclon is well place in the middle of the current mountain bike spectrum as a versatile trail bike. Anyone who wants one bike to use for everything from climbing canyon roads to high speed trail runs with small drops and jumps will find the Ciclon perfectly suited for the job.
The Ciclon has completely met my expectations of what it should be. I rode the Pantera for 3 years and it was a great bike. After it was stolen last year I decided to move up to 5 inches of travel. The candidates were the Ciclon, 5 spot or Yeti 575. My experience with the Pantera and the interactions with Teresa and Sherwood on the phone were enough to keep my loyalty. I also liked the fact that they had sub-assemblies ready to go at the time Chad placed my order. Rather than wait for complete fabrication they were able to put the frame together in the configuration I wanted and have it to my door in less than 2 weeks.
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Submitted by
Bradford Nelson
a Cross Country Rider
from Provo, UT Date Reviewed: September 29, 2007
Favorite Trail:
all of them
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$5200.00
Purchased At:
Uinta Bicycles
Strengths:
Intelligent suspension design, superior materials and workmanship yield a bike that is incredibly efficient on the TRAIL, whereas many other bikes are efficient primarily on paper, or in a one-dimensional way. Well thought-out geometry; stabilty and agility in one package. Absolutely gorgeous in electric blue - really stands apart from other high-end bikes, even really nice ones. Everybody asks me about this bike.
Weaknesses:
Relative to every design and material technology applied to cycling - including carbon and ti and and any design patent you could mention - absolutely none.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Stumpjupmer, Ellsworth Moment, Intense Tracer, Titus Racer-X,Moto-Lite.
Bike Setup:
XL frame in Electric Blue with quad bearings and Fox RP23 shock. Fox Talas 32mm 140mm travel; Full XTR Disc/XTR cranks; Crank Bros. Eggbeater Candy SLs; Thompson Elite Seatpost and stem; Chris King headset; WTB Devo saddle; Mavic 819 rims/Chris King hubs; Specialized "Captain 2.0" rear - Specialized Eskar 2.3 front. This build comes in at precisely 27.1 lbs. ready to ride.
Bottom Line:
I really love bikes, one of the few things in life over which I tend to be obsessive, and I was very obsessive and analytical about the selection of this bike. I'm 6'2"/220lbs. and I wanted a bike that enhanced every aspect of my riding experience. I ride primarily in the Wasatch Front, so any five mile stretch is likely to include climbs, descents; smooth, tight, rooty, rocky - you name it. I wanted to climb better and longer, descend and corner faster, with more confidence. I wanted to clean sections that had previously defeated me. I expected the El Ciclon to be good, but not this good. You really can't fathom it in a parking lot test-ride. The El Ciclon is plush, but so are lots of bikes in this category. There's alot more going on with this bike than that. How can a bike that climbs this well descend this well? How can a bike this stable be this agile? Answer: Sherwood Gibson of Ventana rides, knows his craft and doesn't follow fads. This bike is the outcome of experience, thought and skill. Truly a masterpiece. This bike is really, really, laterally stiff. It's intuitive that a stiff bike will corner and descend better, but at my weight, it climbs better than other designs I've ridden because it goes where I point it - no wandering. And I don't waste watts using core strength to keep the bike on the line I want. Strong, stiff and plush at 27.1 lbs. I could keep going but I think you get it. Also, Todd at Uinta Bicycles did a great job. This was an important project for me and he listened to my input but also gave me sound guidance. Built me a fantastic wheelset. My next Ventana project will definitely go to Todd at Uinta Bicycles in Kamas, UT. I'm thinking an El Patron(29er) in Cosmic Orange......
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Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Bend, OR Date Reviewed: August 30, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Village Bike Shop
Strengths:
Typical Ventana: best build quality available, gorgeous powdercoat, welds, and finish, laterally stout w/quad bearings, durable build, perfect do-everything handling
Marzocchi AM1 SL 2007 fork, Fox Float R shock, 5/6 rockers, EX 5.1/DT 240 wheels, XT cranks, XTR shifters/derailleurs, Nevegal 2.1's, RF NEXT bars, Thomson post and saddle, Formula Puro 7" front/6" rear brakes, 28.7lbs.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike. This was my third Ventana, and was every bit as good as I had expected. The Ciclon retains a bit bigger feel than the X-5 that it replaced, while shaving a bit of weight. The handling is more deliberate, the bike feels a little taller and more confident on the real rough stuff. To be honest, it feels almost like my 2006 RFX, but with a little less travel. The X-5 felt a bit quicker and more nimble (steeper HTA) and the Salty felt a bit quicker still (definitely these are all do-everything bikes, though). In comparison to the RFX, I would take the Ciclon as an all-day bike with the occasional visit to a freeride park, and the RFX as the really burly all-mountain bike still capable of long rides.
The frame and shock came in at 6.2 lbs in a medium. The build is very beefy with quad bearings, with no flex to speak of. This bike can handle the roughest terrain and goes where the rider puts it. It could handle a day of freeride, especially with the 6" rocker on there, and feels right at home in rough terrain. I have done 4-5 hour rides with lots of climbing, and this bike really shines and pretty much anything a rider can throw at it, from carvy singletrack to 5-foot drops. And technical climbing is a dream on this bike. Perhaps the only place where it lags a bit is on smooth, fast climbing, non-technical singletrack, or riding to the trailhead (basically areas when a 24lb FS or a hardtail would be desired). Then again, nobody needs a 5" bike for those conditions. The more technical the terrain, the more this bike comes alive. Those who ride primarily smoother singletrack will find the Salty a faster, more exciting ride, especially under a skilled rider.
I would suggest a thru-axle fork. It really makes a big difference, and with the Pike on the market, there isn't a weight penalty associated. The AM1 SL or Lyrik is as much fork as I would put on this bike, and for the bulk of riding on technical trails, the Pike is a great choice. Also, I sometimes run the 5" only rockers, and the 5/6 rockers also on occasion. The 5" rockers felt funny at first, but result in a snappier ride and better for long rides. The 6" setting (with longer stroke shock) is very plush, climbs well, but is a little sluggish.
In summary, this bike is probably the best example of a true do-anything 5" bike on the market. It isn't a flimsy lightweight 5" bike, but more of a stout build that still comes in at a reasonable weight, with the option of 6" of travel.. I have yet to see a bike at 6.2lbs frame/shock weight that it as laterally stiff as this. Not to mention it is extremely balanaced and sharp-handling. You get what you pay for, and in Ventana's case, that means you are paying for arguably the best all-mountain frame that money can buy.
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Submitted by
zod
a Weekend Warrior
from North Carolina Date Reviewed: June 12, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Wilsons
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Black Sheep Cycles - www.blacksheepcycles.com
Strengths:
Quality like nothing you will ever get from another company....it's all done in house by the brand owner. Amazing build, amazing paintjob, Ventana's signature SEX welds! Build strong enough to take all-mountain abuse yet not overdone so it's still a light frame.
Weaknesses:
Ahh let me think........none
Bottom Line:
This is the nicest frame I have ever owned and I am pretty sure that Ventana will be my brand for life. The workmanship is awesome; the owner (Sherwood) is a true artist. Enough with how purty it is though...this frame rides like a dream! Also have no reservations about whether the Ciclon can handle all-mountain/freeride environments. Do yourself a favor and upgrade to the RP23 and the quad bearings to make the ride even that much more unbelievable. Sure $2-grand is a lot for a frame but this truly is a case where you get what you pay for. I have no regret whatsoever about dumping some major coin on the table to get this frame. Beyond that it's very rewarding to know I am supporting an American company that in turn supports American companies. Ventana uses Worth aluminum tubing...the same Worth that makes the best aluminum bats and they are also a Made in the USA company. I also want to suggest buying thru Black Sheep Cycles (http://www.blacksheepcycles.com). Ethan and Toni at Black Sheep are extremely knowledable and will do their part to make sure you are 100% happy with your purchase. They're great to work with and if they weren't my local shop I'd still buy through them and pay shipping.
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Submitted by
Howard Skalet
a Weekend Warrior
from Rocklin, CA, USA Date Reviewed: November 30, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Amassa Back, Moab
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Wow! This bike handles like a dream. Carves singletrack, floats over rough terrain and is rock solid in the steeps. With the quad bearing set in the rear triangle the bike feels perfect in the corners, no flex at all. The frame is visually stunning, electric blue with perfect welds. Customer service from Sherwood and Teresa is as good as it gets.
Weaknesses:
Not enough days to ride it.
Similar Products Used:
Intense Spider, Ventana El Saltomantes
Bike Setup:
Fox DHX 5.0 Air, Fox Talas 5.5", Formula Oro Puro Brakes, XTR Drivetrain, Mavic Crossmax SL, 28lbs
Bottom Line:
This is the 5" travel bike dreams are made of. Epic rides are born on this machine. Climb for days and descend like a demon, it does it all with a feeling of stablilty like non other I have ridden. Sherwood hit one out of the park with this frame!
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