Submitted by
bob hagin
a Weekend Warrior
from detroit, michigan, usa
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2003
Strengths: great, smooth ride, good handling, go over curbs like nothing, good stock parts
Weaknesses: rear shock, i broke it jumping off my house
Bottom Line:
THIS BIKE IS AMAZING, i can't say how pleased i am with the results, wow, as soon i brought it home, i got on, no setting up, and it was beautiful, after my ride round the block, set it up to what i wanted, and headed out on a bike trail thing, going off jumps and stuff
Similar Products Used: supercycle- that black and red one
Bike Setup: Monster t's , new seatpost, derailer, pedals, crank
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Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Houghton MI, USA
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2002
Strengths: 4 Bar linkage very tough. Sealed bearings at all pivots. Tubing is bombproof
Weaknesses: None that I can find
Bottom Line:
This bike was a good deal. I am having some creaking comming from my bottom bracket but that is most likely because it came used and needs to be replaced. Bottom line it this is a bad ass bike.
Similar Products Used: Kona Stinky Delux, Rocky Mt rm6, Trek Fuel 90, Kona stinky 9
Bike Setup: psylo race tulio rhynolite wheels with dimension front hub and XT rear, Deore Rear der. lx front, xt cranks
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Submitted by
Ted Grossutti
a Weekend Warrior
from Windsor, Ontario Canada
Date Reviewed: March 9, 2002
Strengths: Excellent suspension design. Very stiff laterally, not too bad going up hills as some bikes in this category are. Nice choice of components minus the pricey XTR rear derailleur.Unless you are getting into competitive racing, an LX derailleur would do just fine. Psylo fork performs perfectly.
Weaknesses: The Magura brakes are useless; nothing but trouble from day one. Do yourself a favour and switch to Hayes. The tires that come on the bike are great for riding on dirt. If you do any urban assault riding, they are a little soft and the tread is much too aggressive. Two sets of tires might be the way to go.
Bottom Line:
This bike is an absolute blast to ride! Very predictable handling even at insane speeds on very rough terrain. The suspension front and rear has performed flawlessly for a year now. You will not be disappointed with this bike. I do alot of riding that requires me to climb the hills I want to go down, and I don't fall too far behind my buddies on their cross-country full suspension bikes.
Bike Setup: Pretty much the way it came except for the brakes and saddle. The Hayes brakes were the best posssible upgrade I could have made. I swithched to a FUNN saddle instead of the Titec that came on the bike... much better.
Excellant bike however the Magura brakes are terrible they fade all of the time and require contant adjustments. I have upgraded to Hayes ... it cost me about $490.00 Cdn and was well worth the money.
Another problem I had with the bike was I cracked the swingarm in half. I'm 6 foot and 200 pounds and I came off a 6 foot drop and it broke. HOwever, I went into Steed cycle and they fixed it within an hour ... they gave me the 2002 swingarm which is way beefier and they upgraded my rear spring to a 700 from a 600. ALL AT NO CHARGE.
So with the beefier swingarm and the Hayes this bike is simply awesome! I understand the 2002 Bonzai comes with Hayes and the better swingarm so I would highly recommend that bike.
Similar Products Used: Norco Shore, BigHit Pro, Rocky Pipeline
Bike Setup: Magura Brakes, TruVativ Splined cranks, Rock Shock Psylos SL, Fox Vanilla R, Sun ditchwitch
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Submitted by
Jeff Miller
a Downhiller
from Kamloops, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: November 22, 2001
Strengths: Wicked ass 4-bar linkage, suuuuper plush travel, great component selection, good tires, good rims, good forx, etc, etc, etc.......
Weaknesses: weird color paint on the back that looks different in every kind of light. Some people say it's ugly, but some say it's cool.... oh well... And it's heavy, but what bike isn't in this travel range. :)
Bottom Line:
This bike rocks.... 10 foot drops feel like 5 foot drops, rough downhill runs transform into smooth road rides... and your whole perspective of a trail will change for the better. You'll feel more comfortable with your riding skills just by riding this bike. Buy it, you'll be happy. Only thing I have to complain about is the Psylos... the bushings are already fried and it takes two weeks to send in the fork, get the bushings replaced, and send them back.... Oh well, they're still absorbing bumps, so it's all good. Overall, best bike for the money...
Bike Setup: Psylo SL tullio, XTR, XT, LX shifters, MAGURA Claras, Sun Ditch Witch rims, Mobster front, High Roller rear, 6" travel, Titec seat, stem, seatpost, and bars, formula hubs, Aheadset headset (cane creek)....
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Submitted by
Travis Chalmers
a Weekend Warrior
from Wherever, BC Canada
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2001
Strengths: Still awesome
Bottom Line:
Let me clarify - the price above is the correct price I paid in American Dollars. (last time i hit the six, which is right under the nine on the keypad) In canadian Dollars, I paid 3080. Just wanted to clarify, cause I was steering some people wrong.
Submitted by
Travis
a Weekend Warrior
from Castlegar BC
Date Reviewed: May 25, 2001
Strengths: Tried Tested and True 4 Bar linkage. Frame's brute strength, pretty well equipped from the factory, smooth, decent climber, price.
Weaknesses: She's a beast, in comparison with the Santa Cruzes I rode. I had to cut the seat post to get it down far enough for my liking, and the rear end hits the post hard if you drop it down too far - you have to compromise between a post length just too short for a good climb, and just too long for steep stuff (that is, if you're the type who does climb).
Bottom Line:
I got this bike in Jan of 01. Couldn't ride it till March, but when I did... wow. Devinci's a winner with this one. It comes decently equipped from the factory, and at a reasonable price. MSRP is 2300 CDN, I paid 2050. Canadian made by Devinci in Montreal, for those of us who like to support our country, but want a change from the west coast bikes. The ride is sweet. I had my heart set on a Bullit, but when I rode this one, and saw that it was less coin for similar equipment, I was won over. She rides smooth and solid. I haven't had any problems with the rear end - it's still as tight and laterally stiff as the day I threw it on the VW. The psylo compliments the 5.9" rear travel well, but I do find that that is a little bit flexible for my liking. A good job would be to put the Boxxer or JR. T on this bad boy, to make the front end stand up to the punishment like the rest of the bike. My only warning is to watch that you don't put the seat down too far, because the rear end will whack it really hard...I was stupid and didn't think about this, and so bent my rear wheel when the suspension hit the seatpost off a high drop. I have now fixed the problem and found a good position for the seat, and everything is silky again. The bike climbs well - the way I have it set, it doesn't bob at all. However, I am not in the best of shape right now, and it ain't a featherweight, so that part hurts, especially when you're used to a SC superlight. Overall, this is a great bike. An excellent alternative to the common brands - rare on the trail, and with the right rider, she'll put any Rocky, Brodie, or SC equivilant to shame. (looks nicer than those ugly rockies too!)
