Submitted by
Tom
a Weekend Warrior
from Hayward, CA USA Date Reviewed: September 7, 2001
Favorite Trail:
Steven's Creek Trail
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$5000.00
Purchased At:
The Pedaler - El Sobrante, CA
Strengths:
uniquely engineered frame design allows for LOTS of travel.
Bike Setup:
19" Rubicon SX, RaceFace rings & cranks, Spox wheels, Syncros riser bars, stem, seatpost & skewers, SRAM shifters, Chris King headset, Magura raceline hydraulic brakes, Marzocchi Atom 80 fork, dual Rock Shox rear shocks.
Bottom Line:
Imagine building your ultimate dream bike. This is exactly what I did... I bought the frame only and then over the winter purchased the components one by one and built this bike myself. It was my first time doing anything like this and the guys at The Pedaler in El Sobrante were GREAT help! . At 38 years old, I'm not the kind of rider who looks for thrills and at just under $5K, I'm not about to test this rig to see if I can break it. I'm a weekend warrior and this was my winter project - I had a blast putting it all together and learning how everything worked. Now onto the bike: This frame is totally unique, incorporating a compound dual rear suspension system that transfers absortion to the part of the frame that needs it most - come out of the saddle and the back end gets real stiff as the front beam comes up and makes the pivot arm shift rearward. This is GREAT for climbing up hills. In the saddle, the absorbtion is mostly under you. Replacing the pivot arm with an additional rear shock like I did will result in 8 inches of travel in the rear and a VERY plush ride. This bike tracks beautifully - very very stable at high speeds on bumpy surfaces. It pivots smoothly, and flexes very similiar to a motocross motorcycle. See the Kestrel website for more info on how this very unique frame works (www.kestrel-usa.com) Like all carbon frames, paint chips pretty easily. Kestrel was good about sending me some touch up paint for free when I shot them an email. The frame is warranteed for life, of course. Is this bike for everyone? No. If you want a very unique bike built by a legendary bicycle manufacturer that will give you years of biking enjoyment and don't mind coughing up the money, this bike could be for you!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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