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Submitted by
James Carroll
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin TX USA
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Greenbelt (not the main trail) | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Purchased At: | eBay | | Strengths: | Great handling, latterally stiff, good climber, top notch construction | | Weaknesses: | Proprietary rear shock, short travel | | Similar Products Used: | Also own a Turner XCE, ridden just about everything else out there | | Bike Setup: | Z2 Atom Bomb, XT, Avid V-brakes, Easton Seatpost, Titec Hell Bent (flat wide one) and misc other stuff | | Bottom Line: | I got this just because I got it for only $600 on eBay (frame only). Thought it would be a nice complement to my XCE, and it is. So far I only have 3 rides on it, I'm surprised how much I like it. Handling is outstanding, and it's latterally stiffer than I thought it would be. It's definitley not 4" of travel, but feels very good for the 2.8" claimed travel. Turner's reliability is also outstanding, the previous owner apparently had not put grease in the ports in a while. On the first ride it started squeeking, jabbed a bunch of grease in the pivot and it rides like new.
It's definitley a short travel bike, but as a result has a lower center of gravity which explains the improvement in handling over the XCE (which I still love). Unfortunately Turner doesn't make them anymore, however the O2 should be a similar setup, and if so it would be an oustanding bike.
Having owned all kinds of FS bikes, and now my second Turner, the most accurate description of a Turner is that you get what you pay for. This is the kind of bike you can keep for a long time. If you don't like a Turner it won't be because of the quality of construction.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay Spry
a Cross Country Rider
from Knoxville, TN
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Pisgah | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Through Dave on a dealer/sponsorship deal | | Strengths: | stiffness, attention to detail, availability to run straight housings and hydraulic lines, light weight, climbing prowess | | Weaknesses: | weakness?? | | Similar Products Used: | Trek VRX400 LT, Amp B3, and a multitude of hardtails (what was i thinking?) | | Bike Setup: | RS Sid SL, Full XTR with rapid rise, Easton carbon bar and seatpost, king hubs on bontrager valiant ceramic rims, king headset (of course) etc etc | | Bottom Line: | I got this bike about a year ago now. I am captain of the University of Tennessee Cycling Team so i was able to get a very sweet deal on it from Dave. Called him up direct, told him about myself and my team, and talked with him on the phone for a few weeks, hours at a time. The man is never opposed to just talking to you about mountainbiking in general. he seems much more of a cool biker as opposed to a top notch designer of full suspension mountainbikes. All in all he cut me a great deal on a great bike. i got it in the beautiful ball burnished job and it is perfect. the bike climbs better than my old Klein which was a climbing rocket. with this bike i can stay seated in the climbs and benefit from massive amounts of traction from the rear suspension and just spin or power over everything that gets in my way. The way that i originally had the bike set up made descending a bit of a chore, and my steering characteristics were too quick for my tastes. so once again, i called up dave and he recommended a stem length and rise for me...hence...problem solved. this man just rocks. dave has been so good to me, and i am 100% satisfied with my stinger that i actually will be receiving a RFX (free-ride bike with 6" of travel) in a week or two to replace my VRX. REALLY looking forward to this one. anyone have any questions or comments about dave and Turner bikes, feel free to e mail me. keep on cycling and keep the rubber side down. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael Cross
a Cross Country Rider
from Charlottesville, VA.
Date Reviewed: November 17, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Walnut Creek/Panorama Farm | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1925.00 | | Purchased At: | Rainbow Cycles | | Strengths: | Extreamly lightwieght, Quick & very responsive, Easy service grease injection ports (new for 2000), Simple yet very functional design, Full support of David Turner and Co. | | Weaknesses: | None I have noticed. Turner Bikes does not have an effective method of showing you the available colors for their bikes. | | Similar Products Used: | Titus Racer X is the only bike out there that is in any way comparable to the Stinger. | | Bike Setup: | Gripshift, Mavic 517 rims, Nuke Proof hubs, Race Face cranks & stem, Chris King headset, Avid brakes, SID XC - Total weight under 24 lbs. | | Bottom Line: | This is the dream bike for anyone looking for a nimble full suspension XC bike with a lean profile. This will be my last bike purchase (I'm 40 something). The Stinger allows me to keep up with and often drop the younger guys I ride with. I really can't say enough about this bike and David Turner's Co. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike McClure
a Cross Country Rider
from St. Louis, MO USA
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Berryman / Chubb / Castlewood | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Mail Order | | Strengths: | Dependable, Light, Quick, Comfortable, Easy to Tune and Maintain.... Certainly and eye catcher on any trail! | | Weaknesses: | Not made for riders over 180+lbs.. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Race Face Cranks, Stem and Headset, Grip Shift, Nuke Proof Superfly Hubs with Mavic 517 rims, XT 9-Speed, Avid Brakes, SID XC - Total bike weight 23.5 lbs | | Bottom Line: | Over the past two years I have cranked out over 3,000 miles through Ozard single track on this frame(17")with no major mishaps. David Turner has always been helpful, answering questions and giving advise on how to properly manintain the suspension. He has also shipped me a few parts via overnight at his cost. I clean and lubricate my pivot points about four times a year(all three of them) with the main pivot being sealed w/grease port for years of maintenance free riding. The Stinger is a Cross Country FS race bike with just under 3" of tavel in the rear. It's quick and responsive with no lateral flex and made for fast tight single track trails. It's worth every penny for an American Handbuilt Frame, especially a Turner. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Laura Iverson
a Racer
from Moscow, ID
Date Reviewed: May 25, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | St. Joe Wilderness Area in ID | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Light, comfortable, stable, good climber, aggressive | | Weaknesses: | Can be a bit spendy | | Similar Products Used: | The only thing close is my Gary Fisher Joshua | | Bike Setup: | White Brother XC-3, Sram shifters, Profile cranks, AZONIC, Fox Air Vanilla | | Bottom Line: | I am really amazed with this bike, I didn't think that it was possible for a full suspension bike to climb like this, and be so plush on the downhill. This bike makes it easy for me to smoke my competition on the up hill and down hill. So I tell people, it's not me...it's the bike.
This bike is great for people interested in competing, probably not so great for someone who just cruises on paved paths. I also think this bike is ideal for lighter-weight riders, for example, I only weigh 120lbs, but I'm sure it could handle much more.
Plus David Turner is awesome. I love that I can call up the business and talk directly to him, he's so helpfull and nice. I don't think I can ever ride anything but a Turner. I've been spoiled. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim Nielsen
a Racer
from Arlington, VA USA
Date Reviewed: March 17, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Frederick Watershed | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Very light for a full suspension(5 lbs), Worksmanship, Durability, Customer service from Turner, Geometry for XC racing | | Weaknesses: | Pivots need constant maintenance (This is true for every XC Horst Pivot bike ever made, though!) Turner tells me the new 2000 Stingers have a grease injection port for the rear pivots (which have been beefed up). I am going to spend the $$$ to buy this updated tail section (it has a disc mount too). | | Similar Products Used: | Yeti ARC AS
| | Bike Setup: | XTR, Crossmax, White Bros XC70UL, Easton Monkeylite bar - Total weight 22.9lbs | | Bottom Line: | What a great value - this bike has been a workhorse for XC races, gnarly DHs in the Maryland mountains, and pulling my 2 1/2 year old on the bike trail in a Burley trailer.
Great geometry -- roomy rider "compartment" like a DH bike, but ultra quick climbing like an XC. How does he do it ??!?
I have roughly 6000 hard miles on this frame and its holding up beautifully. The Fox shock has been flawless as well. I have replaced the O rings every year and it seems to just keep getting smoother!
This is a great choice for somebody looking for a XC full suspension that won't wear out in a year. I will admit that there are quite a few frames out there today that have just as nice a feel when they are brand new. However, the very close tolerances that the (hand-built, one-by-one)Stinger frames are manufactured to prevents the rear end from getting "sloppy" or loose over time like most production-line bikes (Specialized, Santa Cruz, Etc). I have a friend with an FSR XC that is also two years old, and the tail is so loose (and fatigued), thta he's looking for a new frame. The Stinger is still tight and smooth.
Finally, David Turner is a very helpful guy. His respones to my email questions are insightful, expansive and friendly. I think its pretty cool that this really famous guy (who was one of the brains behind the AMP bikes) would take the time to answer my questions. I'm a big fan. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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