|
|
|
| |
Submitted by
Barry White
a Weekend Warrior
from Funkville
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Good allround package | | Weaknesses: | Some components a little underdone | | Similar Products Used: | Numerous mountain and road bikes over the years | | Bike Setup: | Deore gears and cranks, Shimano SPD clipless pedals | | Bottom Line: | I upgraded the entire drive chain - Deore front/rear derallier and cranks, clipless pedals. Bike is now much more useable for me and a pleasure to ride. I like the XL frame too. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel Mack
a Weekend Warrior
from Brisbane Australia
Date Reviewed: February 3, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Christmas Creek | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$360.00 | | Purchased At: | Riders Cyclery | | Strengths: | Frame weight, Brakes and running gear all very functional and well laid out, New paint job looks sharp. The 2002 model has a quality feel on the road and trail. | | Weaknesses: | None yet | | Similar Products Used: | Shogun Trailbreaker 3 | | Bike Setup: | Specialized Fat Boy Slicks, Zoom bar ends, Cateye cordless2 computer | | Bottom Line: | A decent Hard tail at a good price - Avanti have responded to problems with earlier models - namely providing wider alloy bars, upgrading the rims (Weinmann 520) and providing a better (v.comfy) saddle. I bought an XL frame (I'm 6'2') and it is a pleasure to ride long distances. The 2002 Ventura provides the novice/intermediate rider with a quality bike that with minimal upgrades will still suit a more experienced rider. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mark tomlinson
a Weekend Warrior
from Cairns
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | kuranda range dh | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | edge cycles | | Strengths: | cheap and cheerful. New Zealand heritage. Frame. Shifters, brakes and drive train | | Weaknesses: | Wheel set and tyres. Bars are too narrow. Budget saddle. | | Similar Products Used: | Klein Attitude, Gary Fisher and DiamondBack steel h/tails | | Bike Setup: | Manitou X-Vert R Triple Clamps, Tioga Factory DH 2.3 front and Ritchy 2.1 Hard Drive rear tyre | | Bottom Line: | Got the base bike free and so treated myself to decent front end upgrade. Shocks are complete overkill for this frame but they make all the difference for DH. It's a small frame so the top tube is angled back like some bad-ass slalom. Makes it poised in steep stuff, (still heaps of standover height)but a bit slow and ponderous for cross-country.
Tried it first with the stock tyres but they are hopeless. Admittedly the track was a bit damp, but they had NO grip. Took the front wheel off my old Gary Fisher, don't know what brand rim, but they look stronger than the Weiner's. Guess I will just see how long it takes to trash the rear.
Brakes work fine, and shifters look the business and work well too. The only upgrade this bike cries out for is a beefier saddle and wider bars.
B/L. Terrific (budget) DH sled, but I note that elsewhere in these reviews a chap using RS Psylos snapped the frame. I try to avoid jumps anyhow (too old and too scared!) and so far it has held up fine.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter Pellicaan
a Cross Country Rider
from Toowoomba, Qld, Aus
Date Reviewed: January 19, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Mt Cootha | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$270.00 | | Purchased At: | Brian Page Bikes | | Strengths: | Light Frame, good value for the price. | | Weaknesses: | Wheels are particularly weak. Headset is a bit dodgy though they've fixed this with the 2001 model. | | Similar Products Used: | Merida Dakar. | | Bike Setup: | Ameoba bars, clipless pedals, Velocity triple V rear hub. | | Bottom Line: | Good value for money, came 4th in c division mountainbike race on it. My suggestion is for $600 Australian, buy something second hand with better components. Don't get a large frame even if you are 6 foot, I find my 55cm frame is much more difficult to control than a smaller frame. If your into a casual cruze through the bush the bike is perfect but if your a little more hard-core you'll be disappointed. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Trevor Feilen
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, N.S.W, Australia
Date Reviewed: December 18, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Fire Trails, NW Sydney | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Purchased At: | Kuringai Cycles | | Strengths: | Good value with full shimano groupset. | | Weaknesses: | The wheels really let the bike down. I ride the bike a lot harder then it was meant for and the wheels would last a few weeks. | | Similar Products Used: | Mongoose | | Bike Setup: | New wheelset. Barends. | | Bottom Line: | If you get this bike replace the wheels. They are a huge let down. I spent $600 on the bike and another $220 replacing the wheels. The bike is light (relatively) when I compare it to my friends bikes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Togo
a
from Mackay, Queensland, Australia
Date Reviewed: December 5, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Cheap, does the job | | Weaknesses: | RST 281's are more shocking, than shockies, but they do the job, the Weinmann 519 rims are weak | | Bike Setup: | standard except a Weinmann Zac 19 rear rim with shimano STX hub | | Bottom Line: | This is a good bike but is not for serious downhill or jumping. It will take it still.
It is a good cheap bike that does the job well, still allowing for some rough riding. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rollo Anderson
a Downhiller
from Sydney,Nsw,Australia
Date Reviewed: December 5, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Bike Setup: | azonic shorty, psylo's, Sunn rims | | Bottom Line: | decent for a while, but i'm a freerider/downhiller and i know it's not designed for that, but i don't have that much money, and so i started with that and upgraded it.
Anyway, i raced it once and did plenty of dropoffs and jumps and stuff and now it's in two pieces.
So there you have it, buy a bike that can handle what you give it. (and don't put 5" travel forks on a frame that isn't designed for it)
i'm now getting a manic or hotdog (avanti) frame.
Ventura: Good to learn on, not much more. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
eug w
a Weekend Warrior
from brisbane
Date Reviewed: October 26, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | state forest | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$530.00 | | Purchased At: | lifecycle brisbane | | Strengths: | acera groupset | | Similar Products Used: | gt aggressor 3, trek 800, trek 4000, peak mt remarkable | | Bike Setup: | standard | | Bottom Line: | only purchased bike not long ago...just started riding again....for the money it was good value compared to the above mentioned bikes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
fred smith
a
from sydney, nsw, australia
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | blue mountains | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | universal cycles | | Strengths: | only good if you fit it with a decent front shock. it's not bad value for money if in original form. the sticker price for aud$599 is ok considering it has an acera shifter | | Weaknesses: | the RST281 must be replaced. i've currently got a rockshox judy on mine and it's ok. otherwise, look at getting the hurricane or montari instead | | Similar Products Used: | giant rincon se, malvern star outlaw fs24 | | Bike Setup: | standard except for the rockshox judy xc and shimano deore brake upgrades | | Bottom Line: | good only for beginners. DO NOT RIDE IT HARD!!! you will kill this bike quickly if u use it as a freerider. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben M
a Weekend Warrior
from Penrith
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Woodford to glenbrook | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | ...... | | Weaknesses: | threaded headstem, rims, frame | | Similar Products Used: | giant yukon, norco charger | | Bike Setup: | rst 381s, azonic stem and bars, LX rear brakes, mavic X138 | | Bottom Line: | The bike was good at first then the headset stuffed up so I changed it and the back wheel buckled alot until I changed it. After 10 months the frame cracked and I am now waiting for them to replace it. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
| |
|
Photo Caption Contest
(sponsored by Maxxis)
|
Enter here
|
|
|
$
