Submitted by
dan
a Cross Country Rider
from new york
Date Reviewed: November 4, 2005
Strengths: Decent weight, good geometry, little to no pogo, but rear suspension is still active while standing, looks cool.
Weaknesses: no disc brake mount in rear, none other so far.
Bottom Line:
cant beat a new fs frame for $150. rear suspension is good, although i need a stiffe spring i think (i weigh 210). overall i am very happy with the bike.
Similar Products Used: only hardtails, cannondale f300, trek 6000.
Bike Setup: answer manitou axel comp 100mm fork, answer hyperlight bars, SG crank arms, stx shifters, etc, home-made chain tensioner (i have it set up as a 1x7 at the moment, and the chain kept popping off the front ring). most of the other parts are cheapies off my old balance xr-750. wellgo m3 clipless pedals.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
JC
a Cross Country Rider
from Salida, Colorado - home of the 14'ers
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2003
Strengths: Great ride, low maintenance, built like a tank, very cool paint job - all of this at a price that cannot be beat.
Weaknesses: Hmmm... I just can't complain about a brand new frame that comes with spare set of bushings and a the coolest water bottle cage made for under $400...
Bottom Line:
If you have an opportunity to score one of these frames for under $500, go for it. I have mine set up to use as my XC bike and I'm riding - and enjoying it- more than my chi-chi titanium Kona Hei-Hei. I weigh 215 pounds and really appreciate the super stiff, square tubes that make up the rear triangle. And, with only one pivot to worry about, there is absolutely no lateral sway to be found. All you feel is the suspension reacting to the trail.
Oh yeah, one more thing - I got the maroon colored frame and the paint job is the nicest I have ever seen on a bike frame. It's awesome - and a very unique color that looks totally cool with all of my black components.
Oops - one more thing again - Why doesn't everybody use these waterbottle cages? They hold my "heavier-than-water" NiteRider battery better than any cage I have ever had and you can mount them to be used from any direction. Great design that I wish I would have thought of...
Similar Products Used: Giant AC's, Kona Stinkys, Titus Loco & Switchblade
Bike Setup: XT drive train & shifters with XTR hubs on 517 wheels, Thomson seatpost & stem, Easton bars, Duke Race fork, Avid arch-rival brakes, WTB MutanoRaptor tires and a WTB Speed V seat.
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Submitted by
Matt Donnelly
a Cross Country Rider
from Aspen, CO
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2002
Strengths: Awesome Weight-Price ratio, Geometry suites my build, Climbs sweet
Weaknesses: Lets me go too fast most of the time.
Bottom Line:
Not nearly as beat up on this ride as with my Aluminum framed bike. This bike took my riding to a whole nother level. I've gone from riding about once a week at best to about 4 times a week.
Climbs great, DHs great, priced right. Haven't used customer service because the bike has been flawless. Although I broke 3 Shimano chains in the past year, but I've switched to Sram and am doing much better now.
Built the bike myself and it went smooth other than the seatpost being an odd size.
Favorite Trail: Some trail in CB near Taylor Resevoir, can't remember the name
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At: Direct
Similar Products Used: Some DBR Hardtail, older Cannondales
Bike Setup: Fr XT/ Rr XT, Mavic 517 Rims with XTR Hubs, RockShox XC, Monkey Light Carbon Riser bar.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Bryan Safarik
a Racer
from Salt Lake City, UT
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2001
Strengths: Elegant, durable, and simple suspension design. Exceptional handling characteristics. Awesome climber and descender.
Weaknesses: None!
Bottom Line:
The Cat is as quick, agile, and sure-footed as any real feline! In a nutshell, I'm consistently amazed at the overall performance of this bike! While climbing, the rear tire remains firmly planted over even the loosest rocks and slipperiest roots. Want to pass a few people at the top of a climb? Simply shift your weight slightly forward on the saddle and put the power down! The suspension firms just enough to make the Cat practically leap forward.
The Catamount’s low- and high-speed maneuverability is also superb. I can carve turns at far higher speeds – and with more stability - than I was ever able to on my hardtail. Low-speed handling is just as precise and predictable; look where you want to go, and the Cat will take you there without any hesitation!
The Cat’s modified URT suspension design, yielding 2.25" to 4.5" of plush, Marzocchi-sprung travel, is durable simplicity at its finest. As I alluded to above, by simply shifting your weight slightly on the saddle you can effectively and subtly control the feel of the rear end, ranging from super plush on descents, to firm and fast on climbs. Power transfer is excellent under all conditions, with very little energy being lost to suspension activity.
I've pushed this very bike hard on some of Utah's best single track, and it's never let me down. The bottom line is that the Cat makes riding and racing more fun...as well as faster! Price comes in at somewhere between “incredible bargain” and “a steal”. :) Don't buy into the magazine propaganda saying that the URT design is dead. The Cat is based on a longstanding, ride-proven, reliable design that, quite simply, delivers more performance per dollar than any other frame out there. Period.
Bike Setup: Cat with Marzocchi Boss shock, White Bros. SC72UL fork, RaceFace cranks and rings; SRAM: Rocket Shorty shifters, 9.0 brakes, rear cassette, and chain; XT front and rear mechs.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Magic Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, CO
Weaknesses: A bit heavy. Suspension not always active.
Bottom Line:
Probably the best deal on a full-suspension frame out there. With a 5" travel fork and Stratos rear shock, the bike rides like a dream. I love technical downhills and the Catamount is superb on them, smoothing out the rough spots and remaining tight and manageable through the turns. An added benefit is the single pivot, meaning less maintenance. A great bike!
Strengths: single pivot stays tight, unique, efficient ride, customer service from Larry at Catamount, reasonable price(check his website for monthly specials)
Weaknesses: odd seatpost size(26.4),needs to be sent back for pivot replacement every 2 years which really isn't so bad given the lack of maintenance needed in between, water bottle placement
Bottom Line:
This bike is an excellent trail bike and a decent racer. I had a '96 vintage that was sent back for pivot replacement and a new upper for better fit. I use it mainly for training but have raced it on occasion when my hardtail is laid up or the course is severely rough. It bobs slightly but that's due to my sloppy pedaling. I wish it was lighter but better parts would help. It is an enjoyable ride that I would buy again if it was stolen. If I could only have one bike, this would be it.
The performance of this frame was very good. The climbing was great. My overall opinion of the frame was not entirely positive for a number of reasons. The attention to detail in manufacture and service that you expect from a small company is lacking. When my frame arrived it was carelessly packed in a second hand, oversized box with inadequate packing. It was wrapped in a single layer of thin foam. Catamount charged $40 for shipping/handling. The bottom bracket face is an uneven painted surface. Until I spend the money to have it faced I cannot use my ActionTec bb. I put in a UN72 cartridge bb instead. The manufacturers choice of 26.6 mm seattube greatly limits the choices for posts. I have the 20 inch size frame and the manufacturer requires a minimum of 5 inches of seatpost insertion or the warranty will not cover resulting damage to the frame. The seatube is 6 inches from top to the shock eyelet. Choosing a seatpost requires much care. The constant variance in seat to pedal distance is more of a problem for me than I expected. On a positive note, the action of the suspension while standing on downhill sections dampens the ride quite nicely over the small stuff.
Similar Products Used: KHS hardtail,Dean softtail, Specialized FSR.
Bike Setup: MFS Superlight, RS SID rear shock,Z2 Bam, XT
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dale Martelli
a Weekend Warrior
from Port Moody, B.C.
Date Reviewed: September 24, 1999
Strengths: Balanced, tracks well, & responsive without being twitchy
Weaknesses: nothing jumps out...
Bottom Line:
I am very pleased with my bike. It has been extremely dependable & fun on the trails. Its a very forgiving ride. On hills, I thought the weight would be factor compared to my previous Klein Fervour but the bike sits the trail really well and climbs with ease. I do wish I could take advantage of the repainting and pivot replacement Larry offers but the cost, shipping, + exchange is prohibitive. There several quite decent places to take your bike for repainting...I understand Brodie will even take the work...I am the bike's second owner so I presume the warranty is void...even though Larry had not suggested this is so. I'll live with the worn paint and scratches and hope the pivots doesn't develop any play in the near future. But I would like to know if anyone has replaced the pivot from someone other than Catamount...Larry has warned how the pivot is machnined for the particular frame...
Submitted by
Rasta
a Cross-Country Rider
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: May 27, 1999
Strengths: Ah schucks, the list is too long. #1 Very firm tracking #2 Although F/S, there is no fade on hard turns 3# Very plush ride sitting once properly set up.
Weaknesses: Can't fit it in my back pocket
Bottom Line:
Excellent bike for the XC purest. I would change the front fork to Marzocchi over the present SID setup if you are a larger rider that take lots of big hits. May hurt the poor dude!! Having 3 years (got it May '96) on it, I can say whoa!! Nothiong has broken except a very big sweat fromn me. Sure I have gone through tires, chains and cables....only Becasue I love to ride. The '96 Shimano XTR that came on the bike is VERY tuff stuff!! Finally changes the drive train after 2.5 years, est 3000 HARD miles. This is one hot bike!!! Since I bought mine, 7 others have too and they all love 'em up!! Ride!!!!
Bike Setup: Riding with Cane Creek AD-10 rear shock, Marzocchi Z-2 Atom Bomb in front, all XTR componets, Azonic 2.5 riser, 180 MM cranks, Control Tech seatpost. WTB Velocirator Tires
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Risk
a Cross-Country Rider
from Kula, Maui, Hawaii
Date Reviewed: May 27, 1999
Strengths: Efficient climbing Seated pedaling over rough sections
Weaknesses: None - it takes some time to set up the rear SID shock.
Bottom Line:
Follow-up to first review. I finally got to ride my local trail (Mamane Trail) on the Cat. What a nice bike. I was able to do the singletrack downhill faster than my other bike.The rear SID shock is plush once you get it set up properly. I also noticed that to balance out the ride, I'll need to increase the travel of my Judy XC to about 75 to 80mm. Once that's done, it should ride sweet.The Cat turns rough washboard into smoooth. Sitting and hammering the Cat over rough terrain is unbelievable.I hope to post a long-term review later.P.S. Larry provides excellent customer service and answers any and all questions you may have.
Bike Setup: Judy XC shock (needs more travel) XTR/XT drive train
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Todd
a Weekend Warrior
from Germantown
Date Reviewed: May 24, 1999
Strengths: plush,good handling, reliable.
Weaknesses: have to work so can't ride all the time. ha ha
Bottom Line:
Have had the bike for a while and is great. The thing that is the best is the customer service(larry) First company I've dealt with that really responds and takes an interest in the bike. Shows that there is alot of attention to detail and that is a good thing in my book. If more company's went back to this personal one on one basis rather than that pump um out and make a buck attitude the bike biz would be alot better off. My hats off to Larry and Catamount- a very classy operation that makes a sweet bike. Todd aka earplug AT 94
Similar Products Used: Cannondale hardtail w/Moxey. Schwinn suspension.
Bike Setup: Zoke z2 ect.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Edward
a Cross-Country Rider
from Peabody, MA
Date Reviewed: May 21, 1999
Strengths: Clean lines, quality construction, made in USA, ONE pivot, nothing much to break or go wrong, light. Excellent e-mail response pre and post sale from the manufacturer. Incredible price considering it's domestic and custom built.
Weaknesses: Paint is OK, nothing great, decals are cheesy, just cosmetics. Seatpost comes in contact with SID rear shock rebound adjuster knob, post has to be cut down a bit. Top tube diameter is kind of thin, mine is a leftover aluminum front triangle version, hopefully the current version made with OX gold Tru-Temper cromo is fatter.
Bottom Line:
I like the URT design, especially the Catamount. It is as good or better than the Ibis Szasbo, at about half the price, plus you can buy directly from Larry Pastor, the manufacturer/dealer. I e-mailed Catamount/Larry over 20 times and have recieved as many responses, incredible attention to customer product info requests. There are monthly sales on the Catamount website, that are truly great values, when compared to the boring production stuff made overseas, that can be found at your local dealer for the same price. The bike rides great, it comes equipped with the adjustable SID rear shock, which I have set up totally different from Larry's recommendations; you need to find your own personal settings. The bike flies, up and down hills, it is extremely light, and handles well in all situations. I can't see the reason to own a multi-pivot bike, based on my experience with this frame. The only weak link might be the shock in the long run, if it blows a seal, I will just replace it, but it works fine for now. There is no noticeable lateral flex in the bike, it is built with oversize aluminum tubing all around. Standing, hammering on the pedals, rear breaking, in my opinion do not affect the rear suspension capabilities of this design to any noticeable degree. It just works, that's the final word.
Similar Products Used: FS bikes: Santa Cruz Tazmon and Heckler, GT RTS & LTS, Trek Y, etc...
Bike Setup: Basic XT/Atom Bomb setup, nothing exotic, RaceFace cranks and WTB wheelset.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ED209
a Cross-Country Rider
from Cleveland, OH
Date Reviewed: April 11, 1999
Bottom Line:
I purchased the frame about a month ago and have only ridden a couple times, so while my initial impression of the bike is very favorable, I can't give a full-blown review of it's strengths and weaknesses, but if a major problem arises, I'll be sure to append this review. I'm responding instead to the number of rediculous complaints made about this frame and Larry Pastor, the owner. To begin with, I purchased an older frame that was sitting around Larry's shop. It's a test frame and unique from the current Catamount frame in a couple ways, so I picked it up for approx. half price. Immediately, I noticed how helpful and responsive he was to my questions. Once I received the frame, I found a couple small problems. The chain suck plate was a tad too close to the bottom bracket, the b tension screw notch on the derailleur hanger was a little shallow, and the hanger itself had gotten bent a little in shipping. None of the problems was major, and was easily solved with a Dremel and a little ingenuity. In each case, I spoke to Larry and he was helpful and apologized, explaining that these issues wheren't a problem on the current frames. I accept this because my frame was a prototype, and for the price I got it for, I didn't mind doing a little modifying. Which brings me to my first point: helpless people have no business riding mountain bikes! When you're on the trail and something breaks (as all things will) are you going to just sit there and cry that it shouldn't have happened? Learn to fix things and improvise if needed!! If you're going to buy a frame and build the bike up yourself, don't complain if someone doesn't explain to you how many links you need to remove from a new chain? After one short trail ride on the bike, I noticed oil around the top of the rear SID. I cleaned it off, then discovered more later. As I turned the damping adjustor knob, oil flowed out from the base. I called Rock Shox, and was told that due to an ongoing inventory, they couldn't replace my shock for at least two weeks. I called Larry to see if he could help. He made a couple calls to the reps at Rock Shoxs, then told me to overnight the shock to them in San Jose. Rock Shox repaired it and had it back to me before the next weekend. Larry really impressed me with how he went to bat for me. Which brings me to my second point: Larry only build the frames!! If a shock blows out, it's not his fault. Every shock and most other products come with an owners manual. In it is a customer service number. Use it! I'm not really happy with Rock Shox quality control and customer service, but I requested their products to be installed on my frame. Larry went above and beyond the call of duty in helping me get the shock repaired quickly. Give the guy a chance, and I'm sure he will do what he can to help. And finally, these complaints that the design is old school are just stupid. If the unified rear triangle design is so bad, why is it being used on the Schwinn Homegrowns, Treks, Gary Fishers, Klein Mantras, and the Ibis Bow Tis? Sure it has it's drawbacks, but so do the 4 bar linkage bikes. Most of the current crop of new full suspension bikes (DBR X bikes, Intense, Titus, Specialized, Cannondale, etc) are based on the AMP bike designed my Horst Leitner in 1993. With the exception of the GT I-Drive (which has it's own problems) there are no new full suspension designs, just modifications of older ones. Also, URT's are not prone to chain suck problems as implied below. From the bottom bracket to the drop-outs, the bike is built like a hard tail. I'd like someone to explain why a UNIFIED rear triangle has any chain or drive train issues. I believe that Larry Pastor makes a great frame, and puts a lot of pride into it. Given the opportunity, he will look out for his customers and answer any questions. The reviews on MTBR are useful, but have to be taken with a grain of salt. Any doofus who can't adjust V-brakes, but can operate a keyboard has the ability to vent without truly understanding what he's saying. I'm no rocket scientist, and I don't work in a bike shop, but I do know that the majority of the complaints aimed at Catamount are unfounded. If you're unsure about buying one, give Larry a call and ask him about his frames. I'm sure after a few minutes, you'll be as impressed as I was.
Submitted by
Clydesdale
a cross-country rider
from North Carolina
Date Reviewed: March 9, 1999
Bottom Line:
Potential Catamount Buyer.... After riding the Catamount for about 2 months it developed a sloppy pivot. I called Catamount and spoke to Larry, one of the owners. We discussed the situation and decided it would be best if I sent the frame to him for repairs. While getting the frame ready for shipping I noticed a small gash in the chain stay. This had been caused by chainsuck, although I can specifically only remember 1 or 2 rides this may have happened on. On inspection of the frame Larry found 2 things: 1)He agreed the pivot did need to be tightened and that no bushings would need to be replaced. This would be covered by the warranty. 2)The gash in the chainstay according to him was actually a crack completely through the chainstay. Therefore the entire rear triangle would need to be replaced...at a cost of $500, this repair would not be covered by the warranty. The following are my thoughts after several discussions with Larry: 1)I decided I would not put one more cent into a frame that could be damaged so easily by minor chainsuck. Although I tend to ride hard, I consider my type of riding normal for the area I live in. (The mountains of western North Carolina) 2)Larry's theory on the chainsuck problem was due to the inability of my local bike shop to set up the front derailleur properly and to get the correct chain length. My reasons for disagreeing with this are beyond reproach. My local bike shop owners have stood by me for the past 5 years warranty or not. In addition I was told about the necessity for the accuracy of the set up of the front derailleur on this frame and an exact number of links to be removed from the chain, after the fact. KEEP IN MIND THAT IF CATAMOUNT COMPLETELY BUILDS YOUR BIKE UP THIS PROBLEM STILL IS NOT WARRANTED. 3)When I asked for the frame to be shipped back to me as I shipped it he said he would. I was told later on the phone that my frame was in the mail and completely disassembled due to safety reasons. When I did get the disassembled frame he had even removed my bottom bracket and rear brake mounts, plus forgot to send my rear shock. When I finally got my rear shock I put the frame together myself (by the way, the pivot is very simple to put together and adjust) I have ridden it on 20 or more hard rides thus far and will ride it until it breaks or I can get a different brand frame. There are absolutely no visible signs of a crack, just a tiny gash in the chainstay. Also my seat tube length was 1-1/4 shorter than it was claimed which almost gave me the problem of not having enough seat post( I have a 425mm post!!!) I had waited so long for a custom frame that I lived with it and didn't complain. I would highly recomend another frame builder if you are interested in this design of frame. My experience with customer service at Catamount (several which are not even listed here) has been poor. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or thoughts on this company.
I put my bike together in the spring of '98 and I have to say I've enjoyed riding it a lot. The weight came out about 27.5 lbs, but I could have saved a pound or so going with a fork other than the Z2 bomber. It sure works good though. I wasn't sure the rear suspension was doing much until I rode on a badly wahboarded road. I couldn't feel a thing through the saddle! Very plush without being spongy. Minuses:(1)The seat post has limited adjustability. Not a big problem unless someone shorter wants to try out you bike. (2)The water bottle location on the bottom of the down tube is such that the bottle collects whatever the front wheel throws back. It's kind of a pain to wipe mud off the nozzle every time you want a drink. A camelback solves the problem. Overall I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a stiff, plush, low maintenance full suspension bike.
