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Reviews 1 - 6 (6 Reviews Total)
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Submitted by
Iain
a Weekend Warrior
from MiddlesbroughDate Reviewed: June 28, 2005
Strengths: This frame is very stiff and has plenty of travel. It looks pretty good and seems to be really durable. My frame is now over 4 years old and it isnt showing any signs of giving up.Weaknesses: Rear shock is an absoloute heap and rear mech clunks real hard of the frameBottom Line: This frame is excellent value for money given it is one of the cheapest frames of this travel. It is strong and reliable and makes a great base from which to build a real good DH bike.
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Similar Products Used: Specialized FSR Elite
Bike Setup: 2002 Junior Ts, 321s on DMR Revolvers, Hayes HFX9s and Mr Control chain device
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Stuart Marsland
a Weekend Warrior
from ManchesterDate Reviewed: July 4, 2004
Strengths: with the right gear on it it feels like a bloody tank and indistuctable, welded neatly and gussets ore good, rear end has little if no flex thanqs to the seald berings.Weaknesses: low bb (with 24's) and the rear mech mounts (mech bounces of the frame)Bottom Line: the bike is super plush and feels like it can handle everything u can thro at it. miles beter geomatry than the big hit but the same as an m1 . perfect for drops and hard landings. if u dont buy one u r a fool. this bike is for people who r on a budget and who like to ride hard!!!
Favorite Trail: Alderly edge Free ride
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$450.00
Purchased At: chain reaction cycles
Similar Products Used: BIg Hit, M1, (used not owned)
Bike Setup: old school monster t's (1998) sun double trax 24's nokian gazza's 3" ,xtr crankes ,mrp,deore mech-shifter-cassette,wing bars, fox vannila rc (upgrade frome vannila r)
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Submitted by
John Bellamy
a Downhiller
from NorwichDate Reviewed: January 12, 2001
Strengths: Strong with very little lateral flexure.
Nice handling.
Feels bombproof on U.K. DHs.Weaknesses: Rear mech mounting.
Crap Marzocchi Boss shock.Bottom Line: This bike feels really good over most of the courses at UK events. I raced it at Innerleithen a while back and it felt very solid and bombproof on a gnarly course.
The main problem with it when i purchased the frame was the Boss shock. i wasn't sure about it when i bought it, and after a lot of use I decided that it sucked and swapped it for the RockShox Coupe Delux off my old Specialized. After that, the bike felt great.
I will take this opportunity to poiunt out that you can get the frame with a Shockworks unit that is better . they are easily serviced by companies such as CVI and any aftersales service from the company is good, whereas Marzocchis aftersales service is rubbish.
Although there isn't enough travel for really big stuff that you may find on the Continent, it is great for most things in Britain and i have had few problems.
I also had problems with the rear mech hitting the frame, so I changed it for a road unit which has subsequently solved the problem.
Overall, i think that it was a good investment and that it has been worth every penny after the initial teething troubles were sorted-out
Favorite Trail: 'The Rocky'
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At: Wades Cycles
Similar Products Used: Specialized FSR Extreme, Iron Horse G-Spot
Bike Setup: Jr. Ts, MRP device, Hope discs, azonic + X-lite bits.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Antonio Scaramuccia
a Weekend Warrior
from Edinburgh, ScotlandDate Reviewed: January 11, 2001
Strengths: Good welds and extremely stiff in all respects.
Inspires the confidence to push your limits as it is very stable at speed in the longest travel setting.
Easy to maintain.Weaknesses: The rear shock is taking a while to bed-in (Shockworks DR185, not Marzocchi Boss as on some other variants brought in to the UK by the importer).Bottom Line: I bought this frame from the UK Bikestore after the swingarm on my B-17 snapped at the pivot and Marin gave me a crap replacement. I only paid £400 for it as it was the last one that the shop had. Since i have been riding it i have had no problem with the rear shock blowing, although it has not fully bedded-in yet but feels really good anyway. the bike tracks really well over all sorts of terrain and i have it set-up with 4.5 inches at the front and 6inches at the back. it feels far more stable at speed than my old B-17 did, this is probably due to the fat tubes and totally overkill welding. i have done some 5 to 6 foot drops on it and the frame has taken everything i could throw at it without losing its composure. the only real problem i had was that my rear mech kept hitting the rear pivot on the back of the linkage due to the design, this meant that the bolt kept working loose and i eventually lost it. the shop sent me new bolts FREE, and i solved the problem by lengthening the chain and tieing a stretch of inner tube around the non-moving part of the mech body.
Bearing in mind that i am relatively light (10.5 stone) the bike may not feel as plush if you are a heavier rider.
Overall, it feels really good and is not too heavy to ride cross-country to find the downhills.
Favorite Trail: Black Hill in the Pentlands
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At: UK Bikestore
Similar Products Used: Marin B-17, Orange Patriot, Giant ATX-1, Tomac Magnum 207(friends bike).
Bike Setup: Marzocchi Z1 BAMs, Race Face Turbine cranks with Blackspire AS-1 device, Hope closed 2-pot system front and rear, Hope Sport hubs front and rear with D321CDs, 24/7 bar and stem and X-Lite bits.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dan
a Downhiller
from ShropshireDate Reviewed: November 26, 2000
Strengths: OK if you have just started out.Weaknesses: Not really strong enougth for DH. Dents easy & don't bother putting big DH forks on one, because it will crack if ridden hard. Rear shock is crap, mine exploded after only a weeks use.Bottom Line: Not a bad frame, but i would'nt advise someone to go out and buy one.
Favorite Trail: Nannerch north wales
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At: Maclains cycles
Similar Products Used: plumit dh
Bike Setup: Rockshox XLC'S with mavic D521's.etc
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
steve cove
a Downhiller
from U.KDate Reviewed: June 29, 1999
Strengths:
cheep to buy,gets you going in the sport.lots of travel for the money, good looks.Weaknesses:
main bearing can break (nylon bushes), linkage bolts prone to bending, underspung shock.taky stickers.Bottom Line: good if your starting out on a budget.
Favorite Trail:
local woods
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Similar Products Used:
san andeas, M1sl, super8, pace, mrp, hope,
magura.
Bike Setup:
hi-5's, formula open disks, qranc, fsa, D321's, use.
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Reviews 1 - 6 (6 Reviews Total)
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