Submitted by
Sorcerer
a Cross Country Rider
from Cupertino CA USA
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2010
Strengths: Outlasted every bike I've had. Looks like new still. Rides true. Climbs great. Nice welds. Not very common, so it is nice to ride something special and personal. Fits me, and is now a part of me. Has a special lively feel on the trail. Hard to explain. I have ridden a lot on carbon fiber hard tails, and maybe they are dated designs now, but they all felt "dead" compared to the Dean.
Weaknesses: No disc brake mount. Rear tire clearance at chainstays. Here's a real negative. The seatstays flex under braking badly. However, by using a carbon Shimano V-brake bridge (haven't seen these around lately), that problem was solved after a race in the rain at Squaw Valley. V-brakes are still fun to use! Yes, I ride a full suspension bike too, with hydraulic discs as much, but the sketchy feel of v-brakes is a delight to me. If it is wet, forget it. I'll either not ride, or choose another bike, like the single-speed. Maybe I will put a hydraulic brake on the front this year.
Bottom Line:
This bike is an old friend. It came into my life in 96' when a frame broke and was warranteed for full refund, and I applied that towards a ti frame, because I thought it would last. I got lucky with the stock 16" size works well for my 5'8" height and 30" inseam. I would have thought a small might have been better, but no. This is it.
Originally I built it up with a Girvin fork and Spinergy wheels. What a load of crap! But it was cool at the time, and it did ride very well, plenty of scary trips to Downieville etc. in that set-up for a season, until all that stuff went to pot.
I think everyone should have a ti hard tail, and a full ridgid single speed, in addition to their main trail bike. That's just for me.
Forks make a big difference. Lock out technology has added a lot to the bike, but my Marzocchi was never the greatest. I hope the Fox float will work. Meanwhile, I'll see about sending the 02' Marzocchi to the factory for a total rebuild if they can do it. That air fork is light. The sinking fork eta thing for climbing works pretty good, and the Fox just locks out (not a Talas). Have a Talas on another bike, and I love it.
Other riders may laugh at my set-up. I would like to add xt paddles, cable brakes, and a low-normal rear mech one day, if the old XTR ever craps out. It just keeps on going.
If I had one bike. This is it. My other main mountain bike is a BMC Fourstroke with long travel rocker. It is great too, but it is doomed by it's VPP/DW complexitiy.
Similar Products Used: Other hard tails,aluminum, steel, plastic (carbon..oclv, others).
Bike Setup: This is always changing year by year. I always run a 100 mm travel fork with lockout. Am using a marzocchi 2002 eta air, but am going to switch to Fox float. After much experimentation with tires, I prefer narrow mountain bike tires on this bike. It just feels right to me. Whereas my full suspension bikes always have 2.2 to 2.5 tires on. I like the Hutchinson Python 2.0 (alas they wear out fast)in the dead of summer. I like IRC 1.95 Mythos in the fall and winter. And in wet winter and spring, probably another bike. Basically I throw on cheap light tires and pump them up hard and use tubes.I have Cane Creek wheels now, which have been the sturdiest set ever, and going on 5 years wit them now, and still true. I ride pretty hard and technical stuff, but slower than on my full-suspension bikes. Airborne ti octagonal barends, are a real treat. Also Syntace VRO stem and handlebar. XTR V-brakes, old school, parallelogram type still perfect. Hybrid cranks xt-ritchey. UN-71 BB. Next thing I am going to make it micro-drive 2010, using a 12-36 cassette mated to a 20/29/36 triple. It will be a climbing machine. Already is, but I get a kick out of climbing steep technical stuff, and want to see what a set-up like that will do. WTB DH ti rail saddle (long perch and soft nose is good for on the nose climbing). Can't remember what my seat post is now, but it is a good one. Had so many, and problems with posts over the years. I have Thomson laying around, and maybe I'll put that on on my next rebuild. ODI lock-on ruffians. 1998 XTR rear top normal. 98' XTR shift/brake levers. WTB Momentum HS (14 years). Xpedo Cro-Mag pedals. LX front der.
Strengths: Excellent race frame, very light 3.2lb, very stiff, great singletrack bike.
Weaknesses: Can be kind of nervous on fire road descents.
Bottom Line:
Excellent race frame and handles singletrack like it is steering itself. This bike loves to be hammered the faster you ride the better it feels. A lively raceworthy frameset that will last the test of time.
