The new freeride machine from Ellsworth, The ultimate in pedal efficiency and the benefits of 6 inchs of travel. The ID pedals like a Truth and downhills like a Dare. Standard equipment with a either a Romic shock or Fox shock and a full bearing rearend makes the suspension feel buttery smooth.
Submitted by
hora
a Weekend Warrior
from London, UK
Date Reviewed: August 26, 2003
Strengths: Follow up on previous posting; Because of the 4-bar linkage you are not going to be sprinting off from a standing start. This became clearly apparent after test riding a Yeti AS-R which does. What this frame does do is provide strength and reassurance
Bottom Line:
Because of the rear suspension I am inclined to argue the label "aggressive XC machine". This is a fun heavy XC frame, NOT a normal XC frame
Submitted by
SCUBAPRO
a Weekend Warrior
from Laguna Beach
Date Reviewed: July 29, 2003
Strengths: "Climbs like a Monkey-Sprints like a Cheetah on flats-Decends like a Bomb." Anodized finish; Razor sharp steering; Perfect geometry for Agressive trail riding, 6" travel, nice welds, great customer service
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
I never thought a bike with 6" rear travel could climb as well as the ID. The ICT geometry is such that the bike shoots forward with every pedal stoke which makes it climb with less effort and accelerate quickly. I can climb long uphills on my middle ring now which I could never do before. The Romic shock makes for a very smooth downhill ride and prevents excessive bobing, when set-up correctly. The light weight wheelset also increases climbing efficiency and sprinting quickness.
Like the reviews below, the ID is not an XC race bike nor is it a DH/FR bike but if you want the best all around bike, this is the one for you. It's great on climbs and kicks ass on the downhills.
Similar Products Used: Specialized FSR, Intense SLX
Bike Setup: Small Red ID, Marzocchi '03 Z1, Avid Mech Discs, King hubs w/ Mavic 317s & DT Revolutions, Thomson post/stem, King headset, Answer carbon bar. 28.5lbs
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
hora McHora
a Weekend Warrior
from London, Uk
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2003
Strengths: 1. It looks strong 2. No flex anywhere 3. Subtle styling for the less garish rider? Ok, down to business...
I'm not into jumping on account of the long thin yellow streak down my back (and the fact that I always land wrong) but I love rocks, descents and anything that makes me look 100% to the front with a slight frown. Yesterday I was going way faster than I would have on anyother bike when I suddenly thought best to brake. I've had 125 Fox vanilla forks for over 8months and for the first time the front rattled and jumped whereas the rear was treacle-smooth
Weaknesses: The spring weight makes the ride on the road sluggish - look I was racking my brain for a weakness.
Bottom Line:
Ever laughed very loudly when riding alone and then shout "f**king yes"?! I did yesterday, slammed on then looked around the eerie silence of the woods hoping no one heard or saw.......
Bike Setup: Hope M4, Chris King hubs, Chris King Headset, Raceface cranks etc etc
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Submitted by
WA
a Cross Country Rider
from Surrey, England
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2003
Strengths: Truly amazing suspension system, no bobbing, Romic soaks up hits large and small. Comfy riding position, strong as an ox, fast as hell. The build quality is outstanding.
Weaknesses: No standover (I'm just over 5'10" and mine's a 17"). High BB can make it uneasy on extremely steep climbs. I though about mentioning cost, but then the ETS-X is £1500 frame only and that's nowhere near as good.
Bottom Line:
Bought my ID frame because I was getting into riding more and more aggressively, still mainly XC but with more and more drops, rocks, natural jumps and superfast downhill.
I thought it would be good, as it's not cheap, but I actually wasn't prepared for how good it really is. This frame is OUTSTANDING.
For me, coming from an XC short travel bike, this thing descends like a rocket, and is very well mannered even at very high speeds. The Romic is very adjustable and is super plush throughout the travel, although it is pretty linear so it's not one for the 15ft huck brigade. It's not got the weight of a proper DH rig, so for all day riding it's very comfortable.
When climbing there's no perceivable bob, and although it's not going to win any hillclimb competitions it'll get you up there soon enough - and your legs'll be stronger for it!
The only time it suffers is on the really super-steep climbs (out of bombholes or those short blasts where you have to nail it in one). This is because of a very high BB - about 14.5" from floor to centre - which makes it feel quite unsteady and thanks to the high top tube it can be hard to bail too!
Before anyone kicks off at me, I'm not quoting magazines here, I'd climb almost anything on my Kona Kikapu and on most of the other bikes I tested thoroughly before buying the ID, so I know what I'm talking about. I use 130mm Z1MCR forks and with the ECC locked down and this improves things greatly - although the switch is a bugger to flip sometimes. Longer forks would obviously accentuate this issue, but if you run triples IMO you're probably not a climber anyway!
The plus side to the high BB is you can pedal over more stuff and get on the power earlier out of corners, so you can go faster (just see how much you make up ground on your mates when the pace picks up and you're really leaning it into the corners!).
Get a Thomson post and a salsa clamp too, as anything else seems to slip.
I run a 26.5" riser and a short stem to keep it honest through the technical forest singletrack as it's still a big piece of bike for an ex-XC rider like me (mine's spot on 30lb).
Overall? I've nailed trails and stunts on my ID that would've broken my old bike (and me). It's so fast at times it's actually frightning, and it always seems to be asking for more. Look elsewhere for proper DH or Freeride frames, but for the real life trails that most of us ride day in day out (i.e. no chairlifts, no 15ft cliffs, no monster 6-pack doubles) it's THE frame.
Similar Products Used: Tested: Orange Patriot, Sub 5, Marin TARA, RM ETS-X, Kona Dawg.
Bike Setup: Z1 MCRs with ECC, XT kit, X618s on Hope XC. Hope Minis, big bars, 80mm stem and fat grips keep this beast under my control.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
mike
a Weekend Warrior
from olympia wa
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2003
Strengths: climbing descending
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
I love this bike it is the perfect trail bike for the northwest.It climbs great and descends even better.I'm 200lbs and this bike has very little flex.I ride every week and the pivots are as tight as they were a year ago.As far as the bottom bracket height I think its perfect for the northwest trails it might be to high for the manicured trails of sunny southern california but in the woods of the northwest I think its an asset.I would recomend this bike to any who wants a long travel efficient trail bike.This bike is not for hucking and dropping off 30 foot cliffs but it is perfect for what it is designed for aggresive trail riding.Buy this bike you wont be disappointed.
Similar Products Used: cannondale super v proflex 856 k2 amp
Bike Setup: xtr shifters xtr rear derailer xt front derailer hayes/hugi hubs mavic 321 hayes hydro brakes raceface diabolus stem raceface riser bars raceface seatpost z1 bomber survival pros odi lock on grips raceface next lp isis cranks eggbeaters rideon cables fox vanilla rc rearshock raceface signature bottombracket
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Jeff
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Gatos, CA.
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2002
Strengths: Nice welds and finish. Superior suspension design. Seat can easily be lowered (unlike some interrupted seat tube frames). Good water bottle location.
Weaknesses: Greater rear tire clearance would be nice. Braze ons for only one water bottle.
Bottom Line:
The bike is great! I may not have my B4's setup perfectly, but I've tried, and I basically don't think they are working well. Plain Deore hydraulics seem to stop better, and the Avid Mechs I originally had on stopped much better. I'd like the flexibility to run a larger rear tire (like 2.4's) but there just isn't the clearance. The Ellsworth seatpost clamp works but it is not QR. The Salsa QR does not hold the post tightly enough. The post will slowly slip and even rotate after some bumps using the Salsa. The Ellsworth booth at the "24 Hr Luguna Seca" made the same observation, and now I use a shim in the clamp. The bike works better than I, and I hope to be able to exploit some of its jumping/freeride capabilities (at a novice level) one of these days. But for the riding I do (steep uphills, steep downhills, narrow singletrack, Sierra rocks, etc.) this bike is excellent!
Similar Products Used: Nothing similar (Merlin HT, Schwinn URT, etc.). Did rent a Specialized BigHit once.
Bike Setup: Romic, RS Psylo SL, Thompson 130mm stem, Titec carbon post, Monkey Lite DH bar, Hugi hubs, Formula B4 brakes, RF Next cranks, Shimano UN72 (cheap!) 107mm BB, Time pedals, Mavic X317 rims, GripShift, Salsa QR (wheels & seatpost).
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Submitted by
Frank Pfleider
a Weekend Warrior
from Trabuco Canyon, Ca
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2002
Strengths: 6" of Plush travel, climbing efficiency, workmanship, lifetime warranty, Romic Shocks, and looks.
Weaknesses: Nothing
Bottom Line:
This will be a 6 month review on my rig. I am very pleased with the bike's performance! With my Id, I have gained enormous amount of confidence since the last accident with my previous bike. This bike had taken me to another level. I will let the guys below describe all the intricate details about this bike. By the way, if you are thinking of getting this frame, make sure to get the one with a Romic Shocks! Happy freeriding!
Bike Setup: Romic rear, Fox Vanilla RL 125, Chris King, Hayes Disc, Full XTR, Race Face, WTB Mutano Raptor 2.4 and Moto Raptor 2.24.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from Boston, MA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2002
Strengths: Ride Quality, Build Quality, Geometry, Finish. It is the perfect trailbike, regardless of what your definition of "trailbike" is.
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
At first I held off reviewing this bike because the owners below have done such a good job describing this thing. But these reviews should aid potential buyers and if you're considering the ID, 30+ positive reviews should sway you. Here's one more.
The bike climbs great. The weight of my SUV wheelset slows me down a bit uphill, but I still get this thing to the top faster than my old Trek Fuel, which has a lockout. Go with the Romic. I've ridden it with the Fox rear, and it's great. The Romic, though, is better. I agree with the review below. The BB height isn't a mistake or some careless afterthought. It is perfect for the rocky rooty terrain here in New England and if no one read the MB article, you wouldn't hear a peep about it.
The angles are not slack like a FR or DH beast, so know what stem size/ handlebar combinations are going to put you in the best riding position for your terrain. With regards to sizing: hopefully, you're lucky enough to fit perfectly on one of Ellsworth's sizes. Let's face it though, unless you're going custom, some compromises will have to be made with any bike. That being said, standover clearance is minimal so this may take some getting used to.
This is an all around mountain bike. It is not a superlight XC machine. It's not a Northshore whatever. If you like to go and hammer good old fashioned mountain bike trails all day, this is your ride. My old bikes seemed to be lacking in one area or another. This bike lacks nothing.
This bike will put a serious smile on your face and cause you to abandon or ignore your significant other for long periods of time. The ID is a huge upgrade from my older style truth, which took some serious beatings and held up like a champ. Bike technology just keeps getting better and better, and this bike is a great example. This is my first experience with disk brakes and they are awesome, what a difference compared to v-brakes. The Romic and Z1 give the bike a very plush and balanced feel.
Fore those people in the 6' range, frame sizing can be a bit of a dillemma. The 23.5" top tube on the med ID is the perfect length, but it's a 17" bike, so you'll need a lot of seatpost, and a lot of rise in the bars/stem to make it comfortable. I demo'ed a med size ID (Sundance Cyclery in Agoura for $50 a day) and needed a ridiculous amount of seatpost which put me way back over the cranks so I went with a Large. Standover clearance is zero, but the large frame is much more comfortable and puts me in a better pedaling position (no it's not my imagination!).
The ID came with a 500# spring, which was a tad bit too stiff (I weigh 200 lbs). I swapped it for a 400# spring and this really livened up the rear. The bike is now much more plush and compliant, and seems to track a little better. The Romic has great adjustability, a few turns in of the easily accessible compression knob will stiffen up the rear end considerably for any long sustained climbs. And this bike climbs very well, hey isn't that why people buy this thing, it's supposed to be the best of both worlds. The bike also handles very well, however I would prefer a slacker head angle for a little more stability down the nasty stuff. And to address all the hoopla about the bottom bracket height (mtn bike magazine review), nobody seemed to comment on it until the mag review, then everyone started blabbing on about it. I say make your own decisions, I don't notice it.
Overall this bike just makes me want to ride more and more. I just don't feel tired or beat up like I would on my old bike. Super comfortable and plush, pedals smoothly and effiently, and it looks so good I feel bad punishing it on the downhill. I can't stop riding it. For me this is the ultimate setup, plenty of travel for the nasty stuff with a design that is light and pedals really well. It's not a x-country race bike and it's not a heavy FR bike, it's something in between which is exactly what I wanted.
Similar Products Used: Rode an Ellsworth Truth (with fox vanilla coil and z1) for last 5 years, demo-ed and threw a leg over practically every other bike I could find before buying this one
Bike Setup: Large frame, Romic Shock (with 500# and now 400# spring), Z1 QR20 (excellent), Mavic F521 disk rims, 2.4 motoraptors (which barely fit), Hope Mini's (excellent), 90mm Thompson Stem, 2" Pro Taper bar etc...(about 31-32 lbs?)
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Tony
a Weekend Warrior
from Manila, Philippines
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2002
Strengths: Stiff, Front Steering, Great Finish, Extremely Plush Rear end.
Weaknesses: High bottom bracket takes a little getting used to.
Bottom Line:
I freeride this stallion of a bike twice a week, 2 runs per and this bike has just grown on me. Shifting from a bullit which steers from behind ( sketchy rear end ) I needed a few runs to get used to the very precise front steering of the ID. Once the bike was dialed-in it just felt extremely great on very technical downhill trails that we ride on.
This ID climbs like no other F/S bike I know. I've been able to climb farther, higher and faster than when I was on my Bullit and when you get to the top the ride down is sweet. My buddies have noticed how plush and active my swingarm is when I go through this rocky step garden in one of our trails.
The Ellsworth name is definitely worth investing in, you know when you buy an ellsworth its going to serve you for years to come.
If you're looking for one F/S bike to do it all and need something that won't compromise you and you recognise value when you see it, GET AN ID!!!!!
Strengths: travel, climbing ability, looks, takes all the abuse you throw at it, relatively light. some say the high bottom bracket is a weakness, but for me it is a strength. this bikes clears anyting that is thrown in its way.
Weaknesses: Price. but you get what you pay for.
Bottom Line:
Definitely the best bike I have been on. Save and you will not be disappointed. All the stuff you haven't been able to conquer will seem like childs play after you hop on this bike and take it for a ride. The high bottom bracket is a plus. With other bikes some obstacles didn't always clear as easy as this does. The ICT works great. Don't know how, but it works. No wasted energy due to constant bobbing on the big uphills. So you can keep up with the liteweights going up and fly past on the way down. That alone is worth the price paid.
Strengths: this frame is built sturdy... takes a lot of abuse corners/steers well... pretty fast for its relaxed geometry
Weaknesses: price
Bottom Line:
I wasnt surprised that i could kick the crap out of my freeride friends goin uphill on this bike, but amazed at how easily i could fly with them goin down... seriously if ur a light rider like me (165 5ft 10')its a great bike to huck around on... ridden it for 5 months now... im far more confident on all drops (from little loading docks to an almost 12 footer(yes on this bike)) than i was on my norco freeride hardtail. build it for freeride if ur a light rider with some talent... it wont let u down...
Similar Products Used: intense uzzi slx turner rfx santa cruz bullit
Bike Setup: medium black frame romic shock marzocchi jr t hayes hydraulic atomic aircorp rims hayes superlight hubs (elites suck) chris king headset atomic aircorp 50mm stem monkeylite bars race face nsdh cranks maxxis ST 2.35 rear 2.5 front tires atomic pedals about 38 pounds
Strengths: 7 lbs with the Romic for my medium gold ano frame. Pedals great--it doesn't feel like 5.75 inches of travel untill you need it. It looks great. My total bike weighs 28.5lbs for coil sprung front and rear with 2.4 inch tires. That's awesome.
Weaknesses: Price, yes it is expensive. The standover is WAY taller than what they claim. My meduim is just small enough for comfort and I'm 5'10".(I have about 1 inch standover clearance) The b tension tab on the dropout seems a little small. I know all frames have small tabs but to adjust the correct b trension on this frame custom work is needed. You have been warned so don't let the screw slip off or it'll be damaged, possibly needing replacement. I discovered the extent of this probem on Porcupine Rim, which wasn't the most oportune moment. I'm not sure I get a full 5.75 inches of travel. When I measured the travel it came to about 4.75 when it hit the bumper. I can push on the suspension while riding and hit the bumper and it doesn't seem to squash the bumper thus limiting travel. When you're not trying to test the suspension it never bottoms(for trail riding over rough terrain and up to 4ft drops.
Bottom Line:
The bike rides very predictably. The suspension is active when needed but doesn't rob power at any point, even when standing(this may be slightly in part to the 400lb spring for me at 145lbs, but they don't have 350s.) It is the best trail bike I've riden. Blast through the rough stuff with little problems (you still feel the bumps though. Others seem to claim this thing is like a DH bike and it is NOT. I have a DH bike and it feel nothing like it) If you want a long travel XC bike for rough terrain you have found the perfect bike. I have no regrets about purchasing mine. Although it is expensive, I still give it 5 flaming things for value because the quality of the frame isn't often seen unless you pay for it. The machining and welds are perfect.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Enduro Pro, SC Bullit
Bike Setup: Gold Med. w/ Romic, Z1 Freeride, King headset and ISO disc hubs laced to WTB rims via DT supercomps, RF Next LP cranks and signature Isis bb, Avid Mechanical discs(best I've tried) with Ultimate levers, WTB Mutano Raptor Race 2.4" tires(I run these tubeless with Stans rim strip and sealant, zero flats. I even hit the rim and the tire didn't rip, amazing), Thomson 90 by 15 stem and seatpost, Protaper carbon bars, XTR der. f and r, XT shifters and cassette, Time pedals, and Avid Flak Jacket housing.
Strengths: This is the best long travel trail bike on the planet. Just so the manufacturers know, there are many people who don't want a freeride bike but they do want a long travel efficient trailbike that can take more abuse than some flimsy cross country bike but still make it up the hill. Way to go Ellsworth, you did it!
Weaknesses: All the magazines and a lot of the people who review this bike say it has a high bottom bracket. It does, and I wished it was about a half inch lower at first but now I love it and I am clearing tricky pedaling sections much easier now thanks to the extra clearance. So overall, I think that there is no weakness. You will get used to the bb height in one ride.
Bottom Line:
This is a fun bike! Some of my racer friends said I was stupid to get rid of my Truth (which I really did like) because the ID wasn't going to be fast enough. Well, it is, I don't feel that it is significantly less efficient but the extra travel just lets me go faster in the rough stuff and everwhere else. Some of my freeride downhill friends said that it was never going to be strong enough or enough travel to really ride hard. Well, how many of us really do 8 foot drops and ride chair lifts all day? Not I! This bike is a perfect compromise, I feel like I can climb anything that I was able to climb before and more and when it gets pointed downhill its more fun than you can handle. I wouldn't recommend it to racers or to downhill/hardcore freeriders but if you ride a lot and you ride hard just buck up, spend the cash and buy it. Yes it expensive but nobody puts as much into a bike as Ellsworth. It has enough travel to soak up anything that gets in my way and its fun climbing on it too. I know I have rambled on and what I have said probably doesn't make much sense but I love this bike, I have stuggled to find the perfect bike for me for the past year and a half and I have finally found it. By the way, GET THE ROMIC! It makes the bike. I had to wait a while to get it with the romic but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Similar Products Used: Ellsworth Truth, Santa Cruz Bullit, Santa Cruz Superlight, all owned, and I have ridden almost anything worth looking at.
Bike Setup: Fox Float R fork, king headset, hugi hubs, hope mini brakes, thomson stem and seatpost, Easton Monkeylite bar, Race Face Turbine crank, XT drivetrain, Continental Vertical Protection tires. About 29 lbs
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Cycl_Junkie
a Cross Country Rider
from Orange County, CA
Date Reviewed: February 27, 2002
Strengths: Looks, 4 bar linkage, weight, beautiful welds, relaxed geometry (not too relaxed), Ellsworth customer service, Ellsworth name/reputation...
Weaknesses: Price if you pay full retail, funky cable routing, won't take 74mm Hayes Int'l Std. adapter (without some modifying)...
Bottom Line:
I'm still getting the suspension dialed on this rig, but lemme tell you... SWEEEEET!!! The Romic rear shock is super adjustable! I love the ICT rear end! This is my first time riding this design and I can honestly say that I was able to ride up (and over) more gnarlier terrain than before. I am cleaning more technical sections (and doing it faster too). The BB height felt a tad bit high at first, but after one ride "I like"... I bought this bike for trail riding (super technical trail riding). I don't know if this is the best free ride bike out there, but it TOTALLY ROCKS for any type of trail riding. It'll handle steep technical climbs, rock gardens, ruts, jumps and any other trail undulations you can think of. Right out of the gate I felt instant confidence to simply 'power' over any section of trail where I might have flinched with my old ride... It's a tad bit heavier than a regular XC bike, but this ain't no regular XC bike! I didn't really feel the weight so much as I was able to motor up a climb at a relatively fast rate. I did have to mess around with the seatpost height to compensate for the higher BB. If you like a tall saddle, you might have to adjust to a slightly lower stance since the overall cockpit area is a bit higher anyway (not a show stopper though!). If you have the coin to build one up, DO IT! You won't regret it. This is an awesome ride!
Bike Setup: Medium (gold anodized) Id frame w/Romic rear shock, Thomson stem and post, Titec Hell Bent XC bar, King headset, Fox Vanilla 125R fork, XT drive train, Speedplay Frog pedals, Hayes brakes, Mavic 317 rims w/Formula hubs (gotta replace these hubs, Yuck!!!)
OK, if Mendon can do it so can I ;-)...I picked up a 1" theaded fork with nice Spinner dropouts..the thing I can't remember is the type of "weld/braze"...fisheye, fishlips, fishmou Read More »
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I am in the midst of planning a bike trip to Jackson Hole and Sun Valley ID this summer.
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I still have a soft-spot for Nicolai since I used to have 2003 Nucleon ST (I loved that thing).
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