Submitted by
beachdad
a Cross Country Rider
from Sausalito, California, USA
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2010
Strengths: nice workmanship, all pivots sealed bearings, anodized.
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
Nice bike the only thing that has me off my Heckler for more than one ride, I would recommend it to any serious cross country rider. I am 6ft 225 lbs and have been riding on Mt. Tamalpais daily for fifteen years.
Similar Products Used: Santa Cruz Heckler, Titus Racer X
Bike Setup: Chris King Headset, sycros post, Flite titanium seat,hayes disc 7in front 6 in rear, xt/mavic wheels, xt crank,derailleurs,chain,bb
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Submitted by
onza
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Clarita
Date Reviewed: August 3, 2009
Strengths: Fast, light, plush suspension for a 4" bike, awesome looking
Weaknesses: a bit too much bob in the steeper ascents and out of the saddle climbing/sprints
Bottom Line:
Liked the climbing on my Epic better, but thats it! Everything else on the Truth kicks its butt! Tracks great on the single track, climbs great...in the saddle, ICT does what its supposed to. Will probably end up switching to the Fox RP23, to firm up the climbing (wish I did that in the first place!). All in all, a killer XC bike!
BTW-hoping Ellsworth will take care of me if any problems...after reading some older posts. I have the '08 model so supposedly the frame is stronger than the older models? Also, if it weren't for the bobbing on the steeper climbs, I woulld have given it the highest rating!
Similar Products Used: '08 Specialized epic expert
Bike Setup: Ellsworth wheels (very nice), X0, X9, XT, Avid Ultimates, monkey lite, Thompson, Fox RLC 100, Fox Float R. <26 lbs.
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Submitted by
ellslover
a Cross Country Rider
from bend, or
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2009
Strengths: climbs like a goat, very responsive downhill, so far very strong (lots of 2-5 foot drops), coolest color ever (green - project rainforest)
Weaknesses: none so far, price if I had to complain
Bottom Line:
This bike ROCKS!! Knocked 12 min off my local 9 mile ride with 5 miles of tough climbing and 4 miles of fast tight downhill. The bike really shines however on the 30 - 40 mile rides we often do. I did not trust this until I took my very nice YETI out to ride again, and sure enough 12 min slower. The group I ride with could not believe I was this much faster with the Ellsworth Truth. I can truly climb faster than with my hardtail. I have only had the bike for 2 1/2 mo but have over 500 miles (in Bend we have fairly hardcore xc trails) so far and no problems (hope I don't have any based on other reviews.) I loved my YETI but I have to say so far I am an Ellsworth convert! BTW I am 5 11 and 200 lbs (lots of beer muscle) and would not think twice about buying this bike again.
Favorite Trail: north fork going up! anything down
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$1900.00
Purchased At: middlering cycles (f
Similar Products Used: Yeti as-r, GT i-drive, GT zaskar
Bike Setup: race face, xt this, xtr that (25.5 lbs)
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Submitted by
Lyle Mc Leod
a Racer
from Cape Town South Africa
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2008
Strengths: Good ride, very responsive. Cult-like following!
Weaknesses: Serious lack of service, and crap attitude towards loyal riders!
Bottom Line:
Saved for ages, bought my dream bike, and have fought for 2 years to get frame warrentee, top tube welded off center. Ellsworth claim it is not a warrentee issue, and does not effect performance! Yeah like a Ferrari with Toyota doors! I will NEVER ride an Ellsworth again!! Sad, as they are fun to ride! I'd rather ride a tricycle! You should buy this product if you don't care about being a number with no money concerns and can BUY a replacement! You should not buy this product if you want to get the service that comes with a high-end bike!
Strengths: light weight, especially for 4 in of travel. Fast! cool new color.Did I mention Fast!!!
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
I purchased the 06'Truth frame w a $600 buy back for my 01'Isis frame. This bike is very fast up and down hill. I am thrilled to have it for racing. The weight of the bike w a 20" frame and the 100 mm fork is 26 lbs +/- depending on what tires I use. It is an amazingly efficient peddler for the amount of travel available.I highly recommend it for racing or pure xc riding. My Isis gave me 5 years of awesome riding. I am a big fan of Ellsworth's products.
Similar Products Used: Ellsworth Isis, Klein's Adept, Mantra
Bike Setup: Reba Wc, RS 3.3, XTR, Rolf Propels, Fire XC's, egg beaters
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Submitted by
Charlie
a Cross Country Rider
from California
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2006
Strengths: Super responsive, able to handle anything i throw at it. I have the '06 model which has a new offset welded rear bottom bracket. Built in the USA. Light, upgradable, and super at climbing!
Weaknesses: None baby!
Bottom Line:
Excellent bike for the price, wouldn't have anyother. But, if you have the money, go for the epiphany. Buy it if your an experienced X-C rider looking for an inexpensive advacned bike. Don't buy it if you're not commited to cross country, or your a newbie.
Similar Products Used: Yeti AS-R, Jamis, Ellsworth Epiphany, ,
Bike Setup: 20" frame with marazzochi exp fork, fox float R, hayes hydrolic disc brakes, SRAM, ...
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Submitted by
trail toad
a Cross Country Rider
from A2
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2003
Strengths: great bike
Weaknesses: stress cracks
Bottom Line:
This is the end of my third summer riding the toad(the name reflex the componets not the frame). I could ramble about handling,strenght of the frame, craftmanship, oohs and aughs the admires express,those are great also. What I want to really tell the real trail riders out there, that my investment of money was well spent. This bike makes you ride better and gets you out of trouble when you out rode your true abilities. The suport has been amazing. Living in the mid-(of nowhere)west, dependability and survice is important. The stress crack of both the rocker arm and chainstay were both corrected(no charge) in less the week and I have been without problems since. My truth is a bit heavy but I ride rough, technical, long rides. The componets are for clearance,control,and distance riding. I have a romic and fox fork (vanilla) for heavy duty riding. On my 5 mile loop,I'm five minutes faster on the toad than on my racing hardtail. That tell me everything I need to know about it's design. If your a racer you might look at some rough riding 3" travel rig,but if you're out for 6 to 8 hours in the woods this is the only bike I want. I buy on a five year plan. Some of my other choices didn't make that mark. I've been riding mountian bikes for 18 years and this is the the bike I've dreamed of. If you can afford it and you are truthful to yourself it's worth the smile at the beginning and the end of the ride. If you're interested I rate the componets on this sight also.
Similar Products Used: jamas,santa curz,intense,khs,canondale,,,,,,,,,
Bike Setup: "the toad" small frame,sram,race face 165 north shore,mavic F519, stans notubes, kenda karmas,asonic stem and 25" wide 2"rise bars, thompson post, odi lock grips, cane creek 12, marzzoki mxc 100 air, hayes hydro disc 6", onyx hubs.
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Submitted by
Michael Megura
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas, Texas
Date Reviewed: September 19, 2003
Strengths: Most efficient climbing bike I've ever riden. I've owned the Intense Tracer, Gary Fisher Sugar and none of these bikes come close. The Truth jumps when you pedal.
Weaknesses: Frame strength and poor company support. While Ellsworth honors their warranty they are generally slow. I'm strictlty XC racing and riding yet I've managed to break the frame once and then the rear triangle. This has also happened to other Truth owners I ride with. Ellsworth needs to admit they have a problem and offer better support to their loyal owners once a solution is found.
Bottom Line:
Rumor has it that the 04 verision has corrected the strength issues. To bad Ellsworth won't make a reasonable attempt to keep me riding their brand.
Strengths: Stylish '02 frame and four bar linkage suspension. Pretty light and anodized finish is sweet. Fun to ride, good stiffness and maneuverable.
Weaknesses: Chainstay showed stress fractures in 3 locations and since I bought it used, I was SOL. No big drops or hits, just stress. Thought that since I'd registered as a 2nd owner in Ellsworth website that I might get some love on a return. No luck, just $250 outta my pocket, plus shipping both ways. (They made me ship old chainstay just to tell me I get to spend some money). Pretty lame. They could at least pay shipping for faulty craftsmanship. New chainstay is beefier, feels a little heavier, my fingers a re crossed.
Bottom Line:
We'll see. I've ridden a Mountain Cycle San Andreas for many years and that frame keeps on takin a lickin. Sure, the Truth is more XC oriented, but it should hold up on some rugged single track shouldn't it? The cracked chainstay totally bummed me out, but hopefully the new, beefier one will hold up. Like I said, we'll see..... Wouldn't pay 2 Gs for a new frame though. Got whole bike with XTR, etc. for $2K used.
Bike Setup: Marzocchi MX Comp '03. Cane Creek Cloud 9. Race Face BB, Crank, Headset, Stem. Monkeylite Bars. XTR.
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Submitted by
The Dime
a Cross Country Rider
from Tujunga, CA USA
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2003
Strengths: Reputation, Looks, Performance
Weaknesses: What are these weaknesses you speak of???
Bottom Line:
I saved my arse off and bought my dream bike, and I couldnt be happier, this rides like a wet dream, no a tight wet dream ....oh yeah, If you are in the market for a new x-country racer, look no further. You get what you pay for.
I posted below a rant about my Truth breaking and me not being the original owner (SOL). Ellsworth gave a new front triangle without any cost to me knowing that I wasn't the original owner, and therefore not covered by the warranty. My bike shop didn't have to push the issue, get into a pissing match or otherwise get pissed. Ellsworth offered.
While not happy that my '01 Truth broke, I am thrilled with their customer service.
Submitted by
Grant
a Cross Country Rider
from OC, CA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2003
Strengths: It used to climb well and I felt fairly connected on downhills.
Weaknesses: Instant Center Cracking technology. Yep, mine broke.
Bottom Line:
It blows. You spend this much money on a frame and expect it to hold together. The front triangle was built custom by Ellsworth for a guy that had busted three prior to this one. I purchased the new triangle that was over built and and with different tubing (supposedly beefier) and rode it for two years. I hate to use the ole' JRA excuse but I was riding along on a bumpy singletrack and crack goes the Ellsworth. No drops, nothing too fancy....just gives way.
Because I purchased second hand I have no warranty, my fault not theirs. With their reputation of bikes that fold like beer cans I should have purchased from them or a shop, but I digress so that I was at the very least covered.
No matter what, it was a long six mile hike out contemplating what bike I am to buy next. I can guarantee one thing, it won't be an Ellsworth.
Similar Products Used: None but will be trying the Turner 5 spot and the SC Blur out in the coming days.
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Submitted by
mark
a Cross Country Rider
from macomb, illinois
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2003
Strengths: full bearing, weight, warranty, support, design.
Weaknesses: two failures do to stress.
Bottom Line:
first and formost I like this bike-the service has been great. yes the rocker arm and the chainstay cracked. they creeked plenty and didn't break before the end of the rides. they were warrantied without a hassle and back in my hands in less than 10 days. Here in the(middle of the nowhere)mid-west reliability was my biggest concern. We ride year round from below zero to plus 100 degree weather. this stresses bike frames and componets. I have yet to be stranded by this bike. the new design on the chainstay and rocker look beefer. time will tell. I buy with five year service in mind and this frame lookes like it will make it. I ride all kinds of trails and try ever obstical. I am not gracefull when I ride so the componets reflect my inabilities more than my abilities. After 17 years of mountian biking and near to 50 years of age I enjoy coming to the parking lot with a smile and no pain in my body except from the crashes. this bike smoothes the roughest trail and bailes me out of stuff over my head. I'm now running a 100mm marzocchi mxr, great balance to the romic, I've had both a fox fork (vanila rl) and manitu xvert air. the marzocchi's the ticket. last words : get one if you can.
Best xc fs bike I have ridden, suspension is active enough to be effective on the downhills, but not so effective you can't climb with it. ellsworth recomends 100mm or 80mm fork, i find that an 80 mm fork is unbalanced with the rear suspension. 100mm would be good, but I am riding a medium and I am 6 feet tall, right in between sizes so the 100mm fork makes the front sit too low. I could fix this with a stem that has some rise, but I found that 120 mm fork is my best option. It could also be that my other bike is a dh bike with a dual crown fork with 7 inches of travel, so I am more comfortable with a bike that sits up higher. The ride of the bike is excellent and extremely comfortable. The bike handles great in the single track and is pretty stable on high speed down hills. It climbs like a goat. Well a goat with 4 inches of travel, which is to say that a bike with less travel climbs a little better, but you pay for it on the downhill. Ellsworth hit the mark with a perfect balance of uphill and downhill abilities. The bike is just fun to ride. superlight and nimble.
Similar Products Used: santa cruz superlight, fisher sugar, specialized fsr, intense uzzi sl.
Bike Setup: Manitou black elite 120 mm, full xtr, king headset, answer carbon bars and seatpost, answer stem. xtr hubs laced to mavic rims, dt spokes
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Submitted by
Michael Jones
a Weekend Warrior
from Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: January 4, 2002
Strengths: Beefy! The rectangular shaped chain and seat stays offer super stiffness. Stand-over on the front triangle is perfect on my medium. I have thrashed this bike from North Georgia to Arizona for almost 3 years and only now is the rear starting to loosen. Time to service the pivots. I have raced this bike DH and sprint with the CC guys on weekends and it offers the best of both worlds. The bike is just amazing! When I first opened the box I sat in the garage for an hour just smiling at it. The paint job was exceptional before I hopped on the saddle.
Weaknesses: The welds are very beefy, though not as attractive as the ones on my litespeed ht.
Bottom Line:
I still love this ride which I originally purchased in '99. My riding style is jekyl/hyde and this bike satisfies both. I would like to hop on one of the new ID's w/ 5 inches in the rear, but I digress. I have punished this bike in DH races and practice. The first rear shock (Statos Helix Pro) could not keep up. The Romic has stood tall for 6 months now and the Z1 is the bottom line. I have placed a lot of $ in this ride no doubt, though it does not collect dust and is still delivering the buzz and that is the Truth!
Similar Products Used: Santa Cruz, Rocky Mtn Pipeline
Bike Setup: Z1 DropOff; Romic(awesome, durable suspension combo); Race Face cranks, bb, rings, stem, low riser, post; XT brakes, rapid fire, hubs, rear derailer; XTR front derailer; Tioga DH saddle (like a loaf o' bread); Mavic 521 DH rims; WTB Motoraptor 2.4 tires. This setup provides me with one durable ride that offers beeeeg fun whether I am playing on drops or spinning.
[B]Thursday 6:00 pm at Ironworks! [/B]
...........dont believe its gonna clear out by Thursday!! but it just may be packed down enough! :thumbsup:
IF conditions look like mud Read More »
I am looking to replace the 100mm sid fork on my 2000 Truth that I am rebuilding. I would like 120-130mm of plush travel. I am kind of an AM rider so changing the geometry with the Read More »
org. owner bought this frame in 1998-grey anodized w/alloy rear triangle.no serial #'s that I can find nor any headbadge.there is a rear canti brake hanger that appears to be org./ Read More »
Been thinking of trying out some entry level Shimano SPD s. Just thinking. Will I fall over at some point or is there some guys that just never fall with them. Is there a get used Read More »
