Submitted by
Jason Mitchell
a Weekend Warrior
from Georgetown,co usa
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2004
Strengths: Timr tested design,strong construction,mountaincylce quality,go anywhere do anything frame
Weaknesses: small tire clearence rear swingarm,limited travel only 6"
Bottom Line:
The best all around frameset you can do anything with this frame and the knew redesign shock mount and bearing and intergated fork stop just bring this old dog into the next century
built up to true 29lbs, which is pretty good for a 6" travel bike. it's my do everything rig, race cross country, urban, epic, free ride, even road rides. it pedals quite well all things considered. though its no light weigh cross country bike it can still hold its own against all those light weight shaved leg keeners. but once the trail turns down hill it flies. your only problem is yelling to the keeners to get out of the way...
Similar Products Used: had a balfa belair which i bent the rear swingarm
Bike Setup: minute air fork 135mm, spv air rear shock, xtr discs, spinergy wheels, the rest standard stuff
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Submitted by
George Maniatis
a Downhiller
from Athens,Greece
Date Reviewed: January 11, 2004
Strengths: This bike gives an unbelievable ride! Incredibly strong and stiff frame,no noticable bob,climbs almost like a hardtail,you can tune it in so many different ways in seconds by changing shock or subframe positions,ease (or absense!) of maintenance through grease ports on the swingarm and THAT LOOKS!!!! One of the (if not THE) best looking bikes on this planet.Absolutely a piece of art!
Weaknesses: So far,after 3 1/2 years of owning this bike,the only thing I could point out as a weakness,would be the occasional creaking from the cranks or the seatpost, amplified by the monocoque main frame.But that`s something I can live with,and actually it`s a good thing cause it lets me know when my cranks need tightening!!!!!
Bottom Line:
SAN ANDREAS ROCKS!!!No matter the setup,this bike always amazes me(and everyone that has ridden it).Absolutely stable on high speeds,eats singletrack for breakfast and jumps like a rabbit! I`ve built mine up to 38 lbs,but riding it,feels like half its weight.I`ve raced downhill,went on recreational 5-hour tours,climbed really steep hills,and jumped on bmx-like tracks,all on the same bike! What more can you ask for?
Similar Products Used: Trek Y-33,Mongoose,GT STS,Cannondale Super-V
Bike Setup: When I first built it up,I went for an all-around performance using Marzzochi Z1,Mavic 317,Ritcey 2.35 and after a year or so,I switched towards freeride/dh set up:White Bros DH2,Rhyno Lites,Maxxis 2.7f 2.5r,Amazing Pro-stop disc brakes,Easton handlebar+seatpost,Sram 9.0sl Der+shifters
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Submitted by
Bradley Reece
a Downhiller
from Laguna Hills
Date Reviewed: August 27, 2003
Strengths: The frame itself just looks bad-ass. The whole set up is extremely robust and can take a beating. It's a true jack of all trades, but I would not call it a master of none by any means. I don't see too many of them (2 so far) so it's cool by virtue of its rarity. It handles very well--very nimble for how burly it is. It's lighter than many bikes of its class. It climbs quite well. I am a tall rider and I find it very comfortable so that's a strength for me personally.
Weaknesses: Sometimes the bike gets sort of creaky--it'll make a lot of racket after going through water and then drying a bit (big deal). My brakes rub a lot since I upgraded to 8" rotors, but I am sure that can be adjusted. I find that I get a good deal of ghost shifting when climbing through steep, bumpy terrain. Again, that is probably more of a tuning issue.
Bottom Line:
I love this thing. I can't get enough time on this bike. Since I got it I have been putting in at least 4 days a week, 5 or 6 if I'm not too beat. There is a fairly diverse offering of riding conditions where I live so I needed something that would allow me to climb, bomb, jump, and jam single track in a very balanced fashion. I think the set up I have does an excellent job in all arenas with very little compromise. I have felt very confident in every situation I have been in so far because I trust the rig. I have put it through a lot rigors and it has held up beautifully so far. The only real problems I have had has been little stuff getting bent or broken--chain rings, rear hanger, severed break lines--all the results of crashes. You gotta pay to play and crashing is hard currency!
Speaking of money, I consider this rig a great value. Just go out and do some comparisons. Look at the builds. You're not going to find too many bikes with as many good reviews, with as many good parts, and as exotic at this price point. If you're a spendy entry level rider you can rock one of these bad boys and grow into it. If you're pretty core you can go big without bottoming out your wallet.
So for what it's worth, I highly recommend this bike. The newer models have the Progressive rear suspension which is supposed to be dope. I think the SA frame is a great core to work with. It's obviously a proven design--you see the ratings. The SA is just a sexy beast.
Similar Products Used: A GT Zaskar way back when. My brother's San Andreas which is why I bought mine. A Huffy DungBlaster that I rode in the aisle at Walmart.
Bike Setup: 02 Psylo 20mm thru-axle; XTR front/rear der.; Hayes hydr. w/ 8" rotor upgrade; XT shifters; Race Face Prodigy XC with upgraded rings; Ritchie wheels; Easton MonkeyBar; Race Face seat post; Time Atac Z pedals; and so on...
Strengths: Beefy frame, but surprisingly light! Its easy to clean too. Accepts a front derailleur. SMOKES on the downhills. Clean on the drops.
Weaknesses: With the way i set it up, its got really bad pedalling effeciency. Its bad because the cockpit is just a tad bit to cramped. Hard to pedal uphills.
Bottom Line:
Great if you wanna drop your bike off things and downhill it, but start doing your squats if you wanna push it uphill with a six inch double crown fork. GREAT bike however. I recommend it alot. im 6 feet tall and feel a lil cramped though. But i recommend it to the entry level freerider looking for a lower priced AWESOME bike. Save yourself 1000s! GO EBAY!
Submitted by
Gray Coops
a Downhiller
from Liverpool Uk
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2003
Strengths: When I got the frame in the post, I took it out of its box and though "WOOOOOOWW This is CHUNKY AS F**K" It has extra gusseting on the parts of the swingarm most likely to get stressed/flexed. The swing arm itself is MASSIVELY thick. The front triangle... er triangle??? its a box!!! anyway, the front box section is stiff as yer like too. The bike handles well. Its incredibly stable, moreso even than my mates 8.5" Club roost. Has a nifty stopper for dual crown forks, which stops you denting the monocoque. Some people have complained about the thickness of the walls... well if u campare it to a bike made with tubing... yeah the walls are thin. But if you consider the amount of surface area, amount of folds in the metal - its as rigid as the get - it aint going anywhere. The bike pedals well up hill, infact this was one of my major concerns when I was building it. As I was adding more n more of the parts I started thinking "my god this thing is gonna be heavy" and it is heavey at 38lbs. But its bombproof and I havnt really had a problem getting it up the hills, even with dual crown forks. OK its slower to ascend than my old scott g zero, but it will get you there... and lets face it, whats the point of buying a bike that climbs all day but is not much fun on the knarly descents????? Handles really well in the air and lands even better. Oh yeah, its really adjustable too...
Weaknesses: some complain of not enuff tyre clearance.... but this isnt really a full on DH rig by todays standarsd... so a 2.5 inch high roller will do JUST FINE for ALL freeride duties. My only complaint is that the frame is noisy as hell. Ive stripped the f**ker part by part and discovered its actually the pivot that makes all that noise. So yeah, you gotta grease the pivot once a week with copper slip - ordinary grease doesnt seem to do the job.
Bottom Line:
Amazing do anything bike! Name ANY other freeride bike and tell you why a San Andreas would be a better choice. This bike changed my riding for ever. I now do 6foot drops, I couldnt before. But the best part is that once you learn something on the san an, you can do it on anything. BUY THIS BIKE!
Favorite Trail: Nannerch Scouse Track, North Wales
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$1800.00
Purchased At: Mountain Cycle UK
Similar Products Used: Scott G Zero, Scott High Octane, Club Roost DH8, Orange Patriot, Marin Wolfridge
Bike Setup: Junior T's, Hope Biguns, D521s, 2.5" High Rollers, Fox Vannilla R, Bontrager crobars, FSA Vdrive Extreme isis cranks, FSA isis BB, FSA Headset (i hate shimano) FSA Chainrings (tripple set up) and unfortunately I had to use XT Rear mech and LX front with stx Shifters - I HATE SHIMANO!!!!!!!! oh yeah... the bike... er.... club roost blazing saddle, Azonic seat post, Yeti Lock Grips - its built to last!
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Submitted by
Ben
a Cross Country Rider
from Surrey
Date Reviewed: October 23, 2002
Strengths: Very stiff, swingarm needs little adjustment, bolt-on seat tower allows you to change position easily, end to end cable routing saves mucky cables, variable shock mount allows you to experiment with different shocks.
Weaknesses: End to end cable routing looks ugly to some and makes changing the outers a bit of a pain; mud and rain can make all those bolted together bits and pieces creak noticably; weight is an issue to some riders. Slight inchworming effect if you're in the granny gear and not pedalling smoothly enough. If you know how to pedal a roadbike smoothly (or any bike for that matter) it's not a problem - only if you pedal squares or stomp down on the pedals all the time. Very little clearance on the swingarm for large DH tyres. A Michelin Comp 16 fits fine, but leaves little clearance for mud.
Bottom Line:
After eight hellish months with a Marin Attack Trail (I'd sold my old San Andreas to buy it) I decided enough was enough, and bought an '01 Sannie second hand. I've not looked back. This frame is excellent. It's stiff, responsive, and feels like it has more than six inches of travel. The Psylos work just fine for cross country, but I put DH wheels and some Stratos MX 6 forks on for racing in France this summer, and it made the bike even more solid downhill. Bear in mind I spent eight days riding the bike in XC mode from Morzine beforehand! This bike does it all, as previous reviewers have pointed out. If you can live with the extra weight that 6" of travel pretty much demands, it's a great XC bike with quick handling and excellent climbing ability, too. And if you fancy doing a bit of DH, it'll more than handle it. Highly reccommended - after all, this is my second Sannie! I would reccommend the San Andreas to casual downhillers, strong riders looking for a do-anything trail bike, and long distance riders, too. It's got tons of cush, it's built like a brick outhouse but doesn't weigh a massive amount, and climbs just as happily as it descends.
Strengths: the real bomb-proof frame, incredible agility, extra stability, the best bike in downhill.
Weaknesses: a bit small back tire clearance, the seat is too high in cross country setup
Bottom Line:
i've setup the fork on the 145mm travel (the max travel is 180 mm, 7')and it is the best bike i've ever tried, the best in handling, it has an incredible agility, an excellent stability in jump, the frame is the best i' ve ever seen (except for the mc shockwave, my next bike). on uphill it is a little heavy, but it is not too hard. the seat is too high, when i set it on xc-setup. in downhill, it is the ultimate dh bike, you can do all that you want. it is one of the stiffer and stronger frame. buy it and RIDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE IT!!!!!!
(ps excuse me for my english, i speak english only a little better than i ride...:-) )
Similar Products Used: nothing similar, the san andreas is THE BEST.
Bike Setup: san andreas dhs frame 150 mm rear travel, bergman 180mm travel 20mm axle fork, xt-lx-sram transmission, mavic 321 front rim, magura clara disk brakes, aftershock ammo, specialized tires (i'll buy a nokian gazzaloddi 3').
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Submitted by
Rory O C.
a Downhiller
from Australia
Date Reviewed: February 23, 2002
Strengths: An excellent design.It's strong and solid,it handles beautifully on the trail and fly's through the air with great stability.Great adjustablity.
Weaknesses: If there was anything this wouldn't have been around for the last ten years,am I right?
Bottom Line:
All these new six inch Downhill/Freeride(hate that tag)bikes available now.The Bullit,Joker,RM7,Shore,Uzzi,I.D.,Stinky, etc,etc,All great bikes make no mistake,but I don't think any can do it all like the San Andreas.This bike is light like the I.D.,strong like the Shore,pedals like the Joker rips like the Bullit and fly's like the RM7.And to top it all off it's comes in at a very reasonable price. And when I save enough for a TMX I'll change the seat tower to a smaller one and pass the frame on to my girl friend,now thats as good as it gets. Have a problem and you'll find Mountain Cycle an excellent company willing to help.
P.S. Big brands suck the small company's make you pay abit extra for your ride but it's so worth it.Top dollar for Value and Kudo's for function.
Bike Setup: hanebrink G7, Hope dh4(ft,rr), hope big u'ns, sram, MRP. Kona tires. Snake Bite rims.
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Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Lincoln, England
Date Reviewed: December 4, 2000
Strengths: Still the best and most desirable frame since its conception a long time ago. Mine is 6-7 years old and has been restored, powder coated and polished. It looks the Muts Nuts, rides fantastic and is well built.
Weaknesses: Lacks tyre clearance and swing arm. Mine has no adjustable shock mount due to its age but that's no problem on a new one. Its very nickable. I'd rather be out riding it than out with the missus. This gets me in trouble!
Bottom Line:
Considering the age of the design it is still and always will be one of the best bikes of this type. It is the ultimate freeride bike, it can be used for just about everything, be it DH, Jump fests, or singletrack riding. Top Dog. By the way, mines for sale, either full bike or Frame only. I want to upgrade to a new 6" San Andreas DHS. Offers via E mail.
Similar Products Used: Gary Fisher, FSR, Trek, GT STS, Hecker. ETC.
Bike Setup: Stratos MX6 up front, Full hope 2 pot pro's on floating arm at rear. Hope Big Un's, Mavic Disc rims, XT running gear, Tioga, Azonic. 'the' guards.
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Submitted by
Matthew
a Downhiller
from Bracknell, UK
Date Reviewed: November 16, 2000
Strengths: Very strong, stiff, pedals well but takes hit's too, looks amazing, lightweight and unique.
Weaknesses: ummm...could do with more tire clearance at the back, maybe a longer top tube?
Bottom Line:
It pedals well, is comfortable, goes over anything, very adjustable, feels stiff and strong...unfortunately everyone stops you to ask you about the bike. Don't buy it to race XC on 'cause you won't enjoy it, it is best for hardcore freeriding and Dh, and it jumps well too. Buy one, it's a timeless design!!
Bike Setup: Stratos FR4 (5inch), Hope pro's, XT, FSA Hollow cranks, 521 rims, World Force Shorty & bar.
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Submitted by
I ran over
a Weekend Warrior
from Oregon
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2000
Strengths: stiff, light, strong, plush, steering stop, multiple position shock system, precise handling, great coustomer service, looks
Weaknesses: People chase me when I ride it around town
Bottom Line:
This is the best frame I have ever seen. It is flawlessly made and has awesome performance. With the Trixxxy fork it handles great and it is like riding on a bed. You don't realize how fast you are going until you blow by your used to be competition. You can go up hills with it without blowing out a lung and when it is pointed downhill it is a dream.
