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Submitted by
Wayne
a Cross Country Rider
from VA
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Quality design and build. Handling tight eastern woods. Sports car ride. User friendly bearing pivots. Customer service. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Just about everything. Yeti, Dean, Manitou, Pro-Flex, Trek Fuel, etc. | | Bike Setup: | Race Face LP ISIS Cranks, Manitou Mars Elite fork, Mavic Crossmax UST, Sram XO derailure and shifters, Avid Arch Rival Supreme brakes and Ultimate levers, Thomson post and stem. Easton carbon bar. | | Bottom Line: | The best handling bike I have ridden. It makes you fast or at least gives you the thrill of going fast. Handles tight stuff with ease. Quality is first rate. I first saw a Ventana in Moab in about 1995. It took me this long to try one. Why did I wait? | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Patrick Barry
a Racer
from Duxbury, MA USA
Date Reviewed: March 13, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Lynn Woods tower area | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$3200.00 | | Purchased At: | Dream Bikes | | Strengths: | The El Fuego is the best balanced, responsive and quickest technical climber and trials bike I have ever been on. This thing will clean anything with ease. I have muscled up 12 ft boulders and dropped 5 ft off the other side without so much as a wimper. The back fox shock and set up is a dream. It handles 6 ft drops without so much as a wimper. I love riding this bike so much it has made me a much better rider. Definitely worth the price! | | Weaknesses: | The bomber 80 mm front fork. Can't handle big hits. The bushings but they replaced them with sealed bearings and 3" of travel for 2002! Throw on a 100mm bomber and you've got a great bike! | | Similar Products Used: | fsr, tracer | | Bike Setup: | Top of the line. | | Bottom Line: | If you are looking for a lightweight bike that you can race and ride extremely technical single track with that can take a massive beating and still perform, this is it!
But it will teach you how to ride technical and if your like me you will eventually surpass its abilities. I am looking at the La Bruza as an upgrade. They will give me $820 US for my El Fuego frame towards the new frame. Not bad for the amount of abuse my El Fuego took. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eddie Kryk
a Cross Country Rider
from Euless(Dallas/Ft.Worth) Tx.
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Grapevine&Cedar Hill | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Cambria | | Strengths: | Quality frame build.Lightweight.Beautiful.Also excellent
customer service. | | Weaknesses: | Price,if anything. | | Similar Products Used: | My last bike was a Santa Cruz S.L. and I loved it. | | Bike Setup: | 2001 x/fly 80,King wheelset,Raceface Next cranks/rings,XTR
S/B combo,front/rear der.,Raceface stem,Easton flat carbon bar,King h.set,Thomson post,WTB sst.2k saddle.Gore cables,Avid arch supreme brakes.$$$$$$$$$ | | Bottom Line: | I have had only 5 rides on this bike due to weather and work.The first ride was for break in/dial in(shock/fork).I
am comparing it to my Santa Cruz.It is quicker handling and
climbs as well as the Cruz which was a great climber.There is some magic that Ventana puts into that 2.8 inches of rear
travel.It feels like much more and is buttery smooth in action.I e/mailed Shylock for info prior to purchase and he was right on the money with his data.The complete bike weighs 23.9 lbs and cost $3600.00 to build.It is worth every
penny. Eddie. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Roger
a Racer
from Auburn Ca
Date Reviewed: November 8, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Many... | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1850.00 | | Purchased At: | ventana mtb USA | | Strengths: | Handling, stiffness for a FS, feels like more than just under 3 inches of travel, paint, and function. And a big thumbs up for Service, Charlie, Eddy, Sherwood, keep it up guys! | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Ventana El Habanero, Ellsworth Truth | | Bike Setup: | Fox Float, SX carbon fork, King SubIV wheelset, XT 8speed drivetrain, American Classic post, bonty Super X tires, Profile carbon bars, oury grips. | | Bottom Line: | Incredible ride, still can't get over that it has less than 3 inches of travel, it just feels like alot more. Very quick handling, especially since I'm riding a large, also, the weight, I was suprised when I weighed it, it came in at a real just nudging over 5lbs (remeber it's a 19inch frame), very sweet. I'm enjoying this bike a ton, but I'm sad to put it away for winter, but that's what my El toro SS is for anyway, winter riding.
Also, what's up with MR X from Netherlands, did something crawl up yer butt? I looked through the reviews and I didn't see Mr. Gibson bragging of his welds, that's others that do. Lose the inferiority complex and go ride, no chili's for the attitude! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dr.X
a Cross Country Rider
from the Netherlands
Date Reviewed: September 7, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Bottom Line: | What`s the hype about those `Sex Welds(???)`?
Nobody ever looked closely to the welds of their bike anyway but now Gibson got a stiff one on his own welds and wanted to let the world know by putting these stupid `sex welds` stickers on his frames. Due to this sticker a lot of people are raving about Gibson`s welding `art`. I wonder if they have ever been outside.
The problem is, maybe for Gibson these welds are the top of his own capabilities but did he ever checked out the work of other bike welders? I can name a few like Frank the Welder (FTW), former Yeti frame builder. Leaves Gibson`s welds far behind. I did not hear him about his welds, I just knew.
Gibson`s welds are laying to much on top of the material, the end of the weld stops to far over the starting point which results in a thick part in the weld creating a stress point.
Cannondale does it right here by grinding and smoothing the welds but still your welds have to be perfect before you do this or the weld will be weak.
FTW`s welds are flat (smooth), good burn in in the material and good endings. And what about GT`s top framesets? Those are good welds too!
The thing is, I just wish Gibson would not try to show off while at the same time there are better welders out there. Ventana makes nice bikes no doubt, but the `Sex Welds` sticker is in my eyes too much about nothing.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
pro Xtreme biker tom
a Racer
from atlanta / knoxville
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | diablos, colorado trail, haw ridge | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | light weight, rare, strong, handbuilt for me in california by Mr Gibson, great looking bike, fast, | | Weaknesses: | none really... | | Similar Products Used: | jamis dakar, santa cruz heckler, 2000 raven, habanero ti hardtail, trek team OCLV, Cro Mo frames | | Bike Setup: | 2000 full XTR, kore ti skewers, SID SL 80mm, fox float R, 517 rims, onza ti pedals, thompson seatpost, fizik saddle | | Bottom Line: | the frame is a beauty. i have the electric superdust color... it looks gray, but in the sun it is multi colored sparkle mobile. the bike rides like no other. i totally blow away people on climbs and downhills, but maybe its just me. just kidding... the bike handles flawlessly. it rides so smooth, and i am always in complete control. the bike looks great, rides great, and that is about all there is to say. to own a bike that only has 999 others like it in the world??? what a great opportunity. its the ferrari of bikes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew Maust
a Cross Country Rider
from Omaha, Ne.
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | dirt | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Addictive Ride, light, responsive | | Weaknesses: | Much harder to stay at work, when I know I could be out on a trail. | | Similar Products Used: | Tested, every major production full suspension bike locally
| | Bike Setup: | Z-2x-fly, RaceFace-head, stem, cranks, bb, 240 hubs w/517ceramics, Avid mag brakes & levers, Easton monkeylite carbon bar, SRAM Woody r. der., ATAC pedals | | Bottom Line: | If you want a killer ride, this is it. The quality on the craftsmanship on the frame is better than any other mountian bike I've seen, even as nice as most Italian road frames. The Fuego rides better than any bike I've ridden. There is very little if any energy wasted in the suspension on long climbs. Decents point the bike where you want to go and hang on. There is no lag in the turning agility as I've experencied with other bikes. Ventana has been extremly helpful in all matters when I've had to deal with them. Unfortunatly they were so nice and helpful, while putting out such a quality ride, I had to order a second Ventana, the El Toro.
Only down side is that my other bike is collecting more dust, except when I loan it out for friends to ride with me. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
RL
a Cross Country Rider
from NJ
Date Reviewed: January 18, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Brick House | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Very Plush FS
Quick, Nimble Handeling, Very Responsive
Laterally Stiff, No Flex, Good Power Transfer
| | Weaknesses: | If there is one, it would be price, however the frame is well worth it. | | Similar Products Used: | Bontrager Race Lite
Specialized FSR
| | Bike Setup: | SID XC fork
FOX Vanella Float R
XT | | Bottom Line: | I rode a Bontrager Race Lite for years and never thought I would find another bike that was as much fun in twisty single track. Well! the El Fuego tears up single track while absorbing all those annoying bumps, this bike is very responsive, quick and tight, climbs like a goat, while providing an efficient ride. This is a FS XC bike that tracks like a hardtail with 2.8 inches of plush rear travel. The Fox Vanella Float R rear shock is very tunable & can easily be field adjusted to the terrain, by slowing the damping biobounce can be eliminated, for rough terrain faster dampening can be dialed in for a plusher ride.
GREAT FS XC FRAME... Awsome ride... lots of Fun
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Charles Coker
a Cross-Country Rider
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: November 15, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
city park, ken's trail | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
light, stiff, quick handling | | Weaknesses: |
none yet | | Similar Products Used: |
everything, and I mean EVERYTHING!!! | | Bike Setup: |
Z2Xfly, XTR, raceface cranks, bontrager race lite wheels | | Bottom Line: | well, I just got it a few days ago, I am having a custom built Titus racerx being built and I sold my existing Racerx (fave bike of all time)
I needed another bike while waiting for the custom
Decided to get an ElFuego
well, it's a very fast bike, extremely stiff laterally, (and I hate to use this) corners like it's on rails, very precise handling, extremely nimble and quick
is it better than a Racerx?
hmm.
no, not better, different
in the same league for sure, the Racerx is AWESOME and indestructible, I am having a custom made so I obviously love it...
This is as quick handling for sure, surprisingly so, not quite as stable bombing off of ledges as the Racerx but it may edge it out slightly in the climbing department, slightly, maybe...if you are in the market for an extremely fast and quick handling fs frame/bike and the Racerx doesn't grab you or the geometry doesn't fit you, look at the ElFuego
both are absolute topnotch | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Knute Aberhanson
a Racer
from Folsom, CA
Date Reviewed: May 27, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
not tellin' | | Duration Product Used: |
tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: |
light weight
rails like a hard tail!
very plush for 2.8 of travel
Awesome welds
self service pivots | | Weaknesses: |
Price... | | Similar Products Used: |
Cannondale Super V's
Turner Burner
Ventana Marble Peak FS | | Bike Setup: |
Fuego frame, full XTR 9 spd, Sid 80mm
23.25 lbs... cool! | | Bottom Line: | This thing RAILS!!! I rode a Marble Peak for the last 2 years and the Fuego blows it away! It climbs and corners like a hard tail, yet feels MORE plush than the Marble Peak... even though the MP has 3.5 travel and the Fuego has 2.8. You point this critter and it GOES! For a sub-5 lb frame, it is awesome! The price is a bit of a drag, but after demoing this bike I sold my MP the next week and orderd this bike. It is SO much fun... I highly recommend it! One note: Use a low crown fork with this bike (430mm or so axle to crown) or you will lose the quick handling. Once again AWESOME, if I could: 10 flamers... OLE! | | Overall Rating: |
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