Submitted by
elpaso
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver, British Columbia
Date Reviewed: March 9, 2011
Strengths: Amazing steel frame quality and finish from the 90's, read head turner, all my buddies can't keep away their eyes from its lugwork and stainless dropouts; whoever tried it, just loves it! The mechanics at the LBS all circled me to see and touch this baby, once I entered their shop. It seems there are not too many around. I managed to get it second hand and built it using rigid fork and XTR M960 components and what a ride! Love technical trails and this baby allowed me to built a light MTB under 21 lbs. Reynolds 853 tubing is great for MTB hardtail, great for city use too.
Weaknesses: Can't think of any...
Bottom Line:
Still one of the best hardtails frames for technical ride. Ride it to believe it!
Similar Products Used: Mid-90's Specialized Rock Hopper FS Nitium steel, Early 2000's Rocky Mountain Race and Rocky Mountain Element 30, 2006 Rocky Mountain Team Scandium
Bike Setup: Trigon rigid fork, Easton carbon post and bars, XTR 9-speed groupset, including wheelset, SPD pedals.
Strengths: Beautiful paint, unmatched ride, real head turner.
Weaknesses: The paint is beautiful, but it scratches pretty easily for a mountain bike because it's a high quality enamel. Still, the scratches I have put on the frame give it character, and anyone who looks at the frame knows I ride it as it deserves to be ridden =) It's also a very expensive frame at $1600.00 retail, but you do get what you pay for.
Bottom Line:
where do I start... I'm nuts about bikes, so I've owned a lot of them in just about every discipline. No bike I have ever owned has come close to this one. I'm in the middle of my fourth season on my Waterford, and I can't imagine getting rid of it. I was thinking about getting a custom Seven Cycles soft tail made earlier this year, but when I started going through their (extensive) custom form I realized that I was basically asking them to build me a bike that would ride exactly like my Waterford! As a side note, I have yet to run into another Waterford rider on the trail or at a race. I see the occasional road frame, but there aren't too many MTB frames out there. I love that about this bike; I'd really hate to shell out this kind of money for a Trek or Cannondale and see 30 others just like it every time I show up to race. So, here's the bottom line: If you want a high end hardtail bike, you simply can't buy a better one. Good luck!
Favorite Trail: Estrella Mtn Park, Trail 100, McDowell Race Loops
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Purchased At: Cyclepath
Similar Products Used: You name it, I've probably ridden it
Bike Setup: Full XTR, Syncros Revolution Cranks, Syncros Ti post, Syncros headset, Race Face stem, Cross Max Tubeless, Ibis Ti bars, LP composites bar ends
I love my Waterford...!!! I worked in a bike shop for many years, and Waterford makes the greatest bikes...!!! Light...!!! Handles great...!!! Etc...!!! If you want a bike that perfoms great in any area on riding, over any terrian, buy a Waterford 2400... I race on my bike almost every weekend now, and it's still going stronge...
Submitted by
JD
a cross-country rider
from Southern Cal
Date Reviewed: March 26, 1998
Bottom Line:
Ihave raced xc in arizona and california. Big climbs, technical downhill and fast rolling courses. I love this frame. It has survied brutal crashes and is hardly dinged. Waterford is bulding me a new frame for this season because I want a flater seat tube angle. You can customise your geometry and that is a great advantage when your are fine tunning for better perfromance. I have ridden ti and aluminum and I don't think you can beat this one for overall ride.
Submitted by
happyboy
a cross-country rider
from happyland
Date Reviewed: January 31, 1998
Bottom Line:
I've owned a Klein Pulse. It climbed like a fiend but was way too stiff for downhills. I've owned a Ventana El Habanero. Fun, fun bike but was a little too heavy for my tastes and it bobbed too much on the climbs. It also broke twice in less than a year. The 2400 frame is the perfect balance. Light (4lbs) and the ride is amazing. The 853 tubing is awesome. It seems to spring off hits and it's a really comfortable frame. I got the frame for $1050 and I can't see spending so much money on a ti frame when 853 tubing is so sweet. And you can't compare a low end frame like an Obed with this frame. I haven't ridden a Merlin XLM or a Tellico but they can't ride much better than the Waterford. At least to justify the $2400+ price tags on those frames. Consider this frame if you're looking into a high-end hardtail.
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