Submitted by
Pedro
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada Date Reviewed: September 10, 2003
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
It's a singlespeed. Say no more.
Weaknesses:
No disc tabs
Similar Products Used:
All multi-speed bikes, and none of them get used as much since I got the Brodie
Bike Setup:
Stock except changed to clipless pedals, and swapped fork for a Kona Project 2 disc plus Shimano disc brake.
Bottom Line:
I use this to commute during snow free months, and ride it off road as much as I use my multi-speed bikes. Simply put, it's just lots and lots of fun. I'm hooked on singlespeeds.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ideas_guy
a Weekend Warrior
from Ottawa-ON-Canada Date Reviewed: October 27, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Foreplay
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At:
TandL
Strengths:
TruVativ Cranks, RF Bar, 22 lbs!!! Stiff & Fast
Weaknesses:
No disc mounts, stock stem was like a foot long, chain rubs bashguard.
This bike handles like a vintage singletrack racer but faster. Looking to put a 40mm riser bar or lower cruzer bar on it cause the front end sits pretty low with the stock ridgid cro-mo fork (I want to set it up as a cross between an xc racer and a 26" BMX cruzer). Geometry feels better than anything else I've tryed. Went urban the other night and was able to do way more stuff than usual (descending stairs is a bit chattery but at least there was no derailleur smacking the chain stay). My knees are sore. Deore brakes work good all around. TruVativ cranks are beautiful and stiff 180mm. Comes 32/16, consider 32/18 or 20 for trail riding in the Gatineaus, shes steep in them there trailz. For 1000 cdn you can get a complete ss. Best value bike I ever owned!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
bikin fool
a Racer
from Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: September 20, 2002
Favorite Trail:
all of them
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
black beauty, rigid, one gear, low maintenance, can be used for a commuter if you get really desperate
Weaknesses:
the only weakness is the rider
Similar Products Used:
o so many, balfa's to yetis u name it, ive tried it.
Bike Setup:
stock, w\ shimano 515 pedals
Bottom Line:
shut up, get out your wallet and buy it. dont even think about getting anything else. this is a follow-up on the previous review, and again, i must point out, i have a limited 2002 run model. if you're not as young and foolish as I, take a look at the kona unit. same price, steel frame. I rode one after I bought the brodie, and perhaps it was just my imagination, but it did seem a little more fogiving, but not as efficient on the climbs (cuz it was about 1lb heavier), and the components werent as good quality. I love the raceface stuff, the cranks are great, you turn them, and right away, you get pure unbridled power, no suspension bob, no forced gears. just silence. just blast the hills, uv got one gear, use it, and pass all those dualies. the training side of things is great for this bike, my calves have started to rub on my f.d. cable, bulks your upper body a lot more too. logs are no problem, you've got a bash-guard (just remember that u dont have one when u get back on ur other bike). yes, this bike has to be a second or third (or fifth in my case), because geared bikes still have advantages on some courses. anyhoo, the tubes are crazy strong on this bike too, they sound really thin and weak when u tap them, but i was fooling around urban style, came off a 2-foot platform (ya, its not much, but wheelies arent easy on this bike), and landed with all my weight on a concrete barrier on the downtube. i was cursing my stupidity (any my friends were killing themselves laughin), and i flipped the bike over to see what the insurance claim was going to be like, and guess what, there was just a small scratch outta the paint, and nothing else. i dunno how they did it, but brodie made one strong frame. one final point, if youre going to keep the rigid fork (and i highly recommend that you do - more for the freak factor though), do your wrists a favour, and get some gloves with incredibly thick palm padding, it'll give u perhaps an extra 10km/h on the descents b/c otherwise u have to crawl down rough downhills. put it this way, if you're a hardcore biker looking for some freaky looks, uv found ur b*tch.
FIVE FLAMING ROADIES BOTH WAYS!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bikin Fool
a Racer
from Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: May 20, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Any one that takes a day to ride
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
light, forces you to become a better rider, nice components, wicked frame, black all over, simple, unique
Weaknesses:
rigid, chain tensioner, not the greatest value but you pay for what you get
Similar Products Used:
Trek 8000, Rocky Element, Rocky Elevation, Kona Caldera, Specialized Stumpy FS Comp and XC, Norco Sasquatch
Bike Setup:
Stock except for 545 pedals
Bottom Line:
First off, I've gotta say that the bike I have is a 2002 model, Brodie did a limited run on the Bomber, with the exact same component selection. This bike definitely isn't for everyone, its rigid, there's no gears, and it gives you hell everywhere you go, but take it for a ride, and you'll never want to get off. The rigid fork is forgotten after a few hours of riding. You eventually realize that you don't need suspension, its all about the momentum. You really have to attack the hills on this bike, and you'll be surprised at how easily the bike climbs. I've taken the Bomber for a few long rides wih some of the guys, and I've led most of them. Even when I dont lead, they're constantly looking back from their comfortable 27-gear dualies to see if they've dropped me. Fat chance.
Another thing this bike does is makes you way stronger. In the short time that I've ridden it, I've noticed an increase in upper body strength and definition, and my laps at the race course are five minutes faster than my laps at the peak of last year's race season (on my geared bike).
Finally, the confidence I have gained from riding this bike is truly amazing. Becase of the bash guard, I dont have to worry about breaking bike parts and paying for new rings (you know the drill), and I can now clear logs several inches higher than I could before I got the Bomber.
If you're tired of riding your local trails and want a new challenge, buy a singlespeed. You'll be amazed at the change in your riding style.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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