Submitted by
Bruno Abreu
a Cross Country Rider
from São Paulo , São Paulo, Brazil
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2007
Strengths: - Awesome geometry (I always loved bikes that leave you streched, ready to climb hard as hell. This bike is for people who really wanna do it´s best and pedal as hard as you can, its not suited for people who just do Sunday straws...) - The feel of Titanium! - The strenght of Titanium! - The looks of Titanium! - Affordable! - Finish is as good or even better than on much more expensive competition (Handbrusted finish, Laser Cut and Welded Titanium head tube badge...) - Handles as good or perhaps even better than much more expensive competition! - Pretty light for straight gauge 3Al/2.5V Aerospace grade tubbing (3.43Lbs for size 18.5 frame on my scale)
Weaknesses: - Company no longer sales in Brazil. I hope that now that they have changed Brand to Van Nicholas and are running a new staff, they come back to Brazil and start selling them again. I need a new speed bike, and now that I have tasted Titanium I will never go back to Carbon or Aluminum (perhaps True Temper OX2 Platinum Steel...)
Bottom Line:
This bike rocks!!! When I first saw the frame I said to my self¨What he hell... Titanium this quality finish for that price...must have it!!!¨ Everything that most people said about this frame especialy in the european media is true! A great frame to race, hit the trail and enjoy in epic rides. The people at Airborne really knew what they were doing. I believe that now Van Nicholas is mantainig the goal and still offering the best titanium bikes for value. Of course they are better titanium frames out there but they cost at least twice as much, so the value is unbeatable. If you can grab it!
I strongly recomend it for anyone who likes to ride fast and competitive cross coutry.
The Lancaster changed it´s name to Zion and is now Avaliable at www.vannicholas.com
Similar Products Used: Litespeed Pisgah (a firend´s bike), Trek 8500, Trek 990, GT Zaskar LE, Caloi Aluminum ATZ, Caloi Italia, Alfameq Tirreno.
Bike Setup: Sid World Cup, Ritchey WCS stem, King headsed, Titec Pg 150 handlebar, Thompson Elite post, Selle San Marco Concor Light saddle, XTR/XT disc, Mavic 717 laced to XTR hubs and DT Revolution spokes, Vittoria Spinx tires (awesome tires).
Bike Setup: XT/XTR combo, Fox RL 80 fork, Hayes hydraulic disk brakes, WTB velociraptor front and Specialized Roll-X pro rear.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
marc
a Cross Country Rider
from Soest, the Netherlands
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2005
Strengths: Beautiful detailed frame
Weaknesses: geometry
Bottom Line:
The geometry is awful! Top tube is to long and seat tube angle is not steep enough, resulting in a uncomfortable long stretched position. Even after mounting a very short stem and putting the saddle in the most forward position on a Thompson seatpost I was left with a funny looking bike, which still didn't ride good. The low an long top tube results in a very sloppy front triangle. In the end i sold the frame and ordered a handmade titanium frame from Italy
Similar Products Used: Rewel, Italian titanium handmade frame
Bike Setup: shimano xt, rockshox duke xc
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
dan milner
a Cross Country Rider
from UK/France
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2005
Strengths: affordable titanium ride. Good attention to detail. Well thought out cable routing etc. Frame size has a very low top tube.. maximising your movement over the Toptube on anything technical.
Weaknesses: Hmmm. I havbe to think hard ...Maybe the seat-tube takes the anodising off my USE seatpost ... damn that Titanium, it's way too hard! Oh yeah and I had to get a longer seatpost (420mm) cos of the lower TT (see above)
Bottom Line:
A damn good TIT frame for anyone wanting a good comfy XC ride. Handles well on anything technical (rocky and switchbacks) and is a pleasure on long rides. This is my bike for my home trails around Chamonix (techy) and for a 2 month exploration of the singletracks across New Zealand last year. Fantastic, especially when you put on an adjustable travel fork like the Rebas (85-115mm).
Submitted by
paul
a Cross Country Rider
from netherlands
Date Reviewed: November 1, 2004
Strengths: Handling, looks, finish, made of titanium. Standover height, cable-guides for cable- as well as hydraulic operated brakes. Price compared to other titanium frames.
Weaknesses: None that matter really.
Bottom Line:
I love this bike, it's light, handles very well, you can do almost anything with it. Race it, make long epic rides, even tour it on the road with a pair of slicks if you like. I like to take it for a couple of hours but also like a bit of extra comfort, so I put the thudbuster post in. Ofcourse there are cheaper frames that offer similar rides, but they're not made of titanium... no corrosion or paint to come off. I also like the fact you don't see too many of these bikes. Would buy it again any time, I enjoy every ride on it, and that's what it's all about for me!
Similar Products Used: Marin Pine Mountain '97, Cannondale SuperV '99, 2-Danger Raver '03
Bike Setup: Rond/Magura Quake fork (coil-oil), Sram X9 shifting, XTdisc-Mavic717 wheels, Cane Creek thudbuster seatpost, Hayes HFX9 brakes.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Terry
a Cross Country Rider
from Lithia
Date Reviewed: October 16, 2004
Strengths: Price, design, finish.
Weaknesses: None noted yet.
Bottom Line:
Great hardtail! BB Shell wasn't quite right when I bought it and Airborne fixed the problem with no hassle. (Thanks Airborne!!) I bought this after riding a FS for several years. I really like the way this bike behaves in the woods. It tracks like it is on rails and behaves suprisingly well through rocky and rooty sections. If you are in the market for a nice light fast hardtail for your singletrack pleasure, this is a very nice bike.
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