Submitted by
markuscreek
a Racer
from US Date Reviewed: August 16, 2008
Favorite Trail:
None
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$3800.00
Purchased At:
veltec
Strengths:
Light. Low ratio 4 inches suspension 4.7 lbs frame.
Stiff as diamand. Responsive suspension. Perfect traction and handling. 100 mark pedaling. Maby be one of the best frame or even best of the best
Weaknesses:
None till now.
Similar Products Used:
Trek Top Fuel 110. Specialized Epic Carbon
Bike Setup:
SRAM X.0. Fox F100RLC. Mavic Crossmax SL.
Bottom Line:
Must try if you are looking for perfect riding experience.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dan
a Cross Country Rider
from montpellier Date Reviewed: October 9, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
light. stiff, good looking, very well designed.
Weaknesses:
mud clearance, tricky to clean, some creaking
Similar Products Used:
giant anthem
Bike Setup:
thomson, Mavic, XTR, race face, Reba team
Bottom Line:
follow up to my previous review. I know this frame is not sold anymore but just in case some of you want to buy a second hand one, here is my long term impressions:
i was a bit concerned by the scandium tubing, but after one year of riding (almost) and some serious crashes i can tell you that those despite the thinness those frame are solid. Paint does not chip, and i had a direct hit stone/down tube, and the frame barely scratches. Same goes for the carbon triangle which is well protected by a thick transparent paint layer.
This frame is very stiff, and very responsive. even by running the shock at very low pressure, there is barely any bobble. very impressive design indeed. Goes fast up hill and fast downhill.
if there is one thing to criticize it is the mud clearance which could have been better. also the occasional creaking in the frame. nothing to worry about though. Talking about mud, this bike is a nightmare to clean: the top and bottom linkage are full of tricky place where the mud get stuck. I spent 2 hours and a box of toothpick to clean that ;) Also, check the bolt on the suspension pivots, i lost one. No big deal, just have to look at it sometimes.
Overall, an excellent frame. you cant go wrong with this one. I am glad i got one of the last scandium version.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dan
a Cross Country Rider
from montpellier (france) Date Reviewed: March 19, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1250.00
Purchased At:
danbikeshop
Strengths:
visuallly nice, very nice design (forged pieces), carbon rear part (awesome), weight, scandium (?), apparently good quality welding
Weaknesses:
tube thickess? scandium? how long will all that last. holes in the carbon part (for cable routing)
Similar Products Used:
giant anthem
Bike Setup:
Crossmax ST, RaceFace, XTR, Reba, Thomson, hayes
Bottom Line:
So far so good. very good i should say, the frame is nimble, light, very stiff and the suspension design works great (no bob, tons of comfort on both small and big hits, good traction). the carbon piece (the top part the rear triangle) is awesome, and seems to bring a bit more confort on rocky terrains. the forged part are awesome too and the bearing look like very good quality ones indeed.
my only concern is the scandium tubing. Very thin tubes (so thin you can almost flatten them by hand). How long will this last? This frame will not be crash proof either. i would recommend the FS02 over the 01. Well, i guess i just have to enjoy this very nice frame as long as it lasts. ( i ll let you know when it breaks ;))
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kimberly
a Racer
from Laramie, Wyoming Date Reviewed: February 11, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Rock Creek Trail in Snowy Mountains
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$5000.00
Purchased At:
Pedal House, Laramie, WY
Strengths:
Paint DOES NOT chip on Fourstroke 01 as many have complained about 03 model. (Different paint on this model??) Excellent climbing and descending control. Unique design is as functional as it is visually appealing.
Weaknesses:
Frame tubing is thin, but need to hit it pretty hard to get a dent. Price.
Similar Products Used:
Upgrade from KHS xc700 full suspension.
Bike Setup:
Fox FX100 terra logic fork, Fox float RP3, avid juicy carbon brakes, race face deus xc cranks, sram X-0 shifters and rear derailler, time atac ti/carbon pedals, DT swiss 1540 wheelset, schwalbe racing ralph tires
Bottom Line:
Bike feels very stable at high speed. Rides well on all types of terrain - fast singletrack, super rocky trails, mud, anything. Long rides don't feel as long because of the suspension efficiency. Fox FX100 terra logic is a perfect complement to the frame.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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