Submitted by
jlewing
a Weekend Warrior
from Missoula MT, USA
Date Reviewed: September 14, 2011
Strengths: Solid simple design, requires little maintenance, predictable handleing
Weaknesses: I sometimes feel that the head angle could be a little steeper, but then again, I am running a 5" Z1 FR.
Bottom Line:
It may not be the coolest bike around and it may not be the latest in technology (by a long shot), but this year I found myself back in the saddle of my Isis after playing on other bikes and am loving it! It is very rewarding to be able to not only keep up with the pack uphill, but to smoke the $5000 rigs down. Linkage suspension was cool, but I still love the simplicity of the single pivot. I built this bike up in '01. Now 10 years later, I am still riding it and putting the hurt on others. There was only 2 years there where it wasn't ridden much. 2 trips to Moab. Countless trips to Beacon in Spokane (back when it was more of a freeride area) and recently Duthie.
Similar Products Used: Cannondale, Haro Escape, Specialized Big Hit, Rocky Mountain Altitude
Bike Setup: XT drivetrain with a 2x9 (22-34-bash, 11-34), Avid BB7 (205frt, 185rr), Marzocchi Z1 Freeride w/ETA, Fox Vanilla R shock, Rhino-lite rims, usually Tioga tires but I switch it up with Kendas alot too.
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Submitted by
Andy Livo
a Weekend Warrior
from Manchester, UK
Date Reviewed: December 7, 2008
Strengths: Bullet proof design. Simplicity of design means pretty well zero maintenance unlike other full sus bike designs e.g. only renewed pivot bearings after 5 years! Shock is out of the firing line of mud. Shot peened looks good even after 7 years of abuse!
Weaknesses: Slight loss in rear suspension on rear braking. Cable routing.
Bottom Line:
This bike is awesome. After riding loads of others I come back to my Isis and think this is the best bike around. It has had a right hammering off the worst that the UK can throw at it. All mountain no problem it takes it, coping with insane downhills off Helvellyn etc (see http://www.mbpost.com/user_page.php?user_id=244 - for photos on mountain passes in the Lakes). XC it rails corners and berms on man made trails.
The Isis will get up anything that you have the legs for. There's stuff I've climbed and thought how did I get up that? The ride is stable and predictable. I honestly don't know how I could descend faster on any other bike. I have a lock out on the rear shox and never use it, don't need to!
This bike is an all round great bike, which will do everything you want it to do. Fast dowhill, XC, slow rolling over steep rocks. It's bullet proof design is made to last and 7 years on it is as good, if not better, than the competition.
So why Ellsworth stopped making this bike I'll never know! I just know I'm glad I bought one!!
Similar Products Used: Titus Moto Light, Ellsworth Epiphany, Yeti Arc, Santa Cruz Heckler, Turner 5 Spot.
Bike Setup: Fox Talas 130mm Forx, RP23, 50mm Thompson elite stem. The rest is irrelevant!
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Submitted by
Bonkler
a Weekend Warrior
from Hurley Mtn. NY
Date Reviewed: July 2, 2007
Strengths: smoooooooth, predictable, confidence inspiring, well balanced bike! There's little (if any) flex due to the single pivot, excellent craftsmanship (aside from the small air gap betw. the top and down tube)and for my liking, a long wheel base on the Large size frame
Weaknesses: well, just like the other complaints: paint rubs off as mine isn't anodized, cable routing seems like an afterthought. I often bruise up the inside of my left knee from hitting the braze-ons for the cable routing. The good far outweighs the bad with this so I just deal w/it.
Bottom Line:
Any bike that can put up with my 200#s slogging it around for hundreds of miles down hills and over rocks going on 5+ years now deserves a write-up! It's long overdue that I wrote one for this bike anyway as it's been my go-to bike since early 2003.
I call it my limo since the wheelbase on this is so much bigger than all of my friends x/c or FR rigs. It only fits into certain racks and trays as well, but that's a non-issue for me. It's not the most nimble in very VERY tight switchbacks, but it's light enough to maneuver if there's space. And Speaking of space... holy cow, give this thing an inch of it to carve a turn or run down hill and you'll feel like you're on rails. Tight, predictable and plush! Climbing on it feels like a hardtail, very minimal bob, but the Romic D helps out in that dept. too.
Also, I've never had an issue getting up and over anything as this bike has a high bottom bracket which is one of the features that drew me to it in the 1st place. All the Specalized FS bikes I previously owned had problems with that, but it also could've been my XL body frame putting too much preload into the suspension.
Overall, I'm more than happy to recommend this bike to anyone whose thinking of buying one used. It's been nothing but great to me!
Favorite Trail: Ninham MUA, Skidmore/SMBA trails, my backyard
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At: CBO
Similar Products Used: Several Specialized FSR frames, S-Works, Enduro, Stumpjumper and a Turner 5 spot for good measure
Bike Setup: Raceface air alloy riser bars, RaceFace 90mm stem and headset, '05 Marz AM SL fork (110/130mm) Romic D bomb proof rock solid shock, DT 5.1D rims laced to Hope Bulbs, Kenda Kinetics Stick E Tires (2.35") Juicy 7's, Thompson post, WTB Pure V saddle, XT drivetrain w/ Raceface Evolve XC cranks, Whipperman 908 chain
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Submitted by
Cale Ossor
a Cross Country Rider
from Butte
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2007
Strengths: Strong frame, very stiff, but light as well.
Weaknesses: Nothing so far
Bottom Line:
Get your hands on one of these if you still can, I think the guy in Scotland should grow up reference his missing decal, since Ellsworth does stand behind their bikes. Lifetime warranty on their frame. This frame is exactly what I was looking for and after three years I still do not see anything on the market that will tempt me away from my Isis. The frame looks beefy and rugged and my friends envy me for my wise choice as they have to baby their Stump Jumpers or Enduros. The Isis nimbly goes where other bikes fear.
Similar Products Used: Specialized, Kona, Diamondback
Bike Setup: Mavic717, Hope Hubs, Chris King Headset, Saint Crank, Fox shocks Thompson Seat post
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Submitted by
Alan
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, Canada
Date Reviewed: December 18, 2006
Strengths: Strength, Design, Stiffness, Rigid, well built (craftsmanship), Paint Quality, Average Weight
Weaknesses: No Hydraulics Hose holder, not the perfect place to have cables at, impossible to reach water bottle cage during a mtb ride, paint is easy to get dirty and hard to wash off
Bottom Line:
Very good frame and geometry overall, very responsive and stiff. For those who is planning to move a fork from an old bike to an ISIS, check the steer tube length as this frame have long head tube. This is a great frame for XC and a bit of AM. It is on the lighter weight side of frame in its class. You can crash it, drop it, throw it down a hill and nothing can go wrong with this frame.
Bike Setup: XS frame, Fox Float 80 RLC, Fox Vanilla R, Chris King Wheelset w/ Mavic 519/517, Shimano XT RD, Cassette, Shifters, XTR FD & Chain, Hope Mono Mini & Magura HS33 Ceramic, Time ATAC Carbon, Thomson Elite, EC70, Selle Italia SLR XC, Chris King Headset, Nokian NBX and Continental Explorer
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Submitted by
Edward Rotler
a Cross Country Rider
from London, UK
Date Reviewed: April 7, 2006
Strengths: Tough, strong, wicked-fast frame that is built to last. Looks great and after two years and many miles it still looks and works great!
Weaknesses: Cable rub on the fram takes off the paint. No disk brake mounts on the frame.
Bottom Line:
Buy this frame if you can still get your hands on it, buy it now don't even think of goind for something else. This frame has a cult following by bike mechanics because of its simplicity and strength. Frame alone weighs 3.5 kilos and I love the way it looks and I still get bike mechanics asking me if they can take it for a test ride ever time I take it in for annual servicing. I love this bike and am looking to purchase a second just in case this one gets nicked!
Weaknesses: Anodized pain rubs off by cables, no real disk brake mounts.
Bottom Line:
Great bike! I don't know why Ellsworthy discontinued it? If you can still get your hands on one buy it now!!!Could not believe how light the bike frame was, but at the same time it is very sturdy. Very durable frame, can withstand abuse! I've dropped it 9 feet and it still rides like new! I can't break the thing no matter how hard I try! The only thing I don't like is how the paint rubbs off from cable wear, but heck it is a mountain bike so it shouldn't look new!
Bike Setup: Fox vanilla 125mm, Truvative crank, Monkey Bars, SRAM shifters and durailers
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Submitted by
Cl;ayton S
a Weekend Warrior
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2005
Strengths: This frame is built like a brick sh*t house. I have ridden it for the past four years and due to my lack of skills I have punished it well. I have had no issues with frame maintenence other than tightening the main pivot after each ride. The bike over all has provided me with little to no problems. Just basic stuff like break pads, replacing cranks, chain rings, chains, tires and cables. I could not of asked for a better bike to learn and continue mountain biking on. Thank you Ellsworth!
Weaknesses: The only thing I can complain about is chain slap. No need for a bell on the trails, you can hear me coming. Yes that is with tape protecting the swing arm.
Bottom Line:
If you get this bike as a beginner you will have it for years to come. Just keep upgrading the components.
Similar Products Used: Ellsworth Truth, Bianci, Novara
Bike Setup: Isis frame, Mavic wheels, WTB seat, Panaracer tires (sweet!), hell bent bar, Richey stem and post, complete XT package and goofy barends that have saved my knuckles to many times to count.
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Submitted by
Gary Edmunds
a Weekend Warrior
from Washington, DC
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2005
Strengths: Strong frame, built like a tank. Cane Creek AD12 rear shock is pretty nice. Very responsive - despite the increased weight, it handles like a rat in a drainpipe - but stiff where it needs to be.
Weaknesses: It's pretty heavy for an XC bike - my build, using pretty light components, comes in not much under 30lbs. The cable routing sucks as well, you're pretty much stuck with cable actuated brakes if you don't want to bust out the zipties. And... Ellsworth's customer service has... well, it's slipped. A lot. REad the Ellsworth section on MTBR's boards for more on that.
Bottom Line:
I've been told that the bike does not make the man, but this rig questions that. I'm a novice to the sport of mountain biking, but the ISIS has improved my game a lot. It's really tight and nimble on the local twisty singletrack, and once you get the AD12 dialled in, it's tremendous, and munches up roots and rocks without a problem. Zero pedal bob, and an efficient pedaller. It does lose a chili from me because of it's design though. I was planning on using Avid mechs anyways, but having no cable routing for hydros (in this day and age!) is not the best move. And imagine my frustration when I had to pony up another $45 for an XT front derailleur, because frame wouldn't accomodate the SRAM X Gen I bought. I'm also not the biggest fan of the monoque construction in general - but mainly due to numerous issues I had with a Marin Rift Zone I had before this one.
Bottom line though, it's a great wee bike once it's set up, and for the price I got it for, I highly recommend it to someone who wants a general use, all mountain bike. If you're a SERIOUS XC biker, look elsewhere as this guy's a little hefty, but for the weekend warrior like myself, this bike is excellent.
Bike Setup: Small ISIS frame, CK headset, Fox Vanilla RLC shock, Raceface Turbine LP cranks, XT rims with Mavic X321 rims, SRAM X9 shifters and rear D, XT front D, Thomson Elite stem and seatpost, WTB Laser V ti saddle, Monkeylite bars, Avid BB7 mechanical discs with Speed Dial 7 levers, and Candy SL pedals...
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Submitted by
Dan Ross
a Cross Country Rider
from USA
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2005
Strengths: Tough good looking frame, very rigid, and well built.
Weaknesses: Does not have any disk brake cable holders on ATLAS rear end.
Bottom Line:
This bike is the best I have ever ridden, I was cruising the net looking for a new bike to replace my POS Specialized, and saw the deals at CBO and gave them a call. Love the anodized paint job and the way this bike feels! Very quick feel to it and a joy to ride, this bike is nimble! The ATLAS suspension is amazing and I can see why this bike has a cult following by bicycle mechanics because some may say it is a little heavy for cross country, I would argue that you should not go by weight alone. This bike feels light even though it weighs in at 27.4 Lbs. Hell I weigh 230 Lbs and my wife says I feel light to her as well. Good solid bike and you cannot beat the Ellsworth workmanship!
Similar Products Used: Specialized, Santa Cruz, K-2
Bike Setup: Fox Vanilla 125mm, Fox float, Mavic Wheels, Easton monkey light bars, WTB seat.... all good stuff
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Submitted by
Negev Rider
a Cross Country Rider
from Israel
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2004
Strengths: Light and very strong frame.
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
I'm 6'3 and weight 215 and ride about 50 miles a week and let me tell you, this bike is solid! Since I'm and old fart I ride the road on the weekdays to keep my ass from getting to fat, but on weekends I love to go riding in the Mt Carmel mountains. This bike is very well built and feels incredibly rigid. I broke the Specialized Enduro frame just riding it on single track, but the ISIS Ellsworth rocks! Very quick feel to the bike and extremely responsive with each peddle stroke thanks to the Atlas system. If you are looking for an incredible bike look no further, this bike can take a beating and still look great!
Weaknesses: The manufacturer, importer, customer service or lack of
Bottom Line:
Great bike from a not so great company. Support from UK importer also very poor. After dropping close to a grand for the frame, Ellsworth are to tight (or lazy) to send over new decals, despite me offering to pay for postage. Beware if after-purchase support is important to you because despite all the merketing spiel, you're basically on you're own once you've handed over your cash.
So all in all the bike is only as good as the company behind it............1 star.....poor
Similar Products Used: GT, K2, Gary Fisher, Cannondale
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Submitted by
hitman
a Cross Country Rider
from Wales
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2004
Strengths: Very little bob, surprisingly lightweight, low stand over height, ellsworth lifetime warranty on frame
Weaknesses: high bottom bracket which some people won't like, quite a long wheel base on large,
Bottom Line:
I tried pretty much all the top end full suspension bikes over a 6 month period, determined to get the best bike out there and was surprised at how good all the bikes were. This made me realise that the difference between them was minimal. When I spotted a deal on an Isis I decided to buy it raesoning that if the singlepivot design bobbed excessively I would simply fit a platform shock and the deal would still work out better than buying n expensive 4-bar frame or one of the new VPP designs. Anyway there was very little bob on the bike if any and I removed that by having the rear shock custom valved for my weight at Mojo suspension in Newport. Anyway so far the bike is superb - it climbs really well and descends even better. I'm now running the rear super plush and have just fitted 125 mm Vanilla forks on the front instead of 100mm Pace forks so it will be interesting to see how much differnce that makes. Anyway the bottom line if you're looking for a realively cheap well made trail bike buy one of these - you won't be disappointed.
Similar Products Used: pretty much evrything - Ellswoth Truth & Id, Turner 5 spot,Santa Cruz Blur, Heckler & Bullit, Whyte 47, Marin Quad Link bikes, Rocky Mountain ETX series, Specialised Rockhopper & Enduro etc
Bike Setup: WTB saddle, Thomson seatpost & Salsa quick release,Azonic 1.5"raisers,125 mm Fox Vanillas, Fox Float rear shock,Middleburn cranks & chainrings, Hope hubs, Hope mini disc brakes,X317 Mavic rims,Panaracer XC 2.1 & WTB 2.1, Stans No Tubes. When I was running the pace forks and a Selle Italia saddle this set up weighed 26.5 lbs - not sure what it is now but the bike still feeels light.
I'm designing a Fat bike around an ISIS BB and Middleburn cranks, measuring everything to make sure it all fits, and I cannot get the assembly info from FSA. Their instructions PDF Read More »
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I have ordered an FSA Platinum DH ISIS 100mm bottom bracket through QBP. Does anybody know if that bottom bracket is compatible with e-type derailleurs? Is there only o Read More »
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Hey guys! I'm getting a new frame that has PF30. I'm trying to figure out if it is possible to use my middleburn uno crankset that uses an isis bb. Is there an adapter to make this Read More »
I bought a 2008 GF HiFi that has a ISIS BB and read that those barings don't last very long. I want to know if it's better to start looking for a replacement and possibly upgraded Read More »
