Ventana El Satamontes: "The Grasshopper" Ventana?s El Saltamontes is a cross-country thoroughbred and an all mountain workhorse in one. Featuring a tad more travel at 4? and a slightly heavier build than El Fuego?s light racing frame, El Saltamontes combines...
Submitted by
Ed (Brazil)
a Weekend Warrior
from Sao Paulo - Brazil
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2010
Strengths: It just does anything very smothly. Corners are easy, jumps are soft. I used to be a little scared of tall jumps, but now they are funny and pleasurous. And I pedal about 3 inches higher than any other biker. No chance a stump will hit the frame. I have to say that the Fox TALAS 36 also adds great value on decending, even though it is heavy.
Weaknesses: Expensive.
Bottom Line:
Its just amazing. I think only the Intese Tracer VP beats this bike, and the Ellsworth gets it even. The tracer has a stronger design, Ventana El Salt has a more classical design, and ellsworth Moment is somewhere in between.
One thing is sure, these Ventanas last forever. And the limitation of this bike is me. After a bought it, a new level of pleasure was reached, specially on decending, as I did things unimaginable compared to the old hardtail Stumpjumper I still have (and will not sell for sentimental reasons)
So, go on, buy it. Any of the 3: Ellsworth Moment, Intense Tracer VP or Ventana El Satamontes
Rediculous stiffness! Noticed under acceleration right away. Amazing cornering and lateral stiffness. Holds its line where I've been expecting some "give" or "drift". Rides over almost anything. Dave Thomas - SpeedDream wheels are very well put together. I am the limit on this bike. It is way more capable than I will ever be but it means I can always get better and the bike will be there! Simply superb! If/when I try 29er, it WILL be Ventana, no doubt.
Bike Setup: FOX RP23, FOX RLC32 100, King headset, Thompson stem and seatpost, RaceFace handlebars, SRAM X.0 deraileurs with Gripshift. Price shown was for whole bike, as built. Dave's Wheels (SpeedDream) - NoTubes 355 rims, DTSwiss 240 hubs, mix of spokes and different cross pattern on either side depending on brake-side (front) or drive-side (rear).
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Submitted by
MCF
a Weekend Warrior
from Houston, Texas, USA
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2009
Strengths: Bike is good, not best in world.
Weaknesses: Will not use full travel with RP3 shock and can experience horrible brake howling if the pivot points are not kept immaculate.
Bottom Line:
A good bike, but not the best in the world as Ventanaphiles would lead you to believe. Any bike build in the same price range should perform as well without the few aggravating nuisances that I have experienced from the Salt. Also, my first frame broke after only a couple months due to poor heat treatment of a weld. Ventana replaced frame, but it took longer than expected.
Submitted by
vance77
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin TX
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2008
Strengths: Strong, Fast, Light 26lbs
Weaknesses: None..
Bottom Line:
Wow Billy the kido, you really reviewed your buddy's bike... That's comical, it's not your fault, it's the moderators for letting you throw your 2 uneducated cents in. I've had this bike for less than a month and taken it down through the rockiest terrain Austin, TX has to offer, and still came out in the top 3 riders of my 35 group, I moved up 8-10 spots since I switched to the Salty, and I havn't even dialed the bike in yet. I do find myself sitting further back on the bike than I would like, but I am sure I can make some adjustments to compensate for the bend in the seat stay. The bike is truly rad, the rear travel adjustment is a great additon! Moderator, please block future posts from Billy Blanks, I almost didn't buy the bike after I read that post but I am extremely glad I did!
Similar Products Used: Specialized Enduro Carbon, numerous others, and oh yeah REDLINE!
Bike Setup: Fox RP3, Thompson stay, Cane Creek headest, XT components, monkeylite bars, 717, SRAM
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Submitted by
Deluxe
a Racer
from Gibsonia, PA
Date Reviewed: September 2, 2008
Strengths: Durability and stiffness.
Weaknesses: See previous post - nothing worth mentioning though.
Bottom Line:
This is the third time I have taken this beast to the new DH course at Seven Springs, PA. All I can say is forget the 40 pounders and take your Salty if ya got one. I weigh 175 and just beat the tar out of this bike - again. It performed like a champ and what made it especially nice was that since it can take the punishment and is still light, cornering and handling, for example on EC1 (Eric Carter 1), was absolutely phenomenal. So, trying not to be too mean, these guys below are absolutely so far off base, that I don't actually believe they were riding this bike. Five 24 hour races later and 3 downhill days later (not even counting the hundreds of local rides and races - and PA and WV are tough as riding goes between rain, mud, rocks and roots), this west coast bike keeps rolling. Totally undeserved and meritless reviews below...sorry guys. But I do think if you had a manufacturing defect (as opposed to design), then perhaps you are owed another frame - I'll give you that.
Bike Setup: Fox 100RLC - get it PUSH'ed!!! - Avid hydr. brakes; King and Thomson where it counts; XT tranny...
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Submitted by
changeswillcome
a Weekend Warrior
from dallas Texas
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2008
Strengths: New to mt biking: so: I love my bike: Period! I have nothing to compare to. I am able to climb small hills: for a beginner: I believe that is good. I feel safe on my bike: People tell me "nice bike" and I am lucky to have it. I am grateful to start out Mt biking with a great bike: Seriously: at 100lbs, 5'4": female: I will not experience braking the frame: frame was in excellent condition when I purchased from a very experience rider, who rarely used the it.
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
I love my bike: frame is sexy! Especially in the the bright sun light. I ride with confidence and I have had zero complaints. People always ask me "where did you get that bike?" I was blessed with the frame: rear shock; bad *ss rims: seat post: bars: head set: for $1000; the rest= I purchased and had the bike put together for a total of 3K! www.wrenchscience.com : my bike would cost over 5K brand new. Most all of my parts are brand new! I am 5'4": 100 lbs and the bike fits me great!
I could not leave bad review on the top and decided to write one of my own. Dear giffsamu and billy, every bike can crash and every tube can bent, I hope you will find some solution with Ventana, but I think, that it is not fair to write TWO reviews for the SAME bike ;-) I will try to prove hier how reliable El Salatamontes really is. I am riding my Salt for already 5 year and I did not have any problem with it. The bike was used under very hard conditions - mud, rain, snow. During this time a lot of parts had to be exchanged - Thomson Stem, Fox Talas, Crossmax XL wheels, XT group, several tire sets, Koobi saddle, a lot of brake pads, 5 chains. No problem with the frame ! I have manage to get 2 small dents in the bottom tube, I had to change decal after first year, since I have scratched it, but that was all. The frame is absolutely great. The ride with Romic shock is very plush. I can easily keep pace with 6" bikes on fast downhill, I am very fast on singletrail and I can climb technical sections, where hardtail riders have to give up. My Salt is a perfect all-round bike with absolutely great reliability. There are other reviews of carbon bikes on mtbr, which also rated very high. Still I want to see, how this bikes will survive 5 years of hard riding conditions. My 5 years Ventana does not differ too much from the actual model. Ventana never comes with "complete redesign" of their products. All modifications are done very carefully - fine tuning. Now I am going to get El Terremoto, since I don't want to change my forks too often - their reliability is far behind Ventana frame. I hope, that new 1,5" 160mm Fox will be more reliable. Ventana builds absolutely no-nonsense frames which are born to last forever.
Bike Setup: 2003 Frame 19" electric super dust with 5" travel, Romic shock with titan spring, Fox Talas, XTR, Mavic Crossmax, Thomson Seatpost, Chris King headset, Syntace Handlebar, Race Face stem, Hope C2 brakes, Schwalbe Fat ALbert 2,35", Salsa seat clamp, Terry Fly saddle
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Submitted by
giffsamu
a Cross Country Rider
from LC, NM, USA
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2008
Strengths: Its a beautiful bike
Weaknesses: Like Billy blanks said its a beer can
Bottom Line:
very very very very disapointed in and with Ventana. I'm the dude that took the spill at a xc race last october '07 in NM coming down a gradual hill that then crossed a dirt road. Any who to make a long story short when the dust settled and after I had gotten back into the race I had noticed what seemed at the time as decal peal until I reached down and touched it and felt the ripple (Mother @##$$ piece of #$%@) the down tube was bent. Well like my buddy said I went with ventana because of all of the great and wonderful reviews, how the customer service is wonderful and the bike is great. Well to put it simply its not as great as people have made it out to be. You would think that only being 4 months old that ventana would say "yeah the waranty is still good here is another frame" or "hey send it to us well fix it" (because of the waranty thing) but no I did have to pay out of my pocket to have it repaired which sucks A$$ I had that freakin thing 4 months. any way my friend billy put it in a nice and clear light for everyone. If you are looking to buy a ventana I would look a bit harder, but hey maybe I just got the bad one, or the waranty that ran out in 4 months . Oh yeah Wrench Science the dudes who built it for me it never missed a beat. Your mechanics rock keep up the good work.
Bike Setup: fox talus, fox rp23, XT comp,true vativ odds and ends etc.
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Submitted by
Deluxe
a Racer
from Pittsburgh, PA
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2008
Strengths: Stiff, durable, customer service.
Weaknesses: Soft aluminum on rear triangle; clearance between bottom pivot housing and chain.
Bottom Line:
2.5 year review. First, little Billy, metal bends especially when you smack it off a rock - repeatedly or even just once. A fellow rider of mine works in auto metals with US Steel and that is apparent to most metal engineers. He is not sure that either alchemy or the Space Age can cure that problem. Second, I am not on the Ventana payroll. If I was, I wouldn't be living in this dump.
Now, Billy has a good point though. After about a dozen rides back in 05-06, my chain (and I know you shouldn't be in granny) chewed right through, or at least chipped away at, the aluminum chainstay nearby the pivot. The BB and crank were installed per manufacturer's specs (Shimano XT). It has been wrapped with a plastic chain stay guard and electrical tape ever since - no biggie. No structural integrity problems. Also, I am sure I smacked my seatstay off a rock as I endo'ed, but it did not seem that significant and it too bent, but not enough to impact pivots, bearings or performance. Third, the housing for the bottom pivot will get torn up if your chain flies off -which can happen on rocky downhills like Big Bear, WV or Tussie Mountain, PA. Perhaps, a titanium rear triangle would work better as it will be more likely to dent but not bend also? The set-up is already expensive anyway. I don't think it would be overly expensive for those who really want it. What about a carbon fiber option? I dunno.
Anyway, the bad rating in this chain is wholly undeserved. And I haven't gotten any birthday cards or swag for being Sherwood's "special friend." Conspiracies went out with the X-files Bill.
The bike has been through several endurance races and local races along with weekly rides over wet rocky terrain and has never failed. I will buy another Grinch again when I can figure out a way to hide it from the wife (Theresa - sorry about the Chameleon but it was given to me!).
Similar Products Used: None really besides previous bike (other ride is SC Chameleon SS).
Bike Setup: Grinch green wit all da plop.
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Submitted by
Yo-Zilla
a Cross Country Rider
from Dem Hills
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2008
Strengths: Tough, reliable, well rounded geometry, quality craftsmanship, great paint AND THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE IN THE INDUSTRY.
Weaknesses: not cheap
Bottom Line:
Ventana builds great bikes and stands behind them 100%. I broke my seat tube, just below the pivot weld. Boxed up my frame and sent it back. Sherwood calls me up, we discuss and the bike is fixed and shipped back to me at no charge. Wish you could have heard the response from Trek/Fisher, when I tried to file a warranty with them. My bike is set up 5 inch/AM. I ride it very hard, take beefy jumps, drops and lines that have made lesser bikes flex like "Beer Cans". I push my limits as much as I can, and because of this, I wreck often and violently. If I slam my bike on a rock, I am not going to expect the frame builder to fix it free of charge (BTW, I have done this and it did not dent). If my tube snaps out of the blue, that is the frame builders fault, not mine. I might be "atard", but I disagree with the fellow below, reviewing his friends bike... This bike is a joy to ride, every time.
Similar Products Used: Epic, Blur, Titus ML II, Titus RX100, NRS, Trek Fuel, Fisher Paragon, GT Karacorom.
Bike Setup: X9, XTR, Talas, King hubs and HS
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Submitted by
billy blanks
a Cross Country Rider
from lc, nm, usa
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2008
Strengths: it is made of metal, albeit soft metal
Weaknesses: bends like a beer can
Bottom Line:
Honesty first: My buddy bought the bike after I mentioned the company and mtbr reviews to him. I heard such wonderful things about ventana. Wonderful customer service, wonderful bike, wonderful construction and everything in between. I almost bought the salty instead of the sc blur. I am glad my buddy beat me to ventana to help persuade me to get another santa cruz. In fact the bike looks good, the welds are very nice, very beefy, the cnc aluminum stuff looks very strong. Too bad the aluminum tubes suck anus. And the more I see the bike and ride it the more I am coninced this is the Trek Fuel part II. So if you like the fuel....check it out.....it looks prettier. So my buddy and I are at an xc race and he wrecks. FYI... wrecking happens as much as mt bike manufacturers would like to convince us this is an anomaly of acutal use....it happens and anyone that reads this and disagrees is an artard. A good mt bike should take a typical wreck with nothing more than some paint scratches. 20 foot hucks are another story. So he wrecked...but it wasn't that bad. He had some slight scratches but his bike was not so lucky. The salty downtube was bent like a beer can. But it is ok right?? He just got the bike like two months ago. Warranty covers it right??!! WRONG! My buddy calls up ventana and gets treated like a downhilling criminal. He ends up having to pay out of his own pocket for a pathetic wreck and a pathetic bike that can't take a normal wreck. And thus we see where the 1 flaming turd for the overall rating comes from. I am tired of seeing these small scale companies with their ten reviews claiming a "best of " rating in any MTBR category because somebody feels special for having an indie bike that no one else has, thus giving it five chilis for uniqueness. It is still just a trek fuel part II people!! There isn't any "special customer service" at these smaller companies. Every company is around to make a profit and that is where their heart lies. Advice: Buy something nice. Buy something with hundreds of great reviews and 20 bad ones and not something with 15 "special people reviews". I also have reason to believe that half of ventana's reviews are by ventana themself. I have spoken my peace. Take it for what its worth. Worth = 1 turd
Similar Products Used: specialized, trek, gary fisher, santa cruz sl and blur
Bike Setup: full xt
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Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2007
Strengths: Most importantly, the company behind the ride. I can not say enough good things about them. Build quality, handling, versatile, forgiving, paint is DEEP.
Weaknesses: Me
Bottom Line:
Amazing bike. Switched over to the 5 inch rockers this summer after running 4 inch for 1.5 years. Thought I would lose some ability in the handling but this is not the case. This bike is still quick, precise, forgiving and super fun to ride. The extra inch makes the bike feel a little taller but its been a stunning upgrade in dealing with the rocky and rooty down hill sections. Still no problem to flick the rear in tight switch backs and turns and I think this bike climbs as well, if not better, than my Racer X 100. Also had my suspension sent to PUSH for the custom modification to suit my weight and riding conditions. Imagine the best possible bike you have ever ridden getting 20% better. The PUSH upgrades are worth every penny, especially the fork. Its like going from a shot gun to a sniper rifle up front. Ventana stands behind their product. I can tell you this from personal experience and because of this, I will ride a Ventana from here until they go away. Lets hope that never happens.
Similar Products Used: Titus RX100, Blur, Epic, NRS
Bike Setup: XL Frame with quad rear bearings, 5 inch rockers, Push modified Float R and Talas, King HS, X9 shifters and rDr, XTR 960 cranks, Easton AM Havoc wheels, Thomson stem and post, BB7 brakes.
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Submitted by
J.D.
a Cross Country Rider
from Ukarumpa, EHP, Papua New Guinea
Date Reviewed: November 12, 2007
Strengths: Best built frame in the business....bar none. Incredibly stiff with the quad bearings. Paint job in top shelf. Geometry is dead on for the type of riding I do, which is XC with some AM mixed in. Four inches of travel on this bike feels much more like 5+, compared to other full sus bikes I've ridden. When the set-up is on, this bike just performs, period. Customer service has been great, based on the experience of some of my riding buddies, but I have yet to have a reason to use it.
Weaknesses: I was tempted to say price, because they ain't cheap....but for the bike you get, the cost is actually reasonable.
Bottom Line:
This bike handles like a dream and can take everything I have dished out. It descends phenomenally and stays on track. In tight, off-camber turns the lateral stiffness really is evident (a quality I have really appreciated over other full sus frames). I attack steep technical descents/rock gardens with much more confidence than ever and just when I think I'm at my limit, the bike shows me I can do a little more. I have heard a few complaints regarding climbing...and though this may be the bikes weakest point, I still climb better on this bike than on other full suspension bikes. I have the bike built a full 3 lbs heavier than my other (more XC only) bike, and I still am faster and more comfortable on the Ventana. If you want a frame that will exceed your expectations, get a Ventana. You will not be disappointed. This bike just makes riding pure fun again.
Bike Setup: Frame: '06 18” El Saltamontes Shock: Fox DHX 5.0 Coil Fork: '08 Fox TALAS RLC (stays at 120mm 95% of the time) Wheelset: Chris King ISO Mango 32 Hole/Mavic 819/DT Swiss Front Der: SRAM X-Gen Rear Der: SRAM X.O Shifters: SRAM X.O Triggers Chain: SRAM PC-991 Cassette: SRAM PC-990 11/34 Brakes: Avid Juicy Carbon Cranks/BB: Race Face Deus X-Drive Black 175mm Pedals: Time Atac Carbon Headset: Chris King NoThread Mango Handlebar: Easton Monkey Lite Carbon XC Low Rise Seat Post: Thompson Elite silver straight 27.2mm Stem: 110 x 6 Thomson Elite Black Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Front Tire: Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25 Rear Tire: Schwalbe Albert 2.25
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Submitted by
Sam Wilson
a Cross Country Rider
from Charlotte
Date Reviewed: July 24, 2007
Strengths: Custom drawn tubes to meet Ventana Specs. Perfect beautiful welds. Headtube machined for perfect fitting of headset cups. Solid and stiff frame, no frame flex while cornering. Beautiful CNC machined areas on frame. Best paint job I've ever seen on a frame. Great cable routing. 13.2" high bottom bracket, clears roots and rocks better. Ventana 30% off next frame trade in policy. Climbs Great, RP23 makes it climb better than a hardtail. Descends Great, There's not a line the Salt can't handle. Tracks Great, Point and shoot... it goes where it should. Suspension is amazing, Keeps the tires planted to the dirt. Hand Made with quality and pride in the USA!!!
Weaknesses: My 16" frame was too small for the sweet Ventana Stainless Steel Headtube logo. Not a big deal... I can live with it.
Bottom Line:
This frame absolutely rocks! From the very first spin of the cranks it felt different from every other bike I've ever had... it felt better, felt right. As I began the climb into Dark Mountain, it climbed with perfection, the tries stayed planted to the dirt... it climbed like a mountain goat. At the top we blazed across a ridge with tight twisty rolling turns... it hooked up and navigated everything like it was on rails. We hit the downhills with switchbacks that had 4 to 8 foot burms... smokin fast, carved through the burms like it was surfin a wave and hooked up perfectly in every turn. I was nothing but grinds and was laughing like a mad man... and the whole time I kept thinking "Perfection".
I never could have imaged how perfect this bike would be. I am completely amazed with this frame and for the first time in 15 years of riding I can honestly say... I'm riding a bike that is better than I can ride.
So now let me explain this comment. I've ridden many different bikes over the years and I'm sure most of you have too, but in my experience there comes a point as you get to know each bike that you reach the bike's limit of what can be done with it and you just can't push it any further without wrecking... the bike simply will not perform any better. Well the Salty's capabilities are so far beyond and superior to the capabilities of any other frame I have ever ridden before, that it has opened many new doors for me to improve my technicals skills and push my skill levels even further and harder than ever before.
I've only ridden my new Salty for about 65 miles so far, I don't even really know the bike, I'm not tuned in to what this bike is capable of and yet with only 65 miles under my belt on my new Salty, my technical skills have already shown huge improvements compared to all previous frames I've owned in the past. I can't wait to see what the Salty will be able to do as I get in sync with the frame. And that's also what is blowing my mind... within only 5 miles of riding my new Salty, I felt more in sync with it, than any other frame I've ever had. I just can't get over how great of a frame the Salty is and how well it performs.
The Salty tracks, climbs, corners, descends and rides better than any other frame I've ever owned before. I was going to wait about 6 months before I wrote this review, but after 65 miles on my new Salty, I see no point in waiting any longer. The Salty is a great frame and I'm amazed at how well it performs!
Similar Products Used: Ventana Pantera, 2004-till July 2007 Chumba XCL, June 2007 Yeti 575, 2004-2005 Santa Cruz Heckler, 2003-2004 Santa Cruz Blur, 2002-2003 Santa Cruz Superlight, 2001-2002 Jamis Dakar Pro, 2001-2003 LiteSpeed Obed, 1996-2001 GT Zaskar, 1994-1996 GT LTS, 1994-1995 Schwinn Moab, 1992-1994 Ozark Bikes, 1991-1992 Huffy... 1991, My first Mountain Bike, if you could call it that... it was trashed after 5 rides.
Bike Setup: Ventana El Saltamontes 16" frame, 4" travel Ventana Quad bearing upgrade Mavic Crossmax SL wheelset Chris King headset Fox Talas Fork RLC 2004 Fox RP23 Rear Shock WTB Laser saddle Time Composite Peddles Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes Easton Monkeylite SL Riser Carbon Bar SRAM X0 triggers SRAM X9 rear D Avid levers Race Face Dues Crank Race Face Stem Easton EC70 Carbon Seat Post Avid Flak Jacket brake cables Jagwire Shifter cables Panaracer Fire XC UST tires
