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Submitted by
Ari Giller-Leinwohl
a Cross Country Rider
from Vienna, Virginia, USADate Reviewed: July 30, 2006
Strengths: - Steel frame
- Marzocchi MXR Air is light and smooth
- Can be had for a steel (hahahahaha) used
- No cheap shortcuts with components to keep price down
- The Truvaltiv cranks and Selle Italia seat are especially choice parts
- Had great experiences with th Avid Single Digit rim brakesWeaknesses: - The LX shifter/lever combo feels climsy and has strange adjustments, plan to upgrade to Deore combo soon...
- LX rear derailleur is noticably less precise than the XTR from my '01 Homegrown
- no disc brake mounts on the otherwise crucial frameBottom Line: Wow, am I glad that I found this virtually unused Denali on eBay this spring! This is my first steel bike, and yes, it does absorb bumps and chatter much better than an Al hardtail. Rides fairly fast, even one the road with some slicks on there. The WTB Speedmaster wheels are the lightest I've owned, and it does make a noticable difference. The Marzocchi does evrything I need it to, haven't bottomed out doing ~5 foot drops and random uran madness :) It also climbs with less bob than my Judy Race, likely because it's air instead of coil...
I would not recommend buying this bike untested, as the geometry is different than my '01 Homegrown. Longish top tube doesn't hinder its crucial technical cornerig, and the stable frame makes more confident descending. I can't think of a more quality hardtail for under $700, although it does suck that there is no disc mounts on the frame (that is a very common upgrade nowadays). I feel frickin' blessed to have this and the Homegrown... comparing the two I'd say this one is much more singular as a XC bike as it's heavier (~27 pounds).
The only weakness detected thus far is the shifting cannot match the performance of my Homegrown, with its XTR derailleur and Deore shifter/lever combo. Hope this review was helpful, as this site is a great resource for a fun hobby. Now get out and do some biking!!!
Favorite Trail: Difficult Run / Great Falls
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At: Ebay
Similar Products Used: own a '01 Schwinn Homegrown (XTR/LX, Judy Race, ~25 lbs).
compared Denali to a new Specialized Rockhopper Comp and Rocky Mountain Trailhead...
Bike Setup: '02 stock 17.5" (Marzocchi MXR Air, LX/Deore, WTB Speedmaster wheels, Avid Single Digit 5s, Selle Itallia seat, titec stem, Bianchi hubs and seatpost, Truvaltiv crankset, etc).
I also run flat bars with bar ends (Titec right now) and metal pedals with cages rather than clipless.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Justin Johnson
a Racer
from SalisburyDate Reviewed: September 29, 2004
Strengths: Ohhhh, so many. Can we say strong? Carves w/ ease. Can take a beating and keep on ticking.Weaknesses: None so far.............Bottom Line: Great price on a brand new bike. Would not sink the original price of $1,100 into it back in 2002. If I'm going to fork out that kind of cash I'm just going to a full-suspention instead and add a little more cash to it. But for $645.00 you can't beat it. STEAL IS REAL!
Favorite Trail: Catawba Riverfront
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$645.00
Purchased At: Sun & Ski @ Concord Mills
Similar Products Used: Nothing similar. Just an old Trek 930 singletrack.
Bike Setup: Stock. LX, DEORE, Titec, WTB, Truvativ, Marzocchi Bomber MXR AIR
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Gilbert Osmond
a Cross Country Rider
from San FranciscoDate Reviewed: November 5, 2003
Strengths: Excellent combination of responsiveness and shock-absorption, even with *solid* front forks.Weaknesses: Paint does seem to chip easily.Bottom Line: I do all my riding on city streets and roads - almost zero off-road - so bear that in mind when reading my review.
My first and second MTBs were aluminum frames. Until shopping for a third bike recently, I'd never considered going Chro-moly, but a test ride on the Denali convinced me. As other reviewers have said, it's almost as if there's suspension built into the frame itself. Even with solid front forks, the bike is comfortable to ride all day. It's nearly as responsive and "fast" in turns as an alum. frame, but it doesn't ride like a buckboard.
Highly recommended.
Favorite Trail: San Francisco streets
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At: Freewheel Cyclery, SF
Similar Products Used: 1995 Specialized RockHopper Comp A1FS (aluminum)
2002 Kona Muni Mula (Aluminum)
Bike Setup: Shimano XT drivetrain, brakes, shifters, hubs. Sun Rhynolite rims. Chris King headset. Smooth Continental tires. (Street tires)
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Blaine
a
from Austin, TXDate Reviewed: April 22, 2003
Strengths: Smooth ride....great traditional looksWeaknesses: I agree with the previous review about the paint chipping, but its inevitable....Bottom Line: This is more or less the same bike I had, but nice and new.....If you love your old steel bike, this is what you want.....I noticed a dramatic improvement in my riding just with the addition of the 3*9 speed set up...thumbs up from me
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At: Discovery Cycle
Similar Products Used: '93 Specialized stumpjumper, kona NuNu
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