Submitted by
Rico Peurto
a Cross Country Rider
from Earth
Date Reviewed: January 20, 2006
Strengths: 2005 XLite Colonel is a great riding frame, quality workmanship. nice people to work with. Ti is the only way to go for mtb hardtail.
Weaknesses: decals started peeling off on the second ride.
Bottom Line:
I love the way it fits. My X-lite is a 3 lbs frame. Complete bike is 22.6 lbs. I think I will keep this for a long time. I would definately recommend. I only gave it a 4 on overall because my Seven was so nice but costs more than 2x.
Strengths: Ti ride, Service, saved me $1000 vs. other Ti frame choices
Weaknesses: None yet
Bottom Line:
Couple of months wait for this frame was well worth it . Service from Dean was great. Bike = light, fast, snappy, tough, pretty, etc. I need no more. 5 for value definitely, 5 for overall so far.
Bike Setup: singlespeed 34x16, king, carbon post/stem/bars/cranks/hayes, 954s, crossmax xl, irc serac, fox 80rlt. Modular disc drop-out option, EBB
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Rob
a Cross Country Rider
from New York, NY
Date Reviewed: December 21, 2002
Strengths: Price You can clean it with steel wool Sweet ride Ti!!!
Weaknesses: A bit on the stiff side for Titanium- those oversized tubes
Bottom Line:
Although I LOVE the ride, it is less forgiving than my Merlin. Probably due to the larger tubes. It does have that magic Ti feel, however. If you can afford it and you are looking for a Ti HT, buy the Dean without hesitation. It's cheap for Ti and handmade in the USA. 5 turds value for the price. 4.5 turds overall because nothings perfect.
Similar Products Used: Other Ti bike- Merlin road. Bunch of other mtn. bikes- Aluminum and steel
Bike Setup: Fox Vanilla fork, Avid Arch Rival brakes, Sram X.0 shifters/derail., Syncros headset, Kore stem/bars, Race Face cranks, bunch of other overpriced crap. Discs coming soon
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Tony
a Weekend Warrior
from Greensboro, NC, USA
Date Reviewed: November 18, 2002
Strengths: Quality welds, good workmanship, nice handling, etc., etc.
Weaknesses: A little prone to "Chain suck".
Bottom Line:
Overall a very good bike. Handles well, "damps" vibrations, climbs well, great craftmanship. Much better then my Trek 9.8 (which broke and was not warrantied by the way...stupid Trek). After two weeks of riding I sheared off my derailler hanger during the process of breaking a chain. The replaceable derailler hanger hole locations seemed a little sketchy by design (The screw holes and chamfer seem too close to outside edge). I was really mad at first, but Dean sent me out another right away for no charge. I was told that they intended for this to fail (under certain situations), in order to avoid more costly failures. I order an spare, but I have not sheared one since. After seeing my riding partner do the same thing with another bike and bend the chainstay, hanger, broken derailler, etc. I think I agree with their ideology. I would recommend this bike for anyone wanting a quality hardtail for a resonable price. It has held up fine with a 250lb fatty behind the controls. Good job Dean! (even if you are from the Ex-Hippie Hole now Yuppie Hole in Boulder).
Similar Products Used: Trek 9.8, Haro Extreme, Univega
Bike Setup: Chris King disc hubs, UST3.1 rims, King headset, LP composites bars, ends, and post, Raceface Crank, XTR drive, Marzocchi Shock.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Fat Elvis
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, Co, USA
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2002
Strengths: Great price and a good company to work with. Custom geometry and Ti. Stiff yet smooth.
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
I really dig this bike. Getting custom geometry and a quality Ti frame normally costs at least twice as much. It may not be as pretty as a Seven, but I really doubt that a Seven will ride any better (not that I've ever been on one). I got the bike directly from Dean. John took my measurements, and talked to me for a good 30 minutes when I was ordering it and showed me around their shop, and he's a great guy to deal with. I had no concerns at all with buying a frame from him. They also gave me good deals on a psylo sl (02) and a thomson stem, and when I picked up the frame, one of their builders pressed in my headset, installed the fork and stem, and installed the cranks/bb for me for no charge. I think that's pretty cool. I was originally thinking of getting a Fox Forx, but John convinced me to get the psylo, and I haven't regretted it a bit. Being able to change the travel and geometry during the course of a ride is a great feature. The bike climbs well (even with the fork dialed out to longer travel), and handles well at speed on downhills. I've ridden it for 6 months now, and still like it as much as when it was brand new. My only regret is that I didn't buy it sooner. Buy one if: You want a high quality, no-nonsense custom hardtail xc frame made by good guys.
Weaknesses: Aluminum seat tube insert began to creak after two months... Dean offered an easy fix that worked immediately.
Bottom Line:
Let me put it this way... Moots is in Steamboat Springs, CO, Dean is in Boulder, CO. Both use 3al/2.5v Ti, Both use breezer-style drop outs, both use mono-stay rear end design. Dean Colonel is $1150.00 for frame with disc and v-brake mounts and your choice of stickers and finish, Moots Rigermootis is $1995.00! What a deal right? THERE'S MORE!! This is the best riding Bike I have ever ridden. I've been a bicycle shop mechanic for ten years and I've ridden alot of bikes. None compare to the supple, precise, forgiving feel of this frame. NONE. I just test-rode the new Specialized EPIC, Marginal improvement in the really rough stuff, otherwise, not even close. Hardtails aren't going anywhere as long as Dean keeps amking the Colonel!
Strengths: incredible climber,stiff rear triangle,flawless welds,replacable derailer hanger,the attention to every detail.
Weaknesses: it's a DEAN...there are no weaknesses
Bottom Line:
when i first rode the dean it felt quite twitchy, then a few rides later i was blasting through singletrack i used to just cruise through. the handling is awesome! as for climbing, well, this thing just about climbs by itself. i'm gonna be 49 real soon, and have never been as good a climber as i am now. the downhills are predictable and solid. anyone wanting a beautifully crafted rocket of a mountain bike will not be dissapointed.
Similar Products Used: litespeed unicoi,klein,trek
Bike Setup: xtr der's and shifters,rock shox duke sl,king headset,easton monkey lite bars,raceface isis w/ ti b.b. paul moto lite brakes & lovelevers, nuke proof/mavic 517 wheelset...etc
d-Hanger is made in steel as of a couple months ago to help the above guy in need. It's strong. I like it. Other was too soft. I posted on the frame reviews and so will put one here. Got mine around first of year. Race 9 races on it so far. Almost pedaled and rode itself at Mt Snow. I seems just along for the ride.
Similar Products Used: aluminum hardtail, steel hardtail
Bike Setup: xtr
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Submitted by
vic
a Cross Country Rider
from san diego, ca, usa
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2002
Strengths: rigid, rides great, awsome control, climbs like a billy goat on speed
Weaknesses: none!
Bottom Line:
This ride rocks! Titanium is much more forgivable than my Aluminum rides ever were. DEAN folks are always there to answere questions. DEAN found a life-long customer!
Submitted by
kristin boyd
a Cross Country Rider
from austin, texas
Date Reviewed: March 26, 2002
Strengths: Very smooth on rocky trails. Light weight and flashy. First time riding titanium and I love it.
Weaknesses: Derailer hanger is very weak and bends easy. For the price paid something this simple should be fixed.
Bottom Line:
Great bike and worth the penny so far. Have to call Dean to order a new hanger every time it breaks. Other than that the bike rocks. Lets see how long it will last under my hard riding.
Hi guys,
I ride a DEAN Colonel 26er (2009) 1 x 6, custom made for a 120mm-140mm fork. It just so happens that my fork of choice on it right now is a 2009 RS Pike 454 coil U-turn Read More »
