Submitted by
turtle
a Weekend Warrior
from vista,ca
Date Reviewed: November 22, 2011
Strengths: hasnt broke yet and , im 235 lbs
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
i paid 1000 bucks for the frame, 3000 for the xt parts. of course i got the mammoth back rim, 819 disk front. ride all the time @ 3 ponds, flat tires and, broke my chain thats it. the bike frame is a beauty i cant break it, and have hit it hard a couple of times (ha ha) all the time
Submitted by
ubermick
a Weekend Warrior
from Washingon, DC
Date Reviewed: April 21, 2009
Strengths: Beautifully built, hyper nimble, lightweight but durable - and horst link, baby!
Weaknesses: Um, the head tube badge is a sticker, and comes off easily?
Bottom Line:
Hmm, my previous review of Ike disappeared, so here goes again.
When I saw this frame on clearance at Supergo, I couldn't say no. $795 for a Turner? Oh, hell yeah! And it was the best $795 I've spent.
This bike is an absolute dream to ride. It's fast, lightweight, takes a beating (I'm about as graceful on the thing as an elephant on a tricycle), makes up for my rampant fatness on climbs, and the rear suspension is heaven. Granted, I upgraded it a bit from when I got it, swapping the rather blah Manitou rear shock with an RP3, and installing XCR rockers to bump the travel to 4" (not that the 3.6 wasn't enough!)
Mine's the last of the breed - the 2004. The bike became the Flux for the 2005 model year, but the only difference was the increase in travel from 3.6 to 4.0 inches (which can be overcome with a pair of XR rockers). This bike is my baby, my friend, my companion on trails out east, and now out west. For the price I paid, it was an absolute steal, and even it's MSRP wasn't bad for the frame you got.
Similar Products Used: Giant Trance, Ellsworth, Trek Fuel, Marin Rift Zone, and the ubiquotous Blur...
Bike Setup: Small Burner with XCR rockers (gives 4" of travel instead of 3.6"), Reba Team fork, Fox RP3 rear, Avid Juicy Carbons, 08 SRAM X9 drivetrain, RF Turbine cranks...
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Submitted by
Abe
from Tucson, AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: May 13, 2005
Strengths: Handling, climbing, looks
Weaknesses: nothing.
Bottom Line:
Absolutely the best bike I've ever ridden. The only bike I have ever tried that came close was a Turner XCE. From the first turn, you can feel the awesome handling, cornering. I've cleaned many obstacles I have never cleaned before. If there is something better, never seen it. Climbing is great! Supergo $900 deal on the frame is a steal. From the first ride you will feel the confidence build your spirit. Thank heaven for Dave Turner!
Similar Products Used: Ellsworth Truth and Id, Maverick, Specialized Epic, Giant NRS Air, Trek Fuel, Santa Cruz Blur
Bike Setup: Fox 100mm RLT and Fox Float RT, mostly XT, XTR rear deraileur, Sram front, XT shifters, XT discs, carbon bar, Temple of Tone bell to warn hikers
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Submitted by
Alejandro Oliveros
a Cross Country Rider
from Caracas, Venezuela
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2004
Strengths: When i'd first tried, i felt like it wasn't my first ride at all. it's like i allready knew it, specially on Downhills.. I Came from one "very-light" hardtail (Merlin's Titanium Frame XLM). I felt no differences on Uphills (works very great)... Since i've been using this bike, i reduced my accidents to cero!. I consider myself as a normal XC rider, who loves fast downhills, and allways climb to the top.
Weaknesses: Something that scares me is the excess of confidence that this bike provides me... I've been doing a lot of crazy things, completely fearless... God Help me!
Bottom Line:
I'm completely in love with my bike... However i'm tempted to change my frame (Burner) for the new 2005 model (Flux), beacause this bike has to be, the latest wonder of the World, having this awesome heritage. I won't describe more my bike.. Trust me.. Try it.. and you'll remember me. Sorry if i made mistakes (writting this review), i'm from Venezuela, and English is not my first language!
Similar Products Used: i tried, Trek Fuel 100, and Specialized Epic (from friends)... No Way! I keep my bike!
Bike Setup: Full XTR 2003( All set), Marzocci's Marathon (105) Fork, Mavic's Crossmax disk (wheelsets), Egg Beater Triple ti (pedals),
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Submitted by
julia
a Weekend Warrior
from hi
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2004
Strengths: geometry fits me well, feels very solid, nice paint, great standover.
Weaknesses: maybe price? frame wt. ~5.9lbs, could be lighter. 2 year warranty
Bottom Line:
Glad to see so many women reviews on this bike! Anyhow, with so many different bikes out there, there are many choices. I choose this frame more on geometry than namebrand and so far I'm very happy with it. I've got ~4 months riding it. First time on this bike, I made a technical uphill root section that I've always dabbed, cleared them w/ new bike. Inspires confidence on downhill more than FSR (which I attribue to both the TALAS and slacker headtube angle) and the rear suspension hooks up great, it's just my lack of skills if I don't make it. For me 4" is more than enough and with the Talas 85-125, it's just a great all around setup aimed more for rougher trail riding. Only thing, the propedal seemed a bit firm for me, but everyone else seems to love it. Liking the ride much better with the cane creek, with adjustable compression. Anyhow, thumbs up, I would recommend this w/o hesitation.
Similar Products Used: fsr, this is second fs bike. Bought frame only, transferred all the parts onto new frame
Bike Setup: small burner w/ avid disks, talas, cane creek ad12 rear shock, 4" romic rockers. About 28.5 lbs
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Submitted by
Heather
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2004
Strengths: Ride quality, construction, value. Another great bike by Turner. I own an XCE but was able to demo a Burner on a trip to California. The Burner rides much like my XCE. It doesn't feel quite as "plush" but it climbs unbelievably. You can easily build a Burner up (with XT, Avid Mechanical discs, etc) to be around 25lbs. and do it all for around $2,300. That seems pretty cheap for a whole lot of quality.
Weaknesses: None.
Bottom Line:
A really nice, lightweight, and surprisingly inexpensive Turner. It outperforms bikes of a similar weight and weighs less than most bikes with the same quality of ride. I would have trouble passing this up if I didn't still love my XCE.
Similar Products Used: Santa Cruz, Truth, FSR, NRS, Trek. None come close.
Bike Setup: XT drivetrain, Avid Mechanical discs, Truvativ cranks.
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Submitted by
Sandra
a Cross Country Rider
from Aviemore
Date Reviewed: December 28, 2003
Strengths: Four Bar linkage, pro pedal shock provides excellent climbing, longer top tube than the XCE allows shorter stem for nimble riding through twisty technical trails
Weaknesses: Everyone wants to demo it so I have to fight to get a ride on it!
Bottom Line:
The small Burner has a longer top tube than my 15in XCE. This allows me to replicate my riding position with a shorter stem creating a very nimble and agile single track machine. The lighter frame weight coupled with the pro pedal shock creates a bike with incredible climbing abilities. This bike would suit the smaller, lighter rider or someone who is looking for a bike for epic, long distance rides.
Even though the Burner has 3.75in of travel the Turner design four bar linkage makes the bike feel like it has substantially more travel. I have still to find a trail the bike cannot handle!
Similar Products Used: Previous bike Turner XCE. I have also demo'd Turner 5 Spot, Ellsworth Truth
Bike Setup: Talas Fork, Hope Mono Minis,Raceface Turbine Cranks, Carbon Bars, XTR Groupset etc.
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Submitted by
m
from OC
Date Reviewed: September 17, 2003
Strengths: Craftmanship and Turners customer service.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
I've been riding various light weight hard tails for the past 10 years and have always been skeptical about full-suspension bikes. I've demo'ed a Santa Cruz Juliana and the Epic from Specialized and neither convinced me to switch. My husband has owned several Turners such as the O2, XCE and currently has a 5 Spot and raves about them all. Now that I have a Turner I am hooked. It's a little heavier than my 22 pound hard tail, 24 1/2 pounds but it's not a big deal. Technical climbs are a breeze and descending now is alot more fun. I wish I had made the switch a couple years ago. Also being 5'3" My choices were limited to a handfull of frames. For '03 Turner made the Burner in a small enough size and I will never go back. Get your now you wont be sorry!
Bike Setup: Rock SID Race, King headset, Easton Carbon riser, Thomson stem and post, Grip Shift XO shifters and rear derailleur, Race Face cranks and bb, 959 pedals, XTR front derailleur, WTB saddle, XTR v-brakes, Avid Ultimate levers, Mavic CrossMax wheels and Hutchinson tires.