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Submitted by
ceraboy
a Weekend Warrior
from Bozeman, MT
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2009 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | From a friend who bo | | Strengths: | Very solid, lightweight, stiff frame. This bike has been great on single track. I have been using the bike for over 10 years and it has never let me down. I still prefer it over many of the newer bikes I have had the opportunity to test ride. I wish the company was still in business. | | Weaknesses: | The Manitou fork and cantilever brakes are a bit antiquated, but work still work ok. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale and Specialized | | Bike Setup: | Aluminum/Purple color, all Shimano XTR components and hubs. | | Bottom Line: | It looks like I will have to upgrade this baby since I dont think I will ever find a true replacement. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Paris, France
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Forest trails north of Paris | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | A little bike shop i | | Strengths: | TO be honest my bike is the old CR 550 model from '94, but its bloody solid, 14yrs old & still going strong!!! I've crashed into trees been, squashed by cars & taxi's & changed countries!!!!!!! I ride out evey Sunday between 40 & 50 Km so I work it hard!! | | Weaknesses: | A little on the heavy side! | | Similar Products Used: | Decathlon,Cannodale, Giant & Lapierre | | Bike Setup: | brake & gear levers XT,Group set front & rear XTR, wheels Mavic crosstrail, v-Brakes XT, Carbon handle bar & seat post
front suspension Beta Europa ( nobody ever heard of that I suppose?) | | Bottom Line: | OK, OK I've changed all the equipment, over the years I had to!!
A super ride just a shame that I can't put on disc brakes | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom
a Weekend Warrior
from Pittsburgh, PA
Date Reviewed: March 4, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Any Single Track. | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Express | | Strengths: | Looks sharp as hell! | | Weaknesses: | None that i can think of! | | Similar Products Used: | All kindza mtn bikes. | | Bike Setup: | Stock. LX, Manitou 3, Smoke/Dart. | | Bottom Line: | This bikes the shiznizzle! Bought it back in 94 or 95 when i worked at a bike shop. Was going to get a Klein but the Balance just looked too sharp to pass up. Paid a decent chunk, but it's still on the road today. Time to replace that oldskol Manitou with something new, but other than that still running strong. Too bad Balance isn't in business anymore. Oh well though! If you run across a used one in decent shape, pick it up. I've thrashed some nice PA trails on mine, and would to love to head out west with it someday. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew Woolley
a Cross Country Rider
from Littleton, Colorado, USA
Date Reviewed: January 15, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Buffalo Creek | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$950.00 | | Purchased At: | Arapahoe Cyclery | | Strengths: | Beautiful Frame. Excellent handleing. Durable and light. | | Weaknesses: | So old school. Company is out of business. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale's. | | Bike Setup: | Green to Aluminum fade 16.5 inch frame. Manitou Sport fork. Full Shimano STX special edition. This is the 1994 version. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is my baby. Eight years ago I bought it after saving for over a year (I was a freshmen in highschool) and I rode it for years. Last week I got back on for the first time in 5 years, and I fell in love again. It is a beautiful bike that climbs like, well, something that climbs well (a goat maybe? or a spider?) The long top tube spreads you out and makes it handle like a dream. It feels a lot like my road bike, geometry wise, which is cool.
The only thing I regret is the difficulty faced in upgrading. Seeing as this bike has cantilvers and 7-speed shifter/brake units upgrading is a real hassle. And the fork needs upgrading, cuz it was lousy in 1995, and its worse now.
Over all though, a fantastic bike and an absoultly unbeatable frame. Its very sad Balance stopped making bikes. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chuck
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Date Reviewed: May 13, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | The Bobsled | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Strengths: | I like the length and how light it is. | | Weaknesses: | No suspension standard. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | basic | | Bottom Line: | I don't know that much about componants and such, I'm just a beginner, I've had my AL550 for about 4 years now, but only really started mountain biking last week. So far though, I think it's great, another guy said in his review that it climbs well, amen to that, my friends call me the Mountain Bike Nazi, because I'll get to the top 15 minutes before them. It's also durable, I've had some pretty hard crashes this last week and no damage to the bike. It works great, and with a few upgrades, it definantly will be an amazing bike! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ted Teten
a Weekend Warrior
from Stillwater, OK, USA
Date Reviewed: November 10, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | The 12 miles of Hell Race in Lawton | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$450.00 | | Purchased At: | from the classifieds | | Strengths: | I love the longer than usual frame. I am 6'5" and the extra length in the frame is great. Also the long frame makes the bike a piece of cake to churn up the steepest hills. | | Weaknesses: | The Manitou 3 fork that came with the bike sucks badly. I have had to rebuild and rebuild and rebuild the fork. The Elastomers break too easy and you deserve to have the elastomers for free if you can find them. I am finally fed up with the fork and am going to sell my road bike and get a new fork that requires less maintenance. | | Similar Products Used: | I had a Trek 820 and then upgraded to a balance. There is no compareson between the two, so I won't even try. | | Bike Setup: | I have a green-fade-to-chrome AL-550 with a manitou 3 (it sucks) suspension fork. I have shimano clipless shoes and a bright new yellow Itallia Flight Gel seat. I have the same stock components because they work just fine as long as I don't bash the rear derailer onto curbs while playing on campus. I replaced the chain with something shimano, and have bald tires. I also plan to add diskbrakes when I buy a new suspension fork | | Bottom Line: | This bike is a hill-conquering machine. My friends will try to make it up a hill and not be able to; I just stand up, put the weight on the back tire and up I go. The long frame makes it very easy to balance your weight going up steep hills. I actually churn up the steep hills with the front wheel off the ground half the time. It is so easy to just go up. I recommend the bike to anybody who has money to put into the bike after he or she buys it. It will be a used bike and more than likely, need some work done on it. I love the bike that I have and wish that balance made more bikes. My only gripe is the cheap old manitou 3 suspension fork that I need to get replaced. Thats all for me, I have to go rebuild my suspension fork now. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dale Bowerman
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | South mountain National | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | personal ad | | Strengths: | I hate to say it but it is very well balanced. The geometry is its strogest point | | Weaknesses: | No support. I don't believe the company is in existance any longer | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Y11, Multiple cannondales full susp and hard tail | | Bike Setup: | Rock shock and mostly LX | | Bottom Line: | I have had almost every mountain bike I have ever desired and none of them lived up to a Balance AL that I had 5 years ago which I sold because I thought it was too small because of low standover height (big mistake). The bike was the most (no pun intended) balanced bike I have owned, full susp or HT. I finally found another (a AL550) in the paper for 375 used. It was in my size (roughly 18.5) and I feared it would not ride like the smaller bike I had originally. Fortunatley it rides as well as the previous bike. It can float the front tire easily over fast burms(if I want it to) and I can hold the front down easily on steep technical. climbs. The cg of the bike can easily be adjusted by moving the seat foward or back by as little as a 0.5 inch depending on the type of ride I need. If someone finds one of these bikes in the used bike market it would definatley be worth the time to give it a trial ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JB
a weekend warrior
from Denver, CO
Date Reviewed: February 25, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
This is a review of the Balance AL450.I bought the 450 back in May '96 as my first semi-serious foray into mountain biking. It's a completely rigid frame, no suspension anywhere (yes, it was a bumpy ride, but it certainly taught me how to handle a bike in rough conditions), with STX-RC front & back.It has been a fantastic bike for these past three years. It's been to Moab, on countless trails in the Rocky Mountains, and was used to haul me back and forth to work (20 miles a day, 3 days a week) from late April through September (I installed road slicks for these rides). I am 6'6 tall and weigh 250 pounds (ridiculously big bones, plus I lift weights 3 times a week; honest). Not once has the frame or any component thereof cracked or shown any signs of wear. I go through rims, spokes, and tires like nobody's business, thanks to my excessive size, but overall this bike is bomb-proof.The paint job? Purple fading into highly-polished aluminum (almost chrome-like). The chicks dig it.Unfortunately, I have to get a larger bike. Riding this one (20.5 frame; very aggressive geometry) is very hard on my back and puts too much of my weight forward, making it rough on my hands and forearms. If it wasn't for that one simple fact, I would drop some serious coin and trick this bike out - Marzocchi fork, XT-R all around; basically anything titanium and/or expensive.It's a durable, aggressive frame, and I recommend it highly. Too bad the company went out of business, while bike makers such as Trek and Specialized keep cranking out sub-par products for the same price I paid for one high-quality Balance. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Caunedo
a weekend warrior
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: January 11, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Have had a Balance AL 750 for about three years and really enjoyed it. Light, stiff and not everyone had one. This summer found a growing crack at the bottom of the headtube. Have not been able to contact the company since. Anyone have any ideas or can help me???? | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
T-MAN
a cross-country rider
from Denver, CO
Date Reviewed: January 8, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I've had my BALANCE AL550 for about three years now and I love it. I've tried more expensive frames, but haven't found a stronger, lighter frame for the money. I am in the process of rebuilding my bike from the ground up with Shimano XT components, grip shift, a Manitu shock and the works, so I can destroy these awsome trails in Colorado! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
D-Day
a cross-country rider
from Colorado
Date Reviewed: August 24, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've owned a 19 Balance AL550 for three years now. It's still my main frame; I can't say much about the parts a Balance AL550 came with, because I bought the frame by itself. However, I've built it up with Ringle stem, Kooka cranks, Precision Billet rear derailleur, a USE shockpost, White Industries/Bontrager wheels, and other stuff, and it only weighs slightly more than 23 pounds. I love it, and I will never buy another frame until this one breaks. It's too bad Balance is no longer in production (at least I don't think it is, I haven't seen any ads in magazines), because my next bike would be a Balance as well. I also own a KHS and I used to own a Diamondback; neither of these bikes fit me as well as the Balance. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tigger
a cross-country rider
from London, England
Date Reviewed: August 22, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I lost my Balance 450 yesterday. I'm peeved off! I loved it. Lovely bike to ride and now it's gone. Hope the morons that nicked it bought the drugs they needed. They don't import them into the UK anymore..
Still, on the plus side I am insured. I rate my bike for the two years that it was in my possession the highest mark - cos nothing ever went wrong with it - it still looked fantastic even when it got progressively more and more scratched - and every one commented on how groovy it was... (AAAAaaaaaaaagh! I want my bike back!) | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
PunkRockGirl
a weekend warrior
from Way Out Here
Date Reviewed: June 17, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had my Balance AL550 for 4 years now :) unfortunately no suspension so it is pretty teeth chattering on the trails :( however, I am a busy girl and most of my riding is on the pavement to and from campus :( so the lack of suspension actually is a bonus :)! Actually I bought it for the colour (green and silver) and the overall look. Yes, I am a satisfied customer (or should I say poser???). Whatever. The bike looks cool and therefore so must I when I fall off it repeatedly when I eventually hit the trails... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy
a downhiller
from ME
Date Reviewed: May 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I've got an AL550 and it kicks ass. It's got a Manitou Mach 5 shock, Shimano LX derailers and gripshift. I've also got a Klien with a Maitou Mach 5, gripshift, clipless pedals, LX derailers, and some bomb ass tires. Both of these bikes are very bomb ass and all other bikes suck except freestyle. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
MOULAN Cyril
a cross-country rider
from HERVE-BELGIUM
Date Reviewed: April 29, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have a Balance too.I'm very happy to have this bike and no another one!!!
My girlfriend is a member of the team BALANCE and she has the most beautiful bike I' ever seen!! The most beautiful bike for the most beautiful girl, natural isn't it??? She is a member of the national team...
I write maybe a lot of mistakes but english isn't my first langage.
Let's talk about MY bike:It's theAL550, (how do you say fourche in english?)
so, it's a Rock Shox.The bike is blue.
HE IS FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the reason why I would like to know where Josh had bought his bike...
The ONLY little problem I have is not really a problem, I don't like my Rock Shox, I would like a RST, a BOMBER or ...a MANITOU (the best!!).
I hope not to have shocked many of you...I'm sorry Josh.
I don't know where do you live but I suppose that's in the Colorado...WHOOAW!
Colorado by bike, the DREAM.(Can you send me your address; phone number;...I would like to visit the colorado by bike...see you soon........... | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
josh konen
a weekend warrior
from fortcollins colorado
Date Reviewed: April 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I have a balace and it is not very good . I have had so many proplams with it .In the first year I had to buy a new wheel.The second year I had to buy a new rear wheel also a month after that the frame cracked. I would like to get some more info on balace and like to hear back. | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ron Acuna
a cross-country rider
from Osan AFB, South Korea
Date Reviewed: March 31, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I own a '95 Balance AL550 and am very pleased with the overall frame geometry. It's aggressive in the tight twisty stuff and a confidence inspiring downhiller! The welds on the main triangle are very nice, but the one's on the rear triangle aren't quite as refined. The rear dropouts and cable hanger also leave something to be desired. CNC'ing would have been nice. Oh Well! I still love it! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Al Horton
a weekend warrior
from Feeding Hills, MA
Date Reviewed: February 1, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought a Balance AL450 two years ago. They have since gone out of business(unfortunately). The bike is ridden on local trails with a good variety of hills, mud and rocky single track. The comments about the long top tube couldn't be more accurate. The bike felt real wierd when I first rode it. With a little adjusting and a shorter stem it now is perfect. The only complaints about the bike were the rear shifting and the brakes. I upgraded the brakes to XT's and the rear derailleur to an XT. Now it rides, shifts and stops excellent. My fork is a Manitou 4- almost time to upgrade comparing it to the new ones. I rode a new bike with an RST Mozo Pro-made the Manitou seem ancient with it's 2 of travel. Overall the bike is excellent and if you find a good deal on a used one in good shape don't hesitate to grab it. The main concern about a Co that's out of business is the warrantee. The only part to worry about is the frame- how many actually break outside of racing. It's a shame the Company is gone- It's a hell of a bike. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gonzolio
a downhiller
from a parallel universe
Date Reviewed: April 24, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I ride a amazingly twisted variation of a three-fifty.(Due to many broken and replaced and broken and replaced parts) I have actually ridden this bike on a trail in a forest (WOW!) I can personally testify that this bike is as stiff as a 7075 Alcoa aluminum frame. (Hey that's my bike!) No, seriously, it kicks muy mucho much ass!!! I would recomend it to anyone looking for a sweet, raceable frame. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott Moore
a cross-country rider
from Myersville, MD USA
Date Reviewed: March 1, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I love this bike!! For the cost you get so much. Its very nimble and forgiving on the single tracks. Its a shame that this bike isn't reviewed more often
by the magazines. One thing is for sure, Balance put their money into their
product instead of wasted advertizing. I have owned one for three years, My son now has one, 2 friends at work and a brother in law!! Try one and you'll
be hooked. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dean
a cross-country rider
from Thousand Oaks, CA
Date Reviewed: February 24, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought a 550 in January '96 at a prominent bike shop in Santa Monica, CA for less than 9 bills. Granted, I have put enough upgrades to add probably another 3-4 bills to that, but that has been stuff like a suspension seatpost, some v-brakes, a new rear derailleur, etc. I agree with the comments below about the Manitou Comp fork; however, if you put a Speed Spring in one sidde and the right elastomer in the other, it works better than the stock unit. I really like the bike as far as looks and the weight, though not that low for a hardtail nowadays, is fine for me. I have ridden a considerable amount in technical terrain too, and the bike did well there. It's also a good climber with the right tires ( I prefer Smokes and Darts - the classics or Kevlar beads). Overall I would recommend the bike, though I would certainly try to find it at a lower price than shown here. You can get much bike for that price now. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert
a cross-country rider
from High Desert, California
Date Reviewed: January 2, 1997 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought the AL-450 which comes with the STX-RC components, Grip Shift 600, and Manitou Comp Suspension Forks. As Dan stated, the bike does have a fairly long top tube and does put you in an aggressive climbing position. I wouldn't have it any other way. The frame is so thick and solid, it feels like I could drop it off of the grand canyon without worry. I particularly like it's agility in single track situations. Additionally, the purple to aluminum polish makes the bike just a pure beauty to look at.On the other hand, Balance needs to ditch the Manitou Comp forks. They have very limited travel and can not handle big drops or severe washboard at high speeds. Also, the stout frame is not particularly forgiving in the bumps. I put the Nashbar Clipless Pedals and XTR V-Brakes on the bike and it seems to make the bike a little more pleasurable to ride. I would give it five raceable stars if it was not for the crappy forks. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan K.
a
from truckee
Date Reviewed: June 18, 1996 | | Bottom Line: |
I bought this bike for my brother so I was able to test ride it both in the dealer's lot and in the mountains for a day. The components were good: Manitou 4, lx, gripshift, the usual. But the frame has a really long top tube and forces the rider into an aggressive position. That's fine, but if you don't ride like that be forewarned. I heard Balance is having financial troubles so you might want to verify that before you buy a frame from a kaputz company. The weight of the bike was decent and I think my brother loves it. Who wouldn't like a free bike?! | | Overall Rating: |
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