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Ventana El Habanero Bike 1998 or Older

4.5/5 (2 Reviews)

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MSRP : $1799.00


Product Description

Ventana El Habanero


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Reviews 1 - 2 (2 Reviews Total)

User Reviews

Overall Rating:5
Submitted by tom a Cross-Country Rider from ACT australia

Date Reviewed: September 20, 1999

Strengths:    
reasonably light, strong, active, comfortable, PREDICTABLE

Weaknesses:    
the stock shock (fox alps 4R), occasional creakiness

Bottom Line:   
the habanero rules. i built this bike up with mixed parts early in 1996 and have ridden it hard ever since. at the time i thought it would have to last because it cost me lots of aussie $. it's nice to be able to say that i haven't had to worry about that aspect at all. i've gone through two alps 4r shocks (they both blew in exactly the same STUPID irrepairable way) and then found a cane creek ad8 which works really nicely on this frame (these blow too, but not as badly as the alps do). 3 inches of travel front and rear is cool - IT'S A CROSS COUNTRY BIKE. the bike just goes and goes and goes. while there are plenty of sexy new machines out there now, i can't justify buying one because none are better (usually not as good) as this understated beautiful design. it works so well, why bother? five little smileys (more if i could)

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Duration Product Used:   
more than 3 years

Similar Products Used:   
nothing much comes close

Bike Setup:   
deore xt, judy XCs, cane creek ad8 shock, mavic 117/217 rims with machine tech/xtr hubs
Overall Rating:4
Submitted by Mark Jarecki a Cross-Country Rider from Ft. Worth, TX

Date Reviewed: September 5, 1999

Strengths:    
Great Compromise, good cush, nice handling: supposedly same geometry as Marble Peak, very well built

Weaknesses:    
Slightly industrial rear triangle, non-adjustable shock

Bottom Line:   
Great frame. Pivots replaced once (I never greased them...duhh) for cheap after 1.5 yr. Not as nice as Marble Peak, but was $600 less at time. Weak link is fork, not frame, and non-adjustable Vanilla shock. No frame / bike is perfect in all conditions. You probably wouldn't CC race this thing, but is one of the lighter FS's without being noodle/eggshell. Gets pounded, takes it. Climbs reasonable well, descends reasonably well, handles reasonably well. Rider lasts longer than on Stumpy. I'd do it again. If I had more money, I would have bought Marble Peak, Turner, or equiv. Would have better fork (White Bros? or Atom Bomb), lighter wheels, and experiment with air shocks, or at least adjustable Vanilla. Could lighten to 24#'s with $$. Frame is 5.75# actual, in 18 inch. I'll leave 5th star for Marble Peak.

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Favorite Trail:   
Tyler State Park

Duration Product Used:   
2 Years

Similar Products Used:   
Stumpy M2 hardtail, various FS's around the parking lot, or barely into the woods, so not an expert on its competitors. But seemed to like it better than Santa Cruz, Rocky Mtn, or Speclzd's, or GT's. Have since ridden Heckler XL that impressed me.

Bike Setup:   
XT parts robbed from Stumpy, plus Manitou FS, Paul's brakes, WTB 98 saddle (for my unborn chidren)
Reviews 1 - 2 (2 Reviews Total)

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