The new Banshee Viento is the ultimate versatile all mountain hardtail. Constructed with new custom lightweight ½ RAD tube set, the Viento’s chassis is light and solid for blasting through rocky sections and exclusive internally ribbed seat and chain stays deliver the power to the ground with authority.
Submitted by
snowdrifter
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA USA Date Reviewed: August 5, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Local Trail - Demo Forest
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
All around, great frame, looks great (see weakness) ride great. So far as other reviews it seems strong.
Weaknesses:
paint job (I have the black chrome) chips very easily.
Similar Products Used:
GT Zaskar LE, American ELF
Bike Setup:
XTR and a Rock Shox Pike...
Bottom Line:
for the price it's a great buy and I'd highly recommend it but you have to be careful for the paint job. Wish I'd known how easy the paint chipped before I tossed it in the trunk. By comparison my Intense 6.6 has been knocked around 10X more and is barely scratched.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dazed
a Weekend Warrior
from Eastern Norway Date Reviewed: June 18, 2009
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
Somar Sport
Strengths:
Good price, very stiff frame, tracks very good, great paint job, solid and reasonably light. Good clearance everywhere, and all threads/faces were good straight out of the box. Nice susprise that it comes with a seatpost. Ample tire clearence.
Weaknesses:
None yet. It's a pretty basic hardtail design, so there's not much to do wrong. The only thing is that I can't understand why the right chainstay isn't painted.
Similar Products Used:
Assorted "norba geometry" XC frames and FS trail bikes, but nothing quite like this.
Bike Setup:
Rock Shox Reba @115mm, XT M775 hubs, DT Revolution spokes w/alum. nipples, Mavic XC717 Disc rims, Schwalbe Racing Ralph Evo 2.25" tires, Thomson Elite stem and seatpost,
Syntace VRO Ecoriser bars, Selle Italia SLR XC saddle, XT 770 derailleurs and shifters, Formula Oro K18 180/160 brakes, SLX triple crankset, XT 770 cassette, XTR Chain, FSA Orbit XL-II headset and Shimano PD-M540 pedals.
Bottom Line:
I wanted an "XC" bike with a slightly less agressive geometry and riding position than an ordinary racing hardtail, and I needed a stiff and durable bike for a 220 pound rider. This is spot on! Great bike! And VERY versatile. This is one "do it all" bike. Takes me back to the time when there were no "subcategories" to "mountain bikes", and a "mountain bike" was just a bike for riding off road that you could take absolutely anywhere. The Viento is such a bike. I couldn't be happier.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
willem3
a Cross Country Rider
from Bend, Oregon Date Reviewed: April 16, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Flagline
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$599.00
Purchased At:
LBS - Sagebrush Cycl
Strengths:
Stiff, strong very high quality frame. Superb finish (anodized Black in my case). The Geometry allows for a longer travel fork (130mm in my case). Rides like a dream...truly point and shoot... Great climber...and superb on the downhill...Not the lightest XC frame, but it is more of an All Mountain Hardtail. I don't miss my full suspension one bit.
Weaknesses:
None thus far....If it were lighter, it would not be as strong...
Similar Products Used:
Ventana Frames, Jamis, etc....
Bike Setup:
Banshee Viento Frame Size Medium - Black Anodized Finished
2008 Shimano XT Wheelset with Maxxis Ignitor 2.35 UST Tires
2007 Shimano XT Cranks with 2008 Chainrings
XTR Front
XT Shadow Rear
XT Brakes + Levers (2008)
XT Rapid Fire Shifters (2008)
Chris King Headset
Thomson Elite Post
Thomson X-4 Stem 90mm 0 Degree
WTB Rocket V Titanium Seat
Hope Skewers and Seat post clamp
ODI Rogue Lock-On Grips
Raceface Carbon Riser Bar
SRAM 991 Chain
Bottom Line:
Bullet Proof...Point and shoot...Superb!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
braider33
a Cross Country Rider
from Clarksville, TN, USA Date Reviewed: January 29, 2009
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1899.00
Purchased At:
rbikes
Strengths:
Heavy duty welds and strong aluminum frame. Total weight w/pedals under 27lbs.
Weaknesses:
I haven't experienced any problems so far.
Similar Products Used:
Trek 6500
Bike Setup:
X.9 build kit with RockShox Recon Race fork.
Bottom Line:
I love this bike. When hitting the local shops for what they considered a "high end" hardtail, I just didn't find something that caught my eye. I knew I wanted something other than what everyone else might be riding. Read about Banshee and checked out their site. I contacted the guys at Rbikes and was pumped after getting off the phone with them. They sell every color offered by Banshee and even upgraded a few compenants at no additional cost. This is a strong frame that has handled everything I've thrown at it so far (to include snow/ice covered trails in OH two weeks ago). At 6'3", 215lbs, I'm not too worried about weight but I do feel like this is a "light" bike. I'm pretty sure this thing will hold up for anyone looking for a solid XC hardtail.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
tpm7
a Weekend Warrior
from Camlachie, ON, Canada Date Reviewed: August 25, 2008
Favorite Trail:
3 Stage
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Rbikes.com
Strengths:
The welds on the frame are strong and the bike is built to be ridden. Light at only 4.3lbs this bike is an awesome choice for all mountain riding and can accommodate a wide range of fork sizes. It climbs amazingly well with a 140mm fork on the front. Built and rides solid.
Weaknesses:
The paint scratches on rocks ;)
But seriously, the only weakness I can find is the angle of the cable stop on the seat tube for the front dérailleur, which is angled to the non-drive side of the frame. If your FD pulls from the drive side, the cable will look wonky coming out of the cable stop, but otherwise perform with no issues whatsoever.
Bike Setup:
2008 Fox Vanilla R 140mm
FSA OS-140 stem
RaceFace Evolve XC flatbars
2008 Avid BB7s with Avid Speed Dial SL Levers
RaceFace Evolve XC X-type Crank with CB Mallet C's
2007 Sram x9 FD & RD
XT Centrelock hubs
Cane Creek S-8 Headset
Sun Rims DS-1 XC
Bottom Line:
Overall this product is by far the best frame I have ever ridden - bar none. If you're looking for a light yet strong All Mountain Oriented frame, this is a frame to seriously consider.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
KM_Behrens
a Weekend Warrior
from Lazo Date Reviewed: July 22, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
beyondbikes.xom
Strengths:
absolutely beautiful frame! stiff, light and strong. Banshee bikes returns phone calls and emails quite quickly. Banshees website and blogs offer plenty of information for someone searching to purchase one of their bikes. Like the Viento is advertised, it does soften small trail vibrations. climbs like a goat on speed and descends even better.
Weaknesses:
Nit-picking here: the rear brake mounts only fit certain types of i.s. calipers. ie: my magura marta i.s. caliper wouldn't fit. I had to buy a post-mount caliper with an i.s. adapter. also, their website can be a little suspect. It is a good site for information but some of it is wrong. ie: the seatpost size was incorrectly printed in their bike geometry section (but they do ship their frames with correct seatpost binders and seatposts which I had no idea they did)
Similar Products Used:
cove stiffee set-up as an all-mountain bike. honestly I don't even think I can compare the Cove to my Banshee. The stiffness of the Banshee frame makes my Cove frame feel like a wet noodle.
Bike Setup:
set-up for more trail/ all-mountain riding.
426 revelation air u-turn, magara marta brakes, sram x.9 derailleurs and thumb shifters, sram cassette, race face atlas crankset and mavix xm819 ust.wheelset w/ xt hubs.
Bottom Line:
I couldn`t stop smiling and laughing the first time a rode the Viento. It was so fun! Unbelievable stiffness in the frame.
but here is the rub-Either buy the bike as a complete bike or buy the frame, THEN buy the components to fit! do NOT do what I did and buy the components first based on information from Banshees' and other websites. it will only compicate matters.
I give it 5 chilis for value even though it was $700.00 for the frame only, but it is completely worth it.
5 chilis for an overall rating despite the sketchy info on banshees' website.
this is a frame for someone who still loves the feel of a hardtail. You cannot accelerate and hammer on a full-suss like you can on a hardtail. Those who know, know. Buy it if your trails consist of smooth flowy singletrack.
I would stay away from this frame if you live in a place with lots of roots and big rocks, a full-sus will perform better on that kind of trail.
If you are in the market for a sweet, stiff, light-weight hardtail frame that can you can race on in the morning and then fly down the local trails in the afternoon then I encourage you to find a dealer that will let you try this bike out. you will not be disappointed!
Bottom line-you will fly down the trails on this bike and wonder why you waited this long to have a bike like this!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Karl
a Cross Country Rider
from Las Vegas, Nevada Date Reviewed: April 24, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Cowboy Trails
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Perfect geometry, excellent craftsmanship, best riding hardtail I have ridden
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Salsa Moto Rapido, Yeti ARC
Bike Setup:
Fox fork, race face carbon bars, thomson stem, xtr tubeless wheels and sram xo, etc.
Bottom Line:
This is the best hardtail I have ever ridden. The curved seatstays perform as promised to reduce abuse from rear wheel obstacle impact. The frame is bomb proof but not insanely heavy, with the right components it can easily be a race bike. The geometry is perfect for all day rides or cross county races. Lastly, and not as important but still impressive, the mercury finish is sexy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Daniel
a Racer
from Escondido, CA Date Reviewed: February 6, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$575.00
Purchased At:
BeyondBikes.com
Strengths:
Strong, light, stiff, absorbs trail vibrations very well, beautiful paint job, nice lines, (the list goes on)
Weaknesses:
The cable mount for the front derailleur (on the seat tube) is angled the wrong way for an XT derailleur. No performance hit, just a nit pick.
Similar Products Used:
Litespeed, Trek Fuel, Intense Tracer & 5.5
Bike Setup:
Banshee Viento, Hope/Hadley on Mavic XM819 UST rims, XTR/XT, Race Face crankset, Hayes 8" disc brakes, Thompson, King
Bottom Line:
Flat out awesome. I haven't ridden a hard tail like this since I had my Litespeed racer a few years ago. I just switched from my Intense Tracer and I am in love with the Viento. It climbs super well, it corners without a complaint, and it tracks perfectly. Excellent power transfer - there really seems to be zero flex. One thing I noticed was the fact that it isn't a harsh ride. I thought that it might be tough to go back to a hard tail after riding the Intense, but I was super surprised with the Viento. It does a great job soaking up the little bumps and trail vibrations.
I can't recommend this frame more... I wish I could give it 6 chilis!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ian
a Weekend Warrior
from Seoul, Korea Date Reviewed: November 18, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
strong as hell, good welds
Weaknesses:
Poor finish inside the seat tube. I had to grind inside to fit my post.
Bottom Line:
Tough frame, nice tube design; especially at the downtube and the chainstay (you'll know what I mean if you see one :-)
I've only got one complaint. (See product weaknesses.)Tiwanese factory workers shoud have checked the frame completely, before they put them inside the carton. Yes, this frame is made in tiwan.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
marco fantauzzi
a Weekend Warrior
from newark, n.y united states Date Reviewed: September 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
all
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
Richard's bicycles
Strengths:
frame is bomb proof!! great welds and great lines to it. Awesome all mountain build.
Weaknesses:
none so far
Similar Products Used:
Gt zaskar, K2, Giant.
Bike Setup:
All mountain build. Full xt, Avid juicy seven, mavic 317 disc laced to xt hubs, manitou minute 3 fork. truvativ parts: crank, handlebar, stem, seatpost.
Bottom Line:
Buy this frame. This is without a doubt the sickess hardtail I have ever ridden. climbs great and takes quite a beating. I got the bike from Richard's bicycle and I had a all mountain build kit put on it. It is fantastic!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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