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Submitted by
Mountain Bike Mike
a Racer
from SF, CA
Date Reviewed: February 28, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Mt.Tam Everywhere | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | craigs list | | Strengths: | Everything. This frame rocks. The frame is balanced, the suspension sucks everything up, makes going downhill a kick. Climbs like a bat out of hell. This is a total suprise. Ok, so everything so far. | | Weaknesses: | Havn't found anything yet. I weight 165 lbs soaking wet and it climbs and descends better than any bike I have ever owned. | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher Mt. Tam, Specialized M4, Cannondale Scalpel, Moongoose Titanium Hardtail, Santa Cruz Chameleon. | | Bike Setup: | Bought the frame on Craigs List, built it up with all XT drivetrain, Mavic 717 with WTB hubs, Avid cable disc brakes, Fox 130 RLC, RP-3, Easton handlebars, WTB velocoraptors front and back. | | Bottom Line: | Buy this bike if you can only afford one, are into Freeriding, and want to go fast all the time, especially downhill. If I had to get rid of all of my bikes, and could keep one, including the skinny tired asphalt runners and cross country racers, this would be it. Brings shear joy everytime I ride it. Totally forgiving on any trail. Frigging blasts downhill, sucks up everything, loose rocks, drops, logs, nothing matters anymore, brakes are now almost unnecessary. I will be racing this bike Super D this year, and looking forward to it. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Darkside
a
from surrey, UK
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Purchased At: | nirvana cycles | | Strengths: | Geometry, weight, suspension design, mud clearance - the perfect trail/all mountain bike | | Weaknesses: | Price (especially in the UK!), paint finish and decals could be better/more durable | | Similar Products Used: | fsr 120 expert, 05 enduro expert | | Bike Setup: | maverick sc32, mix of lx,xt groupset, rp3 | | Bottom Line: | Im 5'11 and demoed the medium frame for a long and wet ride around leith hill, UK. As soon as i sat on the bike it felt like it had been custom built for me! The fairly slack head angle and steepish seat tube makes you feel you are sitting in the bike rather than ontop of it. Climbing was great especially with the propedal rp3 shock, traction was amazing and the front never felt light on the steep stuff. The bike felt really manovurable in tight singletrack and downhills were such a blast with the 5inch front and rear taking care of pretty much anything the trail could throw at me. The rp3 shock felt super smooth and the propedal setting for climbing or road work really helped and was easy to adjust whilst riding. Mud clearance on the 5 spot is massive and seems to have been biult especially for the UK's climate.
After the demo i had no aches or pains and felt that i could keep on riding all day (and night) which speaks volumes of the effectiveness of the suspension design.
Demo one if you can but be warned - you WILL not want to hand it back afterwards!
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kim
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond, VA
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Gauntlet | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | Individual | | Strengths: | Frame geometry (rake), weight, travel, color, overall quality | | Weaknesses: | decals peel easily | | Similar Products Used: | First current technology full suspension | | Bike Setup: | Marzocci Free Ride Z1 Fork, Romic D Rear Sock, Flat carbon bar, 70mm stem, Sun Rhino front rim with 2.3 tire, Mavic rear rim with 2.0 rear tire, terry liberator saddle, easton seatpost, hayes HFX9 disc brakes | | Bottom Line: | Once I got the bike dialed in she has exceeded my expectations. I on the smaller side at 5'5" and 135, so it took some time to get the fork and shock set correctly. Finally settled on 10psi for the shock load and 100 for the rebound compression. The first week was brutal until I got that taken care of, more falls in 7 days than the last 7 years! But now that we have made friends, I am completely impressed with what one of my friends now calls "5 inches of pure pleasure".
The bike has great clearance and geometry to inspire confidence and can take tough terrain without weighing in too heavy. My second favorite part about this bike is the way it accelerates when you point it downhill. What a blast. It climbs well and seems to be very well balanced and intuitive to handle.
If you are looking for a great "heavy duty cross country bike" this is the ticket. Girls should not be afraid of the bike, sometimes I catch slack over the travel and why anyone would want or need that for cross country, but once you experience the comfort and the capability you will be laugh at them. The price is fair and the quality of the Frame is great. You won't be dissappointed. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
corey martin
a Racer
from portland, oregon, usa
Date Reviewed: January 4, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | juniper ridge epic, randle, wa | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1900.00 | | Purchased At: | FTF | | Strengths: | the perfectly slack head angle for descending without sacrificing climbability, durability, bushing design, balance, simple frame design, customer service, climbing, descending, cornering, verstility for many riding types | | Weaknesses: | the same old thing here: logos could be more well considered and detailed. | | Similar Products Used: | fsr's, sc, kona, rocky, yeti, giant | | Bike Setup: | Z1 FR, xtr, sram rear, avid juicy, thompson, high rise bar/stem, shimano dh clipless pedals | | Bottom Line: | I ride ultra distance xc to freeride. I have ridden FSR's in many iterations with travel increases and other modifications. I demo'd many bikes to get to this choice and I am very pleased.
Rode it in the Transrockies 7 day race and it was one of the few frames that didn't have bushing/bearing problems: I had to replace the entire drivetrain after the race...tons of mud and deep river crossings with power washing at the end of each day...but the Turner is like new..amazing. FTF tried to discourage the bushing design for our wet climate but now they are a Turner dealer! The key: Precise machining, spiral cut grooves for grease injection and rubber o-rings at the outside of the bushing. Grease injectors work too but the design is so tight I haven't really needed them yet.
I ride technical DH too and this bike is perfectly balanced. If you have to have 1 bike this could be the one..it does it all and can accept many variations in suspension components. If you want to do an ultra distance race one week and then head over to A-Line or some stunt riding the next day..this bike will not limit you. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lou
a
from Freehold,NJ
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | great all around bike. I am plus 240lbs. Balance on bike is incredible. Turner customer service is great. They sent me great new sticker for the bike. What more can you say. Just a great bike | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | giant, intense, Santa cruz | | Bike Setup: | full xtr, Chris King wheelset. z-1SL zoke, hayes,race face crank | | Bottom Line: | Just a do everything bike. Great for clydesdales. Bike inspires confidence and makes a better rider out of you. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill
a Weekend Warrior
from Saybrook, IL, USA
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Porcupine Rim, Moab, UT | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1849.00 | | Purchased At: | Over the Edge Sports, Fruita, CO | | Strengths: | Perfect handling and great solid feel off drops. | | Weaknesses: | (3 weeks late) Can't trust Turner to ship when they say, but that is not a product weakness really. It was a year ago and seems less important now anyway. | | Similar Products Used: | Kona Bear DeeLux (also wonderful for plush big guy xc with a liking for the wild side) | | Bike Setup: | 19" 5-Spot Turner Frame
Marzocchi Z-150 FR fork (after trying the Manitou Sherman Flick and the Fox Talas 125 RLC)
750x2.25 spring on the Romic (I'm 6'1" 250lbs)
Sun Double Wides, King Hubs (ss freehub body) and King Steelset Headset, Tioga DH 2.3 ties. (true 2.3 not that crap some others have where you have to buy 2.5 to get one that measures 2.3) Thomson seatpost and stem, Easton EA70 bars and ODI lockon grips. Avid Mech 185 rear 203mm up front with the Avid Ultimate Levers. XT deraileurs, dura-ace chain, Sram cassette(fits on the stainless steel king freehub body better than xt). | | Bottom Line: | Free ride, jumps, and log piles are great on this bike. The technical stuff is so much fun on the Turner. It goes up hills and on xc coarses too, but not race pace. With big rims, tubes and tires, skinnies and balancy stuff are nothing for the Turner. This thing has the feel of regaining control even when things go a miss. It took me a while to find the fork that felt right for my style, but once I did, it became my favorite of 6 mountain bikes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from So Cal
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | any/all singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | geometry, durability, quality of build, plush riding, climbs very well, 4 bar Horst link rear, an unbelieveably balanced trail/all mountain bike! | | Weaknesses: | None. Really, I have found no weaknesses in this bike. | | Similar Products Used: | EW ID (demoed), Specialized FSR XC (former ride) | | Bike Setup: | SRAM X.9 RD, SRAM X.9 triggers, SRAM cassette, SRAM chain (you see a trend here?), XTR FD (until the SRAM is released), FSA carbon riser bars, Hayes hydro discs, WTB laserdisc lite rims on WTB laserdisc hubs, WTB Pure saddle, FSA headset, FSA seatpost, FSA carbon pro cranks, Romic shock, Psylo SL fork, Eggbeaters = ~30 lbs. | | Bottom Line: | All I can say is that this bike ROCKS!
Ascending: My 5 spot climbs better than my FSR did, hands down. It's about 4-5 lbs heavier, but I really don't notice it all that much. The rear tire sticks like glue, even when I start hammering out of the saddle. I am very impressed with it's overall climbing ability. I get virtually no bob from the Romic.
Descending: No question, the bike makes me a much better rider. The 5" of travel is awesome. It feels like so much more travel than it actually is. I used to go around tricky parts, now I just go right over them. Sometimes I have to remember that I have 2 kids and a wife at home so I have be careful, but the bike just wants to go.
General: The balance of this bike is unbelievable. It's like this thing was custom made for me. The BB is not too high so you feel much more stable and in control. Great center of gravity. The 69 degree head angle makes for a little slower response than did my FSR, but I just compensated a little by putting on a shorter stem. This bike is really built well. I am about 200# and I don't worry at all about breaking anything. It is really one solid bike!
Summary: If you're thinking about a trail/all mountain bike, this is just what you should be looking at. If your LBS doesn't have a built 5 spot that you can ride, find a friend, or anyone for that matter, that has a spot and ask them to try it out. Turner owners are some of the friendliest people I have run across and I'm sure they'd let you take a spin on their bike. You will be impressed.
I'm giving it 5 for value - you get what you pay for!
And 5 for overall - I would rate it higher if I could. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill
a Cross Country Rider
from CdA, ID
Date Reviewed: May 19, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | dirt | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | Vertical Earth | | Strengths: | Beefy frame, 5" plush active travel, not everyone has one, MADE IN USA! | | Weaknesses: | Performance-wise, none. | | Similar Products Used: | a few Kona 4 bars | | Bike Setup: | 2003 frame, vanilla 125, race face, speed dream wheels (king/velocity), wtb epic wolf 2.1, sram xo, thomson post = 30 lbs | | Bottom Line: | This is a followup almost one year after purchasing the bike. I bought the frame from Jenson and all the components from Vertical Earth in CdA. I took the stickers off the bike because they were peeling. I flat out love this bike. For a heavier trail rider I don't think this bike can be beat. No complaints, as it does what it was made to do. Thank you Turner! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Elfstrom
a Cross Country Rider
from Anchorage Alaska
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Dome Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$3131.00 | | Purchased At: | RTR Bikes-Anchorage | | Strengths: | If you have the legs, it will climb stairs, icy hills, steep technical rooty terrain, granular hills, and anything else you would ever want to ride up. The bike feels as if it has a motor when going downhill soaking up every root, rock, and hazard never missing a beat and keeping you on step down anything. Most of my riding was done this winter, and with a pair of studs on this bike, you can do anything you would in the summer. | | Weaknesses: | None. It's expensive, but you get what you pay for. It's not just another chunk of aluminum thrown off of an assembly line. | | Similar Products Used: | Other bikes, never as cool as this one | | Bike Setup: | Same as before | | Bottom Line: | This is a follow up review from a review I wrote a month after I had the bike. I was stoked about the bike the day I bought it, and still just as happy about it now. I used to look at the Chugach Mountains to find lines to ski, now I look for lines to bike up and down. I highly reccommend this bike to anyone who will ride it like it was meant to be rode. Aggressively everywhere. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Travis Zettel
a Weekend Warrior
from Bellevue, Washginton
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2800.00 | | Purchased At: | Online | | Strengths: | Solid quality with flawless welds. Climbs almost as well as it decends. It has been said that a bike does not make the rider. That may be true, but this bike definetely makes me a better rider. It is the most forgiving bike that I have ever ridden. | | Weaknesses: | Stickers | | Similar Products Used: | Santa Cruz Blur, Specialized FSR, Jekyl 1000, Giant VT1 | | Bike Setup: | XT drivetrain, Crossmax XL's, Hope mini disc, Talas Fork, Romic shock with ti 550# spring, Maxxis 2.1 (62a) highrollers 2.1 with Stan's, Candy Ti pedals = an actual 26.5 lbs | | Bottom Line: | I owned a Cannondale Jekyl 1000 and then decided to buy a Blur after testing riding it. Before I laid my cash down, my buddy advised me to check out the 5-spot and I am glad I did. This is possibly the smoothest most forgiving bike out there. Test ride one and see for yourself. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rico
a
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: April 1, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Hammerheadbikes.com | | Strengths: | Does everything great, predictable handling, Turner quality | | Weaknesses: | Stickers | | Similar Products Used: | Turner 02, Titus Swithblade & Racer-X | | Bike Setup: | King, Thompson, XTR/XT/Raceface drivetrain, Talas RLC, 959s, 2.4 Kenda Cortez, Fox Air AVA rear shock ect... durable stuff thats not too heavy | | Bottom Line: | This bike really blew me away. I had a 3" Turner 02 and was a little hesitant on the way it might pedal w/2 more inches and the slacker head angle. The stuff I ride is very rocky, lots of drops and pretty tight. Bottom line is that it does everything better than my 02 and I left the fork @ full travel. It climbs like a billy goat, descends like monkey w/his tail on fire and pedals better than my 02. It eats up rock gardens and has very neutral handling. I have never had so much fun on a bike before. 2 guys outside of Hammerheadbikes.com have ridden it and both now own a 5 Spot.... Check out Hammerheadbikes.com, nothing but quality. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from Oregon
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1895.00 | | Purchased At: | 123bikes.com | | Strengths: | Its a turner, five inches of coil sprung plushness front and back, well balanced, plenty of standover, etc | | Weaknesses: | flimsy stickers. pretty expensive when you think about it. | | Similar Products Used: | heckler, test rode lots of bikes | | Bike Setup: | race face, chris king, shimano, mavic, maxis, avid, fox, romic | | Bottom Line: | was flying down this steep trail, stopped to change directions and was able to trackstand on this slope while i made up my mind which way i wanted to go. unreal. i like the durability of the coil, no need to worry about air presure just set and ride. i have 2.1 swampthings on there now and am pretty sure 2.5's would fit just fine, no worries about mud clearance. i keep coming back to this, no worries when you ride this bike, it does what it does so well your mind is free to concentrate on where your going. the bike works in harmony with your mind. keep those stickers coming. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
scott silvers
a Cross Country Rider
from plymouth, Michigan
Date Reviewed: January 21, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | potowatomi | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$4200.00 | | Purchased At: | 123bikes | | Strengths: | frame made with an artist's touch and thought | | Weaknesses: | I thought a 69 deg head angle bike would steer slower, but it's quick.....and what's up with the upside-down shock. I flipped mine right side up right off the bat.... | | Similar Products Used: | 1999 Turner Burner, AMP B-3, tried out a blur, intense spyder xvp, and ellsworth joker, amongst others | | Bike Setup: | Large frame, 04 Marzocchi z-1 FR, RF BB & North Shore cranks, Romic shock, Tioga Platforms, king headset and hubs/mavic 3.1/tubed michelin hot-s, thompson stem/seatpost, xt 4-pot hydros, xt pod shifters, xt der's, and lots of other stuff... | | Bottom Line: | I really liked my 1999 Turner Burner, I just wanted "MORE". I checked out a lot of really nice top bikes just to see if I was missing out on anything, but ultimately went back to what really works. This bike delivers way beyond my expectations. My medium burner was a bit too quick handling, and I was kinda concerned that the spot would be to sluggish w/ the 69 deg. head, but it is just as whippy thru the trees as my old turner, but it has a noticeable increase in stability. I dont know how they did this, but I marvel at it's handling. You really notice how "in" you feel on the bike once it leaves the ground over jumps/drops...total confidence.
Sure, it's a bit heavier than my ol burner, but I built it up kinda burly anyway, so I guess I better just suck it up, cuz I am the weak link now, not the bike. Also, throw some nokian 296's on this bike and watch it walk away from all your buddies on their wussy cross country bikes in the snow! A great bike for snow riding. Year round fun for sure....
Lastly, I can't believe how nice the '04 Z-1 FR rides, a truly amazing fork....
My credit card is finally maxed out, but I dont care....drool drool.... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a Weekend Warrior
from Marin
Date Reviewed: January 20, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Pine Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1895.00 | | Purchased At: | Gravy Wheels, San Anselmo | | Strengths: | Perfect geometry, solid construction, classy and understated appearance, excellent ride characteristics, particularly for steep, technical terrain | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Ellsworth Id | | Bike Setup: | 19" silver 5 Spot, Romic w/ ti spring, Talas fork, X.O der. and shifters, '03 XTR crankset, Marta SL, Time Z Control, Mavic X3.1, King ISO hubs and headset (blue), Cont. Vert. Pro UST 2.3 tires, Thomson stem and post, Easton carbon low rise, ODI rogue grips, WTB Laser V DH seat. | | Bottom Line: | I originally ordered a 5 Spot in January '03, but after a long, frustrating wait I bought an Id (with the exact same components now on the 5 Spot). Very nice ride, but the too high BB and too steep head angle were detriments in steep terrain. Hard to remount the bike on steep climbs, pitched too far forward on steep descents. Julia at Gravy Wheels, where I had ordered the Turner earlier, contacted Dave Turner, who remembered my situation and helped me get on a new 5 Spot. I can now ride up and down the stuff I was having trouble on before. The bike is smooth and just perfectly balanced. As one of the magazine reviews said, the rider sits IN the bike, instead of OVER it. This makes all the difference in the world on fast, rough, and/or steep descents! The Talas fork has broken in and rides unbelievably well, and the travel adjustment lets me dial in the right angles for climbs and descents. It is a great fit for this frame.
My 5 Spot is silver, and came with very classy and understated (i.e. low contrast) gray lettering--the nicest looking Turner I've seen yet.
Needless to say, I love this bike, and it is stretching my limits as a rider. The Id was a beautiful, quality bike (and a very good climber) but the 5 Spot is designed for more aggressive, technical riding. And it delivers! Special thanks to Dave and Julia for helping me out--I am a customer for life! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Travis Bickle
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: January 20, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Brandon Hills | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1895.00 | | Purchased At: | Jenson USA | | Strengths: | Climbs some crazy steep stuff, sometimes I just can't believe it. Confident descender, very plush. Active suspension all the time. Steers just right. I was a little concerned about the 69 head angle but it is great. Short head tube keeps the front end from getting to high. I like the steep seat angle, I think this aids in climbing. Looks fantastic. | | Weaknesses: | Any day that I don't get to ride it now sucks. | | Similar Products Used: | Y22, RM Element, Titus Loco Moto | | Bike Setup: | Talus R, King/VCX, Thompson, XTR rear, XT front, XT thumbies, Avid BBDB, Monkey light, various tires. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is truley the cat's ass. I have tried it out in Nova Scotia, Mount St Anne, Manitoba, NW Ontario, Moab, and Fruita and it seemed operfect for all. Maybe a bit much for the smoother trails but for my money the best "mountainbike" available. It met all of my criteria:
-Horst link
-Uninterrupted seat tube
-Good all rounder
-4 to 5 inches of travel
-lots of standover
GET ONE!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul Cormier
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado Springs, CO USA
Date Reviewed: January 6, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything with Single Track | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | 123bikes.com | | Strengths: | Lots of travel, still pedals well. Climbs technical stuff very well. Even handles Trial-like hops with no problem. Frame is very stiff laterally. | | Weaknesses: | Although I like the low bottom bracket height for this much travel, I do strike pedals on rocks and stuff occasionally. | | Similar Products Used: | Titus Quasimoto, Specialized FSR/Enduro/Stumpjumper, Ellsworth Truth, Intense Uzzi SL, Giants etc. | | Bike Setup: | Romic Coil, Fox Vanilla 125RLC, Sram Triggers w/XO derailleur, Thomson Stem/SP, Easton CF HB, Chris King ISO Disc/Mavic Ex823, XTR Crank and Calipers, XT levers etc., etc., etc. | | Bottom Line: | The Turner frame is powder coated black and has a nice shine. The tubes are double-butted and large diameter. The bottom-bracket area is a machined piece that holds the lower shock mount. This area looks very beefy, yet you can see through the machined out area below the shock mount. The welds are huge, and not really that beautiful.
The bike weighs 30 lbs. I'm sure I could cut that down with a Titanium spring on the Romic shock, switch to narrower, conventional rims... Nahhh. Hell, I weigh 210lbs. I don't even notice the extra three pounds more than the 8-year-old GT Zaskar LE hard tail.
The rear suspension geometry seems to hit an ideal tradeoff between a firm pedaling platform and plushness.
I highly recommend this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
D B
a Weekend Warrior
from San Juan Capistrano Ca.USA
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | any long single track | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Attention to detail,well desiged, great geometry and bb height, gussets in all the right places. Very well thought out and STRONG - This bike frame is what a bike frame should be. | | Weaknesses: | Makes you want to ride more ... and further - if that is a weakness | | Similar Products Used: | Bullet, superlight, heckler, I drive, blur, ventana and more | | Bike Setup: | Marzoc.Z1 freeride, hayes disc, 519 rims, shimano drive train, WTB seat and tires, romic coil shock | | Bottom Line: | This bike is awesome an ride. It climbs great even built for abuse (weighs around 30lbs). Ive ridden 25 - 30 mile long trails that are mainly single track with this bike.I rode the same trails on other top rated bikes ( the Blur, ect More than once or twice) and the 5 spot was able to stay hooked up longer, peddled further up loose/rough terrain and I felt stronger at the end of the rides.I must add that is without playing with the shock - locking out before the climb or opening the compresion/ rebound before a down hill section.I dialed the shock in when I bought it and havent touched it since. Very good at cornering and very smooth over rough stuff. going downhill on this bike is a blast ( whats a climb if you can't ride down).This bike will go as fast or faster than you can take it. It Will make a good ridder even better. Another plus to the frame is the amount of maintanence- or should I say lack of it. Lube the piviots ( with a grease gun)every ten - twenty rides And thats it.No more checking the suspension bolts every ride and wondering where the creak or flex is comming from. Ive ridden the heck out of this frame in 3 different states, all sorts of terrain and am very satisfied. It was worth every penny.If you like to ride the 5 spot is the bike. Oh yea one other plus. I popped a grease fitting out( my fault), called turner told them what happened. They sent a couple fittings to me and I recived them the very next day- no haggling no B.S.. My friends rear derailler on his 5 spot wouldn't line up a he called and they sent out 2 new hangers and asked him to let them know of any other troubles no haggling no B.S.. Turns out it was a defective derailler. Great bike, great service easy choice. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
M Howe
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: January 4, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Porcupine Rim | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Perfectly balanced all around bike. This bike does everything well. It makes technical climbs easier and is confidence-inspiring on downs and obstacles. The lateral stability of the rear-end is un-matched in my experience. I own and XCE but have considerable time on the 5-spot on some very tough trails (National - South Mountain, Art Smith - Palm Springs, etc). It is even better than my XCE (sorry baby). | | Weaknesses: | None. Okay, I'm a little pissed off that it's nicer than my XCE. | | Similar Products Used: | Ellsworth, Specialized, Trek, Giant, Ventana, etc. I've spent time on most full suspension bikes made. | | Bottom Line: | The best all around mountain bike. A company that stands behind their products (and doesn't quote warranty fine print) and treats customers very well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a
from Maine
Date Reviewed: December 28, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Gotta be narrow and rough | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | BeyondBikes | | Strengths: | Where do I begin? Quality of welds, appearance, ride, pedaling efficiency. That "bring it on" ride feel. | | Weaknesses: | NA | | Similar Products Used: | '99 GT I Drive 4.0, 03 Heckler (own), 2002 Turner 02 (own) | | Bike Setup: | Sherman Firefly, F219 Mavics w 2.5 Wierwolfs, Monkeylite, Avid cable, XT setup, 80mm Thompson stem and WTB Laser Rocket V. Oh yeah, and Nokia 296 studded tires on 2" SnoCat SL rims for snow. | | Bottom Line: | This IS the bike. I've been riding for 4 years now. Started on the GT and wanted a Turner. Bought the 02 Turner (like the current Burner) and wanted more travel. Bought the Heckler (5th coil) and loved the travel but the sag and low bottom bracket conspired to bang the pedals in the rocky singletrack (a lot!). I really came to love both of those two bikes for their strengths, but when the 5 Spot came out I agonized about buying another high end bike (well, a little)and ordered it in hopes it would pedal like the 02 and have some cush like the Heckler PLUS better BB clearance. Well, the 13+" of BB clearance makes a tremendous difference! All the spots I had to rachet pedal the Heckler I crank through on the Spot. I have to remind myself to keep crankin' because the pedals WILL clear. I haven't had much chance to try my favorite downhill spots because shortly after the frame arrived it snowed here. But that brings out another characteristic of this frame. It takes care of the rider. I mean when you're riding 2-3" of snow over frozen footprints some unexpected directional changes can happen in a hurry. This bike is quick to recover and saved me MANY times in one ride. Times when I was sure I was going down, a quick handlebar flick would pull it out. I know that many of you don't ride in snow, but this slow speed recovery trait has got to transfer favorably to technical dirt riding. The other observation I've made is that the technical riding is MUCH easier on this bike than my Heckler or 02. One of the other reviewers said he didn't have to be so careful about his lines and he's right. This bike has "something" that makes the gnarly stuff seem less challenging. Thirteen inch BB, 69 degree head angle, super stiff feeling frame? I don't know what it is but it feels "right".
If you race XC, this probably is not the ideal bike for you. If you do ten foot drops to flat there are better choices. And serious downhill racer Gods could buy something better suited for the task. But anyone who loves all mountain trailriding, a few wheelie drops and some run what ya brung races is gonna love this bike. For the average aggressive rider this is the pinnacle. I just can't say enough good about this frame, this bike takes care of you -- you gotta have one. I just hope I can be the rider my 5 Spot thinks I am. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nate
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: December 16, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1895.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Design - this 4-bar, Horst link suspension is the most refined that I have ridden. The 5-Spot's walking beam design with square chain and seat stays are extremely solid, others who have said this bike is flexy must be making comparisons to DH rigs or they possibly mistake wheel build or tire issues for frame flex. This is a stiff frame.
Quality - the welds and finish are tops (as you should expect at this price point).
Ride - Wow. Great geometry, balanced, optimum performance with minimal input. | | Weaknesses: | None. For it's intended purpose i.e. trail riding, this bike is impeccable. Product triggers my weakness for high quality bike stuff so bank account suffers, basically rolex tastes with timex budget syndrome. | | Similar Products Used: | Superlight (3 yrs)
Trail tested: Truth, ID, Sugar, Enduro (excellent value) | | Bike Setup: | Extra large frame (21")with parts that were selected to take the abuse that demo bikes undergo; about 31 lbs by my estimation. My 21" frame weighs 7.6 lbs with the Romic, the Romic shock (non- titanium) is 1.6 lbs. I will be using a Fox AVA (.6lbs) for my build, so the xl frame with air shock will total 6.6 lbs. | | Bottom Line: | At close to 2 grand for the frame I welcomed the opportunity to ride the 5-Spot before I started building mine. I wanted to be sure that I had purchased one of the best frames currently available. After a 2 hr demo on some rugged terrain, I can say that I have never been on a bike that rides as impressively as did the 5-Spot. The bike tracks rough terrain fluidly and traction while climbing technical sections is unbelievable. I breezed up climbs that I routinely have trouble cleaning on my Superlight. It got to the point were I was looking for more difficult lines because the ones that I normally pick seemed effortless. Also impressive is how smoothly the bike pedals, there is very little feedback through the pedals so it is easy to maintain forward momentum when moving slowly through gnarly sections. This bike minimizes mistakes and maximizes enjoyment.
I will build my frame as an agressive xc bike with air shock and fork. At 31 lbs, the demo bike was certainly heavier than I would want but it is easy to build the 5-Spot much lighter. My hope is that the bike performs well with Fox AVA.
Bottom line? One of the very best. Save up or make use of the 1 year same as cash deals if you are a fanatic who just can't wait. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pat G
a Cross Country Rider
from Warrenton, VA , USA
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Chutes and Ladders-Fruita | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1.00 | | Purchased At: | Turner Direct | | Strengths: | Very strong well built frame. Candy apple red turns everyones heads. | | Weaknesses: | ....uhhhhhh not much..zirk fittings are hard to get to. | | Similar Products Used: | Turner XCE, Santa Cruz SL, FSR, Titus Racer X, Santa Cruz Heckler, Pro Flex (ughhhh) | | Bike Setup: | XTR 9 speed, Cross Max UST Disk, FSA Afterburner ISIS Cranks, King HS, Hayes Mag Carbon, Egg beaters, Minute III, Swinger 4 way air | | Bottom Line: | I got this frame as a warranty/upgrade/for my XCE. I was in love with the XCE...but this is a much, much better product. Everyone who rides it is in love with it. It climbs like no other bike I have ever owned, and corners like it is pre programmed.
No squeaks...no creaks, an it is ROCK solid. I weigh 230, and the only flex I get is from the Minute 3 fork.
O.K. everyone wants to know about SPV and how it really works. Well the SPV swinger 4 way (the one with the resevoir) works extremely well, I'm super happy with it. The Minute3 fork on the other hand...well I've done a lot of adjusting and I'm still not happy with it. A friend has a Maverick fork I might try out.
Weight?? 28lbs with the tubeless wheelset, and a lot of extra Stans fluid in each. I could get the bike to 27lbs with some parts swaps..but I really like the way the bike feels and works.
The bike is a little sluggish on fire road climbs..but it's a trail bike not an XC racer. This bike is as endo proof as I have ever ridden.
Raced the bike in an offroad duathalon, and it did just fine..I left the hardtail at home.
BUY THIS BIKE!!! I have tried just about everything out there...even the Blur (not impressed), this is hands done one the top 3 bikes manufactured.
P.S. did I mention that the customer service is the best that I have ever had with any bike company? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Erol
a Cross Country Rider
from Orange County, CA
Date Reviewed: November 24, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Laguna Ridge Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | The Bike Company | | Strengths: | It will make you want to ride all the time. Your body will wear out before this frame does. | | Weaknesses: | Owning bike may cause OCD. You may be heard uttering the words, "my precious". Spouses, girlfriends, etc. may be hard to keep. | | Similar Products Used: | Lots of different brands - too numerous to list here. | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi Z1 QR20. Hayes brakes. Thomson SP, stem, CK headset, hubs, RF ISIS Turbine cranks, Mavic F219 rims, Easton CF handlebar, SRAM shifters/derailleur, Nokon cables, 2.4 Mutanoraptor rear tire, 2.5 Weirwolf front | | Bottom Line: | Had Fox Vanilla on it with Hugi/Mavic 317. Switched to Marzocchi Z1FR QR20 and 8" rotor with Chris King/Mavic F219 because this thing will make you go faster and over anything and everything and start breaking lighter components, esp. if you are big like me. Bike went from 28lbs to close to 32lbs but still can climb anything, the more technical the better. Did 18 miles the other day with lots of climbing and didn't even feel tired. Wants to go downhill - fast. As fast as you will let it. Holds a line really well and wants to stay on the line, if you get off the line then be careful you will end up part of the landscape. Slack head angle not a problem - did some tight switchbacks up and down and nailed every one of them. Smooth, quiet - no noise from the suspension. Romic works really well - no bob. If anything ever goes wrong I know Turner stands by its products. Turner has ruined me for any other bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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