Description:-Legendary Ventana "Electric Sex" TIG welds
-Easton Elite 60 double-butted tubing
-Double seal, oversized cartridge bearings
-Optional quad sets for increased lateral stiffness and longer life
-Rebuildable 7075 anodized aluminum bearing axles at upper bearing pivot points
-10mm bearing axles at minor pivots
-15mm bearing axles at main and tower pivots
-Low compression ratio suspension geometry yields 4" rear travel using a 2" stroke Fox Float R Air shock
-High aspect ratio rocker for increased cornering stiffness
-Vertical dropouts with replaceable derailleur hanger
-International Standard disc brake mount
-Internally butted head tube
-1-1/8" steerer tube
-Fits 34.9mm top pull front derailleur
-27.2mm seat post diameter
-73mm, internally butted, one piece, CNC machined BB shell and main pivot
Submitted by
Ray
a Weekend Warrior
from El Dorado Hills Date Reviewed: August 17, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Sovereign Trail, Moab, Utah
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
Ebay
Strengths:
Bomber lateral stiffness. Solid contruction. Craftmanship throughout in terms of materials, welds, etc. Also, wonderful customer service support. Sherwood and company are dedicated to the sport and ensuring that their customers are very happy.
Weaknesses:
Frame is a bit heavy than a normal XC FS bike but the tracking and stability on the single track is worth the additional weight.
Similar Products Used:
Stumpjumper, Richey, Klein, Yeti, Santa Cruz Blur.
Bike Setup:
Marozocchi z1 eta fork, xt, avid juicy @ 185mm, panaracer, CK hubs, rhino rims, 5" travel quad rocker, etc.
Bottom Line:
Bought it used from Ebay. Built the bike up from used parts. I've taken it out three times now and I was impressed with its lateral stiffness and how well it tracks and stays in the pocket during fast downhills. Rocks, holes, ruts, etc, it just rides eats up with solid stability as compared to my Blur. Climbs like a goat. Plan to take it for a spin at Downieville and Mammoth in the next few months. If your looking for a bomber frameset that will endure anything you throw at it except being run over by a Mack truck, this frame will do the trick. One should buy this frame if they plan to never buy another one. It reminds me of the same quality as the early Yeti's Pro Fro's made in Durango, CO. Solid all mountain FR machine.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stinkbottom
a
from LA, CA USA Date Reviewed: January 22, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Yes
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1750.00
Purchased At:
Found it on MTBR
Strengths:
Beautiful, Corners like a tearaway ferret, Beautiful, Laterally stiff, Handmade in the USA, You can talk to the framemaker in real time
Weaknesses:
You feel bad when you ride hard because you might scratch it, but it loves it and you love it so you just have to keep on riding it and riding it.
Similar Products Used:
Trek Fuel 98
Bike Setup:
Five inch rockers, Manitou Radium RL, DUC 32, Juicy fives
Bottom Line:
By far the best frameset I have ever ridden. I love the way it is set up and I have a lot of fun riding it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
grant
a Cross Country Rider
from victoria bc Date Reviewed: March 24, 2006
Favorite Trail:
B1
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Fairfield Bicycles
Strengths:
Craftsmanship is superbe. Very stable and stiff. Great climber and desender. Durable. Beautiful.
King hubs&headset,Thomson,Raceface Deus/XT/XTR drivetrain, Manitou Minute 4 IT,Swinger 4way air.
Bottom Line:
The El Saltamontes is a great all rounder. I ordered it with the 5" kit & quad bearings(quad option is a must). It is a little burley for xcountry racing but is perfectly at home in tight singletrack and on long epic rides. I find it hard to leave at home...it's just so much fun to ride! If you are new to the sport you will be getting a machine that you will grow with for years to come. As a seasoned rider,you will have found a new friend that you barely notice...no surprises or handling quirks,super fast and fun...plows through rocks,roots,and stays planted. I have been riding mtbs for 18 years and it is the best bike I have owned. I ride aggressive xcountry,3 times a week,in coastal conditions and recomend this bike to anyone wanting a truly reliable and capable machine.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David McAfee
a Weekend Warrior
from Austin Texas Date Reviewed: July 31, 2005
Favorite Trail:
emma long loop
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
cambria bikes
Strengths:
Manufacturer Quality, Small Personal Company, Made in the USA..... contact your tiawaise freinds....ha
Weaknesses:
Not many people know about this mfr.
Similar Products Used:
Most...
Bike Setup:
XT, Handmade Weels, Micheilin Super lites 24.5 lbs.
Bottom Line:
You'll have to spend $2300 to find a better frame.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Luciano Serra
a Weekend Warrior
from São Paulo, SP, Brazil Date Reviewed: July 11, 2005
Fox 36RC, Romic D Ti, Mavic Crossmax XL Disc, Avid Juicy 7 (203mm/185mm), SRAM X-0/XTR transmission, Race Face Deus crankset, Crank Bros Candy Ti pedals, Easton Monkeylite bar, Thomson Elite stem and Masterpiece setback seatpost, King headset, WTB Rocket Stealth Ti saddle, WTB Weirwolf 2.5 front tire and Nokian NBX 2.3 rear, anodized silver custom color, quad bearings and 6" rocker factory options.
Bottom Line:
It swallows rough trials, rocks & stairs, very fast on single trek, makes the mountain a fun park, real all-mountain weapon that can be pedaled for more than 3 hours. '05 model may be improved over mine. Get the X-5 if you want to use a 6" fork. I used a Marzocchi Z-1 SL and Fox Float RL (a 5 inches setup) before swiching to Romic Coil and the Fox 36 (6 inches setup). I got more fun and less XC feel.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Wzl
a
from ABQ, NM Date Reviewed: April 13, 2004
Favorite Trail:
still White Mesa
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1.00
Strengths:
Great bike.
Weaknesses:
Great bike makes me ditch work to go ride it.
Bottom Line:
This is a 6 month up date. I have had some minor problems. 1st, several weeks after I got my hands on this wicked ride I began to notice a small amount of ticking when I picked up the bike. It seems like there is a small amount of play in the upper bushing mount that secures the Romic coil to the frame. The odd thing is that the amount of play is not getting any worse with time. Perhaps it is just a loose fit. I just hear it tick slightly every time I pick it up and this is annoying. I have been working with Wrench Science to try and resolve the issue and I have some new bushing parts and a bolt on the way. Hopefully this will resolve the issue.
As for the travel, this bike with the Romic coil is indeed a 3-4-5" travel bike. I was misinformed by the sales rep and we have both been schooled by Sherwood Gibson since. There are actually 4 positions on the rocker: 3, 3.5, 4, and 5 inches. Regardless of the shock you run, on this frame with this rocker you get this much travel.
My 04 zoch Z1 FR SL let me down. I saw no other postings that made me think that any one else has had these problems. In the middle of a big ride about a month ago the left fork leg positive air chamber just quit holding air and I realized quickly that I was riding along with a very short travel fork. I tried pumping it up but I just heard the air rushing out along the top seals. To get out, I pumped up the right leg to twice the pressure. Ride was harsh but the travel was at least close to what it should be. Local shop replaced all the o-rings and some little valve things but then the negative air chamber started leaking slowly enough that I would have to pump it up every 30 minutes or so during a ride. This is not right so I sent it back to Marzocchi. We'll see what happens next. In the mean time I put a FOX TALUS with 125mm of travel on the bike and I have to say that this is a sweet fork. Many have reported problems with their seals and what not. I have been running the same 100mm FOX Float on another bike for about 2 years and I havent had to pump it up since I installed it. Hope this one is as good. Ride is sweet, did I mention that? Maybe not as plush as the zoch but definately more precise.
All bearings on the frame are solid.
Bike is still beautiful but the cable and break housing was starting to rub the paint so I went out and got me some cool smiley face felt dot thingies to save the paint. Works great.
Hayes HFX Mag plus breaks are weak and still seem to fade on longer descents. I gotta find something a little stronger. Any ideas?
As for maximum tire size, I asked Sherwood Gibson about this as the stated max size is a 2.4. I was running a 2.5 WTB Timber Wolf for a few weeks. Sherwood said if there was even the slightest bit of rubbing on the brakestays then there is the possibility of the tire riping right through the tubing. I did notice a tiny amount of blemishing on the tubes so I took it off and replaced it with a Conti Gravity 2.3. This tire seems pretty nice so far. It is far rounder than other Conti's I have tried and does not break loose when you lean it way over like the Survival Pro does. Climbs pretty well on loose sandy granite trails.
And for those of you who are just thinking about Ventana, pleae note that I was able to contact the maker of this bike on several occasions and ask questions directly. He even called me at work! You ain't gonna get that from any of those other companies out there. BUY VENTANA.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Helida
a
from Palmdale, CA Date Reviewed: February 19, 2004
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Quintessential quality.
Similar Products Used:
Titus Racer-X
Bike Setup:
Fox Float and Romic Coil shocks to swap between, Fox Vanilla 100 fork, Avid mechanical discs, Schwalbe Fat Albert tires, lots of other cool stuff.
Bottom Line:
This bike excels in every aspect. It is plush, durable, the perfect size, and a work of art.
Sherwood is one of the very few, if not the only one, who would build a custom "long" travel, trail worthy frame for a short rider. At 5' 3/4" I do not have a lot of standover for long travel bikes. This bike fits perfect and gives me more plushness and travel than my Racer-X.
I have both the Fox Float air rear shock and the Romic coil over. The lowest spring rate for the steel coil Romic is 300 lbs. Because I'm "too small" for this spring rate at 115 lbs, the Romic was deemed as not optimal for me. So far I don't have as much time in the saddle with the Romic as I do with the air shock. However, the bottom line is the ride is smoother and far plusher on the Romic than on the air rear shock.
If you are after plushness, save your money and go straight for the Romic rear shock. Air shocks allow for a more efficient, responsive ride, but the steel coil does what I bought this bike for - it flattens the trails.
I will post again when I get more seat time with the Romic.
This bike is highly, highly recommended.
Helida
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John Entwistle
a Weekend Warrior
from WA Date Reviewed: February 5, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Moab / Fruita
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Strengths:
It holds up to the abuse that this 200lb rider gives it. Lateral stiffness, quality of engineering and manufacture. The Romic option gives an awesome ride, quad bearings are almost (but don't ignore them) maintenance-free. Plus it's darned pretty (Electric Red Powder Coat)
A sweet XC / trail bike. Takes everything that the Pacific NW can throw at it. I'm 200 lbs and the bike performed like a dream on anything Moab could throw at it this fall (or anything that I could ride !) Laterally stiff, plush suspension. super efficient pedaling, goes where you put it (even if it's sometimes the wrong place.....) Ventana's support / commitment to their product continues to be awesome. Sherwood's engineering and manufacturing impresses this particular engineer - a lot ! I traded it in for a Fuego (I'm too heavy for a Fuego) using Ventana's customer trade in program and haven't looked back. One small problem. I recently bought a Bruja - now I have to choose which / where to ride. Tough choices.....
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jerry Smith
a Cross Country Rider
from Everson Wa. Date Reviewed: January 10, 2004
Favorite Trail:
Gailbrath Mt.
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
Lifecycles Abbotsford B.C.
Strengths:
Unsurpassed quality of workmanship, super strong, and the feeling of confidence when you ride.
Weaknesses:
None. Well, you can't have just one Ventana I just finished a Chamuco, but I guess that's not a weakness.
Similar Products Used:
Rocky Mt., Specialized, Ellesworth.
Bike Setup:
The Bomb! Race face std. 36-24-bash guard, Chris King, XTR dual control, Romic ti spring, Fox Talas Easten sl bars seat post, 2.3 vertical pros, 5.5inch travel, quad bearings. 27.5lbs
Bottom Line:
A+ This bike never lets you down; all my other bikes have sooner or later. I have ridden from Moab to Whistler, 1hr funsters to 10 hr epics and every ride ends the same way; I think I have the best bike on the planet. It climbs so easy you forget about the pain and have fun going up. The flats become race tracks, point it down, let the talas out to 125 and no one can catch you. I live in the Pacfic N.W.ride year round in a hard charging cross country style that breaks frames but the Salty looks as good today as the day I brought it home. Also, I can't say enough good about Sherwood and the people at Ventana. I had them help me with frame choice, custom paint, and spacers for different shocks and every time I am left with the feeling that this is the only bike company for me. A1 service!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
bernhard glessing
a
from austria Date Reviewed: December 26, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$2500.00
Strengths:
smooth, strong, precise
Weaknesses:
maybe weight, price (here in austria us-rides are about plus 30% of the us-price 'cause of taxes and delivery...)
Similar Products Used:
some of the full susser out there, too much to name them
Bike Setup:
black super air, hope m4, race face next lp, x.o.,thomson...
Bottom Line:
yep, this is it - the best mtb i've ever ridden, perfect for really long rides (5-6 hrs) not as direct as a racebike, but much more comfortable, real funny to slam this ding downhill, and pedals good upwards, too (tough it's about (28 to 29 lbs.) - this is the REAL enduro!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Wzl
a Cross Country Rider
from Albuquerque, NM Date Reviewed: November 3, 2003
Favorite Trail:
White Mesa
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1.00
Purchased At:
Wrench Science
Strengths:
Solid. Plush. Razor sharp. Wicked. Beautiful. Lots of bearings.
Weaknesses:
No motor.
Similar Products Used:
Kona Stinky, Kona King Kikapu
Bike Setup:
El Salt with 3-4-5 rocker using a Romic coil which gives more travel. How much??? 04 Z1 FR SL, XTR crank, CrossMax Wheels, Hayes brakes w/ 6inch rotors, Conti's.
Bottom Line:
5 rides so far. All different terrain.
5 inch mode.
1. Cedro; 3 miles up a rocky fire road and 5 miles back down twisty turny rocky single track with lots of tight turns and sudden maneuvers. Ride was plush all the way up and back down. Fork pressure was a little off so the rebound top out was pretty harsh and the fork tended to push and slide out some. Handling was quick and VERY responsive. This bike is definately "flickable" in true weazel fashion. 2. White Mesa; 12 mile loop of swoopty super fast single track followed by two track climbs and more single track. Previously super smooth trail had been cut up by horse tracks but this bike glided right over without much sense of the bumps. Fork rebound was harsh and most noticeable over fast small bumps. Basically I was going way faster than ever before. This bikes relatively low weight (~28#)allowed for better handling in fast turns in tricky terrain, as compared to my Stinky (same travel, 37#). Brakes got soft as they got very hot on a moderate downhill section. (Perhaps just break in???) Climbing back on loose rocky two track was a pleasure.
changed fork pressure to 25(pos) 85(neg) - still got rebound slamming.
3. Otero; 15 mile loop with nice single track climb up a dried up stream bed followed by a fast descent down dry loose rocky ridge line trail. Bike could be ridden a lot faster than I wanted to go. This bike eats bumps and goes where it is pointed. I kept looking for the rails I was riding on.
5.6inch mode.
changed fork pressure to 30 (pos) 120 (neg). This seems to work for me. (I am ~170# and wear a huge pack.)
4. Paliza canyon; 10 mile gradual two track climb. I climbed in the 5 inch mode then changed to 5.6 inches for the return trip. The long slow extended climb was relaxing and smooth even over some minor loose rocky sections. Flying back down 4 wheeler two track with woops and berms was a total blast. Honestly, this bike was as plush as my KX250. Fork pressures right on.
5. Dead Airplane loop @ Cochiti; Viscious sick vertical climb up several thousand feet in about a mile to a ridge line followed by much hiking and some riding. (Rear end set to 4.? inch mode for the climb.) On the climb up I cleaned more of this super steep off camber ancient minning road than ever before. I thought my Stinky climbed well but loosing ten pounds with this bike makes the El Saltamontes climb even better. This bike climbs even better than my late Kona Hot steel bike did. On the way back down at the end of the day this bike gobbled up ruts, rocks, bumps and forgave far many mistakes that would have killed me on the Kikapu. I am gonna need an 8 inch rotor up front.
These XTR cranks are even nicer than the previous ones. I prefer the Zoch Z1 FR SL(air sprung) to the coil spring version Z1 FR as it is a hair lighter and seems to be more tunable. Perhaps for big hits the coil spring version is better, but hey, thats why I have a Stinky. Brakes seem to be working better now but they do start screaming on longer descents.
Bottom line: Nice ride. Ok, great ride! I am in love. My other rides will be collecting dust for a while.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Gatos Date Reviewed: October 5, 2003
Favorite Trail:
SDF
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$1700.00
Purchased At:
Sherwood at Ventana
Strengths:
Beautiful craftsmanship. A well designed, strong frame for all around trail use. 3-4-5 Quad Bearing Pivot option is an absolute must to make this your trail/epic/xc/race bike....you know, if you could only have one bike.
Weaknesses:
Zilch.
Similar Products Used:
Ventana Marble Peak FS.
Bike Setup:
All XTR, Thomson post, stem, Monkey Lite riser, dumpy wheelset (for now), Psylo Race (was a SID 100 but I'm learing).
Bottom Line:
The Marble Peak was my into to full suspension. Ventana exceeded all my expectations and hence the purchase of the El Salt. I was able to purchase from the man himself (Sherwood). If you are a Ventana owner, they have a very nice trade in program...take advantage of it. Opted for the 3-4-5 Quad Bearing Pivot option making this bike quite versatile. A few of my buddies have Blurs...which seem to...uh...not be holding up so well... I've had zero issues with the El Salt after 6+ months of hard riding. The only thing that happened was a bearing lost a seal...one phone call to Theresa (steller customer service!) and a new bearing was in my mailbox a day later. Set in the new seal...done deal. But I don't think that really counts for anything. Truth of the matter is: A+ Product, A+ customer service.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ryan Gallagher
a Cross Country Rider
from Ilchester, Somerset, England Date Reviewed: July 30, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Quantocks
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1900.00
Purchased At:
MtnHighCyclery
Strengths:
Adjustable travel that suits the fox TALAS, superb finishing, welds, looks, pretty much everything. The frame isn't the greatest on tarmac but thankfully as soon as you go onto the trails it really does impress, the handling in 4" mode is great and the fact you can shift upto 5" front and rear helps on the tougher trails. I got it in red and it looks very nice, it seems to be built to take a good amount of punishment and the rear shock setup makes it a very comfortable ride for all dayers. Also i love the BB height and the geometry seems to be made for me with a medium frame, 90mm stem and layback post.
Weaknesses:
I know people tend to never slate their products but i can honestly say i haven't found anything yet, i would probably say that over here in England the weather (rain, rain and rain) will probably kill the quad bearings but thats hypothetical just now, that was the reason for getting the upgraded bearings. Theres a small amount of bob, but this doesn't really matter on the trails where it tends to help soak up the smaller hits.
Similar Products Used:
Ellsworth ID, Rocky Mountain Element, GT I-Drive.
Bike Setup:
17" El Saltamontes frame, Chris King ISO disc hubs on X3.1 rims, XTR front and rear deraileurs, Raceface Turbine ISIS crankset, Raceface Signature FR BB, Thomson post and stem, King headset, SRAM 9.0 cassette, Magura Marta brakes, Fox TALAS RLC forks, WTB rocket V saddle, XT shifters. Its pretty much been built to take a hard knock or two (the martas sound lightweight but you have to try them to see how powerful they are!!!).
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that this bike is made to be a pleasure on the trails, but if you're into XC racing then i'd have to say look at the El Fuego instead, this is definitely an all day bike which will suit the epic rider more. The way you can turn this bike into several types is great as well, with a different rear rocker and shock you get a 6" travel bike and with the adjustable travel rocker you can set it up for whatever trail you're doing that day. I also have to say that over here the price of the ventana is better than other frames such as the Rocky Mountain ETS, Ellsworth ID/Truth, etc so it really is an all round excellent purchase for me.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kyle Fukuchi
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA USA Date Reviewed: July 8, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Brian Head Utah, any trail
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Wrench Science
Strengths:
Electric Sex Welds, quad bearings, 3-5" adjustable travel, beautiful paint job, stiff but plush...is that possible?
Weaknesses:
Not the lightest bike, but will last forever. Oh yeah.not the most inexpensive bike either..
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Epic, Santa Cruz Superlight, FSR, Ellworth Truth
Bike Setup:
Quad Bearings, 3-5" adjustable travel, Fox Talas RLC, Crossmax Wheels, XTR, CT2 bar, EC70 Seatpost, Panaracer FireXCpro tires
Bottom Line:
A little expensive, but WOW.. The bike truly does climb like a hardtail, maybe even a little better...i don't even really notice any rear bob unless i am standing on the pedals. I have tested the bike at the 4" and 5" rear travel setting, and now i just leave it at 5" because you lose very little on the uphill, but the downhill......"BUTTER" I will probably kill myself soon because i don't even realize how fast i am really flying downhill. Tim and the guys at Wrench Science really know their stuff and did a great job building the bike and the shock setup was balls on too. Take it from me, get it done right and buy it from them.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tim
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco Date Reviewed: June 25, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Whittemore Gulch Trail
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Wrenchscience
Strengths:
Extremely rigid frame (in the way it is supposed to be, i.e. laterally). Supple, don't even think about it ride. Beautiful finish on an overall good looking frame
Weaknesses:
$$$ This is definitely a luxury frame. By the time you add up the base cost, extras like the double bearings, variable travel setup, custom or semi-custom sizing, you are at the very high end for a trail bike.
Similar Products Used:
Previous MTBs were Trek full rigid and later hardtail. Test rode, Titus Switchblade, Id, Trek Fuel, Trek Liquid, Klein Palomino, Turner XCE, Specialized Epic, Fisher Sugar+
Bike Setup:
21" Frame 3/4/5 link, double bearing upgrade Fox Vanilla 100RLC Romic D Shock upgrade AVID BB Disc Brake/Speed Dial 7 Levers XT Shifters and Derailleurs RaceFace Turbine ISIS 22-32-44 FSA Ultimax Extreme Pro BB Chris King headset Thomson stem and post Race Face Riser Bar WTB Laser V Stealth Ti Panaracer Fire XC Pro 2.1 XT 36h/Mavic 317 Wheelset Final weight right at 30lbs (big frame, extra bearings and parts chosen for strength don't make a flyweight, but not bad.)
Bottom Line:
After extensive searching for a trailbike for a real Clydesdale, I am thrilled with the El Saltamontes. It is soft and flexy where it should be (up and down - this is a problem with a lot of air sprung rides, when the rider weight gets up near design limits), rigid and strong where and when it should be (lateral, when climbing).
I tried a range of production and custom bike setups trying to find something that would stand up to a big rider without being an over-the-top dh/fr bike. The Ventana has fit the bill nicely. While some of the bikes I test rode made me worry about breaking them just on the demo circuit (No I don't beat on bikes, just RIDE them on actual trails with rocks, gullies and the like), the 'salt' has never given me a moment's pause.
Handling is really point and shoot benign - responsive and stable. Once I got used to my first FS ride, it has felt very natural.
Some might worry about the 'not real 4 bar' setup in the back. Don't. With the Romic setup, I've never once wanted to find the knob and lock it out. It does move a bit, but it's supposed to. Even coming from hardtails it feels right. As a race bike, it might give something away at the beginning of a sprint, but what 4" rig doesn't.
Oh, and it is just gorgeous. First ride out and strangers commented as they went by (the other way )
On the business side, I am also quite pleased with both Ventana and Wrenchscience. Sherwood Gibson runs a real professional shop and was gracious enough to take a fair piece of time to show me around and discuss the options when I visited the shop. He delivered ahead of schedule on what was effectively a custom order. This brings us to Wrenchscience. In addition to the really cool website where you can fantasize to your heart’s content, they went the extra mile to make sure I was happy on this bike. After another frame vendor completely choked and failed to deliver on time, Tim Medina stepped up and made a deal to get me onto my second choice (it was only second because of the price) El Saltamontes in short order.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Todd
a
from Culver City, CA USA Date Reviewed: May 22, 2003
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
Beautiful craftsmanship, time tested design and great customer service – friendly people!
Weaknesses:
Ummmmmm?
Bike Setup:
19” Electric Blue El Salt w/ quad bearings XTR drive train (180mm cranks / front & rear derailleur / BB / XTR – Dura Ace chain) Hope mini disc (185 front / 165 rear) Thompson seatpost Raceface stem Easton bar Flite Ti saddle Chris King headset Chris King ISO hub set Mavic F219 rims Fox Float RL Fox Talas RLC Fork
Bottom Line:
My second Ventana El Salt!!!
See my two 2000 El Salt reviews here at mtbr.com.
Well after enjoying (and riding hard!) my 2000 for three years I put a crack in my baby. Right where the seat tube hits the BB shell. This gave me the opportunity to upgrade to a ’03 – giving me full bearings, my ’00 had bushings. This also gave me the opportunity to upgrade to disc’s and a new ’03 Fox Talas RLC.
I did keep some of the original components including; stem, seatpost, saddle, handle bar, headset, cranks, rear derailleur and front derailleur.
Loving it as much AND more then my ’00. The addition of the disc’s is a great upgrade (was running XTR V’s). I also like the bearings (quad) at the pivot points. This, for me, is really the ultimate trail bike. Yes it is a little heaver then my HT and no you can’t huck it like a fully loaded DH bike, BUT for all around aggressive riding this is the one. Went with the standard 4” rocker arm, this seems to be the best length for the geometry of the frame. For me the air (Fox Float RL) frame shock works. A coil shock will be a bit more “active” (I have a Fox Vanilla that I have run in the Ventana), but for my riding style the air is doing the trick.
The frame is a true work of art. The customer service from Ventana (they helped me out with the “owner appreciation program” – they couldn’t warrantee the frame, it being 3 years old) and just the plain friendly folks really make this ride one of the best.
If you’re looking for a great trail bike (check out Mountain Bike Actions reviews of the El Salt) and one that not everyone else has, then check out Ventana. Their craftsmanship and attention to detail really shows.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ralph
a
from Pacifica Ca. USA Date Reviewed: February 28, 2003
Favorite Trail:
the one with rocks, roots and ruts
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Quality crafsmanship. three bikes in one. laterally stiff rear triangle
there are to many things to say about this frame. if your looking to buy a full suspension frame and need to know more you can email me and i'll give you more info. one thing about this frame that you can't get with other frames is the three types of bikes with the 3-4-5 ajustable rocker. when set at three you get a xc racer. set at four and you get an all purpose bike. set at five and you get a trail almost freeride type of bike. you can't get that with any other bike out there. now if you buy this frame or even any full suspension frame learn how to set it up. you can buy any of the top of the line frames out there but if you don't know how to set it up it will ride like sh*t. even lots of shops can't set the bike up right for you riding style. believe me i've dealt with mechanics that couldn't set up a doll house. read books and learn don't rely on the shop's setting of your bike because chances are you won't get the most out of the bike. for instance if your weight is 170 with riding gear on and you have a coil rear shock you have to use the right coil spring rate for your riding weight. if the spring is to stiff your bike won't absorb the bumps and you'll bounce all over the place if it's to soft it won't track the bumps well and it will feel like mush and don't forget the rebound and compression adjustment. if not adjusted right they too will make your bike ride like sh*t even if you have the right spring the rebound and compression if not adjusted right will make you bike ride like you know sh*t so adjust adjust adjust. this will help figure out the right spring for your weight with the 3-4-5 rocker. (for 3" travel, body weight times 1.50 times 1.25) (for 4" travel, body weight X 2.00 X 1.25) (for 5" travel, body weight X 2.66 X 1.25) so if you weigh 180 and you need a spring for the 4" travel it's 180 times 2.00 times 1.25 that comes out to be a 450 spring. now about the ellsworth truth i had there's no comparison when you hit the bumps the elsaltamontes blew it away. and they take to much material out of the ellsworth just to get it as light as possible i bent the swingarm yoke and had to send it back to be replaced and i never jumped it or went off a dropoff it bent from just normal riding i know someone that cracked the frame.i bought the elsaltamontes just before the turner xce I sold the elsaltamontes to get the turner after reading all the reviews on the turner i figured it would be a better bike. what a mistake i made, don't get me wrong i think the turner is one of the best bikes out there. well it's the second best but dave and the customer service is the best i've talked to him many times, other companies can learn a lesson from turner. they treat people right. when i built the turner i thought it would ride better what a differance it was like night and day the elsaltamontes blew it away on the bumps not as bad as the ellsworth. the turner was way better than the ellsworth. the ellsworth just sucked when compared to the turner but when going over the bumps roots and rocks the elsaltamontes just soaked them up better. climbing up rocky technical sections was great with the elsaltamontes the turner xce just couldn't climb up like the elsalts. the turner couldn't bite as good or get the traction the elsalts did. downhill was the same deal i was able to fly downhill it was like being on a cloud. the turner just couldn't soak up the bumps as good as the elsalts i couldn't go as fast with the turner so i tried a softer taller spring it felt alot better climbing up the technical sections and going down but it couldn't match the elsalts. it still blew the turner away so i sold the turner and bought another elsaltamotes now i'm happy. if you buy the turner or ventana don't order it with a rear air shock trust me i had a fox air shock on both bikes and they were way to progressive. i don't care what dave from turner said or sherwood from ventana said you can't get the travel out of the air shock. i haven't tried the new ava fox air shock now this shock might work just because you can change the spring rate from progessive to linear. all in all this frame just eats up anything you throw at it.
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