Aggressive, plush ride. Nice cornering and climbs like a cog railcar.

Decals suck. Were already peeling/tearing off the first day i put on a rack. Seems slightly heavy for all around freeriding uses.

The el ciclon handles real nice..no complaints really to speak of. I have had the bike one year and have had to replace the headset, hanger, and lower swingarm. I cracked the weld at the swingarm/drop-out connection. I think it was due to braking forces on a bad weld. Ventana was very responsive to my warranty request and had a new lower swingarm component in the mail to me in less than a day. Thankfully this occurred within the two year warrany period...i have approx. 1 year remaining. This $3500.00 purchase was huge for me in my progression of mtn bike purchases, which started with a 1988 LL Bean release and than a Giant Butte!! Besides supporting a small faction i.e., ventana HQ, I wonder if the consumer is really getting the overall best hand in the small bike manufacturing world. Warranty periods seem too short and the overall "personal" dealings have not been felt in this purchase.
Not a True Believer in Ventana yet, I will have to see if the El ciclon can perform for season #2 in the wet, rooty, twiggy PNW.

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2001 Trek Fuel

Typical Ventana: best build quality available, gorgeous powdercoat, welds, and finish, laterally stout w/quad bearings, durable build, perfect do-everything handling

none to speak of

This is a great bike. This was my third Ventana, and was every bit as good as I had expected. The Ciclon retains a bit bigger feel than the X-5 that it replaced, while shaving a bit of weight. The handling is more deliberate, the bike feels a little taller and more confident on the real rough stuff. To be honest, it feels almost like my 2006 RFX, but with a little less travel. The X-5 felt a bit quicker and more nimble (steeper HTA) and the Salty felt a bit quicker still (definitely these are all do-everything bikes, though). In comparison to the RFX, I would take the Ciclon as an all-day bike with the occasional visit to a freeride park, and the RFX as the really burly all-mountain bike still capable of long rides.

The frame and shock came in at 6.2 lbs in a medium. The build is very beefy with quad bearings, with no flex to speak of. This bike can handle the roughest terrain and goes where the rider puts it. It could handle a day of freeride, especially with the 6" rocker on there, and feels right at home in rough terrain. I have done 4-5 hour rides with lots of climbing, and this bike really shines and pretty much anything a rider can throw at it, from carvy singletrack to 5-foot drops. And technical climbing is a dream on this bike. Perhaps the only place where it lags a bit is on smooth, fast climbing, non-technical singletrack, or riding to the trailhead (basically areas when a 24lb FS or a hardtail would be desired). Then again, nobody needs a 5" bike for those conditions. The more technical the terrain, the more this bike comes alive. Those who ride primarily smoother singletrack will find the Salty a faster, more exciting ride, especially under a skilled rider.

I would suggest a thru-axle fork. It really makes a big difference, and with the Pike on the market, there isn't a weight penalty associated. The AM1 SL or Lyrik is as much fork as I would put on this bike, and for the bulk of riding on technical trails, the Pike is a great choice. Also, I sometimes run the 5" only rockers, and the 5/6 rockers also on occasion. The 5" rockers felt funny at first, but result in a snappier ride and better for long rides. The 6" setting (with longer stroke shock) is very plush, climbs well, but is a little sluggish.

In summary, this bike is probably the best example of a true do-anything 5" bike on the market. It isn't a flimsy lightweight 5" bike, but more of a stout build that still comes in at a reasonable weight, with the option of 6" of travel.. I have yet to see a bike at 6.2lbs frame/shock weight that it as laterally stiff as this. Not to mention it is extremely balanaced and sharp-handling. You get what you pay for, and in Ventana's case, that means you are paying for arguably the best all-mountain frame that money can buy.

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Ventana Salty, X-5, Turner 5-spot, RFX, Cannondale Rush Carbon, Stumpjumper 120, many others demoed

Quality like nothing you will ever get from another company....it's all done in house by the brand owner. Amazing build, amazing paintjob, Ventana's signature SEX welds! Build strong enough to take all-mountain abuse yet not overdone so it's still a light frame.

Ahh let me think........none

This is the nicest frame I have ever owned and I am pretty sure that Ventana will be my brand for life. The workmanship is awesome; the owner (Sherwood) is a true artist. Enough with how purty it is though...this frame rides like a dream! Also have no reservations about whether the Ciclon can handle all-mountain/freeride environments. Do yourself a favor and upgrade to the RP23 and the quad bearings to make the ride even that much more unbelievable.
Sure $2-grand is a lot for a frame but this truly is a case where you get what you pay for. I have no regret whatsoever about dumping some major coin on the table to get this frame. Beyond that it's very rewarding to know I am supporting an American company that in turn supports American companies. Ventana uses Worth aluminum tubing...the same Worth that makes the best aluminum bats and they are also a Made in the USA company.
I also want to suggest buying thru Black Sheep Cycles (http://www.blacksheepcycles.com). Ethan and Toni at Black Sheep are extremely knowledable and will do their part to make sure you are 100% happy with your purchase. They're great to work with and if they weren't my local shop I'd still buy through them and pay shipping.

Wow! This bike handles like a dream. Carves singletrack, floats over rough terrain and is rock solid in the steeps. With the quad bearing set in the rear triangle the bike feels perfect in the corners, no flex at all. The frame is visually stunning, electric blue with perfect welds. Customer service from Sherwood and Teresa is as good as it gets.

Not enough days to ride it.

This is the 5" travel bike dreams are made of. Epic rides are born on this machine. Climb for days and descend like a demon, it does it all with a feeling of stablilty like non other I have ridden. Sherwood hit one out of the park with this frame!

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Intense Spider, Ventana El Saltomantes

Perfect geometry and size for me (5'10" with a 34" inseam). Excellent customer service from Ventana. Traditional front triangle. Quality CNC machined parts and beautiful welds. Good standover.

None

The Ciclon is perfectly balanced with a FOX 32 fork. I feel centered sitting on the bike. Steep climbs are easier than they were on my Pantera because the suspension remains active under pedal load. It's also more active under braking than the high-forward single pivot was.

The rear triangle with quad bearings feels just as solid as the Pantera did with a super link. Because my only two full suspension bikes have been from Ventana, I don't have any comparison to other designs in terms of flex.

There is more compression damping on the RP23 than I would like. My riding weight is 175lbs and I'm fairly smooth. The shock will be going to PUSH soon for tuning.

I ride trails that vary from smooth single track to chunky technical climbs and descents. The Ciclon is well place in the middle of the current mountain bike spectrum as a versatile trail bike. Anyone who wants one bike to use for everything from climbing canyon roads to high speed trail runs with small drops and jumps will find the Ciclon perfectly suited for the job.

The Ciclon has completely met my expectations of what it should be. I rode the Pantera for 3 years and it was a great bike. After it was stolen last year I decided to move up to 5 inches of travel. The candidates were the Ciclon, 5 spot or Yeti 575. My experience with the Pantera and the interactions with Teresa and Sherwood on the phone were enough to keep my loyalty. I also liked the fact that they had sub-assemblies ready to go at the time Chad placed my order. Rather than wait for complete fabrication they were able to put the frame together in the configuration I wanted and have it to my door in less than 2 weeks.

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Ventana Pantera

Intelligent suspension design, superior materials and workmanship yield a bike that is incredibly efficient on the TRAIL, whereas many other bikes are efficient primarily on paper, or in a one-dimensional way. Well thought-out geometry; stabilty and agility in one package. Absolutely gorgeous in electric blue - really stands apart from other high-end bikes, even really nice ones. Everybody asks me about this bike.

Relative to every design and material technology applied to cycling - including carbon and ti and and any design patent you could mention - absolutely none.

I really love bikes, one of the few things in life over which I tend to be obsessive, and I was very obsessive and analytical about the selection of this bike. I'm 6'2"/220lbs. and I wanted a bike that enhanced every aspect of my riding experience. I ride primarily in the Wasatch Front, so any five mile stretch is likely to include climbs, descents; smooth, tight, rooty, rocky - you name it. I wanted to climb better and longer, descend and corner faster, with more confidence. I wanted to clean sections that had previously defeated me. I expected the El Ciclon to be good, but not this good. You really can't fathom it in a parking lot test-ride. The El Ciclon is plush, but so are lots of bikes in this category. There's alot more going on with this bike than that. How can a bike that climbs this well descend this well? How can a bike this stable be this agile? Answer: Sherwood Gibson of Ventana rides, knows his craft and doesn't follow fads. This bike is the outcome of experience, thought and skill. Truly a masterpiece. This bike is really, really, laterally stiff. It's intuitive that a stiff bike will corner and descend better, but at my weight, it climbs better than other designs I've ridden because it goes where I point it - no wandering. And I don't waste watts using core strength to keep the bike on the line I want. Strong, stiff and plush at 27.1 lbs. I could keep going but I think you get it.
Also, Todd at Uinta Bicycles did a great job. This was an important project for me and he listened to my input but also gave me sound guidance. Built me a fantastic wheelset. My next Ventana project will definitely go to Todd at Uinta Bicycles in Kamas, UT. I'm thinking an El Patron(29er) in Cosmic Orange......

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Specialized Stumpjupmer, Ellsworth Moment, Intense Tracer, Titus Racer-X,Moto-Lite.