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Home | Product Reviews | All Mountain Full Suspension | Mountain Cycle Fury | ||||
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Submitted by
Bigrocks
a Downhiller
from York,Pennsylvania USA
Date Reviewed: 10/7/2007 6:28:31 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | $900 |
| Purchased At: | Greenfish |
| Strengths: | Easy serviced single pivot. Can run long travel forks. Takes my repeated beatings with no prblems. |
| Weaknesses: | A little creaky. Tight fit on the front derailier..took me awhile to get it just right.Needs an ISCG mount. A little heavy..so what! |
| Similar Products Tried: | 96 Jamis Dakar, 02 Titus Switchblade long travel. Various DH rigs...Just bought an Ibis Mojo for longer rides. |
| Bike Setup: | 2004(Purchased in Oct of 2005) Large frame... 5.0 DHX rear shock, 06 Z1 Light, Hayes Mags, Hope Bulbs hubs , Mavic XM321, Truvativ Holtzfeller Double/w bash...rest is XT |
| Bottom Line: | Bought this to replace my Titus Switchblade(to many pivots limited shock options). I wanted an easy to maintain, single pivot. The XL SC Heckler was to big and the large was to small. A friend suggested the Fury. I ordered it without a test ride and have no regrets. Simply put "IT's a FUN Bike!". Climbs good,handles rock gardens and the downhills with ease. Likes to be jumped. I had a Vanilla on it at first and I like it better with the DHX. Ordered replacement parts from "The New Mountain Cycle" with no problems.. good customer service. |
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Submitted by
john mills
a Cross Country Rider
from bristol,uk
Date Reviewed: 8/14/2007 3:32:29 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Leigh Woods |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $700 |
| Purchased At: | chainreactioncycles |
| Strengths: | great after sales service and support. very stiff, agile, responsive.The van r with pro pedal is very plush when tuned properly. Great attention to detail with the fully covered cable runs. |
| Weaknesses: | a little trouble getting the headset in. clearances for the top swing front mech are a little tight when trying to get the clamp in the right place. |
| Bike Setup: | rockshox recon, lx groupset, mavic/hope, avid bb7. |
| Bottom Line: | Exclusivity - mine's the only one, and for a novice(ish) rider it's so easy to get on with. Definately buy another. |
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Submitted by
Glenn P
a Weekend Warrior
from Waipahu
Date Reviewed: 5/11/2007 12:33:08 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | leeward oahu |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | $1400 |
| Purchased At: | Shaka bikes and boards |
| Strengths: | Awsume looking bike. Very burly |
| Weaknesses: | no water bottle holder |
| Similar Products Tried: | 2002 specialized enduro |
| Bike Setup: | Z150fr, king hubs & headset, mavic 819 w/2.35 intense tires, 70mm raceface diablous stem, sram x.o. rear derailaur x.9 shifter, manitou six way swinger. |
| Bottom Line: | After 2 1/2 years of riding its still going. It won't break, only components. I did some upgrades since my last posting on Nov. 2004. Added Z150fr and manitou 6 way swinger, and this bike really came to life. I'm taking bigger drops and actually doing some jumps, never did it before. This bike just makes riding so enjoyable, you can climb and bomb down hill all day. |
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Submitted by
wery gerald
a Weekend Warrior
from Neupre-Belgium
Date Reviewed: 11/19/2006 12:38:47 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Condroz-Belgium |
| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Price Paid: | $3300 |
| Purchased At: | Barracuda Company |
| Strengths: | Do it all (just have to adjust suspensions settings and pedals, flat or automatic).I do dirt, 4x, enduro series, freeride. |
| Weaknesses: | One failure on the frame (juste under the seat). Replace in warranty by a brand new ano black. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Rocky mountain Slayer, Santa Cruz Nomad, Specialized Enduro |
| Bike Setup: | Marzocchi 66 RC2X 150mm '06 (wonderfull), Manitou Swinger air x4 '07 (in place of 5th Elements not confortable enough), Sram X9, Shimano XT, Crossmax XL |
| Bottom Line: | I like the new Specialized Enduro SL because it's brand new design and technology but I can't find a good reason to sell my Fury exept if you give me 100.000 $ to buy a good car too! |
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Submitted by
Robert Corbett
a Downhiller
from Santa Monica
Date Reviewed: 11/17/2006 9:25:23 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | a secret |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $2500 |
| Purchased At: | Bike Attack Santa Monica |
| Strengths: | Light, good up hill |
| Weaknesses: | seat post is a little too high for extreme downhill... |
| Similar Products Tried: | Intense Uzzi was next on the downhill food chain... |
| Bike Setup: | Had a 888 front end... |
| Bottom Line: | Good all mountain !!! |
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Submitted by
Eric
a Weekend Warrior
from manchester ct
Date Reviewed: 9/13/2006 3:36:11 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | case mountain |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Purchased At: | Mountain Cycle |
| Strengths: | great climber and decender. awesome finish(black ano)stiff and strong. |
| Weaknesses: | none at all |
| Bike Setup: | 06 black ano fury frame,progressive 5th element 5 way coil, manitou nixon fork,titec pyro scoper post,xt cranks and derailleurs,azonic outlaw wheels. |
| Bottom Line: | this bike rules! its the perfect do it all bike.its one of those bikes that just feels right the first time you throw a leg over it. it climbs,corners and decends great. and seems strong enough to take abuse for years to come. |
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Submitted by
Henry
a Cross Country Rider
from Aliso Viejo, CA
Date Reviewed: 7/30/2006 8:37:56 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Too many to choose |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $900 |
| Purchased At: | Adrenaline |
| Strengths: | Feels solid, is solid. Extremely stiff laterally. Full length cable housings. Beautifully constructed in my opinion. Climbs well, descends well. Amazing in sand! |
| Weaknesses: | Stock Vanilla R bottoms too harshly and the Pro-Pedal makes small bump sensitivity feel awful. The frame is a bit heavy... with the Van R 450# spring, the frame was 8 pounds 4 ounces on my digital fish scale. That's a bit heavy for trail bike use, but the durability and ride quality make up for it. Could use a slightly slacker head angle. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Santa Cruz Heckler, Azonic Saber. |
| Bike Setup: | Z1 FR 130mm, Stratos Helix Expert shock, White Industries hubs, XT/XTR mix drivetrain and brakes, Sram Rocket triggers, Thomson 70 mm stem/seatpost, Protaper bars, Deus headset, Candy pedals. |
| Bottom Line: | As you can see from my parts list, I've set this bike up for all mountain duty. The wheels lean towards the lighter end of the spectrum and I don't have any "big hit" type equipment on it. That said, the complete bike is 33 pounds! A little portly, but I got used to it quickly. It actually becomes a plus when you realize that you can take it off head-height drops without hurting the frame. I hated the stock Fox shock, and also didn't like it with a Romic. In my opinion/experience, this frame doesn't do well with a linear spring rate shock that relies on a bottom out bumper. In this respect, an air shock might be a better choice, but I wanted the feel of coil. BTW, I don't know how a Progressive would feel on this frame; their reputation scared me. With a Stratos Helix, I was able to dial a low initial rate and have a very nice ramp up in the last 20% of stroke to prevent harsh bottoming. You must feel it to believe it. Check out my review on this shock for specifics. Though there is no pedalling platform, this setup does not bob when climbing unless I'm being really really sloppy. Speaking of climbing, if not for the weight, this bike would be king. 16.5" chainstays that dig into the terrain when you apply maximum force. It's ridiculously stiff laterally too, putting my Heckler to shame. The one downside I've seen thus far during climbing is that, depending on your tire choice and wheel stiffness, you can sometimes graze the front deraileur (in granny gear) with the rear tire when you're really torquing through ruts. With the suspension set up as detailed, this bike gives great confidence going downhill. The extra long head tube forces a tall handlebar height. While I didn't think I was going to like that initially, it has actually become one of my favorite traits when swapping bikes with friends. Steep, technical descents have gotten much easier because of it. I would be curious to try this bike if it had a slightly slacker head angle. Thusly set up, it measures 69 degrees... I'd like to see 68 for the crazy stuff but climbing might suck then. Because of the single pivot design, there is some brake induced stiffening, but conversely there is no brake jacking. (Yes, these are two separate phenomena.) So while traction is somewhat compromised, there is very little forward weight shift caused by the bike. Consider what you want out of the bike, and choose accordingly. For me, this is acceptable, and safer, for a trail bike. Overall, I'm looking forward to many years on this steed. Fast riding, low maintennance, super strong, endless grins. I just hope Mountain Cycle still thrives after its recent acquisition. P.S. Hey MTBR! What's with rider categories limited to CC, DH, racer, and weekend warrior? I'm none of those. I'm all-mountain/freeride just like many people on your discussion forums and many of the products now being made. |
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Submitted by
Vahva
a Cross Country Rider
from Finland
Date Reviewed: 6/21/2006 11:16:55 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Utra Raili |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $1400 |
| Purchased At: | ET-sports Finland Joensuu |
| Strengths: | Very good built quality. Smooth Travel all way - small pump working also can tuned for good. (Manitou Swinger 3 way air) |
| Weaknesses: | Little bit heavy side for my use. |
| Similar Products Tried: | B1 hornet plus, KHS fxt team |
| Bike Setup: | Minute 2 -06, American classic wheels, RPM carbon(fsa) granks, Thomson stem and post, Sram drivetrain, Truvativ carbon 31.8 riser, Hope mono m4, Maxxis Advantage, Swinger 3way air. |
| Bottom Line: | More reviewer later - after more rides. |
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Submitted by
ian
a Cross Country Rider
from england
Date Reviewed: 6/21/2006 3:32:02 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | peak distict-hope |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $1400 |
| Purchased At: | wades cycles |
| Strengths: | really can do it all, great climber- top descender!!!helps you pust it that bit harder |
| Weaknesses: | british weatherproofing-front cable stop & rear shock mount |
| Similar Products Tried: | giant vt 1 |
| Bike Setup: | swnger 3 way, pace rc40 forks(120-150 travel) crossmax wheels, xt gears, easton bits and bobs |
| Bottom Line: | Can be ridden anywhere from local hilly trails to full on rockfests. Can attack technical climbs and downhills too!!!! Built up from frame. Still quite rare in the uk and my anodised black version with black crossmax wheels and Pace carbon forks gets loads of looks and stares!!!!! Made me a better,faster and braver rider. After sales service direct to the USA is great. |
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Submitted by
tom thomas
a Downhiller
from sacramento ca
Date Reviewed: 4/14/2006 8:20:07 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | salmon falls redding ca |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $1200 |
| Purchased At: | town@country bike 9167264322 |
| Strengths: | great cornering and control light weight comfortable to ride |
| Weaknesses: | none would buy another |
| Similar Products Tried: | none ride any thing as nice |
| Bike Setup: | sram x.9 everthing shom.xt hubs brakes marzucchi z1 dropoff forks race face cranks azonic assor. |
| Bottom Line: | ill ride till i killit and get another. this bike rids so well and handles so good it makes some trails boring. |
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Submitted by
Travis
from Waitsfield
Date Reviewed: 2/6/2006 12:16:15 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | The Clinic |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $900 |
| Purchased At: | Inverness Ski Shop |
| Strengths: | Weight, Climbing, Soaking up moderate sized hits, Mountain Cycle customer service |
| Weaknesses: | Small bump absorbion |
| Similar Products Tried: | Kona Stinky, K2 proflex, cannondale jekyl, gary fisher cake, rocky mountain switch |
| Bike Setup: | Medium Fury, Jr T with upgraded HSCV and stiff springs, Raceface prodigy bars seatpost and cranks, avid juicy 5 w/ 7 inch rotors and goodridge cables, Fox vanilla RC, King headset, hutchinson 2.3 scorpions, mavic deemax and shimano XT drivetrain |
| Bottom Line: | This bike blows kona 4-bar linkage out of the water when climbing, it doesn't have the smooth suspension feel on the small roots and bumps. I have my fury pretty much decked out freeride style and it is still only 33 pounds. The geometry is awesome, but i wish the top tube was about 2 inches longer so i could use the marzocchi bolt-on stem. Overall, a great product made in the USA, customer service is impeccable and you will have a bike that people will always stop to check out. |
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Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: 12/3/2005 1:33:52 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Sparrow Hill (Canberra, Australia) |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $2000 |
| Purchased At: | Greenfish Adventure Sport |
| Strengths: | Strong frame with an excellent build quality. Design is also extremely simple with the single pivot so maintenance shouldn't be too much of an issue. The bike climbs and descends brilliantly and inspires confidence in its handling. |
| Weaknesses: | No cage for water bottle or lights. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Nil, last bike was/is a Giant NRS. |
| Bike Setup: | Manitou Sherman Firefly fork, Juicy 7's, King headset, XT 8 speed shifters, XT/XTR front/rear derailleur, Truvativ Firex crank (not happy with this), 5th element coil shock, wheels off the NRS for now. |
| Bottom Line: | Fantastic bike that does everything I want, from XC through to All Mountain and light freeride. Five chilis also to Greenfish Adventure Sports who offered an excellent price on the parts and postage as well as great customer service. The frame and forks got from the US to New Zealand in short order. Final assembly in NZ has been done by Bicycles Ltd in Lower Hutt who are also fantastic. |
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Submitted by
Shadfly
a Weekend Warrior
from NY
Date Reviewed: 9/24/2005 5:53:25 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Rastaman, Waterburry |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | $850 |
| Purchased At: | Cambria |
| Strengths: | Durability!! Versitility. |
| Weaknesses: | There may be lighter 5" travel frames out there. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Tomac Eli |
| Bike Setup: | Fox float 130, Sun Rhyno lite, Hayes Disc |
| Bottom Line: | This is my second season on this bike (follow up review)and I have been super happy. Previously I broke a 2 Tomac 98 specials, Tomac Eli and Kona Chute frames. My Fury frame has survived some serious abuse. I like all kinds of riding. Occassional lift serve, light freeride (4'-5' drop max, dirt jumping and all day epics. This bike does all of the above but really excells at aggressive trail riding and railing corners. I have not had to tighten pivots since I got the frame. Mountain Cycle customer service has been awesome!! They return calls and emails the same day and have given good advice when matching components to the frame. I continue to break components but have not had one issue with this frame. If you are a trail rider looking for the one bike that does it all give the Fury a serious look. |
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Submitted by
Adam Leahy
a Weekend Warrior
from Buckley, WA, USA
Date Reviewed: 6/23/2005 4:47:56 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | SeaTac Flow Park |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $1940 |
| Purchased At: | The Peak |
| Strengths: | Strong frame, build quality |
| Weaknesses: | None |
| Bike Setup: | Z1, Swinger 3way, XT/Truvative, RL XL, King |
| Bottom Line: | This is an UPDATE after 15 months of use: This bike is as solid as it was when I bought it. I do a trail ride on Thursdays and a freeride on the weekends. That is pretty much every week without exception. So, I've done a lot of pedaling and a lot of hucking, and it does them both really well. I am not a full-on xc guy, or a full-on freerider, I live somewhere in-between. But, with that said, my Fury has taken me on long 20+ mile rides with over 5,000ft of climbing, and hour after hour of 5ft drops. The main pieces of this bike have been absolutely bulletproof, the frame and fork. But here are the things that I killed, and something to lookout for. I demolished the WTB grease guard headset in a matter of weeks, so King Bling, and no problem since. The bushings on my Xfusion shock wore out after about a year, which I felt was par for the course, but getting replacements was downright impossible. I ended up replacing it with a Swinger 3 way, and have been very happy with the upgrade. After a year of really wet riding, the bolts that hold the plate onto the swingarm, that the base of the shock connects to, became seized in there. They had to be drilled out, and was not a pretty job. So periodic anti-seize coating, or greasing those bolts is a must, especially if you do a lot of wet riding. But, overall, I think I spend a lot less time maintaining my bike than my Santa Cruz, Kona, Klein, Giant friends. If I was going to buy a 5 inch bike today, would it be a Mountain Cycle Fury? Yes, without any hesitation. For a person that is going to use every inch of a 5 inch bike, the Fury is simply the best. |
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Submitted by
mrchris
a Weekend Warrior
from bolton ontario canada
Date Reviewed: 6/1/2005 4:53:18 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | porcupine ridge |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Purchased At: | trail blazer |
| Strengths: | super strong frame, elavated swing-arm, single pivot |
| Weaknesses: | a little more beef, but you don't notice it |
| Bike Setup: | pike fork 20mm through axle, air swinger 4-way rear shock, strong wheels, other assorted bling |
| Bottom Line: | ordered mine without rear shock, added swinger 4-way air which i really like. i ride this bike everywhere and do everything on it. it can handle almost anything. just fly on the downhills and rail corners. logs/stunts/jumps handles with ease. i even race the odd crosscountry race on it and do quite well. climbs like stink on steep tech hills but the longer roadie style double track hills you have to just chug up. the pike 20mm axle works very well, great contro with this frame. i'm very happy with this bike. |
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Submitted by
Boris Blanks
a Downhiller
from 135 Van Ness Ashland OR USA
Date Reviewed: 2/25/2005 5:38:31 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Mach 5 |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $1100 |
| Purchased At: | Bear Creek Cyclery |
| Strengths: | Strong welds and frame. Rock solid feel on the descents and when launching it takes the impact. I did a drop of 10 feet and it kept on going. Banging bike. |
| Weaknesses: | The 5th Element coil sucks!! I changed it for a Fox DHX 5.0 |
| Similar Products Tried: | Intense 5.5 with a Fox Talas setup. Another fantastic bike but cannot stick the heavy landings like the fury!! |
| Bike Setup: | Fox 36 RC2, king headset, Diabolus stem, Easton EC DH riser, Mavic Dee Max wheelset, Kenda Nevegal 2.3 tires, Truvativ Holzfeller with E13 guard, Hope M6 Ti 220 mm brakes, Thomson seatpost, Wtb Pure Stealth saddle, X0/X9 drive train. Fabulous kit on the bike. |
| Bottom Line: | The frame is obviously the foundation of the bike and I have ridden many but this bike rocks!! With this kit it comes alive and by changing the 5th Element to a Fox DHS 5.0 it transforms the ride altogether. Thanks MC |
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Submitted by
Glenn P.
a Weekend Warrior
from Waipahu, Hawaii
Date Reviewed: 11/10/2004 10:17:18 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | All of Central Oahu |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $1400 |
| Purchased At: | SHAKA BIKES & BOARDS KAPOLEI |
| Strengths: | Anodized black looks awsume. Stiff rear suspension. All around great looking bike. |
| Weaknesses: | No waterbottle holder to hold my Nightrider Blowtorch so I can keep riding into the night. |
| Similar Products Tried: | 2002 Specialized Enduro Expert |
| Bike Setup: | 2004 Marzocchi Z1FR Qr20, C/K headset and hubs w/Mavic 223 rims, Raceface Diablous stem, Next XC lowriser carbon handle bar & XC dues cranks. Crankbrothers Mallets. Sram X9 shifters & X.0 rear derailer. Shimano XT front derailer & XT rear cogs 34-11. 5th element shock w/400lb spring. |
| Bottom Line: | I'm 240lbs and this bike takes everything I throw at it. This bike climbs and decends like a goat on steriods. The rear suspension stays stiff and won't bob when I'm mushing on the pedals and it did the same when I had to tow my buddy when he broked his rear derailer hanger. It also corners well thru burms,turns and single tracks. The z1fr fork and the rear suspension works well together, it takes all the bumbs and smooths it all up. About the waterbottle holder I took care of that by mounting it on the top tube and tie strapping it down so that I can ride at night. If you want to have some serious playing in the mountain, this is the bike to get. |
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Submitted by
Frank
a Weekend Warrior
from Sacramento,Ca
Date Reviewed: 10/25/2004 5:00:45 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $1050 |
| Purchased At: | The Pony Shop in Chicago,Il |
| Strengths: | Exceptional build quality, engineered construction, light and stiff, a fantastic single-pivot design with a 5" stroke "Progressive 5th Element" shock. A great all-around frame... |
| Weaknesses: | Adsolutely nothing! |
| Similar Products Tried: | None. My other project is a fully loaded "money-no-object" Karpiel "Apocalypse" machine... |
| Bike Setup: | Marzocchi "Shiver DC" fork, Hadley DH hubs, HED "DB45A" DH rims, Blackspire cranks, Thomson seatpost, Thomson "X4" stem, Hope M4 disc brakes, Maxxis "Hookworm" rubber, Titec "El Norte" saddle, etc... |
| Bottom Line: | Buy one for everything except DH, or "extreme" freeride! |
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Submitted by
Pete Boyd
a Weekend Warrior
from Las Vegas Nevada
Date Reviewed: 10/19/2004 12:23:55 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Red Canyon |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $3300 |
| Purchased At: | Pro Cyclery |
| Strengths: | Great climbing ability. Accelerates well. Very comfortable. I completed all uphill trails 100% for the first time. ETA is a great option to have. The traction on the tough uphill sections is the best ever. Thanks to the suspension, I never stalled on the step-ups or rocks. Downhill was awsume. The difference a full suspesion bike of this quality makes will change the way you feel about mountain biking. It is amazing to see how far the industry has come in the last few years. This bike is a must-have for anyone that needs a burst of life in their riding routine. It is the most forgiving bike I have ever ridden. I rode so long the first time out, my wife thought I must have crashed out in the desert somewhere! |
| Weaknesses: | No complaints. |
| Bike Setup: | Marzocchi Z1 FR '04 5th Element / Progressive Hayes Discs MTB Laser Cut DH wheels/rims |
| Bottom Line: | I should have bought a Fury sooner. The rush factor has increased dramatically... |
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Submitted by
MAXXED
a Cross Country Rider
from Honolulu
Date Reviewed: 10/10/2004 4:02:24 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $650 |
| Purchased At: | Mountain Cycle |
| Strengths: | Stiff frame and swingarm. Tough powder coat finish. No v-brake bosses. |
| Weaknesses: | Stick on decals on a frame at this price point. |
| Similar Products Tried: | '98 San Andreas '03 Cannondale Jekyll |
| Bike Setup: | Manitou Black fork, Avid BB Disc Brakes and Speed Dial 7 levers, '04 XTR front and rear derailleurs, XT crank, Alex Vectra D2 wheels and hubs, Progressive 5th Element coil shock. |
| Bottom Line: | Before getting into detail of the Fury’s strengths, let me make one statement: I love this bike. I have been searching for this bike for more than three years. I had almost given up, thinking my requirements were too specific. Actually it turns out, I’m not alone, because Mountain Cycle felt the same way. Have you ever purchased a bike and within a month, discovered serious design flaws and weaknesses, and regretted it? Since purchasing the Fury, it’s been the opposite. I keep discovering new things that impress me more each time I ride it. I purchased it as a frame only, and built it from the ground up. Since I had all the parts I needed, and shipping to Hawaii is horrendous, “frame only” is always the preferred way to go for me. Don’t be alarmed at the price I paid, Mountain Cycle actually has a great frame replacement program if you destroy your MC frame. My case was a little different. I purchased a closeout Tremor frame that was defective, and MC allowed me to use the frame replacement program to trade up to a Fury. After the first mile of riding it, the Fury just felt “right”. It has amazingly quick and responsive steering and handling (a trait that all Mountain Cycle bikes appear to have), even with it’s relatively mild head tube angle. It is an effortless and efficient climbing machine. I found myself getting to the top of hills much faster with reserve energy to spare in my legs. It excels in narrow single track paths. The Fury seems to naturally stick to single tracks like a roller coaster. My 2003 Cannondale Jekyll by comparison, would require a lot of effort and focus to stay on a single track path. Steering response felt sluggish and slow, and it always had a tendency to wander and not want to stay on the path. I questioned my bike handling skills at times, but the Fury made me realize the fault was not on my part. I can ride “hand free” without the Fury wanting to wander all over the road. It can turn inside the turning diameter of my Jekyll! On and offroad the Fury is a great performer and seems to do everything right. The Fury let’s you focus on riding and having fun, rather than focusing on annoying design flaws that constantly remind you why should have bought another bike instead. On high speed downhill runs exceeding 35mph on road, it remained rock steady and in full control. The Jekyll and my 1998 San Andreas developed a high speed shimmy at the same speeds. The Jekyll has one redeeming quality over the Fury, however. The Jekyll is what I call a “stroker”. It has the ability to run in the 32 chainring/11 tooth cassette gear ratio on flat land effortlessly for long distances. The Fury can’t quite duplicate it, but comes in a close second. However, in every other category of performance, steering, handling, balance, climbing ability, high speed downhills, sprinting, and jumping, the Fury wins hands down. Although the Jekyll has that one redeeming quality, it is quickly forgotten by all the things the Fury does right, vs. the one and only thing that the Jekyll does right. Another well thought out area is the cable routing. Full length outer cable routing on the brake and rear derailleur is a great idea. Shifting and braking performance are cleaner and drag free, not to mention dramatically reducing the chance of water, dirt, and grit getting into the cable housings. The cable mounting guides, using tie wraps, are a simple but effective way to anchor down different diameter cables. No need to look for adapters or reducers whether you’re mounting Shimano SIS cables or hydraulic brake lines. One size fits all, speeds assembly, and makes for a clean installation. Not only are the tie wraps a great idea, but the spacing of the cable holder mounts on the frame and swingarm, are placed perfectly. The cables fit neatly and cleanly with no slop, and no restrictive bends. One of my priorities in my search for the ultimate mountain bike was that it had to have elevated chainstays. I must admit, the monocoque, gracefully arched, trademark MC elevated swingarm, is the most handsome and sculpted swingarm I have seen to date. The bead blasted, anodized finish has also proven to be very durable. The great looks of the MC swingarm are a definite side benefit, but I wanted an elevated chainstay/swingarm because it eliminates the chain hitting the chainstay under hard impacts, reducing the chance of throwing the chain or having it get jammed between the rear axle and frame. It also eliminates the chain rubbing the chainstay when using the smallest cog on the cassette when offroading at speed. Since the swingarm never gets hit by the chain, putting on an ugly neoprene or Lizard Skin chainstay protector is not an issue. Any type of chain protector becomes a moisture and grime trap over a period of time, and requires constant cleaning. Finally, elevated chainstays make rear tire changes much faster and easier, especially on the trail. What don’t the other manufacturers and designers understand about the benefits of elevated chainstays? I rarely see them, and the ones that I do see, riders complain about flexing. Santa Cruz had such a problem with rear swingarm/frame flexing, that 5th Element shocks were actually being damaged by the lateral flex caused by the design. Cannondale’s ill fated bonded elevated swingarm on the earlier Jekylls met with catastrophic failure, and a voluntary replacement of the swingarm with a newer, conventional design. Don’t let the Fury’s aerodynamic, streamlined look fool you into thinking that it’s designed for mild XC riding only. My first torture test on any new frame is to clear four stairs at my favorite beach park. The Fury cleared all four stairs without even trying! After more than six months of jumping, riding down stairs, high speed downhills, offroading, urban assault, and XC riding, I’ve experienced no flex in the frame or swingarm. The Fury has taken everything that I’ve been brave (or stupid) enough to throw at it, and I know I’m not even close to testing the limits of this frame. If you’re considering a freeride or downhill bike, but also like XC and urban assault riding, I would seriously give the Fury a test ride before limiting yourself to a purpose designed bike. After owning a San Andreas and the Fury, I’d definitely buy another Mountain Cycle. This one’s a keeper. |
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Submitted by
Sean
a Weekend Warrior
from Phx, Az
Date Reviewed: 10/6/2004 7:20:46 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | National |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $2800 |
| Purchased At: | Kore Bikes, Scottsdale |
| Strengths: | Build quality and finish, parts kits to choose from when ordering, Anodized black finish, sinister |
| Weaknesses: | cheep stickers applied to the swing arm..I pulled off. Other frame markings are all painted on, awesome |
| Similar Products Tried: | Only similar in that they are mountain bikes, Giant XTC2 full suspension, Giant CFM3 carbon fiber hard tail, Trek 970 and a Bianchi way back when |
| Bike Setup: | My bike was ordered with the PRO build kit, for light weight and best quality, King headset, TruVativ cranks, XTR, Hayes Hyd brakes, Sun/Ringle rims/hubs, 5th Element Coil, Marz Freeride Z1 fork with the Q20 thruaxle and quick release drop out and travel adjust. On their website just look for the pro kit to get the scoop |
| Bottom Line: | I ride agressive XC, climbing, downhills and flats and now more stunts....I do all mountain just as I had expected from my newest bike...This bike is fantastic, I cannot describe how great it feels to blaze down a trail and not need to grab brakes at every rough spot, just aim and let the bike do the rest. I currently have all of the suspens |