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Home | Product Reviews | Older Frameset | Mountain Cycle San Andreas | ||||
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Submitted by
Mark Riley
a Weekend Warrior
from Newtown, NSW Australia
Date Reviewed: 5/30/2006 9:32:09 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Manly Dam |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $699 |
| Purchased At: | Cambria Bike |
| Strengths: | Timeless design that still holds up very well in all round riding. |
| Weaknesses: | High bottom bracket makes cornering feel sketchy. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Lots of hardtails. Used a Schwinn Rocket for 6 months. |
| Bike Setup: | Z1 Freeride SL's, Fox Vanilla R, Sram - XT mix. |
| Bottom Line: | I broke it ! I owned it 1 year and was using it in a 24hr race. I made a bad landing doing a creek crossing which the front wheel cleared but the back wheel caught below the lip. With my weight on the saddle, it pulled the VPS block right off the frame.I only weigh 72kg. I trust this is a one off. The biggest problem was getting the new frame from Mountain Cycle. My first email to the sales team replied back to say that the original staff have left the company due to the new management's direction (Kinesis). I then made contact with somebody who never returned my emails requesting shipping costs before I submitted credit card details. I phoned him from Australia and we agreed but then again my emails were not answered. After a terse email, I got a reply and the new frame was shipped to Australia in only 2-3 days. A very quick transaction after I had spent 8 weeks chasing it. Customer service was appalling but I still love the look and ride of my San Andreas that does EVERYTHING ! My rating is for the bike not the company's crap service. |
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Submitted by
Ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA
Date Reviewed: 11/22/2004 10:23:21 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $1550 |
| Purchased At: | Adrenaline |
| Strengths: | Well-balanced geomertry, simplicity in suspension, quality, strength, durability |
| Weaknesses: | Perhaps cable routing |
| Similar Products Tried: | Specialized Enduro, Kona Dawg, Marin taras suspension |
| Bike Setup: | Progressive 5th Element, Marzocchi Mx pro, XT, ritchey wheelsets, clipless, Hays hydraulic (30ish pounds) |
| Bottom Line: | I wanted to rekindle my stoke for biking (that I lost following many injuries and board sports diversions) and remember looking at this bike was I was pedaling around on my first rockhopper 15 years ago. My wife and I both have this stablemate, and I am enthralled by the frameset. I was worried that the bike would be a clydesdale, but it's as nimble and flickable as a gazelle. Climbs well for a 32 pound six-incher, but rides like it's on rails through the singletrack descents. |
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Submitted by
jeff angell
a Weekend Warrior
from des moines ,iowa
Date Reviewed: 11/9/2004 5:03:39 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | greenwood park |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | $1000 |
| Purchased At: | ebay |
| Strengths: | has been everything I've always heard about. Most think of it as a downhiller but mine is set up for xcountry. I've ridden my friends bikes and they are mushy feeling and don't turn as well! |
| Weaknesses: | my bike might be alittle heavier than most of the hard tales I see around! But I'm feeling better after the ride I'm sure!! |
| Similar Products Tried: | AMP B3,AMP B4 |
| Bike Setup: | Judy XL,Hayes Hydros brakes,thompson,raceface,XT |
| Bottom Line: | I'm very impressed with the bike. I would like a newer bike but there aren't any dealers around that carry the bikes I would buy here and I wouldn't want to be dissapointed with a mail order bike that wasn't as good as the one I have already. BOTTOM LINE: A good bike for a more aggressive trail rider that doesn't want to have to fix they're bike often! HARD TO BREAK! |
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Submitted by
Todd
a Weekend Warrior
from Atlanta
Date Reviewed: 6/14/2004 1:33:33 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $950 |
| Purchased At: | frame at Cambriabike.com |
| Strengths: | It's pretty light for 5" travel, no-bob rear suspension, trusty construction for my 215 lbs, single pivot means easy maintenance, they've been doing this thing for 10+ years, I like the full cable housing type cable routing. |
| Weaknesses: | The frame amplifies trail noise so it's a little noisy in the quiet woods, but not too bad. It's a little tall too, it sits high but I've gotten used to it. |
| Similar Products Tried: | I've tried it all, I mean everything. |
| Bike Setup: | X-vert super, Thomson post, Avid mechanical discs, and the rest is XT. It's build as a trail bike so it sits about 29lbs right now. I think I could get I to 27lbs with some sensable parts and about $1k. A weight weenie could get it to 26 lbs. |
| Bottom Line: | I think this has to be the most under-utilized under-rated (even though the ratings here are very good) frame out there. There is no bobbing on flats, it climbs like a goat, and it takes the descents like a downhill bike. The maintenance is zero on the pivots. I can't believe I don't see these things all over the place. If you can, try one and you'll see. I hope these guys at Kinesis keep making this thing and suggest they try beef up their marketing efforts. |
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Submitted by
jeff angell
a Weekend Warrior
from des moines ,iowa
Date Reviewed: 4/18/2004 8:24:17 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | science center |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | $1000 |
| Purchased At: | e-bay |
| Strengths: | I am not a serious rider but I weigh over 200lbs and this bike is very strong and seems to carve well in the single track that I normally ride.There is no creaking from the frame at all and this bike is going on 4 years old!!! |
| Weaknesses: | The only weakness I've seen is in other components,Not the frame!(stems,posts) |
| Similar Products Tried: | mountain cycle-shockwave,Amp B5,Trek 9000 |
| Bike Setup: | Judy xl front fork,raceface dh cranks,shimano xt,thompson,hayes brakes,sun rims,stock rear shock by mountain cycle |
| Bottom Line: | I'm leaving this review because I think it would be helpful for larger riders to know that there is a strong light weight bike here that is not just for downhill. Most people think of this bike as just a downhiller. It is as light as any I've had and honestly has been a great bike! |
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Submitted by
Lee Combs
a Downhiller
from Festus,MO.
Date Reviewed: 1/26/2004 7:54:19 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Any |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $400 |
| Purchased At: | ebay |
| Strengths: | Frame is awsome,piviot bearings are used instead of plastic bushings,makes for a very sturdy frame.adjustable ride highth |
| Weaknesses: | none |
| Similar Products Tried: | none of my other bikes even come close to this one. |
| Bike Setup: | bombshell wheels,motorapter 2.4 tires, xtr derailers,raceface crank,manitou elite forks,hayes 8 inch hydrolic brakes,kore stem and rise handlebars ,xt shifters |
| Bottom Line: | Awsome frame,bike looks like its going fast just sitting still,wife is afraid to walk around it,bike climbs very well,rides very plush,take bumps and dips smooth,sets up a lot higher than any other bike ive had.very quick and stable down hills. |
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Submitted by
Worrab
a Downhiller
from Bothell, Wa, US
Date Reviewed: 9/5/2003 12:09:37 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Price Paid: | $1300 |
| Purchased At: | Mountain Cycle |
| Strengths: | This frame is strong, I've never had anything go wrong with it. No maintenance required. It is also easy to up-grade or change configurations for X-C or Down hill |
| Weaknesses: | Noisy. you hear all the creaks and pops as you ride and the accessibility of the front derailleur is imposable (better with the new frame) Other than that there are no weaknesses. |
| Bike Setup: | Jr. T, Fox Vanilla RC, Mavic 519 rims, Hayes disks and all the other higher end parts. |
| Bottom Line: | I've been riding a San Andreas XC for about three years, but when it was stolen I looked around for a replacement bike. It did not take me long to start looking for another San Andreas. They kick ass... I decided to go with the DHS set up this time. It ended up being about 36lbs, but it hauls down hills and takes the drops and jumps like they are not there. I have ridden a Cannondale Gemini, Jekyil, Norco Drop and some Ellsworth and it rides in the all around arena better than them all. |
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Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: 4/14/2003 7:47:43 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $1400 |
| Purchased At: | Cambriabike.com |
| Strengths: | Mountain Cycle San Andreas XC Air 2003 -Good climber, stable at speed, yet turns well. Like the adjustable frame geometry. Very stiff frame, light front end - great for wheelies. Handles great on tight trails and through technical sections. Very race worthy, great acceleration. |
| Weaknesses: | Fox RL rear Air shock constantly leaked down (100PSI per week!) until I purged all of the air out of it and bottomed it out (seals were not seated properly from factory) . After doing this, the shock stopped leaking air. I understand that a lot of RL's have the same problem. Also a bit of funky drivetrain backlash when peddling through rolling whoops (chain will pull back on crank as frame geometry changes through suspension stroke) but nothing major. |
| Similar Products Tried: | '97 Specialized AI Ground control (Rear shock was a nightmare - went trough 3 - finally had to get a machine shop to rebuild with automotive seals and make new brass bushings - still works today! ); '2000 Oryx ATX 250 FS |
| Bike Setup: | 2003 Bomber Z1 Freeride fork, 2002 XTR drivetrain with XT shifters, Grimeca System 8 brakes with Bontrager Race Disk wheels and hubs, Selle Italia Flight Gel Ti saddle, Ritchey Logic Pro2 clipless, Syncros bars+seatpost, Raceface SyStem (put a 1/2" steerer tube spacer on top of stem and under headset cap to stop the notorius Raceface stem flex), Ritchey ZED 2.1 Kevlar tires, Chris King Headset. I weigh about 195 lbs and have the rear air shock set at 275 PSI, with 3 clicks out from max damping for agressive cross country. NOTE: Old Rockshox Quadra 5 fork boots are a perfect fit for the Fox RL rear shock and will protect it from mud and grime. |
| Bottom Line: | I waited 2 months for this frame, but it was worth it. Aside from the rear shock leaking air at first (Yikes!), I haven't had any problems so far. With the rear air shock, there is just enough room to fit a long screwdriver throught the swingarm shock mount to adjust the front derailleur (unlike the DH model). The ride on the XC San Andreas model is like no other supension bike I have ever tried - it is supple without feeling mushy. The lock-out on the RL is also a definite bonus - it makes the bike feel like a hardtail on flat ground and up steep hills. Looks cool, too. |
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Submitted by
Andy Watson
from Houston, TX, USA
Date Reviewed: 2/4/2003 8:18:56 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Grapevine Lake, TX |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $1150 |
| Purchased At: | Progressionbikeshop.com |
| Strengths: | This frames is the stiffest and most agile frame I have ever ridden. It climbs like a mountain goat and I love the adjustable cockpit and shock mount. The weight is distributed very well throughout the frame so not one area is heavier to lift. Replaceable subframe and swingarm if necessary. My last POS GT Team model could not handle the abuse and broke at the seat post clamp weld. If this one breaks you just get a new part to replace instead of having to shop for a whole new frame again. Chicks dig it. |
| Weaknesses: | Hard to get one in your hands because so many people want one. |
| Similar Products Tried: | GT Team Race model - Sucked |
| Bike Setup: | Mountain Cycle Frame - San Andreas DHS Chris King ISO Hubs w/ X317 Disc Rims Hayes Disc Shimano XTR w/ Flight Deck - Highly Recommended Thomson Seatpost and Stem Bontrager Riser Bar w/crossbar Oakley Grips WTB Weirwolf 2.5 front - Best tire ever WTB MotoRapter 2.4 rear Race Face Next LP Carbon cranks ISIS TruVativ Gigapipe 73mm/118mm bottom bracket Cane Creek S2 Headset Manitou XVert Air Suspension Fork Fox Vanilla Coil w/ Piggyback Rear Suspension Specialized Seat Thornproof Tubes Kore Skewers |
| Bottom Line: | The bottom line is that this frame rocks. I spent 4 months shopping for a new frame and had to wait on this one for two. I bought it from Progressionbikeshop.com straight from Jim, the owner. He helped me so much when a lot of other places did not seem to have the time. I highly recommend getting the Mountain Cycle frames through him. He gave me an excellent price and assured me that I would have the very first 2003 San Andreas and he came through big time. Mountain Cycle just started selling through bike shops this year instead of dealing direct. They offer a lifetime warranty and have been very responsive to technical questions. I highly recommend getting this frame if you don't already have one. This bike is especially plush for bigger riders - 200+ lbs. I give their operation 5 big chile blunts for a job well done. |
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Submitted by
Mark
from Thousand Oaks CA
Date Reviewed: 10/18/2002 8:34:20 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Purchased At: | recycler |
| Strengths: | excellent ride |
| Weaknesses: | bottome bracket flex, weak swing arm |
| Bottom Line: | I was thrilled when I first got this bike it handled and jumped among the best out there I had good faith in the bike, from what the other reviews say it has a strong frame and if it does ever break Mountain Cycle will back you up. This was good till my swing arm broke, just above the main pivot, on the right side. After removing it and inspecting it I found four cracks on top of the break! 2 where the shock is attached, one huge one going across the weld below that, and another one on the opposite side of the central box. Now maybe the break was just from normal fatigue but the other cracks especially the ones going through the welds shouldn’t be there, something differently went wrong when it was built or designed or whatever. And I am not overweight nor do I go very big maybe 10 ft jumps at most. So of course after hearing so many stories about their great customer service I am still not sweating it, until I gave them a call and found out “They don’t warranty second hand customers” and a new swing arm is going to be 500 dollars. That pist me off it shouldn’t matter if I bought the bike used or not, they made it, if its **** up they should take responsibility. On top of that there trying to pull in a profit off there weak swing arms considering a new San Andreas frame goes for a little under a $1000 form Cambria bike. Think of this the swing arm probably is the most complex piece to make on the bike but I doubt the cost of metal and labor involved equals as much as the cost of the metal and labor of the sub frame, seat tower, and shock. So after this I am not happy with the company. A company that cant support second hand customers “people who are still out there riding their bike, showing off their name getting them out there”, That says they don’t have a 100% faith in there product. So my stickers are coming off and if anyone asks it’s a department store bike. It gets 2 chiles for a great ride but a structurally weak a** frame they dare to call a free ride bike. |
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Submitted by
david knox
a Weekend Warrior
from united kingdom
Date Reviewed: 1/14/2002 10:58:29 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | epping forest |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | $1800 |
| Purchased At: | tom skene cycles |
| Strengths: | massivly strong fast stable looks the dogs bollox |
| Weaknesses: | in two years none |
| Similar Products Tried: | 3gts . kona cannondale marin |
| Bike Setup: | white bros . hayes 8in roters all xtr raceface fox vanilla rc azonic razerrock sun mammoth contis hopehubs wtb x-lite |
| Bottom Line: | having tried six of the rest........no comparism its the best bike ive owned when it(if it ever)wears out i'll buy another one! if you are serious about freeriding this is one of the most awesome bits of kit you can buy (it even looks totally outrageous as well) |
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Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Lincoln
Date Reviewed: 10/29/2001 4:54:51 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Wharncliff |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Strengths: | Nice ride, wicked looks, cult following. |
| Bike Setup: | Adjustable R/C Piggy back shock, XT Mechs, Maguras, Stratos MX6, STX-RC Hubs on Mavic 517s, etc. |
| Bottom Line: | As you can see from all these other reviews the San Andreas is a top bike, and it has quite a following, its almost a cult bike... I love my San Andreas but I have decided to sell it to help decorate my Kitchen. If you would like to buy a Black and Silver San Andreas, with Stratos MX6 forks, XT and Maguras, Adjustable R/C Piggy back shock, etc then contact me Via E mail. Price: £700 ono. |
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Submitted by
John Streblow
a Downhiller
from Napa, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: 6/24/2001 8:11:14 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Mc. Curdy |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $1000 |
| Purchased At: | cambria bike |
| Strengths: | Strong, relitively light for a semi-dh bike |
| Weaknesses: | Nothing |
| Similar Products Tried: | Trek |
| Bike Setup: | Manitou X-vert, LX shifter & derailers, LX levers and brakes, Race Face North Shore XS crank, Easton Mokey Bar, Intense DH 2.40, Profile stiffy stem |
| Bottom Line: | I just bought the bike about 3 months ago and nothing has gone wrong yet. Mine has 4.5" of travel and it will take on any rock, root or drop you take it off of. I raced the sea otter downhill on it and it was great. I also take in on a ton of courses on Mt. Tam and it works great. It can be set up really well to be a complete DH bike. It is also great for riding up hill too. Its really good for jumping too, i have taken it too a lot of jumping places and it works well. |
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Submitted by
Doug
a Cross Country Rider
from Palo Alto, CA
Date Reviewed: 5/31/2001 10:43:38 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Rock Creek Canyon - Mammoth |
| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Price Paid: | $1500 |
| Purchased At: | Mountain Cycle |
| Strengths: | This Bike is Bomb proof. It eats up everything on the trail with ease. |
| Weaknesses: | It's a little heavy but that's what you get with a bike that can convert to a downhiller. |
| Bike Setup: | San Andreas Frame, XT Package, Manitou X-Vert Front. |
| Bottom Line: | The money is worth it for these quality frames. You won't have to worry about parts breaking or adjustments. It's a great bike for those just looking to go out and have fun. It climbs great, and downhills like no other. I've raced the bike too (even though it's a bit heavy) and had no problems with it. |
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Submitted by
Trond Olsen
a Weekend Warrior
from Oslo, Norway
Date Reviewed: 5/31/2001 1:21:25 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Vettakollen |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $650 |
| Purchased At: | mtbr.com |
| Strengths: | Simple, rigid, nimble, light, aggressive, picks line well. It's a classic bike! |
| Weaknesses: | Simple, broke in two..., monoswingarm locks up under braking. |
| Similar Products Tried: | VRX300, VRX500, Uzzi SL, Super8, Stab |
| Bike Setup: | 4.5" Andreas, 2001 Jr.T, Magura Discs, XT, ODI, RaceFace SyStem, Cane Creek, Truvativ, Tioga 2.3, Hugi - 321/DeeMax front |
| Bottom Line: | I really love this bike, but I grew a bit suspicious after breaking the rear swingarm last fall. Bought a new one and saw that they had updated the swingarm with a welded on plate where mine broke. It has hold up fine since. It is plush as hell and climbs/decends really well. Suspension locks up under braking though...which is not that good. I'll give the bike 5 for overall rating and 4 for value rating. |
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Submitted by
Rick K
a Weekend Warrior
from Chino, CA
Date Reviewed: 5/2/2001 8:54:36 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Strengths: | Proven design has remained unchanged for over 10 years. Reasonably light. |
| Weaknesses: | Monocoque design does transmit some sound. Somewhat pricey, but well worth it. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Nothing really compares; I have tried Cannondale; ProFlex, KHS and Intense. |
| Bike Setup: | 2001 Frame w/ all 2001 Components; White Bros FR-3 Dual Crown Forks; Chris King Headset; Answer ProTaper 2" Riser Bars; Thompson Elite Stem (90mm x 5*); Mavic F519 Rims w/Chris King Disc Hubs; XTR fr & Rr Derailleurs; XTR Crankset; XTR BB; XTR Chain; XT Disc Brakes; Shimano SPD 858 Pedals; Thompson Elite Seat Post; Selle Italia Flite Ti Gel Seat; Maxxis 2.35 Tires. |
| Bottom Line: | I would highly recommend this incredible bike. Mountain Cycle has been an industry leader with this unchanged classic frame that others have attempted to duplicate. It takes all of the pounding you can give it, is strong, and can be relatively light if set up to be. Ride that Mountain Cycle hard! |
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Submitted by
Jeff
a Weekend Warrior
from CA
Date Reviewed: 2/8/2001 1:32:36 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Soquel National Demo Forest |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $1200 |
| Purchased At: | Online from Mt Cycle |
| Strengths: | Everything |
| Weaknesses: | Nothing |
| Similar Products Tried: | Pro Flex 857 |
| Bike Setup: | Z1 Drop Off ,Chris King,Pro Stop Brakes,XTR, etc |
| Bottom Line: | This is one of the best mountain bikes out there. I reviewed this bike about a year ago and I am still amazed of what I am capable of doing on this machine. The Pro Stop brakes are unbelievable... A little bit of a pain to set up but, they work phenominal once their dialed in. If you do not have one of these bikes go get one. My last bike was a 2nd generation full suspension Pro flex... Fun bike but, there is no comparison... I think the frame was made in Taiwan...But, then who knows, or who cares.. This company makes it's products in good old California, and the people are a pleasure to work with... |
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Submitted by
david blake
a Weekend Warrior
from united kingdom
Date Reviewed: 1/14/2001 10:33:50 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Buckton Castle/DoveStone reservoir |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | $1000 |
| Purchased At: | second hand off good mate |
| Strengths: | kick ass ( as you americans would say ) good looks. well strong,smooth ride,very rare beast on these shores. |
| Weaknesses: | bad dealer back up and a bit heavy at 27 lbs all in. |
| Similar Products Tried: | my brothers pro-flex 823. |
| Bike Setup: | I have had to change the pro-stop disc brakes for shimano v brakes because i cant get pro stop spares in this country. This has meant that i have also had to change the front forks for rock shocks because the original suspenders 111 do not have mounts for v brakes. But i am happy with the result and it has ended up a bit lighter. |
| Bottom Line: | I am very pleased with my demon machine, it is absolutely fantastic at what it was designed for, blasting downhill as fast as your nerve allows you, I am always first over the edge and first to the bottom of any decent before any of my my mates, they can only locate me by my whoops and wails as i disapear into the distance. Recently 6 of us deciced to cycle coast to coast, Whitehaven to Sunderland in 3 days , and this is where a couple of faults in the bike showed up: 1 there is no way of fitting panniers or a cycle rack on this bike which meant having to carry gear on my back in a rucksack. 2 there are plenty of bikes around weighing in at a good deal less than the san andreas and this counts for a lot on a longish ride. Apart from those littlt gripes I realy enjoy the san andreas and with it being American it is realy quite unusal over here and i have not had any breakages or problems with this very well made and good quality bike. |
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Submitted by
T Thomas
a Weekend Warrior
from UK
Date Reviewed: 1/13/2001 5:32:55 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | 12 acre |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Purchased At: | £1200 |
| Strengths: | Ease of adjustability, weight. |
| Weaknesses: | Nothing |
| Similar Products Tried: | Foes Zig Zag suspension, |
| Bike Setup: | Stratos 6" travel triple clamps, components from Control Tech and XTR |
| Bottom Line: | The Mountain Cycle San Andreas is to mountain biking what SE Racing's P.K. Ripper was us BMX. A timeless classic, nothing comes close.. |
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Submitted by
Rick B
a Cross Country Rider
from Metuchen, NJ
Date Reviewed: 12/20/2000 8:05:05 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Anytime, anywhere |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Strengths: | Solid feel. The suspension works when it's supposed to, and it inspires confidence. Very easy to maintain and it holds up well. |
| Weaknesses: | Front derailleur set-up is a pain. People stare it a lot. |
| Similar Products Tried: | I won't waste your time with the long list. |
| Bike Setup: | X-Vert, XT/XTR, Middleburn cranks(!), Mavic, Syncros, Titec... all the good stuff down to the titanium bolts. |
| Bottom Line: | I've been riding for 13 years. I was a hardtail holdout until I rode a San Andreas. I thought the trade-off for suspension was not worth it until I rode this bike. Everything else breaks, wears out, or just doesn't work. I love this thing. It makes me want to ride more and harder than ever!It handles huge drops, finds traction around bumpy corners, floats uphill, and bombs downhills. If you're considering buying one, stop and just go buy. I do all kinds of trails from cross country to freeride. It never fails to come through. |
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Submitted by
Todd Graves
a Cross Country Rider
from Germantown, Tennessee USA
Date Reviewed: 12/19/2000 5:48:00 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Rainbow trail-Salida |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Strengths: | Solid, Good handling and plush |
| Weaknesses: | None yet. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Catamount-great bike just different |
| Bike Setup: | Z1, Fox Vanilla RX, xt components. |
| Bottom Line: | This bike exudes quality. I have never ridden a bike that felt so together and strong. I do want to post again after some major trail miles, but the first impression so far is INCREDIBLE. The bike just screams "ride me". The Z1 fork matches very well with this frame and creates a good handling yet plush ride. I believe this bike could be used for just about anything, but I am setting mine up for twisty singletrack. Looking forward to some great rides with my new bike. This bike is in another league in itself. I remember reading somewhere before that "if I couldn't ride a Mountain Cycle I wouldn't ride" Well, I kinda see what they mean. I will post again in the future. Happy trails Todd |
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Submitted by
Kent
from Olalla Washington
Date Reviewed: 11/12/2000 2:05:36 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | the muddier, the better |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Strengths: | A unique looking frame, not to common. The abiliaty to adjust head angle, top tube length, and travel. The use of full cable routing under the frame, and it's simplicity. A burly frame. |
| Weaknesses: | Nothing glarring, the rear dropouts are a bit flexy. Under a strong pedal load they twist a little only noticable with discs. At slow speeds there is a noticable pedal feedback in the granny-ring, but how often do you use the small-ring. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Nothing that is like this, my previous bike was a M2 Stump Jumper HT. Tried an FSR. |
| Bike Setup: | Jr. T, XT drivetrain, Hubs, and Discs. Mavic 317 rims, Race Face headset, Kore stem and seatpost, and Crowbar. |
| Bottom Line: | I love this bike, I have pretty much given my Stumpy to my sister. As I have it set up it is not light, and there is some movement durring pedaling, so it does not go up as well as the old bike. The down is significantly more enjoyable. I find myself looking for drops on the way to and from class, the tallest I have done is five feet and on the San Andreas with 4.5 it was like dropping on pillows. (as long as the bike stays under you, concrete hurts!). I am going to up the travel to the 6.5 and see how that works. This bike has done alot to improve my confidence and make up for any lack of skill. If your looking for something simple, unique, and strong, and you are not overly worried about weight look at this bike. Plan on buying armor with the bike, you will want to do those insane things that you see in the Mags about B.C.. |
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Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
John Starbuck
a Cross Country Rider
from folsom, CA (originally SLO)
Date Reviewed: 10/13/2000 2:59:05 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | south yuba/table mountain |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Purchased At: | Mountain cycle |
| Strengths: | Frame construction, simple pivot, adustability, pimpablility, get in belly ability. Super strong |
| Weaknesses: | none at all |
| Similar Products Tried: | mountain cycle csx (full xtr 24lbs dream) mountain cycle moho sts (xt, light and fun) |
| Bike Setup: | 99 San Andreas, real hubs, mavic 317's, 2000 hayes flip flops 6" disks, control tech newton, post, sdg, shimano xtr cranks, race face hs, titec bars, marzocchi qr20 5" fork, panaracer fire pros, it rules |
| Bottom Line: | This bike rules, clean simple cal poly engineering stands out in all of the mountain cycle products. It climbs like a billy goat and blasts through the crap with ease. This frame has been around for 10 years, I like to think of it like luggage (you will never get rid of it). Buy it, love it, ride it. |
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Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Keith Suppe
a Racer
from Amherst, MA, USA
Date Reviewed: 9/23/2000 11:55:36 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Mt. Toby |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | < |