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Average Rating
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4.51/5
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# of Reviews
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85
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MSRP
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$ 1995.00
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Weight
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More Products from Ellsworth
Submit a Review
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Description:Rear Travel: 4 in.
Shock Options: Air: Fox AVA R ProPedal, CC Cloud 9, 5th Element
Coil: Romic D, Romic Ti Exc
Fork Travel: Recommended 80-105mm
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Submitted by
Sammy Al-doory
a Weekend Warrior
from Akron,ohio USA
Date Reviewed: December 9, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | towpath | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | 3500 beyond bikes | | Strengths: | climbs well | | Weaknesses: | hard to get good fit poor customer service. company allows questionable shop to carry its products | | Similar Products Used: | fisher sugar | | Bike Setup: | xt | | Bottom Line: | When I bought this bike,The rear derailluer/cage was too small.andthe rear wheel was not dished properly. Beyond Bikes Made me pay for the shipping on the derailleur and never reimbursed me for the money I had to spend on the wheel dishing.Also, during the sales pitch, Kerry who I believe is a sales manager,says to me "Ellsworth is the only frame in the shop that I will buy back fom you if you don't like it" Right. When I mentioned this, I heard a tirade you wouldn't believe. Needless to say this never happened.
I can't ride thisbike on anything but general use trails and for errands. There are too many stories about broken frames and dishonored warranties. I don't want to have to deal with their customer "service" | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Todd Smith
a Cross Country Rider
from San Antonio, TX
Date Reviewed: November 2, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Anything in Hawaii | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | Manufacturer | | Strengths: | Solid Welds, Light, Frame Design and Customer Service | | Weaknesses: | None yet... | | Similar Products Used: | Litespeed, Trek and Kona | | Bike Setup: | Fox 100mm Terra Logic, XTR, Chris King | | Bottom Line: | Wow.. I can't believe those slams on Ellsworth CS. I bought a 05 Truth on Ebay and then I found a crack at the top tube/seat tube. Called Ellsworth CS and the warranty guy Kevin gave me a RA# for a "No Fault Replacement". This was a week before the Interbike show! Ellsworth received the frame on Friday the day before Interbike. Then I receievd my frame with a new front triangle for the grand total of $500 3 weeks after I sent it out. That's with the shop shut down for one week to attend Interbike. Tony Ellsworth even emailed me back a few times regarding my frame, super fast replys too. GREAT COMPANY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE..... O Ya, it rides awesome too! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott Adams
a Racer
from Ahwatukee, AZ, Maricopa
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Mormon/National | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$4700.00 | | Purchased At: | Airpark Bikes | | Strengths: | Suspension efficiency, superb handling under varied conditions | | Weaknesses: | This is my second Ellsworth, the first was stolen and I stayed with the Brand but was subject to Absolutely Horrible customer service at Ellsworth, I actually got called an F**ker by the warranty x 208 him for asking about a warranty return on a bent Shock stay after 5 rides and a minor crash to my second Ellsworth. It took over 6 weeks for Airpark and Ellsworth to get me the crash replacement even though the factory stated that it should be "a couple of days" and the shop had several medium frames on the wall they could have poached the part from. Tony Ellsworth totally ignored my voicemail as well, I won't buy another $5000 bike from Ellsworth and can only hope to run into Tony or Cust svc. at a race to give them some personal feedback. | | Similar Products Used: | Titus Racer X | | Bike Setup: | Full XTR, Mavic SLR's, Avid Juicy 7, Manitou R7 Platinum, | | Bottom Line: | Find another brand ! Seriously dissapointed in spending $5000 on my second Ellsworth and getting cussed at by customer service after 6 weeks to replace a part??? come on Ellsworth get it together or just license your suspension to someone who appreciates those of us who are willing to drop $5K on a bike. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Frank
a Cross Country Rider
from New Mexico USA
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$4400.00 | | Purchased At: | Santa Fe | | Strengths: | Chameleon-like personna. The near-perfect blend for xc racing, weekend trails, endurance events. Smooth and easy. Makes an average guy better. | | Weaknesses: | Dialing in the set up was more involved than I've experienced on any other machine. Fine line between euphoria and frustration. | | Similar Products Used: | Usual suspects. | | Bike Setup: | XT this, XTR that | | Bottom Line: | I am amazed to read the many recent posts regarding frame breaks. I checked mtbr before purchasing the Truth in '04 and (wrongly) figured the frame issues had been adequately resolved. It happened to me in August this year: full on seat tube crack. Took 2 months and many calls/emails to get the replacement. Initially, Ellsworth sent a used frame. I sent it back with assurances that sloppy seconds isn't my thing. From what I gather, I should consider myself lucky the new frame came in as quickly as it did. In the meantime, I returned to my '00 Fisher Sugar, which remains bulletproof despite numerous epic rides and races. Seriously considering the purchase of a Cannondale Scalpel. Test rode one recently and found it remarkable. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Oliver
a Cross Country Rider
from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Three Stage | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$3500.00 | | Purchased At: | Airbomb | | Strengths: | Light, fast, excellent suspension, anodized paint is durable, good customer service at Ellsworth | | Weaknesses: | Frame strength | | Similar Products Used: | Epic, Stumpjumper | | Bike Setup: | XT, Thompson, Avid juicy carbon, Mavic 317 | | Bottom Line: | This is an excellent XC racing bike. It handles singletrack beautifully. The suspension, when compared to an Epic, is superior on descents and rocky/rooty sections, but lags slightly on the climbs, due to Specialized's Brain platform.
My bike was an '02, but after five years of hard riding, the frame succumbed to fatique and cracked first at the swing arm by the bottom bracket, then at the brake welds on the seat stay, and finally on lower down tube. All cracks occurred in the 5th season within a short time of one another. Ellsworth customer service responded with excellent service, and parts were sent within a couple of weeks. Due to '07s redesign, I had to pay approx. $280 for the Fox Float shock replacement, which I believe is quite reasonable. The new frame colours (mine is red velvet), are simply gorgeous.
If you're a racer looking for a sweet ride and don't want a McBike, the Truth is a fine choice. Ellsworth customer service is excellent. Of note, however, is the warranty has changed from lifetime to two years, so be certain that your riding style suits the frame, otherwise you'll be out a large chunk of change. If you're a heavier rider who likes small drops or jumps, go for the more multi-purpose Epiphany. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Albuquerque, NM
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | why | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Strengths: | horst link | | Weaknesses: | Broke top tube in 2 months. 4 months after frame returned, still don't have frame back. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale, Niner | | Bike Setup: | Fox, some Sram, some Shimano, Hope, Mavic | | Bottom Line: | A number of my friends have Ellsworths. I bought one. The frame cracked in 2 months, sad. Worse, Ellsworth first sent the wrong size in return. Now? I still don't have the bike after waiting 4 months. There is some serious incompetence going down. I have since built a new ride that is not an Ellsworth. I don't recommend Ellsworth. I gave it a 1 for value because a frame should last more than 2 months. I gave it a 1 overall because the company has been disappointing to deal with. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City, UT
Date Reviewed: September 14, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Little Creek | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | Wrench Science | | Strengths: | 1) Performance, handling, weight. Bike rides like a dream, as practically all other reviewers have stated.
2) Ellsworth honored warranty for frame & linkage. | | Weaknesses: | 1) It's a light frame, people ride them frequently and hard, which means you might break it. My frame broke clean through on the seat tube, just below the gusset supporting the rocker linkage.
2) Though my warranty experience turned out great, I did experience a bit of who's-on-first when dealing with Ellsworth...
3) Ellsworth has been criticized for a policy on "planned obsolescence" that can negatively impact the warranty experience. Though my warranty experience turned out great, I think there's some validity to the criticism. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized FSR Enduro, Litespeed Unicoi | | Bike Setup: | SRAM X.0/XT, F100RLC, Cane Creek Cloud 9 XTR/517 wheels w/V-brakes | | Bottom Line: | I have been, and continue to be, very happy with this bike. I did experience a frame break this year (while climbing!) and when I stripped the frame, I found a hairline crack in the linkage. Ellsworth replaced both in a reasonable time frame (about 4 weeks door-to-door). My LBS (Hyland Cyclery of Salt Lake) was outstanding. Turns out Ellsworth no longer makes anything V-brake compatible, but LBS swapped my warranty frame for an in-stock 2005 V-brake compatible frame. Without LBS help, I would've faced a pricey upgrade/tough decision, but the fact is that Ellsworth honored the warranty for both frame and linkage, no questions asked. In the reviews below, you'll find 2 reviews from earlier this year, both with the exact same break as I experienced. I contacted both reviewers: one had an excellent warranty experience, with a total 2 week turnaround. The other has had a very bad experience, with no replacement for a few months (though it's unclear how much of the problem is Ellsworth, and how much is his LBS.) Bottom line: it's a great bike, but they can break, so best if you work with an LBS with a rep for above-average service. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon Cooper
a Weekend Warrior
from Surrey UK
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Staen street, Box Hill | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Purchased At: | Frame only - Freeborn | | Strengths: | Looks, Smooth ride | | Weaknesses: | None I have found yet | | Similar Products Used: | Dekerf Generation, Rocky Mountain Vertex TO, Rocky Mountain Equipe, Pace F8, Kona 7in travel | | Bike Setup: | XTR, Pace forks, Race Face cranks, Xlite bars | | Bottom Line: | Smooth as silk - no-nonsense bike which has increased my ground speed considerably.
It is v.comfortable and doesnt get clogged with mud ...
Highly recommended. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Earl Hunt
a Cross Country Rider
from Wilmington DE
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Brandywine | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2395.00 | | Purchased At: | JB Mountain Bikes | | Strengths: | This is a professional bike! I have become a better climber and more confident rider on this whip! | | Weaknesses: | I’ll get back to you on that when I find it. | | Similar Products Used: | Superlight and Flux | | Bike Setup: | * Frame: Large Red Velvet
* Fork: Fox F100 RLC
* Shock: RP23
* Brakes: Hope Mono Mini, Floating Rotor
* Cranks: 07 XT
* Shifters: '07 XTR
* Front Derailleur: '07 XT
* Rear Derailleur: '07 XTR
* Pedals: Carbon ATAC XS
* Stem: Thompson X4 100 mm-10 rise
* Handlebar: Easton Monkey Lite XC
* Seatpost: Thompson
* Saddle: Tioga Spyder Saddle
* Bottom Bracket: 07 XT
* Cassette: SRAM
* Chain: SRAM
* Headset: Chris King
* Grips: Salsa
* Front Tire: Fire XC
* Front Rim: DT Swiss XR 4.2D
* Front Hub/Skewer: Industry Nine/Salsa Skewer
* Rear Tire: Fire XC
* Rear Rim: DT Swiss XR 4.2D
* Rear Hub/Skewer: Industry Nine/Salsa Skewer
* Cables: XTR
* Overall Weight: 25.7 lbs
| | Bottom Line: | This is a really fun machine, as I stated above, my confidence has soared. I can go for 15-20 miles on this bike and have less fatigue because of the positioning of my body as it relates to my pedal stokes. 6”0 on a large fits me perfect. I’m now climbing what I use to walk, descending much faster and moving up in the pack real fast. The bike cost some scratch, so if your interested don’t think you can cut corners. This build cost me $5200.00 and it was worth every penny. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
hoyo
a Weekend Warrior
from corte madera, ca,usa
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | any trail near home | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | second hand | | Strengths: | Very stiff bike for the weight.
Super efficient climber. | | Weaknesses: | expensive bike | | Similar Products Used: | Sta Cruz Blur, Specialized Epic,
Hardtails | | Bike Setup: | xtr ft/ xo rear/ xo grip shifters
Fox F100/ Fox float R
FSA crank, Avid sd rim brakes, Crossmax XT, Eaton E70 post & handlebars | | Bottom Line: | An absolute joy to ride. Climbing is more efficient than hardtails because there is virtually no bob and rear traction is phenomenal. Rolling singletracks are a dream.
The bike is not all-mountain, but it cruises down most slopes confidently. The bike behaves between a strong racer and an All Mountain "lite". I still get chills riding it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
hoyo
a Weekend Warrior
from corte madera, ca,usa
Date Reviewed: July 30, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | any trail near home | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | second hand | | Strengths: | Very stiff bike for the weight.
Super efficient climber. | | Weaknesses: | expensive bike | | Similar Products Used: | Sta Cruz Blur, Specialized Epic,
Hardtails | | Bike Setup: | xtr ft/ xo rear/ xo grip shifters
Fox F100/ Fox float R
FSA crank, Avid sd rim brakes, Crossmax XT, Eaton E70 post & handlebars | | Bottom Line: | An absolute joy to ride. Climbing is more efficient than hardtails because there is virtually no bob and rear traction is phenomenal. Rolling singletracks are a dream.
The bike is not all-mountain, but it cruises down most slopes confidently. The bike behaves between a strong racer and an All Mountain "lite". I still get chills riding it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
scott stocking
a Cross Country Rider
from lake havasu az
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | all trails | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$6000.00 | | Purchased At: | rbikes | | Strengths: | nice lite stiff bike awesome | | Weaknesses: | none | | Bike Setup: | xtr | | Bottom Line: | my new truth is awesome,my wife will be racing one next season,this bike is probably the best bike that I have owned yet,probably will stay with ellsworth for a long while,i will let my buds ride it so they get one also | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
scott stocking
a Cross Country Rider
from lake havasu az
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | all trails | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$6000.00 | | Purchased At: | rbikes | | Strengths: | nice lite stiff bike awesome | | Weaknesses: | none | | Bike Setup: | xtr | | Bottom Line: | my new truth is awesome,my wife will be racing one next season,this bike is probably the best bike that I have owned yet,probably will stay with ellsworth for a long while,i will let my buds ride it so they get one also | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Roelof van Huyssteen
a Cross Country Rider
from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Tokay | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$5000.00 | | Purchased At: | Fritz Pienaar Cycles | | Strengths: | The ability to pick a line and stick to it while keeping the rear wheel grounded over technical sections. Great climber!!!! | | Weaknesses: | PRICE!!!! | | Similar Products Used: | Spesialized Epic | | Bike Setup: | Same as mentioned in previous review.(01/09/2007) | | Bottom Line: | In my previous preview I mentioned that I'll do a follow up after having completed the 2007 Cape Epic and also after the amount of replies that I have received.
After riding 900kms over 8 days with a total of 16 000 meters of climbing I only have praise for the Ellsworth Truth. What an amazing bike and ride. It climbs like a champ and decends like a bullet! This is a super solid ride and you might frown at the price but you'll soon see why it's money well spent. For any XC rider this bike is a dream and it doesn't make a difference if you race it or just enjoy it as a "social rider". With this bike you'll think you can and you'll soon know that you can!
Happy riding!!!! I'll write another review after my 2008 Cape Epic! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Roelof van Huyssteen
a Cross Country Rider
from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Tokay | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$5000.00 | | Purchased At: | Fritz Pienaar Cycles | | Strengths: | The ability to pick a line and stick to it while keeping the rear wheel grounded over technical sections. Great climber!!!! | | Weaknesses: | PRICE!!!! | | Similar Products Used: | Spesialized Epic | | Bike Setup: | Same as mentioned in previous review.(01/09/2007) | | Bottom Line: | In my previous preview I mentioned that I'll do a follow up after having completed the 2007 Cape Epic and also after the amount of replies that I have received.
After riding 900kms over 8 days with a total of 16 000 meters of climbing I only have praise for the Ellsworth Truth. What an amazing bike and ride. It climbs like a champ and decends like a bullet! This is a super solid ride and you might frown at the price but you'll soon see why it's money well spent. For any XC rider this bike is a dream and it doesn't make a difference if you race it or just enjoy it as a "social rider". With this bike you'll think you can and you'll soon know that you can!
Happy riding!!!! I'll write another review after my 2008 Cape Epic! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Fran Murphy
a Cross Country Rider
from Wayne, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | middle run | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1999.00 | | Purchased At: | JB's Mountain Bikes | | Strengths: | design,suspension, | | Weaknesses: | can be diffciult to clean in some areas, but haven't seen a FS that isn't, literally nothing. | | Similar Products Used: | trek fuel | | Bike Setup: | Sram X-0, Truvati Nior 3.3, fox X 100, mavic rims, hope disc breaks / hubs, chris king HS, hutchinson tires, WTB devo | | Bottom Line: | Note: I'm reviewing the 07 frame not the 08. I love this thing, it eats everyhting in it's way, it is fast, responsive, I can take it off 1 to 2 foot jumps, and climbs better then my hard-tail does. I'm 5'11 180 and the large has been perfect.
You won't regret this purchase. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lyle Evansiano
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Preston Railroad | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | online | | Strengths: | The look, suspension, the craftsmanship | | Weaknesses: | Like anything of quality, you have to learn to use it. | | Similar Products Used: | Intense | | Bottom Line: | I'm only writing this review after reading about others saying theirs have broken. My reply, $#*&^ happens but don't blame the builder. I'm a big guy, 6' 1" 220 and an aggressive rider who truly pulls the torque. This bike handles me on a variety of terrain like a dream and I've never had an issue that I didn't cause. When I needed help, the company backed up everything. I just purchased The RIDE to ride with my kids on a commuter trail called "Foothills" and this Ellsworth machine is worth every penny I paid. My brother in law recently bought The Truth and as XC bike he says he's never ridden a better machine period in his 15 years plus of competition. Handcrafted, American Made, and a true bike value. Ellsworth rules. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Charles Gallegos
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Gatos, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | overgrown | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Summit Bikes, Los Gatos | | Strengths: | Great looking bike. Seemed to have everything I needed. Liked the design. | | Weaknesses: | The frame broke today on a wimpy single-track trail. I was with my buddy (who was on a Cannondale recall lefty bike). What an embarrasing day for Ellsworth. After all the hype I put out there about this frame and to just finsh an hour hike back to my office. Shame! The seat tube broke just below the heavy gussets supporting the rocker assembly. Shame! I use this bike about 3 times a month. Terrible! | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 8500 - I use this bike 4-5 times a week in all weather and on all XC trails and Road training. I just sold a Trek Fuel 98 frame to help pay for the Ellsworth. | | Bike Setup: | XT Drivetrain and Brakes, Thomson seatpost and stem, Easton monkey lite bars, Shimano pro SPD's, custom Chris King wheelset from Trail Head Cyclery (thanks Ford! awsome wheels!), Chris King headset, etc... | | Bottom Line: | I only broke one other bike before - my Motobecane Columbus SLX racing frame when I collided with a car. I dented the girl's car pretty badly. How in the world did the Ellsworth break! I'm not a technical decent guy, I don't even ride down stairs or huck curbs. What the heck?!?
I'm going over to Summit Bikes right now to see how much of a mess this is going to be. Not happy! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Stiver
a Cross Country Rider
from Leesburg, Virginia
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Gambrill | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1995.00 | | Purchased At: | Wrench Science | | Strengths: | see previous posting | | Weaknesses: | This is a follow-up posting to my 2006 review. As noted in that posting, my 2003 Truth developed a crack at the seat tube-top tube junction after about 3 seasons. Ellsworth replaced my front triangle with an identical 2003 model despite the fact that they had corrected this obvious weakness in more recent versions. Well, today I was riding along on one of my favorite trails on this new frame and the seat tube snapped in half just below the rocker arm gusset!!! Thats one-point-3 seasons, folks - pretty shabby statistics, I'd say. I will let you all know what comes of my next warranty action with Ellsworth. Will the third time be the charm? Maybe Santa Cruz is the way to go after all... For the record, I know a lot of serious riders and none of them have had this kind of issue with any other frameset. Enough said. Time will tell. | | Bike Setup: | same old stuff | | Bottom Line: | If I get the runaround on round 2, Ellsworth is going to lose a customer and gain a real pain in the ass | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ian Parker
a Cross Country Rider
from North Vancouver
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | All of them | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Reasonably well designed, light weight, first class materials for the frame and parts. | | Weaknesses: | Poorly assembled, welding and frame alignment is very poor. | | Similar Products Used: | Norco, Yeti, Santa Cruz, GT. | | Bottom Line: | From what I have seen for the design of the Truth, it is first rate. Materials and concept are excellent. Jus the execution that is an issue.
The #@$% idiot that assembles these needs some basic training. I had to replace the swingarm and rear rocker bearings right from the start.
The wheel alignment is very poor and this is not just the Truth model. I have seen other Ellsworth frames that are as bad or worse.
My cure was to install off-set bushings and different size bearings in the main swingarm pivot. Offset of 0.040 each side straightened it out to an acceptable degree.
Ellsworth was totally un-interested in the problem. Probably explains why the original owner of the frame gave up on it before he even rode the thing. I should have taken note.
Who should buy.... not recommended. There are better built and less expensive bikes out there.
I have had this one for two years and will probably have it another two, but then I have other bikes to ride when this one ticks me off enough.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mijndert groenendaal
a Weekend Warrior
from Warrington, uk
Date Reviewed: March 4, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | germania, Potter county, usa | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$4000.00 | | Purchased At: | Rbikes.com | | Strengths: | solid, smooth, stable, superfast | | Weaknesses: | expensive | | Similar Products Used: | - | | Bike Setup: | XC style | | Bottom Line: | The Ellsworth Truth is a superb bike. since owning the bike now for 6months, I have taken part in 3 off road duathlons, and came in the top 10 each race. GREAT ! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Roelof van Huyssteen
a Cross Country Rider
from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Tokay, Cape Town | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$5000.00 | | Purchased At: | Fritz Pienaar Cycles | | Strengths: | Great climber and a very "solid" bike to ride. Bike tends to make up for the flaws of the rider and keeps the rear wheel on the ground through technical sections. | | Weaknesses: | Very high price but worth it after spending a couple of days in the saddle with stage races! | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Epic | | Bike Setup: | XTR components, Easton handle bar,Easton barstem,Easton seatpost, Mavic Crossmax SL rims | | Bottom Line: | Amazing bike to ride if you have been throuh a couple of XC bikes and you know what you are looking for in a dual suspension XC bike! Using the Truth for stage races and doing the 2007 Cape Epic on it where she'll be tested over 900km's in 8 days, a very indept review will therefore follow in April!!! Great solid ride for XC lovers and if you have the money to spend, worth every buck! Enjoy it! If you are into free riding and playing around with lots of jumps, rather go for a bike with more travel on the rear but for XC riding this bike won't let you down. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Arik Levin
a Cross Country Rider
from TEL - AVIV , ISRAEL
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Jerusalem mountains | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$5500.00 | | Purchased At: | Rosen & Meents - Tel Aviv | | Strengths: | Light, very efficent, good small bumps absorbtion, stiff
and the looks of it is something else | | Weaknesses: | Well, all bikes in the price range are good , there are some cheaper options (santa cruz, titus, intense) but none of them looks like it got the same attension to details as the Truth. I wish they would offer build kits that will lower the prices. | | Similar Products Used: | my freinds santa cruz blur xc, and intense spider.
the vpp is efficent under chain loads, but it lacks the traction that the Truth gives. | | Bike Setup: | X.Os easton parts, dt 240s laced to 4.1d rims, Rock shoks w.c, juicy carbon. | | Bottom Line: | Perfect.
I'm giving it the highest score for value only because the fun of the ride, I really think that you can't look on boutique bikes like the Ellsworth Truth and compare it to mass production brands and ask it to be valuable by price.
I know that some says it dents quite often, I also have a small dent, but i guess it is coming from the war on every gram that doesn't must to be there. If you want the lightest, than you must understand that it has to come from something!!!
You will enjoy it for sure. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Josh M
a Weekend Warrior
from Carlisle, PA
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Gooseberry Mesa | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Small bump compliance, straight line handling | | Weaknesses: | Quality of construction, pedaling efficiency, sluggish handling for tight singletrack | | Similar Products Used: | Santa Cruz Blur, Giant Anthem & Trance, Turner Flux, Nitrous, & 5spot | | Bottom Line: | The feeling of the Truth over small bumps at speed is delightful. It is very plush and keeps the back wheel in contact with the ground at all times. The handling is slow and not really appropriate for tight eastern single track. You may want a shorter travel fork if you ride the tight stuff.
The marketing of this product does not match the performance. The bike does have quite a bit of pedal bob and no amount of marketing spin will convince me that this is anything other than wasted energy. Additionally, after years of tinkering with setup I never quite felt as comfortable on this bike as I did immediately on my Santa Cruz Blur.
My biggest problem with the Truth is the quality of construction and the lack of support from the company. I weigh 190 pounds, I ride once a week, and I do not do drops or jumps of any kind. That being said I have never had a major malfunction on any other frame I have ridden. The first thing that happened was the chainstays snapped. Ellsworth quickly sent a replacement. The next problem occured while I was pedaling up hill miles from my car. The seattube split into two and the front triangle collapsed. This time Ellsworth refused to send a replacement!!! We called a number of times to try to get it fixed and every time they gave us a different excuse as to why they would not honor the warranty. In my opinion they have a design that doesn't allow them to be competitive with weight unless they use tubes that are too thin to last more than a couple of seasons.
So I replaced my frame with a SC Blur and I am now a huge fan of that bike. The bike is twice as efficient, handles much better and is much more rugged at a similar weight. The trade off is the plushness.
If you can afford to replace this bike every couple of years and you don't need the efficiency, you will love flying through the bumps on it. If you're like everyone else, buy something else. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave Snapp
a Cross Country Rider
from Fairfax, VA
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | Douthat S.P. | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | CBO | | Strengths: | Looks good, climbs great, rides smooth. | | Weaknesses: | Need more ride time to tell. | | Similar Products Used: | '99 Scwinn S-10 | | Bike Setup: | Romic shock, Fox Vanilla forks, Easton Mg stem & carbon bars, Bontrager Race Lite Tubeless wheels, Thompson Elite, WTB saddle, XT drivetrain. | | Bottom Line: | After getting blown away by riding my buddy's '05 Specialised Stumpy, I had planned to get one of those or an Epic. But the idea of parting with about $2800 hurt so when I saw '05 Truth frames on sale for $1200 I jumped on it. I can't judge the Truth like I did the Stumpy by riding the Schwinn then the Stumpy on the same trail because the S-10 donated all it's parts to the Truth, but I got pretty close. Two days ago I rode Duncan Hollow and climbed through stuff I didn't think I'd make. Today I rode Fountainhead Regional Park and cleaned all but one climb and I did not even try that one as I was winded and chose to walk. I normally have to walk about 6 of the climbs on the S-10. This is with all the parts off of the Schwinn. Awesome climbing ability! Which is what I really was looking for in a new bike. I still need to dial in the shock settings as my back wheel was coming off the ground on downhills while braking. Hope I don't dent it anytime soon. I LOVE THIS BIKE! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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