I'm pretty close to dropping in on a 7 point 7, and then putting a 888 on it. I really like how they pedal and feel in the parking lot, but I don't know any more than that. I have a few major concerns. What's with the "loose play" in the suspension? I thought I read ironhorse was blaiming progressive for the mounting hardware. All I know is that's a weak excuse and i'm not sure how it made it to production. Both 7 points at my local shop have this play in them like the bushings are already toast. On one of the bikes the 5th element is even screwed up. The first 1/2 inch of it's stroke is "dead". New mounting harware is on the way, right? I wonder if it's going to solve the problem though. On my roomate's 04 SGS he had similar issues with the mounting harware. He suposedly got the correct bolts from an iron horse race mechanic. Well they didn't work either. Another question I have is, will the bike handle serious abuse? Not like the little "7 point test crash video". Nothing should have broken in that fall. I'm mean, stupid shiz. This year alone I sent my banshee flying at least 20 feet through the air without me--a few times. I mainly freeride and mistakes are made. How good is the warrenty? Anyone have pics of a 7 point w/888? Thanks for any help.
replace my stolen banshee with a 7 point?
powderho
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I'm pretty close to dropping in on a 7 point 7, and then putting a 888 on it. I really like how they pedal and feel in the parking lot, but I don't know any more than that. I have a few major concerns. What's with the "loose play" in the suspension? I thought I read ironhorse was blaiming progressive for the mounting hardware. All I know is that's a weak excuse and i'm not sure how it made it to production. Both 7 points at my local shop have this play in them like the bushings are already toast. On one of the bikes the 5th element is even screwed up. The first 1/2 inch of it's stroke is "dead". New mounting harware is on the way, right? I wonder if it's going to solve the problem though. On my roomate's 04 SGS he had similar issues with the mounting harware. He suposedly got the correct bolts from an iron horse race mechanic. Well they didn't work either. Another question I have is, will the bike handle serious abuse? Not like the little "7 point test crash video". Nothing should have broken in that fall. I'm mean, stupid shiz. This year alone I sent my banshee flying at least 20 feet through the air without me--a few times. I mainly freeride and mistakes are made. How good is the warrenty? Anyone have pics of a 7 point w/888? Thanks for any help.
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1,371 Posts
I'm not experiencing the "loose play" in the suspension, but I know what you are talking about. I have felt it on bikes on the showroom floor. (Typically those bikes are loosely together. Things are dialed in after the sale.) I have felt in on my bike also when the shock or pivot bolts are loose. The first month of riding you really have to keep on top of those pivot and shock bolt checks.
I'm very happy with the bike for what I have been using it for, aggressive trail riding. If you have to pedal to get to your downhills, this bike should be a serious contender. For me the rear end has been plusher than the Sherman. The parts spec on the bike is excellent. The bike climbs, descends and hike-a-bikes great. (Ok, I do get jealous of the lighter bikes on the hike-a-bike portions.)
Now drops over 3 to 4 feet (6 to 8 with the Penthouse ruler), road gaps and 20 foot ghost rides, someone else will have to chime in on that one.
The warranty is 1 year. Iron Horse has been responsive when my LBS has had questions for them.
Problems I'm currently experiencing:
- Squealing rear brake. (In the shop now for "optimization.")
- Creaking sound when I'm out of the saddle on climbs. (Iron Horse is sending out a replacement lower link and bearings.)
If you get the bike make sure the rear derailleur cable is routed correctly.
Oh and the High Roller in the back wears quickly. Mine lasted 3 months.
Best of luck,
Winston
I'm very happy with the bike for what I have been using it for, aggressive trail riding. If you have to pedal to get to your downhills, this bike should be a serious contender. For me the rear end has been plusher than the Sherman. The parts spec on the bike is excellent. The bike climbs, descends and hike-a-bikes great. (Ok, I do get jealous of the lighter bikes on the hike-a-bike portions.)
Now drops over 3 to 4 feet (6 to 8 with the Penthouse ruler), road gaps and 20 foot ghost rides, someone else will have to chime in on that one.
The warranty is 1 year. Iron Horse has been responsive when my LBS has had questions for them.
Problems I'm currently experiencing:
- Squealing rear brake. (In the shop now for "optimization.")
- Creaking sound when I'm out of the saddle on climbs. (Iron Horse is sending out a replacement lower link and bearings.)
If you get the bike make sure the rear derailleur cable is routed correctly.
Oh and the High Roller in the back wears quickly. Mine lasted 3 months.
Best of luck,
Winston
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4,209 Posts
7.888
I have a 5th w/ a dead spot, and am currently awaiting a response from Progressive, but that's a shock issue, not an IH one. I did receive a bike w/ shock spacers that were too narrow. IH quickly sent me a replacement set that has taken care of any play in the rear suspension linkage.
I also have a bit of quiet creaking when pedalling uphill. I need to buy an Isis tool to pull the bottom bracket - that's where I thought the noise was coming from. I'll be interested to hear how Winston's replacement parts work out.
But to answer your questions about durability: Dunno if anyone's going to have the answer for you there yet - the bike hasn't been available that long. I've raced mine a couple times (Angelfire, NM; Crested Butte, CO) and ridden the lifts at Keystone with it once. Have been meaning to get up to a friend's place where there are some decent sized ladder drops. Nothing has broken yet. I don't expect it to, either - it is built burly, with big tubes and gussets, wide (83mm) bb and rear hub (150mm). If you can judge by previous models, there weren't many complaints of breaking SGS' that I can recall.
I would love to try an 888 on my bike, but the money's not there yet. Maybe you can be the first?
Good luck w/ whatever you choose. Doubtful you'll find anything that pedals better and works as well on the way back down. I love mine.
I have a 5th w/ a dead spot, and am currently awaiting a response from Progressive, but that's a shock issue, not an IH one. I did receive a bike w/ shock spacers that were too narrow. IH quickly sent me a replacement set that has taken care of any play in the rear suspension linkage.
I also have a bit of quiet creaking when pedalling uphill. I need to buy an Isis tool to pull the bottom bracket - that's where I thought the noise was coming from. I'll be interested to hear how Winston's replacement parts work out.
But to answer your questions about durability: Dunno if anyone's going to have the answer for you there yet - the bike hasn't been available that long. I've raced mine a couple times (Angelfire, NM; Crested Butte, CO) and ridden the lifts at Keystone with it once. Have been meaning to get up to a friend's place where there are some decent sized ladder drops. Nothing has broken yet. I don't expect it to, either - it is built burly, with big tubes and gussets, wide (83mm) bb and rear hub (150mm). If you can judge by previous models, there weren't many complaints of breaking SGS' that I can recall.
I would love to try an 888 on my bike, but the money's not there yet. Maybe you can be the first?
Good luck w/ whatever you choose. Doubtful you'll find anything that pedals better and works as well on the way back down. I love mine.
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388 Posts
7.7 Problems
Hey,
I have some good insight. I bought a 7.7 and loved it the first ride. Riding around the parking lot and going off curbs felt super plush, but the parking lot was not a good measure of quality. I will give Iron Horse one thing, the bike has killer equipment. But for the bad news.
1) Wrong rear link. The rear end was equipt with a rear link that was defective. Iron Horse said they only had a few bikes go out of the factory with this link, and I unfortunately got one. This link caused a major dent in my frame.
2) Wrong brakes. Don't get excited about the El Camino brakes, you will not get them. Iron Horse did compensate with some Hayes mags with upgraded levers, but when your expecting one thing and get another, it is a buzz kill.
3) Rear End play. Major rear end play. I was told that it was progressive and they were working on the problem, but when you spend that kind of money on a bike, there should not be a problem.
4) Rear wheel. After the first ride I had spokes falling out of my rear wheel. Caused by the shock link slamming into my frame, and putting massive stress on my rim. (Not IH fault)
5) Shock broken. My progressive 5th element had no rebound and a dead feel to it. (Not IH fault)
Well, the bike has killer components and just the components are worth the money, but IH needs a little bit of quality control.. For $4200 there should be no problems. And for riding style: This bike is more of a cross country bike that can do drops as opposed to a VP-Free which is freeride first and climber second, get my drift. I would wait until next year to get a 7.7 if you really want one, when they get the quality issue under control.
Hey,
I have some good insight. I bought a 7.7 and loved it the first ride. Riding around the parking lot and going off curbs felt super plush, but the parking lot was not a good measure of quality. I will give Iron Horse one thing, the bike has killer equipment. But for the bad news.
1) Wrong rear link. The rear end was equipt with a rear link that was defective. Iron Horse said they only had a few bikes go out of the factory with this link, and I unfortunately got one. This link caused a major dent in my frame.
2) Wrong brakes. Don't get excited about the El Camino brakes, you will not get them. Iron Horse did compensate with some Hayes mags with upgraded levers, but when your expecting one thing and get another, it is a buzz kill.
3) Rear End play. Major rear end play. I was told that it was progressive and they were working on the problem, but when you spend that kind of money on a bike, there should not be a problem.
4) Rear wheel. After the first ride I had spokes falling out of my rear wheel. Caused by the shock link slamming into my frame, and putting massive stress on my rim. (Not IH fault)
5) Shock broken. My progressive 5th element had no rebound and a dead feel to it. (Not IH fault)
Well, the bike has killer components and just the components are worth the money, but IH needs a little bit of quality control.. For $4200 there should be no problems. And for riding style: This bike is more of a cross country bike that can do drops as opposed to a VP-Free which is freeride first and climber second, get my drift. I would wait until next year to get a 7.7 if you really want one, when they get the quality issue under control.
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4,209 Posts
look around
But if you want a bike with no problems, buy something that's been around for awhile. VPFrees probly have most of their problems worked out, but I'm not sure why you think a VPFree is more freeride worthy than a 7Pt. You're thinking b/c they have a slacker headangle? That's b/c they come with an 888.
Apparently, you've never visited the Intense board. A VPX frameset sells for more than I paid for my 7.3 (way more) and those guys had some teething issues as well. You buy a first generation anything, there are more than likely going to be delays and a few warranty problems, no matter how much it costs. How the company takes care of those issues determines how I spend my money.samanderson4 said:
But if you want a bike with no problems, buy something that's been around for awhile. VPFrees probly have most of their problems worked out, but I'm not sure why you think a VPFree is more freeride worthy than a 7Pt. You're thinking b/c they have a slacker headangle? That's b/c they come with an 888.
thanks for info guys! everyone is sort of confirming my doubts about the 7point. i'm probably still going to buy one today anyway. luckily, i'm pretty sure my renters insurance will be covering this new bike, so i'm not quit as worried about taking a chance. the frame "looks" like it should take some abuse to me. it's not like it's light by any stretch. in my early post i talked about it needing to take a punishment. i just found this shot of me from last year during one of my more minor crashes. it makes me laugh.
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I won't discredit what you say about QC issues etc. Truthfully, there have been some teething issues and growing pains in getting the bike to market and getting it fully dialed. We have admitted that from day one and will go to all necessary lengths to fix issues and make happy riders.samanderson4 said:
I do however want to call you out here specifically on the design purpose and capabilities of a 7POINT. The bike is a full fledged freeride bike. It can take all of the drops, hucks, downhilling, jibbing, and what not that you care to throw out at it. Just because the bike pedals well does not make it a XC bike first an a freerider second. Take a gander at some of the stuff Jordie Lunn, Chris Glew, Eric Porter, and the nsmb.com team guys are pulling on the 7POINT and try to say the bike isn't built for freeriding. If your concept of 'freeride bike' is that they have to pedal like slugs and feel mushy, well then you'll be happier on a non-dw-link bike.
-ska todd
I can't wait to "freeride" the crap out of my new 7point. it's getting sent out next tuesday. i think i'm going to wait and ride it until i get my 888 though. we'll see. i've been without bikes for a week now. i'm not worried about the bike holding up to the abuse i'll dish out, it's just stuff like the 5th crapping out and loose and/or noisy linkage that i'm a little worried about. just because i'm not riding a banshee any more doesn't mean i'm going to slow down at all. this bike is going catch quite a bit more air than my scream did!https://forums.mtbr.com/images/icons/icon10.gifska todd said:
Talking
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388 Posts
VP-Free
Well,
A VP-Free is a frame set, so it comes with what ever fork you put on it. It is also designed for an 8 inch fork so it really does not change the head angle, 67 degrees with 8" fork. For you to say that having a slacker head angle is crucial for a Freeride bike is just dumb. In my OPINION, the VP-Free is a better freeride bike for me. The IH is great for tight technical stuff and the VP-Free feels better, TO ME, on the drops. I guess it is just me but my VP-Free does climb hills better. It feels mushy, but it gets me to the top. I guess the DW-Link is not for me then. Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting down IH, but the fact that mine took a crap after the first month is worth noting, especially to the employees at IH like Ska Todd. If nothing is said then the problem will never be fixed. I don't have the luxury of a pro mechanic to work on my bike after every ride.Taking the bike to the shop after EVERY ride is a pain and gets expensive. As I said, the bike will be a good choice once the bugs are worked out, next year. The first year on anything, Cars, bikes, TV's ETC... is always bad, so relax all and don't take this the wrong way, JUST MY OPINION.
Well,
A VP-Free is a frame set, so it comes with what ever fork you put on it. It is also designed for an 8 inch fork so it really does not change the head angle, 67 degrees with 8" fork. For you to say that having a slacker head angle is crucial for a Freeride bike is just dumb. In my OPINION, the VP-Free is a better freeride bike for me. The IH is great for tight technical stuff and the VP-Free feels better, TO ME, on the drops. I guess it is just me but my VP-Free does climb hills better. It feels mushy, but it gets me to the top. I guess the DW-Link is not for me then. Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting down IH, but the fact that mine took a crap after the first month is worth noting, especially to the employees at IH like Ska Todd. If nothing is said then the problem will never be fixed. I don't have the luxury of a pro mechanic to work on my bike after every ride.Taking the bike to the shop after EVERY ride is a pain and gets expensive. As I said, the bike will be a good choice once the bugs are worked out, next year. The first year on anything, Cars, bikes, TV's ETC... is always bad, so relax all and don't take this the wrong way, JUST MY OPINION.
dbabuser said:Apparently, you've never visited the Intense board. A VPX frameset sells for more than I paid for my 7.3 (way more) and those guys had some teething issues as well. You buy a first generation anything, there are more than likely going to be delays and a few warranty problems, no matter how much it costs. How the company takes care of those issues determines how I spend my money.
But if you want a bike with no problems, buy something that's been around for awhile. VPFrees probly have most of their problems worked out, but I'm not sure why you think a VPFree is more freeride worthy than a 7Pt. You're thinking b/c they have a slacker headangle? That's b/c they come with an 888.
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4,209 Posts
what did I say?
When you figure out what exactly it is about the free that makes it work better, tell us. I'm curious - it was on my short list.
I never said that, I was wondering why you thought the 7pt wasn't as good a freeride bike as the vpfree. It could be as simple as the vpfree fitting you better, but you didn't elaborate, so I was prodding for more info.samanderson4 said:
When you figure out what exactly it is about the free that makes it work better, tell us. I'm curious - it was on my short list.
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964 Posts
I think all too often people's perception on "freeride" is directly linked to the brands of components spec'd and not the actual function of the bike. Expect to see a lot more Marzocchi and Fox as well as some Race Face and Shimano on 06 7POINTs...
-ska todd
-ska todd
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388 Posts
It's all about perception
It is mostly in the marketing/packaging of the bike. If you equipt a bike with brand names that people associate with freeriding, Marzocchi, Raceface, ETC.. the chances of it being preceived as a Freeride bike are better. As for shimano, keep the sram!!!!!! If nothing else, the 7.7 did make me realize that sram is a better product. I hope the 06's are as good as you say, I am willing to give IH another chance. I will say one thing, IH is on top of their shat by having customer service on this forum. It keeps the response time for Q's down, a major plus.
Sam
It is mostly in the marketing/packaging of the bike. If you equipt a bike with brand names that people associate with freeriding, Marzocchi, Raceface, ETC.. the chances of it being preceived as a Freeride bike are better. As for shimano, keep the sram!!!!!! If nothing else, the 7.7 did make me realize that sram is a better product. I hope the 06's are as good as you say, I am willing to give IH another chance. I will say one thing, IH is on top of their shat by having customer service on this forum. It keeps the response time for Q's down, a major plus.
Sam
ska todd said:
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388 Posts
Feel of the VP-Free
The feel of the VP-Free is better suited for me. When I stated" This bike is more of a cross country bike that can do drops as opposed to a VP-Free which is freeride first and climber second, get my drift", I was more talking about the feel. The 7pt feels more like my cross country bike, cockpit, and the VP-Free feels more like my past DH bikes, cockpit. I was not really talking about anything else. I feel like I sit into a VP-Free whereas I felt like I was sitting on top of the 7pt. That is more what I was trying to say. No love lost for IH, they are good people. Their one line of freeride bikes is not going to suit everyone.
The feel of the VP-Free is better suited for me. When I stated" This bike is more of a cross country bike that can do drops as opposed to a VP-Free which is freeride first and climber second, get my drift", I was more talking about the feel. The 7pt feels more like my cross country bike, cockpit, and the VP-Free feels more like my past DH bikes, cockpit. I was not really talking about anything else. I feel like I sit into a VP-Free whereas I felt like I was sitting on top of the 7pt. That is more what I was trying to say. No love lost for IH, they are good people. Their one line of freeride bikes is not going to suit everyone.
dbabuser said:
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964 Posts
With Marzocchi finally getting the a-to-c lengths of their 66's to normal lengths, expect to see them on the bikes. We would have used them in 05 if it were not for this issue. The Shimano will be on 1 of the 4 06 7POINT offerings, the others will be Sram spec'd.samanderson4 said:
-ska todd
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