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Anyone made the change from a hardtail to a ASR

1048 Views 5 Replies 5 Participants Last post by leeco, Aug 4, 2004

scant

Discussion Starter · Aug 2, 2004

Hi guys
I'm a long time (85) hardtail rider & am considering the change to a ASR. Has anyone else made the change, what postive & negative differences have you noticed.
I like the idea of a very firm back end that only moves on the harder impacts. I dont like the back end sagging whilst climbing as the back of the bike feels very low (conversely the front feels very high!). I'm also used to the standard height hardtail BB which seems a lot lower than most XC FS bikes. Is this noticeable?
I'd intend on using an 80mm fork (again to keep BB height low)

any thoughts much appreciated!

ta

scant

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Ryano42

· #2 · Aug 2, 2004

I've amost got you on Hardtail time!

I've been on Yetis since '89 and a totally rigid Yeti Ultimate, which I raced for four years.

I am currently going to build an '04 ASR from my '03 ARC and it will be my first FS bike, my weary old back finally saying enough is enough.

After test riding a 575 I decided to match the angles and lengths of the ARC as closely as possible. The 575 seemed slow steering, upright and short in the top tube (however the bike was not set up for me) and I will not use all the travel it has for certain. Racing days are LONG gone.

Since the numbers are almost identical ARC to ASR, the bike should feel familiar from the the first moment. I like the "old style" riding position and I think the ASR makes it more than possible. The ARC felt a bit strange and upright when I first got it (replacing a OLD yeti) but I soon got used to it and eventually it felt PERFECT.

I think it will feel like a have a flat or something broke for a while, but the riding positon I know will be dead on. (even with a bit of rear compression)

I remember how my Ultimate felt with the first Maniou ONE fork all those years ago...

Hope this helps a bit!
T

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forkboy

· #3 · Aug 2, 2004

scant said:
Hi guys
I'm a long time (85) hardtail rider & am considering the change to a ASR. Has anyone else made the change, what postive & negative differences have you noticed.
I like the idea of a very firm back end that only moves on the harder impacts. I dont like the back end sagging whilst climbing as the back of the bike feels very low (conversely the front feels very high!). I'm also used to the standard height hardtail BB which seems a lot lower than most XC FS bikes. Is this noticeable?
I'd intend on using an 80mm fork (again to keep BB height low)

any thoughts much appreciated!

ta

scant

I went to the as-r from a hardtail, but I had the benefit of riding a FS Rig that was 3 inches too big for me inbetween. When I got the ASR (which fit) I could navigate switchbacks that had made me dab before.

The wheelbase is only about 1" longer than my hardtail, which is hardly noticeable.
I very rarely need / use the lockout on the rear, because unless I look down I can't even tell that the shock is articulating. I think the new frames come with an SPV shock, so you may not even need to worry about the lockout.

It'll take a couple rides to get fully adjusted to it, but once you do it is a helluva bike.

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minkhiller

· #4 · Aug 2, 2004

I think the ASR will make it a very easy transition for you. It's quick and nimble and you really won't notice the 5th element shock on the climbs. I have an F80RLT on the front and it matches well with the 5th element. You will love it.

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scant

Discussion Starter · #5 · Aug 4, 2004

thanks for the info guys

ta

scant

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leeco

· #6 · Aug 4, 2004

Another convert...

I also made the switch from an ARC to an ASR-SL at the end of last season. All I can say is be patient. I'm also a long time hard tail rider (since '89) and for me the transition was not easy. I didn't like the ASR at first but after a few months I really like it. At first it felt heavy, flexy and too squishy. After a while I learned to forget about the weight/flex and really use the suspension. It takes a while but it's worth it!

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