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Ellsworth Haters?

5K views 47 replies 34 participants last post by  Titus Maximus 
#1 ·
It seems that Ellsworth gets a bad name on the forums, I'm considering an Ellsworth Evolve and wonder if there is something I should know about this bike or company?
 
#5 ·
Make sure you are able to obtain the real specs of the frame. The original design was more aggressive but had a clearance issue between the fork and downtube. Therefore the geometry was relaxed but last time I looked the new Ells site had completely wrong data posted for their frames so be careful.
 
#7 ·
I don't know about anyone's Ellworth but Chris's Ellsworth.

Since I've been riding with him (3 years) He's broken every tube on it aside from the head tube and one seat stay. They always send him a new frame or a new rear triangle, but come on guys...Chris isn't THAT big....210 maybe. Now he is riding some bastardization of a Truth and an Id...it actually held up for a whole season (granted he hasn't ridden with us much...)

Anyhow, I've seen other guys break frames, but never over and over and in different places like Chris's piece of sh!t bike.
 
#8 ·
tozovr said:
I don't know about anyone's Ellworth but Chris's Ellsworth.

Since I've been riding with him (3 years) He's broken every tube on it aside from the head tube and one seat stay. They always send him a new frame or a new rear triangle, but come on guys...Chris isn't THAT big....210 maybe. Now he is riding some bastardization of a Truth and an Id...it actually held up for a whole season (granted he hasn't ridden with us much...)

Anyhow, I've seen other guys break frames, but never over and over and in different places like Chris's piece of sh!t bike.
I think this is a common issue. I know of a few guys with Moments, though they have never broken, I think the tubing is far too light for the intended purpose. When someone purchases a 6" travel bike, and can build it to 29lbs, something is wrong IMO. My Turner RFX is 38-39lbs (though this is excessive, most fall in the 34-35lb range) is far more durable. It just seem like ellsworth is selling weight. With people going bigger and bigger on bikes, Ellsworth needs to step up and using heavier stronger tubing. I would be scared to death riding a bike that light for what i do.

A light weight 6" bike, what's not too like, right? Until you do what a 6" bike was designed for and it breaks anyway. Not too many bikes can compete with the weight of an Ellsworth. Not a good selling point IMO.
 
#10 ·
I think the last year or 2 they have made a lot of progress in terms of durability and service
I told Tony a few years ago I was frankly nervous to sell the frames to all but the lightest and smoothest riders.... they had a lot of flack over their warranty and have adjusted it to be in more in line with other high end frame makers

We have a fair # of newer Truths and Epiphanies out there that are being ridden, holding up and being enjoyed

I have an Evolve coming in in a few days to build up for myself to check out and evaluate
 
#13 ·
#14 ·
I own an epiphany and have been riding pretty consistently over the past year and a half. I haven't had a single problem with it, in fact, I have ridden harder since I got the Ellsworth than when I had my Trek Fuel (which i broke, i might add). I wouldn't worry about the build quality or durability.

With the Evolve, I would worry about the fork and downtube clearance.

Also, I know this starts a whole new **** storm, but is a full suss 29er really neccesary? I have been riding my steel rigid 29er for about a year now and have only mildly considered a front fork, there is really no bonus to a fully IMO. Sorry for that little digression
 
#17 ·
The Joker and the Isis? (i think) were great bikes, however, I used to have a customer with a Truth, it just continually broke, the importer and factory were crap and a lot of the replacement parts were not the right spec. To his credit, he stuck by it but i really don't know why. The worst thing is that he was mainly a roadie and never pushed the limits, ever!!
 
#18 ·
I raced and rode a Truth for more than a few years and thought it was an awesome bike- stiffest and most responsive FS I've ridden. Did break a chainstay, this was a design issue that has been addressed with the new asymetrical chainstays. This same bike is still being ridden/raced all the time by somebody else. She did 24 hour races, 100 mile races, long technical days, and some stuff way beyond design capacity (3 foot drops with good trannys and the like).
The Evolve in plain back (don't like the new freaky anodized schemes) would be on my very short list if I had a desire for a new bike and had the payola.
Mike
 
#19 ·
tiSS'er said:
I think this is a common issue. I know of a few guys with Moments, though they have never broken, I think the tubing is far too light for the intended purpose. When someone purchases a 6" travel bike, and can build it to 29lbs, something is wrong IMO. My Turner RFX is 38-39lbs (though this is excessive, most fall in the 34-35lb range) is far more durable. It just seem like ellsworth is selling weight. With people going bigger and bigger on bikes, Ellsworth needs to step up and using heavier stronger tubing. I would be scared to death riding a bike that light for what i do.

A light weight 6" bike, what's not too like, right? Until you do what a 6" bike was designed for and it breaks anyway. Not too many bikes can compete with the weight of an Ellsworth. Not a good selling point IMO.
An RFX and a moment build to the same weight with the same parts...the frames are the same weight. (give or take a 1/10 lbs) My moment is right at 28 with no weight related issues, and rides great. Both great bikes BTW. The Turner and Ells guys have talked so much shiat on each others bikes in the past and it seems senseless. I would own one from either manufacture.

My main problem with Ells has been in the design of their new ASYM stays which are very wide and has some crank interference problems on some models and their customer service seems hit or miss. Becuase of the CS issue it is hard for me to reccomend them, and I hope they turn this around as I beleive they make nice bikes.
 
#22 ·
MendonCycleSmith said:
sorry to be OT, but where's that weather guy from? Looks like Rochester NY, no?
No idea as to where the weatherguy is from! just found the pick after a google search :thumbsup:

Back to the Ells thread - i can't remember who quoted this, but i snagged it to one day do a funny little (fake ad) art piece, but it is so damn true:

" Ellsworths are like the girl in high school who is super hot, but crazy

You'd like a chance to get up close n' personal, but have no interest in a long term relationship! "


Yeah i had an Id, and it was my dream bike from the first time i saw one on the trail. Then i bought a brand new one off of ebay, great bike, super fun, great handling, awesome climber, then one day found a crack in the chainstay, turns out it was a design flaw... but since i wasn't the original owner = no warranty - i had to pay for a replacement stay, and then fixed it. Then got turned on to singlespeeds and then 29ers and the Ells became nothing more than a dust collector in the basement. So i traded it for another 29er frame!

.
 

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#23 ·
I'm getting an Evolve

I've ordered one based upon the mtbr shootout, and other things that I've read here.

Tanin is an Evolve owner, see http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=307721

I based my decision on the recommendations of my sales rep, email correspondence with the guys at Ellsworth, and my own impressions of ICT. The suspension makes sense to me. I also wanted a high BB. I'm getting a 22" with 180mm cranks.

Hopefully within 2 weeks I can give you my impressions of how it actually rides.

-Sitecap
 
#24 ·
Moment vs RIP9

I have a 2004 Moment and it's bomb proof. Great trail bike for the NE PA rock gardens. Absolute love it. I had an Epi for one yr but it didn't match up to the Moment, so I sold the Epi. I bought a RIP9 early this yr and it's a great bike. Maybe when I get the large volume RP23 canister and bigger fork it will out perform the Moment. But it's not there yet. If these changes don't work I'm ready to try an Evolve.

My friends have broke a few older Ellsworths - Id and Truth. There were also 2 more Epis in the group last yr (none broke).

I think I would like a 29" Moment. Now that would be a bike!
 
#25 ·
I wouldn't...

I owned a Truth; bought it just after starting to ride again as I recovered from a broken femur. Needless to say, I was riding REALLY easy. I still cracked the frame. I lived in southern CA at the time though and the Temecula bike shop who stocks a ton of their bikes took it to Ellsworth for me and I had it replaced within 2 days. I sold it the next day.
 
#26 ·
wildenbeast said:
I owned a Truth; bought it just after starting to ride again as I recovered from a broken femur. Needless to say, I was riding REALLY easy. I still cracked the frame. I lived in southern CA at the time though and the Temecula bike shop who stocks a ton of their bikes took it to Ellsworth for me and I had it replaced within 2 days. I sold it the next day.
how long ago?
 
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