[alexchannell]

I went downhilling with my weyless XP but broke my Z1 freeride doing so I kinda have an excuse to upgrade. I don't really care about racing, just riding for fun stuff. I enjoy drops and a little freeride as well.

I am pretty tall at 6'5" and have heard problems with the very short top tube lengths on the Faith. Basically just looking at which bike is going to be more fun to ride and mess around on. I don't know if the DH sucks unless racing it? Heard DH bikes don't like to jump all that well (ment to stay stuck to the ground)

Any thoughts are welcome.

 

[ironhorsebike1]

I went downhilling with my weyless XP but broke my Z1 freeride doing so I kinda have an excuse to upgrade. I don't really care about racing, just riding for fun stuff. I enjoy drops and a little freeride as well.

I am pretty tall at 6'5" and have heard problems with the very short top tube lengths on the Faith. Basically just looking at which bike is going to be more fun to ride and mess around on. I don't know if the DH sucks unless racing it? Heard DH bikes don't like to jump all that well (ment to stay stuck to the ground)

Any thoughts are welcome.

the faith would probably be better for what you said. pedaling around a DH bike with a slack head tube angle just sucks. they are both nice bikes though.

 

[i like downhill]

go with the faith dude. almost 8 in. of rear travel should do it. and the faiths look waaaay better.

 

[bikescars101]

Looks better? I think it looks more like a Wal-Mart bike, but that's just me.

I'd rock the DH Comp this year. It's a tried and true design, and it works pretty good after 2003. The Faith is really still a new bike, prone to a lot of problems. I'm sure that whichever bike you get is gonna be fine, but I"d go with the DH.

 

[BigBadHucker]

I went downhilling with my weyless XP but broke my Z1 freeride doing so I kinda have an excuse to upgrade. I don't really care about racing, just riding for fun stuff. I enjoy drops and a little freeride as well.

I am pretty tall at 6'5" and have heard problems with the very short top tube lengths on the Faith. Basically just looking at which bike is going to be more fun to ride and mess around on. I don't know if the DH sucks unless racing it? Heard DH bikes don't like to jump all that well (ment to stay stuck to the ground)

Any thoughts are welcome.[/QUOTE

First of all my friend got the faih 1 and he is 6'3 and has problems with the bars hitting his knees so it makes it very hard to steer. I would get the Dh comp because he sat on one and said it was much better feeling. The Dh comp will be lighter and the faith weighed 48 lbs. Also the Dh comp has a little more travel.

 

[Roaming Oregon]

Looks better? I think it looks more like a Wal-Mart bike, but that's just me.

I'd rock the DH Comp this year. It's a tried and true design, and it works pretty good after 2003. The Faith is really still a new bike, prone to a lot of problems. I'm sure that whichever bike you get is gonna be fine, but I"d go with the DH.

Hey- what's up with your hatred? How many Faith bike's have you come in contact with? What problems have you seen? Do you consider any partial monocoque front end to have a department store look?

Here is me doing a little curb hop on mine...

 

[Roaming Oregon]

I went downhilling with my weyless XP but broke my Z1 freeride doing so I kinda have an excuse to upgrade. I don't really care about racing, just riding for fun stuff. I enjoy drops and a little freeride as well.

I am pretty tall at 6'5" and have heard problems with the very short top tube lengths on the Faith. Basically just looking at which bike is going to be more fun to ride and mess around on. I don't know if the DH sucks unless racing it? Heard DH bikes don't like to jump all that well (ment to stay stuck to the ground)

Any thoughts are welcome.[/QUOTE

First of all my friend got the faih 1 and he is 6'3 and has problems with the bars hitting his knees so it makes it very hard to steer. I would get the Dh comp because he sat on one and said it was much better feeling. The Dh comp will be lighter and the faith weighed 48 lbs. Also the Dh comp has a little more travel.

You are right- the top tube is slightly shorter. I am 6'2" I have run mine on both dual and single crown forks. I prefer the single crown because I have no risk of hitting my knees. Specific to the freeride application the shorter top tube helps keep the wheelbase to a managable length for skinnies, makes it more flickable in the air, and allows you to have a little quicker handling bike.

At 6'5" you should go with the large DH. The top tube is .6" longer than the large Faith. As for how the DH is for freeride and jumping... well there are a ton of them out there, and they work great. Call it a DH race only bike would be a mistake. With your size the DH will still seem very flickable. The only real downfall is that you have no way of throwing a front der. on it.

 

[i like downhill]

Looks better? I think it looks more like a Wal-Mart bike, but that's just me.

Sounds like they carry some pretty awesome bikes at wal-mart these days. I better make a trip over there.

 

[mace2]

i'd say go for a large DH comp

as to not being able to jump, i disagree. it's all in setting up your shock (and fork)... it can actually be very lively

and having to pedal uphill with it will just make you stronger, and it's so worth it for going down

matt

 

[alexchannell]

Thanks for the comments everyone!
It looks like I am pretty much forced to go with the DH due to the size issue. Lack of front deraileur really isn't an issue as I've got the XP for more xc type stuff.

 

[El Chingon]

At that height, I wouldn't limit myself to just those two frames, unless you have a hookup or something. I know Kona makes some nice big frames, as does Santa Cruz. Shop around before you get stuck with a bike that doesn't fit just right.

 

[BigBadHucker]

Thanks for the comments everyone!
It looks like I am pretty much forced to go with the DH due to the size issue. Lack of front deraileur really isn't an issue as I've got the XP for more xc type stuff.

you may wanna look at a Gemini

 

[alexchannell]

At that height, I wouldn't limit myself to just those two frames, unless you have a hookup or something. I know Kona makes some nice big frames, as does Santa Cruz. Shop around before you get stuck with a bike that doesn't fit just right.

Yeah I do, also with Specialized, but the demo 8 seems more expensive for similar components.

 

[bikescars101]

Hey guys, no hatred intended, but we all have our opinions and this website is where they come out! Mine is different than yours, so be it. I have seen a lot of Faiths, and it looks cheap. Not all monocoque front bikes look like Wal-Mart bikes, I mean, you could tell an M3 from a Next any day. Maybe Wal-Mart was a little far, but it's undeniably reminiscent of the Warps. Warps are good bikes, my friend has had one for 3 or 4 years, and the only thing he's replaced is the tires and tubes, but I was never fond of the looks.

To each his own. And let me have that much.

 

[dream4est]

Hey guys, no hatred intended, but we all have our opinions and this website is where they come out! Mine is different than yours, so be it. I have seen a lot of Faiths, and it looks cheap. Not all monocoque front bikes look like Wal-Mart bikes, I mean, you could tell an M3 from a Next any day. Maybe Wal-Mart was a little far, but it's undeniably reminiscent of the Warps. Warps are good bikes, my friend has had one for 3 or 4 years, and the only thing he's replaced is the tires and tubes, but I was never fond of the looks.

To each his own. And let me have that much.

looks can be deceiving. the faith is beefy. and its so close to the vpp patent that giant had to slightly change it right before production to avoid a lawsuit. its a way better deal than the santa cruz. btw looks mean nothing. when i first met wch at the gunbarrel jumps in 2003 i rocked a 03 hardrock and wch's brother chris was on a walmart mongoose. and chris probably threw down harder then than you do now (hes smooooooth.) and if you talk any more walmart smack i will post pix of chris and i throwing down on crapola bikes just to spite you. so there. rant over.

 

[bikescars101]

If throwing down on crappola bikes would make you happy, and posting pictures would make you feel badass, by all means, have at.

 

[dream4est]

If throwing down on crappola bikes would make you happy, and posting pictures would make you feel badass, by all means, have at.

touche 101. i was effin with ya. ill try to find those crappola pix and post em but they are old so it may take my kompewter ill-it-er-8 ass a little while to find em.

 

[bikescars101]

Righto. I'll have you know I can't really "throw down," and I know it, so you won't be showing my up. Just to maybe save you the trouble...

 

[O~Hi~O]

touche 101. i was effin with ya. ill try to find those crappola pix and post em but they are old so it may take my kompewter ill-it-er-8 ass a little while to find em.

Pics, want to see pics

As far as the faith and dh go...they both are nice bikes. I've had 4 giants to date. AC2, AC1, DH Comp, VT3, and ordering a faith one soon. I talked to the Giant rep the other day and he explained the whole Maistro design to me. Supposively you can put any kind of shock in there you want, and they are all suppose to feel the same as the suspension is designed around the linkage, not the shock. I can't wait to get one, very excited to see how it handles. I rip a norco six now, and love it. It got best six inch bike of the year in Mountain biking mag. The DH Comp had linkage problems last year, a buddy of mine went through three linkage kits. It's a great bike, just make sure you locktite before you ride.

 

[Tracerboy]

cheap dh team

if you are willing to throw down the extra cash for the dh team wich regularly goes for 5100 i know of a bike shop that is selling one for 4300 dollars, give or take a few hundred