REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS

Interest in a Ventana race bike... revive the el fuego?

2809 Views 40 Replies 14 Participants Last post by TIGMAN, Dec 6, 2005

xl_cheese

Discussion Starter · Dec 1, 2005 (Edited)

Sherwood would be willing to revisit the El Fuego if enough people want one. 10 people to be exact.

Basically a 5lb 4" travel race bike. 71/73 angles. Bearings at the main pivot with bushings elsewhere to keep the weight down.

Not a hucker bike, but also will not have a weight limit. Possibly a custom color for this batch.

I have a handful that are interested already. Anyone else?

So I can keep a head count email me at "my mtbr handle"@ hotmail.com. I'm personally not selling them so you'll have to go through ventana or a dealer.

1 - 20 of 41 Posts

icegeek

· #2 · Dec 2, 2005

Didn't you just get a new 4" race bike?

FoShizzle

· #3 · Dec 2, 2005

how is that relevant

JmZ

· #4 · Dec 2, 2005

Sorry got to me about 9 months too late. :O

I picked up a '04 El Feugo, of the slightly beefier variety early this year.

I don't have the frame weight but it should figure out to be somewhere around 6 pounds for frame, shock, and seat collar.

The '04 Feugo is a great woods and Mid-West bike. Agreed not a hucker bike, but this is the most comfortable and confident I've fit on a bike in a long time. It's Salty's little bro. The angles were 71 and change and either a 73 or 74 on the seat tube.

I'm not sorry in the least that I jumped for an '04, but an El Fuego in the 5 pound range... WOW, or WOOT! Either one take your pick. I was seriously looking at the Titus Racer X, the Tuner Nitrous, and this would only make the Feugo even better.

One question though... are 3" Rockers still available for the Salty? It would give the Salty a similar geometry to the Feugo's of the recent past.

JmZ

xl_cheese said:
Sherwood would be willing to revisit the El Fuego if enough people want one. 10 people to be exact.

Basically a 5lb 4" travel race bike. 71/73 angles. Bearings at the main pivot with bushings elsewhere to keep the weight down.

Not a hucker bike, but also will not have a weight limit. Possibly a custom color for this batch.

I have a handful that are interested already. Anyone else?

So I can keep a head count email me at "my mtbr handle"@ hotmail.com. I'm personally not selling them so you'll have to go through ventana or a dealer.

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sherwood

· #5 · Dec 2, 2005

JmZ said:
One question though... are 3" Rockers still available for the Salty? JmZ

Sure are...for '04 and older that is.

wyatt

· #6 · Dec 2, 2005

What 's the El Fuego Look Like? Geometry?

xl_cheese said:
Sherwood would be willing to revisit the El Fuego if enough people want one. 10 people to be exact.

Basically a 5lb 4" travel race bike. 71/73 angles. Bearings at the main pivot with bushings elsewhere to keep the weight down.

Not a hucker bike, but also will not have a weight limit. Possibly a custom color for this batch.

I have a handful that are interested already. Anyone else?

So I can keep a head count email me at "my mtbr handle"@ hotmail.com. I'm personally not selling them so you'll have to go through ventana or a dealer.

Does anyone have a picture of what the El Fuego looks like or geometry? Thanks.

Wobbegong

· #7 · Dec 2, 2005

Go to Ventana.....

wyatt said:
Does anyone have a picture of what the El Fuego looks like or geometry? Thanks.

Go to the Ventana web page and look in the owners section.

Pauliemon

· #8 · Dec 2, 2005

2

Here's my 04 El Fuego as a Salty and a Fuego. I also had El Fuego #0038. That was a 99 model I think. It had bushings instead of bearings. The 04 model is far superior.

Pic #1 Salty
Pic #2 Fuego

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wyatt

· #9 · Dec 2, 2005 (Edited)

Pauliemon said:
Here's my 04 El Fuego as a Salty and a Fuego. I also had El Fuego #0038. That was a 99 model I think. It had bushings instead of bearings. The 04 model is far superior.

Pic #1 Salty
Pic #2 Fuego

Why not just build a lightweight El Saltamontes with a race oriented shock like the Manitou or 5th Element, or better yet get a Float and send it for the PUSH tuning to XC Race selection? Isn't the El Salt. "better" than the EL F., stifffer, etc.? I am trying to understand the difference, please explain. Thanks

JmZ

· #10 · Dec 2, 2005

wyatt said:
Why not just build a lightweight El Saltamontes with a race oriented shock like the Manitou or 5th Element, or better yet get a Float and send it for the PUSH tuning to XC Race selection? Isn't the El Salt. "better" than the EL F., stifffer, etc.? I am trying to understand the difference, please explain. Thanks

My take on it...

Simply put, the Salty is overkill for a race bike. The Salty is a bit more relaxed in it's angles, and a bit heavier than a full on race bike. The Salty can be put into duty, and do very well (It's 90% rider, 10% bike or somesuch), but it isn't purpose built to be a XC racer - it's meant as a great trailbike.

JmZ

FoShizzle

· #11 · Dec 2, 2005

....and ventana is in fact making race bikes, they are called the El Toro and El Comandante and for you girls who like gears, the El Padrino (or El Comandante for those who change their mind about the single speed thing).

as for 24 hour racing or endurance type of racing (ie, not short course stuff....50 or 100 mile stuff), i cant imagine a better bike than the El Salt. In fact, my X5 as currently built is almost perfect for that stuff in my opinion though and El Salt would be better by a tad given the lighter weight.

wyatt

· #12 · Dec 2, 2005

Weight Obsession Made Further Public

FoShizzle said:
....and ventana is in fact making race bikes, they are called the El Toro and El Comandante and for you girls who like gears, the El Padrino (or El Comandante for those who change their mind about the single speed thing).

as for 24 hour racing or endurance type of racing (ie, not short course stuff....50 or 100 mile stuff), i cant imagine a better bike than the El Salt. In fact, my X5 as currently built is almost perfect for that stuff in my opinion though and El Salt would be better by a tad given the lighter weight.

How much does your X5 weigh? That has to factor into a bike being appropriate for a marathon racer, don't you think? Have you posted a specification list of your X5 build?

I got my X5 because, besides loving Ventana and Teresa being my girlfriend

, I was tired of my back hurting and I needed and wanted the standover, an El Saltamontes (or ven a Turner 5 Spot, any Turner actually) wouldn't fit due to lack of standover. I had a Santa Cruz but all the top tubes are too short for me. So the X5, to be built as light as reasonably possible, was the clear choice. I'd love to see your build list. If it has been published please tell me where to look. Thanks.

FoShizzle

· #13 · Dec 2, 2005

wyatt said:
How much does your X5 weigh? That has to factor into a bike being appropriate for a marathon racer, don't you think? Have you posted a specification list of your X5 build?

I got my X5 because, besides loving Ventana and Teresa being my girlfriend , I was tired of my back hurting and I needed and wanted the standover, an El Saltamontes (or ven a Turner 5 Spot, any Turner actually) wouldn't fit due to lack of standover. I had a Santa Cruz but all the top tubes are too short for me. So the X5, to be built as light as reasonably possible, was the clear choice. I'd love to see your build list. If it has been published please tell me where to look. Thanks.

agree with all you said...my X5 used to be almost 33 pounds but now weighs 28.1 lbs and easily under 28 lbs if I used lighter tires which I will next time I race it.

Large 2004 X5 w/ quad bearings w/ 5" rockers
XT front der
Thomson seatpost
WTB Laser V Stealth
SRAM X.9 rear der
SRAM X.0 twist shifters
ODI Lock-on Rogue shorty grips
XT Cassette
SRAM chain
Magura Louise FR brakes (180mm/160mm)
PUSHed Float
King headset
Thomson X4 110mm x 0 deg stem
Truvativ Stylo Team Carbon OS 31.8 bar
Shimano 540 pedals
FSA K Force MegaExo cranks
PUSHed Vanilla RLC fork
DT Swiss XR4.1d rims / King ISO Disc hubs / DT Supercomp spokes with DT Comp on rear drive side / alloy nipples
DT Swiss Tubleless conversion kit from Eclipse
Hutchinson Spider UST 2.3 front/2.1 rear
Hope seatpost QR clamp

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=136405

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wyatt

· #14 · Dec 2, 2005

Thanks, Mr. Fo!

FoShizzle said:
agree with all you said...my X5 used to be almost 33 pounds but now weighs 28.1 lbs and easily under 28 lbs if I used lighter tires which I will next time I race it.

Nice set-up. Mine will be similar when I install all the upgrades I listed a couple of days agao, so I am thrilled at the idea of 28 lbs. Despite the faction that say a few pounds doesn't matter, I suffer so much on climbs due to asthma that I can really feel 2-3 pounds less.

Do you like your tubeless kit? I am not familiar with that brand. What sealant do you use?

How would you rate the performance change after having the PUSH tuning done to the fork as opposed to the Float frame shock? Is it worth the money? I feel the PUSH Float mod is a requirement, not an option, with a bike of this caliber. For me, the frame shock upgrade was staggering, even more than when I did it to my former Santa Cruz Superlight. Sherwood said he suspected a batch of shocks weren't exactly right but pointed out accurately, I feel, that that can't be ascertained because PUSH takes so much out, and Fox won't tell him, they'll just say something like "repaired" or " verified specs" (my words).

All thoughts much appreciated. Peace.

Pauliemon

· #15 · Dec 2, 2005

wyatt said:
Why not just build a lightweight El Saltamontes with a race oriented shock like the Manitou or 5th Element, or better yet get a Float and send it for the PUSH tuning to XC Race selection? Isn't the El Salt. "better" than the EL F., stifffer, etc.? I am trying to understand the difference, please explain. Thanks

A El Fuego is a El Saltamontes with short legs. The only difference between the 2 is the rocker. Salty's can be built plenty light. Mine's 25.66 lbs. and could be lighter.

Ciclistagonzo

· #16 · Dec 2, 2005

hehehehe...

xl_cheese said:
Basically a 5lb 4" travel race bike. 71/73 angles. Bearings at the main pivot with bushings elsewhere to keep the weight down.

.

Already have it....

5.65 frame (17") 4" travel 71/72 angles Bushing all over. Fast as I want, plush as I want.
(Just change the PSI +/- 10 psi front or back.)

=^D

Good luck, an old school run of Fuego's would be cool...

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Pauliemon

· #17 · Dec 2, 2005

[QUOTE=FoShizzle: and for you girls who like gears, the El Padrino

Well I was thinking of getting a Padrino, but not now! I ain't no girl. It's a El Comandante for sure. It's gonna be black too! None of those sissy colors. Maybe I'll give it a real macho name like Dorothy.

FoShizzle

· #18 · Dec 2, 2005

Pauliemon said:
FoShizzle: and for you girls who like gears said:

good man! and by the way, dont get a sissy suspension fork, those are also for girls. get one of Sherwood's sweet new rigid forks for that bad boy!

Click to expand...

FoShizzle

· #19 · Dec 2, 2005

Do you like your tubeless kit? I am not familiar with that brand. What sealant do you use?

i think very highly of it. it is specifically made for and distributed by DT Swiss for the DT Swiss XR4.1d rims. It works flawlessly from my experience. I have 2 bikes with the XR4.1d rims and both hold air perfectly and zero burps or at least none that i noticed. It is made to work with UST tires.

How would you rate the performance change after having the PUSH tuning done to the fork as opposed to the Float frame shock? Is it worth the money?

I was blown away with the PUSHed Float. It felt as plush as the Romic I ran. Having said that, I made the mistake of having it "trail" tuned and while it worked perfectly for general all mountain riding, i decided to have it retuned with more platform to give it better pedaling efficiency. I am embarassed to say I have had it back from PUSH for at least 3 or 4 weeks and have not yet ridden it with the additional platform added but I am positive it will be perfect for me now though I was nervous about adding more platform cause it felt so perfect already; but was willing to sacrifice some sensitivity for a firmer ride.

Pauliemon

· #20 · Dec 2, 2005

You're killing me Fo.

FoShizzle said:
good man! and by the way, dont get a sissy suspension fork, those are also for girls. get one of Sherwood's sweet new rigid forks for that bad boy!

I gotta draw the line somewhere. I've got to have a suspension fork. I'm a old man you know.

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