Have an 08' XL RFX and have been taking a serious look into 29er's. I am 6"4" so my height begs for a big bike. I am a little concerned about the fork choices available as I pretty much swore off air for even XC riding. I ride hard but haven't been using the RFX to its potential (tires don't leave the ground as much as they use to ) I just want to make sure the XL DWL Sultan is biased toward trail / AM riding than XC. Thanks.
Long travel 26er to a Sultan ?
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hi keen, why don't you have a look at Turner's web site? the guys who designed the bikes have pictograms describing what they can do. the one on the left below is for the 120mm sultan and the one on the right is for the 140mm spot. my take is after riding 3 full years on v.1 of the sultan (only 100mm, but a great XC bike) that the extra 20mm of travel and slacking of the HT by 1 degree does not turn the sultan into a " 6.5 inch 67 degree all mountain machine". the only 2 options for all mountain 29ers today is the Lenz lunchbox or the new Intense tracer. IMHO asking the present sultan to be an all mountain machine is like asking the spot to be an RFX.keen said:
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after this week I have a WHOLE new appreciation for what a Sultan "can" do, not by me, but still.
I rode Aqua's purple bike for a bit and it felt WAY more manly than mine...shocking really. He had big ass gordo rims with Ardent 2.4s thus making then profile much larger than on my more XC-width rims with same tires. He also had a 140mm fork and a PUSHed shock with bottom out prevention tweaks I believe and ran 40 more psi than I do and only weight about 5 lbs more...no need for a coil shock
So yeah, if nothing else...this trip proved to me that I will NEVER consider a longer travel bike as something I have any business with
couple pics from trip...
in fairness, not a long term test i suppose but then again, he broke his RFX frame as well on this same stoopid trail
I rode Aqua's purple bike for a bit and it felt WAY more manly than mine...shocking really. He had big ass gordo rims with Ardent 2.4s thus making then profile much larger than on my more XC-width rims with same tires. He also had a 140mm fork and a PUSHed shock with bottom out prevention tweaks I believe and ran 40 more psi than I do and only weight about 5 lbs more...no need for a coil shock
So yeah, if nothing else...this trip proved to me that I will NEVER consider a longer travel bike as something I have any business with
couple pics from trip...
in fairness, not a long term test i suppose but then again, he broke his RFX frame as well on this same stoopid trail
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keen and fo: i have also seen great riders like Aqua do jaw dropping moves on really difficult terrain with only XC equipment. i'm a 'regular' rider with no great talents - just week in and week out XC+ riding on my sultan. that said, in my experience when i try a longer travel bike with the aforementioned slacker angles built and designed for all mountain riding, i can go over (or maybe better put 'feel safer going over') tougher terrain that i would balk at with my sultan. it is definitely a conundrum figuring rider skill level with travel, HT angle, and bike weight that will cover the maximum desired terrain variety. did i forget to include coming home safely and not upsetting the wife too much? enjoy your rides! starre
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How was the Marzocchi?
I am trying to decide between that an a 140mm Reba. Also, I am assuming that you meant that the shock was pushed and not the fork--unless Push does work on that fork now.
I agree about the SUltan. I have never ridden Tahoe as well on any bike as I did my Sultan. I did the Punisher, Stanford Rocks and a bunch of other TRT trails and was much faster than I was on my Highline or Spot. After I get back from Iraq in Nov, I am planning on going on a Family Vacation to Tucson to ride a bunch of my old trails. I think it will do just fine there. I think the big wheels provide a more stable ride and allow you to ride down pretty steep stuff without fear of an endow.
Thanks,
I am trying to decide between that an a 140mm Reba. Also, I am assuming that you meant that the shock was pushed and not the fork--unless Push does work on that fork now.
I agree about the SUltan. I have never ridden Tahoe as well on any bike as I did my Sultan. I did the Punisher, Stanford Rocks and a bunch of other TRT trails and was much faster than I was on my Highline or Spot. After I get back from Iraq in Nov, I am planning on going on a Family Vacation to Tucson to ride a bunch of my old trails. I think it will do just fine there. I think the big wheels provide a more stable ride and allow you to ride down pretty steep stuff without fear of an endow.
Thanks,
FoShizzle said:
Just buy it
I think I saw an XL Sultan on Competitive Cyclist for $1,300 for a frame and 3k for a full bike. At 6'4" a Sultan is the cat's meow. At my height of 5'11" a Sultan or Spot is a debatable subject depending on local trails and preferences. My .02.keen said:
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sorry...yeah, PUSHed shockAlpenglow said:
u have to ask aqua...i have no doubt if he had a choice he would not be on the marzocchi, but it obviously did fine of some pretty serious hucks. the reba 140 would be way more reassuring but you need a tapered headtube to fit it stock
I think it has a lot to do with components and proper setup. I see a lot of XC bikes running over-sprung rear suspensions , under-sprung front suspensions, bar stem combo's low & long. On my trail bikes I typically run a fork that has 1" more travel than the rear, 30-35% sag in the rear & a tall bar / short stem combo. I also prefer quality travel over quantity and that means coil suspension F & R. My RFX isn't really much of a long travel bike anymore - 650b's, shorter shock / fork @ 5" coil travel F&R. I liked the change to 650's and just want more...hopefully it won't come with drawbacks ???starre said:
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loved your conversion to 650B on the RFX and very interested on your impressions and comparisons on the new DW sultan. i'm 6'4" too and even though my XL sultan is version 1, i really don't see anything out there right now that i would want/need to buy that would fit me. enjoy!
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I'm a pretty big rider and I've been pushing the Sultan quite a bit lately, not quite to Aqua levels, but at 240#s w/out gear I might as well be.
I've found it to be capable of fully replacing my 26er Tracer VP which was a 6'' front and 5.5'' rear (TALAS/CCDB). The Sultan is an XL with 20mm Thru Reba with a low volume can RP23, which has been a marked improvement over the standard but it's not a CCDB.
The bike isn't quite like my Delirium T where it can save you if you make a mistake, ala forgiving like a saint, but it is forgiving enough to try a new drop/roller/tough line. Ultimately though I'd like a 69*ish HTA, a couple more mm in the BB height, and a degree or two slacker seat tube. Would I ride that Sultan on the same lines as my DT? I'd try the more digestible lines at least once.
At the end of the day, I feel like my wheelset is the weak point in pushing the bike so I may get some Gordo's laced up 36h F/R instead of my current Flows 36F/32R (whack).
I've found it to be capable of fully replacing my 26er Tracer VP which was a 6'' front and 5.5'' rear (TALAS/CCDB). The Sultan is an XL with 20mm Thru Reba with a low volume can RP23, which has been a marked improvement over the standard but it's not a CCDB.
The bike isn't quite like my Delirium T where it can save you if you make a mistake, ala forgiving like a saint, but it is forgiving enough to try a new drop/roller/tough line. Ultimately though I'd like a 69*ish HTA, a couple more mm in the BB height, and a degree or two slacker seat tube. Would I ride that Sultan on the same lines as my DT? I'd try the more digestible lines at least once.
At the end of the day, I feel like my wheelset is the weak point in pushing the bike so I may get some Gordo's laced up 36h F/R instead of my current Flows 36F/32R (whack).
Well I just got off the phone with Turner to find that my Roco TST coil shock won't fit - first Turner tech told me it would on two separate occasions :madman: I have tried LV RP23's on quite a few frames and have never been happy w/ its performance. Have to debate if I really want to buy a frame then spend $$ on a shock like the CCDB.
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How much do you weigh? the LV RP23 isn't the best, but I don't feel like I'm making any sacrifices or compromises other than saving a couple $200-$300... You could always send the RP23 to PUSH if you really wanted. Also, I could be crazy, but doesn't DW use less leverage than the old TNT?
I weigh roughly 210lb w/ gear. I have really tried to like many different air shock's on numerous frames - same mediocre performance. I had a Float R PUSH'd on a Specialized Enduro w/ noted improvements but the Romic that replaced it felt much better.thefriar said:
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Coil
The coil size require 7 x 2 (?) is fairly common especially around the Turner form as many riders had coils on their Spots. Post a thread in classifieds or here requesting one. Also check out clearance specials on UK websites on Roccos, Manitou and Chubbies. I picked up a CCDB from Larry @ Mountain High Cyclery he had ordered for someone who changed their mind or something.
I agree with you that the RP23 is nothing special but better than nothing to get you started till you find a coil cheap.
JD
The coil size require 7 x 2 (?) is fairly common especially around the Turner form as many riders had coils on their Spots. Post a thread in classifieds or here requesting one. Also check out clearance specials on UK websites on Roccos, Manitou and Chubbies. I picked up a CCDB from Larry @ Mountain High Cyclery he had ordered for someone who changed their mind or something.
I agree with you that the RP23 is nothing special but better than nothing to get you started till you find a coil cheap.
JD
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After finally getting my Sultan built and a few rides in so far I would have to agree with what most people are saying here. I did the jump from a very slack 26er and am impressed with the Sultan so far. I went with Stans Flows but feel the Gordo's may have been a better choice, I may make the switch. One thing that is taking a bit to get used too is the lower bottom bracket. I bottom out the pedals much more than I ever did on my choppered out 26er but Im sure I will be able to compensate. Part of this is I went with 180 cranks this time.
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really good thread and i agree with the RipRoar and thefriar about the Gordos vs flow for us guys over 200 lbs. problem with gordos as i understand it means going back to tubes and i don't want more weight out there on the rim. i also changed to the LV can and the ride is harsher and more like a hard tail at same initial sag to the HV can, but i like it more because i don't have that wallowing effect that the large can had. it seems to me the frame weight of DW sultan is on the heavy end of the present 100 to 120mm 29er offerings and with the TallBoy getting so many accolades, i think Turner may find a market in tweaking the sultan to a 130-140 mm trail bike with 69*ish HTA as thefriar suggested.
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