[KMan]

Anyone have a good guestimate of the frame weight of the Van Dessel 29er Buzz Bomb frame (XL). (I sent the company and email as well). I've read a few post that says it's kind of heavy - but no actual weights. I also sent an email to Lens about what the current spec and pricing is on their Levithan build, but no reply as of yet.
I've been back and forth about buying a 29er (I have a Turner Flux that I just love and can't see a bike riding any better), but I would like to try out a 29er FS just to "make sure"

My original idea was to buy a very nice frame (the new Turner 29er, Ventana's new FS 29er or a Lenz) and build using top parts (weight wennie here), but my riding has been slacking off a lot due to some back issues so I now think my best bet is to kill the champain taste and beer budget and buy on a beer budget.......to get a decent and relatively inexpensive 29er.....figuring my best bet is to buy a used complete build or something my racing shop can get (with a little discount) - and if I like it I can end up swap out some parts from my Flux & if I don't, sell the complete bike and hopefully not loose to much $$ - but I'd really have a hard time buying a boat ancher. I am racer at heart and weight is a real concern for me.

I've been keeping my eye on ebay and the classifies, but nothing as of yet.

KMan

 

[heavyg]

my weights

Here's what I had, all off a commercial deli scale:
Measured w/ rear shock and seatpost collar onboard

XL powdercoated Leviathan: 5.6

L GF Sugar 293: 5.54

XL Buzzbomb: 7.45

26ers for comparison on same scale:

XL SC BLur LT (roughly 5" travel): 6.5

L GF Fat Possum (roughly 6" travel): 7.5

Wow. I am a bike whore. Only own the last two at the moment, so maybe that's not so bad...

 

[Speedub.Nate]

...I'd really have a hard time buying a boat ancher. I am racer at heart and weight is a real concern for me.

I don't have frame weights for you, but I think this may be the answer you're looking for:

1st place finisher Edwin Bull is the founder and owner of Van Dessel cycles. In '05, he turned out for Sea Otter and provided many of us with the first public viewing of the Buzz Bomb Full Suspension.

After resolving some crank problems at the very last minute, he rode the Buzz FS in the Men's Sport XC race - (30-34) and smoked the category!

Note (as I'm sure you're aware) it's all about the rider, not the bike... but the Buzz Bomb certainly didn't slow Edwin down.

Nobody else in any of the single lap categories broke the 1:20 barrier.

Here's a quick breakdown of the other top finishers:
Sport 19-24 1:25:34
Sport 25-29 1:30:30
Sport 30-34 1:19:52
Sport 35-39 1:24:04
Sport 40-44 1:24:23
Sport 45-49 1:24:23
B/S SS Mens 1:24:33

You can view the results here: https://www.seaotterclassic.com/2005/results_list.asp#event13

 

[KMan]

minor correction

Sport race, not expert....but anyway, pretty impressive

BUT - when the rider doesn't have muct to begin with, he (I) need all the help (weight wise) I can get. Just think if his frame was 2 lbs lighter - He probably would have knowck another 5 minutes off his time.

Thanks for the info!
KMan

 

[ne14cycling]

...You ment "Sport" catagory?

I've done S.O 5x and have never went quicker than 2:35 and alls I got was 14th.

Your mate is fast that is for certain.

 

[Speedub.Nate]

Sport race, not expert....but anyway, pretty impressive

BUT - when the rider doesn't have muct to begin with, he (I) need all the help (weight wise) I can get. Just think if his frame was 2 lbs lighter - He probably would have knowck another 5 minutes off his time.

Oops, yeah, I just went back and corrected that!

I feel quite the opposite... a lighter bike will have a bigger impact on a highly honed racer working near the peak of biomechanical efficiency... when tenths of a second truly count.

For a more "average" competitor or casual rider, weight differences are greatly minimized.

While shaving two pounds off a frame is certainly desireable, especially since weight is such an easy metric to calculate, I'm not convinced of the benefit. It's certainly to be measured in seconds, not minutes!

In any case, Edwin's results are pretty damn impressive. I don't know how well that bike is selling, but there are certainly some Buzz FS owners who have chimed in on the MTBR forums over the past year. I'd like to know how their "long term" impressions of the bike are holding up!!!

I hope he gets back to you with answers to your questions. He certainly is a friendly guy to deal with, and I've had a couple of opportunities to deal with him over the telephone a few years ago when building my hardtail 1st generation Buzz Bomb. So if you don't hear from him, give him a ring!

 

[jrm]

Doesnt that say mopre about the motor

Then the bike....just saying...

 

[Rivet]

I don't have frame weights for you, but I think this may be the answer you're looking for:

1st place finisher Edwin Bull is the founder and owner of Van Dessel cycles. In '05, he turned out for Sea Otter and provided many of us with the first public viewing of the Buzz Bomb Full Suspension.

After resolving some crank problems at the very last minute, he rode the Buzz FS in the Men's Sport XC race - (30-34) and smoked the category!

Note (as I'm sure you're aware) it's all about the rider, not the bike... but the Buzz Bomb certainly didn't slow Edwin down.

Nobody else in any of the single lap categories broke the 1:20 barrier.

Here's a quick breakdown of the other top finishers:
Sport 19-24 1:25:34
Sport 25-29 1:30:30
Sport 30-34 1:19:52
Sport 35-39 1:24:04
Sport 40-44 1:24:23
Sport 45-49 1:24:23
B/S SS Mens 1:24:33

You can view the results here: http://www.seaotterclassic.com/2005/results_list.asp#event13

Hmmm, that just seems to prove he's a sandbagger.

Edit: Wow what a fricken sandbagger, guys an ex-paid pro roadie and he's racing the sport class, what a joke. Must make him feel good to whoop up on some weekend warriors.

USCF Road Race on 06/11/2006

Men - Cat 1/2
1 david clinger 1:39:48 460 st george cc
2 (1 - Cat1) Lisban Quintero 220839 477 gs mengoni
3 (1 - Cat2) Roger Aspholm 136195 472 westwood velo
4 gabriel brzuela 480 colavita
5 (2 - Cat1) Eugene Boronow 1:41:25 57369 469 gs mengoni
6 (3 - Cat1) Elliot Gaunt 1:41:30 169515 456 watchung whlmen
7 (4 - Cat1) Edwin Bull 1:41:37 91184 474 vandessell
8 (5 - Cat1) David Martin 1:43:53 81521 489 cjct
9 (2 - Cat2) Gavriel Epstein 179451 467 gs mengoni
10 (3 - Cat2) Matthew Howard 1:44:19 192622 464 crca
11 (4 - Cat2) Edward Ceccolini 54209 482 westwood velo
12 (5 - Cat2) James Camut 1:44:27 197155 457 watchung whlmen
13 (6 - Cat2) David Taylor 1:44:43 172065 454 century
14 (7 - Cat2) Jason Bremer 1:44:57 144944 483 gs mengoni
15 (6 - Cat1) Rafal Urzedowski 1:45:20 65744 473 cjct
16 (7 - Cat1) Louis Schimmel 42780 452 cjct
17 paulo zenoli 475 westwood velo
18 jason waltus 468 ideal tile
19 Andrew Green 65658 451 watchung whlmen
20 (8 - Cat2) Kenneth Lundgren 187996 476 westwood velo

 

[Speedub.Nate]

Wow what a fricken sandbagger...

Hot damn! Impressive! I thought Edwin was just a passionate bike builder. He told me he "used to" race, but that's pretty hard core.