[kbollox]

Hi everyone, first post, so we're probably treading old ground -

I'm really interested in the Outcast 29er, here in Minneapolis there's an abundance of riding, single, fixes, built up and down.

I guess I'm wondering if any of you owners out there can give me some feed back on the bike, durability, fit, any essential upgrades (yes I have done a search and yes I have been reading both the good and the bad) I do have some concern going with an aluminum frame and how it rides/ holds up under a good thrashing.

I'm 6'1" with a 33 inseam, thinking of going with a 19" frame....price is right, I've got my LBS on deck to help etc.

Owners what's what?

 

[sockminkey]

Hard to beat for the price. I'm 6'3", 190, and got a 21". It's such a basic machine that I didn't bother with an LBS. No derailleur means simple, simple. I've had this bike for about 9 months and it's held up to my abuse just fine.

Here's what I swapped: stem, handlebars, grips, pedals, seatpost. Since this is my urban assault ride, I ditched the stock tires, which are heavy but great, and put on some Schwalbe Big Apples for a smooth ride.

You're right, this is old territory and with a search I bet you'll find that most folks consider the stem and handlebars and seatpost to be crap (as in truly unsafe if you're intent on bashing this bike). The saddle, which I usually toss, was surprisingly good.

Don't think too hard about this one. It's cheap and you need more bikes.

Sock

 

[Dr. Placebo]

Don't think too hard about this one. It's cheap and you need more bikes.

Sock

HAHA! Just what I need! more egging on. I've been itching to buy this bike myself. I've never ridden fixed, I've not experienced trail riding, and I've wanted something I could ride in the rain without remorse so this mates up to those activities well.

Sock, being that you've lined yours up for road use (it seems), how does the bike behave on the road? With all the upgrades you just mentioned you could probably make it pretty darn light as well. I appreciate any input.

 

[sockminkey]

The 29er, for me, is for simple rides in the neighborhood and around town, where it's mostly flat. Plus, I really wanted to see how I'd like a singlespeed and how I'd like a 29er without dropping too much coin.

It's true what everyone says about a singlespeed, absolutely. It's like being a kid again. Pure, simple fun, just get on the damn thing and ride. The balloon tires are no lighter than the Nevegals, to be sure, but at 30 PSI, they are cushy and quiet and look great. They're so plump, it's like having a suspension. The frame seems stout, the welds decent, the rims and brakes better than decent, and I have no problem jumping curbs or bumps or small ramps. The size of the stock chainring is more suited to roads than trails, so to me, this was a no-brainer "conversion" to make it a street bike, although I've taken it on a fair bit of hard packed dirt roads, too, without any problems. If I were going to use it for trails, I'd definitely try the smaller chainring that came with the bike.

The bike is not terribly light. If I wanted a lighter bike, I might consider one of the cyclocross offerings. Or a Fly Ti (there, I said it, but damn, I just got a road bike and the piggy bank's busted...).

I have not regretted for one moment buying this bike.

Sock

 

[kbollox]

Glad to hear you like it sockmonkey. I've got a few bikes I'm looking at and it's good to hear some encouraging words.

 

[Dr. Placebo]

If I may ask, why no posts?

 

[sockminkey]

Just never had much to say, I guess. Nothing that someone else couldn't say better, anyway. But I like this bike and I'm considering another Moto bike at some point, so I've been lurking at MTBR again...

Sock

 

[ckarp]

first post. just put my outcast together today (took maybe ten minutes), and i really believe it's a dope deal. i ordered upgrade parts from jenson at the same time after reading in posts what was supposedly sub par, but honestly, it's far better spec/quality-wise than i anticipated (some of the upgrades i ordered because of my intel seem a little pretentious now...
i recently relocated to Tn from nyc, so the 42t gear is more what i'm used to (been riding ss 26ers, dodging cabs and pedestrians since 2004... ss made it fun again for me, it's bombproofness and simplicity is worth all the gears in the world, ride like an kid on an adult bmx bike...). but.. of course i got a smaller 34t to run when i actually take it on dirt (i've ridden mtb's 99% on pavement so the mountain thing is new for me...).
anyways, the only issue i have is that the recommended size for me on ebay was a little off, at 6'1" while i'm happy with the ergos and lines/symmetry of the 21", for the most part, i know the 19" would have been a better choice if i dig the trail thing (there are great trails in my city i'm looking to check out, and after nyc, the road isn't nearly as fun). i had differing advice on size from different camps, and ultimately i knew i'd rather a little too big than small and i'm super psyched with the bike, for the money it is a very serious bike.

i'm in the market for a 19" frame, or if anyone needs a 21" frame we could work something amicable out (...order a 19 and i'll trade my brand new as of today 21 + 50 or so?)

 

[donalson]

http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_STOR20.cgi?Action=Details&ProdID=634 $120 for a new frame... if i hadn't just picked up a redline d440 (i need gears and wanted the steel frame)

i'll likely go with a bikesdirect next time...

 

[ckarp]

well, i only assembled the bike and kicked around my living room for a few minutes (long enough to realize that taking the advice from the seller over my own instinct and to get the 21" over the 19" was a bad idea, at their shop they must have a different perspective on sizing than most humans...) an exchange on the frame shouldn't be a big deal... except for the inconvenience, the waiting time and the one-way ship i'm sure i'll have to eat... still waiting for a few of the after-market things i ordered, and they say patience is a virtue, so i guess i'll see how the folks at cycle spectrum and/or bikesdirect do business... (the intel on the web makes them seem like they are the same company or at the very least connected in some way may be the owners/importers of motobecaneusa in guise) still, hope this bike turns out to be as good of a deal as i thought, it really is rather good quality at the price and rareness of the 29er ss breed... ?
i brought up the trade thing since i'm excited about the new bike, and actually getting to ride the thing a little sooner rather than later would be worth the 50 bucks or so... i've emailed the seller 2 times and still haven't had a response, 48 hours in 2008 ...although i went back and forth over the size question maybe 6 or 7 times over memorial day weekend when i decided to buy it and immediately paypal it... seems fishy...
hope they square it like they should.

 

[ckarp]

by the way, don't mean to sound like a hater... i'm sure the shop/company will take care of it in good faith (just wish they we're a little more solid on the fit of the bike by size/height since ordering online without seeing/feeling it in the flesh is an unfortunate issue). i'm glad they have the bike and sold it to me at a fair price.
actually, the redline is an awesome choice, was so close to just getting the flight 29er... in fact the specs are really close and the fact that redline called their 19" L and their 21" XL was a question i brought up...

 

[ckarp]

so... BEWARE, if you get an outcast from spartymamma off of ebay, better be 100% on the size OR ELSE! NO HELP AT ALL about giving me the wrong sizing info... and of course would exchange it for me... as long as i paid for shipping BOTH WAYS! (ABOUT 130.00 EACH WAY if you're not a retailer with a shipping account!).
so now it has to become a road only bike or i have to spend at least another 120.00 to get a new frame in my size, plus the cost of having a lbs pull the headset and bb and put them on the new frame....
so much for a good deal...

 

[pursuiter]

Too bad about the size. I'm a tall 6-2 and I went with the 19" just based on standover height alone.

If I had the extra $120 in hand, I'd order up the right size frame from Bike Island, then list your 21" in the classified, it'll sell. Life is too short to ride a incorrectly sized bike :thumbsup:

 

[sockminkey]

Yeah, this is the major downside to buying mail order and it's why so many caution against Bikesdirect (and related family member ebay sellers). Fit is easier for a MT bike than a road bike, but it's still a gamble to buy sight unseen. I've gotten lucky, I guess, and I suppose I'm fairly normal proportions for a sort of tall guy. I'm 6'3", longish inseam, and am very comfortable on a 21". This is my second of three Bikesdirect purchases, including <gasp> a road bike, but I enjoy fiddling with bikes and wrenching my own junk, so I've been pleased with the mail order experience.

As many others have said, you must be very certain about your fit before buying any bike via mail order, because even though Bikesdirect offers a 100% return guarantee, shipping kills the deal. It's just not worth it. So basically, forget about the "satisfaction" guarantee.

As the previous poster mentioned, it'll be no problem to sell that bike via Craigslist or similar. Sell it and get the 19" and eventually the bad taste will go away and the fun of riding will take over.

Sock

 

[mtnlyon]

Hi, can anybody tell me about how this rides out on the trails? Has anybody compared this to a Rig or Monocog? What does the stock outcast weigh in at?

 

[ckarp]

...i put some 700x37c wtb slickasaurus' on, changed the stem, bar, seatpost, and grips and now it's a hell of a urban/suburban/bourban ride for the money and the size/ergos are great for it's new mission...
as far as picking up a new frame from bikeisland or anyone connected to them... i'm kinda leaning towards spending more loot on something nicer (karate monkey or monocog) just to NOT give them my business again...
however, since i already have a 29er monocog fork (disc mounts) i scored off ebay, an atomlabs 36h disk hub, front avid bb7, and a 34t chainring that was intended for the original build, the cheapest way for me to get the trail bike on the hill might be to just order another outcast, end up with a second set of of tires and just buy another post, bar, and stem and suck it up... guess i'll end up with two decent bikes for the price of the flight i should have gotten in the first place.
any bets on weather they'd give me a price break on a second??? i won't hold my breath...