Well Got my first shot on the 2 stage bike that Glen Hayden rides and i gotta admit its a sweet bike it grips real good and is the quietest bike i have ever ridden.
Anyone else tried one?
Anyone else tried one?
2 Stage Bikes
- Thread starter DaveyIntense
- Start date
No Dave, you can't have another bike.
Every single thread I've ever seen about this bike company dissolves into "two shocks?! Ew, wtf" type comments coming from people who've never ridden them (and probably don't build bikes for a living)
Glad to see someone give a positive report.
Glad to see someone give a positive report.
I'd suggest to try a nz based forum. Asked about the bike some nzders some time ago as I was considering getting it but I was told that the frame had some issues (can't remember what). Try vorb or sth like that.
Also gripping very well to the ground is not the advertised benefit of the frame and you can get that with 1 shock.
Also gripping very well to the ground is not the advertised benefit of the frame and you can get that with 1 shock.
2 stage bikes seem pretty cool to me, i think they sponsor some canadian racer but other than than you don't see / hear much about them in North America. i think corsair also has 2 shock option on their dh bike, though the 2 stage looks like its a little more refined.
I've always been fascinated by the dual shock setup, however the problem it always induces is substantial extra weight. Even Cannondale was experimenting with this when the Gemini was in its early prototype stages.
With the advances in shock technology the last few years, do the benefits of 2 shocks still tip the scales in favor of this execution over the downfall of the additional weight? Idk. I'd love to try one and find out.
With the advances in shock technology the last few years, do the benefits of 2 shocks still tip the scales in favor of this execution over the downfall of the additional weight? Idk. I'd love to try one and find out.
Have a friend who thinks 2 shocks will allow him to make a frame that will have a rearward travell when needed and at the sime it will shorten in turns like a low sp. Haven't though about his idea so don't bash me if it's bs but not the first time I heard sb purpose sth like this.
Ha Ha you no me to well Damo,how you 2 keeping? im saving up to go to NZ at the mo so i cant buy one but i think i will i may in the future.
The bike really is awsome i forgot to mention how well it pedals, it weighs in at 43lbs and my mate Steve rode one at the No Fuss Fortwilliam DH Endurance event witch was as many runs down the world cup track as you could do in 6hours he spent the whole 6 hours and 16 laps (the winner doing 18) on the bike, not 1 mechanical and said he couldt fault it, so on that note i don't think reliabilty is an issue with them. They are good bikes so if anyone is thinking of getting one i wouldt be put off by the new technology or air shocks.
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That's a really cool idea, would love to hear more about it. But I think it could also be done with a single shock ala the Sinister Passion (a proto was being shown a lot last year, hasn't made it into production yet, but FTW said he has more R&D he wants to do to it). Anyways, it uses basically a doubled up linkage, but the lower has a bottom out stopper/bumper thing so that the suspension will work one way for small trail chatter, but once you go through this the lower linkage will lock out and the suspension will perform differently for larger impacts. Don't know how it would affect the axle path since that it what your friend is looking at, but it would be a lighter execution than a dual shock setup, unless he is designing the suspension around the performance of 2 shocks.
Here's a link to the thread about the passion:
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166474
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here's some better pics of the linkage, kinda dark but that big red knob is what stops the lower linkage:
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2299961&postcount=58
edit 2: some more pics of the linkage can be found on pg 10 of the first thread I linked to.
edit 3: video from pinkbike to demonstrate the functionality:
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Sinister-Interbike-2006-Video.html
edit 4: same video, better source/quality:
http://www.rip.tv/video/view/353?em=1
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The 2-Stage boys never had a blown shock over the entire race season either.
The first shock makes the bike pedal like an XC bike and the second shock kicks in when needed.
I have heard nothing but good things about the bikes.
My mate here was the team mechanic for the WCs and he liked them too.
The company's CS seems pretty good, they look after their customers well.
I'm afraid I can't tell you anything more as I haven't ridden one in anger and I have no idea how they work technically.
The first shock makes the bike pedal like an XC bike and the second shock kicks in when needed.
I have heard nothing but good things about the bikes.
My mate here was the team mechanic for the WCs and he liked them too.
The company's CS seems pretty good, they look after their customers well.
I'm afraid I can't tell you anything more as I haven't ridden one in anger and I have no idea how they work technically.
I've only had a short ride, and it was a while ago...
I liked it - pedalled well, lots of grip (well, at least on the easy, dry terrain I was on).
Not heard any stories about issues with the frame reliability - they seemed pretty well built and spec'd to me. The 2 shock thing doesn't seem to be a REALWORLD issue. Still bugs me a little though.
Heavy? - the one I rode was supposedly 43lbs with some pretty bling stuff on it. 43 felt about right but on a proper DH course I don't think it'd be too much of an issue. It'd be hard work to get it <40lbs.
From what I can tell they seem to have good CS and seem to have a good following.
I liked it - pedalled well, lots of grip (well, at least on the easy, dry terrain I was on).
Not heard any stories about issues with the frame reliability - they seemed pretty well built and spec'd to me. The 2 shock thing doesn't seem to be a REALWORLD issue. Still bugs me a little though.
Heavy? - the one I rode was supposedly 43lbs with some pretty bling stuff on it. 43 felt about right but on a proper DH course I don't think it'd be too much of an issue. It'd be hard work to get it <40lbs.
From what I can tell they seem to have good CS and seem to have a good following.
Seems like a step up in susp desing. Would be nice to try it out. Damn I need to stop visiting RM as I'm more and more confused about the bike I want, at least as long as money is an issue for me
PS. It looks a bit like the idea. Get me this susp on a dh bike
The whole idea my friend has was kinda started by my jibberish and idecisivness if either i want a bike that pops out of turns and floats over rocks. It's a bit like having the benefits of low and high pivoted bike(or a rearward virtual like canfield susp). I hope he'll succeed as then I'll be the first to sell my soul for that thing.
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I'd love to ride one too! I remember seeing the proto at Plattekill 2 years ago, then it showed up at interbike. Then there was some shuffling at Sinister, and I seem to recall that Frank decided that the bike wasn't ready for production and needed more R&D. That was the last I heard of it.Seems like a step up in susp desing. Would be nice to try it out. Damn I need to stop visiting RM as I'm more and more confused about the bike I want, at least as long as money is an issue for me
I own a 2stage elite 9 , have owned it for over 2 years.
never had a shock issue, havent serviced them , they still run sick , I ride it almost every day.
they dont have any "frame issues" thats crap.
Id recommend them.
everyone who knows me knows I love my bike.
never had a shock issue, havent serviced them , they still run sick , I ride it almost every day.
they dont have any "frame issues" thats crap.
Id recommend them.
everyone who knows me knows I love my bike.
Yeah Style got a sweet rig his new refresh looks dam hawt!
Never ridden on but have not heard of many issues with em here in NZ and Style raves about em all the time
UK team going be be ripping on em in 09
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/2stage-elite9-2008.html
Never ridden on but have not heard of many issues with em here in NZ and Style raves about em all the time
UK team going be be ripping on em in 09
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/2stage-elite9-2008.html
Yeah Pete Evans (Sound bloke) the NZ guy who is bringing them into the uk has got Glen Hayden comming over to stay in the UK come April, he is going to be racing all the Pearce and NPS series so it will be good to see him and how well he gets on.
And yeah they really look after there guys, at the NPS at the wekend Pete was looking after the 4 or 5 lads who had 2 stage bikes sorting them out with dropouts and stuff even lending one rider (Nothing to do with 2 stage not even an owner) one of the bikes to race on and the guy came back with nothing but praise for the bike. All in i think they retail at £3500 and you get boxxer worlds x0 shifting its a good deal.
And yeah they really look after there guys, at the NPS at the wekend Pete was looking after the 4 or 5 lads who had 2 stage bikes sorting them out with dropouts and stuff even lending one rider (Nothing to do with 2 stage not even an owner) one of the bikes to race on and the guy came back with nothing but praise for the bike. All in i think they retail at £3500 and you get boxxer worlds x0 shifting its a good deal.
Dude two short stroke air shocks weigh less than the equivalent long stroke coil shock! The problem with the Gemini was its execution, the second shock kept activating every time you hit the brakes, the idea was sound.
One word: Titanium. And the differance between 2 airs and 1 coil is very small. Also you didn't think about the extra weight because of the extra bearings and linkage.
That doesn't take into account the additional mountain hardware and linkage to fully and properly utilize them. Also, I suspect that one of the reasons for using both a coil and an air shock is to utilize the performance of both.
Wasn't trying to knock the idea, only give an example of one of the major companies exploring a dual shock system.
True, but in the case of the 2stage, the shocks share the same mounting hardware of the link, and there is only 1 link, hardly adding weight and complexity. Its just a single pivot on top of a single pivot? Cannondale would have had their reasons for using a coil and an air shock I guess. Horses for courses.
Yeah, there seems to be a few more coming out of the woodwork now too! Maybe there is some merit to it?
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Yup, you are right, they are all different, I guess I was refering to bikes with more than one axle path or a travel area, and yeah, not all 2 shock bikes have this feature.
Can you be more specific?
Some 2stage bikes hanging together!
Is really 2stage a bike with area of travel instead of one axle path?
Guys why don't you check out the tech on there website, they've won 2 DH campionships in NZ that I know of 1st an 2nd in fisrt year of production, though those guy's probably would have won well on any bike, its well thought of here, not my type of bike I'd have to ride one to be swayed, Ive see enough of one in my local area goes well and even better now that its been tuned up!
There's plenty of tech and visuals on here to get ya tech heads for or against it!
2 Stage Bikes
http://2stagebikes.co.nz/cs/default.asp
Yes, it is an area of travel. It does look like you may get some pedal kickback on big hits, but it shouldn't be too bad with the pulley placement they're using.
Check out the animation on the home page of their website or go here http://www.2stagebikes.com/cs/services.asp?type=18 It's basically two axle paths with a smooth transition in between.
Shocks are set up sequential, ie. they have different air spring pressures, so one shock has the preference to go first, however if you hit the right type of square edge bump who knows?
I wouldn't go switching the shock pressures around though, or it will pedal like crap and you won't know what length your chainstay is at any one time!
As crazy as it sounds they actually ride how they claim, in fact it is one of the most amazing bikes I've ridden. They do pedal like an xc bike and the suspension feels bottomless and doesn't slow down at all in rough stuff.
Having stripped down and built several of them though, the build quality is pretty average which lets them down a bit. If the quality was better they would be fantastic bikes
Having stripped down and built several of them though, the build quality is pretty average which lets them down a bit. If the quality was better they would be fantastic bikes
Rankin apparently hated his tho', but meh, buddy I know who had one loved it so...Guys why don't you check out the tech on there website, they've won 2 DH campionships in NZ that I know of 1st an 2nd in fisrt year of production, though those guy's probably would have won well on any bike, its well thought of here, not my type of bike I'd have to ride one to be swayed, Ive see enough of one in my local area goes well and even better now that its been tuned up!
There's plenty of tech and visuals on here to get ya tech heads for or against it!
2 Stage Bikes
http://2stagebikes.co.nz/cs/default.asp
Rankin. Rankin aparently hates every bike hes given other than a foes , it depends who you talk depends on which bike he hates.
I was with him when he got his bike to take overseas ,and he said now this feels sick.
so . it depends who you talk to , I wonder if he likes his playbiker ironhorse? only time will tell
I was with him when he got his bike to take overseas ,and he said now this feels sick.
so . it depends who you talk to , I wonder if he likes his playbiker ironhorse? only time will tell