I always wondered about the Driver8, the V-10 has a 8.5" setting. And a lot of less DH type stuff could be handled on a beefy Nomad build.It's still a crappy bike. Paying less for crap is still paying for crap. You could get a new get flatline for that amount last year.
it ties up assets in inventory when that money can be used elsewhere.yup, it sucks for bike owners, but it's good for cheapskates looking for a new frame. I can't understand why manufacturers do that, as it dilutes the brand, but i guess it must be worth it just to get rid of them.
FWIW, the same thing happened to me via supergo in the 90s with the GT STS. I bought a used frame for more than they were selling them for new.
its not different then any other industry. they are sitting on old inventory that isnt moving so they find a outfit that can move large amounts of inventory.I can't understand why manufacturers do that, as it dilutes the brand, but i guess it must be worth it just to get rid of them.
yepit ties up assets in inventory when that money can be used elsewhere.
I agree that from santa cruz's standpoint that it seems like a good idea but it still affects the loyal customers who paid full price and it also hurts any bike shops who now have driver 8's that they probably paid more for than what chainlove is selling them for now. I think it reflects poorly on a company and has made me rethink buying an intense and now santa cruz at full price because half of the time you can just wait 6 months or so and get a new one for a fraction of the cost.its not different then any other industry. they are sitting on old inventory that isnt moving so they find a outfit that can move large amounts of inventory.
they disco'd the model a while ago and it obviously hasnt been moving. in steps, Chainlove.
yep
I have never understood this mentality. The bike is at least a year old and discontinued. I'll bet you could find similar deals on last years frames from lots of dealers. People pay a premium to have the latest and greatest, that's just the way it goes in any industry. Do you complain when you bought a brand new 2010 Toyota Tacoma in January and then see it on sale for way less in December to make room for the 2011 Tacomas?I agree that from santa cruz's standpoint that it seems like a good idea but it still affects the loyal customers who paid full price and it also hurts any bike shops who now have driver 8's that they probably paid more for than what chainlove is selling them for now. I think it reflects poorly on a company and has made me rethink buying an intense and now santa cruz at full price because half of the time you can just wait 6 months or so and get a new one for a fraction of the cost.
If I had paid more than double for it then yes I would be very upset...I have never understood this mentality. The bike is at least a year old and discontinued. I'll bet you could find similar deals on last years frames from lots of dealers. People pay a premium to have the latest and greatest, that's just the way it goes in any industry. Do you complain when you bought a brand new 2010 Toyota Tacoma in January and then see it on sale for way less in December to make room for the 2011 Tacomas?
If you must have the latest new thing, that's the risk you run.If I had paid more than double for it then yes I would be very upset...
Almost grabbed one of the driver 8's yesterday for the girliefriend but I was afraid it would have that awkward feel that the VP Free has, we test rode one a few weeks ago and it was really weird.Geo or not the driver feels awkward. They did the same mistake with the vp free - trying to make a long travel do it all bike. I know it is a cliche but you really feel on the bike
this.I have never understood this mentality. The bike is at least a year old and discontinued. I'll bet you could find similar deals on last years frames from lots of dealers. People pay a premium to have the latest and greatest, that's just the way it goes in any industry. Do you complain when you bought a brand new 2010 Toyota Tacoma in January and then see it on sale for way less in December to make room for the 2011 Tacomas?
especially when a model is being phased outbuyer beware. rule #1 of retail sales, the longer you wait, the cheaper it gets. yea it sucks, but that's business.
Any bike can be had fun on and be raced on in that category. They commented also on the climing ability and that's fairly uncommon. Also why would a park bike need a high bottom bracket? Park bikes should actually be lower than dh bikes because you don't have to pedal a lot in parks and low bb feels great in berms. Going high is the opposite of that idea. Not to mention that bike is still too short and to steep for it's travel. If I want a bike with playfull geo I take something with less travel and one that is preferably lighter. Don't tell me that you need 8+ inches of travel for a typical a-line type track. Also since it's not a bike to do tricks on making the sizing very short is also strange. I know i'm armchair engineering here but that bike has no point both from practical as well as marketing point of view.I just saw a video on vital that said (per a SC designer) that the bike wasn't a replacement for a VPFree nor a nomad...it's a park bike that's not quite as high maintenance as a v10 but can be ground to the top reluctantly, just like most DHers seem to envision their trailbikes (climb a fireroad to bomb down singletrack). At least, that's what I got from the video. Sounds like most of the reviews suggest this is a great frame for jumping and having fun on, but maybe not winning world cups on the internets. A review on NSMB suggested it can also be raced with success...
Sure any bike can be raced on. A bike that's higher and steeper isn't always a bad thing. I know that on the internet, everybody is traveling at 50mph down 70% grades all the time, but my experience with my sunday and the angleset @63.5* was good, but not necessarily always better. There were lots of times when I wished for a little more "bite" or aggressiveness. Simply put, I'm not fast or aggressive enough to warrant a sub 64 HA, or our courses out here are too tight for them....Either way, I'm not looking for the same angles in my next bike. As for the travel, do you really need to race on 10" of travel, when every other frame on the market has less? In my opinion, it's all marketing. Originally, VPP appealed to people because it was a long travel bike that pedaled like a short travel bike...but in reality it used some funky principles to get there, and it didn't work for everybody, thus VPP2. I hated the second gen V10 I rode, too much going on in the back end. As for the weight, I'd rather have a heavier and more solidly built frame than an ultra light, easily dentable, underbuilt unit that may require replacing or have a shorter fatigue life.Any bike can be had fun on and be raced on in that category. They commented also on the climing ability and that's fairly uncommon. Also why would a park bike need a high bottom bracket? Park bikes should actually be lower than dh bikes because you don't have to pedal a lot in parks and low bb feels great in berms. Going high is the opposite of that idea. Not to mention that bike is still too short and to steep for it's travel. If I want a bike with playfull geo I take something with less travel and one that is preferably lighter. Don't tell me that you need 8+ inches of travel for a typical a-line type track. Also since it's not a bike to do tricks on making the sizing very short is also strange. I know i'm armchair engineering here but that bike has no point both from practical as well as marketing point of view.
Also why the hell does a park bike need to be heavier than a v10? Does anyone have problems with using v10s in park durability wise? The obvious answer is no so the added weight is plain stupid. I may like some bikes and hate some bikes but I plain don't understand driver 8.
PS. I don't really belive it's a bad bike since there are no bad bikes anymore (well some have durability problems but that's another story) but it's just ourdated. As for website reviews - has anyone seen a negative one? I've seen pinkbike being a bit sour about 2 products but they were very niche so I doubt it had any impact on their future reviews and marketing.
finally gave up on it?I hated my angleset and won't buy another one, but I'd consider a works unit.
Hey I had the working class version and no clicks, Lol I didn't get the magical kind but clicked at first then adjusted it. No more click.I sold my sunday...the angleset went with it. I have no heard a single good review on it. Maybe two people on here had one that doesn't click, but they got the ultra secret pro edition. Every other person had clicking or gimbal knock.
Not going back down that road, not when works components is so easy to get a hold of.
I have said that driver 8 has too much travel so I don't know why do you talk about 10 inches. I belive that 8 inches is enough for dh, 6-7 for park and other fun stuff.Sure any bike can be raced on. A bike that's higher and steeper isn't always a bad thing. I know that on the internet, everybody is traveling at 50mph down 70% grades all the time, but my experience with my sunday and the angleset @63.5* was good, but not necessarily always better. There were lots of times when I wished for a little more "bite" or aggressiveness. Simply put, I'm not fast or aggressive enough to warrant a sub 64 HA, or our courses out here are too tight for them....Either way, I'm not looking for the same angles in my next bike. As for the travel, do you really need to race on 10" of travel, when every other frame on the market has less? In my opinion, it's all marketing. Originally, VPP appealed to people because it was a long travel bike that pedaled like a short travel bike...but in reality it used some funky principles to get there, and it didn't work for everybody, thus VPP2. I hated the second gen V10 I rode, too much going on in the back end. As for the weight, I'd rather have a heavier and more solidly built frame than an ultra light, easily dentable, underbuilt unit that may require replacing or have a shorter fatigue life.
As for the reviews, NSMB also torched the DHR. Perhaps that was down to a bad shock, or maybe it was a bad reviewer, but I'm inclined to think that people who get paid to ride and review bikes know a thing or two.
Anyways...I went back and looked at the geo, and it sounds like this thing cries out for a works headset. 64.5 and high 13" BB sounds pretty close to ideal to me, for a bike that does most anything. I hated my angleset and won't buy another one, but I'd consider a works unit.