Who has the best quality full suspension bikes?
- Thread starter sanjuro
- Start date
thinking back you are right about the parts... it was usually forks or shocks. we also had a ton of issues with bontrager outboard bearing cranks, but otherthan that i guess the Frames were usually alright.
and i completly agree with you about how its all relative, i just had to release that about trek.
Hahahahaha... that's a good one. Maybe the 3 broken super 8s in my basement will convince you otherwise. Every one of those frames broke.
I wouldn't put SC on the quality list. The horrible design flaws of many of their bikes ban them.
Turner, Ventana, and Titus make my list.
Those are the ones that I have personal experience with.
Ellsworth gets the prize for the boutique builder with the worst quality IMO.
I worked at a Specialized dealer for about 10 years. Any problem which arose with one of their frames (which was surprisingly few), was generally the fault of the rider. But their incredible customer service resolved the situation in a positive way each time. Smiling bike rider was always, always the result. So I guess I am saying they pretty much rock. At the moment I am riding a Giant Anthem, awesome bike but we will see how it holds up.
oh yeah, Titus are you guys nuts...... I would say every endurance race I have attended I have seen at least one Titus with a case of the wheres my head tube ?
How about this?
Is that a speed hole???:biggrin:
rotec
How about Banshee? the Scream is a pretty good examble of a bulletproof "all-around DH/FR" bike with very little maintence.
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Karpiel
Another vote for Ventana, fantastic quality, and unmatched customer service.
Ventana, Moots, Intense, IF all have high quality, and great workmanship.
My .02
Marc
Ventana, Moots, Intense, IF all have high quality, and great workmanship.
My .02
Marc
I mean the highest quality, best welds, alignment, bearings, and threads; and the fewest problems.
1. Turner(bushings last longer than bearings), 2. Ventana 3. Foes are nicely made all in house frames but damn those curnutt shocks suck.
I will include this proviso: any company listed has to primarily make full suspension bikes.
1. Turner suspension bikes. 2. Ventana makes hardtails and Hardtail 29rs. However I have lusted over the El Cuervo bike many times. 3. Yeti probably makes a road bike we dont know about
aaaaaaaHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAaaahaaaaaghhhggahaaaaa.
I broke a Rotec twice. The first was the headtube. Cracked it at the bottom. Sully made me buy a new front end from him. I had bought the original from US Technical, and he had taken over the design. Sully had me buy another front end from him. I was pissed but I did it.
The second time I broke the damn thing in HALF!!!!!!!
Here's the best part...off a four foot drop!!!! The dogbone link failed and broke the shock in half. I called Sully and told him what happenned and he said; " I'll sell you the parts and give you a shock."
Ummm yeah....nooooo....I love that bike, but I'm done with it. It's still in my garage.
Now bear in mind this is a first generation Rotec. I also sent him my Rotec HT slalom bike to make copies of. I have yet to see one. It is one of two frames made, and it's a great frame. It's in the 98 World champ's video. I think it's also in the 'Chainsmoke' video. EC rode one for a bit (Ithink). EC came up with the name actually. Redsiginged Off road TEChnology.
Now he rides a 'Goose....WTF?
Nothing agaisnt those guys, but I thought I should tell my story.
Well designed yes but the welds and paint are not up the level of some others. Especially the paint.
I don't have any personal long-term exerience with one but Knolly bikes continue to impress. Also agreed as to Foes and Turner.
But I'm more of a new-schooler when it comes to suspension bikes. I see them as somewhat disposable, since the technology changes so much every few years. For that reason I am not that concerned about tolerances being dialed to a millionth of a millimeter, etc. As long as it's straight and doesn't break, that's fine with me. With that in mind, just about any of the upper end bikes from major manufacturers pack enough quality for me. Precision is great but once you're over a certain threshold, the additional benefits don't mean a lot to me.
But I'm more of a new-schooler when it comes to suspension bikes. I see them as somewhat disposable, since the technology changes so much every few years. For that reason I am not that concerned about tolerances being dialed to a millionth of a millimeter, etc. As long as it's straight and doesn't break, that's fine with me. With that in mind, just about any of the upper end bikes from major manufacturers pack enough quality for me. Precision is great but once you're over a certain threshold, the additional benefits don't mean a lot to me.
I had 5000 or so miles on an NRS. I think some could agree that the rocky nature of my trails would prevent other bikes from doing this. I can't speak for a ton of bikes, but Giant does get my nod. I have seen as many broken boutique bikes as I have Giant.
I personally wouldn't of road one of those first generation bikes or any of the rotecs pre RL9. Never really liked the design, and have heard lots of shotty things about the quality. For the last two years now though i've been on the RL9 and it has been very high quality, minimal maintanance, and strong. Really not much of a comparison to the old stuff though the entire company is different now, just the same name.
My votes for quality
Rotec
Canfield
Sinister
Yeti
All bikes break eventually.
my vote goes to nicolai. orven has been riding one for almost 4 years with no problems. thats pretty goodfor bearing life.
SPECIALIZED hands down! I know a lot of people that ride Bighits and Demo's. Not even as much as a hair line fracture in any Spec. Not to mention that if maybe one day you do crack something send it back and get a brand new frame. I believe only a robot could break a Demo, strongest, smoothest, most versitle bike ive ever ridden.
Ventana
Titus
Sinister
Titus
Sinister
Too bad the same can't be said for the SX Trail, even though Specialized still kicks-ass when it comes to warranty claims.
well, alot at least...
and speaking of, their high-end stuff is definitly well made and they're usually quick to correct design/manufacturing problems of first-run/generation bikes. In north america tho, Giant doesnt seem to be on the radar, but i guess because they do so much manufacturing for other mass-market companies here...
i love my Reign and beat the crap out of my 3.5lbs ATX XC frame used as my first DH bike in '99
Kendallweed broke two or three demos in one year.
Also, I have heard that Cannondales are brittle, but i have been a dealer for 4years and have had two broken frames, and they were just small cracks on welds on frames that were over 5 years old. One was ten years old. Their welds are finished, frames are aligned correctly, dupont paint of the highest quality, and massed produced by hand. Anything older is horrible, but all the recent production-5years and current seem exceptional to me. They have their issues but compared by numbers they probably have the lowest return rate.
For once I've got to agree with N8. Both my Titus bikes seem near bulletproof. I've had a switchblade for a year and a half of some fairly rugged riding and never had a single problem. My motolite is only a couple of months never had problem with it, and I accidently took it on a (double) black diamond trail on it's third ride. The only problem I've ever heard of is some of the early disk brake swing arms could crack near the disk brake mounts in extreme use, but Titus would warranty them and replace the newer version which could take the disk brake forces. Overall their designs seem geared towards maintainability and simplicty, and it seems like I could ride the switchblade until the cows come home, ocassionally replacing some bushing.
a factor that is not often obvious until you see close-up pics or ride the bike, is the theory behind the design of the frame...In terms of welds/manufacturing, nearly all bike companies have very good manufacturing processes. With the majority of frames being made in Taiwan where their quality and consistency is very good, you should look more into the design/engineering that goes into the frame. Have a look at Turner, Versus Cycles, Yeti etc
I agree that they are good, but every big company designs their frames here and sources to overseas, or they do it in their own factory their.
It should say "most". Sure there are some that do not, but most do. Besides, it is not like the Asians are crappy engineers. My point is that just because it is not a boutique company, it is not automatically crap.Every big company?
for the price and mass production, Specialized for sure. I hear people say Kona this, Kona that...but in reality, specialized has cleaner and stronger welds+frames.
I think specialized also has one of the top testing facilities.
I think specialized also has one of the top testing facilities.
How come Cannondale is not mentioned do they have that bad of a reputation??.
cracknfail
People act like they do, but in my experience they make some mighty fine machines.
Ventana
Turner, Titus, Intense... all good. Nicolai has the ohh-ahh factor for sure.