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2013 Specialized DEMO 8 Carbon OR 2012 Trek Session 9.9?

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michaeldorian

Chimp
Dec 13, 2007
11
0
Hey guys. I wanted to get your opinion on these 2 bikes. I currently ride a 2011 DEMO 8. Owned it for close to 3 years and was never able to get it too feel awesome. The bike just feels dead. It's slack and low, but the suspension platform has no feel. It feels very point and shoot. I can't get any feedback from the rear. The Boxxer also isn't very plush compared to many other bikes I've ridden. It has a Boxxer WC and FOX RC4. At this point I think I'm going to sell it to a friend and pick up another rig. I do love the way this bike looks though. Best looking DH bike out now.

I've heard great thing about the Session 9.9. With it being more lively, less racy and overall a more neutral and fun bike to ride. I've heard similar things about the Session 88. Probably because of the higher BB and not as slack geometry. Getting a demo ride on any of these bikes is not easy.

Anyone on here ride both? Any recommendation or feedback? I've narrowed my options down to an overstock 2012 Trek Session 9.9 for a pretty sweet deal and selling the DEMO as a complete, or picking up a Carbon DEMO with CCDB + FOX 40 and building it up. The Carbon DEMO's has no clearance issue with 40's. I do kind of wait to target a lighter DH bike.

I've heard the newer DEMO's with the CCDB has a slightly custom tune from Specialized and is suppose to make the bike feel more progressive and fun overall. Are the new DEMO's with CCDB much better?

Appreciate any feedback from more experienced people on this forum. I live in the Pacific Northwest.

Cheers!
 
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b.utters

Monkey
Mar 30, 2011
135
0
Just out of curiosity how much do you weigh and was the weight of the spring on your Demo? I have found the complete opposite in terms of liveliness and plowability.
 
William42

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
3,926
671
yeah, I heard the session wasn't "racy" enough to win 6/6, only 4/6 wc races. Thats why gwin switched.

sorry, just teasing you, I always get a kick out of somebody describing a WC race bike as "not fast enough" or "its not racy" or "its more of a freeride bike"

anyway, I used to have a session 88 (alu) and it was my favorite bike i've ever ridden. I wasnt riding it enough, and it requires a decent degree of fitness to fully get what it had to offer, so I got something I can ride less frequently and be lazier with (V10). I recommend the session highly.
 
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vikingboy

Monkey
Dec 15, 2009
212
2
This months dirt mag has review and comparison of spec demo 8 vs trek vs giant vs devinci vs santa cruz with comparative comments. It's an interesting article and worth a read if you are thinking of changing. It's available in App Store / android for a few quid.
The demo was the favourite. Your issue sounds setup related to me.
 
Mo(n)arch

Mo(n)arch

Turbo Monkey
Dec 27, 2010
4,441
1,422
Italy/south Tyrol
Try to ride your demo with 28 - 30% SAG. Due to the linear leverage curve you don't get much ramp out of it.
So more SAG doesn't make much sense on that bike.
If you want more ramping, play with the boost valve of the RC4.

I think the demo is a more fun bike than the Session.
I've owned a Session for four years and I had somewhat a hard time to ride it loose and "fun". It holds lines really fine and doesn't want to drift. But the rear suspension wasn't that good in the rough, which was adressed with the 9.9 I was told.

The few times I've ridden a demo I was very pleased with it, due to its fun and lively character, even though the rear of the demo made a better job then the rear of my Session to smooth things out.
Those bikes had a CCDB on them, though.

By the way, if you look for a lighter bike, don't buy a new carbon demo, because the frame isn't really lighter than the alloy one. If you are not happy with the RC4, try the CCDB. Theoretically not the best match, but it works.
 
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b.utters

Monkey
Mar 30, 2011
135
0
Try going up to a 450lbs spring, slow down your rebound to taste and then back high and low speed compression right off.

I did this about a year ago and it made a world of difference to how playful the bike was. Popping off little bumps and lips of jumps just became effortless. I did struggle in the rough a bit but I think it was probably more down to the fact the frame was too big for me.
 
K

klunky

Turbo Monkey
Oct 17, 2003
1,078
6
Scotland
Both bikes will be ace.
Why not get the cheaper of the two and spend the rest on a trip to whistler or something?
That would be the most fun and best way to improve!
 
juanbeegas

juanbeegas

Monkey
May 6, 2008
355
2
Singapore
From a few reviews online and my own experience, the RC4 doesn't feel quite as right on the Demo as a Vivid does. I ran a Vivid Air on my frame and it was one of the best things I did to my frame. I've had a very short time on a CCDB Demo and while that was fun too, it had me wondering what a DBAir could do to the Demo. The one Session I tried, I didn't quite like. It felt like every other DH bike out there, to me. It just wanted to stay glued to the ground, unlike the Demo, that just wanted to be popped over everything.
 
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Mo(n)arch

Mo(n)arch

Turbo Monkey
Dec 27, 2010
4,441
1,422
Italy/south Tyrol
From a few reviews online and my own experience, the RC4 doesn't feel quite as right on the Demo as a Vivid does. I ran a Vivid Air on my frame and it was one of the best things I did to my frame.
Click to expand...
Since a friend of mine went from a RC4 over a Vivid, a Vivid air to a CCDB on his 2011 Demo he said to me that the RC4 was the "worst" shock on this bike. He never got that shock to feel right. He was impressed by the Vivid and Vivid air. They performed really well, and gave him an active feel. Unfortunately that bike was stolen.

After testing a few other bikes, he is now back on a 2012 Demo with CCDB and isn't planing to change that combo soon. ;)
 
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William42

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
3,926
671
I don't get why everybody always recommends buying the cheaper of the two and spending the extra saved on a trip. I dont think that most people looking at $10k bikes are probably struggling too hard to come up with the cash for a cool bike trip. Buy whatever one you want.
 
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michaeldorian

Chimp
Dec 13, 2007
11
0
Mo(n)arch said:
Since a friend of mine went from a RC4 over a Vivid, a Vivid air to a CCDB on his 2011 Demo he said to me that the RC4 was the "worst" shock on this bike. He never got that shock to feel right. He was impressed by the Vivid and Vivid air. They performed really well, and gave him an active feel. Unfortunately that bike was stolen.

After testing a few other bikes, he is now back on a 2012 Demo with CCDB and isn't planing to change that combo soon. ;)
Click to expand...
Awesome. Sounds like maybe the frame + shock route is something I might try first.
 
M

michaeldorian

Chimp
Dec 13, 2007
11
0
vikingboy said:
This months dirt mag has review and comparison of spec demo 8 vs trek vs giant vs devinci vs santa cruz with comparative comments. It's an interesting article and worth a read if you are thinking of changing. It's available in App Store / android for a few quid.
The demo was the favourite. Your issue sounds setup related to me.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the heads up man. I ordered the magazine. Awesome review. Review seem to confirm what most have been saying. The DEMO is a balls out speed machine and best looking bike but not the best dampening platform. The DEMO needs to be ridden all out and the real DH courses.

The Session is a bit more twitchy at speeds, but over the most active suspension and most fun bike to ride out of them all. This is more of what I'm looking for. A fun active bike that is awesome at 2/3 speeds.

Most tracks aren't DH tracks even though they are labeled that way. :)
 
M

michaeldorian

Chimp
Dec 13, 2007
11
0
juanbeegas said:
From a few reviews online and my own experience, the RC4 doesn't feel quite as right on the Demo as a Vivid does. I ran a Vivid Air on my frame and it was one of the best things I did to my frame. I've had a very short time on a CCDB Demo and while that was fun too, it had me wondering what a DBAir could do to the Demo. The one Session I tried, I didn't quite like. It felt like every other DH bike out there, to me. It just wanted to stay glued to the ground, unlike the Demo, that just wanted to be popped over everything.
Click to expand...
Any modifications needed to run the Vivid Air?
 
M

michaeldorian

Chimp
Dec 13, 2007
11
0
klunky said:
Both bikes will be ace.
Why not get the cheaper of the two and spend the rest on a trip to whistler or something?
That would be the most fun and best way to improve!
Click to expand...
Totally. But I can get the 2012 Session 9.9 for the price of a brand new 2013 DEMO I Aluminum. There's still some overstock left over around the country. Especially the smaller sizes. No way in heck would I buy a 10K DH bike.

As for the DEMO route, I wasn't planning on buying a complete. Just Frame + Fork.

Oh and I live a few hours from Whistler and pretty much there every weekend.
 
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F

FirstAscent

Chimp
Apr 23, 2013
51
0
Alaska
Im building a session 9.9 so that gets my vote :)

i dont have any other info or facts to backup my opinion though lol
either bike is gonna be awesome
 
daisycutter

daisycutter

Turbo Monkey
Apr 8, 2006
1,660
129
New York City
michaeldorian said:
Thanks for the heads up man. I ordered the magazine. Awesome review. Review seem to confirm what most have been saying. The DEMO is a balls out speed machine and best looking bike but not the best dampening platform. The DEMO needs to be ridden all out and the real DH courses.

The Session is a bit more twitchy at speeds, but over the most active suspension and most fun bike to ride out of them all. This is more of what I'm looking for. A fun active bike that is awesome at 2/3 speeds.

Most tracks aren't DH tracks even though they are labeled that way. :)
Click to expand...
what did the say about the V10?
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,369
1,605
Warsaw :/
michaeldorian said:
Totally. But I can get the 2012 Session 9.9 for the price of a brand new 2013 DEMO I Aluminum. There's still some overstock left over around the country. Especially the smaller sizes. No way in heck would I buy a 10K DH bike.

As for the DEMO route, I wasn't planning on buying a complete. Just Frame + Fork.

Oh and I live a few hours from Whistler and pretty much there every weekend.
Click to expand...
Then buy the session and spend the rest on a trip to yurp ;)
 
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