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5 inch trailbikes, impressions?

Hans

Monkey
Aug 8, 2003
196
0
Copenhagen, Denmark
A friend of mine is getting a trailbike for riding the SLO area. she's looking at a C-dale prophet/SC Blur 4X/ hollowpoint mk3 expert or comp, any info on weight, pedalling and such and such will be greatly appreciated. Discuss.
 

hilldown

Chimp
Aug 30, 2005
69
0
Oroville, CA
You might want to have her look at the heckler too. Cant help much on the weight, not at the shop, but I have been impressed with the specs on the blur 4x. What type of riding has your freind done up until now? How extreme does she plan on going down these trails? If she is worried about weight I know the Blur 4x is more stocky than the reg. blur (also more travel) so it can hold up to 4x racing. I could be wrong, but I know the components are for sure beefy. Anyway, Im sure this wont help too much, good luck with the looking.
 

Hans

Monkey
Aug 8, 2003
196
0
Copenhagen, Denmark
she used to ride downhill, but decided that she wanted something more versatile after her DH bike got stolen, she's looking to get something reasonably lightweight that can still handle when it's pointed downhill, she's looking to get it under 2000$, but has about 2500$ to spend, if need be.
 

manhattanprjkt83

Rusty Trombone
Jul 10, 2003
9,644
1,214
Nilbog
I really think that the perfect bike for the application would be either the santa cruz Nomad or the Specialized Enduro, if you set either up with a chain guide w/ a little more DH "attitude" they would be perfect for ripping DH while keeping versatility. Slopestyle ish.
 

dw

Wiffle Ball ninja
Sep 10, 2001
2,943
0
MV
Eric Porter has been riding his MKiii with a chianguide for slopestyle competitiopns too. I dig the bike with a shorter stem and Nixon on it. I am 5'11" and my medium is set up with a 70 stem with the Nixon. I ride it on mostly singletrack. The dw-link will definitely ba a strong pedaler with no perceptible pedal feedback, but the real question is the head angle. If she is doing mostly downhill then I'd go for a slacker bike, but if she is doing moe all-around trail riding, then its spot on. I'd say test ride any of the bikes before she buys to see what she thinks. There are a bunch of California MKiii riders on the MTBR Iron Horse forum. They could probably give you some more advice on the MKiii. http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=40

hope this helps
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,669
1,713
chez moi
Rabie has a Blur 4x for all-around riding and I think it's a really great ride. Has a slalom-y hardtail feel with a bit of cush to take the edge off and make the techy climbs easier.

I bought a Cannondale Prophet 4x for the same type of riding, but haven't been able to build it up yet. I like the idea of the convertible geometry, and BMXman says it's actually stiffer than our Gemini DHs.

MD
 

Cant Climb

Turbo Monkey
May 9, 2004
2,683
10
I just went through months and months of looking for a new 5 inch frame.......i looked at pretty much everything and when it came down to price/durability i ended up going with the Heckler, again.

The new Hecklers have 5.7 inches of travel with a Fox DHX shock. The heckler frame weight was my only concern because i like to do an occasionaly xc race but the bike pedals extremely and has a ligthish feeling in its handling. The DHX shocks are super active and the propedal works really well.....i pretty much ride the bike all the time set at Full pro-pedal and it still is a better descending shock than the 5th element i had on my previous Heckler......

The frame is build very burly and i some people build them up for light DH .......You could outfit a Heckler with an adjustable front shock like a Fox or Marzocchi and just swap rims/tires out if you want to go do some shuttle type stuff.....

If wasn't for the price/durability issue i would have gone with something else.......there are ALOT of nice light 5-7 inch bikes out now......
 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,669
1,847
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
Cant Climb said:
I just went through months and months of looking for a new 5 inch frame.......i looked at pretty much everything and when it came down to price/durability i ended up going with the Heckler, again.

The new Hecklers have 5.7 inches of travel with a Fox DHX shock. The heckler frame weight was my only concern because i like to do an occasionaly xc race but the bike pedals extremely and has a ligthish feeling in its handling. The DHX shocks are super active and the propedal works really well.....i pretty much ride the bike all the time set at Full pro-pedal and it still is a better descending shock than the 5th element i had on my previous Heckler......

The frame is build very burly and i some people build them up for light DH .......You could outfit a Heckler with an adjustable front shock like a Fox or Marzocchi and just swap rims/tires out if you want to go do some shuttle type stuff.....

If wasn't for the price/durability issue i would have gone with something else.......there are ALOT of nice light 5-7 inch bikes out now......
I am partial to the Yeti 575 myself, but the hecklers are nice rides as well!
 

Hans

Monkey
Aug 8, 2003
196
0
Copenhagen, Denmark
good stuff! Keep it coming.......
DW, I read somewhere that there were some slop issues with the links on the mkIII's, are the new links being shipped with the bikes, or is it dealt with on a bike by bike basis!? ..maybe it's more of a Q for the IH boys!?
 

Cant Climb

Turbo Monkey
May 9, 2004
2,683
10
TreeSaw said:
I am partial to the Yeti 575 myself, but the hecklers are nice rides as well!
575 costs about $500 more......and i was concerned about something that light holding up for several seasons....plus i didnt want an air shock....

If someone is building the ultimate trail bike the 575 might be the frame to pick.....Yeti has some nice stuff.
 

BussaFrame

Monkey
Apr 19, 2005
197
0
I have a custom built Prophet 4X and it's bad ass. The frame is indeed super stuff, the thru axel in the rear helps alot. Mine has a Nixon Platinum on the front and it a little tall but it works. With a my 823 wheelset on there and no retention system I had mine at around 30lbs. It pedals great and descends even better. I just don't recommend a nixon or any fork that tall on the front end due to the fact that it allows the bike to wander, and pop up during extended climbs.

Then again a longer stem with no rise might just fix that problem.
 

mobius

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
2,158
0
Around DC
I would stay away from the blur 4x. The Low BB means she will be smashing into so much stuff. I'd look at the MK3s as they are great bikes with great part spec for a good deal.
 

dw

Wiffle Ball ninja
Sep 10, 2001
2,943
0
MV
Hans said:
good stuff! Keep it coming.......
DW, I read somewhere that there were some slop issues with the links on the mkIII's, are the new links being shipped with the bikes, or is it dealt with on a bike by bike basis!? ..maybe it's more of a Q for the IH boys!?
The heim Joints on the Progressive air shocks were faulty on SOME of the bikes, but Progressive took care of it. Non-issue.
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,669
1,713
chez moi
mobius said:
I would stay away from the blur 4x. The Low BB means she will be smashing into so much stuff. I'd look at the MK3s as they are great bikes with great part spec for a good deal.
BB height is the same as a normal blur, and it's got short travel...
 

mandown

Poopdeck Repost
Jun 1, 2004
20,126
7,674
Transylvania 90210
mobius said:
I would stay away from the blur 4x. The Low BB means she will be smashing into so much stuff. I'd look at the MK3s as they are great bikes with great part spec for a good deal.
people often make this complaint about "low" bikes. i have never had this problem, even on my "low" bikes with a 24" rear wheel.
 
May 24, 2002
889
0
Boulder CO
I've ridden a Prophet 1000 and a Yeti 575. For me, the Prophet is a better bike (so far). It's a bit lower and slacker in the FR position and the swinger air is a better XC/Trail shock when compared to the RP3 on single pivot bikes. I also am very impressed with the value of the Prophet and just how solid the bike feels.

If you find a closeout on the Prophet, go for it, should be around 1900 with tubeless wheels, X9s, Juicy 7s, and yes, the lefty does rock.
 

Eurotrash

Monkey
Mar 2, 2002
362
0
I've had my foes FXR for a couple months and I can't really fault it! I know it's pricey (I got mine second hand) but witrh the new model coming out next year you may be able to find one cheaply.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
The blur 4X is a great call for someone coming over from a DH background. If it will be her only other other bike the 4X is damn versatile too. Not sure what the riding is like in SLO but she can run something like a fox 36 or other fork with adjustable travel and have a fun bomber that is also a super capable trail bike. The slacker angles on the 4X will probably feel more comfortable if she's normally riding DH. BB height should not be a problem, but I think it is a little heavier than the others. If she's leaning more towards the XC side the Hollowpoint is a pretty good call too, Iron Horse done got some pretty decent suspension bits on their bikes these days. :)
 

Bulldog

Turbo Monkey
Sep 11, 2001
1,009
0
Wisconsin
mandown said:
people often make this complaint about "low" bikes. i have never had this problem, even on my "low" bikes with a 24" rear wheel.
I completely disagree. I hate low bb's. Hate. They are only good for racing and railing, not plain old riding IMO.
 

Biscuit

Turbo Monkey
Feb 12, 2003
1,768
1
Pleasant Hill, CA
Bulldog said:
I completely disagree. I hate low bb's. Hate. They are only good for racing and railing, not plain old riding IMO.
I absolutely love low bikes. I just like the way they feel.

But... recently I've begun to ride a little more cross country, and found that a higher bike allows you to make more consistent pedal strokes = less wasted energy.
 

Zark

Hey little girl, do you want some candy?
Oct 18, 2001
6,254
7
Reno 911
There are so many great trail bikes to choose from today, its hard to go wrong. My next trail bike will most likely be a Specialized SJ 120 expert. The Enduro is great, but I want a lighter bike with less overlap with my big bike.

My fav trailbikes right now are:
Turner 5spot
Spec. SJ 120
Spec. Enduro
Ones I'd love to try out:
Iron Horse MkIII
Santa Cruz Blur LT
Santa Cruz Nomad
 

Spunger

Git yer dumb questions here
Feb 19, 2003
2,257
0
805
I'd love to get something with more travel front & rear, but with better pedaling then my current setup. 4" front and rear is OK, but with things now hitting 6" front and rear, with the front and rear having excellent weight and pedaling if the money ever comes up I'd like to try something like a Turner 6 pack and a Fox 36RC or something.

Specialized Enduro's or Stumpjumpers rock. Either one of those and you can't go wrong. Iron Horse bikes are loaded with value. Reading where you'll be riding I'd go with something that is more in the high 5" travel, maybe 6" because at 6" you can pretty much tackle anything in SLO/SB and down south. There's so many bikes in that 4/5/6" travel range.

I personally love the feel of low BB's, but on our rocky trails sometimes it hurts more than helps. But when you can build up OR buy a bike that has the travel and parts ,and it's weight is in the low 30's then everythings solid for the most part.
 

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
manhattanprjkt83 said:
I really think that the perfect bike for the application would be either the santa cruz Nomad or the Specialized Enduro, if you set either up with a chain guide w/ a little more DH "attitude" they would be perfect for ripping DH while keeping versatility. Slopestyle ish.
Exactly what I was going to say. The Enuro is so fast on DH stuff. I rode one in Mammoth for a week and it ripped.
 

Heavy C

Chimp
Dec 5, 2001
37
0
I've been riding a MK III since June and think its a great bike. Set up with a 5" Pike up front.
I can confirm that it is a awesome pedaling bike with the dw linkage. The head angle steepness has not really affected my feel on steep fast trails. The low top tube lets you get your weight down and back, helping to prevent forward pitching. The shorter wheelbase allows the rear end to quickly follow the front on steep drop ins as well.

With the build quality and the low cost I dont think you can go wrong.

If you are ever going thru Sqaumish on your way to Whistler, Stop by and you can take mine for a test.
 

Attachments

Acadian

Born Again Newbie
Sep 5, 2001
714
2
Blah Blah and Blah
Heavy C said:
I've been riding a MK III since June and think its a great bike. Set up with a 5" Pike up front.
I can confirm that it is a awesome pedaling bike with the dw linkage. The head angle steepness has not really affected my feel on steep fast trails. The low top tube lets you get your weight down and back, helping to prevent forward pitching. The shorter wheelbase allows the rear end to quickly follow the front on steep drop ins as well.

With the build quality and the low cost I dont think you can go wrong.

If you are ever going thru Sqaumish on your way to Whistler, Stop by and you can take mine for a test.
Heavy...

how tall are you and what size MKIII is that?
 

frorider

Monkey
Jul 21, 2004
971
20
cali
you didn't mention her height. standover height is often the key issue for small riders and bikes with 5+ inches of travel. also, based on my girlfriend's experiences, light weight matters more for a small rider than it does for a large guy.

yeti 575 has very good standover height, esp for nearly 6 inches rear travel. and the frame weight:travel ratio is probably the best out there today in this category. as added plus, the yeti build kit is better value than a comparably priced kona (as one example). i know--i just did that breakdown for a friend. a yeti 575 / XT race disc kit can be had for around 2.5k if you shop around....carbon bars, thomson stem/bar, mavic 819 rims.

mk III iron horse is heavier frame, from all accounts anyway. again, in my experience, frame weight is a key factor for riders under 135 lbs.
 

Hans

Monkey
Aug 8, 2003
196
0
Copenhagen, Denmark
Heavy C said:
I've been riding a MK III since June and think its a great bike. Set up with a 5" Pike up front.
I can confirm that it is a awesome pedaling bike with the dw linkage. The head angle steepness has not really affected my feel on steep fast trails. The low top tube lets you get your weight down and back, helping to prevent forward pitching. The shorter wheelbase allows the rear end to quickly follow the front on steep drop ins as well.

With the build quality and the low cost I dont think you can go wrong.

If you are ever going thru Sqaumish on your way to Whistler, Stop by and you can take mine for a test.
That looks sweet! I love to take it for a spin, sadly I live in Denmark. :( will be going to So Cal in oct tho! :D
 
Aug 30, 2005
154
0
San Diego
this may be leaning more towards the FR spectrum but you could build up a yeti ASX to be a full on trail bike with the 6" setting. the bike pedals great, it's not too light, not too heavy and it's built super solid. so it's still very trail friendly but nothing's out of its league. then if she decides she want's to do some serious DH again just set it up w/ a used superT or whatever and some stronger wheels/tires....

if she gets a blur or misc. trailbike it'll be great on the trails, but there's some serious limitations to those bikes.
 
J

JRB

Guest
I've got a friend with a HUGE 5 spot that he likes. It is built at 28 pounds.