[WheelieMan]

I was gonna stay outta this thread, but that is just false. I have lived and breathed bikes in balfa land (montreal) since their inception. I travelled and stayed with the balfa guys on numerous ocassions to events, and was friends with most of their team members as well as Jerome, Hugo etc.

The older frames had all sorts of issues. It was a running joke with every rider up here. Frames that broke were welded and returned to riders with huge scorch marks on them where a simple steel collar was slipped over the broken area and welded into place. Frames came out of the factory crooked, with wheels not even on the same plane. Front and rear wheels had different angles, and were not even lined up. Riders were told "it's no big deal".

MANY rear ends and front ends broke, and were fixed in haphazard ways.

Balfa came a long way from that point to the point where they were bought, but saying that their hasn't been any problems in 15 years is absurd.



Go race at Mt Ste Anne on the world cup course, or the Ft Bill world cup course or Nevegal. Many riders go to larger (2.7/2.8) tires at these events to prevent flats and offer more grip.

Hmmm, while I can't refute what you have said, you completely missed the point. Jamie did not say that Balfa bikes have never had problems, he simply said that using steel for swingarms has not caused any issues. Alignment problems, broken frames, and improper repair would be there regardless of the material used.

 

[Transcend]

Hmmm, while I can't refute what you have said, you completely missed the point. Jamie did not say that Balfa bikes have never had problems, he simply said that using steel for swingarms has not caused any issues. Alignment problems, broken frames, and improper repair would be there regardless of the material used.

I'd say that crooked rear ends, broken rear ends and various other issues are swingarm problems. I'm not saying it is because of the material, just saying that their choice of materials does not mean they have had no swingarm problems.

 

[frznnomad]

originally posted by transend
Go race at Mt Ste Anne on the world cup course, or the Ft Bill world cup course or Nevegal. Many riders go to larger (2.7/2.8) tires at these events to prevent flats and offer more grip.

ohh okay i had no idea. for me i just never saw the point in running anything bigger than my 2.5's. i have run 2.7's and hated them compaired to my 2.5'. it just seemed like to much to push around for me, but yet again i am a smaller rider than most. well i guess tire clearance for those sircumstances would be a big issue. thanks for clearing that up for me transend.

 

[jamie@balfa]

I'd say that crooked rear ends, broken rear ends and various other issues are swingarm problems. I'm not saying it is because of the material, just saying that their choice of materials does not mean they have had no swingarm problems.

Dude, chill out. I meant that steel as a material isnt a problem to use on swingarms. Sure some of the early stuff had issues but then so did early GT DH frames (Lobo's then DHi's) and they are a huge company in comparison.
Balfa came a long way from those days and when a small company is starting up you have to try and repair as much as possible by any means, simply because its cheaper than to replace a swingarm everytime something went wrong. Im sure many people out there who have alloy swingarms wish they could have just had it welded up like a steel swingarm rather than spending $500+ on a new alloy one, only for the same thing to happen in another 3 years or so.

Tyre clearance in places like California isnt too much of a problem as a 2.5" tyre is fine, but when you get onto some of the rockier, muddier tracks like Fort William etc you have to have enough clearance to get in a 2.5/2.7 plus room for the mud to pass. Thats the main problem that we at Balfa UK come up against with some of the small manufacturers we deal with because they are geared for the hot USA summers and not UK gloopy mud.

J

 

[Bearmntpicnic]

How much are these bike frome going for cash mulas wise.

 

[rockwool]

Front and rear wheels had different angles,

Mine was straight but my friends BB7 wasn't. He was pissed of with it until a fried of his got a new M3 who was like that to.


For all you guys worried about the BB being to high and the CS being to short and HA being to steep, Marcellus Wallace says chill, he's on the mf since day one and has calculated it into the geometry.

When the BB7 compressed its 9 inches fully the WB grew by 10cm (if I remember correctly), that means the BB dropped a lot, the CS got significantly longer and the HA slackend some.

Now, I don't know if the Real has the exact same rear wheel path as the BB7, but presumably it is pretty similar. With the recomended sag of 40% that Leigh2612 refered to, that would mean all of your above worries have been adressed.

The softer rear end does feel different as it gives some compared to other all aluminum bikes. Apparantly technicians build in flex in different parts because they have found it tracks and slips through rockgardens better. Dunno. My friend didn't like his and bought a rear hub that had a 12mm axle but with 10mm dropouts. The difference in stiffness was significant.

Ohh, and 2,8 michys work with Evil chain guide on BB7, not with MRP or Black Spire.