I currently have an older Trek FS Fuel 70. I have found a great deal on the IH Azure Sport and the Trance 2. Both under 1,000 each NEW. Any ideas on which would be best for all around use... We ride the Sheltowee Trace trail near Laurel Lake in Ky. Just started Mnt. Biking last year. Posted same question over at MTBR without much response.. although we are new to Mnt. Biking we have raced MX for years.. .. I've looked at some of the DH bikes, but I need a do it all bike and just looking to stay around 1,000. May invest more next year if the kids are still into it. I will be able to test fit the Trance at a LBS, but the Azure is Mail order. I'm 6'1" and was thinking 18" on the Trance2.
Azure or Trance 2
- Thread starter jsmith811
- Start date
i would try to take both bikes out on the trail if you can and pick what you like more
PSP is on to something here (did I just type that 
). I would recommend trying both bikes out if you can.
What are the parts builds (forks, shocks, shifters, der., wheels) on both? That would help us give you a little more detail on which is a better deal too.
). I would recommend trying both bikes out if you can. What are the parts builds (forks, shocks, shifters, der., wheels) on both? That would help us give you a little more detail on which is a better deal too.
I just re-read your first post....definitely try the Trace out for size and see if anyone in your area has an IH that you might be able to try. It's hard to mail order a bike when you're starting out because of sizing. Check with the LBS and see if they can size you...then you'll have a better idea of whether the IH is a good fit.
Here are the specs, although both bikes seem like a very good deal.
I'm leaning toward the Trance 2. But.. Iduno... as for test riding, I don't have many options.. LBS has to order the Trance, IH is just unavailable around my area.. I'm 6'1" 33" inseam. Looking for a comfortable ride, able to handle occasional abuse..
2008 Trance2:
size XS (14.5), S (16), M (18), L 20), XL (21)
color Brushed / Black
frame ALUXX Butted aluminum, 4.2" Maestro Suspension
fork Marzocchi MZ Supercomp, 100mm travel
shock Giant Maestro w/rebound adjust
handlebar Race Face Ride XC low rise, 31.8mm
stem Race Face Ride XC, 31.8mm
seatpost 3D Forged, 350x30.9
saddle WTB Speed V Comp
pedals Platform
shifters Shyimano Deore Rapidfire
front derailleur Shimano Deore
rear derailleur Shimano Deore, top normal
brakes Hayes MX4 Mechanical Disc, 160F/160R
levers Avid FR5
cassette Shimano HG-50 11-34T, 9-speed
chain Shimano HG-53
cranks FSA AlphaDrive, 22/32/44
BB FSA Mega EXO, external
rims WTB Speed Disc XC
hubs Alloy Sealed Bearing
spokes Stainless Steel
tires Kenda Kornodo, 26x2.1
2007 IH Azure Sport:
Frame: 3.5" TRAVEL dw-link XC RACE FRAME, 1-1/8" ZEROSTACK HEADTUBE, REPLACEABLE DERAILLEUR HANGER
Fork: MARZOCCHI MZ SUPER COMP, 100MM TRAVEL, W/ ALLOY STEERER
Rear Shock: FOX FLOAT R AIR, 6.5"X1.5"
Front Derailleur: SRAM X.7, 34.9MM CLAMP
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X.7
Shifters: SRAM X.7 TRIGGER
Brakes Levers: AVID FR-5
Brakes: AVID BB-5 MECHANICAL W/ 6" ROTOR
Chain: SRAM PC-951
Crankset: FSA ALPHA DRIVE, 15-17"=170MM, 19-21"=175MM
Cassette: SRAM PG-950, 11/34T, 9 SPEED
Pedals: CRANK BROS SMARTY CLIPLESS
Bottom Bracket: FSA POWER DRIVE W/ ALLOY CUPS, 73X113
Headset: FSA ORBIT Z, ZERO STACK
Saddle: WTB ROCKET V COMP
Seat Post: RITCHEY OE SINGLEBOLT, 27.2MM
Handlebar: RITCHEY OE RIZER, 31.8MM CLAMP
Grips:
Stem: RITCHEY OE V2, 31.8MM CLAMP
Tires: MAXXIS CROSSMARK, 2.1"
Wheelset: WTB SPEED DISC
Weight: 29.9 LBS
Color: Gun Metal Gray
I'm leaning toward the Trance 2. But.. Iduno... as for test riding, I don't have many options.. LBS has to order the Trance, IH is just unavailable around my area.. I'm 6'1" 33" inseam. Looking for a comfortable ride, able to handle occasional abuse..
2008 Trance2:
size XS (14.5), S (16), M (18), L 20), XL (21)
color Brushed / Black
frame ALUXX Butted aluminum, 4.2" Maestro Suspension
fork Marzocchi MZ Supercomp, 100mm travel
shock Giant Maestro w/rebound adjust
handlebar Race Face Ride XC low rise, 31.8mm
stem Race Face Ride XC, 31.8mm
seatpost 3D Forged, 350x30.9
saddle WTB Speed V Comp
pedals Platform
shifters Shyimano Deore Rapidfire
front derailleur Shimano Deore
rear derailleur Shimano Deore, top normal
brakes Hayes MX4 Mechanical Disc, 160F/160R
levers Avid FR5
cassette Shimano HG-50 11-34T, 9-speed
chain Shimano HG-53
cranks FSA AlphaDrive, 22/32/44
BB FSA Mega EXO, external
rims WTB Speed Disc XC
hubs Alloy Sealed Bearing
spokes Stainless Steel
tires Kenda Kornodo, 26x2.1
2007 IH Azure Sport:
Frame: 3.5" TRAVEL dw-link XC RACE FRAME, 1-1/8" ZEROSTACK HEADTUBE, REPLACEABLE DERAILLEUR HANGER
Fork: MARZOCCHI MZ SUPER COMP, 100MM TRAVEL, W/ ALLOY STEERER
Rear Shock: FOX FLOAT R AIR, 6.5"X1.5"
Front Derailleur: SRAM X.7, 34.9MM CLAMP
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X.7
Shifters: SRAM X.7 TRIGGER
Brakes Levers: AVID FR-5
Brakes: AVID BB-5 MECHANICAL W/ 6" ROTOR
Chain: SRAM PC-951
Crankset: FSA ALPHA DRIVE, 15-17"=170MM, 19-21"=175MM
Cassette: SRAM PG-950, 11/34T, 9 SPEED
Pedals: CRANK BROS SMARTY CLIPLESS
Bottom Bracket: FSA POWER DRIVE W/ ALLOY CUPS, 73X113
Headset: FSA ORBIT Z, ZERO STACK
Saddle: WTB ROCKET V COMP
Seat Post: RITCHEY OE SINGLEBOLT, 27.2MM
Handlebar: RITCHEY OE RIZER, 31.8MM CLAMP
Grips:
Stem: RITCHEY OE V2, 31.8MM CLAMP
Tires: MAXXIS CROSSMARK, 2.1"
Wheelset: WTB SPEED DISC
Weight: 29.9 LBS
Color: Gun Metal Gray
1 vote for azure
I have 3 IH bikes, all of them have been great.
hayes mechanicals suck (trance)
dw link works great (azure)
X7(azure) > deore (trance)
hayes mechanicals suck (trance)
dw link works great (azure)
X7(azure) > deore (trance)
Another vote for the dw_link bike! It works!
I have a trance x. The maestro suspension is very nice. I haven't ridden a dw link bike, though.
Those look to be nearly identically builds so I guess the big decider would be whether you want sram or shimano.
Those look to be nearly identically builds so I guess the big decider would be whether you want sram or shimano.
I have decided to just make a trip to a Bike store that stocks the Trance 2 and test ride it.. With it being the only one I can test ride within a reasonable driving distance, if it feels comfortable I"ll probably go with it. RS has the Azure Sport for 899 right now..Sounds like a great deal though.
I would lean toward the build on the IH as well, but it's a tough decision if you aren't going to be able to ride it and you can ride the Trance. I personally prefer my sram drivetrain to my older Shimano ones and I still miss my IH DH bike sometimes (it was too big though). For $899 that's a steal!
Dont go for the ironhorse the bike rides good, but it weights a ton. I have riden both bikes and i must say both handle very similar. The ironhorse is not ment for the racer, pluss there build kit specs have been off a little.
How do you mean off?
well i would say on there mid level bikes not the high end but if you look at this year they scrapped most of the highend builds. It seems that for their comps on both the azure and mrk 3 just miss the boat as far as other compainies, for the same price. And on the sports the hubs are **** in the back we got 4 bikes in from them at the shop 2 azure sports and 2 mrk3 they both have the same ****y oem hubs and all 4 were broken out of the box it took ironhorse 5 moths to get the right freehub bodies to us. The mavic rep who also did ironhorse at the time had the same problem with bikes at other colorado shops he ended shipping us low end mavic wheels to put on the bikes so we could sell them. Just one more reason why Ironhorse is going down the tubes, bad customer service and the loss of the dw link. Nothing good to say about them, and have had plenty of experiance with riding and working on the bikes.
Just to update, I actually got test ride a Azure expert 07, and Trance 2 07 and I think the Trance is alot more comfortable fit for me. I mentioned racing MX in my first post, I do not plan on any racing on the mnt. bike, just riding with the kids. The Azure I rode was an Expert up around 1600 and I wasn't impressed with the weight for that much expense. I owned a stumpjumper last year that felt much lighter or at least carried the weight better.