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bike similar to a SC super 8(long post)

Mar 11, 2002
33
0
MA
well this might be pretty long, but i hope to give you guys some info so you can help me out.

back probably four years ago, i got into the whole DH/FR scene. when i started out i had a kona stinky, hence my screen name. as i began to get more comfortable taking bigger hits and everything, i cracked the frame on 2 seperat occasions. after that happened, i decided that i need a bigger beefier bike with more travel. i bought a 01 super 8 i think on here used for the frame and rear end. i ended up putting a shiver on it. i absolutly LOVED the bike. it had the right amount of travel, it was smooth, i just really liked it.

but i had run into some finacial problems, and from lack of riding it for a while, i decided that id sell it to get some money. big mistake. now, about 2-3 years later after talking to my boss about biking, i really want to start again. but since ive been out the game for so long, i dont know whats new and good.

as some of you might have seen in the frame section of the classifieds, im looking for anyone that has a super 8 lying in the cellar that they would want to get rid of. but what im asking you people now is maybe theres a newer bike thats still being made that would be similar to the super 8?

i would really like a bike that has atleast 8" of travel front and back. something that is 'bombproof' enough that i could build it the way i want it and keep it for the next couple of years with no worries. the super 8s can get the avalanche and floating rear brake which i really like the idea of as an upgrade later on. single chainring in the front, 8 or 9 speeds in the rear. i had a 24" rear wheel too which i also liked, which i would like to have on this bike if possible.

so am i dreaming too much on getting a super 8 again? is there something similar that would be better for me? it would be mostly riding medium DH trails, taking drops(10ft at most). could the kona stab be a candidate maybe?

this is long enough so ill end it, but any info or questions, please help me out. i used to post a real lot a couple years ago so i know you guys can help us riders out!

here is the super 8 i had which i sold to a guy from this forum
 

dexter

Turbo Monkey
Sep 23, 2001
3,053
99
Boise, Idaho
sinister r9. great geometry, cheap price, best quality you can get (well most uber high end frames are in the same relm minus intense) great support and the suspension is bottomless. seriously the best riding dh bike iv been on
 

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
23
SF, CA
Don't stress. Bikes have only gotten better and cheaper. There are lots of strong, inexpensive bikes that ride great.

If you're on a budget, check out the Iron Horse Yakuza.
 

joelsman

Turbo Monkey
Feb 1, 2002
1,369
0
B'ham
try moorewood and orange and foes, all single pivot bikes simailar to the super 8 but with a better leverage ratio. they have floating brakes available also. orange is the lightest, foes the heaviest.travel is in the 9-10in range for all three. orange can have a front der and has the lowest pivot of the 3, foes uses the special curnutt shock, and the moorewood is a great value, less known, but great reviews.

all 3 are good frames.
 

JRogers

talks too much
Mar 19, 2002
3,785
1
Claremont, CA
Just try and ride any top level DH frame or buy one that looks good. There are few bad bikes out there. The Super 8 was good in its time but now it's too heavy, has too high a leverage ratio and will just not perform as well as the newer stuff. Plus, good luck if you break anything.
 

Cave Dweller

Monkey
May 6, 2003
993
0
I went from a super 8 to a turner DHR and couldn't be happeir, it does everything the S8 could do, but better......
 

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,155
355
Roanoke, VA
If you are seriously into bombproof single pivots I'd say check out the R9 as well. Just don't run a 24" rear wheel on it, as it'll be way too slack and low (and I love slack and low).
 

Leethal

Turbo Monkey
Oct 27, 2001
1,240
0
Avondale (Phoenix)
I sold my Super 8 in mint condition to a friend, and I don't think he has ridden it more than a couple times, if your interested shoot me a PM and I'll give you his phone #...
 

oly

skin cooker for the hive
Dec 6, 2001
5,118
6
Witness relocation housing
JRogers said:
The Super 8 was good in its time but now it's too heavy, has too high a leverage ratio and will just not perform as well as the newer stuff. Plus, good luck if you break anything.

Agreed. The swingarms were known to crack, so you may be SOL if any old bikes you buy do crack. Also,. the high leverage meant blowing shocks, and really heavy springs.

I think everyone gave you great advice about what options you have, although you didnt really mention what your price range is. Are you just looking for a cheap replacement, or willing to spend more now for a new bike that really will last a few years. I'd be real hesitant about buying an older aluminum bike that has been ridden hard.

Good luck.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
Yeah man welcome back. Like others said, the Supa 8 was good for it's time but finding parts will be hard and there are way better options. If you want to stick with Santa Cruz (I am a biased SCB 'ho, so I say hell yeah), the vp-free is a rad bike that will do everything. Mine has been trouble-free, but any multi-link bike will require more maintenance than a simple single pivot. (On the other hand, linkage-driven single pivots like the Turner are not as simple as you might think.) People have given you good ideas, but the best thing is to get some rides on different bikes and get a feel for which of the new breed appeals.
 

wood-dog

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
1,008
0
the mid-west armpit!
adurham said:
A Santa Cruz VP-Free, Intense Uzzi VPX, maybe some canfield bike
By all means, think long and hard about a Vp-free and if you get the chance take one out for a ride because I don't think you will be disappointed. I have been riding one now for about 3 months and I have to say that it has been the most versatile and capable bike I have owned. It is smooth on fast runs, takes quite a beating, lands well off of higher drops, and the frame with a DHX only weighs 10 lbs.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
wood-dog said:
By all means, think long and hard about a Vp-free and if you get the chance take one out for a ride because I don't think you will be disappointed. I have been riding one now for about 3 months and I have to say that it has been the most versatile and capable bike I have owned. It is smooth on fast runs, takes quite a beating, lands well off of higher drops, and the frame with a DHX only weighs 10 lbs.

Yeah for sure, I love mine and find it to be very capable in lots of conditions. If you liked the Super 8 chances are good you will love the free.
 

buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
Cove Peeler.
I'm just throwing this out there as a bike that is very similar to the S8 in suspension. They are cheap and the canucks race the hell out of them.

I had a S8 for years and loved it. You'll never find parts for one though. I sold mine to a friend and he can't get any love from SC other than a crap deal on a v10.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,030
5,918
borcester rhymes
there's an orange 7+ in the buy/sell. I'm not sure of the travel, but I'd guess at 7 or so...i've had my eye on it as a freeride bike, but I bet it would be like the super 8 just a little.
 
Mar 11, 2002
33
0
MA
thanks for all the nice replies guys. keep them coming.

when i said that i wanted a bike similar to a S8, i didnt exactly mean a single pivot bike. rather one that had similar characteristics to one.

one thing i did forget to mention that someone asked about was price range. right now its more on the inexpensive side. but i have thought about it, and i live in new england, and the snow is coming which means its off season, so i would like to find something before spring to either build up if buying frame only, or buying complete. i would really like to buy a used frame instead of buying new just for the price difference. ive been browsing on here, pinkbike, nsmb, hcor, ebay for prices and comparisons.

the r9 mentioned- did you mean the rocky mountain?

and after having a stinky, i really liked it, but it didnt have enough travel for me. i asked above but no one mentioned it- any advice on the stabs?
 
Mar 11, 2002
33
0
MA
joelsman said:
the r9 mentioned is a Sinister. the stab supreme's are good, fabien just won the wolds on one.

i searched that sinister. i remember the rocky mountains were rm6,7,9 back a couple years. thats why i thought that.
 

TWISTED

Turbo Monkey
Apr 2, 2004
1,102
0
Hillsboro
The Super 8 was a no-nonsense, blast through the rough stuff, burley DH bike. I'd put a Mountain Cycle ShockWave 9.5 in the same category, but better in every way. Hand made in Portland, OR and very fairly priced. There are a few used ones around and they are the same as a new one. Only one guy has ever broken one.
 

mack

Turbo Monkey
Feb 26, 2003
3,674
0
Colorado
Cave Dweller said:
I went from a super 8 to a turner DHR and couldn't be happeir, it does everything the S8 could do, but better......

:stupid:


DHR's kick ass.


Ive heard good things about the R9 as well. But deff. not santa cruz or non single pivot bikes... :rolleyes:
 

Monkeybidnezz

Turbo Monkey
Dec 16, 2003
1,212
0
Pac NW
Suspension technology has come a long ways since you last rode a big bike. Lots of great choices out there, I have to agree with a lot of the comments on the VP Free...great all around bike that just plain rocks. If you can muster up the cash, definately a great choice.
 
Aug 30, 2005
154
0
San Diego
if you were into your super 8 obviously you're looking for something simple and strong there's nothing more proven than a horst linkage.

they're strong, simple, reliable and have great suspension feel.

some brands to look at: specialized big hits, intense m1, sinsiter r9, azonic (3 models), iron horse sgs and norcos. and as far as i know all these bikes take well to 24" rear wheels.

i'm sure you could find a great used deal on any of these bikes cus there's a ton of em out there.

i can personally vouch for an iron horse sgs that a HAMMERED for 2 years -not seasons- and it's still running strong (i passed it down to my roomate). but it is one squeaky machinE! only part i ever broke was the shaft that runs through the eye of the shock. and that was after hundreds of drops and 30+ ft road gaps.
 

skibum3789

Chimp
Aug 12, 2005
78
0
Massachusettes
holy ****, i remember those bikes. this has to be Jay. i dunno if you remember me, i used to be on your bus, my name is jeff. i was friends with dembouski and i was the kid that bought the rm6. well ill throw my 2 cents in. i have made quite an upgrade since the rm6, which im trying to sell the frame right now. i now have an 03 santacruz v10 with a dorado on it. i love it. it needs some work right now, like a stiffer spring in the rear shock and the fork needs a little work, but it is still suitable for dh right now. if you want, you can ride it sometime and see if you like it, as i am right down the street, even though it wouldnt really be a fair test until i get my avy in there, as it is realy soft right now. i have ridden a stab or two, and didnt really like the way it rode. although i will say this, it wheelied/manualed like no other dh bike ive ever heard of. i flipped over just doing a manual. the kid who has it says he loves it for dj's. if you are on bustedspoke as well, his username is porter. the vp-free is also an excellent bike. but i love my v10, and you can find the old style v10s like mine in pretty good condition fairly easily and for cheap. i think an 03/04 v10 with a shiver would be a great bike for you. plenty of travel for the big hits and the DH, and it pedals suprisingly well for a 10" travel bike.
send me a PM if you wanna test it out sometime

Jeff