any thoughts:
carbon NRS
- Thread starter The Toninator
- Start date
Looks cool and light - but what makes carbon a better choice than AL for a FS bike?
I dont know, what?MMcG said:
I dunno - I guess it would be lighter. I've only pedaled one carbon bike around and that was an older Fisher HT and that thing felt kinda "dead" feeling.
That was at a bike shop in Willimantic, CT - the owner has lots of new old stock there but he won't lower his prices for squat so there it all sits. All sorts of vintage Fishers, and Rock Shox Mag 21s etc. etc. Cool store to visit though.
That was at a bike shop in Willimantic, CT - the owner has lots of new old stock there but he won't lower his prices for squat so there it all sits. All sorts of vintage Fishers, and Rock Shox Mag 21s etc. etc. Cool store to visit though.
<schawing>!!The Toninator said:any thoughts:
I lurv carbon............
-S.S.-
Lighter and more durable. At least my previous bike (which was carbon) was more durable than my new bike (which is Al).MMcG said:
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Stiffer front triangle, at least that's what I thought. A couple years ago I had the chance to ride back-to-back an alu fuel and the newly release carbon fuel. I noticed a slight difference in the ride as I plowed through a rock garden.MMcG said:
i think when people see full carbon fs's i think they flash back to the old GT lts's (rts's or what ever that model was talk about CREEK!)SkaredShtles said:
anyhoo i guess the reason i picked the carbon over the al model it just looks better constructed than their alum stuff.
I don't like the ride of the NRS. The suspension is to on and off for my tastes.
I would dare say that it will last longer than an Al NRS.The Toninator said:
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hummm my buddy says his is to stiff, same thing?DRB said:
Zark said:
pppffffttt to the Epic. i want fully active suspension.
Warning: the Epic suspension is even more "off and on" than the NRS, at least in my experience.Zark said:
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Oh thanks thats the info i'm looking for. looks like i'll bag on both. i might get stuck with the racerX. going to test a yeti this weekend.Zark said:
That's funny - mine gets full travel when the rear shock is set to 190 lb of pressure, which is a full 15 lbs above my weight.Zark said:
This was untrue in my experience. My NRS is much nicer than the Epic I rode. I guess this is why there's that disclaimer: YMMV.
Of course, the Epic may not have been setup perfectly for me.
Both bikes haul ass uphill, though.
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Probably. You jack the air pressure until there is no sag. But the suspension only reacts to larger bumps. The small stuff it acts like a hardtail with no suspension movement. Where I really noticed it the most was on technical climbs where more active designs help the bike stay put, he NRS would just bounce around.The Toninator said:
If you try and make it more active by running some sag it becomes virtually unrideble as it just blows right thru the travel.
The early Epics were not so good (about as good as the NRS) but the newer ones with the adjustable threshold are much more responsive.
One thinin you must know about the epic is that the shock needs to be fully custom tuned for your riding styles/weight ot hte shock wont do is job after a couple of rides.SkaredShtles said:
Interesting - maybe this is how an NRS behaves with the stock SID? I've got a Cane Creek shock on the back of my NRS and it handles both small and large bumps well.DRB said:
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Hmmm........ sounds like a pain in the arse.caputo1989 said:One thinin you must know about the epic is that the shock needs to be fully custom tuned for your riding styles/weight ot hte shock wont do is job after a couple of rides.
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This is almost exactly my experience with both bikes.DRB said:
One the latest Epic I tried I set the threshold at the minimum and it rode really nice (for an XC race bike)
honestly, none of these bike appeal to me that much, but I'm a 5" trailbike kinda guy.
S.S. I know you love your nrs, I'm just reflecting my take on it.
J
JRB
Guest
I got along well with a SID on my NRS for several thousand miles, and Wumpus can tell you, my local trails are rough. The NRS was good for me, but I wanted something a little more beefy. I can imagine they are nicer with valved Floats on them. I have a Swinger you could try if you can find one to ride.
I don't love it, I just have to live with it for another <number of years until I break it>. And I too, was just letting the poster know my experience.Zark said:
Whatever way you go - RacerX, NRS, Epic, etc. you'll be sure to haul ass and have fun.
I've never ridden a 5" trail bike, so my mileage definitely varies........
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I think he means setting the air pressure for the rider weight, yeah a real nightmare I knowSkaredShtles said:Hmmm........ sounds like a pain in the arse.
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This explains a lot. I never found a setting with the SID where that bike struck a happy balance.SkaredShtles said:
I figure by "fully custom tuned" he was talking about some nightmare involving shock pressure, rebound damping, compression damping, and all that other damn stuff that gets in the way of riding.Zark said:I think he means setting the air pressure for the rider weight, yeah a real nightmare I know
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J
JRB
Guest
My weight for pos and 50 lbs for neg was perfect for me.Zark said:
You're probably not a very discerning rider......... like me.loco said:
My SID seemed to work OK until the rebound control disappeared.
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are you talking about a shock or a fork?loco said:
Shock.The Toninator said:
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Neato... how much weight does it save?
Thats how I feel about them. Really tough to activate the shock, like a Fuel but worse. Then again I didnt get to dial it myself though so I never felt the true potential of the suspension.The Toninator said:
It's supposedly a full pound lighter than their Al NRS frame. Which I guess isn't much.golgiaparatus said:
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Meh, i've had an NRS and an Epic and the NRS feels like a hardtail on most stuff and has to be ridden like a hardtail but the Epic feels like a FS if its ridden like one and you trust the brain shock to open.
I'd personally get a Yeti, RacerX or Flux over either any day.
I'd personally get a Yeti, RacerX or Flux over either any day.
Get the Racer-X or the Flux, they rape the NRS.
Don't make me go into my "wannabe 4-bar" rant about NRS suspension
Don't make me go into my "wannabe 4-bar" rant about NRS suspension
Is Giant gonna issue a Carbon Fiber Trance? May as well get a suspension that's worth getting suspension. The new suspension on Giants work well, while the NRS is tried and true, i would be still be much more stoked on a quality superior suspension design for a carbon bike.
GT STS's were their "thermoplastic" bikes. i broke one, but i did like the feel and sound of the bike while it lasted.
neaky:
GT STS's were their "thermoplastic" bikes. i broke one, but i did like the feel and sound of the bike while it lasted.
neaky:That's what I was going to say...the Trance is awesome, why not just get it?Skookum said:
NRS=Poop.
-Tony
What are trying to accomplish? Bob free suspension. I'd stay away from things like the NRS or brain shocks. A simple single pivot with a SPV shock can be set up to pedal like a hardtail yet still ride smooth as butter. Fox pro pedal is cool but the adjustability of a 5th or Swinger is the way to go in my opinion.
What are trying to accomplish? Bob free suspension. I'd stay away from things like the NRS or brain shocks. A simple single pivot with a SPV shock can be set up to pedal like a hardtail yet still ride smooth as butter. Fox pro pedal is cool but the adjustability of a 5th or Swinger is the way to go in my opinion.
I LOVED my carbon NRS. Best bike I've ridden (until I got my new one). The Fox rear shock really does make a difference in the feel of the bike vs. the SID, plus the linkage was slightly tweaked for the '04-on bikes, so it does feel a bit less "harsh."
That having been said, it was designed as an XC-race bike, so it's supposed to be efficient vs. plush.
I'd still be riding my NRS if I hadn't gotten a new rig I love even more. But that's just my opinion. I haven't ridden an Epic except around the parking lot, so I can't say how it compares to the NRS. I have 4 years on various NRS bikes, and the carbon front end really changed the feel of the bike, in a really great way. Stiffer, lighter, etc.
Anyway, it's been a long day, that's my rant for now.
JJames
That having been said, it was designed as an XC-race bike, so it's supposed to be efficient vs. plush.
I'd still be riding my NRS if I hadn't gotten a new rig I love even more. But that's just my opinion. I haven't ridden an Epic except around the parking lot, so I can't say how it compares to the NRS. I have 4 years on various NRS bikes, and the carbon front end really changed the feel of the bike, in a really great way. Stiffer, lighter, etc.
Anyway, it's been a long day, that's my rant for now.
JJames
My rants are better, Giant boiJust James said:
Find me a free Reign...puhleeeze...