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Foes Downhill Bike

IH8Rice

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
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Im over here now
zdubyadubya said:
what made you switch and go EVIL for a season?
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the RS7 i had for a few months needed a bit more travel for here in the east. if it was a RS8, id still be riding it. that extra 1" of travel is what that frame needs for riding out here

the Evil looked sick and i wanted to try something different. i realized i made a mistake now



Sandwich said:
Can't argue that...those frames have always been pretty and the DHS I rode was super stiff for the time.
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yup
 
gemini2k

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
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San Francisco
Sandwich said:
I think his comment wasn't that they're bad bikes, but rather that they're wildly expensive, and not very common....yet foes continues to stay in business, unlike, say, hanebrink, who basically put themselves out of commission by refusing to build a decent product.
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Bingo. I'm sure they're good bikes, I just can't figure out how they move enough volume. And I ride all over So and Central Cal and cant count more than 2 or 3 that I've seen. I can't imagine they are worth $3600 these days considering the alternatives there are today. Maybe back in 2004 they were without peer.

IH8Rice said:
have you ridden one? their downhill bikes are the best DH bikes that ive ever owned. super reliable, handle like they are on rails and great geometry.
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I've just done a parking lot test of one before. And the shock felt really really weird. Lots of stichtion. Maybe thats inherent in the 2:1 setup, or the thing just needed a rebuild bad. I bet it's mostly the later.
 
IH8Rice

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
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Im over here now
gemini2k said:
I've just done a parking lot test of one before. And the shock felt really really weird. Lots of stichtion. Maybe thats inherent in the 2:1 setup, or the thing just needed a rebuild bad. I bet it's mostly the later.
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yeah, the Curnutt does feel sticky giving it the ol' parking lot test. fortunately the shock performs at speed and has no noticeable stiction when riding.
that stiction feeling was even more prevalent with the air shock on my RS7.
next to my CCDB, they are tops on my list for rear shocks (i await the flame fest)
 
binary visions

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,211
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gemini2k said:
I'm sure they're good bikes, I just can't figure out how they move enough volume.
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I always used to hear see a bunch of them at DH races on the east coast.

You never even needed to see that monocoque DHS. Just had to be somewhere near the trail and it'd sound like someone was bowling tin cans down the mountain.
 
Y

YoPawn

Chimp
Aug 13, 2009
91
0
How long before they are sued by Santa Cruz? Looks like it might infringe on their new patented design.

 
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Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
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Well, it's nice to see them moving away from falling-rate designs that rely on the curnutt shock. The performance was terrible compared to the mainstream bikes. That's why IMO not many sold. Sure, stiff frames, but many others are, and poor suspension performance was a trademark. No linkage to control the rate and the SPV compression was a poor combo, and most products passed foes performance up a long time ago. This new bike finally allows them to make something that can perform decently AND be extremely stiff laterally. I prob wouldn't buy one, but it is the FIRST foes I'd consider riding since I got rid of my FXR. There were other under-designed issues with my bike, but the shock performance was a huge downer, at least for the $$$ I paid. If I slap down that much for a high end shock, I want it to perform on par with the CCDB, Avalanche, RC4, etc.

Finally foes wakes up.
 
A

Alloy

Monkey
Aug 13, 2004
288
0
thousand oaks, ca
Jm_ said:
Well, it's nice to see them moving away from falling-rate designs that rely on the curnutt shock. The performance was terrible compared to the mainstream bikes. That's why IMO not many sold. Sure, stiff frames, but many others are, and poor suspension performance was a trademark. No linkage to control the rate and the SPV compression was a poor combo, and most products passed foes performance up a long time ago. This new bike finally allows them to make something that can perform decently AND be extremely stiff laterally. I prob wouldn't buy one, but it is the FIRST foes I'd consider riding since I got rid of my FXR. There were other under-designed issues with my bike, but the shock performance was a huge downer, at least for the $$$ I paid. If I slap down that much for a high end shock, I want it to perform on par with the CCDB, Avalanche, RC4, etc.

Finally foes wakes up.
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Yep before Curnutt foes seemed to be a step ahead of everyone else. They had inverted forks, dh geometry, more travel... then they caught up in the pedaling bull**** of 2004 and their bikes went to total ****. I really hope they lose the Curnutt and start making good bikes again... 6 years later now... hahahha
 
IH8Rice

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
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Jm_ said:
You mean because I bought and rode one of their scissor-link-falling-rate-curnutt bikes?
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i mean because every time the word Foes pops up in a thread, you have nothing good to ever say about them and how horrible their shocks are.
 
Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,575
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IH8Rice said:
i mean because every time the word Foes pops up in a thread, you have nothing good to ever say about them.
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So how do I help you understand the part I wrote about them being laterally stiff? I've written that nearly every time. What that means is that they are fairly rigid, and I find that bikes like that tend to hold off-camber lines pretty well, rather than have their direction dictated by the slope. But yeah, pretty horrible shocks.
 
KavuRider

KavuRider

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2006
2,565
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CT
I had a DHS Mono.
Awesome bike, loved it. Plowed through anything. Probably because I had a Monster T on it...
HATED the Curnutt though. Felt like crap and made terrible noises.
 
al-irl

al-irl

Turbo Monkey
Dec 9, 2004
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A, A
saw one of these in whistler a few weeks ago it looked nice. Always been a big fan of Foes but they all way seemed prohibitively expensive and have really been off the boil over the last few years. I think this is a step in the right direction
 
bullcrew

bullcrew

3 Dude Approved
Dec 8, 2004
9,638
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IH8Rice said:
new article on the Foes Hydro....RM gets a plug too
http://www.distilledmag.com/
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lol That was pretty funny... Plugged it for the HA for us monkies...

I will say the bikes look better in person, Troy always has a prototype floating around when we ride and the bikes are pretty sweet. This is definently a nice change for the ability to use different shocks, HA, standovers a bit high but not terrible..

I like Foes and Im glad to see they are going back to there roots and not trying to put a curnutt on everything. Build the bikes that rip and let the suspension guys build the shocks/forks that allow us to push it.. :thumb:


BTW Im pretty damn excited about the 1.5 and adjustable HA set up thats available... I think thats been overdue and eliminates alot of e-crap and allows a user to set it where he/she feels best while still adjusting from the crowns as well....
 
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IH8Rice

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
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Im over here now
bullcrew said:
BTW Im pretty damn excited about the 1.5 and adjustable HA set up thats available... I think thats been overdue and eliminates alot of e-crap and allows a user to set it where he/she feels best while still adjusting from the crowns as well....
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cane creek hit a home run with the Angleset.
 
bullcrew

bullcrew

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IH8Rice said:
the use of proprietary chainguides over the years has sometimes been a PITA.
and the 160mm rear wasnt too bad since it is a Hadley, but made having spares also a PITA.
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If we can just get marzocchi over to whats becoming an international standard with the DM mounts things would be easier accross the board...

It has to conform at sometime for everyone involved manufaturer, suppliers and customer. the easier it is on us the better convienece sells as well as makes more options now someone doesnt have to make 3 different versions of the same part because companies fail to find common ground.

Plus with having proprietary parts is like Ih8rice mentioned leaves you in 2 positions right off the bat:

Parts arent easy to get or possibly service
and
If it fails to work properly now you have a whole bike designed around this and a so/so working part the hinders the experience and kills resale...

Either way Im glad to see they are playing with the other guys on the block now and I can see someone being able to run which ever shock or hub that floats there boat as being a good thing... Overlooked or taken for granted but realized once your limited...
 
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captainspauldin

captainspauldin

intrigued by a pole
May 14, 2007
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bullcrew said:
If we can just get marzocchi over to whats becoming an international standard with the DM mounts things would be easier accross the board...

It has to conform at sometime for everyone involved manufaturer, suppliers and customer. the easier it is on us the better convienece sells as well as makes more options now someone doesnt have to make 3 different versions of the same part because companies fail to find common ground.

Plus with having proprietary parts is like Ih8rice mentioned leaves you in 2 positions right off the bat:

Parts arent easy to get or possibly service
and
If it fails to work properly now you have a whole bike designed around this and a so/so working part the hinders the experience and kills resale...

Either way Im glad to see they are playing with the other guys on the block now and I can see someone being able to run which ever shock or hub that floats there boat as being a good thing... Overlooked or taken for granted but realized once your limited...
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I could see problems w/racers and sponsorship conflicts as well(not me personally) IE I'm sponsored by Rockshox, but they don't make a shock that will work on my Foes Mono..

Rear end reminds me alot of the LAST Herb DH, again not trying to start a comparison war, just a casual comparison:
 
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bullcrew

bullcrew

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captainspauldin said:
I could see problems w/racers and sponsorship conflicts as well(not me personally) IE I'm sponsored by Rockshox, but they don't make a shock that will work on my Foes Mono..
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Yeah didnt even look at that point, that would be the lessor of the 2 evils as they can make a custom set up to accomodate the sponsors but the bulk is the privateer buying it. Alot out there dont have spare hubs and shocks so just on the market and whos buying it its a good choice.

BUT now they dont need to make a specific 1 off for the guys so in turn its saving them a few coins there as a manufacturer so its still a win!!!!:thumb:

Good point...
 
captainspauldin

captainspauldin

intrigued by a pole
May 14, 2007
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bullcrew said:
Yeah didnt even look at that point, that would be the lessor of the 2 evils as they can make a custom set up to accomodate the sponsors but the bulk is the privateer buying it. Alot out there dont have spare hubs and shocks so just on the market and whos buying it its a good choice.

BUT now they dont need to make a specific 1 off for the guys so in turn its saving them a few coins there as a manufacturer so its still a win!!!!:thumb:

Good point...
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Yeah, exactly a friend is sponsored by Manitou, but he can't run a manitou shock on his frame b/c it has proprietary mounts that only work with 1/2" hardware. So manitou sticker on his shock until a solution can be figured out(I tell him to borrow and drill press and enlarge the holes to 1/2" but not sure if the manitou techs think it's a good idea).
 
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