[næstep]

...over on MTBR. Iron Horse's newest beauty stripped naked:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=84431

Who else over here is building one of these up?

Here's a tease:

 

[stosh]

YOu post the best information in your post with quality pictures...

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

somehow i thought i was going to see a vw golf gti, or an 80s toyota supra

 

[næstep]

YOu post the best information in your post with quality pictures...

Ah, gosh, gee, thanks...

And here I thought you were going to tell me I should iron my bed sheets!

 

[jdcamb]

I very interested in ridng this frame. On paper it sounds perfect for me. I wish we had a dealer around here. For the most part all my parts would fit on it....

 

[næstep]

For the most part all my parts would fit on it....

Hey, whatsup JD? Been a while.

The only real odd-balls with this frame are the 30.0mm seatpost and the 7.5 x 2.0" shock. I'm going to throw a Cane Creek AD-12 on this one.

 

[jdcamb]

Hey, whatsup JD? Been a while.

The only real odd-balls with this frame are the 30.0mm seatpost and the 7.5 x 2.0" shock. I'm going to throw a Cane Creek AD-12 on this one.

Not much dude. Broke my bike and now I considering replacements. I got a 7.5 x 2.0 Fifth Element Air from the Id. I can get a Thomson at shop cost so.... From everything i have read it sounds like a sweet frame. The AD-12 is a good shock. I had one on the Truth and loved it until I got the Romig. Like I said my stuff would work nicely on that frame. Just need to ride one first......

 

[næstep]

somehow i thought i was going to see a vw golf gti, or an 80s toyota supra

Fine -- for your auto buffs, here's something more appropriate...

 

[blue]

British MkIII tank, first debuted in 1916. Interesting.

 

[Hello Kitty]

Iron Horse man those are Dept. Store bikes down in these parts and rank right up there with motobecane, novara and fuji...but i hear they are a big deal on the east coast

 

[Wumpus]

Iron Horse man those are Dept. Store bikes down in these parts and rank right up there with motobecane, novara and fuji...but i hear they are a big deal on the east coast

 

[douglas]

Iron Horse man those are Dept. Store bikes down in these parts and rank right up there with motobecane, novara and fuji...but i hear they are a big deal on the east coast

why dont you grab a Huffy and follow me on mine

 

[næstep]

Iron Horse man those are Dept. Store bikes down in these parts and rank right up there with motobecane, novara and fuji...but i hear they are a big deal on the east coast

I know what you mean. Seems like IH is coming from where Giant was about 5 years ago: Generic "Big Box" brand, not a lot of respect from within the industry.

Giant began their turn-around with the NRS. Iron Horse has been doing it with the Hollowpoint and the dw-link.

IH hasn't got nearly the marketing power compared to Giant's global reach, so it must be taking them longer. Last year was the first year I could even see one of their high end bikes locally here on the west coast; all their dealer locations before that were sporting goods stores selling their $300 comfort bikes. Even now, none of my LBS's carry their bikes, only Performance and Supergo. Being featured so prominently in the Supergo magazine ads probably doesn't reflect well on their brand image in most consumers' eyes.

Last two seasons they've done well on the DH and MTX race circuit, and they're coming on strong with their bike lineup. Still a bit of an unknown player, I think that's going to change this year with their 7Point, Sunday and Azure joining the lineup.

Just a question if local dealers want to pick up their brand, knowing they'll have to compete with Supergo.

 

[Hello Kitty]

just went to the iron horse website and did a dealer search for the entire state of Texas = Zero, zilch, nada.

i'm not putting down what the guy rides hey it's what ever you can afford to get out and have your fun it's just that the only time i've seen any iron horse bike was when i was in a sporting goods store buying some golf balls.

jeez you people are so sensitive

 

[chicodude]

just went to the iron horse website and did a dealer search for the entire state of Texas = Zero, zilch, nada.

i'm not putting down what the guy rides hey it's what ever you can afford to get out and have your fun it's just that the only time i've seen any iron horse bike was when i was in a sporting goods store buying some golf balls.

jeez you people are so sensitive

I like iron horse.

People seem to not like it when you say their bike is a dept store bike, ie: your bike is a piece of crap

 

[me89]

wow on the west coast you cant find IH anywhere but in a department store. but on the east coast i cant find them anywhere but in my trusted lbs. ohh and if you guys on the west want to see what IH bikes are all about look up epic cycles on ironhorses website and talk to allan or wess and they will actually ship your bike out to you if you want it. actually they do about 10% of there buisness to people in cali and west coast and there based in black mountain nc.

ohh and what doug said. you ride a huffy and ill ride my sgs and well see whos is better.

 

[JRB]

just went to the iron horse website and did a dealer search for the entire state of Texas = Zero, zilch, nada.

i'm not putting down what the guy rides hey it's what ever you can afford to get out and have your fun it's just that the only time i've seen any iron horse bike was when i was in a sporting goods store buying some golf balls.

jeez you people are so sensitive

Actually there is one in San Saba. Or there was last year. There and Oshman's. I still think Titus sucks, so we are kind of even. Well, except the fact that I don't think we are on the same level.

See you in Waco, Saturday??? Susan, Ryan, Wumpus, and myself plan to ride before the race.

 

[JRB]

ohh and what doug said. you ride a huffy and ill ride my sgs and well see whos is better.

Uhm - I'll bet that I know who would be better while he is riding his Titus.

 

[blue]

The shop I ride for was talking about bringing in Norco as another line, and I suggested maybe looking at Iron Horse due to their more diverse range (They are sort of lacking in the MTB spectrum), but at first they thought it was a dept. store brand, and I told them more, but as soon as they found out IH was carried by Supergo, they were like "Hell no, we won't compete directly against mail order".

I really think that if IH wants to expand more onto the WC, they should drop their stuff with Supergo, it really drives away prospective dealers.

 

[douglas]

Who says IH has to run their company like Trek or Giant or etc ( where you have to go to a LBS to buy their bike)
maybe my local LBS sucks
maybe I'd rather buy a bike online, save $1000 compared to any equivalent bike and take care of it myself
maybe I like the fact I can PM Todd or DW right here
or see Todd at Plattekill and ask him a question or give him a complaint or suggestion
maybe I like to be faster than my competition even thou they spent twice as much on their bike

also just because a company has low end stuff, it doesnt mean they cant have great higher end stuff


/rant off

 

[næstep]

i'm not putting down what the guy rides hey it's what ever you can afford to get out and have your fun...

Jeez, HK, you're making yourself sound like a Marketing Department's wet dream. God Bless big advertising budgets!

 

[MMcG]

Iron Horse man those are Dept. Store bikes down in these parts and rank right up there with motobecane, novara and fuji...but i hear they are a big deal on the east coast

Bike snob.

 

[binary visions]

HK, you're flat out wrong here.

IH makes some low end bikes, yes.

But their top of the line models for 2003 and 2004 were great bikes, and this year looks to be even better.

You went as far as to do a dealer search of the website, but didn't bother to educate yourself on their bikes?

I think it's funny that you made an incorrect statement, were corrected, and you turned around and claimed people were being "sensitive" - just because you've never seen an IH outside of your local department stores doesn't mean they don't exist...

 

[binary visions]

Bike snob.

The only thing worse than a bike snob, is an ignorant bike snob...

 

[næstep]

as soon as they found out IH was carried by Supergo, they were like "Hell no, we won't compete directly against mail order".

I really think that if IH wants to expand more onto the WC, they should drop their stuff with Supergo, it really drives away prospective dealers.

That's what I was getting at, except that a lot of little guys are making it work. This year, Epic had MkIII's before anyone else online, and sold some for about $200 under what Supergo is listing them at. Randall Scott and Bicycle Buys managed to beat Supergo's prices this year and last. So I'm guessing IH is throwing down some pretty heavy pricing guidelines to keep Supergo in check and competitive with the little(er) guys.

 

[stosh]

Ah, gosh, gee, thanks...

And here I thought you were going to tell me I should iron my bed sheets!

as long as they aren't stained ones!!

 

[stosh]

PS. I'm gonna check and see if the local IH dealer has one and I'm going to ride it this weekend.

 

[binary visions]

I was so fixated on the pictures, I forgot to post a comment...

Beautiful bike, næstep, and great pictures! What are you using for a camera?

 

[næstep]

great pictures! What are you using for a camera?

HEY! Let's make one thing perfectly clear: It's not the equipment, it's the... Oh, nevermind...

It's a Pentax Optio 750Z. It's great for stuff like this with all kinds of manual controls and a handy flip-out LCD, but be warned -- it's 1 second shot-to-shot time makes it less than ideal for trailside action shots.

 

[binary visions]

HEY! Let's make one thing perfectly clear: It's not the equipment, it's the... Oh, nevermind...

Sure, sure... Tell yourself what you need to...

It's a Pentax Optio 750Z.

Nice. I've heard some good stuff about Pentax's lineup.

 

[Hello Kitty]

The only thing worse than a bike snob, is an ignorant bike snob...

i call em' like i see em' Iron Horse is a totally unknown brand down in these parts and the only ones I’ve seen were in a sporting goods store or on overstock closeout websites like http://www.bicycleblowout.com/ hell ride what ever makes you happy, and yes i am a bike snob hell would freeze over before you ever would see me on any Trek/Gary Fisher/Klein bike

 

[MMcG]

i call em' like i see em' Iron Horse is a totally unknown brand down in these parts and the only ones I’ve seen were in a sporting goods store or on overstock closeout websites like http://www.bicycleblowout.com/ hell ride what ever makes you happy, and yes i am a bike snob hell would freeze over before you ever would see me on any Trek/Gary Fisher/Klein bike

Bicycleblowout.com is the online outlet for a pretty decent bike shop in Reno called Bicycle Bananas, so it's hardly an overstock closeout shop - hell you can buy Ventanas from them so they do it all.

 

[binary visions]

i call em' like i see em' Iron Horse is a totally unknown brand down in these parts and the only ones I’ve seen were in a sporting goods store or on overstock closeout websites like http://www.bicycleblowout.com/ hell ride what ever makes you happy, and yes i am a bike snob hell would freeze over before you ever would see me on any Trek/Gary Fisher/Klein bike

If you're "calling them like you see them," then it sounds like you are in dire need of some glasses.

In this case, if you took the time to look - or even to look at pictures in the link off the thread you responded to, you'd see some high quality craftsmanship. If you looked at their website, which apparently you did, you'd see a top notch parts spec, and if you knew anything about Iron Horse, you'd know they've had exponential leaps in quality in the past couple years.

There's nothing wrong with not knowing, but accusing people of being sensitive and then backpedalling with comments like, "I just call 'em like I see 'em" when you're corrected is a bit childish, don't you think?

Hell, I don't care of you like them or not, but disliking them is your opinion, calling all of them dept. store bikes is just flat out incorrect...

 

[næstep]

Bicycleblowout.com is the online outlet for a pretty decent bike shop in Reno called Bicycle Bananas, so it's hardly an overstock closeout shop - hell you can buy Ventanas from them so they do it all.

Yeah, that's where I ordered my wife's Mount Vison from. Great bikes, great prices, great service.

 

[Hello Kitty]

If you looked at their website, which apparently you did, you'd see a top notch parts spec, and if you knew anything about Iron Horse, you'd know they've had exponential leaps in quality in the past couple years.

Perception of value, what’s the big difference in the Supergo weyless single pivot bike and a the Santa Cruz superlight that they copied ? many of the Taiwanese bikes sport a bunch of nice components however, all the XTR in the world won’t make up for a crappy harsh handling bike.

 

[næstep]

Perception of value, what’s the big difference in the Supergo weyless single pivot bike and a the Santa Cruz superlight that they copied ? many of the Taiwanese bikes sport a bunch of nice components however, all the XTR in the world won’t make up for a crappy harsh handling bike.

That might be the case with a single pivot SPV-reliant suspension design, but not with Dave Weagle's dw-link.

I'm telling you, HK, you've got to seek out one of these bikes to ride. Pedaling performance is incredible -- even on the 7" 7Point series -- without relying on any platform hocus-pocus. I am positive you'll be impressed. No suspension feedback compared to VPP's "talkative" design.

The dw-link is so impressive that Indy Fab licensed it for their first full suspension bike, their Tungsten Electrode, and Giant basically copied it for their Maestro suspension. No joke.

 

[binary visions]

Perception of value, what’s the big difference in the Supergo weyless single pivot bike and a the Santa Cruz superlight that they copied ?

I had a fairly lengthy post typed up, but I just deleted it. You clearly have no inclination to educate yourself to the subject you are arguing, and will instead stubbornly stick to your incorrect assumption. Like I said, I have no issue with simply not knowing about the company, but once ignorance has been brought to light, the discussion should stop until you learn more.

If you do decide to enlighten yourself, a few searches on Ridemonkey or Google will yield plenty of history about the company. Iron Horse has gone from a virtual unknown several years ago to having a World Cup winning downhill race team & frame. A little research about Dave Weagle (whose suspension design they now use) will also turn up a lot of information. I myself could give you some information about Iron Horse & DW if you'd like it.

 

[stosh]

I put a complete MKIII on layaway this weekend at my local (semi) campmor. Now I need to sell my 03 complete if anybody knows anyone interested.

 

[næstep]

Nice! I hope I wasn't a bad influence.

Are you swallowing the blue, green or gray pill? How soon until your treatments begin?

 

[MMcG]

I put a complete MKIII on layaway this weekend at my local (semi) campmor. Now I need to sell my 03 complete if anybody knows anyone interested.

Wow! Which model did you put the layway on STosh?