[Ian Collins]

thanks for posting a pic of the rim upclose....I guess now they are using the ksyrium style nipples that thread into the rim rather than the grommet....much more simple, but I hope it holds up, and i hope it doesn't need whack spokes if they use that design on the non deemax rims....I'll let someone else be the guinea pig...

IC

 

[punkassean]

Real nice bike with a quality build, PM me when you get the 36 i'll be interested in the Firefly

Sweet



Ian,
I think the non complete wheelset model of this rim has last years style with the spoke nipple-bucket. I saw a bunch of Deemax wheels on the rental bikes at Whistler that had yellow rims with the same profile as mine but with the nipple-buckets like last years 823. They were laced the OEM hubs that Kona specs on a lot of their bikes.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

nope, but I just took a few for you.

Is this what you need

Yep, great pics but I'm still lost on how the nipples are set

 

[Curb Hucker]

Yep, great pics but I'm still lost on how the nipples are set

you and me both

 

[TurnerDHRider]

wow..that is amazing..i never liked the yellow colour of the deemax..but damn those wheels looks amazing on ur bike..especailly with ur camo shermans as well..well done! nice build

KC

 

[Acadian]

DUDE!
We are going to be the latest in fashion up on the UC trails! My Nicolai frame just came in to the distributor down south. I'll prolly have it built up by mid next week!
Your bike is fVcking so tits man! I want to try it out!

I thought you were getting a spot?

Nice ride Sean

 

[seismic]

A very nice bike indeed !

 

[Enduro]

Dude, that's my new dreambike! You're one lucky guy. Go ride it, hard!

 

[berkshire_rider]

^ they are big 2.4's. What you described is what I wanted and these seem to fit the bill. I'll report on the performance tomorrow.

Sweet. I'll look for the review.

 

[dw]

That bike is just awesome!

 

[punkassean]

I thought you were getting a spot?

Nice ride Sean

Luc, Paul is getting a 5-spot for his XC/FR whatchamacallit bike but the Nicolai is for DH...

Berkshire, The tires rock! In one solid day I can already tell they drop bombs on the Wildgrippers 2.5's I had been using. The sidewall is nice and stiff and the knobs hook up very well. They roll pretty good on the road so pedaling is fairly efficient, much better that say a slow-reezay Maxxis. I think that's because these Enduro Pro 2.4's are dual-compound and the center is 60 while the sides are 50 durometer. I think I am going to love these tires, the best UST's I've used yet.

Impressions:
After a month of no bikes at all I felt a bit awkward most of the day and never quite found a good rhythm. That's not to say the bike didn't work very well though. The geo of the bike is perfect for all-purpose riding and it pedals very well. In fact it pedals only negligably less efficient than my 4"/30lb Kona Dawg. The HTº is a bit too steep for gnarly DH sections but great for everything else. I may try a slightly different shock to cure that. The bike uses a semi-funky size shock at 8.75x2.5 so I may go to an 8.5x2.5 and that will help with the HTº and also lower the BB a tad. I may also try an 8.75x2.75 which will give a little more travel (6.6" instead of 6") and that way I could run more sag and sit lower in the travel but still have a similar amount of compression travel as stock which might be really cool. I have been told that that stroke of shock will clear the frame at full compression. Also since the I-2-I is the same as stock it will not affect the geometry.

The "Gravity Series" 5th rear feels okay but not phenomenal, I have the maximun of 150 PSI in the main chamber and I still used every last bit of the travel on relatively small stuff, that seems fishy to me since I only weigh ~155 and the leverage ratio is only 2.4:1. I will say though that the shock does a good job of not bobbing around while pedaling and even climbing. The rebound adjuster is already not working properly, it worked when the bike was brand new but sometime during the ride I tried to fine tune it and found it to be not responding. Luckily the rebound seems to be stuck somewhere in the middle and it's only a tiny bit faster than ideal. I'm not stoked to have to send this thing in for service so fast

The Sherman Firefly (for whatever reason) must have come with a heavy spring. With the minimum PSI in the SPV chamber, I still only hit about 4.5" of travel out of 6". They are sending me the proper medium stiffness Ti spring as we speak. I'm sure with the proper spring, the fork will feel just like the other Sherman's I've had in the past (smooth).

The Hopes didn't take long at all to break in they were getting grabby almost immediately, although they did whine a little during the break in, they didn't make a peep after they fully burned-in. The power and modulation is top-notch. I can't believe I rode Hayes for all those years

The Deemax felt really stiff and nice as expected. They are a bit flashy though which has it's ups and downs. It puts the pressure on to go faster when everybody is looking. If the new green Sunday is 5 seconds faster than how fast would it be with Deemax

I couldn't be happier with the performance of the Saint rear derailluer, it shifts very crisp and doesn't skip a beat. the Mavic axle for Saint is really trick and simple to use. Big thumbs up on the overall Shimano XT drivetrain. The e.13 DRS worked as well as everyone has been saying for the past few years and barely made any discernable noise.

This bike rips, it climbs amazingly well and it doesn't feel heavy or cumbersome at all. It is very stiff and stable at speed and the super low stand-over makes it really easy to flick around in corners and rough spots. If you are looking for a great do-it-all bike the Enduro is definitely at the top of the pack. Very cool bike for sure!

 

[berkshire_rider]

Luc, Paul is getting a 5-spot for his XC/FR whatchamacallit bike but the Nicolai is for DH...

Berkshire, The tires rock! In one solid day I can already tell they drop bombs on the Wildgrippers 2.5's I had been using. The sidewall is nice and stiff and the knobs hook up very well. They roll pretty good on the road so pedaling is fairly efficient, much better that say a slow-reezay Maxxis. I think that's because these Enduro Pro 2.4's are dual-compound and the center is 60 while the sides are 50 durometer. I think I am going to love these tires, the best UST's I've used yet.

Wow. Better than Michelin's? :evil: Thanks for the info. Were you riding in dry conditions or wet? The reason I ask is I'm waaaay over in the Northeast, and see conditions with wet rocks and roots often, and I'm looking for something that hooks up well in those conditions. I'm still buried in snow, so it will be awhile before I ride, so I would be curious to hear your input after some more saddle time, if you don't mind. There's definitely a new tire purchase in my future, and the real world experience is appreciated.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

The Hopes didn't take long at all to break in they were getting grabby almost immediately, although they did whine a little during the break in, they didn't make a peep after they fully burned-in. The power and modulation is top-notch. I can't believe I rode Hayes for all those years

So is it fair to assume you have seen the light? I told you you'd love them

 

[scurban]

I just want to let everybody here know that I rode Sean's bike Yesterday, Here's my review:













It's ****ing Sick! I want one!

 

[Bikael Molton]

Man - what is the deal with those air 5th Elements? Do they all come stock with the "not-working option"??
I hear those cheap Supergo Weylesses come with the not-working 5th Air too...

I love your bike tho.

-rob

The rebound adjuster is already not working properly, it worked when the bike was brand new but sometime during the ride I tried to fine tune it and found it to be not responding. Luckily the rebound seems to be stuck somewhere in the middle and it's only a tiny bit faster than ideal. I'm not stoked to have to send this thing in for service so fast

 

[DLo]

Nice review.. I hope to make it up there in a couple of hours if I can find a way to drive there! Are ya down to ride?

 

[Shiver]

I'm gonna cry.... it's just so pretty....


you're soooooo lucky!!!

Thank god I have my gf to take your sweet bike off my mind!!!

Might have to see a psychologist tho bike is just to perfect

 

[bballboy388]

wow

 

[punkassean]

I messed around with the rebound adjuster some today and found that it is working somewhat, there just isn't really that much of a difference from wide-open to full-close. I made a few other tweaks based on yesterdays shakedown and this thing is feeling really good now. The fork is loosening up and starting to feel great. I slapped a digital angle finder on the HT and found it to be 66º (averaged from two measurements with bike rotated 180º). Although my angle-finder is calibrated (well, it should be) I don't quite think that # is right. I also measured the A-2-C of the Firefly and it's ~535mm in the 150mm setting and ~495mm in the 110mm setting FWIW.

 

[***MTB***]

thats a very nice bike.

 

[punkassean]

It was pretty wet up there with patches of slippery mud and some slimey roots/rocks. I was running fairly high pressure (35+) because I didn't want them to burp (which they didn't so now I have lowered the pressure to 28ft/30rr) and even at that they hooked up awesome. These things are 120 TPI, dual compound, big, light and have great traction. Not bad for about $45 each! The actual weight is 980gm's BTW...

I'll report back again after I get some more riding time

Wow. Better than Michelin's? :evil: Thanks for the info. Were you riding in dry conditions or wet? The reason I ask is I'm waaaay over in the Northeast, and see conditions with wet rocks and roots often, and I'm looking for something that hooks up well in those conditions. I'm still buried in snow, so it will be awhile before I ride, so I would be curious to hear your input after some more saddle time, if you don't mind. There's definitely a new tire purchase in my future, and the real world experience is appreciated.

 

[Gelbwurstbrot]

Where did you get the Firefly plus in camo?
I Have only seen ist in textured black.

 

[punkassean]

^ I got a sort of hook up at Manitou, that's how I got the last set of camo lowers they will ever have in stock (according to my hook-up)

 

[punkassean]

Here's some pron for you guys...

 

[OGRipper]

That thing is soo tasty. It's looks like the holy unicorn or something in that pic, all glowy and fairy like...

 

[berkshire_rider]

Those rims look so sweet on that bike.

 

[dlb]

Very sweet bike! Ive been off and on following your build and finally read through this post. Just wondering if you got any more time on the new ride, esp on some DH or FR type runs? Im kinda rethinking my order for a 6-Pack after seeing your bike. I need the extra standover clearence and the Turner isnt going to have any. Both are 6" travel bikes, just dont know if the S-works will handle the more rough stuff like the old RFX bikes and the new Turners.
Thanks

 

[RideND]

You live in the Jungle?

 

[kinghami3]

Very nice, I'm envious. What's the rear shock? how's it feel?

 

[=[Stinky]=]

Got the Deemax yesterday and started building this thing up finally.

(They are the new style rim not like the 823 FWIW) The Saint axle kit from Mavic is really trick, you can swap between the std bolt-on axle and the Saint axle in about 2 mins flat. Same goes for the front hub, you can make it QR in ten seconds with 2 little adapters.

I am going to ride it all day tomorrow and I will have a full report after that!

Are those the Specialized flatboy pedals... err whatever they arew called. I could never get my hands on a set. Looked schweet.


Bangin bike...

 

[punkassean]

Very sweet bike! Ive been off and on following your build and finally read through this post. Just wondering if you got any more time on the new ride, esp on some DH or FR type runs? Im kinda rethinking my order for a 6-Pack after seeing your bike. I need the extra standover clearence and the Turner isnt going to have any. Both are 6" travel bikes, just dont know if the S-works will handle the more rough stuff like the old RFX bikes and the new Turners.
Thanks

I have taken it on a few more rides and mostly over rough terrain. It handles itself very well but the rear shock doesn't feel as great as I'd imagine a DHX or some other nice coil shock would. That's not to say I dislike the rear shock per se, it's just that it is a compromise so that you can have a 6" travel bike that pedals very very well. And this bike does indeed pedal very well. Aside from the slightly heavy weight (34lbs) the suspension itself is very efficient and the bike accelerates very well. Another thing to consider is that with a coil-over on the rear you can run as much as 6.6" of travel with out altering the geometry at ride-height which I think would be really nice.

Stinky- Yes these are the Specialized pedals and thus far they rawk! Great grip, low-pro and light-weight. I cna't say how durable they will be but I am impressed up to this point.

 

[Jimmy_Pop]

Are those the Specialized flatboy pedals... err whatever they arew called. I could never get my hands on a set.

yes. I just bought a set of those pedals for my bmw. i really like them so far. the set screws are bigger than the teeny tiny ones that most pedals use, they screw in from the back side and should be able to be replaced even if they get sheered off. and yes, they feel light and have a very low profile. I bought them used, they were as new condition, and the specialized box they came in said $39.95 usd?? seems pretty good to me.

joel

 

[Supa8]

How was setting up the DRS with the new XT's? I am setting my my Diabolous this week with a DRS so looking for any hints as they are somewhat similar in setup.

 

[OGRipper]

Hey just thought I'd resurrect this thread because we all love your new rig so much and hope it continues to make you happy in that special way...

Seriously, now that a little more time has gone by I'm curious about your thoughts on the firefly plus. I'm getting a heckler together and like you I was thinking about the 36, but since they're not available (and as it turns out are about the same weight) I'm looking at the same substitute - firefly plus. Any problems yet? Other thoughts or random musings? Thanks...

 

[dlb]

Hey just thought I'd resurrect this thread because we all love your new rig so much and hope it continues to make you happy in that special way...

Seriously, now that a little more time has gone by I'm curious about your thoughts on the firefly plus. I'm getting a heckler together and like you I was thinking about the 36, but since they're not available (and as it turns out are about the same weight) I'm looking at the same substitute - firefly plus. Any problems yet? Other thoughts or random musings? Thanks...

I would think that the Pike is the perfect Heckler fork combo, it can be set up for pedaling and then with a few twists of some knobs, DH plush!

 

[OGRipper]

Yeah thanks, I thought of a Pike for about a minute or two but I have had no luck with RS forks, have owned a boxxer and a psylo and had lots of trouble. On the other hand I have a minute on an xc bike that has been great so far.

 

[Damn True]

Droooooooooooool!

 

[punkassean]

How was setting up the DRS with the new XT's? I am setting my my Diabolous this week with a DRS so looking for any hints as they are somewhat similar in setup.

Supa, piece of cake. The frame had a few minor fit issues but the cranks were simple.

OG, The fork is sweet, I finally got the Ti spring but I haven't put it in yet since I've been in Baja for the past week. But the initial sticky-ness of the fork went away after only a few minutes of trail riding and it's very plush and also very rigid.

Jimmy, The pedals are more like $75-$80US retail and thus far well worth every penny!

 

[Brian HCM#1]

That is one of the nicest front rotors and adaptors I've ever seen

 

[punkassean]

^ Thanks B

Okay, I haven't posted much in the way of a review in the month or so since I finished building this thing. I wanted to wait until I had a chance to take the bike to places other than SC to really get a feel for it's overall strengths and or weaknesses. Plus I'm off the back and I didn't want to jump the gun with any premature opinions.

I went down to Santa Barbara this past weekend and had a chance to get in a quick ride. I dropped Tunnel and then rode Jesusita with about 6 or 7 of my buddies and with the recent heavy rains and current thick fog it really gave me a chance to see what this bike is all about in gnarly, slippery rocky conditions. I only wish I was in better DH shape because trails like Tunnel really require you to be on top of your game if you want to have a blast and feel like you rode well.

Now that the Firefly is broken in, it feels great. It's not quite as lively as my old 6" Slider with TPC+ was but damn close. Tuhs far SPV Evolve is much more active than the old version. It is also just about as stiff and with one less crown which made it a lot easier to make the tight switchbacks. The rear shock feels good but being that it is made to pedal well it does cost you something in all-out DH performance. I think that a DHX would really transform the feeling of the rear end. But the 5th air still does hold it's own quite well. The overall geometry of the bike is really as close to perfect for an all-purpose bike as you can get. However the HTº is a bit steep for all-out bombing of extremely rocky trails like Tunnel. This could be remedied with a taller fork (66) or a .25" shorter I:I shock with the same stroke. I think I will leave it the way it is because the HTº is a benefit in all other situations and I rarely find myself riding Tunnel like trails, especially up north. If I were setting this bike up for Northstar type conditions I'd consider running a 6 or 7 inch 66 and a 8.75x2.75" coil-over (AVY or DHX) making ~6.6" of travel. As a trailbike though the numbers are pretty much spot on.

I haven't found a situation yet that the "2Bliss" Enduro Pro 2.4 tires don't handle well. They worked as well as any DH tire I've ever run down Tunnel and weigh about 1/2lb less per tire. Also being tubeless the risk of a pinch-flat is nullified. They were a bit sketchy over the wet off camber sandstone sections but what tire isn't? What amazes me most is that even with their killer DH performance and aggressive tread, they still roll very well on the street or hardpack. These are awesome tires!

I still love the Hopes as well, the lever reach/feel problems I had in the past are now a non issue. I hadn't ridden Tunnel in a few months and I didn't get arm-pump to speak of which was something I could never say when I was running Hayes. I have noticed though that they squeal for a few seconds after a creek crossing but once they heat up again the noise subsides. I might try the organic compound pads as they are supposed to eliminate this issue but at this point I don't really care. My Hayes used to squeal from time to time as well so overall the Hopes still 0WN!!!

The rest of the parts spec is awesome but that really doesn't come as a surprise. the DRS holds the chain every bit as well as a single ring guide but lets you pedal instead of pushing when the trail turns uphill. The Deemax wheels are strong and light and obviously they look snazzy. FWIW Calrin had a rear rim that was the yellow, new style Deemax but it had the spoke buckets to allow it to be laced to a std flange hub of any spacing so call Mavic and ask them how you can get one! The Thomson X4 31.8 50mm stem is burly and gets a double take from everybody who checks it out.

The more I ride the Firefly the less I care about the 36. I have since ridden one and I can tell it is an air fork more so than I could with my TALAS. Also since finding out that the 36 weighs as much or more than the Firefly I have less desire to go to the trouble of selling this fork and ponying up more cash (that I don't have) to get one. Maybe I will still get the 36 but at this point I doubt it.

I really think Specialized's engineers did a number with the '05 Enduro's and I highly recommend one to anybody who truly wants the best all-around bike. You won't win a high level DH race or XC race aboard one but if you are like me and racing is not something you do often if at all, then this bike really can do it all very well.