[-BB-]

As you probably know by now, Ironhorse has scrapped the SGS line and fully succumbed to the Weagle Force (otherwise known as the DW link). Having been on a Hollowpoint since the beginning of '03, and knowing how well it rides, I was very anxious to try out these new DH and Trail/freeride bikes. Luckily, I got my chance at Day2 of the Dirt Demo... and all I can say is WOW. They lived up to every expectation I had.

I only got a "parking lot" test on the Sunday, but that was probably enough to tell the difference between it and the Seven.7 which I got a full run on at Bootleg Canyon.

First, lets talk about the Seven...
I was on the top of the line Seven series, the Seven.7
The frame has a full length seat tube, and for the dirt Demo they had on some huge tires with downhill tubes (probably because they didn't want the bike to have any downtime while the public abused it adn the fact that Bootleg at the end of teh summer is dry, dusty, and blown out). Despite this huge rotational weight the bike still pedals great. I can only imagine how much better it would be with a light 2.5in Tubeless tire (Yes, it comes with tubeless rims). The other thing that held me back a little on the bike was the fact that I only ride Clipless and the bike had flats.

Now for the ride.
The first thing that I noticed was how comfortable I felt on it as soon as I threw a leg over that beautiful oversized toptube. It was as if I'd been riding the bike for weeks, not minutes. Even with a singlecrown and 7 inches of travel I was riding it more like my Downhill bike than my Hollowpiont. Now the bike is probably not meant for big hucks to flat, but I think that the components here are more the limiting factor than the frame itself. The frame was ROCK solid. I pounded it over rocks and even took it off a nice little 4 footer. The landing was almost DH-plush. The bike was very stable at speed and there was almost no noticeable brake jack/squat. IT also accelerated like a mother.
I've had some time on one of the old SGS freeride frames, and though they were quite popular themselves, the new 7.7 blows it away. Props Dave.

If your idea of a trail/freeride bike is more on the XC side then the DH side, this bike will still work quite well for you. All you need to do is put on some lighter rubber and maybe a 90mm stem (it comes a burly DH stem). Again, it isn't going to feel like an very XC'ish trail bike, but if that is what you want, the improved hollowpoint will fit the bill perfectly.

The Seven point seven (with stock equipment) is designed for the DH'r that doesn't have a chairlift at their local DH spot and needs to be able to pedal to the top, but also needs something that is a little better going down than a 5-spot, ASX, or even a 5.5evp. The Seven.7 is designed to compete with the VP-frees, Turner 6-packs, and a new longer travel Intense VP trailbike that I caught glimpses of. The main difference will be that with the Seven series, you won't have to Mortgage the house to buy one.


Oh... I almost forgot... Sunday impressions....

The Sunday that I rode was similar to the Seven series, but with a little more travel, full DH geometry, same great pedaling, SUPER plush, and a lower Bottombracket for railing the corners. Again, the boutique manufacturers are going to have to watch out for this one.

( 7.7 seven.7 7point )

 

[-BB-]

And now for some pics:

 

[oly]

Great write up!

Any other good stuff you've tested?

 

[-BB-]

This guy seemed to like the Sunday as well.

 

[-BB-]

Great write up!

Any other good stuff you've tested?

Unfortunatly, when I got done with my test run, there was a message on my Cell Phone from work. Seems there was a little emergency, so I had to hop in the car and drive home.

Interbike is over for me.

 

[Acadian]

good review Jeff - how active was the bike on small bumps? I assume from your review that it worked great on big hits and drops, but was is also super compliant on little bumps?

I just wonder why the slanted TT and not one like the Sunday?

 

[Acadian]

oh and sorry to hear about work I know how you feel...

 

[syadasti]

I just wonder why the slanted TT and not one like the Sunday?

Stand over clearance with the taller BB height

 

[-BB-]

good review Jeff - how active was the bike on small bumps? I assume from your review that it worked great on big hits and drops, but was is also super compliant on little bumps?

I just wonder why the slanted TT and not one like the Sunday?

It actually worked very well.

I think that the Sunday doesn't need the curved TT because it has a shorter seat tube.

 

[leprechaun]

I too rode the new DW bikes there,mostly the 7 point.I rode the cheap o 7 point 3 to see what the newb could buy for 2200 or so.First on climbing.So there i am being the only one riding up the push to the very top of the DH courses amongst a huge pack of people pushing.People are making cracks at me but i could see that they were wishing the big bikes they were pushing were rideable.it was fairly effortless to get it up in the granny,great body positioning thanks to the steepish seat angle,and the wind down feature on the Stance 6" lowering it to 4".DW built the linkage just right so there is the slightest amount of firmness in the granny,but not so much that there was noticeable kickback while climbing over rock ledges. Once to the top i raised the fork travel to max,slammed the seat into the full lenght seat tube and put er in the middle ring.Nice E Thirteen DRS on a standard build!The upper part of Bootleg is tight,slow and rough.The bike worked OK there,about as well as a bike with a 6" fork can.The progressive 3 way rear shock felt a little chunky and the rear wheel hung up in the rocks a bit.DW said the production shocks will be tuned with a lot less low speed damping to free up the action of the rear end,especially since this bike doesn't need much anti bob due to the linkage.Keep in mind that few DH bikes feel very good up on the top section making you feel like a beater in the tight drop in turns.
The mid section picks up speed a lot and is filled with braking bumps,sweeping turns and high speed rock hits.The bike really took the flatter sweepers and bumps well.The rear shock came to life when i got up to a higher speed.
Overall i really thought it was a fun bike to ride.Comparing it to my Yeti ASX the Horsey climbed a lot better in the granny but a little soft in the middle ring which is still mostly a good thing.if you spend a lot of time in the granny it really was superb for a 7'er.My ASX( with a fox DHX 5) felt a bit better at high speed scary stuff,being a mid/foreward pivot type bike.
As for the Sunday it was more capable at speed and cornered awesome. It really only felt a little better in bumps but it does only have 1" more travel.The biggest difference is that even with 1 "more travel an an 8" Boxxer it was 1" lower!13.9BB as compared to 14".Yeah your GOING TO hit your pedals on A LOT of stuff.But hey its a race bike and it corners like crazy.Just not for a sloppy rider!
Oh and the green is totally sweet in person as is the tan grey color on the Team.
Edit 13.9bb on the Sunday /8"boxxer
14.2 7 point3 /6" stance= about 1" higher w/ similar fork.

 

[ohio]

Awesome reviews guys. It's nice to have some opinions posted in here from ACTUAL riding of the bikes, rather than pictures. Psyched for these things to hit the market...

Did anyone get a chance to ride the new HP MkIII?

 

[RideND]

Did anyone get a chance to ride the new HP MkIII?

 

[segerton]

What is the price range on the 7's. Would you say that it pedaled like a VPP equiped bike? Do you know if they'll be doing a frame only deal?? If so, how much will it be? Thanks for the reviews!!!!

 

[Roasted]

Check here

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98118&highlight=ironhorse

 

[S.G.D]

the IH team manager rode in quebec this year, sporting a early prototype sunday. so i got a couple good looks at it, and it looked really really nice.

i have a crush on it. :heart:
~SGD

 

[go-ride.com]

What is the price range on the 7's. Would you say that it pedaled like a VPP equiped bike? Do you know if they'll be doing a frame only deal?? If so, how much will it be? Thanks for the reviews!!!!

IMO considerably better than the Vpp system. I'm not a fan of multiple direction wheel paths. One momment the bike pedals great, the next it is not so great, and this is even more apparent in the bumps. It all depends on where you are in the wheel path. I haven't seen the graph of the Sunday wheel path, but if feels like a consitently vertical curve that comes forward near the end of its travel.

I rode both of those bikes with the Leprecan, but I spent most of my time on the Sunday. I had the same feeling about the 5th E shocks being overly damped and taking a lot away from the ride, so I spent most of my time just feeling the path of the wheel and the geometry of the bikes. The Sunday was very good and seemed to have a lot more potential once the suspension is tuned to a riders liking. However, I was really surprised that the 7point was nearly as good and ripped tight corners even better with its short wheel base. I think the 7point was set up a bit softer and using its full travel, where the Sunday was being held back a bit by the stiffer overall setup.

Personally, I would enjoy owning either or both of these bikes. What was most important to me is that the geometry of both of these bikes seemed spot on. Ironically, the Sunday has the same wheel base, head angle and chainstay length as my personal DH bike. Where it was different was in the BB height, it is quite low. Exiting a few corners I had to wait a bit longer to start pedaling or I would bang a crank on the ground. It's something I could get used to because the bike feels so planted. It got me thinking that I may lower my BB a bit. Not to 13.9 (Sunday height), but maybe 14.2 (from 14.6). It would be worth trying.

 

[RaID]

sweet reviews guys
definatly looks like a good buy either of those bikes

i dont care what ppl say but that Sunday Green colour is just ugly

 

[go-ride.com]

sweet reviews guys
definatly looks like a good buy either of those bikes

i dont care what ppl say but that Sunday Green colour is just ugly

In person I thought the lime green was pretty sweet, but do prefer the light grey on the lower speced version.

 

[ska todd]

In person I thought the lime green was pretty sweet, but do prefer the light grey on the lower speced version.

You freerider!! :eviltongu

Thanks for stopping by at Dirt Demo and by the booth. Glad y'all are diggin the bikes!

-ska todd

 

[shagwell]

got to ride the sunday for a few runs today so thought i`d let you guys know how i found it.

firstly the bike we were riding was a preproduction model and the shop who loaned us the bike werent sure what if any, the differences were between it and production models.

secondly i`m not the sort of rider to be taken in by the hype of new bikes and **** like that, i could quite happily ride the same bike untill it breaks so i`m not gonna big something up just cos its the new and shiny.

getting on the bike the top tube felt pretty long (compared to my 16" recoil) and the head angle a little steeper (which i like). a quick spin up the fireroad and i was genuinely amazed how well it pedalled FAR better than any other dh bike ive ridden (including my old 222 with 5th set up with a real stiff platform) i have no reason to kiss anyones ass in saying this.. i was genuinely amazed, the bike felt so quick just on the flat.

the track we were riding is pretty gnarly at speed with loads of natural whoops, compressions, roots, braking bumps and some pretty tight turns and nice steep sections. i`m normally really picky about bike setup i do have to have a bike set up exactly as i like it to feel comfortable going fast. the sunday had bars that were too narrow, the wrong shape (for me), grips that were loose and kept twisting and flat pedals when ive been riding clips on my dh bike for quite a while now, not a good start, especially since it takes me ages to get up to speed on a new bike anyway.

amazingly, following my mate (former pro-elite rider so no slouch) i kept up straight away, the bike just felt right, and so fast. it felt a lot easier to pump and throw around compared to other bikes that ive ridden and didnt feel like it had alot of travel most of the time but still took all the hits nicely, reminded me alot of my old lawlill schwinn in that respect. towards the bottom of the track there is a real tricky tight off camber rooty right that you come flying into over some serious braking bumps, braking into the corner the bike felt nice and stable and held the line over some real greasy roots fine. into some steep turns and the bike railed no problem, just as fast as on my own bike which itself turns real nice. i noticed the bb sits quite low but i never had a problem catching the pedals, the bike doesnt seem to run too much sag which may have helped with this. although having said that the track we were riding is real tech with minimum pedalling so i dunno how much you`d be catching your pedals somewhere a bit flatter where youre pedalling through rough sections. after not using flats for while for dh it was nice that i never lost my footing once, so the suspension must be doing its job even though sometimes it doesnt feel like its working which is how it should be.

the bike did feel a little twitchy in places which i put down to the head angle being steeper than what i`m used to.

overall i was shocked that i could get on the bike and go so fast so quickly and i`d love to get some more time on the bike to see how much faster it can go, although i wouldnt say it was faster overall than my own bike, in places it felt better in others probably not as good, my own bike feels VERY stable in the the fast rought stuff and just wants to go faster without ever feeling unsafe, the sunday felt fast, but twitchy at the same time so not quite as confidence inspiring, however in other sections the sunday felt very nimble and was real nice to pump throught sections where my own bike tends to sag a little too much.

if i were buying a bike now (which i`m not) it`d definetly be on my short list.. its a good design that you know you can get on and go fast with no problems.

 

[Acadian]

got to ride the sunday for a few runs today so thought i`d let you guys know how i found it.

- snip -

Who's bike? where was this?

 

[dw]

good to hear man, glad you liked it! You must like some SLLLLACK head angles, the Sunday is pushing 65 with an 8" fork, and thats on the slacker side of things. It does offer a lot of crown adjustment due to the design with the e.thirteen reducer cups, so maybe it was set up steeper. Thats cool though, Rennie asked for a 62 HA in 2003, so its all the riders preference!

ride on!

dw

 

[DHS]

62, damn
i rode a Sunday proto at plattekill this year. damn. really liked it. too it for a XC ride up plattekill too. he was the part spec guy for iron horse, can't remeber his name. we did go drinking that night though, have some good pics and vids.
i'd buy a new sunday frame.

 

[shagwell]

Who's bike? where was this?

i`m in the uk, and it was a test bike the importers had got hold of, i think someone said it was the one sam hill used at the rampage but i might be wrong.

 

[shagwell]

It does offer a lot of crown adjustment due to the design with the e.thirteen reducer cups, so maybe it was set up steeper.

how is this adjustment made then and how much adjustment can you make?

the bike i rode definetly didnt feel like it had a 65 HA more like 67 i`d say..

 

[dw]

how is this adjustment made then and how much adjustment can you make?

the bike i rode definetly didnt feel like it had a 65 HA more like 67 i`d say..

You can adjust it quite a bit, The bike that Sam rode had a 66 head angle with a 7 inch Boxxer and about a 65 head angle with an 8 inch Boxxer. Those angles were verified pretty frequently on the team bikes too. I've personally never set up a Sunday at 67 degrees, but it would be close with a 7 inch fork slammed in the stantions. To me the bike feels pretty nimble even with the 66, but thats just me, could be different to others!

dw

 

[Jeremy R]

Rennie asked for a 62 HA in 2003
dw

I am trying to comprehend how much stress that beast would put on a headtube with a 62 HA.
I have heard that he has tweaked swingarms from cornering so hard.
I bet his bike cringes when it sees him coming.

 

[dw]

Yeah, we talked and in the end decided that 62 degrees wouldnt be the best for the suspension, equipment etc... He ended up riding a stock 2003 SGS. (66 head angle)

dw

 

[TWISTED]

I hear that the special USA made frame sets will be available soon. They should be lighter and even better made than the Sunday World Cup and Team.

I wish I had time to ride a Sunday when I was at the IB Dirt Demo.

I just rode the proto Rotec RL9 Lawill an hour ago when Sully brought it to my house. It rode real nice. I'll have to do a side by side comparison.

 

[stinky6]

I am looking at getting the Sunday, but I was wondering how it (or the 7.7) jumps? I want a bike that will be stable, but still jumps well. Something that will rip up A-Line and the rest of Whistler.

 

[dw]

I am looking at getting the Sunday, but I was wondering how it (or the 7.7) jumps? I want a bike that will be stable, but still jumps well. Something that will rip up A-Line and the rest of Whistler.

The Sunday and all of the bikes have really low and centrailzed mass centers. The bikes are really precise jumpers, I rode mine for a week at Whistler last summer and I am dying to get back. I was easily able to place the bike into the berms and transfer onto the side walls off of the big tables on A-Line. Only riding will really give you a real feel of the bike though. The jumps are so perfect at Whistler anyways. Im bringing my Sunday and my Imperial next time.

Dave

 

[Acadian]

The jumps are so perfect at Whistler anyways. Im bringing my Sunday and my Imperial next time.

Dave

also bring some deodorant

 

[dante]

62, damn
i rode a Sunday proto at plattekill this year. damn. really liked it. took it for a XC ride up plattekill too. he was the part spec guy for iron horse, can't remeber his name. we did go drinking that night though, have some good pics and vids.
i'd buy a new sunday frame.

ha, that was me (travis). glad you liked it, wanted no part in XC'ing up the mtn in the dark that night. decided to hang out, drink beer and watch kids jump over flaming hay bales soaked in kerosene/diesel fuel.

you feeling better? you crashed pretty hard that night...

 

[dw]

also bring some deodorant

for you or me? either way, no problem!
:dancing:
ahahaha

 

[RhinofromWA]

Rennie asked for a 62 HA in 2003, so its all the riders preference!

ride on!

dw

Holy crap!

62 eh?

Make me think of one of these:

http://www.orangecountychoppers.com/allbikes/chopper_thumb.jpg

 

[Acadian]

for you or me? either way, no problem!
:dancing:
ahahaha

Touche...

Both for you and the peep that will sharing the bunk bed in the garage with you

 

[On Any Sunday]

i`m in the uk, and it was a test bike the importers had got hold of, i think someone said it was the one sam hill used at the rampage but i might be wrong.

Where was this at?? Pearce cycles by any chance?

Thanks