[Lizzy]

Hey,
I'm shopping around for a new frame and have narrowed it down to these two, Santa Cruz superlight or the Ellsworth Truth (I would still consider others if information leads me down another path).

Thoughts? I'm 5'5'' and like long cross country riding. I do some adventure races but nothing to serious.

Thanks

 

[sanjuro]

Well, the Superlight is much cheaper than the Ellsworth, and the general opinion around RM on Ellsworth customer service is a bad one (SC is pretty decent).

This leads into a large discussion about single pivots (which is the suspension design of the Superlight) vs the four bar linkage of the Truth. The hype would have you believe that single pivots are obsolete, but the Superlight continues to be a big seller.

I can't recommend the Truth because of the problems I have heard of, but the Superlight should adequate for your needs.

 

[skatetokil]

if you were gonna drop the money on a truth you could afford an epic or something.

 

[BMXman]

Well, the Superlight is much cheaper than the Ellsworth, and the general opinion around RM on Ellsworth customer service is a bad one (SC is pretty decent).

This leads into a large discussion about single pivots (which is the suspension design of the Superlight) vs the four bar linkage of the Truth. The hype would have you believe that single pivots are obsolete, but the Superlight continues to be a big seller.

I can't recommend the Truth because of the problems I have heard of, but the Superlight should adequate for your needs.

I agree...I think the Superlight is the way to go. Santa Cruz has that bike dialed in....my wife has had hers for over 5 years and loves it...D

 

[jrfor0]

go the superlight. you can't beat it for the money!
besides, the aluminum that ellsworth uses is WAY too brittle. that is why they always fail.

 

[davep]

WOW, just looked into the $$ of the new superlight. Defintely a deal there, it is half of the price of the truth.

I was going to suggest looking at the turner flux as well. They are a great co to deal with, probabaly the best in the industry...but the price is up closer to the truth ($200 less).

I guess it comes down to a few things that most likely make little to no difference....USA made or not, and simple single pivot vs linkage system.

Ride them if you can and get the one that fits/feel the best (within your budget of course).

 

[Westy]

I've owned a Superlight, a Flux and spent a lot of time on a friends Truth. The Superlight was a great bike and I'd buy it again in a heartbeat I beat the living crap out of mine for 4 years and it never complained. The one common gripe with the Superlight is that the shock bushing need replacing every few years depending on how much of a masher you are.

 

[Zark]

I can't recommend either one.
Ellsworth has a rep of bad customer service and premature failure.
The superlight is a high single pivot and I just can't stand the ride of them. You get a weird "inchworm" bob out of the suspension when climbing in the granny.

I'd take a Blur over the Superlight, even though its more $
How about Intense? the Spider or 5.5?

 

[Biscuit]

I agree with Zark about the Blur. I really dislike high single pivots.

Also worth considering: Iron Horse Azure (great deals out there), Giant Trance (also great deals), or maybee the Specialized Stumpjumper (might be more travel than you want).


I am one of the few people on this board that has actually ridden Ellsworths. They are great bikes. They are very light, and like any light bike, they break. Somehow they have gotten this unbeatable reputation for bad service.

I have many, many friends who ride the hell out of their bikes, a few have broken and have been fixed. The Truth design has been constantly evolving and improving longer than nearly any bike out there. If you look at the frame over the years you will see tiny improvements in areas that became problems as people rode the living hell out of them.

I will say the Truth is one of the best descending cross country bikes I've ridden. But I won't buy one simply because I don't think they are worth the money over those listed above.

If you want something with 'bling', go for the truth or an intense spider. I've ridden both, and honestly preferred the Truth.

The Epiphany is also an awesome bike. Much more versatile than the Truth.

 

[Zark]

Also worth considering: Iron Horse Azure (great deals out there), Giant Trance (also great deals), or maybee the Specialized Stumpjumper (might be more travel than you want).

All great bikes with killer value.

I've got an '06 Spec. Stumpy FSR and its great.

 

[Westy]

I can't recommend either one.
Ellsworth has a rep of bad customer service and premature failure.
The superlight is a high single pivot and I just can't stand the ride of them. You get a weird "inchworm" bob out of the suspension when climbing in the granny.

I'd take a Blur over the Superlight, even though its more $
How about Intense? the Spider or 5.5?

It is all about preference. I never felt any brake jack or stinkbugging on my superlight ever, but if you moved my rebound damping off one click I'd be able to feel it. Then again I am really anal about my suspension set up and maybe a properly adjusted high single pivot does not exhibit those tendencies very much. I guess I never used my granny gear much either.

 

[Zark]

It is all about preference. I never felt any brake jack or stinkbugging on my superlight ever, but if you moved my rebound damping off one click I'd be able to feel it. Then again I am really anal about my suspension set up and maybe a properly adjusted high single pivot does not exhibit those tendencies very much. I guess I never used my granny gear much either.

I too, am quite picky about suspension setup. But suspension design cannot be overcome entirely by suspension setup. SPV shocks breathed a lot of life into high single pivots like the superlight. you could tune out the worst of the bob with the platform....at the sacrifice of small bump performance of course. I couldn't feel that inchworm feel in mid or big ring (since the chain is in line with the pivot then). But when you are climbing for 2 hours and 3,000' of vert climbing, you spend a lot of time in the granny I left the braking interaction out of my original post, but I can feel it in certain bikes, and high single pivots its pretty noticeable. Its mostly a non issue since you usually brake in smoother sections any way.

Superlights are simple, pretty stiff and light. They have a lot going for them, but my prefrences don't agree with the ride. So Superlights are great bikes, but not for me.

 

[Westy]

I spent hours climbing on the SL but when I made it into the granny I was never going fast enough to really activate the suspension much. I could certainly feel feedback in the chain if I say pedaled quickly into a curb or something I just never felt it in real world riding conditions.

 

[trailblazer]

fuk it
i bought a heckler
pics in the gallery as i am useless at posting them

 

[Boognish]

I am one of the few people on this board that has actually ridden Ellsworths. They are great bikes. They are very light, and like any light bike, they break. Somehow they have gotten this unbeatable reputation for bad service.

I owned a 2001 Absolute Truth which broke in 2003. Ellsworth said, "meh, time for a new bike". I'm 5'11, 165#'s and don't do drops or hucks...Ellsworth reputation for bad service is well deserved in my opinion. They may have improved the quality of their frames, but I can't back a company which charges 2 grand for a frame just so the customer can field test it for durability.

Having said that, that bike was SWEET to ride.

 

[soreback]

they redesigned the superlight for 2007, its looks sexier. i have alot of stories of ellsworth frames breaking...