I've used the search function about 7 thousand times searching for multiple different things, but alas, I've realised my situation is so custom to me it needs to be answered differently.
I'm a trials rider at heart, and a street/freerider second. Been riding an echo es4r for about 4 years, and a balfa minuteman for about a year. This winter I slipped a disc in my lower spinal area and am currently in the stage of healing and physio, but I'm not allowed to go back to trials again (it hurts too much to ride a rigid anyway) and I cant ride the ht anymore either. I'm selling the trials bike soon, probably the most painful decision I've ever had to make in my life. I cant really sell the balfa frame as the BB is stripped.
Thus, my story begins. I'm getting a full sus to be nicer on my back and just act as my do-everything bike. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to heal back up to what I could do before, but I do want 5+" of travel to be forgiving on my back in those "just in case" situations, but I'll be riding it really light right now. If I do heal tho, whistler for sure.
This is what I have right now-
.An '03 DJ3 (130mm/5" travel) fork with custom internals. I'm really attached to this fork, it just feels so incredibly right for my riding style
.About $2000US to play with (might be able to push this a little bit)
.An incredible itch to start riding again
.A mainly freeride kit from my old balfa sitting in a box in my room with front and rear Chris King ISO hubs that I took off my trials bike.
My options (from dropnzone.com)
2005 Yeti ASX $1278
Includes FSA Headset, and Thomson Post
7 Point 7 $1379
Frame Kit:
FSA Orbit 1.5 Headset, Thomson Elite seat post,
and rear axle,and E-13 SRS or DRS guide.
Basically, if I get the Yeti I'd be able to run the 5" fork on it and still have it rideable until I can maybe afford a longer travel SC fork. However, I've been thinking about the linkages and definately prefer the dw (all theoretical tho, I've never ridden either). The Yeti is a tried and tested design tho.
If I got the 7point tho, I'd probably need to get a new fork (running the 03 dj3 is a possible sign of suicidal tendencies), and will have to get new hubs front and back, for the thru-axles.
I have tried and tested a few full-sus bikes before though (bullit, s8, chap, scream, dhteam, bb7) and have found what I prefer. Stuff that tracks very well (I like the 'dead' feel as opposed to the lively bounce-you-around-fox-vanilla-style kinda bike) and has a nice standover height (I blame the trials background for this). For some reason the 7point's linkage just makes more sense in my head, coupled with the low CG and standover, I'm more attracted to it than I am to the yeti.
My biggest problem is not knowing how either of them ride, and living in Victoria BC in Canada, it's kinda difficult getting test rides down. What are your opinions? I'm open to all suggestions and/or ideas, have changed my mind between the two frames about 30 times in the past 5 hours and I'm going starking mad.
Also, could people with slipped disc experiences speak up about how to heal from them and what they were like?
Thanks so much for the time
David Lang
dslang@gmail.com
I'm a trials rider at heart, and a street/freerider second. Been riding an echo es4r for about 4 years, and a balfa minuteman for about a year. This winter I slipped a disc in my lower spinal area and am currently in the stage of healing and physio, but I'm not allowed to go back to trials again (it hurts too much to ride a rigid anyway) and I cant ride the ht anymore either. I'm selling the trials bike soon, probably the most painful decision I've ever had to make in my life. I cant really sell the balfa frame as the BB is stripped.
Thus, my story begins. I'm getting a full sus to be nicer on my back and just act as my do-everything bike. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to heal back up to what I could do before, but I do want 5+" of travel to be forgiving on my back in those "just in case" situations, but I'll be riding it really light right now. If I do heal tho, whistler for sure.
This is what I have right now-
.An '03 DJ3 (130mm/5" travel) fork with custom internals. I'm really attached to this fork, it just feels so incredibly right for my riding style
.About $2000US to play with (might be able to push this a little bit)
.An incredible itch to start riding again
.A mainly freeride kit from my old balfa sitting in a box in my room with front and rear Chris King ISO hubs that I took off my trials bike.
My options (from dropnzone.com)
2005 Yeti ASX $1278
Includes FSA Headset, and Thomson Post
7 Point 7 $1379
Frame Kit:
FSA Orbit 1.5 Headset, Thomson Elite seat post,
and rear axle,and E-13 SRS or DRS guide.
Basically, if I get the Yeti I'd be able to run the 5" fork on it and still have it rideable until I can maybe afford a longer travel SC fork. However, I've been thinking about the linkages and definately prefer the dw (all theoretical tho, I've never ridden either). The Yeti is a tried and tested design tho.
If I got the 7point tho, I'd probably need to get a new fork (running the 03 dj3 is a possible sign of suicidal tendencies), and will have to get new hubs front and back, for the thru-axles.
I have tried and tested a few full-sus bikes before though (bullit, s8, chap, scream, dhteam, bb7) and have found what I prefer. Stuff that tracks very well (I like the 'dead' feel as opposed to the lively bounce-you-around-fox-vanilla-style kinda bike) and has a nice standover height (I blame the trials background for this). For some reason the 7point's linkage just makes more sense in my head, coupled with the low CG and standover, I'm more attracted to it than I am to the yeti.
My biggest problem is not knowing how either of them ride, and living in Victoria BC in Canada, it's kinda difficult getting test rides down. What are your opinions? I'm open to all suggestions and/or ideas, have changed my mind between the two frames about 30 times in the past 5 hours and I'm going starking mad.
Also, could people with slipped disc experiences speak up about how to heal from them and what they were like?
Thanks so much for the time
David Lang
dslang@gmail.com