[mcgowanc]

[EDIT]
-- I posted this in the Mud Hunnies but thought I would post it in a couple other spots. (I am a 5'4 135lb ish girl)
Any one out there ride the Turner 5 Spot. I rode it yesterday, and am thinking I like it. But I am a little worried about the weight of the bike. I need to be able to get up the hills with some speed. I plan to race xc and dh on it.

 

[McGRP01]

Race XC and DH on one bike? I would re-think that idea. The 5 spot is a great trailbike, but not really suitable to race either format. Perhaps you get by on the DH end as a beginner, but not XC. Just my .02

 

[MikeD]

Yeah, the bike's optimized as a perfect balance between XC and DH, so it's really not going to be good at either. I tried the same thing once, and it just doesn't work, unless you gave basically 2 build kits (wheels, tires, rear shock, fork, cockpit setup, possibly gearing) for the frame, which is a giant pain in the ass and STILL not going to give you much of a fighting chance in either category. The 5-spot is a true, fun mountain bike, not a race machine of any kind.

MD

 

[Tully]

MikeD is right on: the bike is made for aggressive trail riding and nothing else, so you would essentially need two build kits. Rather than buy a new 5 Spot, I would get two purpose-built bikes, by buying Iron Horses from Supergo, or used bikes, or one of each. Definitely post in the DH if you have more questions about a DH bike.

 

[mcgowanc]

Thanks for all your input. I decided not to go with the 5 spot. I would have loved to have gone with 2 bikes, however because I am purchases this with insurance moneys .. (I have to provide receipts) I could only buy one bike. I decided on the Ellsworth ID, with a fox air shock. This will hopefully lighten the bike up - but I will get some good travel for the down hills, and hopefully not notice much of a difference climbing. (I'll let you know what I think when I get the bike

 

[Tully]

Good choice, just keep ion mind that the Id won't take a hard pounding--however, it doesn't sound like that'll be a problem for you at 130 lbs, riding XC and beginner DH. If you don't mind me asking, did you get the insurance money because your last bike was stolen, and it happened to be insured?

 

[mcgowanc]

Good choice, just keep ion mind that the Id won't take a hard pounding--however, it doesn't sound like that'll be a problem for you at 130 lbs, riding XC and beginner DH. If you don't mind me asking, did you get the insurance money because your last bike was stolen, and it happened to be insured?

I am hoping I won’t beat it up to much. I don’t really take drops nor do too many jumps, although I find myself getting more and more brave... I put a few dents in the juliana, but it seems like the riding out here is a little less abusive (fewer trees to hit).

I had renters insurance which covers bikes. They were not to please when I told them how much my bike was worth. I think they took a double take or two, but it is worth having. I would have been devastated if I had lost my bike, and had to start from scratch. I'm still waiting for the bike to come in, but the bike shop let me demo a titus racer x for the weekend so I am happy as a clam

 

[Tully]

Could you tell me more about renter's insurance? I've never heard of that before, and if my bike(s) were ever stolen, that would definitely come in handy.

 

[MikeD]

It's just homeowner's insurance for people who rent. Covers all your property, generally, whether it's in the house or not, for damage or fire or theft (although breaking your derailleur or frame in use isn't going to be covered...then again, if you smash your bike rack on a wall or drive-through roof, it might be depending on the company). Small deductibles, too, with a very low premium.

If your insurance company offers homeowner's insurance, they probably do renter's. Make sure to ask about big-ticket items like jewelry, computers, bikes, etc. You might need to take out what's called a "floater" on certain items in addition to the main policy.

Renter's is dirt-cheap and worth its weight in gold, IMHO.

MD

Edit: Also start keeping reciepts for all your bike stuff in case you need to show them how much it cost you.