Ventana El cuervo
- Thread starter mack
- Start date
I have one and it rides like a dream. It is fast and floats over rocks like they weren't even there. Jumping this bike is easy and handles awesome in the air. So far I have not had any problems yet Knock on wood. The only thing I am going to change is the romic to an avy.
The go-ride boys should chime in soon. They only have GREAT things to say is what ive read. There doesnt really seem to be any downsides to the bike except its extremely flexy. 
it's true, they are very e-flexy 
I got mine back in january. The new swingarm seemed to take care of the flexiness and it hasn't cracked since i got the new swingarm either. make sure you get a steelset because i ovalized the headtube in the first month w/ a regular headset. those were the only two bad things. everything else is amazing. especially cornering. it's really low center of gravity and short wheelbase. it's so much fun. although i put a Ti spring on my Romic and it bottoms out on the frame. but just barely, hardly noticeable. Basically this bike Makes you go faster, bigger and smoother (Nathan Rennie style, no Josh Bender stuff) I love this bike so much. it's a shame i have to sell it soon. (I'll be riding for Nicolai this season, otherwise the only reason i would sell it is to buy a new one.)
Thats because they helped design it, of course they'll say all good stuff about it. I'm sure they get a piece of the pie with everyone sold. Not that thats a bad thing, I'm just jealous that I'm not smart enough to design cool frames and other goodies.biker3 said:The go-ride boys should chime in soon. They only have GREAT things to say is what ive read. There doesnt really seem to be any downsides to the bike except its extremely flexy.
I wish something but I get nothing.Bulldog said:
no "kickbacks" other than if they sell the frame then obviously "Go-Ride" the company makes money by way of resale margins, but there are no such other kickbacks involved.
Scott and Krispy worked with Sherwood for a year or so giving input on what the dh scene wanted and needed in a bike and Sherwood designed and built it. And since Go-Ride is stoked on the Cuervo they are obviously selling them well. But not for any extra hidden kickbacks. I think they are just stoked on the fact that they had a chance to help make a frame that hits all their concerns about how to make a killer frame for 95% of the dher's out there.
I've had my Cuervo for over a year now and no issues with it. It definetly was quite a jump from my Cortina to this. Corners so much better and accelerates out of corners so fast. It gets back up to speed out a corner easily.
I've run the Romic and now am running a Progressive which had helped firm up the back end under accel.
bikeninja: you must have gotten one of the first batch of 20 or so. The heat-treaters didn't get that batch cooked enough, so Ventana's replaced all those swingarms. I never heard of one blowing up, but rather they all died a slow and soft twisted death.
Go Black Crow!
Scott and Krispy worked with Sherwood for a year or so giving input on what the dh scene wanted and needed in a bike and Sherwood designed and built it. And since Go-Ride is stoked on the Cuervo they are obviously selling them well. But not for any extra hidden kickbacks. I think they are just stoked on the fact that they had a chance to help make a frame that hits all their concerns about how to make a killer frame for 95% of the dher's out there.
I've had my Cuervo for over a year now and no issues with it. It definetly was quite a jump from my Cortina to this. Corners so much better and accelerates out of corners so fast. It gets back up to speed out a corner easily.
I've run the Romic and now am running a Progressive which had helped firm up the back end under accel.
bikeninja: you must have gotten one of the first batch of 20 or so. The heat-treaters didn't get that batch cooked enough, so Ventana's replaced all those swingarms. I never heard of one blowing up, but rather they all died a slow and soft twisted death.
Go Black Crow!
at first i laughed, but then felt sad.....Internal14 said:
Chime.
See if you can track down Mani_UT on here. He's not on our payroll or anything so you won't have to worry about him trying to get you to buy one or whatever, I guess I do that a lot and can't comment won't anything we sell from now on.
See if you can track down Mani_UT on here. He's not on our payroll or anything so you won't have to worry about him trying to get you to buy one or whatever, I guess I do that a lot and can't comment won't anything we sell from now on.
comment as you will.James | Go-Ride said:Chime.
See if you can track down Mani_UT on here. He's not on our payroll or anything so you won't have to worry about him trying to get you to buy one or whatever, I guess I do that a lot and can't comment won't anything we sell from now on.
most of your comments i read on here were very helpful an open.
still you need to accept that people will take your opinion as valid as it might be with a grain of salt.
UiUiUiUi said:
that my german friend is an example of what we call 'sarcasm'...
(but i think you already knew that :devil: )
partsbara said:that my german friend is an example of what we call 'sarcasm'...
oh well...
no that thought didn't cross my mind.
James | Go-Ride said:Chime.
See if you can track down Mani_UT on here. He's not on our payroll or anything so you won't have to worry about him trying to get you to buy one or whatever, I guess I do that a lot and can't comment won't anything we sell from now on.
Hmmmmm, you mean this Mani?
Nice try James
Lol here is a review I wrote earlier this year... Now I am a tad faster and still love it soooo much! The bike truely made me faster this season!James | Go-Ride said:Chime.
See if you can track down Mani_UT on here. He's not on our payroll or anything so you won't have to worry about him trying to get you to buy one or whatever, I guess I do that a lot and can't comment won't anything we sell from now on.
>>>
Ok ok so all the fast guys are gonna give you their opinion on the bike but what about the views of a beater?
First, I am not good at analyzing stuff. Either it works or it doesn't. I crash or I don't. I go slow or I go slower.
Here is what I noticed about the Cuervo though (and I'll leave alone the craftmanship aspect as we know it is first class).
I feel good on the cuervo, I feel safe, I feel fast! Even though I rode it in many type of terrain so far (for dusty bootleg trails to muddy eastern France), this really hit me last weekend where for the first time I went to the bountiful trails. By the end of the day, while trying to move a little faster on the fast, whoopy, rocky as hell lower fireroad, I stayed beind a couple guys to get a feel for it and I each time I thought "holly ****, is everybody riding super slow on this section today or is it me -my bike-"? I remenber being scared ****less of hitting this section fast on my BB7 and here while moving fairly fast I was feeling like I still had a huge margin of safety. I don't know if it's the shock, the frame, the fork.. It's just plush and sweet. That's all I needed to know.. I am in love!
So James... I call you about that kickback alright?
who knew it was such a good coddler?Mani_UT said:
Crash13 would be another one to ask for impartial comments. His was purchased from Bikeworks in Lake Stevens Washington. Nice ride. 
Yeah, When it cracked the first time, I talked to Sherwood and he was like "No Way. Are you Hucking roofs to flat?"Internal14 said:
"No, I don't do that stuff"
But he was super cool about it and replaced it right away. he got my frame back to me within the week, which was awesome. it was the same swingarm though and it didn't take long to die a slow and soft twisted death again. When I called Sherwood about it this time, he was more understanding. (I guess by that point i wasn't the only one who had had this problem) So I sent in my frame yet again and this time i got it back with a new rear triangle that was way beefier in the spot that it had cracked previously. it's been at least six months since then and no problems. So besides the craftsmanship, how sexy it looks, how well it handles and all that, Ventana's customer service is top notch.
If I were to post a picture of everybody in Utah that has a Go-Ride jersey, our site would start to bog from hosting so many images.
Mani, you already get free coffee and the pleasure of my company. I can't offer anything more.
Mani, you already get free coffee and the pleasure of my company. I can't offer anything more.
That reminds me, with Big Bear gone where is Manny going to ride in his thong?SinatorJ said:
Another totally derailled thread. Suppose it's my fault. Anyway, we're hosting the UT series again this year, yes. It should start around the first weekend of June, Moses and Silas usually come down for that one. We'd hold part of the series in Idaho but Ron (or whoever runs the ID races) doesn't want to pay the $4 per rider insurance to NORBA. As such, any series that has one of his races in it is DQ'd from being listed as a NORBA series and riders don't get points towards an expert national championship or whatever.mack said:
Anyhoo, hitch a ride with those guys for the Bountiful World Cup (
) in June if you can, it's always a fun race. Then come back in a couple weeks for the National at DV.
I've been riding the Cuervo since June. I switched from a BigHit/Avy rig and the Cuervo transformed a lot of my riding skills. I now cut corners much better, it holds its lines straighter and I feel like I can spend more time on planning the next 30feet than what's just underneath me.
It's superstiff and has a great suspension path. The few times I actually bottom out it is "controlled" and ramps up well.
I ride a medium, 70mm stem, 1" offset seatpost, 5.11tall and 215lbs. A 550lbs spring gives me 30% of sag with little to no preload. I tried a 50mm stem but it was too short for me.
It bobs just a little bit under pedaling, which can be controlled by the compression adjuster on the romic. All in all a very good pedaler taken into account the amazing plushness from the first 5 inches of travel.
cons: Mostly small stuff. I don't think Ventana put too much time into the paintjob on the 04's. It's thin and scratches easily, nothing like other Ventana's I've tried. From what I understand they offer a wider range of paintjobs for 05.
Mine also came with several guides for the hydraulic lines. The "claws" and zipties ones on the left side. I prefer the zips, but just one or the other woulda been fine
All in all a superb bike, can't say enough good stuff about it. My first ride was ALL smiles, I couldn't believe how well it rode.
I just scored a used avalanche shock/Ti spring for less than nothing, which I will get revalved. Should be fun to try it, but it will be a while before I get any reports on it. Winterseason has arrived.
Here's the bike when built up, I have since added Intense Intruder tires and an E-13 Chainguide and ring.
It's superstiff and has a great suspension path. The few times I actually bottom out it is "controlled" and ramps up well.
I ride a medium, 70mm stem, 1" offset seatpost, 5.11tall and 215lbs. A 550lbs spring gives me 30% of sag with little to no preload. I tried a 50mm stem but it was too short for me.
It bobs just a little bit under pedaling, which can be controlled by the compression adjuster on the romic. All in all a very good pedaler taken into account the amazing plushness from the first 5 inches of travel.
cons: Mostly small stuff. I don't think Ventana put too much time into the paintjob on the 04's. It's thin and scratches easily, nothing like other Ventana's I've tried. From what I understand they offer a wider range of paintjobs for 05.
Mine also came with several guides for the hydraulic lines. The "claws" and zipties ones on the left side. I prefer the zips, but just one or the other woulda been fine
All in all a superb bike, can't say enough good stuff about it. My first ride was ALL smiles, I couldn't believe how well it rode.
I just scored a used avalanche shock/Ti spring for less than nothing, which I will get revalved. Should be fun to try it, but it will be a while before I get any reports on it. Winterseason has arrived.
Here's the bike when built up, I have since added Intense Intruder tires and an E-13 Chainguide and ring.
Oh yeah, the floater keeps things very neutral under braking. Better than my previous horstlink-equipped bighit. Can't say anything on how it works without though.