Someone tell me all you can about this frame. I am thinking about buying one from Go-Ride with the floater. Will the bike have bad brake jack with out it?
Is it worth the money?
Is it worth the money?
VENTANA El Cuervo
- Thread starter ThePriceSeliger
- Start date
Did I read from one of your previous posts that you have a gemini? Assuming your gemini does not have a floater, the el cuervo will not brake very differently, it will squat (jack) slightly more. The el cuervo seems to be a very all around frame, there is nothing about it that really stands out in my opinion, (construction maybe) but it's the "all aroundness" that makes it appealing (to me anyway)priceseliger14 said:
PS: If you've read the go-ride writeup on the frame, you'll understand what I mean, every aspect of the frame appears to be well thought out. Go-ride really knows what it takes to produce a good downhill bike.
Van Dine (sp?) runs his w/o the floater for whatever thats worth. I know a couple pepole who own El Cuervos and speak very highly of them.
Yes I HAD a Gemini, but it cracked very badly making it unridable. Is the floating brake worth the extra 100 or so dollars? My Gemini has a floater.
They're awesome bikes. They size a little small though, so take note of the measurements. A large cuervo has almost the exact same measurements as my medium turner.
And they brake absolutely nothing like a gemini. The gemini sits high while the cuervo stays balanced, maybe squatting a bit.
And they brake absolutely nothing like a gemini. The gemini sits high while the cuervo stays balanced, maybe squatting a bit.
All I can say is that I really like mine haven't had any proablems with it yet (knocking on wood). I don't have the floater brake and don't need it, yes it does have some brake jack but not that bad you proably won't even notice it. If you can afford it get the avy shock.
Talk to James at go-ride he help me decide between the turner and the ventana, to me the ventana is a better bike for all around jumping, hucking and fast downhill.
Oh I almost forgot this thing corners like you would not believe.
Hope this helps alittle.
Talk to James at go-ride he help me decide between the turner and the ventana, to me the ventana is a better bike for all around jumping, hucking and fast downhill.
Oh I almost forgot this thing corners like you would not believe.
Hope this helps alittle.
kidwoo said:
So you saw my Gemini, its a large, what would a Cuervo be?
When the gemini has a floater and the el cuervo doesn't, of course they will brake differently.kidwoo said:
I ran the Cuervo with the floater and without, and I liked it better without it. The bike is awesome. I am sorry that I sold mine.
May have to buy another one.....
May have to buy another one.....
Duh.WheelieMan said:
I've ridden both bikes with and without.
Gemini DH with, Gemini regular without.
Same cuervo with and without.
The floaters didn't make much of a difference on either bike from what I could tell on the trails we were riding.
Be more constructive and tell me WHY they brake similarly when their pivots are in completely different locations...............and why that it sounds like you haven't ridden the two.
EDIT:Or actually now that I think about it.........why did you say they would brake similarly at all then if it's so obvious via the floaters?
I did? We ride together?priceseliger14 said:
Anyway....I know what a large gemini feels like. I'd check out the large or xl cuervo. I like long bikes, especially for a dh rig, so if it were me personally, I'd get an xl.
Either way though...considering a cuervo is a good move.
who cares about brake jack?
why even use your brakes, they just slow you down anyway...
why even use your brakes, they just slow you down anyway...
That's not my DH you're thinking of, is it? Because the shock was a kfukt at the time.kidwoo said:
It rides and brakes way better with a shock that actually moves. Sits in the sag nicely while braking IMO...
Anyway, Cuervo looks sweet. I don't think you can go wrong with that frame.
I absolutely love my El Cuervo. It rides amazing, and as stated above; cornering is unreal. I came from a BigHit and the stiffness/turning abilites are on a different planet with the Cuervo. Craftmanship is top notch, I have not touched the bearings and there's no play anywhere (1 full year of riding). It pedals well, but not fantastic, I run an Avalanche with fairly little compression damping.
Paint, though, is not so good. It scratches easily and is under par from what is usually expected from Ventana.
Get one, you won't regret it.
Paint, though, is not so good. It scratches easily and is under par from what is usually expected from Ventana.
Get one, you won't regret it.
I demoed the El-Cuervo and liked it a lot !
Definitely on my wish list !
It feels very solid , stable and balanced on the ground and in the air , inspire confidence , tracks well and doesnt squat so bad W/O the floater.
I say get the floater if you tend to drag your brakes or if the trails you usualy
ride have a lot of braking bumps .
Definitely on my wish list !
It feels very solid , stable and balanced on the ground and in the air , inspire confidence , tracks well and doesnt squat so bad W/O the floater.
I say get the floater if you tend to drag your brakes or if the trails you usualy
ride have a lot of braking bumps .
No 10 feet on a blown shock doesen't count. But you know my tendency to grab other people's bikes, parts etc. and try them/trade them out.ohio said:
A buddy of mine up here has one. (goes by superJ round these parts) I was actually really impressed with how well it felt over big chop but dragging the brakes was a little different than the cuervo........which for the most part kind of felt like my turner. I was fascinated by the underside floater when he got it and wanted to see if it felt any different than the regular geminis.
We didn't ride together, but I saw you in Whistlerkidwoo said:
The Cuervo is a great race bike. I do not own one but borrowed one briefly and it was comfortable from the first pedal stroke. Nothing to learn, it just performs really well and is easy to ride. Feels very similar to the DHR IMO.
I said the El Cuervo will squat slightly more than the Gemini, and that's because the pivot is slightly more rearward on the El Cuervo, closer to the rear tire contact patch. The pivots are not in completely different locations, both are in-line with a 38-40 tooth ring, one a couple inches in front of the other.kidwoo said:
I have ridden a non-dh gemini, and sure it squatted like all non-floater single-pivots. I'm curious why you think the gemini "stays high" in its travel without a floater. The floater on the Gemini DH doesn't look very effective anyway, the brake arm appears to be pointed directly at the pivot. I hate derailing threads... Resume
priceseliger14: Buy the Ventana without the floater, you can always get one later if it really bothers you.
I have had a Cuervo for 2 years and it is about as good as it gets. I like it a lot more than my Foes mono, or Turner DHR that I had in the past. The bike is very predictable and neutral both in the air and the turns. The wheel path allows it to not get damped/ slowed down in the rocks. It pedals great. Ive tried mine with a Romic, a 5th Element, and now a DHX5. The DHX seems best overall as it compensates best for the Cuervo's rapid progression through the first 2-3 inches of travel. Many of the Go-ride Pros run Pushed Vanilla's, which seem to work well too. I have mine without the brake bar. I don't think there is anyone on the Go-ride team, including scott, krispi, Vandine, or Mjohnston who run the brake bar, so save the $$
I think you and I are actually agreeing here.WheelieMan said:
I just felt like the gemini I took on a trail ride without the floater didn't have as much squat as the cuervo and/or didn't feel like it wanted to stay low over the back once you got on the stoppers.
Anyway.
Cuervo....mmm good bike.
I have not had any paint issuses with mine but I do have it covered with black electric tape (my friends give me s**t for it though). Buy one you won't regret it.
Cool, i saw you in norway last summer, that is a sick rig. I was at the hajfeil(i cant spell it dh) not riding cause my shoulder was blown out. i was there with sondre(sonny)Trond said:
sick rig, i remember it cause of the avy woodie, it was the first i had seen and was stoked on it. Didnt your buddy have one setup real similar. i was suprised to see some rarer american rigs out there, a lot of ventanas and canfields and stuff.
Without going into a detailed description of single pivot bikes with and without floaters, here's what basically happens.
The Cuervo is a single pivot, so it does squat some under braking. When it squats it does get into the stiffer part of its travel. However, due to the progressive shock linkage it doesn't start blowing through its travel and bucking like basic single pivot bikes without shock linkage.
All 4 different single pivot bikes I have tried with optional floating brakes tend to stand up a bit under braking. That's what a floater does. It does not magically make braking forces dissappear. Instead it counter acts the squat with a standing force. This does make the rear of a bike smoother in braking bumps. However, as the rear stands (or stays level depending on the angles of the floater) the riders weight has to go somewhere. Well, it goes to the front wheel which causes the front of the bike to dive even more than usual.
In the end a floater is a slower bike. When attacking a steep chute or entering a corner you do not want more of your weight shifted to the front wheel and less on the back. This makes for poor handling geometry. I've tested this back to back a number of times on the Cuervo and other floater optional bikes.
IMO if you are a Beginner to intermediate Expert that doesn't ride a lot of really steep areas then the floater may be a benefit. However, if you want to win Expert Nationals, or compete at a higher level than that, then the floater is not a benefit.
Hope this helps some.
The Cuervo is a single pivot, so it does squat some under braking. When it squats it does get into the stiffer part of its travel. However, due to the progressive shock linkage it doesn't start blowing through its travel and bucking like basic single pivot bikes without shock linkage.
All 4 different single pivot bikes I have tried with optional floating brakes tend to stand up a bit under braking. That's what a floater does. It does not magically make braking forces dissappear. Instead it counter acts the squat with a standing force. This does make the rear of a bike smoother in braking bumps. However, as the rear stands (or stays level depending on the angles of the floater) the riders weight has to go somewhere. Well, it goes to the front wheel which causes the front of the bike to dive even more than usual.
In the end a floater is a slower bike. When attacking a steep chute or entering a corner you do not want more of your weight shifted to the front wheel and less on the back. This makes for poor handling geometry. I've tested this back to back a number of times on the Cuervo and other floater optional bikes.
IMO if you are a Beginner to intermediate Expert that doesn't ride a lot of really steep areas then the floater may be a benefit. However, if you want to win Expert Nationals, or compete at a higher level than that, then the floater is not a benefit.
Hope this helps some.
Scott, I bought the Bike from you, through you. I don't know if you remember, but I have raced it a few times and I love it. In the steeps it rocks, and in the snow, but that was a weired occasion. Jumps it handels like no other.
Great Job Scott.
Two thumbs up for you.
Great Job Scott.
Two thumbs up for you.