[Biffff]

Or monkeys who know. My buddy can get a good deal on a 07 VP-free, but all the info I can find says they have a 15.4 BB heightlthumbsdown:
I thought VP-free's were more in the neighborhood of 14.5. Can anybody tell me what the real BB heigh is for this frame. He'll be running an 07 888, and he wants a bike with a lower CG then his sky skrapper 04 Norco A-line.

 

[Banshee Rider]

It's 15.5.

I had one as a back up bike to my V10 a couple years ago. I would recommend not buying it for downhill use. Actually, now that I think of it, it didn't do all that much "great", just "got by" doing alittle bit of everything.

 

[ridiculous]

Yup mine was at 15.5 dead on with a fox 40. I enjoyed it thoroughly for lift assisted stuff and shuttling. Definitely one of the best bikes ive owned.

 

[SuboptimusPrime]

The BB really is over 15. I also enjoyed mine for all around use, took it to Whistler, and race on it some. I've got a Sunday now, and I can see some of the VPF's shortcomings in retrospect. If your friend wants something lower, look elsewhere. If he wants something fun for lots of types of riding and it's a good deal, it may be a good option.

 

[rawcan]

The BB is high. My bike just never felt right? It pedaled amazing and climbed like a goat but it felt like I was riding a horse. It's just not the right animal for going downhill fast. My2cents

 

[norbar]

It will feel bad in corners. I'm on a 14.9'' bike with more and more linear travel and feel the need for lower BB. Every free owner when asked directly will say that it corners kinda strange.

 

[Resident Alien]

I currently own a VPFree, and have had it for the past two years. Everything said so far is true to my experience: great Whistler bike, climbs great for what it is, and doesn't corner that well. North Shore is place where this bike has felt best to me. The bike is also reasonable light and very strong.

This is a bit of aside, but more and more I think the niche the bike is in is odd to begin with. *If* you have a DH bike (say 8-10" of travel) and an all-mountain bike (6-6.5ish), then there aren't that many places where you would really want an 8" freeride/play bike. I'm actually surprised SC is bringing it back rather than just doing a different version of the Nomad like they've done with the Blurs.


Edit: Just measured the BB at 15". This is with a Totem and 2.35 Kenda Excavators.

 

[Biffff]

Thanks for the great responses! I think he will look elsewhere as he wants a good cornering bike primarily for DH.

 

[SuboptimusPrime]

I'm actually surprised SC is bringing it back rather than just doing a different version of the Nomad like they've done with the Blurs.

I do think there's a spot between the Gonad and the V10...a VPF with 7 inches of travel, slacker head angle, lower BB and shorter chainstays would be loads of fun and could be more burly/dh fun than the nomad yet not a full on dh bike like the V10... I'll say this, if the VPF was a smidge lighter and had better geo, I would have to look at ditching the AM bike and the DH bike and just riding that... My fingers are crossed that such a thing will come to pass.

 

[Resident Alien]

I'd buy that bike too if they made it

 

[ridiculous]

socom?
bb is an inch shorter and the wheelbase is about an inch and a half less.

 

[Biffff]

socom?
bb is an inch shorter and the wheelbase is about an inch and a half less.

The Socom has the geo and is a great bike but not sure of the long term durability. Perfect for a race bike for a lighter rider. My buddy isn't a anal bike figiter like myself, he'd rather something he can pound the feck out of with no worries.
If he could find a good deal he would buy a Cove Shocker in a heartbeat.

 

[Zark]

If he could find a good deal he would buy a Cove Shocker in a heartbeat.

Talk to me at the end of the season, I've got M6 fever

 

[jonKranked]

Talk to me at the end of the season, I've got M6 fever

that's not the only fever you have

 

[Zark]

that's not the only fever you have

The other one can only be cured by MORE COWBELL!!!
Dude, get your ass up to SB, we're doing marathon shuttle runs on Sat

 

[jamesdc]

You can run a shorter shock on the vpfree and it works pretty good.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=168401

 

[Huck Banzai]

I pass most of the 'Downhillers' on my Free, turns and all....

when is it the bike, and when is it the rider?

just a question - of course a 'DH' bike would do a better job, but VPF does a pretty damn good job at DH.


And with the shock swap, 7.75" setup (lower, slacker) its just about full on. Admittedly for you short people (those under 6'1" being short people!) the standover is a bit much.

 

[jonKranked]

The other one can only be cured by MORE COWBELL!!!
Dude, get your ass up to SB, we're doing marathon shuttle runs on Sat

my folks are in town till the 30th, just got in last night. so that's a no go unfortunately.

 

[Biffff]

I pass most of the 'Downhillers' on my Free, turns and all....

when is it the bike, and when is it the rider?

just a question - of course a 'DH' bike would do a better job, but VPF does a pretty damn good job at DH.


And with the shock swap, 7.75" setup (lower, slacker) its just about full on. Admittedly for you short people (those under 6'1" being short people!) the standover is a bit much.

True enough, its just that VP-free has the same BB height, stand over and geometry as his current (works fine) bike. So he's not enthusiastic and spendding $$$$ for clean and shiny version of what he has. I'm also pretty sure he wouldn't the hastle of buying another shock either. I think VP's are great bikes and I know a couple fast guys who race them. No doubt they'd be faster on a more race specific rig.

 

[Banshee Rider]

I pass most of the 'Downhillers' on my Free, turns and all....

when is it the bike, and when is it the rider?

just a question - of course a 'DH' bike would do a better job, but VPF does a pretty damn good job at DH.


And with the shock swap, 7.75" setup (lower, slacker) its just about full on. Admittedly for you short people (those under 6'1" being short people!) the standover is a bit much.

A few years back I destroyed my V10 hanger in practice, and was forced onto my vp-free for race day. Riding them back to back with the same set up(suspension, tires, cockpit), its defenitly the bike. It turns floppy like a fish out of water, and handles the same too. The difference was very noticable. It got me down the hill fine that day, but if I was putting cash on the table for a bike to get me down the hill every day, then this bike would be damn near the bottom of my list.

Flip it around to a dual ring bike with a totem 2 step, doing AM rides with a couple thousand feet of climbing - it still climbs like an 8" bike would, and when you got to the top, it still held true to its chinese zodiac (the fish) on its way down.

It did everything ok, but nothing good. The market for midtravel downhill bikes isn't dead, I'd recommending check it out, rather than hunting down a discontinued frame with known flaws.

 

[punkassean]

you can always go from an 8.75x2.75 to an 8.5x2.5" shock and that will lower the BB and slacken the head angle. It will also reduce travel a little but that's a small price to pay for improved handling.....

 

[SuboptimusPrime]

you can always go from an 8.75x2.75 to an 8.5x2.5" shock and that will lower the BB and slacken the head angle. It will also reduce travel a little but that's a small price to pay for improved handling.....

I ran this setup with a borrowed shock and it actually felt pretty great riding DH. The pedaling got a little less efficient, but if I were racing, I'd run it with the 8.5 i2i.