not sure what the appeal is about 29s that roll over rocks and roots a lot easier than a 26. surely that takes some of the fun out of riding a mtb over this type terrain . i like the way i have to fight the bike over things as i go along . it s a lot more fun . just my humble opinon
Purely out of curiosity
- Thread starter Mad Doug Biker
- Start date
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Mr Haematocrit
msg me on kik for android
- Location
- Out of the saddle
Why not take a road bike then, you would have to fight more to get over things as you go along?
Downhillat50
Regular
- Location
- Dysart, Kingdom of Fife.
Hi all, I work at halfords and was surprised by the frames, they are so light its comparable to the weight in a boardman pro hardtail..
Forks are just cheap chuckaways not liable to last past a coupla months of serious use, front mech is some ridiculous unbranded wont stay timed for long monkey metal shite,
The welding on the frame is good but not that pretty, handlebars are mince because they are heavy and too short to be usefull, stems junk and heavy, wheels are good and sturdy , cheap heavy cassette, shimano altus rear mech is reasonable and prob last 6 months before its wrecked..shifters are shimano and reasonable..
Ive just bought 2 of them and aim to change the front mechs,handlebars and stems , got both for £225
Going to cut the steerer down so i can sit a decent stem on top of the headset because they are too high otherwise, shimano front mech to match the shifter has sorted the timing issues on one,
The chainstay on the frame are thinish and i wouldnt trust them much past a 4 foot drop to transition jump but i suspect they may surprise me,brakes are okay if set up properly, ie set them up by dividing the rotor gap between both pads equally and when the pads wear bring in the inboard pad and reset the gap.
Im planning on giving them to my kids who want bikes to get to work and i know they will last longer because they wont do things which will break them, i also plan on putting one of them on test and will let you know if I break it, but i do have some faith in the frame and I ride my bikes hard ..
Imo the bike is worth turning around purely for the frame, they get returned with timing issues , bent cheap chains and no frame issues that ive come across...
Be hard pressed to get a frame like this for the same price the whole bike costs and hey you can ride it until you get decent spec bits for it.. that is my honest appraisal and i build some reasonably high spec bikes in halfords, Am a community minded trainer who takes disadvantaged kids and trains them and im gonna get a few specced out for these kids too, but with the addition of decent forks.
Hope that helps.
Downhillat50
Regular
- Location
- Dysart, Kingdom of Fife.
Imo 29ers are fast but they defo dont track as well downhill compared to a 26, they oversteer and come down quicker when it goes tits up for you, that and the high riding position scares the crap out of me..
But you know one mans meat and all that kinda thing, borrow a mates and try one if in doubt..
Think ama do the 27.5 thang, cos I dont want anymore screws in ma bones ta.
29s would be better fun for flat trails and long runs..
But you know one mans meat and all that kinda thing, borrow a mates and try one if in doubt..
Think ama do the 27.5 thang, cos I dont want anymore screws in ma bones ta.
29s would be better fun for flat trails and long runs..
Motozulu
Über Member
- Location
- Rugeley, Staffs
You are all wrong.......
http://www.mbr.co.uk/news/bike_news/size-matters-part-3-bicycle-geometry-sucks/
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Nothing as hateful as a cheap 29er.
Cubist
Still wavin'
- Location
- Ovver 'thill
Excellent read.
Downhillat50
Regular
- Location
- Dysart, Kingdom of Fife.
Good info, I do think tho that rider height plays a good part in the physics of a bike, so to that end Ill be sticking to a lower slung 16 to 18 inch frame to match my 5 foot 8.5 inch 13 stone size
My next downhill bike will be a norco or a yt industries to match my size, I prefer the slopestyle setup with the top tube low which allows me to move around more freely on the bike, also prefer the rear shock to be as low as possible if its a springer or on the seat tube if its air sprung..
Would love to try a longer rear end and see how that feels... 27.5 for me, wish I could afford a v10 carbon but its prob a lot of work to keep it good.
Downhillat50
Regular
- Location
- Dysart, Kingdom of Fife.
Got a good set of raidon forks on the mongoose, from a voodoo bizango 29er what a difference compared to the wieght in the mongoose sectors, well chunky and looks great up front, also put on the stem and bar and grips from the bizango, kept the bizango front wheel and need to convert the bizango back wheel to a QR with a kit from chainreaction, the front wheel is a maxle.
Only thing i had to do was change the crown from the bizango and replace it with the one from the sector forks,
The raidon steerer tube was 26.8mm and the sector original was 26.6mm, quickly wet and dried the raidon tube crown seat and fitted the crown, put the forks on with the original sector headset and cages.
The bike looks great guys, cant wait to get the back wheel fitted.
Next up going to change the rear mech and shifter to a sram x9 as is my preference on my bikes, will also install a pg 950 12to26 close ratio cassette in a 9 speed, and sram 971 chain..
Will take photos hopefully tomorrow and post them for you guys.
This bike is light guys,got a good feeling about this frame hope im not wrong, lol.
Only thing i had to do was change the crown from the bizango and replace it with the one from the sector forks,
The raidon steerer tube was 26.8mm and the sector original was 26.6mm, quickly wet and dried the raidon tube crown seat and fitted the crown, put the forks on with the original sector headset and cages.
The bike looks great guys, cant wait to get the back wheel fitted.
Next up going to change the rear mech and shifter to a sram x9 as is my preference on my bikes, will also install a pg 950 12to26 close ratio cassette in a 9 speed, and sram 971 chain..
Will take photos hopefully tomorrow and post them for you guys.
This bike is light guys,got a good feeling about this frame hope im not wrong, lol.
Cubist
Still wavin'
- Location
- Ovver 'thill
Looking forward to your pics.
Downhillat50
Regular
- Location
- Dysart, Kingdom of Fife.
As promised here are a few photos, not very good quality as my phone cam is crap.
So far so good still got a lot of stuff to do tho, probably cost me about another £120 for the other parts at discount (x9 shifters front and rear and x9 rear mech), not including decent chainrings, bb and cranks, finished with decent seatpost and seat.
Then I wil put on some high spec hydraulic brakes to finish this project.
Will give you a full cost report when its complete and let you know if it was worthwhile after I try and break it.
Bike feels good so far gents.
So far so good still got a lot of stuff to do tho, probably cost me about another £120 for the other parts at discount (x9 shifters front and rear and x9 rear mech), not including decent chainrings, bb and cranks, finished with decent seatpost and seat.
Then I wil put on some high spec hydraulic brakes to finish this project.
Will give you a full cost report when its complete and let you know if it was worthwhile after I try and break it.
Bike feels good so far gents.
Psycolist
NINJA BYKALIST
- Location
- North Essex
For my two penneth, I am in my first fortnight of a switch from 29ers to 26ers. My impressions at the moment is that the 26er is more agile on the slow technical stuff but that I am losing a bit of top speed on the flat straight stuff. As with all things, each to their own, but its going to depend on an individual wants the agility or wants the top end ??? I am more steady and gaining confidence on the 26er at being able to tackle the tight and slow controled stuff, that I know I failed on with the 29ers. Maybe the 27.5's are the best of both, I have no experience of these to compare
Downhillat50
Regular
- Location
- Dysart, Kingdom of Fife.
Thats been my experience too, but then again i know im not so confident on the 29er and bottle it a bit becaùse i oversteer it and overbrake banking into berms which I dont do on my 26 hardtail, 29ers pick up speed quicker going downhill and i think i enter the corners quicker which makes me overbrake.
Its new to me too tho and perhaps over time my confidence will grow.
Downhillat50
Regular
- Location
- Dysart, Kingdom of Fife.
27.5 feel more natural to me for obvious reasons pycholist :-)
And now, Downhillat50, did you ride it enough to have an opinion?
And, of course, how much costs all upgrades, if you can estimate...
I am between this Mongoose, which have horrible equipment but its cheaper like hell and in the winter time i can upgrade-it how i wish and a Cube Curve Pro which dont need any upgrade
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cube-curve-pro-mens-city-bike-2014/rp-prod114118
And, of course, how much costs all upgrades, if you can estimate...
I am between this Mongoose, which have horrible equipment but its cheaper like hell and in the winter time i can upgrade-it how i wish and a Cube Curve Pro which dont need any upgrade
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/cube-curve-pro-mens-city-bike-2014/rp-prod114118
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