GEOMETRY

[egordon]

I'm ordering a new frame. My Choice if I go with Med the top tube is 1/2" shorter than what im riding now, the Large is 1/2 longer. Am I better of compensating with a longer stem and a med frame, or a shorter stem and the large frame? Also the wheelbase is about 1" difference with the large.. Weight is not an issue on either choice the Large is the same weight as what im riding now.. Any Ideas?

[Idoeyes]

I'd go with the Med.

Generally, easier to add a little more seat post and stem and It will handle better. You may also want to check the head tube length. That could change your setup more than you think.

What are you getting?

[egordon]

I'll take your $.02 cuz im broke now..I ordered the Santa Cruz Blur LT today from colorado cyclist.. tee hee Im so excited I feel like a teeage girl who just got her cherry popped by the captain of the football team.. Ordered a new Chris King headset and also replacing my bottom bracket while everythings all cracked open..

[Pilotman28]

I'm in a similar situation. I'm looking at getting my first FS frame. I'm a medium frame right now at 16".. most FS mediums I come across now are about 18" Is that normal or do I need to keep the same seat tube length and go to a small or what? Also how do I find out what my "geometry" should be?

How do I find out how long my top tube should be and so forth?

[egordon]

Alot of its about whats comfortable to you.. By the chart wich basicaly goes by height and inseam, Im a medium on 95% of all bicycles. My new bike reading all the reviews alot of people complained about the cockpit being small so I went with a large, and its perfect. Best thing you can do is if you can test ride it, or at least ride something with similar geometry. Also pay attention since you are going FS to the way the pivots work.
You dont want any pedal bob where you feel the bike sag when you pedal hard of stand up. Some bikes will compensate with gadgets in the shock like the Specialized Brain, or Use one of those DHX shocks. My new bike has an S pivot or VPP and you can stand up on it or ride hard and the chain stiffens the rear end. All I can say after chunking out all that money for My Specialized sight unseen I learned a valuable lesson.. Ride as many bikes as you can and ask as many questions. If the bike you like isnt available to ride in town go to a place where you can rent and ride.. A 4 or 5 hour drive for a testride is worth it when you are spending that kinda money.. Good Luck.. Good people to talk to would be Mark obviously, but POPs knows his FS like Doc Brown knows Flux Capacitors.. He can tell you how its going to work and what sensations the bike make give you.. If you have 3 or 4 bikes you are looking at send him a PM and get his opinion on them.

[Pilotman28]

I'm looking into an Ellsworth Truth for what I want. Mark loves the Ellsworth and I've never heard anyone complain about the frame except some of the earlier models, 2002 and older, being weak frames. I can get a used Truth frame for about $800 with the rear shock and I think that's about as much as I'd like to spend on a frame.

[egordon]

What rear shock? Fox I assume, is it a Float R, or RP23, also keep in mind your front fork is going to make up alot of the way the bike rides..

[egordon]

Look online at some of these 07, 08 New Frame closeouts, I got my $1800 Santa Cruz frame for $1100 from colorado cyclist.. Buying new closeout you save a ton of money, get a new frame with a warranty on the shock as well as the frame. Also keep in mind the shocks will wear out and need to be replaced. You may spend $800 on a used frame and have to turnaround and spend $250 on a new shock.. Just food for thought, the Ellsworth looks pretty cool..

[Pilotman28]

I'll be getting another Manitou Minute I think. I love the SPV valving and I'll stick with it since I don't need an all moutain bike, just an XC.

[egordon]

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[Pilotman28]

Fox Talas can lick my balls. I'm not going to pay $500 for a shock. I guess I'm more of a budget rider. I have other things i'd rather spend my money on which I guess is why I have had the same bike for the past 5 years and just recently bought another hard tail.

[egordon]

Get a DT Swiss Shock for $1400

[Pilotman28]

that's just getting retarded man.

[superdave]

Shock = rear suspension, fork = front suspension. I think Eric was asking about the rear shock. What rear shock does the Truth come with? I do believe the Truth has been tested as the most efficient FS XC bike out there. Micah, go to your the LBS and ride a few FS bikes in different size frames to see what fits you the best. There is no magic fit, to a point. It's mostly preference. That said, a 16" seems too small for you unless you have the world's shortest legs for your height. You are more than likely going to be a 17.5-19" frame (which may be a M or L frame, depending on the company). The 1st expensive mtn bike I bought was a C-dale F-800 size 16". My knees still hurt just thinking about that bike. Probably one of the most uninformed purchases that I have ever made. :o

[Pilotman28]

On the contrary I have long legs considering my height. I just have always been told get as small of a bike your ego and body can handle. I have about a 30-31" inseam or so.

I guess I'm just leary of buying $2K for a bike I haven't been able to ride a few times on the trails. $800 for a frame I can do easier because I can just transfer all of my components to the new frame. I guess I really need to wait for another demo day and see. I really didn't appreciate the rain on the last demo day.