Sinister DNA Review

“I want one.” Something I’ve heard SOO many times from friends, and riders that I’ve met all around. There’s something about this frame that catches the eyes of many people. There’s just something about this frame that makes me tingle every time I ride it. A frame that’s light, stable, strong, has great geometry, and the right price. What else could you want in a frame?STATS:

Frame: 2005 Sinister DNA
Metal: 6061 Aluminum
Weight: 30.5 lbs built up
Components: Pike, S-types, Sram, Deity, Truvativ, Maxis, Hayes


These days with the new age and era of riders, everyone is looking for a bike that’s going to be light, strong, and at the right price. You can go to any bike shop and spend 400 dollars easy. You buy a frame that’s heavy; Made somewhere overseas slapped with a few stickers, and then the warrantee voids if you put a tiny crack in it just because you want to ride your bike hard. Something that you find when riding a Sinister is they back their product up 100%. If you take the time to look at these frames, you’ll see the strength just by looking at it. The front end has a gusset on the top tube, down tube, and one on each side from the top tube to the down tube; they’ve also beefed up the head tube by making it 1.125”. Let your eyes follow either the down tube or top tube and you will notice both seat stay and chain stay yokes, which increase strength rather then two welded pieces of tubing together.


The new rear end design is something that can’t be beat. Horizontal drop outs are in, but wheel slippage sucks! With the adjustable sliding vertical drop outs, you can set up your wheel wherever you may please, and not having to worry about it slipping! What makes it even better is all you need to set this up is a 5 mm Alan key. Something else about this drop out design is it gives you the ability to run pegs, something that mountain bikers are starting to move over too.



26” Wheels are finally starting to make a come back, and the DNA answers back with happily fitting a 26” X 2.6” width tire. And for those of us, who are also into riding with gears, and a chain guide for racing, the DNA comes with a nicely designed (Replaceable) derailleur hanger and ISCG mounts for chain guides. Brake mounts are adjusted with the length of your chain stays so you never have to worry about brake rubbing.


By now you’re probably wondering “how does it feel?” Well it’s got a nice, low bottom bracket so it’s great for 4X, Dual Slalom, and keeping you to the ground, when you want to stay on the ground. With a 68.5 degree head angle it feels perfect with a 4” fork, some guys might like it a little steeper for park riding, but this helps a lot when you’re on the mountain trails. As for the length of stays, how can you go wrong with 15.7”, this machine pulls up like a dream! For Skate Park riding it’s something essential if you’re a serious rider. Just ask Evan Holmgren who calls it Transition Training. This bike flows and pumps through the transitions of a skate park so well, it also pops over anything on command. For jumping the DNA can flow through like no body’s business, whether or not you like to race as quick through the set at you can, or pop every lip with a trick and stuff it into the transition, it can handle it, and it feels rad. I haven’t been able to take it up to Whistler yet, but I’m having fun with the local trails out here. The cornering on this bike is amazing, and I can keep up to any 8 & 8 inch dually rider. As for the pedal home, this bike isn’t going to be one that kills you, it feels fine, and it’s light enough to pedal/or push up the hill.



Working with Skye, Rob, and Frank The Welder at Sinister bikes has been nothing but a treat, and an awesome experience. They put so much time and work into their products, whether they are original designs, or brand new protos.



Any problems with this frame? None so far I’m enjoying it to its full extent. Things that could stir up problems with some people is that it does not have V brake mounts, or Front Derailleur compatible.

Thanks for your time and I hope you enjoyed this little write up. If you have any questions please go to www.sinisterbikes.com to find out more, feel free to e-mail the guys at Sinister.

Sizes: Small Medium Large

Geometry

	Small	Medium	Large
HA	68.5	68.5	68.5
SA	73	73	73
Eff TT	22"	23"	24"
CS	15.7”	15.7”	15.7"
BB	12.5”	12.5”	12.5"

Special thanks to Rob, Skye and Frank @ Sinister, Marty’s Mountain Cycle, Lavan Apparel, David Lang, Bruce Giovando,

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Reviews and Tech Reviews