Behind the Scenes - Airborne Bicycles Photoshoot

 ***price you pay is worth it for what you get.

 As an Airborne Flight Crew member, I rode/raced a Taka for most of the season.

Last race was a 12 hour DH race in Telluride, Colorado, my category was open amateur (ie all non-pro cagegories in one group) and I won the riding the Taka. It was up against most major and independent brands, so that should give a general idea how it can stack up performance-wise. Also - the July issue of MBA has a review of it as well.

 For the DH bike, find a review of an Iron horse Yakuza, then give or take with the spec...

 lol^ hes got a point

 dingus is right, it's just a Yakuza with some better spec'd parts on it. DEFINITELY worth the money, I absolutely LOVE my Taka...It's really helped me to progress my riding and saved me a ton of money in the process. 2 thumbs up for the Taka in my book

 I read the review of the taka, which is here: www.airbornebicycles.com/media/3824/july_2011_mountainbikeaction_taka%20review.pdf
Oddly enough they tested it at Southridge, my local race track!

Also read the one for the wingman, here:
www.mbaction.com/Main/News/The_Airborne_Wingman_Cheap_Seat_For_Your_Next_Flig_4924.aspx

I think i would rather spend good money on a dh bike and get something better, but the wingman doesn't look so bad.

 i know one of the mbaction testers he said the bike was twitchy and felt like it was made of plastic

 the wingman or the taka?

 You think airborne is going to bring back the sunday as well?

 That would be so sick. The only issues with that might be with getting the license for DW link, but that would be just so cool if they could. It would bring serious attention to them as a brand too.

 tbh they look cheeply made and not very good. the dh bike looks entry level and alot like a iron horse yakuza witch werent any good in the first place.

 freeridemanic - they ARE entry-level DH bikes... What other entry level bikes can be had for $1500 US? Have you seen one up close? If not, then what criteria are you using to come with the "cheaply made and not very good" statement?

 I have no experience with Airborne bikes at all, But IMO I would rather go buy a used bike for 1500 then ride an Airborne the quality just does not seem to be there.

 I definitely agree with that.

 I definitely do not agree with that.

 If you have no experience at all with Airborne, how the hell can you comment on the quality of their bikes? They are using proven frame designs, if a little dated, and parts from manufacturers whose name you would instantly recognize. Buying a brand bike for $1500 gives you a warranty and peace of mind, and makes sure it will work out the box.

Furthermore, they actually cut prices on almost all of their models (the taka is now $1300, down from $1500), instead of just taking a profit increase.

 Thats just how I feel, no need for anyone to agree with it. Buying a NEW DH Bike for $1300 defiantly does NOT give me piece of mind. The Bike’s spec list is all low end and outdated parts, It just looks to me like there is no attempt to create a quality product. Thats just my opinion.

 i have to agree with E-walk. they may not be bad bike and may be built well its just the fact that they dont look quality (from looking at the pictures) and the price makes me think they are cheeply made. i would rather spend $1500 on a dh bike that i knew cost $3000 when it was origionaly made and looks good quality, has good components and rides better than an airborn.

 Fair enough, I don't think you could really fault them on that though, the fact that the price can be that low and still be profitable is amazing to me. And judging from the reviews, they do seem to be pretty tough.

 They haven't paid for any of the R&D on these frames, and all you guys moaning about not having piece of mind, bikes are too f*cking expensive as it is, do NOT bash a company for producing good, inexpensive bikes. I do not resent them for trying to corner the market there, it might even force the big players to reconsider their ever-increasing prices.

 It is cheap because they haven't paid for any of the R&D on their frame designs, in fact to me it looks like they're selling off old stock (the forks equipped on the DH bike, what was the Iron Horse Yakuza Kumicho, are definitely not post-2007 zocchis). Inexpensive does NOT mean bad quality. Intenses are sold at higher prices because they are made in a country with high labour costs, and very R&D driven.

There are more variables here to consider than just cost-quality correlation, don't be so naive as to assume that's all there is to it.

 Freeridemaniac:

Can you describe how you think they "look cheap" and "don't look that good quality" ? In what ways? You are just trying to reinforce a misconcpetion about a brand that you really don't know much about, based on what - how you feel about how they look online, and a few internet posts by some unreasonable brats?

The point is, the bike is $1500 brand-new. There is NO body, no company, that sells a dh bike for this price. Yes, it is an ENTRY LEVEL bike - it is aimed towards those that are just getting into the sport, not people who are looking for a race-ready world cup machine. I would argue that it's more bike than a majority of "downhill riders" actually need in the first place, but that's beside the point.

Is the fork adjustable as a Boxxer WC? Nope. Will it survive an 8 foot drop just as well? Yes. Are the cranks as light as a pair of Saints? Nope, but they hold up under pressure, and take the same 8 foot drop just as well. Minion tires - they work. E-13 chainguide - again it works. Issues with the bushings on the reare shock? it happens, and that issue is easily addressed - enough that it's really a non-issue. A company that stands behind its product? Absolutely.

I raced a Taka all season, on arguably the roughest course in this part of the country (Angelfire), and including a 12 hour race @ Telluride, another not very smooth course - and won that race (Solor amateur open class). Numerous trails through Colorado, New Mexico, and California on this bike (Mammoth, Northstar) and no problems. I wonder, what experience do you personally have on the bike, other than what you READ on the INTERNET forums? This bike kept me up with all the favorites; Commencial, Transition, Specialized, Intense... It is FAR from dangerous. I've trusted my life to this bike over and over again, and its never given a hint of not being capable of what I can throw at it and more.

Did you own a Taka?

 Well said Jerry!

 No, you know what? You don't even have the right to have your opinion about the Taka. Having an opinion on something you have never experienced for yourself is a a sign of utter stupidity, because you are judging something exclusively on its appearances and what your friends friends mom's neighbor told you, instead of using it and deciding for yourself.

And cheaply made and inexpensive are 2 very different things. Something can be well made and inexpensive if it lacks the features of more expensive versions. For example, the 888 on the taka is the least expensive model they make, but that doesn't mean it can't function just as well as the rc3 ti or close to it, it just lacks adjustibility. Similarly, the X5 shifter is just made of plastic instead of metal or carbon like the X9/X0 models, but that doesn't automatically mean its not going to shift as well. You yourself have avid juicy brakes and an e13 guide on your own bike, so obviously you can vouch for them. Bottom line is, the components on this bike are all made by respected brands such as marzocchi and avid and the fact they are the base models does not mean they don't function at a high level.

As for the frame itself, I've never ridden one so I won't even pretend to know how it rides or that I can judge it, but factor out the cost of the parts and you're getting it for next to nothing, so as long its durable and decent enough to ride (which seems to be the opinion of those who actually own them) then its a good buy in my mind.

 Im not going to comment anymore on the frame’s quality, people are allowed to buy which ever bike they please and if it ends up being an Airborne thats fine. But Swearmouth if you are going to say that an X5 will preform to the same extent as an XO, you are sorely mistaken. I can say from riding and working on every range of sram X series and avid juicy brake products that the difference is substantial. If you do not believe me please go try for yourself.

 Those are post-2007 888rv forks. They are still available OE, just not aftermarket. A product manager could still spec a brand new bike today with one and Marz would supply it.

 Thanks Tifo, I was wondering how that happened.

 @freeridemanic if you're going to continue your trollish rant about how you hate Airborne, Mongoose, and who knows what other brands, you should learn to spell properly and use proper grammar, or at least take the time to use a browser with spell check. The atrocious spelling and grammar really takes away from the respectability of your posts, and makes them quite tedious for the rest of us to read.

thanks!

 I'm truly sorry if that's the case, and it really shouldn't matter either way. However a well written comment just comes across a lot stronger than a poorly written one. You're right in that cheaply made mountain bikes such as the classic Huffy and other 'department store' bikes are dangerous and have no place in the world of real mountain biking, however that's an entirely other class of bike. The Airborne Taka is a fairly solid dependable bike that is priced low enough to allow many people to ride and race DH that would not otherwise be able to due to financial constraints. There is nothing 'cheap' about the Taka except for the price really. The Avid Juicy 3's aren't quite as nice as the Juicy 5's, 7's or Code's or the newer Elixer's, but they're definitely a workable brake, and they've been used by thousands of riders with no real problems. The same could be said for the X7 mech, it may not be XO or XX, but it works, and reasonably dependably. I've ridden countless X9 derailleurs, and even an X7 on my old Nomad because that bike broke derailleurs fairly regularly, and I didn't see any point in constantly breaking X0 ones. The X9 was not noticeably worse in performance in most situations. X7 is not a lot different. I would however upgrade the shifters, that does make a difference. There is a place for mid range and lower end products, and there is a huge market for them. As you may have noticed there are several riders here that have raced and won races on Taka's, and raced entire seasons on them with no problems. And there are also some people that have had problems with their shock bushings. So what, pretty much every bike company out there has had similar issues with various expensive 'high end' bikes as well. I'm sorry your friend had problems with his Ironhorse...

 No I'm not missing your point, I'm simply telling you you're wrong. They're not "not very good", the parts are not necessarily "high maintenance" and no the frame is not "likes to destroy itself" Every bike needs to be looked after, it's not called "babying after every ride" it's called maintenance. I'm not a fool, I've been riding and working in the mountain bike industry longer than you've been alive, and I was a bike mechanic years before that, albeit on road bikes. Your first hand experience is great, I'm glad you have an opinion, but really that's all it is. Your bad opinion from your experience is here with other peoples good opinions from their good experiences. State your opinion once and leave it at that, no one really wants to hear your endless rantings.

 It's too bad your friend is having a hard time with his Yakuza. Did he ever contact Iron Horese to see if they would help him out - or did he buy it used? I've seen all kinds of bike have all kinds of problems - an acquaintence of mine is on his THIRD Intense, for example. I've watched head tubes snap, down tubes shear in half... there is no shortage of manufacturing issues in the bike world.

I had an issue with the bushings on my Taka - Airborne took care of it IMMEDIATELY, sent me new bushings - problem is solved. Period. Going on about your buddy's Yakuza, again, relfects zero upon Airborne. They stand behind their product.

I know Fort Bill is a world cup course - but guess what? Angelfire has hosted the World Cup, so has Telluride. Saying I raced somewhere and won actually means a lot. It means that this bike, even after an entire season of races and shuttles, is actually quality enough to hold up to 12 straight hours of constant downhill abuse, riding as hard or harder than the next guy. It means it has decent enough handling characteristics to keep up with the joneses. It means that for $1500, a person can get a competent downhill bike to go out and have fun on, and trust enough to push their own limits a little.

Really not trying to persuade you - you have your viewpoint, I can respect that even though I vehemently disagree with your logic. I'm just here to refute the heresay you keep posting with real-world experience on the bike in question, so others will know that there are people enjoying this bike.

 Matt (freeridemanic) since when was Adams Dad and stepdad both qualified bike mechanics?! haha :L, you have done one race which was on grass and alot of the Saterday your norco was in bits and you were attempting to fix it and mike spotted you used two crown races (one on top of the other) pushing into the bottom of your headset so you dont know tooo much about how to fix and look after bikes. Your noco is your first downhill bike as your mongoose was a free ride bike which i can also remember that was always broken too? :L so i dont think you can really give other people advise on how to maintain bikes. Also you have only ridden Ramsgill that was all grass and pretty easy on the bikes and fort william for a day? couple of runs? so really you havn't ridden a huge amount of downhill.

 im gonna keep this straight and to the point unlike you all, freeridemanic stop chatting shit.

 freeridemanic, what you don't understand is that the problem with the rear end on the Airbonre was related to Marzocchi parts and not anything else. I own one that's been upgraded with a Vivid and it is perfect and has been on countless runs at Snowshoe and several other DH venues with not even a hiccup. I will give you partial credit: the Juicys are not the best brakes, but Airborne isn't the only company that offers them on their DH bike. Mongoose has Elixir 1's on their Boot'r and they are the same brake as the Juicy's with just a refresh and new name to be in the Elixir line (SRAM is doing away with the Juicy name this year). The Boot'r is a $2500 USD rig. Scott has Juicys on their $3000 USD Gambler 30. Now, on my own personal rig I wore the Juicys out and replaced them with Elixir R's, but even then anything with only two pistons per caliper instead of 4 like the CODEs is a compromise for DH. I will eventually upgrade to 4 piston calipers as my budget allows and my riding improves. Which is why I was the perfect demographic for the Taka. I didn't want to drop huge $$ on a rig to get into the sport, but once I found out that I loved it, I can upgrade my bike over time if I want to. Here is a bit of constructive advice: Before you jump into the fray and bash/comment about a product that you don't even own, you should take the time to educate yourself first. You may also consider going back to school to learn punctuation and grammar. Then, and only then, would people take you seriously when you post.

 freeridemanic has juicy 3's on his norco btw

 He also is trying to sell the same idea whilst slagging it off...Macmahones (give it a google)....cheap copies of good designs....

 freeridemanic is pretending to know what he is talking about. matthew harding, shut up.

 harding your bike is a entry level bike, its an old norco for gods sake, stop thinking you know it all you brain dead twit

 'Finish him!'

 i think he got the message

 What a penis.. I have a Carrera Banshee with a £10 mech from the buysell and some knackered 55's.. Dare i say it probably runs better than his norco.. Matt, Stop trying to act like you know everything and ride your bike.

 Hm, i never expected my comment to spawn this big of argument... It doesn't really matter if the Taka is good quality or not, but everyone is entitled to have their opinion about it regardless. Yes, it is a budget dh bike. Yes, it does not have the latest and greatest components, but you have to look at the price and take it for what it is. A budget bike. Point is, we all like bikes here, so if you don't like this one then great you don't have to, but let the people who do like it enjoy it. Who cares if you don't have the latest and greatest components, i don't have them on my bike since i cant afford them, but that doesn't stop me from riding the shit out of it anyways. So, please, quit bitching at each other and go ride or something.

 i like mountain cycling because it is fun. it also doesnt matter what bike you own aslong as you love it.

 ^ well said.
And brigadierBuege.. Freeridemanic will argue about anything..

 Freeride:

"please explain to me how a beginners bike that constantly requires maintenance and has linkage problems witch the only way you can remedy them is by customising the linkage and getting custom made parts is good?"

Ok, it goes like this: Received bike from Airborne. Assembled it. Rode it. Back end felt funny. Contacted Airborne. Airborne sent new bushing for the shock. Installed bushings, and issue with the back end solved.

How old is your friends Yakuza? Iron Horse has been out of the game for a while... did he by it used, like you are suggesting? He bought a used bike didn't he? Just like you recommend others to do, just like you did. Apparently, your bike has not been so trouble-free either. And guess what, you don't have a warranty or company support to fall back on. You don't have to like Airborne bikes, but you shouldn't talk so much smack about something you don't really know.

Santacruz-rider-09 has basically told us all the untold story regarding your bike, you are pretty much discredited. Until you've purchased a bike from Airborne, you can't really pass judgement on it. Your "Opinion" is ill informed.

Again, not trying to persuade you at all - just here to refute your opinionated, smack-fill posts with some facts.

going to work now, and have a lunchtime sesh. scheduled aboard the Taka. Cheers.

 Jerry, if there's anything we've learnt from this it is that freeridemanic is not worth wasting your valuable shredding time on. With respect, stop posting!

 It has to have been a LOT longer than that. I just watched the movie Vacation and there is a shot of an Airborne van outside the sporting good store where he buys a gun. That movie was made in 1983. Unless it happens to be a different company....?

 Jonathan, you always forget to tell people the true facts regarding your issues with the Taka. You rode the bike with play in the shock bushings entirely too long to the point where it wallowed out the shock eye. The problem was with a Marzocchi part, and the fact that you failed to address the issue quick enough. It wasn't an Airborne part, nor was it a problem with the frame. Airborne did right by you and took it back after an entire season of riding, how many companies would do that? Plus you didn't even send back a complete bike, all Airborne got back were pieces and parts.

 That bike was poorly maintained and abused. It was missing more than just the brakes. You got a free bike basically for an entire season and then sent it back for a free refund. You should be bashing on Marzocchi and not Airborne since your beef is with the rear shock and Airborne went over and above to help you. If you treat the rest of your bikes the way you treated your Taka, you can count on more issues in the future.

 Jonathan, I do know the whole story. The problems were with a Marzocchi product and Airborne did everything to help you that they could including an eventual full refund, and in exchange you send them a broke-dick, abused, partial bike and then bash on them on multiple forums. If you really wanted to keep things private, you should have done so in the first place by not bashing Airborne repeately online. You are young, I understand that. Maybe someday you will grow up and take responsibility for your own actions. Until then, heaven help anyone who buys a used bike from you.

 Get a room!

 mate you've clearly said that the fault was in the shock, why didnt you send it to marzocchi? most bike companies wouldnt even deal with a faulty shock. sounds like pretty damn good customer service to me. they even refunded you all your money after a season. whats with the hate. they are budget bikes, and designed for riders who wanna get into the sport. if your not happy with the performance nut up and spend a bit more on a higher spec bike.

 my taka had loose shock bushings as well...... airborne replaced them free twice! both new sets never fixed the play, so i just fixed it the old fashioned way.......on my own............after a couple measurements i found out the depth of the shock eye was less than the combined depth's of the ends of the bushings that go into the shock eye, which turned into side to side play realy fast even though it felt tight upon instillation, i simply milled them to the proper specs and my bike has been MONEY! This may not fix everyones but as a precaution everyone with a TAKA should check for this.......Airborne gets a deffinite A+ for customer service!

 that means nothing its not the bike that makes you fast its the rider... put gee Atherton on a taka and he will still be virtually as fast as he was on his commencal...

 Stop blaming your tools then..

 Jonathan,
Hey, this Eric....on here talking to you as Eric (the rider not as an Airborne figure) I too love talking about bikes..... I am glad you appreciate all that we did for you. I would like you to know though, that the bike you had you "issues" with is MY bike now and it's been to Snow Shoe twice with a total for three straight back to back days of riding each visit. as well as several other DH trips under it's belt under my ownership. The bike has a RS vivid on it and it's tighter than SEAL's a$$. just thought you should know that. The bike is SOLID! .. Have a great New Year! Thanks Ian for all the great pictures. I hope everyone gets the chance to get out and have a New years RIDE!

 your not missing much i had a yakuza now im on a demo... its like going from a prius to an aston martin

 people seem to not understand that cheep often means not very good. :S i wasted over £1000 on a mongoose bdd similar to a taka worse decision ever.

 You obviously cannot compare a Kumicho to a Demo... Please. I had a Kumicho for 2 years, it was my entry bike, not one problem, for the $1300 I paid, not one problem in 2 years, I would have never entered the sport if I had to spend $3700 on a bike, even if it is a rocket. I mean, now I would buy a Demo anytime, and enjoy every $ I pay for it, but you cannot learn on a bike that has 20 different setup possibilities, and you're crashing all the time and you won't even use that super fork or shock, or super brakes you have on that Demo if it is your first month. Everyone has their own opinion on things, and that is fine. For me, Airborne has a pretty clear target on the market they want to get to, and there is no other bike maker on those prices, here in Europe bikes are so expensive.
Airborne bikes do great to get you into the sport, as entry bikes, and then, when you learn how to appreciate a good bike with $s on it, you then move on.

 Yea the taka is just a yakuza

 Airborne released several new models this year - notably the Wingman (DJ bike), Goblin (29er), and the Delta, a disc-equipped CX bike. Just sayin'...

 They're coming...

 Riding through a bush...

 And that "kid" is a full grown wild man named Dan.

 Nikon D3s

 Airborne released several new models this year: Tthe Wingman (DJ bike), Goblin (29er), and the Delta, a disc-equipped CX bike. Check their website, the new models are solid.

 Yeah it's a little steep, whenever you can stand up straight and almost touch the ground in front of you it's a sign..

 Oh didn't realize how steep it was, just looked a bit funny. Looks like you got some sweet shots though!