dzenyy

Wtf is that Question, they can print the marks around this big bearing, so you can look at proper sag at the rear wheel, not just at the shock, which is a proper way to further adjust it. Sick of rider lookin at sag at the damper, where you have a constantly changing leverage ratio ie 3)% at the shock != 30% at the rear axle. Just sayin'

So high standover :(

However, bike looks totally retarded (dont mind ride quality of course). And one thing i dont like the most is that drive-side chainstay, way too close to front sprocket, probably even worse with full compression. Its sick ride tho, somehow 'exotic' :)

@captaingillooley: We used to say the same about old mobile phones, do you remember that they last at least 5 days without charging?!

Only fore and aft, but they feel like a peanut butter in corners, where some torsional rigidity would be very much appreciated. Jokin, just can not believe that single crown, usd forks with no connection between legs above the upper part of tyre and below crown can be considered as 'stiff', without some square-shaped connection between lowers and uppers. At least even leftys have some single-sided, dual crown. Lowers are exposed to rotation, and they are only connected at the axle. Never rode one besides old Shivers, that were kinda i-want-them kind of flexy shit

@vitality: Polish brand Candy Ray makes some top-tier, high quality and pricey cockpit bits. Just a touch of having a fully customised bike with carbon bars that are low quantity, rare item. Sure polish brand Dartmoor make their alloy parts and frames in Taichung, Taiwan, but they're designed, tested, and engineered in Poland.

Just to say... Fork fore/aft stiffness should be crucial for given head angle. Fork/frame connection also. This bike parts are mainly Germany/UK/ a bit of Italy and a sourcing from Poland, some bits from Romania and Switzerland, aren't there really other GOOD quality- and price-wise brands in the old land of Europe? If someone's interested, polish brands Antidote (top quality carbon frames), which is oh-so-pricey, and cheaper, but very popular and good performing brands- NS, Dartmoor (at least i know that most of Dart alloy parts are made in Taichung, Taiwan; not sure 'bout NS) are really good contenders, so if You search for something european, check them out. Cheers, build is impressive, even with this weird forks haha! Hope they designed and engineered it for some proper riding! Always in search of some other options (ofc big players have it pretty dialled, but just look at a new Formula downhill fork with a solid gazillion ways to adjust its performance, Storia shock, OR fcken Dugast tyres made to order, which were ridden to some insanely good results under Nino Schurter a while ago) If you're lookin for some really hipster-every-part-numbered-and-signed brands, check out awesome Garbaruk components (Ukraine)- heard of some very light and top-tier chainrings, and Polish brand Candy Ray, which makes some really well engineered carbon parts (both brands are pricey, thou, but this kind of making your own rig so custom, and contact with those guys is on another level. If you look for something REALLY standout (or weird, or just wtf?!), check out polish Dark Owl brand, they have a steel high pivot made to order (and probably ones preferences) four-bar downhill frame that just looks to get punished and go away unscathed (Antidote's Darkmatter is another example of polish high pivot, four bar linkage frame- with an asymetrical linkage, that drives the shock, just... outstanding) and speaking of Europe there's a brand called Sick! bicycles, these guys take 'low,long and slack' treatment to another level... And of course, so-freakin-innovative finnish Pole, with their CNCed alloy 'machine', that's one of its kind. Don't forget Bold with their linkin frames with hidden shock, Deviate that makes awesome high-pivot, gearbox driven and well equipped bikes, Production Privee needs no introduces, Starling Cycles and their full-cromo Murmur, that put sme big brands' bikes to shame with it's awesome material-driven riding properties and proper geo, and a lot of manufacturers, that can make the frame to your own needs, with parts chosen by the end user (I still think of polish brand Zumbi, but don't know if they still weld their awesome alloy creations). There's still lot to be mentioned, I just wrote, what comes to my mind at first, so other cool brands are welcome

Best paintjobs out there, that randomly come to my mind is Specialized S-Works Epic (metallic), Enduro, purple Orbe Rallon, every Antidote frame with it's all-carbon glory, that i love, and most of Intense's Factory, mostly red/lime Tracer, black/gray/red Carbine and of course Recluse DVO edition. My personal favs are bikes in raw carbon, ti or steel, or painted in a somehow creative way

Oh, this question leads me to some other- why some bike manufacturers (like Transition) build so good-looking bikes in terms of frame shape etc, and then ruin everything with such old-fashioned, outdated, or just ugly paintjob (fonts, colours etc)? In fact, i personally think, that Transition frames looks better than Intense in case of shape only, but it is completely destroyed by paint, while Intense paintjob is soooo awesome! This thinking outside of the box in paint design is very appreciated

@Drover: Yes, it's one of my points. Plus, shaft in air shocks is wider than in coil. Second thing: vectors of forces in frames cause some issues, as forces aren't parallel (or perpendicular) to them, so is there a way to avoid it? (bearings are being worn-out, stress on frame members etc.) Didn't know that pull shocks are ridden because of counteracting a shaft flex, but it seems very clever (more than rail- based suspension designs