I don't think it's been out for much more than 12 months, so you won't get any realistic longterm feedback. I bought one (sept/oct 08) because they were cheap, I like the slack head angle idea and the finish didn't really matter because it was cheap and for throwing around on rocks, also other owners recommended it. My bro in law has a 456 in blue and both bikes show the same little 'discolouration' around the gussets(?). Apart from rust spots and marks caused by chain suck/slap, my frame isn't showing much rust at all, the clear finish is still as good as when I bought it.

Try 4" forks with the summer, you might like it, afterall, the original idea was to give people running shorter travel forks a slacker angle.

The only other thing is that both frames have a short head tube, which isn't to everybodys liking, but can be raised with appropriate stem and/or spacers.

Surely you could give it a couple of extra coats of laquer before building if rust is a worry? They do look spot on if you want slack angles without too much squish – quite tempted by a 16" one to run as a 4x bike.

here's a pic of mine. It's not really as big as a mountain – that's just perspective

Other brands of frame are available.

Hard to say really, kind of down to personal preferences I think. The Pikes are brilliant forks though. If it's any indication, I very rarely wind mine down – only for v steep technical climbs.

I have the 125mm fox Talas, my gut feeling is that is about right, but I would say that 😉 . Certainly I've never felt them flopping or wandering or found the need to drop the forks. Tight hairpins and steep climbs no problem (with proper technique).

got one, love it. very fast bike with revelations, just need to get fit to keep up with it.

I've got an Inbred 567, which has a similar clear finish to the Summer, because it was a prototype. Mine's now a couple of years old, and there is some rust around the gussets, (ooooer), and in one or two other places. But you know what? It really doesn't matter. Unlike a painted bike, which starts to look shabby, with the raw metal finish any chips or rust just add to it's charm. Think of it as a patina, like a piece of well used industrial machinery. Fixie Inc had a truly beautiful belt-drive fixed with wooden rims at last years Cycle Show, and they'd deliberatly made the frame rust, then laquered it. With the polished fittings it looked amazing. It's quite liberating not obsessing about damaging the lovely shiny finish of your new bike, you just get on with riding it and to hell with the paint. I use green Scotch scourers to clean the frame of dirt on mine…

My 567