Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 564 total)
  • Banshee Spitfire
  • bennn
    Free Member

    Looking at buying one of the 2015 frames when they come out in the next month or so, and wondered how folk with the V2’s were getting on with theirs, and which forks you’d gone for?

    The new frames appear to come with a choice of either a Fox, or CCDB inline with Climb Switch. I’d be looking at Pikes up front, but unsure whether 160/150mm would suit best?

    Thankyou in advance for any advice offered, and pic’s of you enjoying your Banshee will be gratefully received!

    Ben.

    Edit; Preivous FS was an Alpine 160, and Spitfire will be to compliment a Ragley Blue Pig.

    theraggyone
    Free Member

    Ive had my spitfire since may 13 and I love it, it’s handled everything ive thrown at it including crashes . I would definatly get the cane creek shock , I took the fox option and although it works fine I do wish I had gone with the dbair. Im using a fox 34 160mm, it works great with the frame much better than the 150mm rev I originally used.

    heres some pictures

    bennn
    Free Member

    Nice! How would you say it rides? As I’m after something shorter, lighter & snappier than the Alpine, would you say that it’s still OK even with 160mm up front?

    As an aside, I’m now after an XL frame second-hand if anyone’s got one, as the deal I thought I had on the 2015 new release isn’t as attractive as I first thought!

    Hob-Nob
    Free Member

    I’ve looked at one of these for my wife, it would have been ideal if it wasn’t an 8lb+ 140mm frame.

    Otherwise it could have been ideal. But she wants something a bit lighter, she’s already got a 8lb Meta SX frame, and it’s too much for the general use she’s going to put it through.

    goodgrief
    Free Member

    Mine has the ccdb cs. I feel most of the time it is bloody good, it controls low speed chassis movement better than any shock I’ve used. Occasionally it gets choked up on hard hits when you think it should absorb the impact better. The climb switch is decent although the spitfire will climb perfectly well without it. It can be used as a switchable firm set-up for particular trails.
    I’ve used a fox 36 at 150mm and it was incredible in the corners and trails that aren’t so steep but at 160 it’s an all-round bruiser. I have about 5 months on a Bos deville now which are sublime. I’ll most likely swap the ccdb for a Bos kirk to see if can get any better.

    bennn
    Free Member

    Are they fairly heavy built up then? I was hoping for an all in weight of around 30LB.

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    My medium is 3.5kg/7.7lbs with the normal CCDBA – with a DBinline it would be 200-250g lighter. Neither light nor heavy for a hard hitting bike that’ll take 160mm forks with 140mm of travel that feels like way more. The rougher the trail, the quicker it is relative to my mate’s 150-160mm bikes (SB66/Covert/Stumpy/G150/Guapo/etc).

    theraggyone
    Free Member

    My medium build wieghs in at 30ib 4oz although it rides like a lighter bike , I could get it under 30ib with a carbon handlebar and less burly tyres / wheels easily…but im really happy with it as it is, I use it for all my riding as I dont have the space or cash for a second bike ….

    goodgrief
    Free Member

    Mine’s about 30lb with carbon bars and rims but everything could be lighter if I were to start again.

    bennn
    Free Member

    That’s not too bad then, I’d probably not be building it up with carbon anything to start off with, so I’ll expect it to be 30LB+

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    Regarding weight, 7.7lbs for a Spitfire with CCDBA vs 5.3lbs for a Bronson C with Fox Float. So without the shocks that’s 6.6lbs vs 4.7lbs – so there is a difference but nothing like the difference you’d think when you read about Bronson builds being 26-27lbs and Spitfire builds 30-31lbs. It’s the same for all the fancy carbon enduro frames out there – you’re not going to save more than 2lbs.

    It simply comes down to the parts you bolt on – and for my liking I’d rather have heavier, less expensive and more robust parts. My Spitfire weighs about 31lbs, almost 5lbs more than my Soul – and it’s quicker everywhere bar tarmac.

    lobby_dosser
    Free Member

    I’ve had my banshee for just over a month, moving from a Nomad. I’m not really one to count the grams on my bike and it’s me that needs to lose the weight- so bike weight is not really a factor for me. I was attracted to it by the adjustability and that it was designed for 26″ & 27.5″.

    Initially I ran 26″, as I didn’t want to spunk money on 27.5″ when my wheels are still good. However I bought a pair of 27.5″ and now running them. To be honest, I preferred the 26″, but thats probably due to what I’m used to. I’m running 160mm Pikes and the bike feels well balanced.

    Things I’m not too impressed with- I was quoted a couple of months for the frame and it was a just under a month late and I received the wrong dropouts. I was a little bit frustrated with the lax attitude of the bikeshop I bought it from and I had to do all the chasing up..

    The front mech cable routing is a bit questionable.

    The CCDBA just has too much adjustibility for me 😉 You always feel you should be tweaking it and making it better (even though it feels ok with the recommended settings)

    bennn
    Free Member

    Lobby where’d you get your frame from? So I know who to avoid..

    enigmas
    Free Member

    I’ve had my spitfire for a couple of months now. I went for the CCDBA, and I’ve only just got it feeling perfect. In the end I went with a lot less HSC (1 turn rather than the recommended 2)and a small volume spacer. This stopped it feeling harsh on medium sized hits but still makes it ramp up at the end.

    In terms of fork I went with a 150mm 650b pike. In terms of geometry this matches the bike perfectly in the slack setting, though now that I’ve got the CCDBA set up perfectly the pike isn’t feeling as good in comparison. 😕 I may try lowering the compression a little and sticking a 2nd bottomless token in.

    AlexSimon
    Full Member

    My eye is currently on the Spitfire too.
    I wish they were a bit cheaper though – the prices have crept up to the point where I’m struggling to get a build I’m happy with for under 3k.

    Whereas the Cotic Rocket is doable.

    bluearsedfly
    Free Member

    Had mine a few months now and love it, carbon bars, carbon cranks and its a shade under 30lbs and that’s with 2×10 but it rides a lot lighter. Reveb stealth, flows, X2 brakes, 160mm Pikes and full XT.

    I don’t like the front mech cable routing either, instead of running it up the underside of the downtube I’ve run the cable under the bb, up the seatpost and used the dropper cable mounts as I run a stealth.

    Been like that for a couple of months now with no problems. Looks a lot cleaner and helps when the bikes on the thule bike carrier.

    bluearsedfly
    Free Member

    P.s. Bought mine from Liam @ Creation cycles, well priced and arrived a couple of days later after he fitted a headset for me. Would 100% recommend.

    maxtorque
    Full Member

    A friend of mine rode his Spitfire in Les Arcs / La Thuile this year, and tbh, i was secretly quite impressed by the bike. It took a weeks worth of serious battering in it’s stride and look composed and capable all week long. Ok, the Guy can ride a bit (understatement) but still, impressive bike imo

    bluearsedfly
    Free Member

    Looks like he bought it in the right colour!

    Crappy phone pic but here’s mine.

    ultimateweevil
    Free Member

    Can’t get Dropbox to link my pics but I’ve had mine for about 4 months now in the best colour which is the blue 🙂

    I’ve got X-Fusion Sweeps up front with the CCDBA with CS, which as has been said it doesn’t really need because it climbs so well, it’s an awesome frame and Keith at Banshee has done a great job designing plus it has huge rear tyre clearance. It’s probably built up at 30-31lbs without any carbon bits but it feels much lighter than that as it climbs so well.

    Would I have paid another grand for a carbon frame like the Bronson to save 2lbs, not a chance as the Spitty is so good.

    My only issues are the paint is crap as it marks/scratches way to easily, the Sweeps whilst great value forks don’t track as well as I’d hoped in really rough stuff when you’re blasting it and I’m getting a bit of spiking mid stroke from the CC after several successive medium hits in a row but I think it’s just a case of taking a turn or half a turn off the HSC.

    bennn
    Free Member

    Just looked at Creation Cycles, £1750 with CCDB, the new 2015 ones can be had for less than that when they come out soon!

    Dont suppose any of you nice fellows are in the North of England (West Yorks to be precise) and have a L or XL frame I can throw a leg over do you?

    Payment in beer can be arranged..

    Edit; I would also need a ‘new’ build to come in under 3k, otherwise it will have to be second-hand. The new Cotic Rockets look ace, but I’m put off by them being 26″ only.

    ultimateweevil
    Free Member

    Mmmm could be tough for that unless you have some old bits you can swap. Although saying that if you shop around you can get some bargains on various bits.

    My 1×10 setup cost £150 but I already had cranks I could convert, Hope hoops £310 for both on Stans Flow with red hubs and my X-Fusion fork for £400ish from J-Tech. All the other bits and bobs were what I had lying round. Cost me under £3k all-in.

    Will upgrade as I have the cash with the first being a dropper.

    bluearsedfly
    Free Member

    Just looked at Creation Cycles, £1750 with CCDB

    I paid a fair bit less than £1750, although mine did come with a ctd.

    I’ve been pretty pleased with the paint tbh, I’m a serial cleaner/faller offerer and the paint is still like new. I did lag it with helitape from new though.

    Would be interested to see the new frame design/colours.

    theraggyone
    Free Member

    paints been good on mine, im also a serial cleaner who helitaped the entire frame before I built the bike though:)

    mine was a lot less than 1750 but there was a biggish price increase between 2013-14

    on a different note everyone knows reds the best colour because its faster( and the rarest spitty colour apart from the ltd orange) :P….

    the blue is nice though

    lobby_dosser
    Free Member

    Lobby where’d you get your frame from? So I know who to avoid..

    I’ve not read of any other bad reviews so I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and maybe it was a one off.

    bennn
    Free Member

    I’d literally be buying new everything, I’ve seen Hope Pro 2’s with Stans Flows at around £340, Pikes around the £450/500 mark, dropper, transmission and tyres. It’s the frames I’m really stuck on as there seems to have been a price hike in recent years!

    lobby_dosser
    Free Member

    I’d literally be buying new everything

    Buy 2nd hand from here? The only new part I bought for mine was the head set, the rest was from my nomad. I managed to get a pair of immaculate 27.5″ stans/hope wheels from here.

    There’s also a couple of companies doing 0% on the frames. Put down a large deposit and keep money back for the bits you want.

    Are there any changes for 2015 apart from colour?

    bennn
    Free Member

    Lobby – I’d be looking out for second hand bargains on here, naturally!

    Apparently the 2015 frames have slightly different tubing, CCDB inline, and new colours.. so not much difference really!

    mmel
    Free Member

    I’ve said it here many times before, but I love my Spitfire. I’ve had it since November and done little to change my original build of 650b Pikes and CCDBA CS with 26″ wheels. If you look at previous threads I’ve put more detail into my build. I got a great deal at the time by pre-ordering through Blazing Bikes near Church Stretton in Shropshire. They were very helpful and did a frame and forks deal for a smidge over £2k. I guess with everything new my build would come in a little over £3k but I used a number of bits from my old bike.

    I’ve not had any major problems over the summer and I’ve been riding 2-3 times a week, everything from forest bimbles to full on Ffestiniog downhill. The suspension pivots sometimes work a bit loose and you really need to protect parts of the frame near the chain. Even with a clutch mech and a single ring I found I was getting a lot of clatter on the rough stuff. I does like to collect the dirt as well in all those tight spots. I have never tried to fit a front mech, or a chain device but it’s pretty tight around there so could imagine it being a bit of a pain. That really is all I can think of that’s negative.

    The suspension works so well for me. On the CCDB with 15mm (25%) sag and the small volume spacer, I have reduced the HSC by a half a turn and added a turn of HSR. I found it was bucking me a little with the base tune (I guess some like that pop 😯 ). Now it’s working great. The Pike I have set with one token and 25% sag, a couple of clicks of compression and the rebound somewhere in the middle.

    I have a hope headset that was driving me nuts a week ago with a click whenever I compressed the front end. A nice chap in a LBS suggested that I position the crown race with the slot facing sideways. Well I did this and tightened all back up and all is now silent… result!

    Last weekend I rode Penmachno. It was wet and windy but just the perfect trail for the Spitfire. It peddled well and descended even better, proper smile inducing fun! Interestingly there was another chap there with a Rune. Only the second time I’ve seen someone else in the wild riding a Banshee…

    Sui
    Free Member

    awesome bike!

    You’ll do well to have a read on the MTBR forum as well

    http://forums.mtbr.com/banshee-bikes/2013-spitfire-802889-73.html

    Mines here;

    Large Spitty
    Pike RTC3 27.5 150mm
    CC DBAir CS (EV)
    Saint Stoppers
    SLX cranks
    MPR Chain guide
    Middleburn N/W hardcoate 34T Ring
    1 x 10 with 42T OneUp
    Saint Shifter
    XT shadow clutch mech
    Mavic 719’s on Hope PRO II’s
    Reverb Stealth
    Renthal Fatbar Lite, on Renthal Duo Stem

    I’ll echo all the usual sentiments about it riding the DH type stuff like a bigger bike, but will climb exceptionally well and is comfortable to ride all day. I’ve had mine a shade under two months now, it’s first outing was BPW and that’s when I realised how decent the KS link works. IT’s had a number of Surrey Hills blasts, as well as a long weekend in Port du solei region (DH storm troopers are slow 8) – it handled at 48mph blast down FML DH track well without being skittish, and then carried on with the rest of the 40mile hike across the mountains – achieving this on the defunct GSpot would have been a killer (impossible).

    Mine is not a light build, but then like said it doesn’t feel any heavier to ride than a £6K IBIS Mojo HDR build either!

    bennn
    Free Member

    I’ve been offered a similar deal on the 2015 frames Mmel, but only if I pre-order, which Pikes did you go for, 150 or 160mm?

    Thinking about buying both sets of dropouts and sticking with 26″ to get the build considerably cheaper with some of my existing parts..

    (Can’t get a ‘new’ build less than 3K with a decent 27.5″ spec)

    mmel
    Free Member

    It’s a cracking deal bennn and well worth the pre-order if your set on a Spitty, you’ll save over £400 off list price!

    If your going with 650b pikes, as I have done, I’d recomend 150mm travel. The frame was designed around 160mm fox 34’s and they have the same axle to crown length as the 150mm 650b Pikes. If you want more travel in the future, just buy the airspring and make the changes.

    And yes, 26″ wheels run just fine in a 650b fork! 😉

    PS, if your anywhere near Cheshire your welcome to come and have a go on mine if you can’t get a demo.

    Sui
    Free Member

    benn, both sets of drop-outs should come with the bike as standard along with spare mech hanger!

    mmel
    Free Member

    That didn’t used to be the case Sui, you specify which dropouts you want when you place your order and that’s what you get + a spare mech hanger

    Edit – Here’s a quote from the Blazing Bikes blog

    There is no structural changes to the Rune/Spitfire and Prime for 2015. The decals have been updated, the bikes look simpler and pay homage to the Canadian roots of the brand. We have seen a considerable change in consumer demand for 27.5’’ drop outs, so from August/September, all frames will be shipping with 27.5’’ dropouts, unless requested otherwise.

    ultimateweevil
    Free Member

    Yes Sui, you only get one set, or at least when I ordered mine you did. The extra set is only £100 anyway so no big deal to buy a new set when you feel the need to switch to 650b.

    mmel, where did you get your spacer from and is it easy to fit as I’m having that issue where it feels like it’s trying to buck me off mid stroke. I’ll also try taking half a turn off the HSC first to see how I get on with that though.

    feckinlovebbq
    Free Member

    I tested loads of bikes recently. Of everything i tested Banshee spitfire would have been my second choice. My brother who came along to a few of the bike tests with me wasnt even looking for a bike and ended up buying a spitfire because he liked it so much.

    bennn
    Free Member

    Mmel – not near Cheshire but Leeds, what size is your frame? That is a very generous offer!

    Also; from Blazing Bikes you do only appear to get one set of dropouts, I’d be a bit stuck unless I got the 650b ones anyway, £2k is a lot of outlay though!

    philfive
    Free Member

    Just to point out that you don’t get both dropouts with the frame, you get what size you specify at point of order. You get flipchips, spare hanger and fresh decals.

    mmel
    Free Member

    ultimateweevil – You should of got two volume reducing spacers with your CCDB air. They are blue foam rings that fit in the air can. An easy job, just let the air out, slip off the O-ring and slide off the can. The volume spacer wasn’t to reduce the bucking, but to create a more progressive feel and prevent bottom out at my preferred sag. I reduced the HSC to increase the sensitivity a little at the expense of bob (that’s sorted by the CS anyway). It’s the HSR that sorted the bucking, so that’s what you want to increase. It made a lot of difference when landing jumps to flat.

    Bennn – My frame’s a large

    argyle
    Free Member

    Pedals in Edinburgh have m & l frames with cane creek for 1575. Very, very tempting!

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