…who’s owned one?

Simple question for those who have seen/owned/own one in the clear steel colour. Is the head tube a slightly different shade of grey to the top and down tubes? Seen one for sale but not sure whether this is normal? General condition of rest of bike is OK but don’t want to be buying something that’s potentially not right.

What’s the peoples opinions as a general do-it-all bike?

Love mine.. just be aware that it isnt the best pedaller but have a read of this..http://dirt.mpora.com/news/why-i-love-my-bike.html

Great once its going downhill and feels very safe and solid to jump and chuck around. It just brings out the kid in you.
Heres mine, havent noticed the difference in colour though..

The one I have seen is on eBay.

How would a blender compare to a Bfe, Alpine, PA etc.

One on ebay does look a bit strange?? The black one looks like it could be snagged pretty cheap.. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Charge-Blender-/290740793734?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item43b1807186#ht_710wt_1185

That’s what I thought. If I’m not sure I won’t buy! Worth asking the question as haven’t seen one in the flesh.

I had a Blender for about 3 years. Fantastic ragging machine, loves jumps and bikeparks and messing about in the woods and 4x, isn’t so keen on long xc rides.

The seat angle is fairly slack which makes it a little harder for climbs etc. I got around it by using a seatpost with a very slight backwards offset the wrong way around. I also slid the seat forwards on the rails. It wasn’t light, but then it wasn’t designed to be.

I just sold it recently and switched to a Prince Albert which I totally love. It pedals brilliantly and I just leave my Pikes at 140mm all the time now whereas I’d drop them in a bit for xc on the Blender to keep the front down.

I would highly reccommend both frames to be honest, but if you want one that pedals as well as jumps, its the PA…

Everything I’ve seen about the Blender suggests that it’s a great do-everything bike as long as everything doesn’t include going uphill in a hurry! When I look at the saddle position it makes me think that the seat should only be used for resting, never when pedalling hard. The definitive play MTB as long as you’re not impatient about getting to the top of the next descent?

kayak23 – very helpful, why the PA and not the Alpine?

chiefgrooveguru – I prefer the downs to the ups, always spin uphill anyway!

Dirt mag certainly love it! I used to spin more slowly uphill but seem to have more recently embraced the joy of climbing at full tilt (benefit of going 1xN?)

lovetoride – Member
kayak23 – very helpful, why the PA and not the Alpine?

Honestly, because it was an impulse ebay buy! 🙂
It happened to be up for sale on ebay at the exact same time I had been doing more xc riding on my Blender and getting the feeling that things could be better.

Bought it on a whim, and instantly loved it. I really like the look of the Alpine too but I guess as I already had the Pikes, then the PA was better suited to those forks anyway.

Alpine one day maybe..

The blenders slack seat tube angle seems pretty daft to me. It not only compromises it’s ability as a fun all-rounder but is probably part of the reason it doesn’t have nice short chainstays. Has Charge ever explained their thinking with the bike’s odd geometry? Not that it matters, they got their image/marketing rightso still sold loads of them.

kayak23 – is the PA as strong as the blender?

Difficult to say, I’ve not broken either…. 😀

PA seems very solid though, similar strength and tube size I’d reckon.

Any difference in slackness of h/a?

Blender is 2 degrees slacker HA…

Blender

Prince Albert

I think its noticable in the ride. The PA feels quicker to turn and sort of more nimble. The Blender is perhaps better over really rough stuff, but to be fair, they are both fantastic.

Isn’t the slack seat tube angle better for descending – if you like to sit down when riding a long-forked HARDtail downhill?! 😉 The shortlived Charge Cleaver was much stranger…

Better for sit down manuals too 😕

I have one and absolutely love it, I was ridding lots of mini DH, kinver, ribbesford, etc also Redhill 4x, then rode Redditch BMX track a lot when I was working that direction, recently been ridding more xc/trail. I went to Llandelga Sunday for the first time my conclusion was as follow:

Climbing, not the easiest, but more than do-a-ble (until I ran out of gas & started pushing, I can assure you it was me not the bike)

Downs, I really couldn’t imagine another bike being more fun around there! I was just able to attacked everything, throw it around & jump everything 1st time (it is all small). I was keeping up with loads of bikes, covets, 5’s, no probs.

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/8244950/

I have questioned a few times changing to a BFE or a PA especially after kayak23’s recent comments but I’m scared that what I gain in pedal-ability I’ll loose somewhere else and I really would fault any other aspect of the frame so that would grieve me bigtime!

I always fancied a blender, but felt at 6′ I’d be a little too tall for one.

I have a NS Surge now, which I love for al the reasons people have listed above – worth considering. I run it as a singlespeed hardtail – used for commuting and everything else I can throw at it.

Steeper seat tube as well. 😀

P.S I’m 5″ 9″

I always wanted one but was put off by the slack seat angle. Shame as the rest of it seems spot on for the kind of thing I like to ride. Went for a Trailstar instead which is still pretty fun but has a really high front end. If I get another hardtail it’ll probably be a Surge!

“I was keeping up with loads of bikes, covets, 5’s, no probs.”

“I can assure you it was me not the bike”

“Do it all bike”, hhmmm. Would is say the bike is bad for sit down pootling and climbing. SA does gives lots on the eff tt, seat to bars, but puts weight too far back for techy climbs, a lot of front end wander unless your chin is on the bars, which is uncomfy after a while. I find the bike pedals really efficiently standing, a good position. If you attack the climbs standing, you are surprisingly rewarded. I’m a BMXer, i’m used to standing for hours on end, it’s good for me.

Everywhere it is pretty awesome, trails centres, pump tracks, natural, jumping, mini dh, it’s a hoot, really fun for sprinting.

It feels rubbish with forks any longer than 100mm, HA is more than slack enough anyway, just man up, longer forks don’t really add anything anyway. Rode some really rocky stuff last night, didn’t feel any less composed than my 6″ bike.