Rotec RL9 or Last Herb would be my choice.

Rather than trying to be different, just go with what works – 224?

I haven't really given it a proper run out yet sola. It pedals surprisingly well uphill on the local trails though, which was a bit of a surprise.

I have a normal 6.6 as well, which is marginally better on the climbs, but that's probably down to being able to reduce travel to 140mm on the Fox 36 Talas that is fitted to it.

Braaap!!!!

Chumba are also offering a grass roots deal, mail me for details!

http://www.sicklines.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/12918/size/big

ChunkyMTB, where's that pic from? New DHR, yum!

Shipping early spring.

If you want quirky:

http://www.nicolai.net/products/e-frames/e-lambda-st.html

what you realy want is one of thease

😀

Intense Uzzi 😆

what about Transition Bikes? They have a dh bike and FR bikes.

when Louis from K9 popped round – seemed one of the most knowledgable suspension types to me – full on DH isn't our current market – I'd leap on K9 if/when they offer a more trail travel machine.

For what you get included, it's a bargain – a real personal setup.

Gimme an email if you want to chat more, it's still something we might offer..

Both been mentioned before, but the new Transition looks lovely, and the Mondraker looks good as well.

the k9 good but limited availability spent an afternoon with the desiner talking about suspension at AW Cycle they have a unbuilt evil if your interested

Brooklyn Racelink.

http://www.brooklynmachineworks.com/

Ref the Mondraker…

Trek Session also comes with a long guarantee for a DH frame, doesnt mean they dont crumple or snap easily. They are also tight on their 'crash replacements' rather than 'warranty'.

Personally, i'd take something 1/2 or 1lb heavier, just so it didnt break twice a year or dent on the first run.

J

Session 88 frames only have issues if hacks don't make the trannies…. They are DH race frames designed for people who know what they are doing, not huck machines for weekend warriors.

jamie, re the Trek, Yawn.

Some fantastic ideas, thanks, I do like the Mondraker and if t has a lifetime warranty, that helps towards stopping the worry. Problem with warranties is service. i remember the Commencal problems a year or so ago, great warranty, but took 3 months to get the frame back to you, which isn't really a warranty.
Turner DH is lovely but have a deep seated mistrust of low GOG swingarms. I my mind, a wide spaced 3 bar gives far more support to the bearings. i have a tendency to flick out the rear on landings which causes a huge amount of lateral stress on the bearings. I always picture, rightly or wrongly much more stress on this area for bikes like super dh's Ancilloti's, evils, dhr's etc.
I had an old DHR which had an ovalised pivot bolt housing, that went to the skip as it was unfixable and was too old to warranty.
Walleater, Disagree I'm afraid. I would suggest that you would get far more stress on a frame from a full on dh run than from weekend warriors. Either way, there are confirmed issues with the 88 which for the price of the frame, I wouldn't accept. It annoys me when bikes are released and have problems. If your average joe can break a frame it hasn't been tested properly and shouldn't be released.
It is however a lovely looking frame.
hanks all, keep it comming!!

There is a Nicolai Ion in Medium for sale at the moment – complete bike. From what I can see, it was team bike given to a guy in Neath, South Wales to race on. He's had it on eBay for £2k and now on the Dirt forum with a second post saying 'really need to get shot of this, make me an offer seriously, you never know' or something. Maybe he'd take £1500?
The Ion is a great frame (I have one in large) and has a fantastic warranty that is transferable between owners. It's built tough, but then maybe tougher than you'll need being 10 stone?

i'm going to mention BMW racelinks again, but if you're not tempted, what about the Eric Carter designed mongoose?

here's an example:
http://www.moredirt.co.uk/ratebike.php?id=1513

Jamie@Balfa

The point is that if Mondraker are confident enough to offer a life time warranty then they are clearly very confident in the strength and quality of the Summum.

You also appear to be slightly confused by Treks warranty compared to crash replacement. If its crashed and as a result is damaged, thats not a manufacturing defect so will be covered by a discounted crash replacement. This is something that Trek dont even have to offer, its a good will gesture to look after their customers. You cant expect crash damage to be covered by a warranty.

Whatever Walleater speaks is the truth, as hes a true
:North Shore Hero:

Personnally, Id have a nicely polished custom Nicolai.

piccie

Banshee Legend mk II

Canfield Jedi

tooFATtoRIDE – Member

Canfield Jedi

Why is yours always up for sale then?

Sola – still the Red one you want yeah? 😆

Yes, no, yes, no, yes, no, oh I don't know!

Yep, definitely Red thanks. I like to keep things looking clean and tidy, and I just know the 'works' finish would annoy me after a while.

Just checked, and the 1.5 King does come with the new fangled bearing preloader, so good news.

LOL Scruff etc.

Englishmastiff, the Trek World Cup team rode Session 88 frames without incident last year, and a pretty talented mate rode his Session 88 in Whistler Bike Park, again without incident, and also a workmate did the same. Sure, they are not the strongest frames out there, but they are not designed to be. People want really light DH stuff, so they have to pay the price, financially and otherwise if they are heavy on kit.

Walleater,
agreed, but I and 99.99% of people who buy it are not world cup riders. How do we know there were no problems?? not something they would advertise unless it were a catastrophic failure on TV. Team bikes are replaceable items.
If you are putting something to market, you need to make sure that you are 100% happy with the product testing. For Trek, there is no excuse to release a sub standard product.
Go back to GT's DHi, how many rear shock mounts failed? That was not due to "weekend warriors", it was due to bad design, bad manufacture and unforgivable product testing.
Then the next GDHi (which i ride but with the up rated 08 swing arm). Again the distributors and gt know that the majority of swing arms cracked. Weekend warriors? No, GT trying to release the lightest stock DH bike ever made. Did they succeed? yes they did, but they released a product only fit for team riders who didn't pay for the frames and have another 3 in the team van should one fail, not for the likes of you and me.
In fairness, GT should have taken a battering in lost sales through customer confidence failing. Somehow, they survived but with two flagship bikes in a row having serious problems, they should have paid the ultimate price.
I know a bloke that is (or was) riding a 88 with epoxy and gaffer tape holding the frame together, a very talented rider by all accounts.

Love all the suggestions and there are some really unusual frames. Thanks for the help and again, keep them coming.

There is a Nicolai Ion in Medium for sale at the moment – complete bike.

2nd vote for Nicolai Ion… Not that I've ridden one mind, they're just the most awesome looking bike ever IMO!

is anyone on this thread interested in the performance of any of the bikes mentioned???

the only comments seem leveled at the 'looks' of the bike or the perceived strength of the frame and the perceived aftersales back-up.

If i was spending a lot of money on a DH frame i would be first thinking about the ride of the frame that i am looking for, then finding something that suits.

Do you want a really light flickable bike with a lively suspension feel, for tighter techy courses.

Or, a stable bike that feels solid at high speeds.

Or, adjustable geometry.

What shock do you want (one of the most important things in my opinion)

Loads of other similar questions to ask yourself

Remember that 'warranty' covers manufacturing defects and not flat landing 10 foot drops all day long and bouncing off the bottom out stop. This is abuse of a frame, if it breaks you have to buy a new one. If a weld cracks due to fatique, you have worn it out!

A full season of riding everyday in the Alps or Whistler is fatique. Most bike's 'lifetime' is deemed to be a lot less riding than a full season of riding every day. Maybe two rides a week for 2/3 years would/should constitute the lifetime of an aluminium frame? All aluminium frames have a 'life' and will fatique somewhere.

Trek offering a crash replacement is very kind of them

Fit for purpose, are you buying the right thing???? If you want a lightweight race frame (trek, GT etc) then don't huck drops all day long and case jumps a lot, or ride a full 'season' on it. Race it. If you want to ride a bike hard, flat land drops etc then buy a frame suited to this.

The best bike I ever owned;

Just a thing of beauty and craftmanship to see in the flesh. Forget Intense or any other 'boutique' crap, Brooklyn-made with love by Joe&Doc.

Or at least they were till Doc left to set up Superco and to leave Joe to make fashion fixies. 🙁

Superco silencer then but sell a kidney/wife/house now and get saving.

edit to add some more sex wee pics.

Its safe to safe I had the Brooklyn illness real bad;

Good old 4130 Chromoly, jackshaft drivetrain for bob-free pedalling, brake arm for isolated braking. The best suspension ever made for a bike-forget the joke that is Fox, Avalanche Racing-custom valved to your weight&riding style, had one on a previous bike to the Brooklyn-the best money I ever spent on bike suspension.
Long low bikes for stupidly high speed Alps riding, stick to the floor plough bikes with bottomless travel when coupled with the Avy fork.

Would last an Alps season for every year for the rest of your life and still be going strong.

The only time I've shed a tear in the last 10-15 years was when I packed mine up to send to its new owner in Norway.

Would last an Alps season for every year for the rest of your life and still be going strong.

Absolutely, and for the kind of person that's going to be doing that, they're unbeatable. Problem with Racelinks (and I've ridden a couple) is they're literally too good at what they do. For hitting big drops and riding mega gnarly courses all day long, every day, they're unbeatable. But for a DH race bike, they're too heavy, too tall (BB isn't exactly high, but it's an inch or so higher than most DH race frames) and probably not slack enough for all out high speed stability.

They are damned good fun though, in an "I feel totally invincible" kind of way.

how about knolly's new dh frame, seem pretty well made owner/seemed pretty sound when i was thinking of getting a delirium

I always liked the daft look of the old RM flatline. Too much bike for me though.

Ancillotti.

or

Appalache Real.

In my opinion these bikes seem to have the most character of anything out there. Surely the positive side of Quirkyness is Character?

All other bikes seem a bit too popular, common, unstylish, boring, etc. Both of these bikes have bneen around for a while but still look modern and stylish. They both look even better in the flesh.

Also, they both have a good race pedigree. Go for the Real if weight is important, the Ancillotti if ploughing is more important to you.

The only other option is to go for an old design classic. What about a Yeti DH9. This would still win races and still has loads of character.