Stooge Cycles – who's interested? (slack 29er content)

The Scrapers are 45 internal

Mr Stooge is running 30mm Blunts (?) and says they work fine

Cokie that is my bike in the pic …It has blunt 35 rims ….seems to work fine on those ..and half the price of larger rims …It just means you can go to silly low air pressure like you can wider rims…not sure you can get anything too large on the back of the mk1

Cheers for the advice. I’m going for the Blunt 35 on the Trailblazer.

I went WTB’s as my mate Stu did 😉

The Blunts seem a good way to go

Let us how you get on 🙂

Anyone using / recommend an off-the-shelf frame bag for the Stooge – the Alpkit Possum for example?

Just checked Strava and have completed over 2200km since beginning of July on my Stooge…not looked at any of my other bikes since. Just can’t get enough. Basically doing 20-30km most days around Mugdock and the West Highland Way. Always come home with a smile

Mines coming once I can arrange picking it up too excited about it.

Anyone tried a knard in the rear (sounds really strange) on a thinnish rim (around 27mm I think)?

Got the first ride in last night on the Scraper rims Vee 3.25 front and 2.8 Trailblazer rear

I was totally loving it. The difference to start with riding over to collect a mate wasn’t too apparent, but once on the trail things started flying along a treat

The set-up certainly seems to bring out the good aspects of the Stooge, with reminders of the fat bike too – a good half way house

Some self steering from the Vee up front at pretty lowish pressure, but only on the road/tarmac

I’m sold 🙂

Ooh – nice new website Mr Stooge 🙂

That STW review of the Stooge..[/url]
It’s the first mediocre, or even slightly negative, review I’ve read on the Stooge. I tend to do the odd long ride on it, but usually it’s a 2 hour (max) spin through the woods and the Ridgeway. The carbon bars and 3.0” tyre went a long way in making it comfortable. I can’t help but feel that had he set it up for himself a bit more maybe some of the negative attributes would have been cancelled out. Either way, refreshing read.

I smell bad blood

Didn’t STW refuse to ‘review’ the Stooge shortly after its conception?

As the thread is now 28 pages long and Stooge has 100% positive feedback from all her owners I suppose STW had to buckle

The above linked review by Greg however (whoever he is) is balanced overwhelmingly in the negative, even down to mentioning the kit the review Stooge was supplied with

The reviewer’s language use is also overly negative – the Slaughter does not get ‘crammed into the rear’ I have a MK1 Stooge (which has less clearance than the MK2) and have ran a Slaughter. It has comfortable room, and works very well in the Stooge

What about the bit ‘It was envisaged as a bike-packing bike, the use that many people have been building them for.’ Is this true? I thought the Stooge was conceived for hooning through the woods, not 90Km commuting? And most of the owners’ pics I see here are on the trail

‘And sadly, there’s not enough room for a 29+ rear.’ lol, what a faux pas. Stooge is not a 29+ bike

As for comfort, I can only say from my 12 months of regular (have done some 4-5 hour rides) use comfort has not been an issue. I use a Fizzik Gobi and a Kent Ti layback Sweetpost. I’m 6’2″ as well

Disappointingly hardly surprising, inaccurate bike hack journo stuff 🙂

Greg however (whoever he is)

Greg May?
Tweets by greg_may_

Thought the review was pretty fair myself.

I smell bad blood

Didn’t STW refuse to ‘review’ the Stooge shortly after its conception?

Um. No… Unless you’re privy to some information I don’t have. And hey, I only work here.

The Stooge is too small for me; we commissioned Greg to review it. He took the bike away for a few weeks, rode it, and here is his review. I can’t say whether I agree with him or not (it was too small for me; I’ve not ridden it), but he knows his stuff, I’ll back up his right to his opinion to the hilt.

His right to an opinion is not in question, it’s the quality of the ‘review’ or is it intended to be some kind of blog entry, in which case it’s a different story?

I thought reviews highlighted pro’s and con’s, how the bike rides and then gives a conclusion?

The only pro mentioned are the aesthetics, otherwise the piece reads like there’s nothing good going on, the bike is a compromised retro (nice) styled bone rattler – a big fail, when clearly it’s popular among owners, as well as dealers who have put their name behind the bike

What are they seeing that Greg isn’t? I think a non-Stooge owner would like to know from reading a review from a popular online source

Maybe I’m completely off-beam??

Having owned a Jones and ridden a Stooge I think the review is bang on. The Stooge is solid and uncompromising in a way that the Jones spaceframe isn’t. And the end comment about getting into trouble is valid and applies to both bikes. Great on smoother trails or slower tech but enter something rough when going fast and they’re both pants compared to either a hardtail or a full suspension which I assume is his point. Clearly the definition of fast and rough is specific to the individual rider though. Your definition of fast may mean that rough sections don’t come across as badly as they do for quicker riders. Smooth singletrack woodland flat-ish trails are fun (the kind you play around on for a few hours after work) but it sounds like the reviewer didn’t ride there so could hardly speculate.

I don’t find my Mk1 Stooge a hard ride, it has a nice steel flex to it. But fundamentally it’s a rigid bike, which I find is a good way of learning to appreciate suspension.

Having owned a Mk2 for just over a month, I’m still getting used to it. I’ve come via a 2 x FS (Orange 5s) to 3 x different HTs all with circa 120mm travel, the last one being a Cotic Solaris which then morphed into a full rigid carbon fork and 29+ front end.

I’m still forming my opinions on the Stooge but it does feel (to me) a little harsher in the rear than my last rig with the same rim, tyre combo (P35 / On One chunky monkey) but it works much better for me on 95% of all my local trails.

I can only compare it to my Solaris which laterally ran with a On One carbon fork and 29+ tyres. To me, the Stooge has got bags more front end grip, it’s considerably more comfortable with the higher front end and it’s much easier to pop over fallen trees and big rocks. It’s much more playful too and always make me laugh out loud when it’s up at a good speed with a few wee jumps thrown in. I agree, it can get a bit hairy when at speed on big terrain but it’s a fully rigid bike and in comparison to the fully rigid Solaris it’s much better fun.

It would have been good to hear Gregs views on how it handled on a wider spectrum of terrains and how he felt it fitted him compared to all the other bikes I’m sure he’s ridden.

At the end of the day, every bike is a compromise in terms of what it’s good at, they all have their pros and cons.

I’m happy.

Unless you’re privy to some information I don’t have. And hey, I only work here.)

I do believe mr may voiced his like and dislike for the stooge a few months ago on bearbones bikpacking

It’s difficult to tell from the review whether the gripe was with the Stooge or with the fact it’s a rigid bike.

I had a Stooge – as my only MTB – from last October until May this year. It replaced my 26er Cotic Soul. I loved the looks, the handling and the overall experience. Initially, I ran it singlespeed, before adding gears as winter turned into spring.

I did, however, move back to a Soul with bouncy forks again (27.5 this time). I found having a rigid bike as my only bike too uncomfortable and a little limiting (for me) once the trails dried out and I was working the tyres harder. It almost certainly made me into a smoother rider – and, yes, I still almost certainly lack awesome skilz – but it hurt.

There is no question that I’d have the Stooge back as a second bike, ideally as a winter SS – I really loved it. As my only bike, though, it wasn’t to be!

A long ride for the reviewer could well be what many on here would consider fairly epic. I read that he likes the bike over certain terrain, but as a fairly stiff (for steel) bike, it gets laity on rocky trails and batters you over time. No surprises. He’s well used to rigid bikes, SS etc.

‘Lairy’…..not laity…

“An uninspiring, creaking, slipping Ti seatpost from Torus refused to stay put – but that is not the fault of the Stooge.”

I have a torus ti post in a mk1 stooge.No creaking or slipping here. Nice and comfortable though and it looks lovely against the aqua blue.
I’m over the moon with my bike Andy, so much so that I’m saving up for the ti version.

I should point out that I want the ti version because I’m a tart, not because the steel rides harshly or any of that nonsense.

^^ best possible reason.

I fancy a Stooge and although the bike maybe doesn’t agree with the author. How many bikes have people ridden without the need to change things on bikes to make them fit properly. From tyres, to bars, to seat posts to saddles, the list goes on. One day I will get a Stooge to move up to bigger wheels for my winter single speed and it hasn’t dampened my thoughts about getting one at all.

Comfort is such a personal thing. My Stooge is the most comfortable rigid bike I’ve ever ridden by a country mile.

It is a rigid bike, not going to be comfy compared to a FS or HT. I’m slower on my stooge and not very comfortable but I have more fun on my local trails that are not very hilly. Best bike I’ve tried or owned.

Christ I’d been looking at one if these amongst other things but you’ve sold me on it. Slow and uncomfortable 🙁 slow I can do but not uncomfortable

Seems like a fair review tbh, and he clearly out in some serious miles whilst coming to his conclusion and he’s experienced in the sort of ridin it’s built for.

Nice to see someone not pandering to the bike companies like most reviews these days

Greg didn’t like the Stooge. It doesn’t mean it’s a bad bike, just that Greg didn’t like it.

YMMV.

Firestarter it’s as comfortable if not more so than the karate monkey we have both had. The Ti is even more so …

Well that would be sound then. As they say comfort is very personal.

First ride on mine last night. I’m sold so far, need to tweak bits but it’s interesting. Comfort wise it’s good, it’s still a rigid bike but with a higher stack and a plus tyre there’s no jarring from the front. I found it an easy transition from my FS gnarpoon.

re the review – oh well, you win some you lose some. Greg’s been quite open about his dislike for the way the Stooge rides over the last year, so when he got the gig it was never going to end particularly well. Who knows, if i’d given him a MK2 bike with B+ wheels and tyres his opinion might have been completely different. There are many ways to build these bikes and the difference can be quite startling.

I think its fair to say a fully rigid bike is never going to compensate for a lack of suspension, in the same way 6″ of travel is never going to compensate for a lack of skill. For me its addictive, you’re forced to think about every aspect of where you’re riding and what’s up ahead, think about your speed and line choice, and its all incredibly satisfying. And that’s what the Stooge is about really, getting back to basics and having some fun, nothing more, nothing less.

I think its fair to say a fully rigid bike is never going to compensate for a lack of suspension,

However the reviewer did say he normally rides fully rigid bikes.

Greg didn’t like the Stooge. It doesn’t mean it’s a bad bike, just that Greg didn’t like it.

That ^^^

But of course. Greg put the time in to ride the bike and form his own opinion and i respect that. And as he says, his opinion is his own.

“I think its fair to say a fully rigid bike is never going to compensate for a lack of suspension”

“However the reviewer did say he normally rides fully rigid bikes.”

Just an observation but he seems to be riding and loving a Salsa Spearfish on his twitter page, maybe he’s got used to the squish!

I can confirm that Babyjack’s bike is stunning to behold, the latest additions make it stunning & unique, but a picture speak a thousand words eh? 😉

I can also confirm that he’s a tart, loves that bike & unfortunately 36×16 doesn’t slow him down on the up’s 🙁

Post up a pic dude!