hmmmmmm interesting

http://dirt.mpora.com/news/exclusivesaracen-myst-dh.html

Ohhhhhhhhhhh 🙂

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh 🙂

mmmmmmm

oooooooooooooooooh!

Meh

(still wouldn't mind a go though)

phwoarrrr!

Munafacturer in "jumping on the linkage bandwagon" shocker!

Ugly.

Can't tell from that pic but is it a one piece rear end with a linkage activated shock, or does it have a main pivot linkage & some form of horst link at the back end?

It's not light enough 😕

It's not light enough

38lbs is pretty light for a dh bike no?

Initially liked it but think I like the spec more than the actual frame, still a nice looking bike overall.

with this and brant developing his new very tasty looking nukeproof dh bike are we seeing a resurgence in british designed bikes, labour outsorced to the far east obviously

as for the linkage thing how long before orange bring out a linkage 224?

ooooohhhhhhh

3rd stage prototype at the moment, more info here; http://www.southerndownhill.com/forum/index.php/topic,218361.45.html

well of the 3 prototypes i think think the nukeproof looks nicest

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/nukeproof-dh-bike-proto-2010.html?trk=rss

Very nice. Looks a bit long in the photo.
I prefer the look of the Ariel.

Bought up by Madison weren’t they?

It can only be a good thing I reckon, Madison will target Saracen as a brand at a sensible point in the market, they did slip from mid/premium price point (Circa 1990) to a bargain bin brand (1999 onwards), I think a re-launched Saracen with some up to date frames as complete bikes (obviously finished primarily in Shimano kit now) would probably do quite well…

I've got a test booked on the Ariel, looks lovely- and I'm impressed by how they're speccing it too, money spent where it counts and scrimped where it can be without too much loss, like a rider on a budget builds, rather than going for a speclist that looks good in an advert.

ariel looks lovely, top name as well, makes me think of old motorbikes 8)
and and when you're out you can tell peaple MI BIK IS SARACIN
how good is that 😆

The DH bike is supposed to come in around the £2k mark (full bike) but obviously not the same spec as in the pic.

awful
are they still hammered together on an industrial estate in Warwick?

Fortunately due to the death of british manufacturing they're now made in the far east, so no worries there.

woo. another single-pivot-with-a-linkage.

i wish them well, but what's the usp?

"i wish them well, but what's the usp? "

How many bikes have a USP? 😛

Price will probably be their main draw though.

Ariel actually rides very well.

Will come in 3 specs, priced at £1600, £2100 and £2600 iirc.

The critiques will do what they do best, whilst real riders will go with their feelings(wad size) and ride what feels right requardless of the hype and what's fashionable right now.

Test ride one and be surprised.

I like it. hello khani 😀

Or how about UK designed Canadian brand made in Taiwan?

now THAT is nice, schrick

that banshee's paint and decals make it look like it came from toys r us,
guess you'd love it if your 12 😛

they were always made in the far east but "assembled" in a unit on Budbroke IND Estate afair

Ariel reminds me of soap powder

guess you'd love it if your 12

Nope, I'm not 12 and I love it. 🙂

I do really love the colours on the top one though.

I'm all for different colours.

Horrid, ……nasty, the sarzricin iz well nize though innit.

I was happy without a full sus bike but I think it would be rude not to buy an Ariel.