Hi Guys. Am on a budget but really in need of a new bike since my stiffee broke yesterday. Been looking at the Fritzz pro. Seems well equipped and looks rather..well pro.
my riding style is agreesive. Ride trails from 30 min. to 5-6 hours), some DH and the occasional skatepark,staircase,urban...thing.
I am a one bike kind of guy, so am looking for strong, reliable and fun rather than light, fast and stupidly expensive.
Anybody own one? Got any advise or insight i would sure like to hear it.
if you can go 150mm rear and 160mm front i have a heckler for sale at £1500 (size large)
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2011-santa-cruz-heckler-frame-large-%e2%80%93-lime-green-650
A lad i rode with had one - it was great but not sure for
ccasional skatepark,staircase,urban...thing.
He did quite hardcore stuff on his 6' drops etc.
Ive got a 2011 Spesh Pitch I would consider selling does everything you want by the sounds of it 150mm front and back and would easily take a 160mm front fork. 😉
I've got a Stereo which is the same, but 10mm less travel. there might be slight geometry diffs. I'd give it a 8/10. Very confidence inspiring with the low bb, good geometry, cockpit fells right etc. It's a fun bike, for sure.
The only downsides for me are:
The LBS struggled to set the front mech up and had to compromise, so I'm having to use all three shift positions for a two ring front, not a big deal, but annoying.
The rear suspension feels a bit overly active (I believe I've got it all set up properly). It feels a bit too bouncy for my taste and I feel sometimes, when trying to get active on the trail pumping, jumps and doing other fancy shenanigans, it just soaks it all up making it difficult. It could be just me (I use hardtails more often), but others have said similar stuff. I think, "Blowing thru the middle of it's travel" was a phrase used by someone.
[url= http://www.canyon.com/_uk/mountainbikes/bike.html?b=2569 ] Canyon?[/url]
^^ I am wanting one of these, any insights?
Friend of mine has one, she seems to love it. Used for everything from DH to all day back country rides in the Alps.
I had one for a few months, there are a lot of good points about it but in the end I found it just a bit too short in the TT to be comfy when climbing and the suspension a bit too unpredictable in rough stuff (as in BA Nana's comment).
It would pitch and yaw a bit after little drops, putting it out of shape for the next bit of trail.
Have seen "Blowing thru the middle of it's travel" written about cube bikes rear travel a few times. have also heard some owners have fixed it.. Godzilla, the Canyon looks at least as right as the cube. must say im not overly exited about the euro styling of some German bikes, coming from a Cove... what to do. thing is got a deal on hand on a fritzz from a cube dealer i know. 1100 p´s.
Whippersnapper, what are your own reasons for wanting one.? are you moving up from a trail or xc bike. down from a freeride or DH rig? or just replacing a similar..? or adding to your fleet?
Whatnobeer dont suppose your mate who has a canyon was out in arcs with trail addiction this year??
What about a spesh enduro?? loads about for good money, mine is a 2005 and cant imagine changing it for anything at the moment.....
@whatnobeer just noticed your friend is female thus not who i am thinking of
My sister has a Fritzz (I think it's an RX) which I've ridden fairly extensively. Nice build quality and great components for the price, but I'm not a fan at all.
The head angle feels mega slack, which translates to slow, sloppy and very vacant handling. In addition, the bike feels to have a massive wheelbase, making it really planted to the deck, but in a sort of lifeless way, rather than a confidence inspiring, fast way. It deals with well groomed berms beautifully - corners like it's on rails, but when the going gets rough the rear suspension just seems really upset, smashing through its travel without taking out the little bumps properly.
Also, I don't really know why, but for me the overwhelming sensation is of riding through treacle, no matter what the terrain - everything is slow, subdued and quite a lot of effort.
Also, it's a minor detail but the stock handlebars are the worst component ever fitted to a bike. Also, the Ti pivot bolts seem to have a habit of shearing at inconvenient moments...
hayduke - you got mail mate
The suspension design ain't great unless you weigh 6 stone, especially if it has a high volume air can fitted.
With a regular volume air can, things would be better.
The leverage ratio starts high and gets higher, this is good for suppleness throughout the entire stroke, bad for dealing with anything remotely resembling a hit.
As a bike for someone that's going to be "overbiked" for that individual, it works well, ie using a 160mm bike for smooth, non technical trail centres.
As a bike that's going to be used as a 160mm bike should, basically being a DH bike you can pedal up, it's not good.
The build quality and spec on it is amazing, however for the purpose of a 160mm bike, it's not good, it's not even light either.
Buy the complete bike, transplant the parts onto a nukeproof mega or a second hand frame, then sell the frame on.
Great bike, got the 2011 version. Used it for all sorts of riding, dh stuff and all dayers in the peaks with what may as well be a 1x9 as i never use the granny ring. Climbs very well for a 160mm bike. Can only compare it to my most recent fs bikes (Hustler, Pitch, G Spot) but it rides a lot lighter than it looks/feels.
deanfbm- thanks for the tech insight. your final advise is my intention as well. thing is, will use it for both tamed trails, unmarked alpine stuff and trail center stuff.
And thanks mccett. 1x9.. thought it had a 10X2 drivetrain?
I got a 2011 frame and built it up from my own parts. I believe they are 10 speed from factory yes.
oh ok. seems you have done quite alot of different riding with the bike and you seem satisfied. what would you say your riding style are? and do you use it as a do-it all or only as its 160mm original purpose?
what are your own reasons for wanting one
I have only ever had hardtails and have always wanted something big and bouncy to play on. I have a 456 with 140mm forks so want something that is big enough not to feel too similar. The Canyon seems to fit that bill at a very very good price. The Cube looks good on paper too. Whether I need is something entirely different.
I've got a 2010 Fritzz and don't have any major issues with it. Takes a bit of time to set up the shock as it is quite active compared to some single pivots. I'd say the slack geo (though its not mega raked out like a DH bike) is a big bonus as it is super stable downhill, which combined with the low bb give a lot of confidence. As for only being good on groomed trails, I've ridden it on the rocky DHs of southern Spain and the rooty trails of the North Shore and Whistler and been able to hold my own...
My builds about 32lbs with sensible tyres on a large frame, swapped out the bar and stem for something sensible and put a bash on. Needs a chain device too as it is possible to jam the chain between a pivot bolt and the granny.
whippersnapper - I've got a Strive ES8 & am impressed with its ability to do anything I want it to. Quite agile and climbs well as well the descent capability you'd expect. I bought it for geometry and price first, rather than travel, but I use it all regularly enough. Only thing I really don't like is the front mech picking up a field worth of muck during a ride. Not sure the change to Sun hubs for 2012 is good though.