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Any one got or ridden the ML8 from Maverick? Are they as good as the owners on MTBR.com make out? Do they "climb like a goat" and "descend like a banshee"? Why are they not so popular in UK?
descends like a banshee? - badly adjusted brakes
had a little go on a ML7 once. nice
lol..........intresting where these terms come from!!!
I suspect they didn't sell well as they were bloody expensive and had limited exposure to the market.
Got a mate who had one (might have been a 7 though...) he liked it a lot and was pretty fast on it, but then again he is fast on anything so that may not be much to go on,
There is some oddness in the sizing though i seem to remember them being short and high although i could be talking absolute shit.
as per usual.. i wrote a heap of stuff about it, it diodnt come out as i wrote it, the new site coupled with my computer doesnt mix well.
to cut a lonnnggg story short, its one of the most underrated bikes out there. ride it well before buying though to make sure you like it for everything you do in a ride. (climbing especially) a short ride might feel great but for me, it was later on i noticed a few hiccups as far as the height i ran the post goes on a medium coupled with my leg length etc.i`m not the only one that has mentioned the seat tube angles.. but itreally is something else as far as great suspension designs go.
Never judge a book by its cover. out of all the bikes over the past 20 years.. this is one of the finest examples.
with a fox 36 up front i loved it. just dont spoilt it by putting something up front that has inferior damping that cant cope when the going gets tough.
Martinxyz, what do you mean re seat angle andleg length? Is the seat angle too steep to get full leg extension? How tall are you riding a medium? Thanks
on a medium i had an inline thomson post with the saddle flung fairly forward on the rails with a 32" inside leg. If i rode it with the saddle lower,i felt i could ride stuff a bit easier. strange i know.. but thats how i got on with it.although my leg extention wasnt what i was after, if i lowered it i found i could climb steeper stuff a bit better in some ways.
funnily enough.
I have an ml75, I can honestly say it climbs better than any other fs bike I have ever ridden. I am surpised mav bikes aren't more popular as they really are superb and get glowing reports from the mags and anyone who has ever ridden one.
i've had an ml8 since they 1st came out and you will not find a bike(suspension or not) that climbs as well as it.
its not bad on the downs either.
I had an ML8 and agree with Martin; probably the best suspension bike Ive ridden for big proper mountain days up here in the 'Gorms, where there's big rocks and lots of pedalling. But, and here's the rub, I have long legs for my height 5'10"(or as an x roadie I like to ride on tippy toes!) and with the post up enough on a medium I was way too far back behind the pedals. Basically the further out you have the post the further back you sit due to the very slack seat angle. If it hadn't been for this I would still be riding one, with the 36's up front it was a great ride.
Oh and just to add, in a year of riding, Inc' a Scottish winter, the bearings were still smooth and corrosion free with no "slop" in the rear and no problems with the shock.
Out of interest aviemoron, what's your bike of choice for the 'Gorms now? (just returned from Glen Feshie and wondering what the locals use!).
Welllll, I've kind of gone all strange like and got a Titus full sus' 29er! Honestly, it's a great bike for round here; fast for the long pedally bits, but lovely over roots and rocks. Easily handles the big hills with "only" 4" of travel and with a 90mm stem and some recently fitted wide risers, more than nimble enough for the tight tree sections. With the recent dry weather I've been enjoying the speed of Hutchinson Tubeless Pythons, but through the winter I was using Panaracer Rampages or Kenda Nevegals (up front - **** all useful fits on the back!) When I need to ride a 26er a use an old Ellsworth Id, which even with nearly 6" front and rear doesn't feel as relaxing on the steeper, rocky bits, but it's still a nice fun ride.
Oh and none of that singlespeed, rigid guff thank you very much.... apart from maybe Mr Toop! (Bothy Bikes)
Titus from Fat tread? They had an ex-demo Racer 29er in stock last week - was it that one? I had a brief chat to the guys in the shop but couldn't stop (bored family outside 🙂 )