What do I get?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Sasquatch9billion, Mar 1, 2020.


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  1. Sasquatch9billion

    Sasquatch9billion iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    trinidad j. mendez
    I was all set, On a Monday I'd gone for a ride with my old Buddy Gray from back in the STR days. While we rode I told him about my plan to call-up my LBS for a Santa Cruz 5010. The following morning he texted me an Instagram link of their e-mtb monstrosity.
    This threw me into what I've referred to as my existential bike crisis. I considered giving-up mtn. biking and just going back to surfing. I considered just being a shitty old man and not doing anything active at all. I considered just getting a moto and being a sad old dude on a really cool cafe racer style bike. I even considered being a roadie or just getting a gravel bike.
    My wife put it all back in perspective when she said, " If you give-up mountain biking because you hate E-mountain bikes you'll only look back in a few years and realize you miss doing what you love."

    So, Santa Cruz is out for me. I'm looking at the Ibis Mojo 3 and the Guerilla Gravity Shred Dogg. What I want is a mid-travel 27.5" F/S bike that climbs well and -more importantly-can descend in a fun, fast and playful manner.
    What I am asking for from my esteemed MTB "Brothas," is any insight or leads on demos for these bikes. Please, throw me your opinions and personal experiences. TIA as they say:

    Pros for Ibis Mojo 3:
    -Black and Green are my favorite colors
    -I've demo'd previous versions and have always been very impressed with the climbing and descending.
    -the company doesn't make an e-mtb yet.

    Cons:
    -Design hasn't seen an update in a while-could be updated soon.
    -Price seems a bit high to me for an NX build with a foreign-made carbon frame.


    Pros for Guerilla Gravity Shred Dogg:
    -US made frame.
    -The company doesn't make an E-mtb yet.

    Cons:
    -Marketing and aesthetic are kinda cheesy. (As a punk kid I can say that it feels inauthentic).
    -Shred Dogg is a super cheese ball name for a bike.
    -The oversized headtube just looks way too big for any fork.
    -Their alternative to internal cable routing is novel but not aesthetically pleasing (The art school kid in me is cringing.)

    Other contenders:

    Canyon Spectral CF 7.0:
    -Canyon makes e-mtbikes but does not yet sell them in the US.
    -Reviews claim the front end does not track well while climbing.
    -$3500 for a carbon frame and very decent components seems nearly impossible to beat.

    YT Jeffsy CF Pro:
    -The price for components and carbon frame seems okay.
    -Really good reviews.
    -Design-wise, I think this frame may be my favorite. It seems sleek and understated.
    -Again, this company makes an e-MTB.
    -The marketing and general aesthetic is pretty fratish/bro-y.


     
  2. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Exciting times, Trinidad!

    GG will be demo’ing at Sedona Bike Fest in a couple weeks. Reserve as early as you can. That hideous-looking headset could be useful. :geek:

    Your results from the demo could even help you get a ‘18 used SD. Geo numbers on the GG site. Vs ‘17, the 2018 will have a stronger rear tri brace, cartridge bearings vs angular, lower stealth port and maybe more attention to the seat tube reaming. If you’re up for some reduce, re-use, recycle action, metal and saving some coin. :)

    Banshee bikes just updated its line, including the Spitfire. I’d have it on the short list.

    Transition Scout gets a lot of love and seems descent-focused. Saw this if you are large: https://www.transitionbikes.com/Store_Detail.cfm?C=Closeout Bikes&SC=ALL&P=14038

    I think it will be hard to make a bad choice if keeping with recent designs. The real issue is the fit IMO. But yes, demo’ing can be a hitch. Happy hunting. :thumbsup:
     
  3. mtbMike

    mtbMike iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    PRESCOTT!!!
    Name:
    Mike
    Current Bike:
    Ibis HD5, Ripley & Mojo 4
    Meh, if you like the 5010, go get it. I’m no fan of ebikes either but I also know they aren’t going away. Pushing aside SC because they make an ebike seems silly to me though. Are you going to refuse to run Maxxis tires because they market ebike tires? Or Shimano because they make ebike motors? Even SRAM has eshifting.

    I follow Ibis chatter and rumors are the Mojo 3 could be updated or even killed in the line-up due to declining sales. No idea what will actually occur. I was hoping Revel would come out with a mid travel 27.5 but knew better as 29ers are outselling them 100-1 according to a bike shop employee I rode Mt Wilson with yesterday.

    If you drive down to Carlsbad, you can definitely demo a Canyon plus Carlsbad is a great city to kill a weekend with plenty of surf options nearby.
     
  4. buggravy

    buggravy iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Calabasas
    Name:
    Matt
    Current Bike:
    Transition Sentinel
    Gonzo cycles had select GG bikes for demo when I was looking a little over a year ago. This was pre-Revved, but worth a shot if you don't mind a drive up the cost.

    Revel Rail could be a contender, and Worldwide Cyclery in TO has demos.

    Regardless, enjoy the search.
     
  5. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    It seems like you put way too much thought into it already. I'd say you aren't leaving the sport anytime soon... :thumbsup:

    I don't have any line on demos... Don't pay too much attention to that scene. What I will add, though, is that I went through a pretty similar thought process in 2018. The Canyon was really high on the list for value, but the 27.5 wheel size and pressed bottom bracket were eventually a turnoff for me. Sounds like you prefer that size though... Their burlier bike with adjustable on the fly geometry had a threaded bottom bracket, but that was too much bike for me. They have since brought the 29er over the pond.

    And point #2- The same rumor mill that predicted the Santa Cruz is predicting an Ibis motorcycle. They'll take the hit from purists. Economics dictates it. I'd say the farthest out from an e-moto is GG. They're still young and fresh... Once they hire enough bean counters in suits and move up the food chain, they'll cave. They've also dropped down my list with the switch to carbon. I know it's the wonder material, but their industrial looking aluminum frames were the best looking bikes ever.

    In the end, all my research went out the window when Back Country had too good of a deal on a closeout Hightower. I had watched all of the closeout pricing for months on every site I knew. I almost pulled the trigger when it was a few hundred higher, but I played the waiting game and won. I knew it was a capable bike. It was not my first or second choice, but at the price it was unavoidable. We've since bonded, but I look at it more as a tool. Lately it's been the tool that gets me down Joplin alive... :Roflmao

    Good luck on the search...
     
  6. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    Simple cool factor puts the GG’s at the top of the list for me. There is something about supporting the smaller brands and they would be perfect to support. When I saw @buggravy ’s bike at the Big Bear meet up, it was a wow! Pushes all the right buttons.

    I’m immature enough to be permanently pissed at Santa Cruz for their dive into the deplorable. If no one takes a stand then why stand at all. I bought my last Santa Cruz and I contacted them and told them just that.

    I have ridden with @mike and he makes GG magic!
     
  7. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    The "they-made-an-e-bike-so-they're-dead-to-me" sentiment is so sweet and idealistic. When Santa Cruz read @Mikie's pronouncement that he will never buy another Santa Cruz, I am sure they channeled the video store clerk in Clerks and quipped "You'll be missed!" Cling to that idealism. Unfortunately, it will make zero difference and will eventually prevent you from buying anything mt bike related - including most bike brands. Ibis and Yeti will probably introduce their motorcycles within a year. As @mtbMike already said, the idealists are already hypocrites for buying tires and components from companies who are enabling the proliferation of e-bikes.

    But yeah, Guerilla Gravity and Banshee will probably be the last to fall.
     
  8. hill^billy

    hill^billy iMTB Rockstah

    Why Is nobody crying DERAIL?
     
  9. tick

    tick Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    Tick
    Current Bike:
    Process 111
    I’m willing to buy from a brand that sells mopeds, but not from a shop that sells them, 150 miles from anywhere they can legally be ridden. So mail order a 5010 from a shop somewhere that could use the business. The LBS is on the wrong side of the issue in OC, they know it, and we need to let them know that we know it too.

    oh, I’ve demoed YT, they pedal terribly (like a 1999 FSR, because that’s what it is, I guess). They are a German company, their marketing strikes me as Hasselhoffian, a Teutonic attempt at American “kuhl.”
     
  10. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Because the OP mentioned he didn't want to buy a bike from a company that sells e-bikes. It's not a derail.
     
  11. Derkderkall

    Derkderkall iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Monrovia
    Name:
    Derek Allison
    Current Bike:
    2020 Specialized Fuse 29
    What about yeti sb 140¿
     
  12. tick

    tick Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    Tick
    Current Bike:
    Process 111
    To your demo question: where you at? The ibis truck will be in Newport in April, contact Pro Bike Supply. The YT warehouse in San Clemente offers a good demo program, contact them on their website for reservations.

    the ibis warehouse demo in Santa Cruz might be a fun road trip, but a GG/yeti demo road trip would be fun but probably not worth the gas money.
     
  13. dssgaffler

    dssgaffler Member

    Location:
    IE
    Name:
    Never will sellout
    Current Bike:
    Intense + Revel + Transition
    Sasquatch - I love the way you think. Your personal protest will likely have zero impact on anyone in the industry, but at least you can look at yourself in the mirror and know that you genuinely stand for something right. As far as your potential options, I like the GG Shred Dogg the most. They do seem to have an 80s headbanger mentality when it comes to their marketing, but at the end of the day, they are boutique and boutique is almost dead in the MTB industry. I will second buggravy's suggestion on the Revel Rail. It does have more travel than even the YT Jeffsy but most reports suggest that it climbs as good if not better than bikes with significantly less travel. Plus YT makes an Ebike so the Revel Rail makes a lot more sense as a potential option IMHO. Best of luck with your decision, I support where you are coming from and I admire anyone who takes a stance. Ebikes suck.
     
  14. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    If we want to continue to ride mountain bikes, we are going to have to look beyond the fact that most, if not all, companies will offer e-bikes. We are well on the way to that already. I think we all hoped it wouldn't happen but I also think we are not surprised that it is happening. The E-bike industry has surged forward like nothing I have ever seen in the cycling world. I have never had a problem with them as long as they are ridden only where it's legal and only by those who have a disability. Neither of those two things are what I am seeing out on the trails but there isn't anything we can do about it now. I wish it wasn't true, but they are here to stay.

    So, I say welcome a Santa Cruz bike into your world if it fits your needs.

    Buying a brand now that has not yet released an e-bike, but later on will, is no different than buying a brand that already offers them.
     
  15. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    @Sasquatch9billion - if it helps you stomach the GG naming conventions, I do believe it is all intended as tongue-in-cheek, or campy humor. Like making fun of one's self by exaggerating your own tastes or perhaps reflecting something completely opposite. It's self parody. Does that help?

    On the other hand the YT "bro" culture is very real and playing itself out in the hills of Aliso and Laguna. You hit the nail on the head for that one.
     
  16. tick

    tick Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    Tick
    Current Bike:
    Process 111
    Call these guys, I admire the statement at the link. They look to be a SC dealer. No idea if they’ll ship, but it would be a good road trip...

    if a local shop has taken a similar approach, I’d give them my business.

    https://pinemountainsports.com/e-bike-trails/
     
  17. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2656204/


    Screen Shot 2020-03-01 at   3.42 PM.png

    It's been there awhile, FYI.

    My first Smash was a 2017, and the weez's Pistola also is. No issues yet with the v1 stays. Bearings can be updated to cartridge bearings.
     
  18. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    In that same vein, you can watch pink bike for demos that are sold right from GG that still have the warranty.

    They list some really cool bikes every now and then...
     
  19. Cyclotourist

    Cyclotourist iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Redlands
    Name:
    David
    Current Bike:
    Don't fence me in!
  20. Sidewalk

    Sidewalk iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    The road is where I call home
    Name:
    Josh
    Current Bike:
    N+1
    Buy the bike that interests you the most.

    Sounds like you want a 5010, go get it.
     


As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?