Strengths: Light (not as light as Yeti claim though - 6lb not 5.7 for a medium) stiff rear end (Carbon) and well built with decent bearings. Very well sorted geometry which inspires you to push it harder. Excellent cable routing too allowing full rear run for smooth all weather shifting.
Weaknesses: Why is there no paint on the top of the headtube? Other than that nothing yet.
Overall: I've been running mine for over 5 months now and it's been a superb ride. Having had a Turner 5 Spot and Intense 5.5 it was interesting to see how it compares and it easliy matches and beats both of those illustrious makes in certain areas. I wanted the Yeti to be the best of both the Turner and Intense and it has proved to be and that is the brilliant riding qualities of the 5.5 and the all-weather atribute of the Turner. I've built mine up as a very lightweight long travel all-day bike (24.8lb) and it laughs at climbing and also loves going downhill too. I also think the geometry is spot on and even though it's quite slack it can still steer through tight technical singletrack. So all in all a very well sorted long travel frame that carries on the great Yeti tradition.
Strengths: Very well made and pefect for our muddhy shores. Excellent geometry which means it climbs well and also goes downhill well too. Superb suspension action which just seems to float over rocks and keeps going fast, not losing any speed.
Weaknesses: Don't get it with a DHX Air shock!
Overall: My Turner is fitted with a DHX coil shock and also has a ti spring fitted which makes it very plush. The bike just floats over any obstacles and carries it's speed over them easily. The suspension action is very very smooth and it means the bike not only descends well but also climbs like a rat up a drain pipe! The relaxed angles are perfect for descending and it feels like it's riding on rails. The frame is very well made with neat welding and the excellent Zerx grease points are ideal for our winters and maintenance is so easy - more than can be said for many other boutique brands. A very solid well sorted frame.
Strengths: Rock solid in the steering department and track superbly over the rough stuff. Non of the diving through the travel like air forks. At CYB they were perfect over all the rocks.
Weaknesses: Not cheap but cheaper than the Fox air forks. The RLC's are also £439 not as above but I got mine for the lower price.
Overall: A really dependbaly fork. Super plush and buttery smooth. I've had Floats and Talas RLC's and these are way better in the travel department. If you want the best suspension action then these are the forks to get. Also non of the bushing problems that come with the Talas forks.they are only marginally heavier than the Talas forks as well. The best forks I've ever used and owned. Springs rule well done Fox.
Strengths: Incredible build quality and strong. The geometry is spot on for fast hard riding up or downhill. The VPP system is fantastic and I know it works as I had a Blur. Probably the ultimate XC bike.
Weaknesses: Cost but handbuilt quality never is cheap. Mines a ball burnished so can't comment on the paint. I know there is an issue with bearings (again a VPP thing) but if that's a price to pay for the ultimate handling bike it's worth it believe me.
Overall: After riding this bike at CYB I knew it was the perfect bike, at least for me. The angles are spot on for climbing but going downhill they are fantastic. I had a Santa Cruz Blur before this and that was a lovely bike. It climbed well but I always felt over the bars when going downhill and it wasn't quite right at speed. This thing puts that right. The head angle is slightly more relaxed and givs you loads of confidence when the going gets rough at speed. The suspension works superbly over anything and it handled CYB's rocky paths with aplomb. I've got it running with Fox Vanilla RLC130's and the pair together are seventh heaven. I can put up with the bearing issue as the bike works so well. Beg steal or borrow one and get a test ride because until you do you will not know how good they really are. Believe the hype gents - it's the best!
Strengths: Superb modulation and power. Very useful reach adjustment for setting individual bite point. Carbon parts to reduce weight and split clamp design. very easy to set up as well.
Weaknesses: Non as yet. I've had the normal juicy 7's for a while now with no problems at all so why should these be any different.
Overall: Another blinding product from Avid. Some nice design touches in the split clamp feature (not on normal 7's) very well made and so easy to set-up. Carbon levers are lovely and smooth with no flex at all when pulled hard. Immensely powerful but with superb feel and the bite point adjustment is very useful to individualise your set-up. I prefer the bite point immediately not near the bar so having this feature is worth the cost over the 5's. All the Carbon and Ti bits are nice to have and ar only slightly more expensive. But they are worth it. Think of the bling factor!
Strengths: Very very light, stiff, nimble and very well made and excellent finish.
Weaknesses: Don't like any frame that has cables running underneath. That's all.
Overall: An amazingly fast bike that won't let you ride it slow. To get the best from it you really do need to keep the speed up. Very well made and miles better than the 04 version.The graphics are BIG but they ooze quality. Definitely one of Speshes best yet. Builds into a very lightweight bike easily.
Strengths: Solid tidy neat system with exceptional performance. Very easy to set-up and rapid charge time. Good burn time with a very wide spread of light
Weaknesses: Only fits Hope stems or the older Thomson ones (which are plentiful!)Crappy literature - as usual from Hope!
Overall: From out of the box they were fully charged up in just under 3 hours. I had to replace my existing stem but this was no problem. Remove the light and fit the stem first. You only need to change the front plate and then put the light on after. You are supplied with a short lead that screws onto the battery, no long cables here to get caught and away you go. These are my first set of lights and when I used them I couldn't believe how fast you can go with good lights. I'd swear I was quicker on some of the downhill parts! the run time of 2 3/4hrs is very good and if you need anything longer spare batteries are cheap and available. A fantastic system that is well recommended. Can't comment properly on reliability but they fired up first time every time so hence a 4 out of 5.
Strengths: Exactly the same comments as for the 185mm front I use. Stunning stopping power with superb feel.
Weaknesses: Non as yet.
Overall: As a rear brake it is superb. For normal trail riding a pair of this size are more than adequate. Bags of stopping power and supoerb modulation. Simple to set up (no shims) and you can adjust the bite point to suit yourself. At this price they are brilliant value for money and miles better than Mono Mini's. Well done Avid.
Strengths: Huge amounts of stopping power. Excellent modulation. Easy to set up and neat in appearance. You can set up the bite point as well.
Weaknesses: Hoses are thin compared to Hopes etc but there doesn't seem any loss in power. Had braided hoses on my Hopes and you could see them move.
Overall: Stunning stopping power with superb feel. Grab a handful and they stop you dead as long as your tyres hold out! Modulation is top notch and you really can brake much later, especially when compared to my old Hope Mono Mini's which I thought were good. These move the mark up a few more notches. The big 185mm rotor is a bit overkill but it's nice to know you've got it if needed. Very well built and can be found very competetive prices now making them a good alternative over M4's etc. Squealed when they first got wet but what disc set ups don't. Well recommended.
Strengths: Ensure all your connections are really tight on the fitments and follow the instructions and in a few minutes your brakes are done. So easy any idiot can do it - like me!
Weaknesses: Price. £25 for two bottles, two bits of clear hose, air connector and fitments seems a bit steep to me. But it save time and is easy to use so I suppose that's what you pay for.
Overall: Never done any brakes before so I fitted new hoses and used the kit. 10 minutes later new hoses bled and full stopping power. Make sure you have a good quality 8mm spanner for the connectors. you can really tighten everything up properly then and ensure no leaks and loss of fluid. So easy to use you'll actually look forward to doing them again.
