Post by nikonographer on Mar 25, 2008 23:29:06 GMT 8
The first full suspension bike I tried was the Heckler and it was one extremely plush ride! Of course the rear coil spring was not rated for my weight class (270 lbs. then), but because of the unbelievably plush ride, it became my standard. The Heckler was tuned for someone in the sub 150 weight class so you can just imagine how soft it was for me. I said to myself that when I buy my first full suspension bike it should, at the very least, be just like the Heckler. At that time, I knew nothing about bikes. I was just looking for something with an extremely comfortable ride.
It's only been 4 months since I got into biking and I've only ridden:
1. La Mesa
2. 12 hour track
3. 24 hour track
4. Ma. Cristina (it's in a galaxy far far away)
Given that I am an absolute newbie, I do have standards now and am beginning to look for certain things in a bike:
1. Comfort
2. Well balanced
3. Responsiveness
4. Reduced OR eliminated bounce / pedal bob
Since my weight was working against me, I usually felt beat up after a track / trail ride. My back would ache for days and no amount of stretching helped. It was time to get a full suspension (or so I thought). Having tried several 26 bikes (Jamis / Heckler / Specialized / Trek / Ibis / Canondale / Ellsworth / KHS / Turner) I ended up purchasing a Turner 5.5 Spot '08 model. I chose the Turner because it passed all my requirements above. I shied away from the 29ers because I felt that it is still in its infancy and, unlike 26ers, there's still a lot of room for improvement.
The first time I rode the R.I.P. 9, it was set up for the owner who is way taller than me and a lot lighter! The ride obviously was less than pleasing for me and I was turned off. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I got to handle a Niner R.I.P. 9 that was almost tuned to my build. It's built for my buddy who is 1-2 inches taller and about 55 pounds heavier. I have to admit I was blown away by the bike's comfort and balance! Though it wasn't even tuned specifically for me, it was close enough and felt perfect! My weight was distributed evenly throughout the cranks, saddle, and handle bar. The RP23 with the CVA suspension offered an extremely plush ride (equal to my Turner), and the 29 inch wheel myth vanished into thin air.
My personal experience with the R.I.P. 9:
1. No problems climbing
2. No pedal bob
3. Silky smooth ride!!! (Seriously - you have to try it!)
4. Well balanced bike
5. Agile / very responsive
6. FAST
7. Soaks up bumps and holes
To anyone looking to purchase a new bike with the same standards I listed above, look no further! The R.I.P. 9 is readily available at GranTrail Cycles in Westgate, FiliCity. Look for Tom and make sure he's the guy who tunes your bike! He'll nail it on the first try otherwise you get free coffee from StarBack. Seriously, the guy is a fantastic mechanic and did an exemplary job on my Turner as well as my buddy's R.I.P. 9. Thanks Tom!!! I'm now saving up so I can get myself that R.I.P. 9.
It's only been 4 months since I got into biking and I've only ridden:
1. La Mesa
2. 12 hour track
3. 24 hour track
4. Ma. Cristina (it's in a galaxy far far away)
Given that I am an absolute newbie, I do have standards now and am beginning to look for certain things in a bike:
1. Comfort
2. Well balanced
3. Responsiveness
4. Reduced OR eliminated bounce / pedal bob
Since my weight was working against me, I usually felt beat up after a track / trail ride. My back would ache for days and no amount of stretching helped. It was time to get a full suspension (or so I thought). Having tried several 26 bikes (Jamis / Heckler / Specialized / Trek / Ibis / Canondale / Ellsworth / KHS / Turner) I ended up purchasing a Turner 5.5 Spot '08 model. I chose the Turner because it passed all my requirements above. I shied away from the 29ers because I felt that it is still in its infancy and, unlike 26ers, there's still a lot of room for improvement.
The first time I rode the R.I.P. 9, it was set up for the owner who is way taller than me and a lot lighter! The ride obviously was less than pleasing for me and I was turned off. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I got to handle a Niner R.I.P. 9 that was almost tuned to my build. It's built for my buddy who is 1-2 inches taller and about 55 pounds heavier. I have to admit I was blown away by the bike's comfort and balance! Though it wasn't even tuned specifically for me, it was close enough and felt perfect! My weight was distributed evenly throughout the cranks, saddle, and handle bar. The RP23 with the CVA suspension offered an extremely plush ride (equal to my Turner), and the 29 inch wheel myth vanished into thin air.
My personal experience with the R.I.P. 9:
1. No problems climbing
2. No pedal bob
3. Silky smooth ride!!! (Seriously - you have to try it!)
4. Well balanced bike
5. Agile / very responsive
6. FAST
7. Soaks up bumps and holes
To anyone looking to purchase a new bike with the same standards I listed above, look no further! The R.I.P. 9 is readily available at GranTrail Cycles in Westgate, FiliCity. Look for Tom and make sure he's the guy who tunes your bike! He'll nail it on the first try otherwise you get free coffee from StarBack. Seriously, the guy is a fantastic mechanic and did an exemplary job on my Turner as well as my buddy's R.I.P. 9. Thanks Tom!!! I'm now saving up so I can get myself that R.I.P. 9.