Sun, 11 March 2001
A year of Oz
I've had this bike for about a year now and here's what I think about it so far...
A very cool ride. The Smart Shocks seem to work pretty well. This isn't a downhiller nor is it a true XC bike. It's a bit of the all-around. Its suspension comes up a little short on travel in some cases and it's a tad heavy but still manages to climb really well due to the stiffness of its carbon fibre frame. Everything moves very smoothly and there doesn't seem to be any lateral play in the suspension linkages. I am however rubbing my left leg on the rear brake cable-guide from time-to-time. It seems to stick out a bit too far for where the rear brake is mounted but it hasn't bothered me much.
I'd recommend this for anyone looking for the ultimate all-around trail bike. Stock and out-of-the-box, the bike is almost perfect. I'd recommend replacing the saddle. The Flite's profile's okay but it's just a little too hard. The prices were pretty steep when these bikes were introduced but they've come down quite a bit since the model has been discontinued. If you can still find it (kinda rare) and are willing to spend a few grand on a really sweet ride then you don't want to pass one of these up.