My bike choices

[ivo22]

Hey,
As i stated in the introductions section, im about to be new to the sport ( as soon as i buy a bike ). Since I get free lift tickets to Tahoe in the summer I want to do a lot of DH but there are also a lot of good single track trails arond here that i would probably use more often than the DH. So what i plan on doing is buying 2 separate bikes, one all mountain (Yeti 575) and one less expensive but greatly reviewed DH (Ibex ZONE). I know that the Yeti could probably handle the DH but why not have a bike made for it right? Just looking for some input on the whole situation.

[JayMoney]

I actually have an Ibex Zone and can attest that it is a beautiful bike that does way more than it should for the price.

We tested both bikes you are considering. Here are the links:

Yeti 575:
www.mountainbiketales.com/reviews/575.htm

Ibex Zone:
www.mountainbiketales.com/reviews/ibexz.htm

The only snag is I believe Ibex stopped producing the Zone, is that correct? Are you looking into a used one? I can't speak highly enough about the bike.

[ivo22]

I looked at their website and seems that they are still selling them for 899. Maybe its an old page but you can have a look for yourself here:

www.ibexbikes.com/Stacks/Series_Zone.html

Glad to hear someone actually rides one. I read the review and it sounds great for the price. ( it sounds great even if it were much more actually )

[ivo22]

ivo22 said:

I looked at their website and seems that they are still selling them for 899. Maybe its an old page but you can have a look for yourself here:

www.ibexbikes.com/Stacks/Series_Zone.html

Glad to hear someone actually rides one. I read the review and it sounds great for the price. ( it sounds great even if it were much more actually )

you were right. even know that page says they are on sale when you try to add one to your cart it says that they are out of stock. What a bummer i was looking forward to owning one. Maybe i could find one used. who knows.

[JayMoney]

Yeah I was afraid of as much. I remember Ibex announcing that they were going to stop producing them just after I had ordered mine. All of the attention had been on the (then) new Asta model.

Check eBay, once in a while a Zone appears on there. I feel for ya though. Have you looked into brands like Jamis and Iron Horse? They have some pretty sweet deals going on this time of year.

[Tamer]

Gotta agree with Jay, for example the Iron Horse 7 point 3 is going for $1299 at Performance right now plus there is a coupon for 20% off of that price!



This is the time of year for sweet deals. Oh and here is a link to that IH:
www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=22284&subcategory_ID=3050

Happy hunting.

[ivo22]

Hey i took a look at that bike and it seems like a great deal. Have any of you ever ridden or ownone of these bikes? Just looking for some first hand reviews. mtbr.com gave it a 4.2 out of 5 and some of the people liked liked it and some not so much. Either way i will most likely shoot for this bike unless anyone else has any other suggestions i should take into consideration. Pricewise im looking to spend no more than 3k.

[SlickBic]

Yeah I had a 7 Point 3- Really nice bike. The only reason I got rid of it was I got a great deal on a Hallowpoint Mark III and couldn't afford to keep both of them. The MK III is a bit less beefy than the 7.3 and I was interested in the dw-link because I do a lot of single track.

If however you are going to be doing shuttle runs and more downhill than pedaling uphill, you will be really happy with the 7.3. Its really stable though rocks and handles big hits and drops with no twicthing whatsoever.

I paid $1599 for mine a few months ago (from Randall Scott) so $1299 - $26 (discount) is really a good deal. Plus you'll have some money in your bank leftover in case you smash a component or want to get some new gear. ;D

[Mgoose]

Actually Slick, the 7 Point 3 is also dw-link equipped. For those of you who don't know what that means, it's the link Dave Weagle developed to combat pedal bob while remaining active to trail junk. It's also used on the Ibis Mojo and it has been very well received.

Anyway, the 7 Point 3 has 7 inches of travel and the DW-Link which means it'll pedal about as well as a long travel bike can pedal. Randall Scott has the full spec listed here:
www.rscycle.com/s.nl/it.A/id.14384/.f?CAWELAID=63652461

And like SlickBic's, it's still $1599 so it sounds like Performance is offering a great price.

[ivo22]

Ok, I was thinking the 7 point 5 or the 6 poit 6 ( both 2007) i can get either for the same price. I will most likely bo doing more trail but would like somehting that can take the downhill maybe 10-15 long trips to the slopes durring the summer. Will the 6.6 hold up or should i just go on the safe side and suck up the weight of the 7.5 on the trails?

[IHFanBoy]

That's actually a really good question. I believe the answer has most to do with what kind kind of riding you're going to do most. It sounds to me like you're going to be doing a lot of big hit riding. If that's the case get as much travel as you possibly can. You'll appreciate it when your blasting down the mountain.

The only catch of course is that you are going to get more pedal bob and a lot more weight which makes your bike more single-purpose. If you are planning to do some flat trails and some tight singletrack, then go for the 6.6. It's always a compromise in this class of bike. The good news is 6.6 is really a lot of travel in it's own right. I've done some pretty hard core rides with 4 inches of travel, so I imagine the extra 2 .5 would really smooth things out.

My vote right now? The 6.6. Anyone else?

[ivo22]

The 7.5 is only like 6 pounds heavier than the 6.6. Is the pedal bob that much worse on the 7.5? I know the coilover and lighter spring weight in the rear will cause it to be more plush but has anyone ridden both of these and compared the 2 pedaling wise? Im still leaning towards the 7.5 just wondering if the 6.6 is better. Its MSRP is a little more than the 7.5 but i dont know if it makes it any better or not.

[Tamer]

Ivo:

That's exactly what I recommended the 7.3 (it splits the difference between the 6.6 and 7.5). However, I'm thinking you must like the component spec of the other two better. I rode pretty much all of them. Not back to back mind you, but I do trade in and swap bikes a lot. There will be some noticible difference when mashing the pedals between the 6.6 and 7.5 (nearly a full inch of travel will do that).

However, any of the models listed will pretty much do what you are asking of them. Bottom line is this- are you gonna spend more time hammering the pedals on trails or ripping down the runs? If you are going to be 50/50 go for the 7.3

[ivo22]

The 7.5 is the same thing as the 7.3 with different componets is it not? So getting a 7.5 would be the same as getting a 7.3 with upgraded componts wouldnt it? This means that they both should ride very similar right? Either way, i like the way they 7.3 looks and what people have to say about it so as of now its my #1 choice.

[Tamer]

Yes, you are pretty much right on. Here is how the specs break down for each:

7.3:
Frame: 7” Travel DW-link Freeride Frame
Headset: FSA Big Fat Pig R
Pedals: Funn Soljam Viper Platforms
Brakes: Hayes HFX-9 Hydraulic Disc w/ V8 rotor
Levers: Hayes HFX-9-HD
Rear Shock: Manitou Metel R Coil, 8.75”x2.75”
Fork: Marzocchi Dropoff III, 150mm travel
Grips/Tape: NA
Wheelset: Rims: WTB Dual Duty Freeride; Hubs: Alloy DH, Sealed bearing, Thru axle, 36H
Seatpost: SDG 6061 I-Beam
Saddle: SDG Bel Air ST I-Beam
Cassette: SRAM PG-950, 11-34T, 9-speed
Chain: SRAM PG-951 w/ PowerLink
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X.7 Mid cage
Shifters: SRAM X.7 Trigger
Front Derailleur: SRAM X.GEN
Bottom Bracket: TruVativ Howitzer
Crankset: TruVativ Hussefelt, 170mm
Handlebar: TruVativ Hussefelt, 31.8mm clamp
Stem: TruVativ Hussefelt, 31.8mm clamp
Tires: WTB Timberwolf Steel DNA 2.5

7.5:
Frame: 7” Travel DW-link Freeride Frame
Pedals: Crank Brothers 5050X Platform
Crankset: FSA Gap MegaExo, 170mm
Bottom Bracket: FSA MegaExo
Headset: FSA Orbit IS-2 w/ E13 Reducer Cup
Stem: Funn Direct Mount stem, 31.8mm clamp
Handlebar: Funn Fatboy, 30mm rise, 31.8mm clamp
Levers: Hayes HFX-9-HD w/ BFL lever
Brakes: Hayes HFX-9-HD w/ V8 rotor
Grips/Tape: Odi Ruffian MX Lock-On
Rear Shock: Progressive 5th Element 3-Way Coil, 9”x2.75”
Wheelset: Rims: DT Swiss FR6.1D; Hubs: Alloy DH, Sealed bearings, Thru axle, 32H
Fork: Rock Shox Boxxer Ride, 130mm - 170mm travel
Seatpost: SDG 6061 I-Beam
Saddle: SDG Bel Air ST I-Beam
Front Derailleur: Shimano Saint w/ E13 DRS Guide
Chain: SRAM PG-951 w/ PowerLink
Cassette: SRAM PG-970, 11-34T, 9-speed
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X.9 Mid cage
Shifters: SRAM X.9 Trigger
Tires: WTB Timberwolf Steel DNA 2.5


They are nearly exact, except for a few spec changes. Most notable is that the 7.3 is rocking 150mm of travel and the 7.5 180mm. Not a big difference but since you seem torn between an all mountain and downhill bike, I would think that 150mm of DW-LINK travel is just what the doctor ordered.

But honestly, and I'm not just saying this, any one of the 3 models you have to choose from will fit right in on what it sounds like you plan to ride. You really can't go wrong.