I've been a fanboi of the V2 banshees, not because I ever owned one, but because 2/3 of my Mainland riding friends picked up Rune frames between '13-'14 (a friend had a discount connection). I was still in the throws of a way-too-long stint of post secondary education that was financially crippling, and I was at the mercy of industry friends who could kick-down well beaten used frames. But man was I jealous of those rigs, they seemed like the perfect compromise of all-trial capability, battleship durability, fit, compatibility and decent pedaling efficiency. I'm pretty sure ALL 5 or 6 of those frames have moved on (2 of them only a year or two ago), but I'd bet they're all still making people happy somewhere.
Around 4 years ago I was still in cash recovery mode, but had started swapping frames around to better/newer rides, always keeping my eye out for a nice used Rune frame. None to be found, they were all out there being enjoyed, year after year after year.
One of the last of my friends to ditch his V2 Rune, wanted to try a 29er for his next bike, and actually ended up picking up a V2 Prime after finding a NOS frame for a REALLY good deal (of course he decided to sell it AFTER I finally broke down and bought my first new bike in 13 years). The funny thing is, that after finally building and riding it, he figured out that he actually would have preferred a mullet, because the 29er contact patch made things a bit boring for him. So really, he could/should have just kept the Rune, and swapped the fork/wheel for 29, keeping the 160mm capability. His riding style has really tilted more toward slow pedal/hike and plummet, so the Rune would still have been perfect for him. He's also a CNC machinist, and could make any swap-outs he could dream up.
March 18, 2022, 9:17 a.m. - Mammal
I've been a fanboi of the V2 banshees, not because I ever owned one, but because 2/3 of my Mainland riding friends picked up Rune frames between '13-'14 (a friend had a discount connection). I was still in the throws of a way-too-long stint of post secondary education that was financially crippling, and I was at the mercy of industry friends who could kick-down well beaten used frames. But man was I jealous of those rigs, they seemed like the perfect compromise of all-trial capability, battleship durability, fit, compatibility and decent pedaling efficiency. I'm pretty sure ALL 5 or 6 of those frames have moved on (2 of them only a year or two ago), but I'd bet they're all still making people happy somewhere. Around 4 years ago I was still in cash recovery mode, but had started swapping frames around to better/newer rides, always keeping my eye out for a nice used Rune frame. None to be found, they were all out there being enjoyed, year after year after year. One of the last of my friends to ditch his V2 Rune, wanted to try a 29er for his next bike, and actually ended up picking up a V2 Prime after finding a NOS frame for a REALLY good deal (of course he decided to sell it AFTER I finally broke down and bought my first new bike in 13 years). The funny thing is, that after finally building and riding it, he figured out that he actually would have preferred a mullet, because the 29er contact patch made things a bit boring for him. So really, he could/should have just kept the Rune, and swapped the fork/wheel for 29, keeping the 160mm capability. His riding style has really tilted more toward slow pedal/hike and plummet, so the Rune would still have been perfect for him. He's also a CNC machinist, and could make any swap-outs he could dream up.