What did Mark Steinebach think of Devinci's new 7" bike? Did he love it? Hate it? Want to sell his soul for one? Find out for yourself in the full review.
She said, why don't you stop your crying/
Go outside and ride your bike
- Sliver, Nirvana
"If stars were all that mattered, why would I go to the trouble of writing a review?" - Roger Ebert
good review!!!
I've spent time riding the Frantik 1 and I feel the Frantik 2 is the killer bike in the Devinci Frantik line-up in terms of bang-for-your-buck..the Frantik 3 is stellar but made in super limited quantities and almost double the price of the Frantik 2!!
the Frantik 1 had some real potential but the cheap fork (Domain 302) let it down, lacking the "motion control" damper of the aftermarket Domain 318
I found the fork got very overfaced on faster bumpy trails, and became a liability, which kinda ruined the potential of the 4-bar/horst rear end…in contrast I didn't find the Fox Van R shock a problem despite normally riding a DHX 5.0 coil shock on my own bike
MBUK magazine here in UK tested the Frantik 1 and came to the same conclusion, and recommended riders buy the Frantik 2. I got to say i've not had the chance to ride the 2 yet so was very interested in your review
in terms of value, the Frantik 2 is not much more than the Frantik 1 here in the UK, and you get a much better overall package in terms of fork / shock / wheels [HTML_REMOVED] tires / cranks / chain device, etc.
the Frantik 1 was interesting to ride, it is definitely a "larger" bike in terms of wheelbase, I also found this trait with Devinci's Ollie which i rode in 2005. I would almost suggest riders try the small size, as i found the medium quite long and stretched out, and normally ride medium sized bikes
The Frantik 1 felt super stable and could be thrown around in the air if you used lots of muscle, I could see it being very much at home on A-Line and similar, faster trails in Whistler, but somewhat sluggish on the North Shore
I normally ride a Banshee Chaparral with a Totem, and the Frantik was almost 3" longer in the wheelbase, and did not feel anything like as nimble as my Chap when riding here in the Esher Shore park, or in my local woods which has lots of tight switchbacks and funky jumps
many of the Daredevil parts are rebadged and so actually pretty good (hubs are Formula, saddle is Velo, etc.), their handlebar is way better this year as last year it seemed almost like negative rise riser bar!
Mythic / Da Kine / Esher Shore / Freeborn
Whats the retail on a Bullit? Steed boys? I would think that the new Bullit would eat this thing alive and be about the same price. I like Devincis and all but a 7" bike ought to be in the 35 lb range like Mark said
yah i have a frantik 2 set up with a totem in the front and other parts to bring it in at around 38 pounds. the bike is absolutely amazing at whistler. to me it feels like a mini downhill bike. i have done everything on this bike from dj to slopestyle to racing downhill and it feels good on all of them. the bike is also treating me very well on the shore especially at higher speeds. i do notice the long wheel base in the tights but even then the low bb allows me to still hit the corner or section. good review though
Ben
Whats the retail on a Bullit? Steed boys? I would think that the new Bullit would eat this thing alive and be about the same price. I like Devincis and all but a 7" bike ought to be in the 35 lb range like Mark said
The complete R FR bullit hovers just above 3g with a domain 318, and a very very solid parts spec.
wow, M&M, you're a fucking dick!
don't be so politically correct, this is stacy kohut, not fucking rick hansen your talkin too……..
frantik 2 set up with a totem in the front and other parts to bring it in at around 38 pounds.
I thought about that sort of set-up. There seems to be too much of a gap between the $3500 2 and the $7000 1. Couldn't find the right mix.
Instead though, I went for a Demo 7…
Looks to me like a Reign X1 may fit my bill when the time comes.
Whats the retail on a Bullit? Steed boys? I would think that the new Bullit would eat this thing alive and be about the same price. I like Devincis and all but a 7" bike ought to be in the 35 lb range like Mark said
The Bullit does happen to come in at a very good price, but is built off shore making for some price difference. The Devinci is still quite different from a rain X or SX trail, it sits in a different category. SX trails and Rain X's with the fox front suspension are immediately lighter, but are not full 7" forks. Also without the 12x150 rear end and slack angles the Frantik is more of a freeride bike than the extreme all mountain duties the other bikes are built for. The frantik, even with it's longe wheelbase still moves very well on the shore. The Devinci Hectik may be a more suitable comparison to the Specialized and Giant bikes mentioned.
For 2008 Devinci might help clear this up for everyone putting the Frantik in the 7" travel category with a new link-plate making it a true freeride bike like the bullit, and fitting in the 40lb. range nicely.
Steed Cycles
969 Marine Drive
North Vancouver
P. (604) 987-2168
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w. www.steedcycles.com
The Devinci is still quite different from a rain X or SX trail, it sits in a different category. SX trails and Rain X's with the fox front suspension are immediately lighter, but are not full 7" forks.
Hey Kim, REIGN X. It is only Rain X from November to March ;)
It's all about fun.
My Blog
also devinci makes the Hecktik line. this line is more of the light weight all mountain rig where the frantik is more the heavy duty freeride/short travel dh bike. the hecktik is slightly lower and smaller rear end hub spacing.
Ben
I like Devincis and all but a 7" bike ought to be in the 35 lb range like Mark said
i wish!!
my chap is around 40lb :)
Mythic / Da Kine / Esher Shore / Freeborn
but a 7" bike ought to be in the 35 lb range like Mark said
says who?
my 7/6.5" bike is 38-39 lbs and to drop any weight on it would mean losing durability or stiffness, neither of which is very appealing considering how brutal shore riding is.
35 lbs 7" bikes are great … for one season until you start having frame/part failures if you ride it anywhere near hard.
35 lbs 7" bikes are great … for one season until you start having frame/part failures if you ride it anywhere near hard.
Cam rode the snot out of his 34 lb. SX Trail for quite some time, never washed it, did the absolute minumum maintenance, and didn't have any issues at all.
That aside, the points Mark was trying to make were 1) that the bike was heavier than other, similar bikes and 2) that the weight of the bike negatively affected its performance.
She said, why don't you stop your crying/
Go outside and ride your bike
- Sliver, Nirvana
"If stars were all that mattered, why would I go to the trouble of writing a review?" - Roger Ebert
Cam is a lot smoother than a lot of us. e.g. pretty sure he was running non-DH sidewall tires which doesn't work for many of us on like 90[HTML_REMOVED]#37; of the trails on the shore …
Cam rode the snot out of his 34 lb. SX Trail for quite some time, never washed it, did the absolute minumum maintenance, and didn't have any issues at all.
That aside, the points Mark was trying to make were 1) that the bike was heavier than other, similar bikes and 2) that the weight of the bike negatively affected its performance.
but the fork and chainstays blew up on the guy he sold it to about two weeks later.
of course that guy put also puts sandwhiches up his ass so that could have been it.
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