TAKA | Ridden all summer

Highs Handling Name brand components Great Suspension Front & Rear No expensive upgrading required (though you’ll quickly replace the seat post clamp and grips) Lows Seat post clamp Narrow Bars Juicy 3’s might be out-gunned by some riders grips Frame Nice color and graphics (my opinion), solidly built with good geometry for Freeride and downhill. Components Nothing lacking here for the gravity set. I ripped this baby stock on local free-ride trails, at Snowshoe and 7Springs resorts. Superb Wtb, Marzochi, Maxxis, Kore and SRAM setup. Even has an e13 chain guide! Some might want a wider bar than the stock 29” and a more personalized stem. But you can buy it, add your favorite pedals and go rip! Performance The geometry is perfect for it’s application. It jumps well, shreds rocks and drops, and generally puts a simile on my face. The single-pivot suspension works a treat once you’ve dialed it (look for videos on setup from the manufacturers), the Mazxxis Minion tires are DH favs and the frame is plenty stiff. The shifting was good with the X7 and the e13 was barely noticeable. For your hard earned dollar, Airborne gives you what you deserve – a great bike at an undeniably great price. Checkout the facebook page for videos and discussion. This bike has already won a few races! FYI: My firm works for Airborne, so I was given the Taka to ride (thank you very much), and I have decided to review it even though I am not obligated to do so.

Posted 09.10.10

Zeppelin Impresses

Highs SRAM X9 rear Derailleur Hydraulic Disc Brakes Kenda Tires Rock Shox Suspension Front & Rear Lows No QR Seat post clamp Weight Narrow Bars Suspension not very tunable Airborne Bicycles flies again, and this time around they are building bikes that prove you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a kick-ass ride. And the Zeppelin Elite, which is available for well under a grand, makes their point. Airborne have 6 models in their line-up and all are available exclusively over the internet at GiantNerd.com. What’s it made for? The Zeppellin Elite is a heavy-duty machine with 5” of travel. It’s overbuilt frame and Rock Shox Tora fork point toward the trailbike category, while the average width bar and steep 70 degree head angle point toward XC. I rode it as a trail bike, on everything from smooth, flowy singletrack with rooty climbs and technical rock gardens. Frame The Zeppelin Elite made from 6061 aluminum and utilizes the proven and efficient single-pivot suspension design cushioned by a simple, Rock Shox Bar air shock. It’s white, pearlescent paint is stunning, and the photos don’t do it justice. The graphics are clear coated, and being grey, they are cool and understated. The top tube is gusseted and tapered from the head tube back, and lets the rider know they are on one seriously sturdy frame. The solid swing arm, which rides above the chain (thereby eliminating dreaded chain suck and slap), is also a sturdy affair featuring a replaceable hangar and a lattice work of flex fighting reinforcements. There is a tube welded from the seat tube to the top tube to allow for a sloping top tube and increased stand over clearance. Nothing proprietary here, just a solid, proven single-pivot design with sealed bearings to get the job done. Components Cockpit equipment always stands out as it’s your first connection to the bike. The WTB Speed V saddle is nice to see at this price point, while the other point of contact, the grips, are throw aways. Like many brands, the UNO bar and stem are basic affairs that do their jobs while keeping the bike price down. The tektro brakes are hydraulic, and great to have at this price point. The Quando hubs and Alex rims are also very basic and a bit heavy, but perform without fault. The rear derailluer is the excellent SRAM X9, another nice surprise at this price. And finally, the stiff and strong Rock Shox Tora with 85-130mm coil U-turn and rebound adjust work well and are low maintenance. Performance Having the seat level with the bars puts the rider in a sporty trail bike stance. The saddle is soft and wide and comfortable. The bikes seem to run small in sizing, so be sure to get the correct size when you order. The Zeps rear suspension dips slightly when pedaling, as the basic Rock Shox Bar shock offers no pedal damping (which is usually reserved for far more expensive bikes). The front shock also dips a bit, but honestly, the bike rides so nice that you won’t notice it after long. I was able to keep up with my crew on our weekly group ride, so no problem. Steering is quick and easy to control, and It climbs rather well. I never had to fight to keep the front end from wandering. The Zep descends well, but I would have preffered a wider bar to help tame the trail when going against gravity. The bike is not light, but if it’s your first full-suspension ride, you’ll forgive it’s heft when the traction digs in and you clear every hill. The rear suspension is stiff and I must admit, I was surprised at how well such a low-end shock performed. Once properly set-up, it rode great and I forgot about it. Nice. The Tora gobbles up everything with aplomb, but it’s not the smoothest of forks. You’d have to spend a lot more money to do much better though, so great fork for the money. The bike gobbles up the rough stuff and corners well. The tires (also usually throw aways) were surprisingly good, and handled the corners without washing out unexpectedly. The brakes are perfect little stoppers, but be careful, as they are very grabby and don’t offer much modulation. The shifting was right on. The workhorse SRAM X9 and FSA kit work well together, and the whole enchilada did it’s job very nicely. No issues here. For a beginner to intermediate rider, the Zeppelin is a score. You can hang with the big boys knowing your components are reliable, the single-pivot design is low maintenance, and the whole thing looks really great. The frame is good enough to be worthy of upgrades if you’re ever so inclined. So then, for under a grand, you get a bike that can tackle challenging obstacles, hammer out lots of climbing, and is a capable descender. This bike is one hell of a gateway drug! I’m amazed at what you get for your money now, especially when full suspension for under $1000 has been a boingy boing no-no. But here we have it then, a good option well under a grand! FYI: My firm works for Airborne, so I was given the Zep to ride, and I have decided to review it even though I am not obligated to do so. Some back ground on me: I am a former bike shop mechanic, my go-to ride is an XT level (3x more expensive than the Zep) single-pivot trail bike. I’ve been riding for 30+ years primarily on gnarly east coast trails.

Posted 08.06.10

TAKA | Ridden all summer

Highs Handling Name brand components Great Suspension Front & Rear No expensive upgrading required (though you’ll quickly replace the seat post clamp and grips) Lows Seat post clamp Narrow Bars Juicy 3’s might be out-gunned by some riders grips Frame Nice color and graphics (my opinion), solidly built with good geometry for Freeride and downhill. Components Nothing lacking here for the gravity set. I ripped this baby stock on local free-ride trails, at Snowshoe and 7Springs resorts. Superb Wtb, Marzochi, Maxxis, Kore and SRAM setup. Even has an e13 chain guide! Some might want a wider bar than the stock 29” and a more personalized stem. But you can buy it, add your favorite pedals and go rip! Performance The geometry is perfect for it’s application. It jumps well, shreds rocks and drops, and generally puts a simile on my face. The single-pivot suspension works a treat once you’ve dialed it (look for videos on setup from the manufacturers), the Mazxxis Minion tires are DH favs and the frame is plenty stiff. The shifting was good with the X7 and the e13 was barely noticeable. For your hard earned dollar, Airborne gives you what you deserve – a great bike at an undeniably great price. Checkout the facebook page for videos and discussion. This bike has already won a few races! FYI: My firm works for Airborne, so I was given the Taka to ride (thank you very much), and I have decided to review it even though I am not obligated to do so.

Posted 09.10.10

Zeppelin Impresses

Highs SRAM X9 rear Derailleur Hydraulic Disc Brakes Kenda Tires Rock Shox Suspension Front & Rear Lows No QR Seat post clamp Weight Narrow Bars Suspension not very tunable Airborne Bicycles flies again, and this time around they are building bikes that prove you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a kick-ass ride. And the Zeppelin Elite, which is available for well under a grand, makes their point. Airborne have 6 models in their line-up and all are available exclusively over the internet at GiantNerd.com. What’s it made for? The Zeppellin Elite is a heavy-duty machine with 5” of travel. It’s overbuilt frame and Rock Shox Tora fork point toward the trailbike category, while the average width bar and steep 70 degree head angle point toward XC. I rode it as a trail bike, on everything from smooth, flowy singletrack with rooty climbs and technical rock gardens. Frame The Zeppelin Elite made from 6061 aluminum and utilizes the proven and efficient single-pivot suspension design cushioned by a simple, Rock Shox Bar air shock. It’s white, pearlescent paint is stunning, and the photos don’t do it justice. The graphics are clear coated, and being grey, they are cool and understated. The top tube is gusseted and tapered from the head tube back, and lets the rider know they are on one seriously sturdy frame. The solid swing arm, which rides above the chain (thereby eliminating dreaded chain suck and slap), is also a sturdy affair featuring a replaceable hangar and a lattice work of flex fighting reinforcements. There is a tube welded from the seat tube to the top tube to allow for a sloping top tube and increased stand over clearance. Nothing proprietary here, just a solid, proven single-pivot design with sealed bearings to get the job done. Components Cockpit equipment always stands out as it’s your first connection to the bike. The WTB Speed V saddle is nice to see at this price point, while the other point of contact, the grips, are throw aways. Like many brands, the UNO bar and stem are basic affairs that do their jobs while keeping the bike price down. The tektro brakes are hydraulic, and great to have at this price point. The Quando hubs and Alex rims are also very basic and a bit heavy, but perform without fault. The rear derailluer is the excellent SRAM X9, another nice surprise at this price. And finally, the stiff and strong Rock Shox Tora with 85-130mm coil U-turn and rebound adjust work well and are low maintenance. Performance Having the seat level with the bars puts the rider in a sporty trail bike stance. The saddle is soft and wide and comfortable. The bikes seem to run small in sizing, so be sure to get the correct size when you order. The Zeps rear suspension dips slightly when pedaling, as the basic Rock Shox Bar shock offers no pedal damping (which is usually reserved for far more expensive bikes). The front shock also dips a bit, but honestly, the bike rides so nice that you won’t notice it after long. I was able to keep up with my crew on our weekly group ride, so no problem. Steering is quick and easy to control, and It climbs rather well. I never had to fight to keep the front end from wandering. The Zep descends well, but I would have preffered a wider bar to help tame the trail when going against gravity. The bike is not light, but if it’s your first full-suspension ride, you’ll forgive it’s heft when the traction digs in and you clear every hill. The rear suspension is stiff and I must admit, I was surprised at how well such a low-end shock performed. Once properly set-up, it rode great and I forgot about it. Nice. The Tora gobbles up everything with aplomb, but it’s not the smoothest of forks. You’d have to spend a lot more money to do much better though, so great fork for the money. The bike gobbles up the rough stuff and corners well. The tires (also usually throw aways) were surprisingly good, and handled the corners without washing out unexpectedly. The brakes are perfect little stoppers, but be careful, as they are very grabby and don’t offer much modulation. The shifting was right on. The workhorse SRAM X9 and FSA kit work well together, and the whole enchilada did it’s job very nicely. No issues here. For a beginner to intermediate rider, the Zeppelin is a score. You can hang with the big boys knowing your components are reliable, the single-pivot design is low maintenance, and the whole thing looks really great. The frame is good enough to be worthy of upgrades if you’re ever so inclined. So then, for under a grand, you get a bike that can tackle challenging obstacles, hammer out lots of climbing, and is a capable descender. This bike is one hell of a gateway drug! I’m amazed at what you get for your money now, especially when full suspension for under $1000 has been a boingy boing no-no. But here we have it then, a good option well under a grand! FYI: My firm works for Airborne, so I was given the Zep to ride, and I have decided to review it even though I am not obligated to do so. Some back ground on me: I am a former bike shop mechanic, my go-to ride is an XT level (3x more expensive than the Zep) single-pivot trail bike. I’ve been riding for 30+ years primarily on gnarly east coast trails.

Posted 08.06.10