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Recent Activity: This page outlines the stuff you've done at Giantnerd® most recently. To see older posts, just scroll down the page. You can even select a category tab below to find more specific posts!
Mar 17
From an entry level hard tail to a entry level full suspension.
I'm not a hardcore mountain biker so this review is probably most valuable for a casual or new cyclist.
Also my only comparison will be with my Raleigh Talus 4.0 because I've never ridden any other bike.
But I have done a lot of research (3 or 4 months worth) and in my opinion this bike definitely has the most bang for your buck. The parts are far superior to any other entry level bike. (I was looking into Trek, Giant, etc.) and for half the price.
After taking it on the trail for a few hours I took note of the all the pros and cons of this bike compared to my hard tail. But please keep in mind that this is without a lot of tweaking to the fork or the back shock.. a lot of the cons might be alleviated once a spend a few more weeks riding.
First off, shifting is fantastic. The sram X9 with X-7 shifters are sick. No more grinding or have to turn several revolutions before a shift change. I love it.
The fork seems fine. Its very squeaky and a little sticky even after putting tons of fork oil on it. But again my bike is still pretty new so I'd bet that goes away after some use.
The brakes are fantastic. Smooth. Of course I'm going from cheaper mech brakes to the Tektro hydraulics so its an obvious step up. But man what a difference.
A few cons.
Corners. I had super thick/wide tires on my hard tail and going from that to the Kenda is kind of rough. I was riding a lot of loose dirt and clay and I was sliding all over the place. I was afraid to take a few corners as fast as I usually do which was a drag. I may shorten the handlebar a little later on as well(its pretty wide stock).
Climbing. Riding over rough terrain was smoother and faster. But my hard tail was more efficient when climbing (especially over thick roots). While my hard tail was bumpy as hell when powering the back end over a thick root, my Elite seems to 'hang up' just a little and I have to give it more juice to clear it. Its not a huge difference, and again I think tweaking my suspension may help.
Weight. I hear with just a few upgrades you can drop a few pounds. But this bike weighs the same as my last bike so it doesn't bother me at all.
Besides the price and excellent stock parts the one thing that I can say that puts Airborne above any other bike company on the market is their INCREDIBLE customer service. They really want you to be satisfied with their product. I had a few issues with shipping of my bike but one phone call and they rectified the problem in a millisecond. Giantnerd also has great customer service (and the best price) so buy it here.
Posted 03.17.11
Mar 17
From an entry level hard tail to a entry level full suspension.
I'm not a hardcore mountain biker so this review is probably most valuable for a casual or new cyclist.
Also my only comparison will be with my Raleigh Talus 4.0 because I've never ridden any other bike.
But I have done a lot of research (3 or 4 months worth) and in my opinion this bike definitely has the most bang for your buck. The parts are far superior to any other entry level bike. (I was looking into Trek, Giant, etc.) and for half the price.
After taking it on the trail for a few hours I took note of the all the pros and cons of this bike compared to my hard tail. But please keep in mind that this is without a lot of tweaking to the fork or the back shock.. a lot of the cons might be alleviated once a spend a few more weeks riding.
First off, shifting is fantastic. The sram X9 with X-7 shifters are sick. No more grinding or have to turn several revolutions before a shift change. I love it.
The fork seems fine. Its very squeaky and a little sticky even after putting tons of fork oil on it. But again my bike is still pretty new so I'd bet that goes away after some use.
The brakes are fantastic. Smooth. Of course I'm going from cheaper mech brakes to the Tektro hydraulics so its an obvious step up. But man what a difference.
A few cons.
Corners. I had super thick/wide tires on my hard tail and going from that to the Kenda is kind of rough. I was riding a lot of loose dirt and clay and I was sliding all over the place. I was afraid to take a few corners as fast as I usually do which was a drag. I may shorten the handlebar a little later on as well(its pretty wide stock).
Climbing. Riding over rough terrain was smoother and faster. But my hard tail was more efficient when climbing (especially over thick roots). While my hard tail was bumpy as hell when powering the back end over a thick root, my Elite seems to 'hang up' just a little and I have to give it more juice to clear it. Its not a huge difference, and again I think tweaking my suspension may help.
Weight. I hear with just a few upgrades you can drop a few pounds. But this bike weighs the same as my last bike so it doesn't bother me at all.
Besides the price and excellent stock parts the one thing that I can say that puts Airborne above any other bike company on the market is their INCREDIBLE customer service. They really want you to be satisfied with their product. I had a few issues with shipping of my bike but one phone call and they rectified the problem in a millisecond. Giantnerd also has great customer service (and the best price) so buy it here.
Posted 03.17.11
