Play the buying game (for a freeride bike) :D

[No_Style]

Hi Guys,

I'm on the hunt for a new ride to replace my AC2.
I've been perusing the Farkin classifieds and dug up these:

EDIT: Updated the line up a little:

04 Specialized Demo 9 DH
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=56329
04 Balfa BB7
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=55740
05 GT DHi
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?p=681095&posted=1#post681095
06 Giant Faith 2
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?p=678200#post678200
05 Giant DH Team (Custom Frame)
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?p=681673#post681673
06 GT It-1
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=46480 [To $$$ and to small a frame, just leaving it up cause someone else might want it :)]
05 Giant DH Comp
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=50750
05 Giant DH Comp
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=55874
06 Giant DH Comp
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=54984
04 Specialized Demo 9 Pro
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=56264
04 Balfa BB7
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=56314
03 Santa Cruz Bullit
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=57381
06 Specialized Demo 8 II
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=57371
Giant DH Team
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=56506
04 Balfa BB7
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?p=682516#post682516

Now some of these are, to be honest, out of my price range. Heres the details i posted in the wanted forum, and they all still hold at the moment:

What: Freeride Bike (preferably complete)
Price range/Willing to Pay: ~$2700
Location: Northern Beaches, Sydney, NSW
Extra Info:
Looking for a largish frame size (i'm 6'3" and 85kgs).
Want quite a bit of travel both F&R (8+ inches).
Need something capable of pedalling back up a hill though.
Also prefer something recent, i.e 04 onwards just to avoid the common wear tear replacments that start to appear.
Currently riding an AC2, after something more aggressive and Freeride oriented (i.e. higher BB and better Geometery).

With this in mind, which of the above bikes takes your fancy for reasons of:
1) The performance of the frame.
2) The reliability and strength of the frame
3) The quality and performance of the parts spec
4) Shear 'What-A-Bloody-Bargin' value
5) Any other hard to quanitfy reason :)

Just looking for input from people who have ridden some of these frames; in particular if you have ridden a few of them. With so much choice it's hard to reach a conclusion when everything has it's pros and cons :)

[Pat H]

you could go for an 05 or 06 kona stinky, they're pretty good, they got 7 front and rear??

[No_Style]

Not a big fan of Stinky's. Hence why I haven't prowled around for em. There a dime for a dozen anyway :) Appreciate the input though.

[smitho]

Personally I think the GT, with the internal Gear box is the best deal, as he has already come down considerably on his price, for a very well specced bike. However i have heard conflicting reports about how they ride. The Specialized Demo's both looked to be good value as well. The two Balfas are well worth a look too, as they are highly rated by many.

[No_Style]

Haha, unforntunately I've had to rule out the GT It-1 on the realistic grounds of price, and the frame being to small. Any thoughts on the GT DHi?

[Venciferus]

I personally would pick up Demonations Demo but it is out of your price range. I guess the Faith 2 with triples would probably be your best bet it's a proven freeride design with pedal ability, the Faith or either of the Balfa's.

GT DHi's have a tendency to crack (I think) therefore not the best freeride option, it really depends what your doing, ie if your doing 50 ft drops the DHi won't last, if your doing smallish drops and stuff it should be ok.

[rickazz]

that balfa is a wicked bike

[saundo]

My mates got a dh team speced out with like wc mavic hadey etc its more of a dh bike but jumos and drops very well and with the fast pivots can be a really smoth ride its right in ur price range also 2650 + postages any where in aus so pm if your intrested

[mr636]

I guess the Faith 2 with triples would probably be your best bet it's a proven freeride design with pedal ability, the Faith or either of the Balfa's.

yeah i reckon that faith is the go.... haha


but seriously.....:cool:

[No_Style]

Haha, think of it as a bit of free advertising at the least :)

Currently though I'm leaning towards a Demo 9 but even more so towards the Balfas which seem to get rave reviews.

[leitch]

also have a look at And1's balfa if hes still got it up for sale - great spec, and an awesome colour

[No_Style]

Alright I'm thinking about the Balfas or the Demo 9's:

jwd's 04 BB7:
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=56314
And1's 04 BB7:
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?p=682516#post682516
THRILLHOUSE's 04 BB7:
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=55740
DEMONATION's 04 Demo 9 DH:
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=56329
leight's 04 Demo 9 Pro
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=56264

There are millions of the Giant DH's out there for sale. I'm not sure if thats a good sign that heaps of people bought them...or bad that heaps of people are selling them :)

BALFA BB7 RIDERS (or ex-riders): of the above bikes which spec would you be going for, for freeriding?

Also want to hear from anyone who has ridden both frames to throw in their opinions abotu reliability etc. Going to be riding on the Northern Beaches around Oxford Falls etc.

Cheers guys.

[Wattsy]

Depend's what you want. i'm a bb7 rider, great frame and awesome cornering bike. The thing between the bb7 and demo is more bearing and swingarm's. More maintance meaning. Once your bb7 is set up, that's it. It ride's perfect. Also is is fairly forgiving if you land the drop wrong or bad rockgarden line. I am a mate of and1 so it might seem a little bias but i know a fair bit bout the bike. have ridden one (2005) for almost 2 year's now with countless setup's. 888 and dorado's as front fork's and the bike work's wicked with bout. The benifit to the balfa is the 40% of the travel is rearward where it then even's out to vertical. This is cause of the high pivot point which work's a treat. Ofcourse you have to start off with 2 chain's atfirst due to the weird chainline but the benifit is that the chain only even get's longer through the travel, instead of shorter like other bike's. I've only even done 2 run's on a demo so i can't comment on there performance.

[jaboff]

No_Style
Check your private messages.
I may have something you are interested in.

[timm_]

hey mate i think ive got just what ur looking for:D ive got a 2004 silver demo9 pro for sale with a manitou swinger and black 888's. all for 3000grand firm though:rolleyes: tell me what u reckon im in adelaide though so if u want a vgood condition freeride bike then pm me back and we'l talk postage. :cool:

[>>Jordo<<]

i've heard that the 04 Specialized Demo 9 Pro is pretty good and the DH team are also good but i would go with the balfa bb7 or the 04 Specialized Demo 9 Pro because they are strong and have pretty good componetry.

[>>Jordo<<]

hey mate i think ive got just what ur looking for:D ive got a 2004 silver demo9 pro for sale with a manitou swinger and black 888's. all for 3000grand firm though:rolleyes: tell me what u reckon im in adelaide though so if u want a vgood condition freeride bike then pm me back and we'l talk postage. :cool:

sounds like a sweet bike all for $3000

[demo man]

a blatant plug i know, but you haven't noticed my demo yet. '04 Demo 9 Pro, $3850, specc'd up.

there's a link in my signature.

Of course, i bought the Demo over the other options you have in your posts (which were all available when i bought the bike, early '05) because i think it is the best bike for the job. it pedals well, and does a great job of taking the hits, drops and jumps. The only reason i'm selling it is a lack of use, thanks to my other interests, and to help fund my filming aspirations.

probably a bit expensive for you though - still, cheaper than some you've listed.

[rayza]

i'm not having a dig here but you say you want a freeride rig that you can pedal back up the hill? i dont think a demo9 would be your best option for that. seriously heavy. you'd be better off going for a vpp frame or maybe even a single pivot. my opinion.

[banshee69]

Mongoose eric carter ECD
Norco shore 3
banshee scream
these bikes are cheap and reliable
most of the bikes u hav chossen are dh bikes:D