Is there a retro full sus bike which can still cut it?

[mazdaman1980]

on second thoughts

And before i forget what about the Gary Fisher RS-1. Simple, light and with a half decent spec it would definately keep up with decent full suspension bike of today. Having looked about there are some nice ones still out there.

 

[cchris2lou]

I dont think you would go very fast on that Fisher .

for DH bikes , I think the Sunn Radical + , would still be a good bike .

 

[stevet1]

The radical + was awesome but I wouldn't really call it retro.

 

[boxxer]

Re: Marin B-17

The Marin B-17 (with a few tweaks!) can still hold it's own against most of the current 'Freeride' bikes.
I ride this bike on trails and downhills and it will still ride back up while the big travel boys are busy pushing.
With 6" of plush rear travel, if you were lucky enough to get the very early spec'd Fox Vanilla RX instead of the rubbish Shock Works later rear shock.
The original RST Hi-5's were shocking (or not as the case may be) and ran on elastomers with air damping, you had to be 15+ stone to get them to move. If you replaced with something better it made a huge difference.

The B-17 ran a beefier, longer rear swing arm increasing the wheelbase over the XC versions and improving high speed stability.
This bike was a revelation to me, as here was finally a bike that had some proper suspension travel for taking the big hits, not just 3-4" for the XC boys. It cost £1280 in '97 (or maybe '96, I've got the receipt somewhere).
It will take everything I can throw at it, especially with 170mm travel Jnr T's, but still manage a days XC riding (unlike me!)
But roll on the downhills....

Man you must be out of your mind!!

I bought one like you new for £999 in a sale back in 96 Pearl white with red swing arm. I built her into a similar spec to yours although I was lucky enough to know a man who could make the HI5's work quite nicely simply by removing some of the elastomers and replacing with speed springs!

My B17 lasted until 1999 by which time I had a crack forming at the head / down tube junction, shockmount, and swingarm brace. In addition I had destroyed 4 Sh*&works shocks. Marin actually offered me a Fox Vanilla RC (like it should have been specced with) but the shop which sold it to me lost a customer (to this day) by refusing to allow it to be fitted as it would void the (hahahaha) warrenty

In the end I got so peeved I sold it for spares to a mate and bought an SC Bullitt.

The B17 was such a crap hideous bouncy ride even when the shock was working that simply changing the frame from Marin to SC made me 15 - 20 secs per race run faster.

Incidentally it lasted till 05 in it's cracked condition when I met the junior my mate had sold it to (not sure I was morally happy with that) who asked if I had the receipt so he could warrenty the frame - told him to bugger off - 9 years old, 3 owners and raced from new!!

Resolved never to by an FS Marin again.

 

[OldTimer]

Marin B-17

If you were unlucky enough to have got a B-17 with a ShockWorks rear shock (4 of them you say!) then I would have to agree that it probably was horribly bouncy, as the rear shock had NO rebound damping adjustment.
I think only the first batch came in with Fox Vanilla RX's on and then Marin changed to ShockWorks to save some money.
The fact that you got it in a sale in '96 would indicate it was a later model. I got mine just after they were launched in the autumn, which could have made it '95 I suppose (I really am going to find the receipt now).
With the RX on though, it is a different bike with very plush rear end travel as you would expect from a quality shock with a weight matched spring and excellent rebound damping.
Adding springs to the Hi-5 forks just made them well...bouncier!
Again, they had no rebound damping adjustment.
No wonder your poor frame suffered.
Your Santa Cruz would have made you faster as it is a more modern 8" travel bike with a better shock on it (probably Fox, which takes us back to my earlier point), but it is not a direct comparison.
I have ridden a Bullit and I agree they are very nice, but not that far removed from a well set up B-17. However I am not racing Downhill, and as the B-17 was only ever pitched as a Freeride bike, the SC is better suited to your needs.
Incidentally, the guy who owned the Bullit got rid of it because the frame kept breaking...
Anyway, enough of this post '94, 6"+ travel talk, lets get back to discussing old skinny bikes with elastomer suspension and 2" travel.

Hmmm... 1995/6, that means that both of us are older than I thought!

 

[scant]

as this thread is vaguely on topic, what do the Turner lovers think of turner abandoning the old back end & going with the DW link?

 

[IbocProSX]

Vaguely on topic, I seem to be looking for Horstlink 5-spots and six-packs a lot on e-bay. I've been lucky enough to ride those and they are awesome.

Jury's out on the DW link as far as I'm concerned. Though as a suspension system it's been getting good reviews for Iron Horse. The Ibis full susser seems to be putting it to good effect in creating a plush ride as well.

 

[gibbleking]

the san andreas still cuts it.....ive had quite a few fs bikes so far inc a rock n roll ,a marin fs ect and nothing rides as smooth as my latest 10 year old heap.

 

[scant]

Vaguely on topic, I seem to be looking for Horstlink 5-spots and six-packs a lot on e-bay. I've been lucky enough to ride those and they are awesome.

Jury's out on the DW link as far as I'm concerned. Though as a suspension system it's been getting good reviews for Iron Horse. The Ibis full susser seems to be putting it to good effect in creating a plush ride as well.

i do wonder about that ibis, for such a new bike I see a fair amount of them for sale.

 

[jimmy5willy]

My '97 LTS (96 shape) still thumps out 70+ miles a week on the commute to work,
and then to/from pubs/clubs at the weekend.....