Question for Proflex fans

[tinkerer]

I own a Proflex Animal (1997 model I believe) which I understand was a relatively low end model but seems to me to be a fairly well made bike. I notice that proflex made similar bikes with carbon fibre swingarms but have never tried one so I was wondering if anyone who has can post an opinion on the relative merits of carbon versus aluminium swing arms on these bikes?

 

[ridevintagemtb]

I've owned and ridden both, but I honestly could not tell the difference between the two. I'm sure the hardcores of the K2/Proflex rider group would swear up and down about the rigidity of one vs the other, but I've raced on them, I think both were equally flexy and heavy.

Proflexs. I will always have a spot in my heart for them, but their suspension design was obsolete not long into the game. IMO, anyways.

 

[tinkerer]

Thanks for that - I have had a pair of crosslink forks for a while and just got the frame to match for about £80, it certainly is quite heavy and I imagine hard for racing but should do me for mucking around in the woods!

 

[ridevintagemtb]

Regardless of what people think about how they look, the crosslinks (f/k/a Vector) are cool forks. They work really good when the going is slow. I loved them. My 98 K2 Team Proflex weighed 28lbs :shock:

 

[JS1500]

Pro-Flexs always look superb with Vectors --> Fact.

 

[tinkerer]

Yes I have to agree about the excellence of crosslink forks and so far (two years on and off riding) the maintenance has been no worse than that for an ordinary suspension fork!

 

[orange71]

I've used both ally and carbon swingarms and found very little if any difference between the two...

go have a look at idriders.com/proflex to find the world's only (to my knowledge!) Proflex forum - there are guys there with Proflexes that weigh as little as 22lbs...

I myself have several (as you can see below!) and love them.

 

[leonatico]

I raced an 857 (same year as yours) for some years including a few downhill races and although I´m sure it flexed, it wasn´t something that I noticed or could be worried about. Must admit the carbon swingarms looked much nicer than the aluminium and probably were lighter.

 

[orange71]

If yours is one of the Animals with the long alloy swingarm (as opposed to the 856-style World Cup Design frame which has a short one),

you can actually do a direct swap between the two types - I did just that. There's a guy on Ebay who sells the carbon swingarms cheaply from time to time (I think he had a stock of them to get shot of).

 

[ridevintagemtb]

Only because I hate threads without pictures: