knolly, transition or….???

so i'm in the market for a new fr bike- my 'big' bike. i currently ride a kona minxy (6"). when i was looking before, i had considered the transition syren, but now looking, don't see that they're still offering this model. can anyone confirm?

it's also been suggested to me to get a knolly delirium. i checked their page & it seems an xs might just fit me. (i'm 4'11")

if any of you know me or remember my previous post, i'm looking for something 'boutique'.

i checked knolly's faq & about pages but didn't see where they were manufactured. what about transition? i don't want made in taiwan. not even if it's 'assembled' elsewhere. i want built in US or Canada.

are there other brands i should be considering? and i'm only looking for a frame.

tks!!!:wave:

 

im 5'5 and ride a small delirium. It pedals good and feel's really well balanced. I can't say enough good things about it. Only thing I don't like is the paint chips easy. I'm gonna go with ano or raw next time around.

Here's a few shots with some different setups I went through.

 

I think you pretty much have it narrowed down to your best options, considering your requirements. Transition bikes are manufactured in Taiwan and they openly admit it, though that's not a bad thing. The Knolly Delirium is a great choice.

Funny how this thread happens to discuss similar things: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=617913

Saw somewhere else where they also mentioned paint chipping issues. Looks beautiful though.

 

Pretty sure we've ridden together once, and I recall you were on an X-5. Is there a reason you didn't mention Ventana as a choice for your new frame? They definitely fill the criteria you mentioned.

A semi-custom frame should be very competitive price-wise with the Knolly, if that's any consideration.

 

Foes or Banshee.

 

Ed you're a fan boy now! LOL. You should let Tink take a spin on the Knolly. It probably would be the closest thing to a real demo bike for that model!

Also I've heard great things about Banshee! Not sure where they are manufactured though...

 

Im sure transition still has syren frames left if they did decided to notmake it anymore...... Give them a call, super nice people to deal with.... Syren is a fabulous choice for your needs, I am sure you will just shread the trails with this bike.

 

banshee is design-based in vancouver BC, but the manufacturing is taiwan (pacific cycles). they do tend to be pretty awesome bikes though, so I have no trouble recommending them. manufacturing is as good as most anything else out there.

a new knolly DT is probably one of the only burly ~6" FR bike out there that is north american made though, and probably the most likely to fit a smaller stature well.

You can also look at Cove. they aren't cheap, but they're burly, supposed to ride well, and last I checked were made in good ol' canadia. might still be a tad too big for you though.

STD is their 7.5" offering and looks nice to me...

 

bry, why are you trying to give tink an STD???

 

Specialized:
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=52839&scid=1000&scname=Mountain


I'm definitely not biased though...:wave:

 

nor well versed in reading comprehension :lol::read: lol. she mentioned Boutique and made in Amerikuh! (Speshy is neither lol)

 

BARF.....Id look into an intense, transition, banshee, or heck maybe a devinci.

 

A new Ventana El Ciclon or Terremoto custom to your liking. The new design looks even beefier than past models.

 

Custom Ventana Terremoto.

 

Foes. Right here in Pasadena.

 

Yes the delirium has made me a big fan of knolly's. It is a great heavy am/fr/mini dh bike that can climb better than most would expect. Tink your more than welcome to take mine for a spin if you like, just hit me up sometime to setup a bike playdate.

 

That is something I might have to start saving pennies...uhmm dollars for =P~

That hasn't hit the website yet - specs?????

 

Only specs for the El Ciclon right now. He has them up at www.ventanausa.com. I could not figure out how to pull the diagram off his site.

 

Tink - Try my wife's SX trail just to get a feel for FSR. Besides, the bike needs a workout. The geometry is similar to the Knolly. The Delirium will be a much better bike though. The 4x4 linkage is a more advanced version of FSR and takes care of some of the FSR complaints. The Knolly is bombproof butter!

Too bad Anne (noendos) isn't still in town. That's what she rode - and in your size too.

 

Not to hijack this thread, but what's a "boutique" bike?