Bokkie

There's a bi-monthly magazine called What MountainBike? that we get in the UK. The Sept/Oct edition has its best bike awards for 2002. Some of the bikes they list might be UK specific but most brands and models are familiar. I've quoted the listed UK price and $ equivalent - but the US prices will probably be different.

Best rigid bike bike under £300 ($435) – Specialised Hardrock
Best front suss bike under £500 (£725) – Mongoose Rockadile ALX
Best bike under £400 ($580) – Calud Butler Cape Wrath
Best front suss bike under £500 ($725) – Giant XTC 840
Best full suss bike under £500 ($725) – Mongoose Surge 3
Best full suss under £800 ($1160) – Dawes Edge FS Team
Best XC hardtail under £800 ($1160) – Trek 6700
Best hardnut under £800 ($1160) – Kona Stuff
Best XC hardtail under £1000 ($1450) – Saracen Kili Pro
Best full suss under £1000 ($1450) – Marin East Peak
Best hardnut under £1500 ($2175) – Cove Stiffee FR RAD
Best XC hardtail under £1500 ($2175) – Klein Attitude
Best full suss short travel under £1500 ($2175) – Trek Fuel 90
Best full suss long travel under £1500 ($2175) – Marin Rock Springs
Best XC hardtail under £2000 ($2900)– Global TH One
Best hardnut under £2000 ($2900) – Planet-X Compo
Best full suss short travel under £2000 ($2900) – Gary Fisher Sugar 2+ Disc
Best full suss long travel under £2000 ($2900) – Santa Cruz Bullit
Best money no object hardtail – Serotta CHT
Best money no object full suss trail – Maverick ML-7
Best money no object full suss long travel – Cannondale Gemini 1000

...and the winner is...

Bokkie

The What MountainBike? 2002 Bike Of The Year...

Marin Rock Springs

Maelstrom 

Nice to see the Kona Stuff in there. One of my favorite bikes this year (n that geometry). I am sure that price is way off though. I can find it for 960$ canadian. ...

Nice list I didn't realize Marins were that popular.

dirtbikedude

I dont know about that Gemini 1000....
Most riders I know of can not stand the bike. There are bikes out there that handle better and are easier to ride. And the Bulit? It is a great ride but for that price you can get a Giant, Kona, Intense, Tomac and the list goes on. What are they basing their decision on? Most popular or best all-around ride, dh specific etc. etc. etc.?
Slainte

Scooby Snax

Dirtbikedude,

its based on paint job...

Bokkie

What they do in the magazine is take a range of bikes in a price range and do reviews on them on trails. Each edition they use a different price group. The general gist of the reviews is that they do the basic stuff, so you won't find too much extreme usage - they probably leave that for other magazines that are into big-hits and the like. Overall, the reviews are actually well written.

A word about the magazine. The target audience is the recreational trails rider. It is, I think, the best magazine in the UK and it does have some excellent product reviews and news. Neither does it talk down to you like one of the other UK mags that assume you have the street lingo of a 14yr old with acne!

Next month, there will probably be another magazine with it's awards and the list will be different. You never know, the Gemini 1000 might just pick up another award. Would that upset you as well - seeing how you despise the bike?

I have one, and I think it is a darned fine bike. But then I don't have any mates to convince me otherwise.

dirtbikedude

The gemini is a good bike. all I am saying is that there are others in the same price range that ride better. Since it is in the class of $$$$$$+ , why not get some thing like a Custom built CanfieldBrothers or a Foes DHS. I will also say this, the gemini that is sold to the public is diff then the one they used to race
(2000 & 2001). The rear suspension has been modified. The older one was and still is a great dh ride. Why they did not sell it to the public who knows but it was a sweet machine. Another thing is the fact that you said they are gearing their results towards recreational users. The riders I speak of are semi-pro and pro riders who do not ride just for recreation but are also trying to earn a living. But keep in mind that this once again comes down to personal preferance. I feel that the Kona Stab Primo, when set up right, is one of the best dh rigs out there but that is the way I feel and I know there are many who disagree.
Slainte

Bokkie

I know what you mean. The lbs had a replica of the Team Scalpel Lefty but I think the colour was all that was in common. It had XTR throughout, but I wonder if the race guys actually use XTR exclusively. My lbs had a full display of SRAM that you could play with, and I think it shifts sweeter than XTR.

I suppose if I were to build my own bike, then it would probably look like a bit mix-and-match. I don't think one supplier of shocks and drivetrain equipment can necessarily argue that what they have to offer is the best, because we know ourselves, that there are a lot of smaller guys out there producing equipment that can equally rival the main-street stables.

I think I see I your point about the earlier Cannondales were better. One of the other bikes I looked at was the Ellsworth range, particularly the Isis and Joker. There was something about those bikes that looked really suited to the job of handling dh. Sad thing is, what put me off to an extent was the size of the Ellsworth decal, written as it is, in old-English typeface! But that aside, I opted for the Gemini because I'd owned previous Cannondale road bikes and I never had any problem with them.

If I were a serious dh practioner, semi-pro, pro, then my choice of bike would have been judged differently.

dirtbikedude

About drivetran parts, alot of the pro riders actualy use Dura-Ace rear derailer and cassette. Crisper shifting and weight. The SRAM stuff works great but you need to learn to not pull on the gripshift when riding technical stuff or you get half shifts and it can get anoying. I am not sure how their rapid shifters work.
The older race Gemini was sweet with to rear shocks that Cannondale would not say what the second shock really did. I was talking with a friend who actuly got to ride one and he said the action of the rear sus. was amazing. Why Cann. kept it hush, hush is a shame.
Slainte

Bokkie

DuraAce?

To think after all these years, that I thought that was for nothing other than road bikes. I wonder how the market becomes polarised like that? I now wonder what it is intrinsically in XTR that makes it so different if ultimately, DuraAce can do the same job. I know there are different chainset/cassette ratios, but I was quite astonished to see DuraAce and mtb mentioned together.

Top-secret Cannondale shock? Now that's an eye opener as well. Is the Lefty a Cannondale design (Head Shock)? If so, then I guess it's not impossible they have a rear shock up their sleeve as well. Two of them on one bike. Mind boggles. Maybe the secret shock was on the drivetrain side, so does that make it a Righty?

dirtbikedude

Actually the second shock is above the first. I know that Risse uses this type of set up to get 12 to 15" of travel. What Cann. did it for I am not sure. The Dura-Ace works great but does not handle being smacked on a rock as well as the xt or xtr so if you crash alot it is not a good idea. If I can find my pic of the bike I will post it. It was interesting.
Slainte

Bokkie

Thanks. I'd like to see it.