I had a 2009 Rize 3 with a Lefty. Ultimately it was a pretty disappointing bike for me. The weight was low and the travel was high. The biggest problem was the front end on the bike. Moderate to steep climbing was a real chore, the bike wanted to wheelie up any hill, requiring a lot of body English to keep the front wheel down. $1499 is a great deal if you don't have much climbing to do.