Ok gastro, ill bite.

What bike have you got on order?

Um, yeah, you were right. I swear I looked for it last night but I didn't see it

Hint: Starts with a B, ends with anshee.

What Banshee?

My guess is a Rune or a Wildcard.
They sound like bikes Gastro would ride.

Rune is pretty much the same as the SX Trail so that's not it. The Wildcard is cool, but that's not a niche I need to fill at this time.

You must realize I'm getting old and lazy and I'm tired of taking a pounding on the rocks at Snowshoe. I think something with 7-8" of travel, adjustable geometry, and a dual crown fork would fit the bill nicely. I've got a bunch of old parts I can pull off my seldom used DJ so frame/shock/fork/150mm hub is pretty much all I need to make it happen.

Doesn't he already have an SX Trail though? I was thinking bigger like a Scythe (which bears an uncanny resemblance in configuration to a Gran Mal, BTW).

EDIT= I no sooner posted this and got back to the main screen with gastros answer. Did I nail this or what?

I thought Scythe for a minute there, but didn't think you were down with something like that.

I can dig Scythes. One of the local Australian racers' factory Scythe was hot! he was on a Scythe til such times as his Legend was delivered. This calls for a picture.

My vote is for Scythe.

Ignore double post.

Wow, that went seriously skewiff.

I was under the impression you wanted to sell, say, the SXT and get a new bike, hence my reason for guessing the Rune.

The Scythe is serious business - a nice bike for sure. Banshee are really putting out some nice bikes in 08/09, especially with the release of the new Amp DJ bike, which Chris Soininnen (Banshe pro hucker and Aussie rider) gave Farkin a sneak preview of a while back. Very nice lineup from Banshee.

Now, let's run a little comparo:
Banshee . . .


Transition Gran Mal . . .


De Vinci Wilson 4 . . .


The two Canadians especially look like they dropped from the same family tree - - except the Wilson, of course, runs a Horst four-bar.

Bromont rents Rocky Mountain Flatline 2 and Flatline 3 rigs.

Bikes like the Scythe and the Gran Mal serve very similar purposes too I think D.

Bikes that blur the line between a sweet huck bike and a fast line railer for the DH racer at heart. Kinda like how the old Faith's were, but better.

That's my tentative plan as well, but alas! I am not a racer so I don't have a shot at one of the initial 50 Legends. Maybe next year...or not.

Good guess! It's almost like you've been looking at my build spreadsheet for the last two weeks.

I don't trust Rocky - for a time, their bikes were designed by an ex-surveyor.

Lets face it, those Legend's are pretty darn bangin'! They seem to be posting some good results too. Yeah, we all know it's more rider than bike sometimes, but it's always good to put some big wins on a frame's resume.

Banshee have definitely ditched their tag of Bender Hucktanks.

Yup, that's a death-knell right there. Now, go chain off that trail.

But now I have to ask: with so much out there to choose from - - and some so similar - - what specifics made you go with the Banshee over, say, the Blindside?

What I'd do to have more than 170 dollars in my bank account every week.

I'm pretty lucky to have the bike I have I reckon. Sure, some kids my age rock nicer bikes, but i frekin' love my bike for its ghetto trashiness. Can't wait until my winter rebuild! You guys are in for a shock. Now I might have to learn to ride the damn thing well....

Hey, I need all the help I can get.

Going strictly by the numbers, Scythe is lighter and lower than the BS.

There are a few subjective reasons as well, based upon my past experiences with Banshee, discussions with some industry folk whose opinions I respect, and of course the all important aesthetic component.

The girlscout is working with me this summer to get a Wildcard built up.

Hmmmm . . . my numbers show the Blindside, though about a half-pound heavier (with a DHX), has a 14.2 BB height (with a biiiiigggg 8" fork) as opposed to the Scythe's BB ht of 14.4 - 15.1 (7 or 8" fork). In fact, there have been a few concerns about how low the Blindside is - - pedal strikes and such. I erred on the side of caution with 160mm crank arms for that reason.

You got me there - - it is a handsome machine indeed.

Oops, by lower I actually meant standover, but I see they're nearly identical there as well. (I guess if you want to split hairs, the Scythe also gets down to 14.2" BB in 7" trim in the DH geo setting.) Ford vs. Chevy I guess.

I actually got the frame this afternoon and I was pleased to see that Banshee included a spare derailleur hanger.

Why? Is it an integral part of the suspension design?