DMN

I'm thinking of investing in one of these bad boys and I've read plenty elsewhere, but I'm am just curious if anybody else has any good/back experience of them?

Particualy how "Pedal freindly it is".

Cornish_Rdr_UK

They're a good all round bike apparently, good for abit of anything, and ive heard only good reveiws.

Apparently, the frame this year is very similar to the frame on the older stinkies..

Dannihilator

They are good bikes.

MadMan2k

I'd rather a bighit FSR.

Dirtbike

I can get an 05 Bighit FSR for 1100, so thats what I would do. Im going to save for it after I build my hardtail.

MadMan2k

Cool stuff.

nathank

i have an 04 Kona Coiler Dee-Lux... it has a few upgrades from the basic Coiler, namely the ProPedal shock.

for allround Freeriding my Coiler is AWESOME!

you can't really compare to the BigHit which is much heavier. compare the Stinky to the BigHit.

for all-round Freerider, the Coiler is awesome:
* tough enough to do everything: drops, air, technical (it is basically the old Stinky which so many pros used to drop off buildings and crazy stuff)
* light enough: with rockring and all mine is 36lbs
* pedal-friendly: almost no bob at all (less than my 03 FSR which is an XC bike!)
* sinkable fork: changes geometry for uphill
--> in the BikePark, i can hang with Downhill folks with 40-50lb bikes and 8" travel
--> i can still climb uphill for tours

for 05 the travel is increased a little but otherwise about the same i think.

DMN

superb, thats just made me even more determind to get one.

anthonaut

It is just the old stinky frame rebadged.

Naiss

Yes I have one, you can get them for £850 (2004 model) down from £1500. They are a typical Freeride do anything bike, I'm going to be travelling 300 miles across the Trans Pennine Trail with mine in June but you can do downhill/uphill tracks as well as the trails.

I've bought an Easton carbon seatpost and selle Italia flite saddle for a little extra comfort, also changed tubes from Presta to schrader after I ripped a presta valve right of the innertube wrestling with it with the bike pump. I'm also going to get the new dual-compund Michelin XCR All-Mountain tyre, the ones that come with the bike are intended for Downhill tracks and started to wear the first day I got the bike. I have to do a little riding on concrete/roads to get to my access point for the TPT.

I've also bought a pair of titanium eggbeaters, I've fallen off so many times getting used to those Shimano clip-ins so will see if the egg beaters are any better, this time riding on grass in my garden before giving up and moving to flats.

The suspension front and back is pretty stiff, I can't get my recommended sag levels even with no air in the forks and the back spring loose just enough so it doesn't rattle and I'm 14st, I think as they get older and well used they'll slacken off and the option of putting air in the forks and tightening the back spring will give them extra life. The frame is very strong (indestructable) but also quite heavy, that's something you have to keep in mind when you want to add your own parts otherwise you'll be left with a slow moving tank.

I think the only serious other option is this years new GT i-drives XC 3.0 which beat a bunch of other full suspension bikes in the Feb issue of MBUK, it was limited to £1000 or less RRP so the coiler wasn't in the test. Check out Bikemagic for user reviews.

Cornish_Rdr_UK

Naiss, was that I drive the one that was apparently only held together with lock-tite?

Naiss

I don't know what it was held together with, it comes with an SRAM rear derailler so it wouldn't be a surprise if it was less reliable than a shimano equipped bike like the Coiler. It's not really fair to compare it directly with the Coiler which is a £1500 bike heavily discounted to £850, the I-Drive is only £1000 because it's a 2005 model. Come next January you'll be able to pick them up for around £500-£600.

New bikes are overpriced in this country.

Cornish_Rdr_UK

Lots of people prefer SRAm over Shimano for anything except XC. I think in a few years, SRAM will be the best for everybody.

kcirtap

i've been looking into some pedal friendly freeride bikes too and the coiler is on my list, but it's toward the bottom. it's between the sx trail, bullit and the coiler. originally it was just the sx but then i added the bullit and coiler to the list. ive been leaning toward the bullit only problem is last night i went to mtbr.com and read revirews on the 5th element and it sounds horrible son now i'm afraid to get one. they sound like a rad shock -as long as they don't explode. to me it's not worth it regardless of how well it performs if i always have to worry about it breaking down.