My new FSR

robinta

click http://www.flickr.com/photos/14341429@N05/


After agonising whether to change the frame of my much upgraded Specialized Hardrock 05 or go full suspension; I took delivery this week of an 07 Spesh FSR XC, with the intention of swapping some of my 'better gear' onto it (Revelation forks, Juicy 5 brakes, Easton/Race face finishing kit etc.).

My main worry was I was buying on review/recommendation and didnt know what to expect with the ride of this bike (my main reasons for going full suss were increased comfort for my aching,aging body - not something I was ever going to achieve with the Hardrock). I bought interest free from J E James with 150 quid off RRP and whilst the spec wasnt fantastic (not a problem as a lot of the components will be removed and sold) the bike looked and sounded excellent on paper.

In the flesh this bike looks even better. The paint finish is excellent. The attention to detail is a work of art (IMHO), welding, design , etc.

So at last I managed to ride it for the first time properly today and it handled like a dream. Apart from a slightly twitchy ride (not helped by a 100mm stem - soon to be changed to either a Hope 90mm or Race Face 80mm) the bike was like a rocket.

Having never ridden full suss I didnt know what to expect. At the moment its about 1 lb heavier than the Hardrock but climbs so much easier and flies down the descents (I was a bit concerned about the stopping power of the Hayes Sole`s on a couple of nervy occasions !)

I know its early days but I love this bike - it doesnt feel unlike a hardtail (in a good way) but gives the traction and comfort benefits that I wanted from full suspension. I`d always been put of the interrupted seat post design but having cut 4" of the supplied post gave me plenty of leeway to drop the saddle for blasting downhill.

As suspension loosens up & i transfer some better componentry across from the `rock it should (hopefully) get better too.

As a newbie to full suss I`ve nothing to compare this bike against, but no pedal feedback yet, great looks, excellent comfort & traction. I love it.

supersonic

Remember a shorter stem will quicken the steering - some might call this 'more twitchy'.

Glad you like the bike!

robinta

I wondered if I had that the right way round !

I will try a shorter stem anyway at some point. Might just be me at the moment of course :?

nicklouse

ah but a long stem can have the same effect if the fork is not set correctly. as it put your weight over the fork more you can end up with a shorter fork.
i would have a play and see if you can play with some old stems from the lbs before commiting to a new one......

i feel this is an importante stage to play with when you are on your first fully as there is a lot to consider.

tagmnbagm

Hi,

I have the exact same bike. I have had this since March and am really pleased.
Couple of things worth mentioning, Change the brakes ASAP, they did not inspire confidence and were changed after the second outing.
I could not get a satifactory comprimise on the rear shock settings so have changed this also for a Fox float. Unfortunately I have yet to test this fully(One short ride down the canal towpath ) due to breaking my arm on holiday :x .
I have also just ordered new components to upgrade the drive train as I was not happy with the gear changes. The last two points are just my personal preference, and I'm sure alot of people would be more than happy with the kit supplied with the bike.
Oh and watch out for cable rub, especially on around the rear shock area and on the forks, strategic placement of frame protection required.
Anyway hope you continue to enjoy, and I agree it is a good looking bike, but I would say that wouldn't I. 8)

L60N

NIce bike you have there, hope you get the steering sorted

110mm was stock on my bike, so have upgraded like for like. Im sure the designers have more of an idea of what works than i do :P

robinta

Thanks for the comments folks.

Just a couple of points :-

The brakes and forks will be going this week to be replaced by my Juicy 5`s/Revelations.

I have a 90mm Hope stem & 80mm Race face so no cost involved to try, they`re 25.4mm though so will put my Easton bars on also. They`re considerably wider than the stock 31.8mm ones - so will change the feel also.

At the moment the bars seem almost directly above the front axle so I thought a shorter higher stem would slacken things off a bit - am I wrong ?

jacktheoc

you will have to post some pics when its all done, it will look very nice!

toasty

My FSR XC in XL came with a 110mm stem I think, it did feel a bit shakey, if I put my weight forward while climbing my weight would be too far over the forks leaving steering very random. Still, my archive of old bike bits saved the day, I had an old 100mm jobby lying around which was perfect, small change but I never get that out of control feeling when forward. The default stem is so boring looking anyway I didn't have any qualms about swapping it out.

The wheel/tyre combination on it are very easy to make tubeless by the way, I used a Joe's kit, you get loads more grip and I've used it for a few weeks now with no burping out. I've used Spesh Roll X, Spesh Team Control, Pana Fire XC, Smoke + Dart (way back 8)), Conti Explorers and oddly these Resolutions + tubeless are my favorite setup I've ever had for where I ride, really fast rolling, even with low pressure.

I bought some Juicy 3s on friday as well, infinitely better than those Sole and very easy to set up and maintain. I still want to stick a Reba SL on the front and possibly a new set of lighter wheels then I think I'm done.


Get some pics up of your bike with all the new bits on I'd love to see how it turns out.

robinta

Funnily enough I was very impressed with the resolutions yesterday. Fast rolling - ok on most surfaces I crossed.

I was suprised as the stock wheels, rotor, tyres etc. only weigh 2 ozs more than my Mavic 719/deore wheel with Schwalbe Nobby Nics on (2.25 but the Spesh tyres are massive for a 2.0).

Will update photos as I go - might also try the tubeless set up.

toasty

Yeah, the stock wheels suprised me a bit too, I had some Crossride wheels with Roll X on (450g pro ones) and 160mm rotors. The front wheel was only 200g lighter than my FSRs front wheel, with 200g heavier tyres and 203mm rotor, it's tubeless now and has 185mm rotor so that difference is probably even smaller.