Carrera Vengeance Ultimate - good buy or donkey?
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Hi Kozak,did you use the Ultimate in Llandegla,hoping to get up there myself in the next week or so.Also did anybody get a manual with their bike I didn`t and I want to set the forks up.0
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got a rockshox manual and carrera manualTrek 930 singletrack 06-08
Pinnacle Peak 2.0 08-10
Carrera Vengeance Ultimate 11-0 -
Hi mikejacko - can get info on-line
http://www.sram.com/_media/techdocs/09% ... Manual.pdf
last friday at Llandegla I did take and use the Ultimate, Paul the instructor checked the fork settings so don't know if he changed it from whatever it was when I bought it. In the morning he video'd me riding/using brakes etc... and in slow motion can see the forks compress, then simply rebound up, no pogoing about, - this is my 1st ever 'modern' bike and I'm impressed with the super strong disc brakes as well as front suspension, compared to my 20 year old bike that has the old fashioned brakes and rigid, no suspension. In the afternoon went on the blue trail with the instructor and the bike was fine and enjoyed it. For now been looking on Ord Survey map to find local areas that I can just ride and practice on. Glad I bought this bike.0 -
I went back to Halfords to get my two manuals (the fork manual that comes with the bike is useless).0
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Have any owners swapped the brake hoses round at all?
I want to, but am completely new to hydraulic brakes. I've found some links on the web saying "remove hose", "hold upright to avoid any oil leaking out", "reconnect". A newbie like me needs more detail though.
Anyone else attempted it?
I did ask the fella in Halfords, and he looked confused for a few seconds, then said "remove grips, swap levers". I'd prefer to do it properly.0 -
tonybod wrote:Have any owners swapped the brake hoses round at all?
I want to, but am completely new to hydraulic brakes. I've found some links on the web saying "remove hose", "hold upright to avoid any oil leaking out", "reconnect". A newbie like me needs more detail though.
Anyone else attempted it?
I did ask the fella in Halfords, and he looked confused for a few seconds, then said "remove grips, swap levers". I'd prefer to do it properly.
Why do you want to swap the hoses :?0 -
tonybod wrote:Have any owners swapped the brake hoses round at all?
I want to, but am completely new to hydraulic brakes. I've found some links on the web saying "remove hose", "hold upright to avoid any oil leaking out", "reconnect". A newbie like me needs more detail though.
Anyone else attempted it?
I did ask the fella in Halfords, and he looked confused for a few seconds, then said "remove grips, swap levers". I'd prefer to do it properly.
If your a novice I really wouldn't attempt it....get your LBS to have a tinker.
Or if your feeling up to it....
Remove the wheels and the pads to stop contamination.
Very carefully you should be able to unscrew the hoses to the brake levers and swap them over...being careful NOT to pull the lever or press the pistons...works most of the time. Make sure their done back up tight, and try the brakes out a few times before hitting the trails :-)
A-wola !
Though why youd want to change them round in the first place.......0 -
There's an 18" one left in Speke that keeps tempting me.0
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turnerjohn wrote:If your a novice I really wouldn't attempt it....get your LBS to have a tinker.
Or if your feeling up to it....
Remove the wheels and the pads to stop contamination.
Very carefully you should be able to unscrew the hoses to the brake levers and swap them over...being careful NOT to pull the lever or press the pistons...works most of the time. Make sure their done back up tight, and try the brakes out a few times before hitting the trails :-)
A-wola !
Though why youd want to change them round in the first place.......
I'm a novice when it comes to hydraulic brakes, but I've been riding and servicing my own bikes for nearly 30 years (so when it comes to everything else (apart from suspension forks or replacing hubs on wheels, I can do it).
I'll give it a go this weekend.0 -
Thanks for the link Kozak I`ll have a play with the forks tomorrow,got no excuse not to go out now,my magicshine light turned up today from DX.0
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Just in case anyone else wants to swap the hoses round, here are the instructions I followed.
1. Pull back rubber cover where the hose meets the lever.
2. Undo nut with 8mm spanner.
3. Waggle hose a bit until it comes out (one of them took a lot of waggling).
4. Put hoses back into levers.
5. Do up nut.
6. Check for leaks.
7. Replace rubber cover.
I'm much happier now I don't have to think about which brake I'm using. I'm loving this new bike.0 -
Had the bike for nearly a month and ridden about 419 miles with it, so now have a really good feel for the bike.
I was put off by the forks lack of a "lock" out, but in practice this compression has very little effect, even going up steep inclines, and yes in lowest gear it does tend to wheelie.
I wasnt exactly sure what to make of the fork, but then on a longish ride, I found myself on the wrong side of a farmers field at the top of a hill with a very long detour to get home along the path I was on, so I cut across it, down hill full speed (25 mph) 1/3rd of a mile over a shallow plough, nearly frozen muddy surface.
Now I understand what the shocks are about.
Downhill at speed
Thats all - theyre amazing, soaked up all the bumps, and my hands were not rattled in the slightest, so much so that I could keep an eye on the GPS speed and read it clearly.
On the road theyre indifferent, whencycling across cobbled streets, theyre slightly better (full "lock") than a rigid fork, but not much.
When trying to bunny hop onto a pavement, coming from a rigid fork I had to change my way of doing it, you have to sort of use the compression and even then you feel the damping on the rising wheel not letting go of the tarmac as you pull up. its weird but definitely not easier or enabling you to hop higher.
In all, those who rate these forks as crap, are either jumpers, street trickereees or on an entirely different planet. Either way this is the wrong bike and fork for them.
Its all about the down hill! (not red bull style though)
The brakes are really good with considerably more moderation than the Tekro Aguira's I tried on the Kraken so I am content not to upgrade these.
The gears are efficient (I would rather have SRAM) but these do the job.
The only issue is that there isnt much real estate space on the (wide) handle bars, and with bar risers on, the gear shifters come to my second finger, even after moving them inward, which eats into the useable handle bar space (phone, light and gps mount) so I need to find a solution to this.
The Geometry of the frame is the only thing I am not 100% sure about, with these forks there seems to be too much rake... you only feel this when winding through technical sections and steering wildly to the extreme, but its there. Having said that at speed down hill, it is in its element
Weight... Oh and is it heavy, heavier than my 10 year old Giant steel hardtail.
Alluminium is a lighter material than steel, but in order to get the same strength, the Alluminium needs to use much thicker tubing, counteracting the weight saved by the weight of the material.
Looking at the cheep (£220) carbon frames from China on ebay now and wondering what gains there are to be made there.
But I really appreciate the stiffness of this frame, much better than steel, I didnt like the way it flexed unnervingly (I need to loose weight...)
The Tyres are good, made out of a rubberised version of lead (i suspect cos theyre so heavy), but they provided a good deal of grip on muddy inclines, leaf strewn forest floor and Kent's shale have not destroyed them yet. Pumping them up really hard helps too
I think that the compund is soft, and these will get worn down on warmer days, but in winter theyre lovely, and useable on roads. Maximum speed with these knobblies is 31.5 MPH on a very slight decline, almost flat for me
The wheels are also heavy, and its on my agenda to get a second light weight pair for my slicks, rather than changing tyres every sunday Havent taken the slicks full speed down hill yet as I am still getting a feel for the forks and brakes - last thing I need is a case of road rash after loosing it into oncoming traffic...
I have removed the front reflector and added a light, Moved the rear reflector to the Top peak DX rear pannier rack, and added a flashing seat light. The rear rack's been a blessing for longer rides and commuting, looks like kak, but does a great job and provides some protection from the spray off the rear wheel, and for the bike when I am falling off.
The chain must be utter rubbish as after the first clean of the bike with fresh water it started to show signs of rust, and its lateral flexibility is about the same as my many thousands of miles and repaired many times 7 year old chain. I am expecting this to be replaced soon
Also when freewheeling, the noise from the rear hub is so loud that on quiet roads it sounds like someone is right behind me - quite weird, anyone know how to quieten this?
Lastly the seat is painful, serious numb bum, needs to be replaced I think, but not sure what with and not sure if its just my havent-ridden-in-ages bum.0 -
tonybod wrote:Over 30 years of having the rear brake on the right hand side of the handlebars. I'm struggling with things the opposite way around at the moment.
Do not ride a motorbike...0 -
I've never been on a motorbike in my life.photographicsafaris wrote:
Do not ride a motorbike...tonybod wrote:Over 30 years of having the rear brake on the right hand side of the handlebars. I'm struggling with things the opposite way around at the moment.
The only reason I changed them round all those years ago was to do a certain trick where I needed the rear brake on my stronger hand (cannot even remember what trick it was now).0 -
When you're trail riding you will notice the damping on the rough stuff. When off-roading try taking some PSI out, to about 30PSI you will get more grip and also be faster as teh tyre wraps rounds rocks unstead of bouncing off them.
The chain will rust if it isn't lubbed correctly. Wash down with the hosepipe, followed by a rag with a bit of WD40 until there isn't anymore rubbish on the rag after spinning the chain through it and finally a bit of wet lube on the chain. One drop on each link should do it.
Enjoy it though mate
EDIT- forgot to say that teh chain needs a certain amount of lateral flex to change gear.0 -
Hi, I've seen a carrera vengeance for £280 and he is willing to drop it another £100 to "200 or £180 if I travel to london to pick it up. It is 3 weeks old and brand new. I am saving up for a carrera fury but cannot decide whether this vengeance is for me or not? it is my first bike and using it for general day to day use, commuting and offroad.
Please get back to me as to what and which I should buy!
i want to buy both, the vengeance now and fury in the summer.
is the vengeance worth it? is it a good bike,
my last bike was a carrera kraken 07 black and grey front sus, very nice bike until it got nicked.0 -
Alluminium is a lighter material than steel, but in order to get the same strength, the Alluminium needs to use much thicker tubing, counteracting the weight saved by the weight of the material
That's incorrect. Most alu frames are lighter as aluminium is a third the density. Oversizing tubes increases stiffness and strength, but not enough material on even budget alu frames to be heavier than even the lightest steel bikes on todays market.
The extra weight is in the forks, wheels, tyres and brakes.0 -
supersonic wrote:Do you have a link to the bike so we can see it in full?
yes, here it is .. he is going to send me pictures in the email soon but i dont know when, he is moving abroad for 3 months and wants the money.
Link .. Carrera Vengeance Ultimate Ltd .. http://www.gumtree.com/london/62/73309862.html0 -
If it fits and is in good condition, very good for the money.0
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supersonic wrote:If it fits and is in good condition, very good for the money.
well im between 5ft6 and 6ft, would a size 20 frame be perfect?
when i get pictures i will post them and see what you think is that orite?
whats a good price to pay for these bikes?
he is willing to accept round about £220
i will have to decide because i also want a fury and will save up for that!
if you can advise me on anything about these bikes please do!
is there a courier van option where i can send to his house to collect the bike from london, i am 400 miles away you see lol!0 -
shukur wrote:supersonic wrote:If it fits and is in good condition, very good for the money.
well im between 5ft6 and 6ft, would a size 20 frame be perfect?
!
Are you the incredible shrinking man?0 -
Now that's funny.By the way can you recommend me a pair of trainers please I tend to flit between a size 4 and 11.5. 0 -
I bought one of these beasts on New Year's Day - done over 1000 miles since then, mainly in the Yorkshire Dales in all types of weather and over all types of terrain. For the price of £320.00 you won't find a better bike - awesome in every respect - no complaints at all (apart from the rubbish saddle!!!) - replace a.s.a.p.
It meets all my needs and has performed superbly in some of the worst conditions imaginable......go, buy (if you can still find one!)
p.s. I don't work for Halfords - I manage a caravan park, that's why I do most of my riding in the depths of winter while the park is closed.0 -
Well, some guy was offering me one of these for £140, the guy at Halfords said the fury is better than the vengeance, on eBay the furys are selling for £320 or as low as £220, the vengeances don't sell past more than £150 unles it's brand new they go for about £180. He said they are all low end parts and spec as opposed to the fury. I didn't know what to say really.
If I can get one for cheap I'll consider it, I just don't like the stem of that bike! feels too cheap and if you did a big jump on that bike, would the forks snap?0 -
whats VFM?0
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Oh, sorry- value for moneyUncompromising extremist0
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I ride one of these and do enjoy it very much,
Only downsides are a harsh aluminum frame and hefty wheels (similar to some 4x wheels i have used, not exactly xc spec). For the money though it was a steal.
Not sure it has the fun factor that my old fire mountain had, could just be weight difference. It's defiantly faster on the descents though :P
As a point on the alu vs steel debate, the material is immaterial as the quality and type of tubing and workmanship on the frame is a more important factor. Basically you get what you pay for.0 -
The Vengeance Ultimate is the best specced bike the UK market has ever seen for the money. Quite astonishing.0
