Full Suspension Comparison.

I feel like comparing the full suspension bikes to other full suspension bikes we have tested would be a good idea.  I see alot of questions about this on forums popping up all of the time. Even some industry guy's have asked so here goes...

Pivot 429-: The Pivot is built for speed. It handles sharp and pedals like a race bike. This bike is really in a class of it's own. Until bikes like the Niner Jett9 becomes available or the Gary Fisher Superfly, Santa Cruz Tall Boy, or Specialized Epic 29er are available the Pivot really is not a great comparison.

Who should buy it. Racers especially the endurance types. Trail riders that keep track of average speed/ heart rate and MPH. If you like twisty trails ride moderately technical trails but want to still feel the terrain that is under you the Pivot is a great choice. If you are a 200 lbs rider that wants to race you will not find a better bike.

There is no shortage of love for the Pivot at 29eronline.  It is a fantastic bike. What ultimately caused most of us to buy different brands is that the Pivot is not plush enough for our taste. The large volume shock helped for heavier riders but still was not as comfortable as the RIP9 . A couple of local riders have bought Pivot's for themselves but these riders are racers and are interested in speed. Compared to their hardtails the Pivot is super comfortable. The other bikes are too plush for their taste. In addition the front end is lower then the other bikes we tested allowing them to easily get in their butt over head body positioning.

Turner Sultan: Compared to the WFO9: The sultan was close in its ability to absorb trail obstacles. This bike is super plush. It pedals as good as the WFO9 and the RIP9(although Donn, Jamin and Joel would disagree). It handles faster. In tight corners and berms I would take the Turner.

In super steep section with large boulders, I would take the WFO9.

In flatter rock gardens, the Sultan is really close and some may even prefer the Sultans handling.

Drops go to the WFO9 the Turner blew through its travel on pretty much everything.

Stiffness: First the WFO9, the RIP9 and the Pivot 429 tie, the Sultan narrowly gets third. The 2009 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR does not even register and the Ventana gets a close 4th and ties with the Ellsworth Evolve(I have ridden it but no one else here has) The margin between the Sultan, Ventana and Ellsworth are slim.

Over all I loved alot about the Turner Sultan. Why I sold it is the fact that it blew through its travel. I am fine with the frames stiffness. The fit and finish truly are second to none. The all business no frills is very attractive to me(form follows function) It fit me like a glove. Handles exactly how I want a bike to. The suspension is by far the plushest most sensitive of the bunch we have tested. Plus there is a certain feel to the Sultan that I cant explain. I believe it is the Non Hydro Formed aluminium tube set. It just feels different. I want to put the Turner in first place. However every time I tried to jump/pump/ manual/ bunny hop I got the dreaded flat tire sensation. I ended up in the woods to many times because of it. I like the linear feel at the top of the stroke but some where there needs to be a progressive rate . There was no resistance to pre-loading the suspension to the moves described. In the end as much as I wanted to I could not live with this. The other guy's dismissed the bike after the first couple of hours on it. If that issue was solved while I could not give it first because of the other testers preference, it is the bike I would be riding.

Who Should Ride It? This is really hard to talk about. Turner Bikes has a fiercely loyal fan base. Talking to any of these Homers will quickly convince you there is no other bike out there worth considering other then a Turner. I would say the rider who spends all day in the saddle over rough terrain and has a more XC oriented riding style will love the Sultan. This means that you spend most of your time seated climbing and roll over trail obstacles rather then jump/ bunny hop. You like a more classic mountain bike geometry.  If you happen to be a Homer and are a devoted Sultan owner, please don't show me how So and So is hucking himself off 911 drop. There are some riders who are just really good no matter what they ride. For the rest of us 29eronline's verdict remains the same.

Ventana El Rey: This frame is light, stiff and comfortable. It climbs well and is well mannered overall. It is simple, low maintenance and well built. I enjoyed this bike for the most part. Compared to the WFO9... Come on! There are way more differences then similarity. Compared to the Pivot. The Pivot is stiffer and lower. The Pivot handles faster, pedals better and is every bit as stable. Compared to the El Rey the Pivot is not as plush. The RIP9 handles more predictably, pedals more efficiently,  and is less affected by braking.  Overall the Niner RIP9 is more suited to aggressive riding then the EL Rey. The El Rey is much lighter then the Pivot and RIP9. the only full suspension bike that we have tested that was lighter is the Specialized 2009 Stumpjumper FSR.(more on this later.)

It is the overall opinion of the handful of testers that the El Rey Is a nice bike that ultimately none of us want. The suspension works fine but it is out done by its competitors like Pivot, Niner and Turner. One response was that it rode like a camel! Yes we used the rebound dial. The statement did not apply to "bobbing" It was more a reference to how tall the bike sat.

I had problems with flat tight turns and feeling like the bike sat to tall. It wasn't nearly as confident on tight switch backs or our tech rock garden at San Lee. I actually preferred my Kona Exsplosif 2-9 hard tail. I would love to see this frame tweaked as I am a Ventana fan in general and feel that they make a very high quality domestically made frame. In addition they were one of the early adopters of 29ers and full suspension.

The Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29er got completely destroyed in this test. In its favor. Light weight. Comfortable supple suspension. surprisingly good handling even with the slack head angle. Actually I have to give praise to Specialized for introducing me to a 29er with slacker head tube angles. No one who rode it complained about the head angle or handling. It rode excellent in bermed out fairly steep down  hills.

Overall the Specialized Stumpjumper FSR was to low to the ground  squeaky and  creaky for our taste. The new Stumpjumper seams to have addressed these problems but I wont comment until we ride one(If that ever happens).

Niner RIP9: No it was not perfect. But it was pretty close for most recreational,enthusiest' and aggressive trail riders. If you ride aggressively and don't want to be limited anywhere on the mountain then the RIP9 is for you. It climbs excellent handles very well in all but the extremes of terrain. The geometry is fast without being twitchy. The suspension is plush without being vague. The amount of travel is in 29eronline's opinion what most mountain bikers will get the most out of. The perfect combination of comfort, confidence and performance.

We at 29eronline hope this information helps the readers of these articles, thank you for your support.

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