Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

New Airborne Goblin

90K views 617 replies 107 participants last post by  curley1441 
#1 ·
Hi folks, I'm a NOOB to say the least. Its been over 20yrs since I was biking on a regular basis and am very excited about getting back into it. I did some research and decided to purchase the new Airborne Goblin. They are due to ship in a few weeks so needles to say the wait is going to kill me. I am going to have lots of questions to ask and I have spent a lot of time on the forum. I live outside of Ottawa, Canada and plan on doing a lot of trail riding.


Steve
 
G
#111 ·
New Goblin Arrived

Came home from work today and my new Goblin was waiting to be put together..like others have said this thing is packed excellent...took me longer to unpack and unwrap everything than it did to put it together..about 22 minutes to assemble once I got everything unwrapped..

As ii sits right now it shifts pretty good...maybe a little tweaking needs to be done but I could go out and ride it..disc rotor on the front rubs a bit..no biggie..I just put the front wheel on and really did not take the time to make sure I had everything centered up...

The thing looks solid...pictures really do not do it justice..looks tight in person..will throw the new wheels on it this weekend and some other goodies and take her for ride..
 
#112 ·
Came home from work today and my new Goblin was waiting to be put together..like others have said this thing is packed excellent...took me longer to unpack and unwrap everything than it did to put it together..about 22 minutes to assemble once I got everything unwrapped..

As ii sits right now it shifts pretty good...maybe a little tweaking needs to be done but I could go out and ride it..disc rotor on the front rubs a bit..no biggie..I just put the front wheel on and really did not take the time to make sure I had everything centered up...

The thing looks solid...pictures really do not do it justice..looks tight in person..will throw the new wheels on it this weekend and some other goodies and take her for ride..
Looks great!! Willing to post a photo (and weight) when you get the new carbon and BF wheels on??
 
#114 ·
Pulled the trigger on a 22" Black Goblin this morning:thumbsup: You guys at Airborne just had to dangle the green Goblin in my size out there at such a good price:eek:ut: but in the end i felt the improvements on the black where worth the extra $$$ for my size and style of riding. Now the hard part begins waiting for the big brown truck without going:crazy:

Cliff
 
#115 ·
Well after braking my Sette and reviving the old Caloi and riding her till she was about to snap. I finally was able to get a new bike. Santa's Elf with a brown fetish dropped her off Friday and I put her together Friday night. only have a quick ride in on the ice of my street so far but hope to see some frozen trail latter today. Have already started tinkering with the build slightly replaced the bars and seat post with much lighter ones put on some Ergon GP1 grips and set up the wheels Gorilla tubeless. I'm sure some more bits and pieces will find themselves lightened up as time and $$$ find themselves available but these parts were in the parts bin so only smart to use them. Vary impressed with the frame and components were impressive for the $$$ I had full X7 on my last bike but the newer version has defiantly seen some trickle down. The wheel set was my bigest wory in buying the bike and i was alredy reserching what rims and hubs I was going to replace them with but after seeing in person they are much better and lighter than I could have hoped so they will be staying for a while. I am also pretty happy with overall weight about a 27lb 22" framed 29r bike. Especially when the Caloi 21" framed 26r was 32lbs. as measured on my digital bathroom scale. with Shimano SLX trail peddles. As for assembly Very easy and most riders could complete in under an hour. My self being a old bike shop mechanic went a little further and striped the frame and did a full build up ensuring that everything was lubed and torqued the way i liked it yes I'm a little OCD on by bike stuff.

See ya on the trail

 
#125 ·
Well I've had a couple of good rides thus far & love my new Goblin!
I really love the 2x10 drivetrain...much more efficient than my previous 3x9.
The geometry works great for a 20 inch frame, only slightly less nimble than my 19" 26er...still able to throw down in the twisty sections.
I had my initial doubts about the tires, seeing the similarities to the SB8s I didn't think they would stick for the type trail surfaces here in south Alabama. (loose sand mixed with hardpack & lots of wet roots thrown in)
The AKAs handled beautifully, like riding on rails with a touch of slack without losing control...never slid out front or rear. Great choice Airborne!
I haven't been able to dial in the fork yet, got to buy a pump. The preset pressure is rideable but still a bit too stiff.
I immediately changed a few parts on day one : stem, bars & grips...for weight and comfort I used my shorter stem and carbon riser bars. I also got a set of ergon grips for comfort.
So far I'm loving the new Goblin....I'll post any new findings as I get everything dialed in.
Let me know if anyone has any specific questions...for those of you still thinking of pulling the trigger.
.
Brandon
 
#136 ·
Took em out for a cold ride today
That looks great! Nice shots. Do you mind if we "borrow" one for our main Facebook page photo one day? :D

Thanks for the info TXTony and TreeKiller. I had just seen so many with he black flags that i had to ask. You both seemed to get them at a pretty good value if i find them at that i might pull the trigger myself. Otherwise next time I have the money the I9's will get built into big boy wheels and I know they are light and bombproof.
I'm definitely north of 200lbs and I've been riding the Black Flag Pro's for awhile and really like them. Crossmax 29's used to be my favorite 29 XC wheelset but the BFP's really are just as good. Super stiff and light, pretty bombproof unless you do something really stupid (don't ask!) in which case no wheel will hold up. Plus as an added benefit the freehub has great engagement and sounds nice and "chainsawy" in the woods.

Happy New Year!

Jeremy
 
#131 ·
TEXting what do you think of the black flags and how much of an improvement over the stock wheelset do you think they are. your the 4th airborne I have seen change out to black flags. so far I have found the stock wheelset to be far better than I had expected not in the same ballpark as the I9s I had on my 26r but dang good for stock. I hope to relace the I9s later this year if I can find the cash some green spoke bling would really pop.
 
#132 ·
TMJ, I have the same Black Flag Comps as well as a set of Stan's Arch EX's and it's a noticable improvement over the stock wheels. I've also taken the wheels from the new Goblin ghetto tubeless (Gorilla tape & Stan's valves) and that also makes a big difference.

FWIW, I picked up the Black Flags on sale at Performance for <$300 and gave $550 for the Arch EX's. For the $250 difference, I'd take the Flags any day.
 
G
#133 ·
Same as TreeKiller I got mine on sale so I pulled the trigger on them...and there is a noticeable improvement over the stock wheels...I also have a pair of I9s laced to Arch rims (26) and where going to rebuild a set of (29) wheels with those hubs and may still do it later on..but for value to performance the Black Flags are a great value...I also have a set of Ringle Charger Pro's I am running on a all mountain rig with a 20mm Maxle..I really like the Ringle wheels...they come with everything to in the box to set up tubeless and run different axle options..

I will say the stock wheels on the Goblin are better than I thought they where going to be for a stock wheel...and so far overhaul the entire Goblin seems like a heck of a bike and a buyer definitely gets the value for the price of the bike
 
#134 ·
Thanks for the info TXTony and TreeKiller. I had just seen so many with he black flags that i had to ask. You both seemed to get them at a pretty good value if i find them at that i might pull the trigger myself. Otherwise next time I have the money the I9's will get built into big boy wheels and I know they are light and bombproof.

Have a good New years
 
G
#135 ·
No doubt the I9s/Arch set up will be a superior wheel...those are the best wheels I have ever had...the Goblin being my fist 29er I have tried to keep everything around a certain budget until I decide if it will be a main ride or something I use here and there..I am still one of those dudes who has not given up on the 26er...but every time I take the Goblin out for a ride I keep finding myself really enjoying this bike..
 
#141 ·
We had our annual New Years day ride here in KC today a beautiful 18*f and around 50 of the nicest people you could want to meet came out to play in the snow. The goblin was a blast and got quite a few head turns and inspections by other rides. I'm sold on 29r's now and even more I'm sold on the Goblin. Only complaint is the front tire would start to drift in tight corners over 16mph but then again we were on snow. Now at the same time the back tire was amazing climbing the hills in the snow.

 
#142 ·
That's an awesome pic! Can we steal....err......borrow that one for our Facebook page sometime?

That front tire drifting is totally normal when riding in snow. I even have that on my fatbike with 4" wide snow tires on it. If you ride in snow enough you start to learn the limits of grip and how to use body english when going around corners. I love riding in the snow this time of year because it hones my handling and balance skills.

Jeremy
 
#143 ·
We posted this earlier on Facebook but I wanted to let you guys here know.

If you are thinking about a 16" Goblin, we are out until early March. :( We are also starting to run low on 18's so those will probably run out next.

Our Goblin sales have greatly exceeded our expectations and we didn't forecast selling this many bikes so quickly.

Thanks so much for all of the support, and we'll let everyone know when they are back in stock in March!

Jeremy
 
#144 ·
I'm definitely planning on buying the new goblin (probably in 18") in a couple months (which is March), so hopefully you have them then.

Is the goblin xo going to be anywhere near the price of the hobgoblin ($1700)? I don't think I need that much bike but was just curious. I think the goblin is the perfect setup for me (and apparently a lot of others around the same height lol)
 
#145 ·
I'm definitely planning on buying the new goblin (probably in 18") in a couple months (which is March), so hopefully you have them then.

Is the goblin xo going to be anywhere near the price of the hobgoblin ($1700)? I don't think I need that much bike but was just curious. I think the goblin is the perfect setup for me (and apparently a lot of others around the same height lol)
We should be OK on them when you are ready to order. Our replenishment run should be done and in the warehouse by the second week in March provided that there isn't another dockworker strike, hurricane, tsunami, or some other catastrophe. :eek:

The Goblin X0 is going to be more than the current HobGoblin, but still a storming value for what it is. We are working on the page and photos right now and should have things up and running for pre-orders soon. It's a lot of bike for the money, but you also can't go wrong with the regular Goblin.

Jeremy
 
G
#147 ·
What about Goblin frames...how are you guys on them stock wise..thinking if getting just a frame to build up a gravel grinder type rig with a rigid fork...like size 18...so stoked on my current Goblin I want to build up one from scratch and see what I come up with
 
#149 ·
Hey riders....I purchased my New Gobling in 20" and like it a lot. I am 6-1 and 190 lbs. Maybe could have gone with the 18" but after riding other 18" hardtails---felt that would be too small.

Nonetheless, I am looking to upgrade the seatpost and handlebar to carbon? Any suggestions as I am new to the carbon world! Thanks much in advance.
 
#150 ·
Hey riders....I purchased my New Gobling in 20" and like it a lot. I am 6-1 and 190 lbs. Maybe could have gone with the 18" but after riding other 18" hardtails---felt that would be too small.
FWIW, I'm 6'2" (about 34" inseam), about the same weight, and have had my green 20" Goblin since August with about 800 singletrack and road miles on it so far. 20" feels just right for me. I can still easily get behind the seat when needed. The thing handles.

I'm thinking about a lighter/wider bar, and a lighter seatpost... Probably a Thomson Elite because I like their clamping mechanism and they look really nice.

The one question I have is, is the stock Goblin seatpost considered a 'setback' post and if so, how much is the setback? I measured ~2 cm, so, if I want the same geometry, do I go with a 20 mm setback post? This is probably totally obvious, but I just want to make sure I'm not missing something.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top