come on all you proud 04 'dale riders......put your reports up on the review section

there are millions of salivating mtb'ers awaiting your pearls of wisdom

i cannot go ahead and buy an 800/1000 jekyll without the covetted 4.5 or above

please help....i am desparate (god knows.... iv'e even looked at another brand)

cheers from jawry

(willing to be loaned a bike and undergo testing for you!!!!)

I reviewed my '04 Jekyll 1000 in the '03 section. Please don't take any of the ratings seriously. If you have any specific questions, I'll try to answer them.

My rating for my 2004 Jekyll 400 is up already :) I posted under my real name, Ed. Yes, there are many component differences, but the frames are exactly the same across the board for 2004 Jekylls. They all come with a Propedal or a Swinger, so complaints of excessive bob are a thing of the past. I have made a couple upgrades (got rid of the lousy Axel fork for a Marzocchi and added Avid Mechanicals), but the bike overall is pretty sweet. 2003 600 and up frames are the same as all 2004 frames, so you can also include those from strictly a frame-only stand point (I think 600. Look at the frames, there is a distinct difference between the old frames and the new frames). I was just out yesterday playing around town and it climbs like a monkey and floats off the various jumps I could find.

One thing I have noticed, that I don't think I put in my review is the stiffness of the frame. That thing is a bank vault! The frame stiffness rivals my 1987 C'dale road bike, which has long been my benchmark for stiff frames...for better or for worse...

I demo'd the Jekyll (twice even) at the interbike dirt demo and was blown away. I had a '02 Jekyll 1000 and the new rigs just blow that off the trail. The SPV rear shock and Lefty Max fork are huge improvements for that bike. If you liked the old Jekyll, I think you'll love the new ones. I thought it was the best all around bike I rode at interbike - and I rode a lot of 'em. I would however recommend going with the 1000 over the 800 if you can afford it as I think the SPV shock is worth it for it's added adjustability.

I think the component and lower end product reviews are the most useful thing out there for making purchase decisions. Reviews for any bike over $1,000 though, I think you have to take with a grain of salt. There are very few negative reviews for any bikes where somebody's dumped some real bucks. Either all the bikes are commendable, or people have a tough time admitting they made a bad choice for that kind of money.

For what it's worth, I'm in love with my '03 Jekyll 800, but then again I haven't ridded every other FS bike out there. Consider an '03 though if you can find one. They're several hundred $ cheaper, and the major difference is the SPV shock. You still get remote lockout with the '03.

is the only real difference the spv rear and lefty max??? i am getting my lefty rebuilt from cannondale (until i get a max) and having my rear shock rebuilt by darren at push with a dampening in it.

but that is the basics. The big difference is the SPV shock and the Lefty max, as far as I know. I have the Lefty Max on my Gemini, with a 5th coil, and the combo rocks. I am sure a Jekyll with the Max and SPV will be great. Highly recommended.