Anyone ride an Airbourne? How's it feel? Quick, responsive, cornering? How's it handle and feel on nice long epic rides? How about racing?
I've only seen one of these in person and it was gorgeous. I'm getting more and more into endurance events and I've been contemplating Ti frames for a while. I recently sold my Id b/c it was just too much bike for my riding style and what I want to do. I'm on my Sugar now and it's nice and light. Handles great but I can definitely tell a difference b/w it and the Id. I was looking at replacing the Id with a Flux (or maybe even a Burner), but I'm still not 100% sure. I went to SuperHo yesterday and picked the frame up off the rack and really looked and contemplated. I ended up not getting it b/c I just didn't have that 'feeling.' You know that feeling like everything is right with the world. I may still end up going back to get it but for now, I'm still up in the air. If I had to choose today, I'd probably go with the Burner. Since I have as much time as it takes, I'm really contemplating a Ti HT. Dean has always been my first choice but I've heard of the wait times and Airbourne doesn't seem to have that problem. Or am I just not reading the right stuff?
Thanks for the input.
Why would I need more than one gear?
@A_SingleSpeeder
EPA = crooks!
bike was really nice. had to sell it due to dental bills, but i really like it. the workmanship was amazing. the ride was very nice. wouldn't call it a wicked fast woods bike, but it was designed by mike c the great adventure racer. it was stable at speed, handled well in the technical stuff, climbed better than the karate monkey i had previously. the companly was easy to work with. the frame was in stock. i had an alignment problem with the rear dropouts and they gave me a new frame, no questions asked. actually it was a bad dropout, not an alignment problem. the dropout itself was manufactured out of spec. second one was perfect. i had a dean at one time, and this was many years ago, but the airborne was a stiffer frame than the dean i had, and it was a 26 in wheel. i don't think they are a bad bike by any means. definatly one of the best detail work bikes out there, with the chainstay plate and the gussets. welds were fine, brake bosses were aligned correctly, etc. airborne seatpost was good quality. if the geometry works for you, you won't be dissappointed. if you are a taller person, and want to do adventure racing, consider the b-29er frame. that's why it was made.
I was a little low on funds so I ordered the Al Liberator from Airbourne. I'm really looking forward to the ride and if it's as nice as I think it's going to be, I'll eventually order a Ti from them. I'm already impressed by the C.S. issue. I called yesterday and they picked up after the first ring. I e-mailed them today and they got back to me w/in 10 minutes. Absolutely NOT what I'm used to coming from an Ellsworth (although Fisher does take pretty long to reply as well). Unfortunately, the FSA H/S is on backorder so my frame won't ship until Thursday. But they were proactive and let me know ASAP. I didn't have to contact them or anything. Impressive. Most impressive.
I can't understand why they aren't more popular. I mean with C.S. like that, they are definitely high in my book.
Why would I need more than one gear?
@A_SingleSpeeder
EPA = crooks!
those alloy frames look nice. i was told by someone (not airborne) that fsa stopped makiing that headset that airborne was giving away with the frame. if they don't ship it on thursday cause they still don't have them, ask for something else, or a better deal or something. it may be awhile on the headset. they seem to be out of stock with the wholesellers. i like that headset, and can't find one, either. hopefully fsa didn't quit making them, and yours will be a go thursday.
A few weeks ago, Dean has a few frames on sale on their website. Back in October, I was gonna buy an Airborne Black Widow but was told the shipment won't come in until mid December. I ended up getting a Merlin on Ebay. How does Airborne's "life time warranty" read? Something like that of Ellsworth?
those alloy frames look nice. i was told by someone (not airborne) that fsa stopped makiing that headset that airborne was giving away with the frame. if they don't ship it on thursday cause they still don't have them, ask for something else, or a better deal or something. it may be awhile on the headset. they seem to be out of stock with the wholesellers. i like that headset, and can't find one, either. hopefully fsa didn't quit making them, and yours will be a go thursday.
The frame shipped Thursday DHL ground and I got it Friday. Holy cow Batman! That was fast. The FSA h/s was in there as well. So I'd keep checking with retailers b/c they should be getting them in soon. Or better yet, I'd shoot FSA an email and ask about stock or if they discontinued it. Either way, they should be able to give you some info.
It's almost built up but I'm waiting on a new seat, bars and BB. Once I have those (probably not until Thursday), I'll post some pics. She at least looks good, we'll see how she rides.
Why would I need more than one gear?
@A_SingleSpeeder
EPA = crooks!
I've love to see pics of it built up and what you think about it. I've seen thier ads but haven't heard anything about them.
I finally got her built up over the weekend. I'm pretty stoked and she's pretty light. Right now she comes in at about 24-25 lbs. I think I can lose about 2 lbs. for racing though. I can swap the disc brakes to V-brakes, I can swap wheels to my superlight Mavic 517's, I can slap my EC90 carbon bar on and I can put my Maxxis Minotaurs racing tires on it. I'm pretty happy by the way she rides around the drive way. I'll get to actually ride her on Thursday.
Originally Posted by Mr Fuzznel
The Airborne geometry is very Kona/Genesis like.. in fact some of the bikes have top tubes and geometries identical to Fisher Genesis...
I have to agree. I have a large Sugar and the Airborne is very similar to it. The Sugar is probably the best fitting bike I've ever owned so I think I'll really be comfotable on this one.
Why would I need more than one gear?
@A_SingleSpeeder
EPA = crooks!
It is hard to tell from the pictures, but is the finish like a polished chrome finish or a brushed satin.
Thanks
I'm not 100% sure what brushed satin looks like but I know it's not polished chrome like the new Turner Flux or anything. It's kind of like pure aluminum with a clear coat over it. If that makes any sense. I think it's a pretty nice looking frame.
Why would I need more than one gear?
@A_SingleSpeeder
EPA = crooks!
I like that bike - what fork is that? Cool grey color to it.
'05 Marzocchi Marathon SL...Very light and so far, really nice. Of course, I only have 3 or 4 rides on it on the other bike but I can tell I'm going to like it already. It still needs to break in a bit which should only take another 4 or 5 rides. List price is like $650 but I got it off an eBay store for $459. I couldn't pass that deal up. It's listed as a 105-120mm. I found out from a guy in the shocks forum that by adjusting the negative air pressure, you can adjust the travel. So I have it at about 110mm I think.
Why would I need more than one gear?
@A_SingleSpeeder
EPA = crooks!
I finally got her built up over the weekend. I'm pretty stoked and she's pretty light. Right now she comes in at about 24-25 lbs. I think I can lose about 2 lbs. for racing though. I can swap the disc brakes to V-brakes, I can swap wheels to my superlight Mavic 517's, I can slap my EC90 carbon bar on and I can put my Maxxis Minotaurs racing tires on it. I'm pretty happy by the way she rides around the drive way. I'll get to actually ride her on Thursday.
I have to agree. I have a large Sugar and the Airborne is very similar to it. The Sugar is probably the best fitting bike I've ever owned so I think I'll really be comfotable on this one.
Absolutely beautiful. You say the 19in large Gary Fisher does indeed feel and look like the 19in Airborne? I thought so.. I looked at the geometries of some of the Airbornes and felt they had copied Genesis...
I am interested.. I am still deciding on a new HT.. which model is yours? Black widow?
Absolutely beautiful. You say the 19in large Gary Fisher does indeed feel and look like the 19in Airborne? I thought so.. I looked at the geometries of some of the Airbornes and felt they had copied Genesis...
I am interested.. I am still deciding on a new HT.. which model is yours? Black widow?
Believe it or not, this is just the aluminum version. It's called the Liberator. Airborne was blowing it out of stock and since I was looking for a light HT for racing, I decided I couldn't lose with the price. For $299 I got the frame, a FREE FSA headset and a free Rock Shox Pilot. The FSA and RS fork went on the wife's bike as upgrades. It was a smokin' deal and I think they still have it going on. I decided I'd ride this for a while and if I like it, I'll go with the Black Widow. If I don't, then I really haven't lost anything and I can still get the Dean I've coveted for a while now.
Why would I need more than one gear?
@A_SingleSpeeder
EPA = crooks!
Believe it or not, this is just the aluminum version. It's called the Liberator. Airborne was blowing it out of stock and since I was looking for a light HT for racing, I decided I couldn't lose with the price. For $299 I got the frame, a FREE FSA headset and a free Rock Shox Pilot. The FSA and RS fork went on the wife's bike as upgrades. It was a smokin' deal and I think they still have it going on. I decided I'd ride this for a while and if I like it, I'll go with the Black Widow. If I don't, then I really haven't lost anything and I can still get the Dean I've coveted for a while now.
One last thing: Airborne have adopted geometry configurations similar to Gary Fisher Genesis geometry. So the frames are long… our bike had a 24.75in top tube, but still a low standover height.
Sweet! you should get it fast and the guys there are great to deal with. Whenever I called, they answered by the second ring. When I e-mailed with questions they got back to me within a few hours. Great CS as far as I'm concerned.
Definitely post a pic when you get it built up.
Why would I need more than one gear?
@A_SingleSpeeder
EPA = crooks!
I'm 5'8" with a 32" inseam and I went with a medium. I think I could have gone large but I went by the TT length. The medium was the closest to the large Sugar as far as the TT is concerned. It's slightly shorter and I can tell the difference but I think I can live with it. I'm running a 110mm stem and straight post. I think I may get a layback post but that'll be decided after a few rides on it.
Why would I need more than one gear?
@A_SingleSpeeder
EPA = crooks!
The 19.5 is almost identical to the 19.25 (Large) GF Genesis. The top tube of the 19.5 Airborne is just 0.3 inches shorter than the Large GF and all other dimensions are nearly identical.... the seat tube extends quite a way past the top tube on the Airborne so even the centre-to-top measurement and standover of both the 19.5 Airborne and Large GF is near identical.
I had the first ride last night and I'm very impressed. Superlight, nimble, responsive, stiff and quick. It handled great through some bogs, while climbing over some logs and climbing the hills. I'm really going to enjoy this bike. Ones of my buddies who I rode with last night loves the look and wants to pick one up himself.
I know I need more time on it to get the 'real' feel of the bike but so far I think Airborne nailed it. This thing is gonna be an incredible racing bike. And it seems like it's gonna be super fun to just play around on. I do not regret buying this at all and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting a to build a light racing bike.
You should have a great time on it Mr. Fuzznel. Post some pics when you get it built up and also give a report on what you think.
Why would I need more than one gear?
@A_SingleSpeeder
EPA = crooks!
Airborne geometry is nothing like Kona geometry. I've had both but still got the Kona.
The top tubes are crazy long. Fine for long flat blasts but not so good for technical trails unless you get a smaller size which will probably be too small!
The geo is a lot like the Fisher Genesis geo which fits me perfectly. I really like to be stretched out on the bike so it feels perfectly natural to me. If you like Fisher geo, you'll like Airborne. If you don't, you won't.
Why would I need more than one gear?
@A_SingleSpeeder
EPA = crooks!
I will finish the 19.5 Liberator by June. It will have Hope discs and cartridge bearing hubs etc. Quality.
19.5 Cove Handjob should be finished by September. Similar buiild to above.
Year 2000 Gary Fisher Big Sur (total rebuild) should be finished within 2 weeks. V brakes, XT, Blackspire, etc.
Busy busy!
Decided against full suspension. Just don't feel I need it.
Just a note, after riding the Airborne hard for a little over a month now, I have to recommend something. B/4 you build it up, put a nice think clear coat on it. The clear coat that's on it from the factory almost rubs off with your finger. To keep it nice and shiny, go to the HW store and pic something up. If you don't care about looks, don't worry about it.
As far as the ride, I couldn't be happier. She's built up around 23-24 lbs. and is smokin' fast. Enjoy!
Why would I need more than one gear?
@A_SingleSpeeder
EPA = crooks!
Anyone ride an Airbourne? How's it feel? Quick, responsive, cornering? How's it handle and feel on nice long epic rides? How about racing?
I've only seen one of these in person and it was gorgeous. I'm getting more and more into endurance events and I've been contemplating Ti frames for a while. I recently sold my Id b/c it was just too much bike for my riding style and what I want to do. I'm on my Sugar now and it's nice and light. Handles great but I can definitely tell a difference b/w it and the Id. I was looking at replacing the Id with a Flux (or maybe even a Burner), but I'm still not 100% sure. I went to SuperHo yesterday and picked the frame up off the rack and really looked and contemplated. I ended up not getting it b/c I just didn't have that 'feeling.' You know that feeling like everything is right with the world. I may still end up going back to get it but for now, I'm still up in the air. If I had to choose today, I'd probably go with the Burner. Since I have as much time as it takes, I'm really contemplating a Ti HT. Dean has always been my first choice but I've heard of the wait times and Airbourne doesn't seem to have that problem. Or am I just not reading the right stuff?
Thanks for the input.
You might want to check out a Flyte flyte1.com, they replaced Airborne here in the US. They make a beautiful Ti bike as well and my dealings with them so far have been A+.
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Originally Posted by olds_cool
