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SX Trail vs. Demo 7

4K views 48 replies 21 participants last post by  monkeyshine 
#1 · (Edited)
hey y'all.

i realize it's early in the season but has anyone logged some significant time on the new demo 7 to offer a brief, intelligent, unbiased review of the rig? has anyone had the fortune of having ridden both the sx trail and the demo 7 (for this to be a valid comparison, i guess you would have had to ridden both bikes with similar specs/setup but at this point, any info will do)? if so, how do they compare in terms of the ride, performance, flickability and fun factor? thanks.

edit: now that i've posted this, i'm starting to find other threads on this forum with the same topic (demo 7 vs sxt) that i had no luck finding before, so i apologize to those who seem to easily get annoyed by this sort of thing.
 
#2 ·
Well, I haven't spent much time on the Demo 7, so I'll just give you a biased view - Get the SXT. The Demo is ugly and everyone loves their SXTs.

How's that for insight?

Seriously though, I would like to see a good review of the 7. I was checking out an 8 the other day and was surprised that a stock medium only weighed 41 lbs. It would be easy to make it sub 40.
 
#5 ·
rocketmanmtb1 said:
I have an 07 demo 8 and sx trail. They do not ride the same.
could you please elaborate in terms of the "feel" of the bikes? thanks.
i guess i'm just trying to validate this claim:

Riding Impressions (new Demo7):

I've been riding a Demo8/9 for 3 seasons and an SX Trail for 2 so I figured the bike might fit in between the two. I was wrong, the suspension still feels plush like the previous Demo's and when you ride it. You know you're on a Demo except for one thing…. it takes square edge hits like I've never felt before. The bike doesn't slow down as you would expect. You just don't feel it. You can ride way faster through the rough sections. I was so amazed and I still can't believe the difference. Usually it's a toss up what to ride - the Demo8 or the SX Trail - now there is no decision to make.

The suspension engineers did their homework and deserve huge props. Can't wait to ride it some more.
 
#8 ·
monkeyshine said:
haha. yeah, those paint schemes are...unique.
No, I meant that they are just plain ugly. As someone else mentioned they are stickers and come off and definitely look better. I just have a hard time with the pot belly downtube and the pipes-gone-mad back end. This is not to say they don't ride good - they're awesome. I would still take an 8 over a lot of DH bikes. Not sure about the 7 though.
 
#9 ·
Here's what I've gathered (I've ridden SX Trails extensively and own an 05 Demo 8, and I've e-mailed lots of Demo 7 guys to ask pretty much what you did).

The Demo series puts you way way back on the bike. They're monster trucks that are long and meant to be ridden downhill. Only. But they're stable and at speed they're SICK.

SX Trails are way more versatile and feel awesome. Rather than sitting really low and back, you're more centered and a bit higher up. This yields itself to an agressive, forward cornering stance. I cornered way better on my borrowed SX Trail than my Demo on flat fireroads because I could use better body english. This also gives the bike a way more "jumpy" feel. It's playful, but on steeps it's not quite as planted. It's got like 95% of the DH ability of a Demo, especially if you're smooth, like jumping/pumping, and don't ride ridiculous trails all the time.

A note on the Demo 7: it's the same exact thing as a Demo 8, just with a spacer in the shock and a 1.5" headtube. Take the spacer out and you've got an 8" bike that's ready to rip. It's really just a DH bike, not really an in-between bike. This is a plus or minus depending on how you look at it.

Hope that helps, let me know if you've got questions.
 
#11 ·
i would check out the giant reign X1 i was looking at a SX trail, and went with the X1. the SX trail is a sweet ride, but they dont pedal that well. i race sundays, and i was astonished by the old feeling of a 4 bar. the dual link def. pedals better. get an X1 b4 dave weagle wins his lawsuit agaisnt giant :p
 
#12 ·
I've got a Demo 7 I and have had it for about 4 months now - I've done everything from 6+ hour XC rides (have a dual-ring setup) to shuttling, to back country alpine type descents and have to say I love it!

This is not to say the SXT is any less of a bike but just to say the Demo is very versitile and not the DH only bike that some people are pointing out.

I think if you have to look at what style of riding you like best and what your riding buddies are on. If you have a definite preference for ripping DH and you're not riding with a bunch of people that take great pleasure in racing climbs I would go the Demo everytime.

If you are simply wanting to ride aggressive XC/All Mountain/Buzzword here then maybe the SXT is a better bet.

I would say you can't go wrong with either bike but just wanting to point out the Demo is a stupid amount of fun.

As a side note I have gone from having a dedicated DH bike (VP-Free) and XC/Trail bike (Kona Dawg) to just the one bike and don't regret it one bit.
 
#13 ·
thank you all for your great comments. it's great to hear both sides of the story before i make a final decision.

in the end, i guess my main concern is achieving a balance between the bike's ability to pedal and its dh/freeride performance and durability, and its stability in the air. i don't race dh nor do i race xc. but (like most of people bitten by this "one bike to do it all" bug) i'm finding that my 46lb dh/freeride rig is a little hefty when i'm out riding my local xc trails (not everyone is blessed in the form of living in close proximity to the mountains, least of all me). i would still like a solid bike that can handle the likes of panorama mountain (steep and technical) and whistler (mmm, those sweet, buttery lines) couple of times a year, but be able to pedal when i'm back home and doing a lot of pedalling. and from what i'm reading, it sounds as though the demo is a better pedaling bike compared to the sxt (i would have assumed the opposite).

also, i find that my current bike (bighit) has a very small cockpit and that i'm sitting towards the back of the bike. when i'm in the air, i feel that this is causing an imbalance. and from what i'm reading, the sxt offers a more central stance and therefore a more balanced bike when in the air.

geez, you guys aren't making this easy for me :)

please keep the information coming. thanks.
 
#14 ·
I currently have a giant glory dh, kona stinky dee lux with 66's and some other (sold lastnight), and a blur 4x. like i said i sold the kona lastnight, great bike with a great build but just a little heavy for the uphills (45lbs) and the blur being light quick and nimble-great for smooth singletrack or a slalom track, but im buying a 06 sxt II this weekend as an inbetween bike (36lbs and pedals great) and selling the blur soon after.
once i go to college i plan on selling whatever i have and keeping the sx trail as i can most likely only bring one bike and this would be the best all around. IMO... that being said i havnt ridden a D7 but the d8 is defiantly a dh bike..

- that being said, this didnt really address your question, but simply said im getting a sxt for a nimble light trail bike that can dh as well
 
#15 ·
The SX Trail is definately a better pedaller than the Demo.

The frame weights according to Specialized all with shock are here:

07 SX Trail 7,75lbs
07 Demo 8 10.75lbs
07 Demo 7 11lbs

So the SX can be built lighter.

It sounds like you're best option is either an SX Trail with a decent build that'll cost less and end up light or a Demo with a crazy nice build to bring the weight down.

The Demo 7 is heavier because it's paint, not ano like the 8.

Trust me when I say you don't want to be doing lots of climbing on any Demo series bike. Yeah, it's possible, but not fun.
 
#16 ·
monkeyshine said:
and from what i'm reading, it sounds as though the demo is a better pedaling bike compared to the sxt (i would have assumed the opposite)
Wrong. The Sx will be much more "peddable" than the D-7. If you want one bike and only one. If you plan to pedal up hill for any substanstial distance then the SX is the one for you IMO.
 
#17 ·
Ojai Bicyclist said:
A note on the Demo 7: it's the same exact thing as a Demo 8, just with a spacer in the shock and a 1.5" headtube. Take the spacer out and you've got an 8" bike that's ready to rip. It's really just a DH bike, not really an in-between bike. This is a plus or minus depending on how you look at it.
every thing is good there, except the last part.
Technically the demo 7 and 8 are not the same. very similar frames, yes. shocks: no. the 7 does have the 1/8" spacer that up's the travel to 7.7" when removed while the demo 8 has a different shock all together that puts it just a hair above 8".

As far as my review:

Demo 7: amazing bike for DH and some fast, BIG freeride. not as flickable as the SXT, nor as light (it could be.. mine is w/ some Ti goodies) however as Ojai put it, not as "playful"

SXT: Awesome bikes, doesn't corner as well as the demo (higher CG) but can still rail, more FR oriented cockpit, great all around bike.

I was debating this same thing, but as I DH more then FR, the Demo was the ticket. Honestly IMO the Demo 7 out performs the SXT in every arena save for flickability.
 
#21 ·
the consensus is that the sxt is a better "pedaling" bike. i assumed as much. anyone know how a 06 bighit w/ dhx 5 coil would stand up to a sxt in terms of pedaling efficiency, given that both bikes would be built with the same parts?

so, what about going downhill? i'm guessing the demo would be a little more in its element.

and how do the bikes compare in the air? i've heard great things about the sxt being very stable and balanced in the air, but not much about the demo 7.
 
#22 ·
SXT is a great little whipper. Perfect geo.

Although I woudn't call it a good pedaler without a good amount of propedal, compared to other bikes such as Nomad, 7 point, and Giant Reign X.

Any FSR bike isn't going to be as plush at high speeds compared to the Reign X or 7 point, but FSR still has excellent braking.

Totally check out those other bikes.

Giant reign X frames have lifetime warranty and cost $1100. Build quality is equal to that of the SXT and Demo.

Options are great, eh?:D
 
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