Lenz bicycles?
- Thread starter Funrover
- Start date
Devin is a stand up guy, and builds some nice bikes, too. Not terribly far away from you in Ft. Lupton, and I really like his design ethic- form follows function!
I rode Poison Spider with Devin the day after racing the DH portion of Tour of Canyonlands in 2000 or 2001. Really, really nice guy who cares about his customers and the bikes they ride.
In my 16 years of experience, Devin Lenz is one of the best, the complete opposite of Tony Ellsworth.:Wow1:
If I were ever to want to get back into bikes with gears and suspension:xxrotflma I'd seriously look into a Leviathan.
Los
trailsurfer
Explorer
I would go with the Lenz. I have owned a couple of Santa Cruz's and ridden the Elsworth brand a ton. Great bikes but Lenz is in a different class. I think you get a really great hand built bike with Lenz. In the 12 hours of Mesa Verde this year, the guy posted up next to me was riding his brand new Lenz Single Speed full suspension. It was so sweet, and he was loving it.
dieselcruiserhead
16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
I've owned a Leviathan, it was a genuine work of art... I would definitely recommend a Lenz...
Cackalak Han
Explorer
Are you sure you want a FS 29er? I'd demo a FS and HT before making a choice.
As far as Lenz goes, I have heard good thing about them.
As far as Lenz goes, I have heard good thing about them.
Funrover
Expedition Leader
I am looking at the 26" still..not 29! Not %100 to Lenz yet either..still doing some research
dieselcruiserhead
16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
their 26er are less than 5% of the bikes they make if they even make 26er... So if you want a Lenz you're on 29er so I guess that throws them out. Site sucks, I was actually supposed to build a new one for them but it fell apart mostly because Devin & I couldn't get it together to build a new one for him... I have a lot of really neat art related to them, if you'd like I'd be happy to email you some pics. Again their bikes are sheer works of art, I would ride one in a second.. That said if I were set on 26er there are a gazillion other bikes that fit the bill. 26er will work well for strength.. that said I don't think I'll ever buy a 26er bike again full suspension or not...
Hope it helps, Andre
Hope it helps, Andre
Funrover
Expedition Leader
They had a few 26'r bikes on their web page.. I am curious.. Why would you never go back to 26?
dieselcruiserhead
16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
I'm a little taller at 6'5 plus so the biggest thing is that 29ers just overall fit better. 2) is I love how 29ers roll which is that they sort of just mow over everything, really smooth supple feeling but still handle well. There is a feeling to them which just feels "awesome" as they sort of roll over everything sort of like having 33's or 35's on a trail and it is night and day over your old little tires. And then when you get back on your little tires they bump and react to everything, have worse traction, and sure they spin up nicely but you miss the 29er a lot...
I still have a 26er that I ride pretty often actually which is my single speed. This is a beautiful old '98 era S-Works hardtail that is incredibly clean, light, and pretty so I really enjoy riding it. I geared it to be a good townie a couple years ago and built a Gary Fisher 29er single speed that I also absolutely loved but sold it to build a custom steel framed 29er which I never ended up doing so I miss it and regret it. My full suspension right now is a 650b which is a weird tire size that is basically 27.5, feels more like a 29er to me and also rolls over everything excellently but pedals like a 26er which is nice (but not necessary). I mostly bought it because the frame fit my long legs regular torso perfectly 1st and the wheel size second though the more I started reading about it the more I liked it. Pretty limited options on frames though in this size unless you have tons of $$ or find a good 26er frame and upgrade. A Santa Cruz Heckler or Blur (two of my favorite all around recommended bikes -- including for you!) are awesome and fit this size if you want to try it out. Also many of the 650b tires out there now are just awesome like the Pacenti Neomoto and the Kenda Nevegal is a decent aggressive front tire so I'm a pretty hapy camper.
That said there are some apps for 26er even for me which are great, which is particularly higher travel bikes like 6" or more. But this isn't really the style of riding I do so I prefer the larger wheel for all the reasons mentioned and it really just feels 'right.' In a perfect world I think I'd be 29er hardtail single speed, low travel 29er geared bike as a light XC rig (like 4" -- like a Lenz Leviathan) and then my current 5-5.5" Ventana (which is currently my #1 rig that I ride on everything) for more technical stuff perhaps as it's sorta overkill for most stuff. But the truth is the Ventana is good enough for pretty much all riding that I'd have a hard time justifying all that so I pretty much stick with that and only occasionally ride the S-works single speed mostly because it isn't a 29er. Last week I broke the mounting tab off the XT Shadow Shimano derailleur and rode the single speed on 3 rides. It was awesome and sort of quickly got me back into single speed shape and style of riding (which I love, makes me a much more powerful rider) and this has been nice back on the geared bike. Hope it helps! Andre
I still have a 26er that I ride pretty often actually which is my single speed. This is a beautiful old '98 era S-Works hardtail that is incredibly clean, light, and pretty so I really enjoy riding it. I geared it to be a good townie a couple years ago and built a Gary Fisher 29er single speed that I also absolutely loved but sold it to build a custom steel framed 29er which I never ended up doing so I miss it and regret it. My full suspension right now is a 650b which is a weird tire size that is basically 27.5, feels more like a 29er to me and also rolls over everything excellently but pedals like a 26er which is nice (but not necessary). I mostly bought it because the frame fit my long legs regular torso perfectly 1st and the wheel size second though the more I started reading about it the more I liked it. Pretty limited options on frames though in this size unless you have tons of $$ or find a good 26er frame and upgrade. A Santa Cruz Heckler or Blur (two of my favorite all around recommended bikes -- including for you!) are awesome and fit this size if you want to try it out. Also many of the 650b tires out there now are just awesome like the Pacenti Neomoto and the Kenda Nevegal is a decent aggressive front tire so I'm a pretty hapy camper.
That said there are some apps for 26er even for me which are great, which is particularly higher travel bikes like 6" or more. But this isn't really the style of riding I do so I prefer the larger wheel for all the reasons mentioned and it really just feels 'right.' In a perfect world I think I'd be 29er hardtail single speed, low travel 29er geared bike as a light XC rig (like 4" -- like a Lenz Leviathan) and then my current 5-5.5" Ventana (which is currently my #1 rig that I ride on everything) for more technical stuff perhaps as it's sorta overkill for most stuff. But the truth is the Ventana is good enough for pretty much all riding that I'd have a hard time justifying all that so I pretty much stick with that and only occasionally ride the S-works single speed mostly because it isn't a 29er. Last week I broke the mounting tab off the XT Shadow Shimano derailleur and rode the single speed on 3 rides. It was awesome and sort of quickly got me back into single speed shape and style of riding (which I love, makes me a much more powerful rider) and this has been nice back on the geared bike. Hope it helps! Andre
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Jonathan Hanson
Well-known member
Now that the insane craze for 29ers has faded - I actually had someone ask me some time ago, "Wow, you're still riding 26?" like I'd shown up on a
. . . it's possible to be a little more objective about their advantages and disadvantages. For one thing, as Andre noted, they work better if you're tall, not so much, as I understand it, because the wheels are too big for shorter people, but because the geometry of smaller frame sizes won't work as well with them (true, Andre?). Several frame makers I know make smaller sizes in 26, and go up to 29 for larger sizes.
For my 5'8" and 150 pounds, a 26-inch bike works just fine, and I get the benefit of more rigid, yet lighter wheels.
One thing for sure: If you plan on doing any third-world touring, you'll have a far easier time finding replacement tubes, tires, and rims in 26-inch sizes than 29.
. . . it's possible to be a little more objective about their advantages and disadvantages. For one thing, as Andre noted, they work better if you're tall, not so much, as I understand it, because the wheels are too big for shorter people, but because the geometry of smaller frame sizes won't work as well with them (true, Andre?). Several frame makers I know make smaller sizes in 26, and go up to 29 for larger sizes.
For my 5'8" and 150 pounds, a 26-inch bike works just fine, and I get the benefit of more rigid, yet lighter wheels.
One thing for sure: If you plan on doing any third-world touring, you'll have a far easier time finding replacement tubes, tires, and rims in 26-inch sizes than 29.
spressomon
Expedition Leader
I was in the bicycle business for 20+ years and the one thing we specialized in and the one thing most bicyclists had the hardest time wrapping their noggin around was: Fit! Fit is #1 on a bicycle. Fit is more important than titanium, carbon fiber, aluminum, etc. And the two-nine craze just adds gas on that flame.
Of course, as you mentioned above Jonathan, if you are about 6'3" and taller an argument can be made for one. But my 5'9" brother-in-law recently just had to have a two-nine (mostly because the ill educated bike shop guy he bought it from heavily recommended it). Now, after riding the Kokopelli Trail on it, he relayed how uncomfortable he was...from poor fit. He is a person that is long inseam/short torso proportioned which is exactly opposite of the 80-percentile male form. Which means he needs a taller frame with a shorter top tube; exactly the reverse of what a two-nine accomplishes. Now he wants to listen ;-)...but the $$$ have already been spent.
I made a good living proving to folks you don't adapt the human form to a mechanical form...but simply the opposite. It really comes down to comfort: Whether you want it or whether you can tolerate not having it on a bicycle.
FWIW. Sorry for getting off the original thread topic!
Of course, as you mentioned above Jonathan, if you are about 6'3" and taller an argument can be made for one. But my 5'9" brother-in-law recently just had to have a two-nine (mostly because the ill educated bike shop guy he bought it from heavily recommended it). Now, after riding the Kokopelli Trail on it, he relayed how uncomfortable he was...from poor fit. He is a person that is long inseam/short torso proportioned which is exactly opposite of the 80-percentile male form. Which means he needs a taller frame with a shorter top tube; exactly the reverse of what a two-nine accomplishes. Now he wants to listen ;-)...but the $$$ have already been spent.
I made a good living proving to folks you don't adapt the human form to a mechanical form...but simply the opposite. It really comes down to comfort: Whether you want it or whether you can tolerate not having it on a bicycle.
FWIW. Sorry for getting off the original thread topic!
for crying out loud, fit....29r...26r... whaaaaa? ride it .. if it feels good buy it. and dont tell me a 1/2" in top tube is gonna matter between a 26r and an 29r
. my wife is 5'4" and rides a 15" specialized 29r. im 5'10" and have a lrg (20")29r single speed, a xl s-works stumpy, a med p1, and a 56 salsa primero road bike and am pretty happy with all of them. im sold on the 29r platform, butthats for another thread, and i dont see where you could be "properly fitted" to a 26r and not a 29r. stems,seatposts,bars,seats,cranks... all come in tons of sizes. youd be amazed at what a difference 10mm in stem length makes. 26r vs. 29r all boils down to preference and riding style but dont group them together as " well this works and this doesnt"! usually people are unhappy with bike purchases because either they underbought or need to learn the basics of riding in the first place
. my wife is 5'4" and rides a 15" specialized 29r. im 5'10" and have a lrg (20")29r single speed, a xl s-works stumpy, a med p1, and a 56 salsa primero road bike and am pretty happy with all of them. im sold on the 29r platform, butthats for another thread, and i dont see where you could be "properly fitted" to a 26r and not a 29r. stems,seatposts,bars,seats,cranks... all come in tons of sizes. youd be amazed at what a difference 10mm in stem length makes. 26r vs. 29r all boils down to preference and riding style but dont group them together as " well this works and this doesnt"! usually people are unhappy with bike purchases because either they underbought or need to learn the basics of riding in the first place
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
A buddy of mine had a Leviathan that he loved. Lenz makes nice stuff and is a stand up guy, can't go wrong. I have a Blur LT and it's been a great bike and Santa Cruz has been a stand up company for me (they replaced my Blur for free when it cracked with an LT 6 months after the warranty ran out). Turner and Ellsworth are also good options, actually you listed 4 good companies IMHO. The question is budget really. I went SC back in 2003 because Intense, Turner, etc. were beyond my checkbook. There's boutique brands and the more botique'er the more money you get to spend on it.