Coiler dee vs. sx trail 1

[dirt-dart]

first off, i have searched the forums but i am just going to start a new thread.


It is now time for me to throw down my money, and i can either get a 2006 coiler deelux for 2700, or a 2006 sx trail 1 for 2700.
both are brand new and i just dont know what the hell to do.

i really wanted to get the sx, but now my friend at the bike shop can get me a really good deal on the coiler and i will demo one tomorrow, so i will know what the coiler is like, but i want an sx so bad.

what would you do??????????????????

[jvnixon]

i like the SX more personally but money talks. How much difference would you be saving

[BIGHIT756]

the SX will ride a lot better....get it.

[Frorider1]

Okay its a wonder that kona is even still around with their dumb suspension designes thats have been around for almost 10 years, go with teh specialzied innovate or die...that says it all.

[preppie]

My previous bike was a Stinky, almost identical to the '06 Coiler.
It's a decent bike, strong, stiff, freeride-geo, but I didn't like the "faux" bar suspension.
The brake jack is noticeable in rough-steep sections.

I have a SX 1 now and I really like it, because of the :
- short FSR rear = super flickable, easy to manual, super responsive
- long(er) wheelbase = stable at high speeds
- low center of gravity = very nimble feel and fast in corners
- No (noticeable) brake jack
- low leverage ratio
- 6.6" of quality travel, I've never felt like it wasn't enough.
- last but not least --> Life time warranty

[dirt-dart]

Okay its a wonder that kona is even still around with their dumb suspension designes thats have been around for almost 10 years, go with teh specialzied innovate or die...that says it all.

i like the SX more personally but money talks. How much difference would you be saving

well they both are supposed to cost about 3000 i think, but i will be paying 2700 for either.

-and i was thinking the same thing as frorider... but then i saw that the 2007 enduros will have a dumb 4 bar design




so... the coiler will also have better parts and if i get bored of its dumb suspention design i was thinking of selling the frame and puttin all the parts on an sx trail frame.

do you think that would be good???

.

[jvnixon]

it'd be smarter to buy the sx trail first and then if you don't like it sell the sx frame and buy a coiler frame. The sx frame has a higher resale price than the coiler.

[Zankou]

I have no comments on the 07 or 06 frames, but I've owned both an 05 coiler, and 05 enduro expert.

The FSR is neck and shoulders above the faux bar that kona uses on the coiler.

The coiler was a good bike, but the enduro was just an all around better bike. My only complaint is the shock options in the rear, but I think specialized has fixed that in newer models.

[jonnynails]

I have a coilair (fox air shock instead of coil over) and I love it. Handles everything Pisgah in NC (brutal trails) can throw at it and Snowshoe in WV as well. Manuals easy, climbs ok, very flickable, but feels like a DH rig when it gets rough cause it just eats everything up. The horst link is not the top of the line newest technology though and I know the Coiler Deluxe is a porker at 39.5 lbs. - for that you might as well have a full on DH rig. I have heard good things about the SX, but have not ridden. The coilers make great freeride bikes, but other then the coilair they get pretty heavy. Good luck with it.

[WaveDude]

I went from an 2001 Stinky 5 to a 2005 SX Trail. That year Stinky is compareable to the later year Coilers. I was expecting a huge difference between the older Stinky suspension design and the latest and greatest from the Big S. At first I couldn't tell much difference between the two. After riding the SXT for a while I've decided it pedals better over the rough stuff and sticks to the ground more but bobs more than my Stinky does. That's about it. The SXT is a beast to climb with compared to the Stinky--even with the platform shock on the SXT. I would've gotten a Coiler Primo but it had too much of a XC build in '05 and I didn't need to change anything on the SXT. However, as mentioned earlier, the SXT has limited shock options in '05 but you'll be ok with the '06. The Coiler suspension is proven and works (my Stinky is still going). Lots of pivots to maintain with the SXT.

[Zankou]

Lots of pivots to maintain with the SXT.

Uhh... last I checked.... It's got less pivots than the coiler.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/images/kona%20coiler%2005.jpg
I see 1 at each end of the shock, 1 on the seattube pivot, 1 at the seat stay, 1 where the chainstay meets the seatstay, and 1 at the bb. that's 6

http://www.bikx.de/images/specialized_enduro_elite_fsr.jpg
I see 1 at each end of the shock, 1 on the seat tube, 1 on the bb, and 1 where the chainstay meets the seatstay. That's 5

[Netguy]

I Lots of pivots to maintain with the SXT.

When was the last time somebody didnt buy a bike, cause it has too many pivots to maintain? Thats probably the funniest thing I have heard in a long time. Should we not purchase 36 hole hubs, cause thats 4 more spokes to maintain?

This is a no brainer topic. Get the SX.

[SteezyWeezy]

coiler's suck, go sx, its a super easy choice

[lonewolfe]

Hey, why not get a Heckler? You can get a really nice build for $2700.

They can take a ton of abuse, climb like a billygoat and are super low maintenance. One of the top 10 mountainbikes of all time.

[koffee]

Okay its a wonder that kona is even still around with their dumb suspension designes thats have been around for almost 10 years, go with teh specialzied innovate or die...that says it all.


Uhh FSR isn't exactly new.

[Castle]

I have a SX 1 now and I really like it, because of the :
- short FSR rear = super flickable, easy to manual, super responsive
- long(er) wheelbase = stable at high speeds
- low center of gravity = very nimble feel and fast in corners
- No (noticeable) brake jack
- low leverage ratio
- 6.6" of quality travel, I've never felt like it wasn't enough.
- last but not least --> Life time warranty

I agree, the sxt's also have much better geo in my opinion. (lower b.b./slacker h.a./ increased top tube clearance)

One of my favorite bikes I have owned.

[pdawg]

coiler's suck, go sx, its a super easy choice

Could you please share some of your knowledge about why Coilers suck?

[Zankou]

having owned both bikes, the coiler doesnt suck, but it's not super great. The rear end is very sensative to brake jack, they generally run on the small size, their paint rubs off super ez, and their seattube angle sucks.

[SXtrailrider]

having owned both bikes, the coiler doesnt suck, but it's not super great. The rear end is very sensative to brake jack, they generally run on the small size, their paint rubs off super ez, and their seattube angle sucks.

I agree i had a coiler Deluxe 04 the first ones that came out and it just didn't feel like you were getting the full potential out of five inches. The SX still only has 6.6 inches of travel but it feel endless. I also found that i had to change a lot on the build of my coiler and the stock SX seems to have a good build to start. The paint job is also great on the SX and the life time warranty is the best.

[CKxx]

There shouldn't even be a question. I've used both a coiler and enduro expert and the enduro was a far nicer ride in every aspect.

EDIT: also, you prob wont be able to tell if you are only doing a parking lot test, but the rear end of the coiler goes 100% dead when you are on the brakes, whereas the SX will simply feel like you are using the brakes, not dragging the rear end.

[pdawg]

Since '05, the Coilers have had 6.1 inches of claimed travel. Also, frame design seems to allow eaier access to DHX5 boost valve (if shock upgrade was done). BIKE Magazin from Germany measured the travel of the Coilair somewhere near 6.3 inches. Probably bottomless travel has more to do with the DHX than anything else.

Comparing the '06 SX Trail I and the Coiler Deluxe, the component packages seems very comprable. Better (frame) warranty and paint job from Specialized, I must agree. Although, not sure if internals on 66F and VF2 are the same.

With the 20mm longer wheelbase, front travel, and bottom bracket height the SX Trail feels more like a downhill bike compared to the Coiler.

[gemini2k]

Uhh FSR isn't exactly new.
I was waiting for someone to point that out. Hasn't fsr been around for like 15 years or something crazy like that?

[preppie]

I was waiting for someone to point that out. Hasn't fsr been around for like 15 years or something crazy like that?

Yes it's an 'old' design.
But it's still my favorite suspension system

[Dirtjumper999]

Mountain bike action did a review on both these bikes. The coiler in the dec. 2005 issue, and the sx i think in the april 2006 issue, check them out to get a better idea of what you need. Personally I'd go for the Sx trail though, awesome feel to it, lifetime warranty, great amount of travel, almost perfect geo.

[droplover]

If you want the SX, get the SX. Don't get the Coiler and then wish you'd gotten the SX.

[lonewolfe]

It sounds like the SX is the bike you really want. If you buy the Kona then in the back of your mind you will be thinking I should have bought the SX. If you get the bike you really want then you will be happier overall. If it turns out that you are not so happy with it then sell it and perhaps buy the Kona. Like someone said before, the resale on the SX is going to be much better than the Kona so you will probably come out ahead no matter what you decide to do in the future.

[dirt-dart]

i'm finally going to go get the sx trail on monday. yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


i almost bought the coiler the other day because my bike shop was going to sell me it for 2300. i was really tempted, but i want the best bike, not the cheapest.

[Zankou]

2300?! that's not exactly a super deal. I bought an 05 baseline colier brand new about 4 months ago for 1300.

[BIGHIT756]

for 2300 on sale, you had better be getting the coiler deluxe, not the base coiler. the base coiler should be no more than 1500. if you are going for comparison, the coiler deluxe would be a much better bike to compare to the SX trail 1.....but still, the SXT1 would be a better bike.

[lonewolfe]

Better yet, if you could get a Coilair for 2300, now you talking! The Coilair is an awesome bike. I've often toyed with the idea of picking up an old Stinky or Stab frame and putting an air shock and a Fox 36 with lighter all mountain wheels and components. I've had two Stinky's and they are awesome bikes. My first full suspension bike an Enduro Comp back around 2001. It was ok but was replaced with a Stinky that blew it away in every way. The newer Enduro's and SX's are pretty sweet though.

[dirt-dart]

i meant 2300 for a deelux, but on sunday i finally went and got the sx trail! it is soooooooooooo freakin awsome, but yesterday i accidentaly put a little nick in the rotor and so i spun the tire and i was feeling the rotor to see if it was bent too, and the motion light in my driveway shut off so i couldnt see and when i was pulling my finger away it got caught in the rotor and shearted off my fingerprint to the bone almost... and later when i looked at my bike, a huge peice if meat was wedged in the rotor and blood was splattered all over the fork lowers and rotor and caliper!!!!!!!!! i will put up the picks on pinkbike soon!!!!!!!!!!

the moral of this story is dont get your fingers close to spinning avid polygon rotors... or any rotors, or any thing that could chop your finger off.

-but i am sure you all already knew that though?

[lonewolfe]

Damn, you didn't waste any time learning the lesson of spinning rotors. We have probably all learned the same lesson the hard way at one time or another. Lucky you didn't whack the end of your finger off.

As for the bike, I'm sure you are going to love it. Is it one that has the two tone color scheme with the lightening bolt design?

[edrag87]

I'm going to go ahead and say that I'm really glad that you got the SX, and I'm guessing you are too. :)

[dirt-dart]

its the 06 with the two tone green and black, its freakin awsome!!! and i can still rip with the finger all bandaged up!!! it gives me soo much confidence! and i still havent taken it to tamarack or a mountain yet.

thanks for all the help deciding you guys!:thumb: