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NOT Firing the Burner up again. The new RFX

DH Dad

Monkey
Jun 12, 2002
436
30
MA
Just seeing this thread now. So after 6-7 years of not being offered the RFX resurfaces as a 160mm travel enduro bike which, knowing Turner will probably work very well for it's intended purpose but has almost zero Wow factor. Doesn't even look all that much different than my V1.1 RFX from 2000 though it's probably at least 4 lbs lighter as mine was the overbuilt version when we all thought dropping 10' to flat all the time was cool;) Thank god that trend didn't last, don't think my back or joints would even be able to ride at all if that kept up. Bike on the other hand works just as well today as it did 15 years ago though at it's weight it's 100% relegated to DH past 7 years. That original, made in the USA frame doesn't have a single dent or scratch that can't be buffed out, absolutely amazing powder coat job on this that I'll never see again. Bike has taken on the best Sunday River, Attitash, Killington, Highland, Jiminy Peak, Waterville Valley, Burke Mtn, Copper Mtn, Keystone, Winter Park, Mount Snow, Moab, Fruita, Lynn Woods and NAM have to offer. It also has the longer stroke Avy DHS(which has only needed to be rebuilt twice in 15 seaons) so it gets 170mm travel which trumps the new RFX;)

Unfortunately the new v4 RFX doesn't wow me enough to think it should replace my 15 year old steed. Best of luck to you DT, you make great bikes! Durability wise the v1.1 cannot be beat!

Pics a bit old but frame looks identical, has a DC Boxxer these days and slacker HA.

 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,076
5,989
borcester rhymes
I can't believe I'm not the biggest hater in this thread. I actually think the bike looks pretty good, the price is on par for other ultra high end frames, and it'll probably have a dialed suspension setup because it's weaglized. Throw a coil shock on there and go party when the time comes.
 

DH Dad

Monkey
Jun 12, 2002
436
30
MA
68 degree headangle, 15" bottom bracket.

Pretty much the same bike really.

Bike looks like bike so therefore bike. Seems legit.



hooboy bikes used to suck

http://www.turnerbikes.com/turner-pdf/catalog/2002_turnerbikes_catalog.pdf

The wheelbases on that 'dh' bike back then.........eeeek!
DH courses were very different "back then". I owned a 1999 DHR and for the time period it was a very capable machine for what it had to get down. Tight turns, technical and very little high speed sections. Evolution of the DH bike followed closely evolution of the DH course. Trying to get a modern DH geo bike through some of those old Sunday River BOMB series courses would be quite challenging;)
 

DH Dad

Monkey
Jun 12, 2002
436
30
MA
None were as bad as this:



Thing was designed for OTB. Rode a friends and went over 5 times before I gave it back to him. He only owned it 2 weeks and returned it to LBS for a CAAD3 frame.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
None were as bad as this:


Thing was designed for OTB. Rode a friends and went over 5 times before I gave it back to him. He only owned it 2 weeks and returned it to LBS for a CAAD3 frame.

I don't know what it is about this area, but I STILL see whackjobs pedaling those things around here. Like on trails. Like 8 miles from a trailhead. Like they actually rode it there, and have to ride it back!

Best bike handlers on earth.
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
The stickers are shiny.


Honestly though........these are cheaper than what your MT + shock cost aren't they?

I know you got custom, well everything out of it but still. Normal people don't want that paint job.
Nope. Mine was still cheaper (probably barely). Plus you know, the MT was a custom frame, made in the U.S. Not an off the shelf chinese/catalog frame.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Not an off the shelf chinese/catalog frame.
What orifice did you pull that out of?

Oh right.....the one called 'hacktastic' :D


I think this is the problem. Parts ordered out of a catalog don't take 5 years to get. Just because carbon facilities are in china, that doesn't mean the frames aren't getting designed, molded and having tooling made for them.
 
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gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
Oh wait, just checked, with the custom paint job i think that pushed it over $3k. Honestly I don't want to add it all up. It's best not to know some things.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Don't worry about it, I already know what it costs roughly because I asked all the same questions :D

But it's not like the 3k crAbon frame is suddenly a thing just because of this one. Blame santa cruz for that, they did it 3 years ago. If anything turner is one of the LAST companies to be doing this, certainly just the latest.

You want to get really annoyed? Look at this beyotch

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/mountain/gravity/session/session_27_5_carbon_frameset/#

You remember when weagle used to post here? Can you honestly picture that guy accepting/agreeing to any suspension design that just exists in a catalog somewhere? "Yeah that's close enough" Just try to picture that. This bike was designed and fabrication paid for (which includes making the stuff to fabricate them) just like with every other company that outsources their stuff......which is most of them.

I don't like it either, and think it's getting ridiculous too. But like JoeG of SC fame said (paraphrasing): "dentists gonna dent. We gon take da money."
 
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HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
Parts ordered out of a catalog don't take 5 years to get. Just because carbon facilities are in china, that doesn't mean the frames aren't getting designed, molded and having tooling made for them.
Seriously. Made in China doesn't mean it's a catalog frame. Turner designed it and had tooling made for it, they just had the manufacture done overseas.
 

ianjenn

Turbo Monkey
Sep 12, 2006
3,001
704
SLO
The GEO on the bike is decent. It isn't big and would probably order an XL with a 35mm stem or a LG with a 50mm stem. The bike should pedal well I have no idea who is making Turners frames but hopefully it is Santa Cruz just so it is someone in Asia that has been doing it awhile...
 

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,741
473
What orifice did you pull that out of?

Oh right.....the one called 'hacktastic' :D
I'm proud to be the orifice from which things are pulled around here. Better than being the one in which things are inserted.
 

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,741
473
I didn't know that you were German.
Almost exclusively German. Now you know.

Edit: Upon quick review of page 3, I'm quite pleased with the direction I've now steered this thread. Literally, to the shitter.
 
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ianjenn

Turbo Monkey
Sep 12, 2006
3,001
704
SLO


Mine was a 2002 when I had that I was somewhat fast and rode DH like 4-5 times a week....it weighed like 49LBS I think....
 

wood booger

Monkey
Jul 16, 2008
668
72
the land of cheap beer
The GEO on the bike is decent. It isn't big and would probably order an XL with a 35mm stem or a LG with a 50mm stem. The bike should pedal well I have no idea who is making Turners frames but hopefully it is Santa Cruz just so it is someone in Asia that has been doing it awhile...

Santa Cruz no makey carbon frame, Specialized no makey frame, Trek no makey (most) their frames, Cannondale no makey.
Yeti, Rocky Mountain, Ibis, Intense, Evil, Pivot, Felt, Transition, Ellsworth (haha) all no makey their own carbon frames.

Giant makey their own carbon frames.

Pretty much all the companies (not many) in Asia that make carbon frames have been doing it for a while.
But you still get what you pay for....
 

ianjenn

Turbo Monkey
Sep 12, 2006
3,001
704
SLO
Okay so all I need is ALCHEMY to make me a full USA carbon frame perfect!

Also you forgot who makes Specialized again......