[ChrisKring]

I got the VP Free together super late Friday night. Just in time for some lift served riding on Saturday night.

It is right at 39 pounds with heavy wheels and 2.7" tires. I am sure it would be 36-37 with 2.5" on tubeless.

The Build:

Frame: Medium VP Free
Fork: Rockshox 2003 Boxxer Blackbox internals
Headset: King
Bars: Easton Carbon DH
Stem: Thomson 50mm DH
Shifter: Sram X9 trigger
Derailuer: Sram XO
Grips: ODI Intense
Seat/Post: SDG I Fly C (I-beam)
Brakes: Hayes
Cranks: Truvativ Stlyo
Chainguide: Evis SRS
Tires: Maxxis DHF 2.7 & Maxxis 2.5 Swampthing
Hubs: King/Hadley

It rides great. This is easly the best DH bike I have ever ridden. It pedals well and seem bottomless in the travel. I need to get it in some rocks before I do the full review.

Other notes:

1) A 118mm bottom bracket works but the guide needs to be trimmed a bit. Your feet get close to the chainstays too. I would reccomend a 128mm instead.
2) The headtube angle is 66 degrees unloaded. I have enough adjustment in the fork to change that about 1 degree in either direction.

The pics:

 

[Incubus]

Looks great.

 

[RD3]

Nice ride. wow you could make a really light weight DH bike with that frame.

 

[Curb Hucker]

nice bike chris

 

[roiyial]

its a beautiful..

 

[BigMike]

Congrats! Nice lookin' bike

 

[Tweek]

<----- shaking drool from his keyboard

edit: Why the Stylos for cranks? A little lightweight for a FR bike, no?

 

[Fulton]

nice work, i dig the polished rear end!

 

[- seb]

Nice ride. wow you could make a really light weight DH bike with that frame.

A frame is but one component, at a guess it's only a pound or two lighter than most DH race frames, if that, so it's not going to make much difference.

 

[ChrisKring]

<----- shaking drool from his keyboard

edit: Why the Stylos for cranks? A little lightweight for a FR bike, no?

They should be strong enough for me since I race DH and rarely do any big drops. If they bend, I have a pair of Holzfeller's in the parts bin.

 

[jackalope]

Smokin bike...Love to hear a review after you've had a chance to break it in...

Also, where in the sam hell do you get the 'black box' upgrade for the Boxxer?

 

[El Jefe]

The headtube angle is 66 degrees unloaded. I have enough adjustment in the fork to change that about 1 degree in either direction.

Santa Cruz lists the head angle at 67 degrees, and the ones I've been on feel steeper than 66. Did you set yours up slack on purpose?

 

[ChrisKring]

Santa Cruz lists the head angle at 67 degrees, and the ones I've been on feel steeper than 66. Did you set yours up slack on purpose?

No, that is where it ended up with the fork sitting in the crown in the same place as my previous bike. I need to do some testing at different settings to determine what works best where. Therefore, I just started where it was when I put it together.

Heck, I rode a Giant DH last year that measured at 62 degrees unloaded. If I dropped the stantions down until the lowwers would just hit the crown I could get it to about 63 degrees. Then this year, until I got the VP Free I rode my 2001 DHi that was around 66-67 degrees. All of those numbers are unloaded suspension. The reason you need to test at different angles is that the race sag is different than the unloaded sag which is also different than the static sag. Each bike has a different rear sag so it is different for each bike.

Black Box upgrade: Anyone with a 2003 boxxer can get it from their dealer. I belive Rockshox is doing it as a warrentee. I do know that it was free at the nationals so far this year unless you needed new seals. In that case a complete rebuild with the black box upgrade is $60. Your dealer can do the upgrade too. The upgrade kit if you buy it is around $30-40. Well worth it. While your at it, put the right sized springs in. See Tim Flock's website for starters. If your under 200 pounds with a 2003-2004 boxxer, your stock springs are way too stiff.

 

[binary visions]

Heck, I rode a Giant DH last year that measured at 62 degrees unloaded.

Holy crap, that's 4 degrees slacker than Giant lists their spec at. Are you sure?

Bike looks awesome. Looks like a lot of fun.

 

[narlus]

yeah, i don't think the giant DH is that slack. my wife's 222 is listed at 64 deg and really feels like it; my giant definitely feels steeper than that.

 

[MichaelT]

Nice new shiny rig. I just picked up a new rig myself (finally! BOO YAH! Iron Horse SGS DH).

One item to note for everyone is that neither e.13 or Santa Cruz recommends a 118mm bottom bracket spindle length for the VPP Free or the V10. These bikes are not designed for this set up.

Running a 118mm bottom bracket spindle length will not allow for the proper set up of the e.13 chain guide system.

Michael
e.13 / Evil

 

[profro]

It rides great. This is easly the best DH bike I have ever ridden. It pedals well and seem bottomless in the travel. I need to get it in some rocks before I do the full review.

How can you say it is the best, when you haven't ridden it in rocks or raced it?

 

[narlus]

because this is the internet!

 

[profro]

because this is the internet!

I really wasn't wanting to bag on the guy, but statements like that (best ever, but I really haven't ridden it) are odd. Its like the age old "parking lot" test.

 

[narlus]

nah, i know. i wasn't trying to be mean either but the opening could not be ignored.

i saw a vp-free finally and in person it looks pretty nice.

 

[ChrisKring]

Nice new shiny rig. I just picked up a new rig myself (finally! BOO YAH! Iron Horse SGS DH).

One item to note for everyone is that neither e.13 or Santa Cruz recommends a 118mm bottom bracket spindle length for the VPP Free or the V10. These bikes are not designed for this set up.

Running a 118mm bottom bracket spindle length will not allow for the proper set up of the e.13 chain guide system.

Michael
e.13 / Evil

Thanks

Like I said, I would reccomend a 128mm. I only put it together with the 118 since I had it and the 128mm didn't show up. It's not worth the hassle to get the 118mm on. I just mentioned it as a service to anyone else building one up so they order the correct size.

In addition, I would highly reccomend the E13 rings. They make it much easier to set up the chainguide. It was a breeze. Most other chainrings are way too thick.

 

[-BB-]

Best DH bike yu have tried?

What else HAVE you tried?
I'm not doubting it is sweet... I just want to know what else you have as a comparison.

 

[MichaelT]

Thanks

Like I said, I would reccomend a 128mm. I only put it together with the 118 since I had it and the 128mm didn't show up. It's not worth the hassle to get the 118mm on. I just mentioned it as a service to anyone else building one up so they order the correct size.

In addition, I would highly reccomend the E13 rings. They make it much easier to set up the chainguide. It was a breeze. Most other chainrings are way too thick.

Alright, Awesome Chris! I just wanted to clarify that as many think that chain guides will work properly with that short of a spindle length.
As for the ring suggestion, I agree. It made my life of fixing pro and amatuer rigs WAY easier!

Michael
e.13

 

[ChrisKring]

Best DH bike yu have tried?

What else HAVE you tried?
I'm not doubting it is sweet... I just want to know what else you have as a comparison.

Take this for what it's worth, an opinion.

I rode the following for DH:
'96-'99 GT LTS
'99-00 GT I drive with a DC110
'01 GT DHi
'02-'03 Giant DH with Fifth Element and Boxxer

Those were my personal bikes. The short travel bikes worked great for midwest DH racing. However after going to Pkill in 2000, I ordered the DHi the next week. I also rode a Giant AC for Michigan DH during '02 and '03.

In addition, I have time on the following bikes:
2001 Giant DH ATX or whatever it was called
2002 Turner
2001, 2003 M1
2004 Chumba Wumba
2004 Canfield F1
and various other bikes people have let me ride at our races. These are the bikes that I have taken at least a full DH run at a major hill. This doesn't include parking lot rides.

Like I said, so far it's great. Even though it's a "Freeride" bike, it has as more travel than the Giant DH and as much travel as the GT.

I really like how it pedals. No bob at all. Again, full report after I get it into the rocks. I did ride it through sand, high speed corners, 1' tall braking bumps some small drops and some tight turns. Really, it was the easiest bike to get on and go fast on the first run. I did get to ride a VP Free last fall, but I had been on a bunch of other bikes since then.

I would still like to get my hands on a 2005 V10 for when it gets really rough. I could see it being better at Mount Snow, Durrango and possible Diablo on the US Open course. Everywhere else, the lighter and more nimble (short wheelbase) bike will be quicker.

 

[Curb Hucker]

chris, time to hijack the thread....

so hows your course in MI going to be for the 24-25 race, im bringing a few guys up for it

 

[ChrisKring]

chris, time to hijack the thread....

so hows your course in MI going to be for the 24-25 race, im bringing a few guys up for it

You were there earlier this year, correct?

Basically, we are going to slow it down a bit for the less skilled by putting in a few extra corners. We never expected to see beginner's launching into the rock gardens like they were. Time to make it harder again. Other than that, similar to what was there before.

 

[Curb Hucker]

You were there earlier this year, correct?

Basically, we are going to slow it down a bit for the less skilled by putting in a few extra corners. We never expected to see beginner's launching into the rock gardens like they were. Time to make it harder again. Other than that, similar to what was there before.

nope ive never been there, the first time we met was at the bottom of Mt snow, and ya told me to come to the race

 

[ChrisKring]

nope ive never been there, the first time we met was at the bottom of Mt snow, and ya told me to come to the race

Alright, check these out

Right click and save as
http://www.highgearracing.com/Video/HighGear2002-1.wmv
and
http://www.highgearracing.com/Video/HighGear2003-1.wmv
and
http://www.highgearracing.com/Video/Z2RockGarden-1.wmv

Don't kill my bandwidth, download instead of streaming it.

 

[Curb Hucker]

looks fun chris, see ya in 2 weeks

do you have a cheap place to camp at the hill, or are there any cheap hotels

 

[b stevens]

yes there's camping right at Marken glen park, call and reserve a spot it might fill up, #269-383-8778

its an all new camp ground full hookups and showers.

 

[arctcknight]

that is official bike porn

 

[Acadian]

Nice new bike Chris!