Manitou 2005 Minute 1

Advantages: Steel frame gives a compliant ride with plenty of feel
Disadvantages: not the lightest.

...As I'm an existing owner of a P7 already, many people might think the decision to buy a new one was more than a little strange. And I suppose they might be right. Why spend £1,000 on a new bike, when I could upgrade my existing one? Well, for starters, although my existing bike had some nice kit on it, it was getting a little long in the tooth at six years old. The one thing I did like (or rather LOVE) about it though, was the steel frame. While my existing bike was fully rigid, it still flexed enough to make it comfortable and not at all harsh off road. However, I still felt it was time to get front suspension. And so the quest for a new, steel, front susser began. I looked at many other bikes in the price range, but to be honest, there wasn't a lot of choice. Most other manufacturers are using aluminium at this price range... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: good all round performance
Disadvantages: slighly heavy

...I purchased this bike as my first "proper" bike for general cross country and single track riding. I was originally going for a hard tail, but this bike was discounted so I went for this! (I've checked and the bike is still available at www.paulscycles.co.uk) With 4" of travel front and back, supplied by the Manitou Splice Comp forks and the RockShox BAR 2.1, I have found it more then enough for my riding - I'm glad I did not go for anything with more travel as I still rate myself as a beginner (having not been on a bkie for 15 years) - anything more would hide my faults enough for me not to learn from my mistakes. The Splice Comp allows you to vary the rebound to the extent of locking it completely which I have found useful, but as you have to lean down to turn the adjuster which is situated on the top of the right hand leg, I... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: nice weight to the rear of the bike allows for good climbing
Disadvantages: the bike is heavy overall

...in case I fell in love that day with a 2000 model year bike. Second of all, I knew I would be writing a review for Epinions. To make the comparison fair, I rode the exact same trail with all the bikes I tested, including my own. I have test-driven Gary Fisher soft-tails before and hated them. The “Joshua” frames were based on the Trek “Y” frames -- a disastrous design that lead to far too many people being launched over the handlebars. In 2000, they still make the “Joshua,” but have come out with a far superior design in the “Sugar” series. The make-up of the Sugar 2 The Sugar 2 is the exact same frame as the Sugar 1. It is made from 6061 T6 double-butted aluminum. However, it lacks the carbon fiber stays the Sugar 1 carries. This bike is a somewhat light full-suspension bike. The Sugar 2 is outfitted with a Manitou Mars fork... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful