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 and I found that upon even a short test ride, they may have had a more direct power to motion ratio, but they lacked the feel I had come to know and love from my old P7.
The plus side of my dithering, meant that I missed out on getting a 1999 model p7 and for the year 2000, they were doing two versions. An LX equipped and an XT equipped. I went for the XT, which benefits from, obviously, upgraded Shimanocomponents, but also Hope sport hubs front and rear as well as Manitou SX forks.
Of course, when you're really looking to save weight, aluminium may be a major factor, but for someone like me who wanted a dependable, compliant ride combined with a good spec and a name I could trust, the P7 came out tops.
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I'm collecting my P7 frame tomorrow, and I can't wait!
I've already stripped down my current bike so that I can shove everything on it the moment I get through the door with my new pride and joy.
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