Dean

Dean started out making very nice titanium frames and eventually branched out into aluminum, steel, and carbon fiber. They're still going strong and making some very nice frames.


Aluminum - I don't know the name of Dean's aluminum hardtail, and I don't think they make it anymore, so if anyone out there knows, let us know. Anyway, I just think those Spin wheels are goofy, reason enough to post this pic.


Colonel - Sometimes, when I see a bike as nice as this, and I know it only weighs 22 pounds, I wish I was a skinny, 160 pound XC rider. I bet they go really fast.

Not that there's anything wrong with being 200+ pounds and riding 4" travel all-round bikes - right?


Jester - Dean finally changed their graphics in 2000, and they look really good now.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the softtail thing. The bike that Moots made originally, with just an inch of travel, made sense. But putting an adjustable SID or Stratos shock back there, like Trek (and others) do, seems pretty dumb.

What's the point of adjustability when there's only 2 inches or less of travel to work with? I can imagine the conversations at the bike shop; "The last 3/8 of an inch of travel is kinda harsh, can you adjust the compression damping?"



Private - It's good to see that the steel hardtail is alive and well. You have to laugh at that upside down stem though. In 1992 I could see that, since nobody designed their frames for suspension, but this is 2000. It makes my back hurt just looking at this bike.