Santa Cruz VP Free

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I'm thinkin' about getting one, but I'm not entirely sure. I have a Heckler right now, and I like Santa Cruz bikes, but to spend that much money I need to be sure that it's the bike for me. If you have any input, please let me know.
 
i would not buy a sants cruz, your paying for a name. i work at a bike shop that sells them and we always get some in that are put together so crapy. the welds r not even straight. i would spend the money on say a demo 7 or 8 plus its a liftime warrenty
 
While you kind of are paying for the name the VP Free is still an amazing bike...I would do so much for one! The shop I work at doesn't stock either because Santa Cruz's shipping department is shitty, but we still order for people and I've never talked to anyone who didn't love theirs.
 
im with the guy two up. demos are amazing bikes and u certainly cant beat a lifetime warranty. but the vp frees are sweet.
 
yeah i'd go demo 8 or vp-free. can't go wrong between the two. theres so many other options out there as well. look around and test out a lot of different bikes.
 
uzzi vpx. similar to the free, but slightly steeper head angle, 1.5 headtube (travis single intrinsic 180 forks are MONEY), better build quality and in general cooler bike
 
i know so many people that have had a santa cruz w/ the vpp and they have all loosened up so bad. the v10,vpfree, nomad all feel like pieces of shit after a year or so.
 
Thanks for all the input. I most likely will stick with Santa Cruz because the shop I work at can get them. The other brands my shop gets is Jamis, Kona, and Diamondback. Kona is pretty sick, but I'm leaning towards Santa Cruz.
 
Then all of the people you knew are complete idiots and cannot maintain their bikes. I ride a VP free, and I check the pivots to make sure they are tight. I you ride them loose, they will not feel good. checking the pivots on VP also takes like 2 minuetes. I have ridden my VP for a season of 9 races, and it is running perfect, even with my race spec ( Boxxers, full sram, lightweight DT wheels etc) What kind of riding do you plan on doing?
 
Mostlty freeriding and downhill trails, but probably no races. Some of the trails are ride up ride down, no shuttle, and I heard the VP Free has a better pedalling efficiency than other big bikes.
 
yeah, great pedaling efficiancy for a bike with 8.5 inches of travel. Get it with a DHX and a totem, that will keep it nice and light and it will pedal well, but will still be nice and plush for DH riding. Also, I would highly reccomend getting SRAM componentry
 
no way the vp is a dope bike, i used to race one along with a v 10. anyone who says your paying for a name is retarted. the bikes are worth every penny
 
i personally own a vp-free. not only have i looked at the welds but i have riden it. it is a sick bike for everything except cross country. if you do downhilling and freeriding with mild cross country it is the bike for you. the vpp works very well too. it is a great value for what it does. if you want to pay for a name buy an intense bike.
 
so having ridden a vp free or two, and having owned a stinky, trek session 77, trek session 10, and now an intense socom, i'll give you my input. The vpp suspension on the vp free isn't the most active in the world. it's def, a pure free ride bike, and it pedals pretty well. The trek session 77, pedaled better, and the 10 pedaled better still. as far as how active the travel was... The 10 was the best. As far as value, think about who makes a similar bike. Just about everyone has a freeride bike now, and a lot of companies use vpp. it's awesome for dh racing/ xc/ trail applications where high speed pedaling is a must, but it's not my favortie freeride squish. I really liked my stinky, it was hella smooth. And the trek's were even better. these all cost less than the vp free. well not the 10. but honestly if your going to shell out some real cash, look into other companies. I found the santa cruz frame to be flexy compared to my other rigs. Look into cove, yeti, and intense for your small companies, and trek, kona, and specialized for your bigger ones. demo 7's are sick. So overall i wouldn't recomend it, but to each his own
 
Huh, now I'm not so sure. One of the main factors about getting a Santa Cruz is that my shop that I work at gets them for a steal of a deal, probably the same for any shop who carries them. I will find someone who has one, then ride it, and see what I think. Thanks again.
 
see if you're on shop discount, and an employee, what other bikes do you sell? and I am an intense person because they gave me a mad hookup, and they are really chill.... and where are you riding?
 
Kona, Jamis, and Diamondback. I live in Whitefish, Montana, and there are a bunch of trails around here. My family likes to take trips to southern Utah also and ride Virgin and Moab. Fernie B.C. is also a sweet place that's close by.
 
Demo to much bike for you, go transition gran mal or dirtbag or vp free or big hit, dont get a complete bike build from the frame i have some pre made lists based on how much you want to spend to get the best bang for your buck, send me a message and ill hook u up.
 
k, go with a stinky, you can get a the second highest one for the cost of that frame on your bro form.... for about the cost of that frame and a fork.... It;s a sick bike and will hold up better than anything.... I wouldn't touch the other two brands though... Good trail bikes, bad freeride. Or if you are a pure gravity rider get the basic stab, that bike is soooooo cheap for what it is built with, but my money is on the stinky, any of them... I rode my on a ton of xc, it was pefrect for freeride, it handles like a hardtail in terms of flickability, and that frame is much stiffer than the santa cruz.
 
a gran mal is much bigger than a demo 7, dude you need to check your facts... Both frames are retardedly heavy for there categories though, with the seven being the lighter.... and a built bike is always cheaper than a part kit, just get a bike with the most parts you like, and swap out the parts you don't like when they die, or if you work at a shop, sell them and make enough money to buy the parts you do.
 
Man, I can't believe you would suggest that over a VP free. I rode a stinky for about half a year, and now my VP free destroys it in everything,( Braking,(Tons of jack with a stinky) cornering, way smoother suspension, etc) Not to mention way lighter. Never rode a session 10 though, but The session 77 was one of the worst bikes I have ever ridden. (could be that the complicated manitou suspension was set up wrong) I would highly reccomend a VP over a stinky
 
That's why all the kona's have floating break arms now. And in terms of frame stiffness, nothing beats kona. period My Howler is much stiffer than my 77 was, and is stiffer than my socom. But a lot of people love the vp free. i dunno. And yes, manitou forks were aweful, and all the treks came with way to soft of springs. but that was only a 15 dollar upgrade, and the manitou shocks are the shit, i wish there forks could match.
 
Yeah, the dope system, which does work you are right. But the VP is far superior over the stinky. I have ridden them both, the VP is better for everything(except possibly stiffness, I dont pay to much attention to that) And about the manitou shocks, the swingers suck. Impossible to set up properly, and feel like shit. Have ridden a revox though, meh, alright, my DHX felt way better. (Again, maybe it was set up poorly)Personally, I would not reccomend a session 10 ( 10 inches does not like to climb) I hated the one I rode, prob. because of the manitou suspension. Ski_k2PE, I would reccomend you go along with a VP free. If you can maintain your bikes, and get the right build, it will be perfect for what you are looking for.
 
haha, this is getting silly. I agree that a good dhx works awesome, and I put one on my socom, just because it was cheaper than a revox. But I really like the revox. Now as for the fact that you say 10 inches doesn't climb, I rode my 10 in an xc race and finished 23 out of over 100 people.... It pedals flawlessly, like a hardtail, it's just sooo damn heavy. Trek claims to have an improved and lighter sesion 8 coming out next year that uses the same system, in which case my socom better work nicely because a lighter version of the 10 would be my perfect bike. But as far as which bike to get? I dunno santa cruz has quite a name, and all though they are good bikes I really believe the frames lack stiffness, which is noticable on a good ride. If you are sold on vpp, loke at an intense uzzi. Stiffer frame, same suspension, and intense is the coolest company in the world to deal with. And as for moneys sake The konas win every time. worst comes to worst, buy the stinky, and if you don't like the frame, use all the parts on a frame you do like. Then sell your stinky frame and come out making some money.
 
i just had a thought, ever considered a hardtail????. evil imperial's are fucking sick they can take big triple clamps and are stupidly strong, its my next frame.
 
yeah, the session 8 sounds awsome, I'd like to see if they can make it sub 40 pounds. As for the hardtail suggestion, some people do like them, while others dont. This guy prob wants a full suspension for what he is doing.
 
dont get a fuckkin santa cruz you are paying for a name and there not half as sick as alot of freeride bikes out these days

Check out the transition dirtbag, the sinister r9 (big i kno but dank if you put a 66 or totem on it), sinister splinter mx?

demo 8 or 7 i dunno

i have a transition dirtbag and the frame and shock cost me $1000 and it rides way better than the vp free and can be set up for anything from light freeride to DH

its hot

peace

sam
 
I work at a bike shop, so maintanance shouldn't be a problem. Also, I would like to go along with a full suspension and not get a hardtail. I currently have a Rocky Mountain Flow for dirt jumping and stuff. Anyway, I didn't expect to get all this good advice, so thanks a lot.
 
Perfect, the pivots just need to be checked every 4 rides or so, no big deal. The guy that said that you are paying for the name with santacruz does not know what he is talking about, but hey, you are getting a shop hookup, so who cares?
 
I wouldn't do it.

I have a friend who rides a VP and it's a heap of shit.

We ride hard, and I'm not some kid who just says that, we ride HARD. I'm talking like huge drops and hucks, every day we ride, racing national downhill circuits, bikes do a lot of kms and everything gets thrashed. I've had 4 downhill bikes in the last 3 years. My mate's VP has now been ridden for about 12-18 months. It was nice to start with but the suspension is soggy as all hell, it's noisy and rattly and the bearings give out, rub and grind an it's just not a nice, smooth set up.

If you do get one make sure you fit a rocco or a DHX, don't even think about the 5th element they usually throw at them, it's just not paired well for the bike set up and it's super spongy.

I rode a stinky deelux for just over a year and that rode like new until the day it died, would recommend that over a VP by FAR.

If you're going to spend that much cash why not get a Stab Supreme or something like that if you're shop can get them in?

I'm running a Mountain Cycle Shockwave 9.5 at the moment and it's off the hook. I'd never look back and would buy it again without a doubt.

Check out some online shops coz you might even get something cheaper than your shop can get.

www.adrenalinebikes.com is where I got my frame.

www.torpedo7.co.nz

www.beyondibkes.com

www.jensonusa.com

in short, don't get a VP unless you want a soggy, heavy, noisy bike that feels like a BMX that weighs a million pounds and cost you a bundle...
 
thank you, some one else who races dh on a higher level. And someone else who will attest to the quality of kona. I agree with most of what this kid says except for the online stuff. No way any of those will beat your e.p. form. I also recomend you look at what he says when he talks about bearings... And the other thing is the vpfree top tube is way short. most people won't like that too much... The shock waves are nuts but not my steeze.

You can totally get a session 10 under 40 lbs, but the price tag would be nuts, I used the same parts from my 10 with the exception of cranks, and put them on my socom. 39 lbs. After I switch to the boxxer world cup it'll be about 37.5.

Like I said, get the best stinky or stab, (stab only if you only go downhill they don't pedal that amazing...) And ride it and if you don't like it you just got a near perfect parts package...

After working at a multiple shops for the past 4 years selling all major brands, i've done enough homework that I think I can give you a solid answer.

 
You did not even ask if I raced DH. And I do, nor am I just some guy that enters a race that is close. i have had multiple podium finishes, and I race in the expert category.I fitness train 5 days a week to be in shape. I recieve coaching weekly from Schaums March. I am not the fastest out there and I might not be on your "Higher level" but I do know what I am talking about. it sounds like everyone hates the VP, fine, but I would personally reccomend it over a stinky. if you guys work in shops than you know more than me. just dont call me down when you have not even asked if I raced. Sorry if I sound like a bitch,that really hit a nerve. And phattim, if your friend had a 5th element that is why the rear suspension sucked.
 
woah dude, i never ripped on you. I bet your hella fast. But I was assuming you did some racing. And it's sick your putting in a ton of work for it, most people I know just freeride. Don't be offended or anything. I'm pretty sure I said somewhere that a lot of people like the vp. I just don't after having ridden one, and working on way to many santa cruz bikes.

And just because we work at a shop doesn't always mean we're knowledgeable. Some people work at crappy corporate shops and just do sales. I will never be one of those people, but you have to consider the source. All I'm saying is money is best spent on a stiny or stab because the parts specs are sick, and if he doesn't like the frame, he can swap that out. But kona frames are bomb proof. If the kid really likes vpp he can get an ep form from intense and get an uzzi which is very similar to the vp free but a stiffer frame. Don't get all fired up man, dh is the most chill thing there is, and nobodies talking shit.
 
demo 9. why bother with they others, its like $200 more and you get so much more bike. but personally i just build my bikes from the ground up. just ordered the azonic gravity frame
 
Try checking the reviews on mtbr.com or asking this question on the FR/DH section or on pinkbike. You should be able to get a lot of good answers there; and maybe from a little less biased crowd.
 
you're right, I took that too personally. An uzzi would be great for him also, but I am assuming he wants whatever his shop can get. Ski_k2PE, get a stinky or a VP, whichever you like the most. Personlly, after riding both of them, I believe that the VP is better, but obviuously others don't. just get whatever you think suits you best
 
see that's the cool thing about intense, just call the company up say your from a shop, give them your shops info. and they'll probly give you an ep form. Worked for me
 
oh I had no idea. Ski_k2PE, I would for sure look into an Uzzi as well, but if you are going to get a Manitou shock(I think that is what usually comes with an intense) I would reccomend a Revox, I really do not like the swingers, the revox is much better(and super light)
 
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