# Glory vs. Demo vs. V10 vs. 303r dh vs. gambler (crappy build)



## DoubleBat (Mar 29, 2009)

got about 4 grand.

like to go fast

like to get high

like to have FUN! (don't care about sammy hill or any of those other big boys)

give it to me.


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## 3viltoast3r (Aug 27, 2007)

Cheapest second hand frame you run across


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## ianjenn (Aug 1, 2004)

I have ridden a 303 not much just a little and also have some time on a 2010 V-10. The V-10 feels awesome either bike would be great.


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## DoubleBat (Mar 29, 2009)

was reading in a faith vs. glory vs. reign x o that the glory is a lot less poppy and well.... fun. I come from an 09 spec enduro expert and love everything about it, except its inability to handle the massive drops i'd like to throw it. I want something that rages downhill, but is fun while its happening.

the thread i read made it sound like the glory is a point a to point b screamin machine, but the faith looks a lot cheaper. (cheaper in a bad way).

This will be my first downhill bike and i come from riding xc bikes all my life but wanting a little more each time.


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## rongarr (Jan 27, 2009)

V-10 No doubt, end of story.


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## DeanH (Jan 9, 2008)

try the sponsor link..

one of those are selling new turner DHR frames, for 1600 $ cant really go wrong with that. Those frames have bombproof warranty.

But if it has to be the frames you mention, i have 2 good friends who swear by the Scott gamblers now, cheapish.. light and can take a beating.


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## mountains (Apr 10, 2009)

DoubleBat said:


> was reading in a faith vs. glory vs. reign x o that the glory is a lot less poppy and well.... fun. I come from an 09 spec enduro expert and love everything about it, except its inability to handle the massive drops i'd like to throw it. I want something that rages downhill, but is fun while its happening.
> 
> the thread i read made it sound like the glory is a point a to point b screamin machine, but the faith looks a lot cheaper. (cheaper in a bad way).
> 
> This will be my first downhill bike and i come from riding xc bikes all my life but wanting a little more each time.


The Glory is not a plow bike. If you're riding it on trails and at speeds that justify a DH bike it will pop just fine and be plenty of fun.


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## DoubleBat (Mar 29, 2009)

plow bike?


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

DoubleBat said:


> was reading in a faith vs. glory vs. reign x o ......
> 
> This will be my first downhill bike and i come from riding xc bikes all my life but wanting a little more each time.


That was probably my thread  , since as you say im also getting into the big scary stuff myself, i mostly ride 20kms runs XC, Allmountain with my 2008 Giant Reign 0, and I like this bike so much that i wanted to keep the steed in the same house.

Now the question was if I really needed something like the glory (i love the looks of it), or a reign x to be able to pedal, or the faith (which im having problems figuring out). Now in the last month i have been beating my poor reign in the DH specific tracks, and I got the light DH worm in me :madmax: , i like the speed but I suck at it, and I definitely chicken out in the big drops  . SO i started that thread to figure out which would be the way to go...

at fisrt i though the Reign X would be a good option but, since its geometry is similar to the Reign, I see no point (now that I have thrown the Reign into the DH scary courses), 140mm (reign) aren't enough, and having the seat post at that angle (Reign, Reign X) is also not a good idea for those fast, jumpy, rocky, rooty, steepy DH courses, it plainly hurts...:nono:

but then the Glory looks awesome, though...im really not a racer, and I wont be bombing down at the speeds the racers do nor landing 2meter drops , or flying 10m doubles ...im kinda old for that kind of pain, :thumbsup: - therefore dropping 4 to 5k in the Glory (though it seems the one of the cheapest DH rigs out there, and I really can say the Maestro system is good) - really doesn't seem a good option for me. My brother races a 2008 Glory, and those things are bombproof they are like a tank and heavy as one... therefor when I see the new Glory and Faith it makes me wonder if the new frames can take a beating. Apparently they do... but here we need the opinion of people who actually ride them..

....still, im sure i need more than 160mm for those courses, and therefore the Faith seems like a good choice, seems burly to take the hits, but not as racy as a glory... 

I don't understand why you say "cheap (the bad way) about the Faith.


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## mountains (Apr 10, 2009)

DoubleBat said:


> plow bike?


The opposite of what you refer to as a "fun," poppy bike. As in, it will just plow over everything and takes a lot of rider input to move around.


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

now there are a couple of bikes that are supposed to last forever, the problem is they will be propably out of your range:

- the 2010 V10 looks very nice 
- the intense 951 (handmade in usa) (not that I care about that label) but the quality seems to be great and looks sweet
- Cove schocker perhaps, 

the new Rocky Mountain Flatline seems awesome too...

I guess if you want a DH rig for about 4k the glory is your bet, or a proven burlier used bike , anyway, keep us posted what you decided at the end


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## ccspecialized (Dec 30, 2008)

V10 or 303.

V10 if you want the best bike ever.
303 if you want the bike I would ride if I didn't ride the best bike ever (see above).


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## Dawson308 (May 13, 2008)

I have ridden a 2010 Glory and I own a 2010 Yeti 303R-DH. The Glory is a sweet bike if you can find one. It pedals very well and feels so light. My only concern with the Glory is how well that light frame will hold up. The Yeti is slightly heavier and you can feel it when you ride it. It handles very nice and jumps well. So far the Yeti has held up to my abuse well and I love it. I don't think you could go wrong with either of those two bikes but It would depend what kind of deal you can get and the build specs.


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## gurp (Jan 20, 2004)

cesalec said:


> at fisrt i though the Reign X would be a good option but, since its geometry is similar to the Reign, I see no point (now that I have thrown the Reign into the DH scary courses), 140mm (reign) aren't enough, and having the seat post at that angle (Reign, Reign X) is also not a good idea for those fast, jumpy, rocky, rooty, steepy DH courses, it plainly hurts...:nono:


You shouldn't be running into issues due to your seat-post angle. If you're hitting your seat you need to lower it. The Reign X will handle high speed better then your Reign due to the lower BB, slacker head angle and longer wheelbase. However, it's still not a DH bike.

To the OP, I'm guessing when you say you want something more fun you mean you want a bike that's stiffer in its initial travel to boost off of hits.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

Fastest bike


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## cactuscorn (Feb 5, 2004)

DeanH said:


> try the sponsor link..
> 
> one of those are selling new turner DHR frames, for 1600 $ cant really go wrong with that. Those frames have bombproof warranty.


agreed. sure, im a turner guy but the reasons are quite sound. ride and build quality, world wide customer service from the designer/owner himself and solid global warranty. good frames build up easy and make for a fun bike too.

or blow the budget for the NEW dhr! i hear a rumor its shippin out now.


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## bxxer rider (Jun 7, 2008)

glory is a good bike, dependant on year....
demo uses a HUCK link for DH racing, bad idea imo (makes both pre and post 2007 bikes feel dead, that's from personal experience)
v10 seems a good bike, never been on one yet, but word on the grape vine is that there will be a mk4 which would be better waiting for, but current mk3 is not much of a jumper, seen many people struggle to get them air borne.
303 rdh is a great bike, very responsive, don't be put of by the rail, its no really trouble to keep lubed.
gambler is a great bike, very poppy, rides on top of the rough stuff instead of in the rough stuff (glory, v10)


hope that helps

but imo out of those five id get a 303rdh, you wont be disappointed.


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## brillantesdv (Oct 24, 2007)

bxxer rider said:


> v10 seems a good bike, never been on one yet, but word on the grape vine is that there will be a mk4 which would be better waiting for, but current mk3 is not much of a jumper, seen many people struggle to get them air borne..


o really


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## ccspecialized (Dec 30, 2008)

bxxer rider said:


> but current mk3 is not much of a jumper, seen many people struggle to get them air borne.


I'm not a jumper of any sort but I throw stuff bigger on my V10 than I ever could my SX-trail.


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

Dawson308 said:


> My only concern with the Glory is how well that light frame will hold up.


thats the main question with the new Giant frames...are they burly enough to sustain abuse for years or are they built to last 1 , maybe 2 seasons?


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

well thats a glory definitely taking a beating =P


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## his dudeness (May 9, 2007)

It really depends on a lot of things, and so now I'll go on my familiar "old grandpa" talk.

Where do you ride and where do you plan on taking this bike? What specific characteristics are you looking for in a dh bike? Would you rather be glued to the ground and railing corners or popping off of every available trail feature and throwing tricks? Do you want a more race specific frame, or an all around frame? Playful feel or racer feel? How critical is finesse and picking a good line to you? Do you want new and bling bling, or would you be okay with saving some coin and buying a used bike to learn on?

If this is going to be your first bike, why not get something a little used. There's a lot of good stuff out there that has had a season or less of riding on it and it's much less expensive than something new. Used also lets you figure out a bit better what you want out of a bike without spending an arm and a leg so the next time you can get something even better for you. All those bikes look like great selections though. I'm on a 2010 Demo and love it. It rails through corners, pedals well, and with a light build it can both plow and be flickable for the times when you need it to.


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## essenmeinstuff (Sep 4, 2007)

DoubleBat said:


> but the faith looks a lot cheaper. (cheaper in a bad way).


you talking about the new faith?! Not sure if "cheap in a bad way" is what I'd use to describe it...


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## yd35 (May 22, 2006)

It looks like you are buying new. If you are dead set on that, I would pick the bike you can get the best deal on. Each bike has its different characteristics, but they are all excellent. 

The other thing to consider is availability. While the new Glory may provide great value, it sounds like the availability is pretty sparse at the moment. If you don't feel like waiting, you may want to consider another option.


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## Dawson308 (May 13, 2008)

cesalec said:


> well thats a glory definitely taking a beating =P


Nice video, but I would hardly call that a beating.


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

essenmeinstuff said:


> you talking about the new faith?! Not sure if "cheap in a bad way" is what I'd use to describe it...


how would you describe it?


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

the problem at least for me is that I find myself right now in Mex City, it is extremely hard to buy used stuff , lets say from Pinkbike for example. Since 1. you cannot actually see the bike, and see if the description is true, 2. or they dont want to sell it to me since im in Mexico. Is easier to go for a new bike, that at least you know is new...

For me since im not racing, or dropping big heights , or doing stunts, but I do throw myelf in the gnarly tracks, jumps, small (70cm) drops, rockgardens I believe the Faith or a Banshee Scythe would be the one for MY riding, the places I ride is the Ajusco Mountain in Mexico City which have very rough tracks, probably with a bit of work you could have WC races down here....(sadly no one cares about it). And the Austrian Alps, which I tend to do 25Km runs on my Reign, and some light DH tracks on the weekends.

As for DoubleBat he would have to explain where and what is his riding...and for sure is he is in the states or canada, he could try a used one no problem, though by his original message ton... he seems determined to go for a new one. 

Doublebat - have you consider a Commencal Supreme DH?


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

the problem at least for me is that I find myself right now in Mex City, it is extremely hard to buy used stuff , lets say from Pinkbike for example. Since 1. you cannot actually see the bike, and see if the description is true, 2. or they dont want to sell it to me since im in Mexico. Is easier to go for a new bike, that at least you know is new...

For me since im not racing, or dropping big heights , or doing stunts, but I do throw myelf in the gnarly tracks, jumps, small (70cm) drops, rockgardens I believe the Faith or a Banshee Scythe would be the one for MY riding, the places I ride is the Ajusco Mountain in Mexico City which have very rough tracks, probably with a bit of work you could have WC races down here....(sadly no one cares about it). And the Austrian Alps, which I tend to do 25Km runs on my Reign, and some light DH tracks on the weekends.

As for DoubleBat he would have to explain where and what is his riding...and for sure is he is in the States or Canada, he could try a used one no problem, though by his original message ton... he seems determined to go for a new one. 

Doublebat - have you consider a Commencal Supreme DH?


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## [email protected] (Dec 29, 2003)

I've spent a decent amount of time on 3 of the bikes you mentioned, and yes I sell 2 of the ones on your list. The three I've ridden a decent amount are the 2010 Glory, Yeti 303RDH, and SC V10. All of them are nice bikes and all of them are a bit different in feel. 

Yeti 303RDH - I raced this bike for 2009. I really like the way this bike turns both tight and fast corners. It's 8" of travel, but always seemed to control the big hits better than I expected. I loved the adjustable geometry and actually used it for different race courses. The sprinting performance is quite good for an 8" bike. The lateral stiffness is excellent and after a full season of riding it still feels (and looks) like new. I didn't really like the shock setup on last year's bikes, but the shocks we got with the closeouts are setup very well for this bike. We also offer a custom tune for the DHX that is specific to the Yeti 303RDH. We have good stock on this bike and great build kits that start at $3699.

Giant Glory 2010 - I've only had 2 days on this bike, but was instantly comfortable. It's not as steep as the numbers listed by Giant, but still steeper than many other 2010 DH bikes. It is very light and easily builds up under 40 lbs. It cornered very well, but the BB does feel higher than what I'm used to (because it is), but I also found I could run some extra sag and not have bottoming problems in race situations. You may have a hard time finding one of these, we have them in Utah, but if your shop did not preorder then they won't be getting them. The complete Glory 1 comes in at $3999 and has decent components for that price.

Santa Cruz V10 - I've ridden a number of these over the years including a 2009. As others have said this bike does mow down rough terrain, heck it has 10" of travel. It is also really light. This bike starts tall (BB height) and steep (Head Angle), but runs lots of sag to get the geometry near what most other bikes are under sag. Normally a bike with this much sag and travel would tend to be slow in and out of the corners, but the steeper head angle and short wheel base keep it turning well. The couple of areas of weakness for me are a bit more lateral flex than most bikes and it just doesn't pedal well unless you set the shock up really stiff. I'm not sure on availability of this bike, but I highly doubt you will be able to put a good build together at your $4000 price limit. The cheapest complete on the SC site is $5500.


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

[email protected] what do you think of the new Giant Frames? Are they strong enough? Or done like the Trek Remedys eautiful and light but only for 1 year abuse??


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## OMJustice (Jan 26, 2009)

I'm curious, why doesn't anyone ever mention Specialized bikes? I have been looking at picking up a new SXT 2 to take to Snowshoe this year. It just seems like that bike can handle about anything. I have looked at the Faith, and the Intense SS, but the SX Trail 2 seems to offer a bit more IMO.


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

OMJustice said:


> I'm curious, why doesn't anyone ever mention Specialized bikes? I have been looking at picking up a new SXT 2 to take to Snowshoe this year. It just seems like that bike can handle about anything. I have looked at the Faith, and the Intense SS, but the SX Trail 2 seems to offer a bit more IMO.


You are right nobody has mentioned Specialized ... I wonder why..:skep:

and there are a lot of demos for aboutn 2k in pinkbike.


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

Doublebat since you say you got about 4k why not maybe saving a bit more and go for an Evil Revolt, or an Intense I think the guys in http://fanatikbike.com have some Revolts 2010 for around 4600usd

Damn I want them all, i need to win the lottery =(


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

have you checked the transition tr450??


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## [email protected] (Dec 29, 2003)

cesalec said:


> [email protected] what do you think of the new Giant Frames? Are they strong enough? Or done like the Trek Remedys eautiful and light but only for 1 year abuse??


Too early to tell on the Glory. I do think if anyone can pull it off it is Giant. They have very advanced manufacturing capabilities. Krispy and I have been riding our 2010 Giant Reign X frames for a few months and they seem to be holding up great. They only weigh 6.5 lbs with a DHX Air.


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## ccspecialized (Dec 30, 2008)

OMJustice said:


> I'm curious, why doesn't anyone ever mention Specialized bikes? I have been looking at picking up a new SXT 2 to take to Snowshoe this year. It just seems like that bike can handle about anything. I have looked at the Faith, and the Intense SS, but the SX Trail 2 seems to offer a bit more IMO.


That's strange...I have an SXT-2 that I'm thinking about putting on the market. PM me


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## Whistgnar (Jan 24, 2010)

GLORY lol, I built mine up for 4500 CAD and this is my current spec

Frame: 2007 Giant Glory DH 
Fork: 2006 Boxxer Race 
Shock: 2010 CCDB
Stem: Thomson 4x
Bar: Easton Monkeylite DH
Headset: Chris King Inset
Grip: ODI Ruffian Lock On 
Shifter: Shimano XT
Hub(f): Industry 9 DH/FR Black
Hub(r): Industry 9 DH/FR Black
Rim(f): Mavic ex823 
Rim(r): Mavic ex823
Tire(f): Michelin DH16
Tire(r): Michelin DH24
Saddle: VP road saddle
Seat Post: Stock glory post
Cranks: Truvativ Holzfeller OCT
Bottom Bracket: Truvativ Howitzer
Chain ring: E13 Guidering
Chain: Shimano XTR 9speed
Chain guide: e-13 SRS+
Cassette: Shimano Dura-ace
Derailleur: Shimano XT Shadow Mid Cage 
Brake(f): Avid Elixir CR
Brake(r): Avid Elixir CR
Rotor(f): Avid g3 203mm 
Rotor(r): Avid g3 180mm


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

Whistgnar, thats a top build, still for the aprox the money I´d go for a 2010 bike, even when the components are not so high end as yours (except that I dont trust Michelin tires) , there are some 2010 builds for about 4500usd


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## his dudeness (May 9, 2007)

2010 Demo 8 1, $3700. Parts are excellent for a newcomer into dh riding. Bike weighs 39 pounds out of the box. 

Nuff said.


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

thats even a good idea, the Demo for that price aint bad at all


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## his dudeness (May 9, 2007)

Granted it's not going to come with the fanciest build kit, but for an entry level dh rider you really can't go wrong with it. The boxxer Race is a solid fork and the internals can be converted to a Team, the rear shock can be push'd if desired, the drivetrain can be upgraded as it wears out, etc. etc. I've been on my demo for a few months now and it's definitely a fun bike.


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## RippinHellion (Aug 26, 2009)

All Demo 8 I and II are gone, I just tried to order one. You have to wait till October to preorder a 2011


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

RippinHellion said:


> All Demo 8 I and II are gone, I just tried to order one. You have to wait till October to preorder a 2011


and they say there is a worldwide financial crisis...:skep:


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## Brian HCM#1 (Jan 18, 2004)

Karpiel Disco Volante


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## [email protected] (Dec 29, 2003)

cesalec said:


> and they say there is a worldwide financial crisis...:skep:


They are not all gone because so many of them sold. They are all gone because manufactures made very few long travel or high $ bikes this year. Pretty much if they weren't ordered pre-season by a shop they didn't get made.

However, for the same $3700 we sell a very nice build kit (better than the Demo 8) on a Yeti 303RDH. It even includes a Boxxer Team.


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## ianjenn (Aug 1, 2004)

[email protected] said:


> They are not all gone because so many of them sold. They are all gone because manufactures made very few long travel or high $ bikes this year. Pretty much if they weren't ordered pre-season by a shop they didn't get made.
> 
> However, for the same $3700 we sell a very nice build kit (better than the Demo 8) on a Yeti 303RDH. It even includes a Boxxer Team.


Link to kit?:thumbsup:


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## mountains (Apr 10, 2009)

ianjenn said:


> Link to kit?:thumbsup:


http://www.go-ride.com/SPD/2009-yeti-303-rdh-complete-w--custom-go-ride-kit--8000347A-1270579427.jsp


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## his dudeness (May 9, 2007)

mountains said:


> http://www.go-ride.com/SPD/2009-yeti-303-rdh-complete-w--custom-go-ride-kit--8000347A-1270579427.jsp


That's a pretty screaming deal, and I've always had me a soft spot for those Yeti's.


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## noparking (Apr 28, 2009)

I love my glory


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## daisycutter (Sep 18, 2005)

I love my glory 2010. The bike is a steal, with the parts package or the frame alone.


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## P-townDave (Oct 12, 2006)

Daisycutter - more! What's good, what's bad. Details? Thanks!


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## daisycutter (Sep 18, 2005)

I have a stock medium glory 0 complete with the exception of maxxis tires, point 1 pedals and point 1 stem with chromag bars. Its at 38.8 pounds and feels even lighter. The bike is made to race. It pedals very well and handles drops with ease. The bike is a pure race machine. It doesn't plow over things as well as my m1(Died 11-7-2009) did but handles square edge hits better. The suspension is very smooth and the bike feels so flickable. I know there are people complaining about the 65 head angle. According to my friends mac phone it is 64.5 and rides well on the steeps. I will be able to add more information when I get more platty and diablo time this may. If you are looking at the bike I reccomend it as it is a great balance of price and performance. The frame has a life time warrenty, how can you go wrong?


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## Sc[email protected] (Dec 29, 2003)

The 2010 Glory is a great bike, no doubt. I'd be building up a 2010 frame for myself but we can't get enough of them for our customers. The Glory 1 meets the $4000 price limit that was listed in the orginal post. The problem with this bike is finding one. We have them at Go-ride.com but if you local shop doesn't have one already, they won't be getting one this year. Personally, I think our Yeti 303 RDH build is better for a bit less $.

Go-ride.com Yeti 303 RHD build


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## ccspecialized (Dec 30, 2008)

If I had the money, and didn't have a V-10 in my garage I would jump on that 303 from go-ride.


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