# My REVIEW: 2009 Mongoose Pinn'r



## Send-It (Mar 17, 2006)

My 2009 Mongoose Pinn'r saw some dirt this weekend for the first time, and damn am I stoked. Without a doubt Mongoose is mounting a comeback from its glory days and I thought you guys might be interest in a little ride report and some pics.

The suspension design seems to be the most talked about part of this bike. Those who've ridden it seem to love it, and those with nothing more than e-speculation doubt it. All I can say is give it a spin before you judge and you'll be amazingly surprised (If you see me or any Mongoose Tribe guy at a race just ask to get a little saddle time). And to be clear I am part of the Mongoose Tribe. Go here to find out all about it: http://www.mongoose.com/usa/eng/mtn/tribe

This isn't my first time on a Mongoose. I've ridden many older models, so what I'm writing is more or less in comparison to those past experiences. There are some refinements in 2009 with bigger and better pivot hardware, and from what I've been told slightly redesigned linkage and pivot location for a more progressive and responsive feel. After my first weekend of riding the suspension surpassed all expectations. The suspension feel is slightly different than most out there, but in my opinion it's in a better way. It tracks well through the rocks/small rough stuff/braking bumps etc., takes the bigger hits with ease and jumps extremely well. There is no suspension feedback when you step on the gas, nothing but pure acceleration. With this design you might assume you "feel" the hits more because of the bottom bracket placement, but with correct set up that's simply not the case at all.

A while ago I decided I was going with air in the front and back on my next bike. Mostly to lighten up the bike, but there's so much discussion on air vs. coil I had to try it for myself. I don't think this change hinders the performance of the particular frame in anyway. It does have a different feel than coil though, especially at the end of the travel. But after a few runs it was a very natural feeling to adjust to and something I look forward to sticking with. A few slight pressure adjustments and I should be good to go.

Other then shock, fork, brake, grip and seat changes the rest of the bike is stock. If there is anything people agree on it's the value and part spec of Mongoose bikes. A complete bike costs the same or less than some frames out there. And it's nice not to see huge increases on their 2009 bikes like we're seeing from some other guys.

So, I won't bore you anymore with my ramblings, if you have any questions ask away. Lastly, I want to send a shout out to Robb @ Mongoose and Dale @ Division 26/Mongoose Tribe for making this happen. And now the pics&#8230;. :thumbsup:


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## Prettym1k3 (Oct 11, 2005)

I actually dig the look of the new Mongoose bikes, and after pedaling around on a few Tocali and Canaan frames, they're really bad bikes at all.


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## mtbiker91 (Dec 30, 2006)

that thing is sick, just sold my khyber and hoping to get a pinn'r soon


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## spazzy (Aug 15, 2004)

looks sick! if i had money i would be ordering a pinner, khyber or nugget!


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## Nick_M2R (Oct 18, 2008)

Sweet ride!?
out of interest, how is the quality of the fork? does it have any bushing slop and a creeking crown, or have they fixed those problems for 09?


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## Division26 (Aug 11, 2007)

Nice John I'm stoked to have you on the new team and couldn't agree more with your review of the new ride. Now where are the action shots I know you went big this weekend so lets see the money shots! 

Not to derail Johns post, but any riders interested in the Mongoose Tribe grassroots program please drop me an email, PM or stop in at the Division 26 booth during the upcoming winter series at Fontana or hit us up on sponsorhouse.


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## Send-It (Mar 17, 2006)

Nick_M2R said:


> Sweet ride!?
> out of interest, how is the quality of the fork? does it have any bushing slop and a creeking crown, or have they fixed those problems for 09?


It pains me to say, but.... yes there is slight bushing slop but no creaking crown. I had an 08 RC3 and I know how big these issues can be. The 2009 bushing slop is very, very minimal though and if it never gets worse I won't care. Only time will tell. On the other hand it appears the redesign of the axle and TST adjustment has fixed their issues.


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## Raptordude (Mar 30, 2004)

Rotate that LG1! Top idler should be at 12 o clock, bottom roller at 7-8ish.

Other then that sweet bike, I like it!


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## paintballpunk687 (May 28, 2008)

that thing looks like a tank!


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## Send-It (Mar 17, 2006)

Raptordude said:


> Rotate that LG1! Top idler should be at 12 o clock, bottom roller at 7-8ish.
> 
> Other then that sweet bike, I like it!


AHHHH, good eye! And that was my first thought when it came pre-assembled (FYI, I completely disassembled the bike then rebuild it). But, what you don't see until the suspension cycles through its travel is the BB moves in an upward/rearward/clockwise rotation (viewing from the drive side) path. So, as the guide is set now it will move within 1mm from the chain stay at bottom out. I depressurized the shock to take it through all of it's travel to set the chain guide. One of those little nuances of the frame, but still within acceptable standards.


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## climbingbubba (Jan 10, 2007)

very nice man, my brother rides a kyber and loves it. I could see myself getting a mongoose someday.


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## Raptordude (Mar 30, 2004)

Send-It said:


> One of those little nuances of the frame, but still within acceptable standards.


Nope that frame sucks throw it in the dumpster.

Nah but really a frame I previously owned had that issue where it had to be run at like 10 o Clock and 6 ish or something.


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## Djponee (Dec 20, 2006)

nice bike


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## dh_drew (Sep 9, 2008)

I demoed the Pinn'r at Vail and even though it was a size too big, it was still really sick!


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## BIKESerFUN (Sep 5, 2007)

Nice stick stand. Nice bike


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## GiantGeoff (Jun 22, 2007)

Likeskies.

All this thread needs is action pics.


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## Hesh to Steel (Oct 2, 2007)

With people liking mongoose and trek bikes now, what's next in this crazy world? People disliking the bottlerocket?!


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

Division26 said:


> Nice John I'm stoked to have you on the new team and couldn't agree more with your review of the new ride. Now where are the action shots I know you went big this weekend so lets see the money shots!
> 
> Not to derail Johns post, but any riders interested in the Mongoose Tribe grassroots program please drop me an email, PM or stop in at the Division 26 booth during the upcoming winter series at Fontana or hit us up on sponsorhouse.


So the OP got this bike as part of a sponsorship?


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## Send-It (Mar 17, 2006)

I'd like to include some action shots but when we hit the trail it's usually all about the riding. And if we ever do take some pictures they're usually terrible. I'll work on it....


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## Send-It (Mar 17, 2006)

Hesh to Steel said:


> With people liking mongoose and trek bikes now, what's next in this crazy world? People disliking the bottlerocket?!


Crazy, right? Everything goes in cycles I guess. We're seeing Iron Horse fade away.... soon white won't be cool and we'll be in full spandex and riding bikes with purple anodized parts (actually purple anodized is still cool in my book).


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## Hesh to Steel (Oct 2, 2007)

Haha, yeah purple ano is fine by me. My bike is all black, and I'll probably just keep it that way. 

Thanks for the pics of the linkage by the way. Haven't had a chance to see it up close. That little extra link reminds me of the vpp/dw/maestro/canfield linkage, and if I'm not mistaken, there's a bit of a rearward wheelpath? Looks pretty awesome.

Though, as someone mentioned in a past thread, it seems as if they mixed up the names on the pinn'r and the boot'r, haha.


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

So this is a shill review, and made as an obligation to a sponsorship, eh?


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## mrpercussive (Apr 4, 2006)

sweet looking rig dude... how do you like that roco air compared to the coil which you had before?


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## Send-It (Mar 17, 2006)

Jerk_Chicken said:


> So this is a shill review, and made as an obligation to a sponsorship, eh?


No obligation to anyone, whatsoever. As you can tell from my post count to time on MTBR I post rarely, if ever, unless I think I can offer useful information or be helpful. In this specific case I took it upon myself to do a review of a product and shed some light on what has been discussed by many on this forum. But in no way would I use the term "sponsored," in fact I had to pay out of my own pocket for the bike. It was 100% my choice to take Mongoose up on this an opportunity. I'm not Tiger Woods telling you to use Nike golf equipment.


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

So you got a discount from Mongoose on this bike?


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## Send-It (Mar 17, 2006)

mrpercussive said:


> sweet looking rig dude... how do you like that roco air compared to the coil which you had before?


It's definitely a different feeling and one that's hard to explain until you sit on the bike yourself, but I'll try.

I think it's at the end of the stroke that you feel it the most and my guess is that every frame design with react differently (ex. a progressive compared to a linear design). The best I can compare it to is sitting on an inflated soccer ball, or something similar. It has a defined maximum amount of compression, but getting to that point feels infinite because there's no harsh ending like a still spring, is a rounded off feeling. And the weight savings in a critical area is a huge plus. The longest runs I've done are about 6-7 minutes. They were intense with some big hits throughout and I haven't noticed a change in the compression that some claim from increased heat in the chamber. The way it's set up it handled the bigger hits well (a few 15-20 steps downs that are not that smooth) and still had small bump sensitivity. Setting it up was surprising easy too. I set it to the average PSI's for my weight listed in the directions and only adjusted slightly from there. It did take some getting use to, but nothing a day or two on one won't fix. I still need a little more time to give a definite verdict, but for now I'm very happy. As for longevity, only time will tell.

Hope that helps.


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## hofferfish (Feb 5, 2006)

Jerk_Chicken said:


> So this is a shill review, and made as an obligation to a sponsorship, eh?


This seems to me to be a pretty honest review of the bike. I personally ride a khyber elite (the cheap one) and can tell you that the quality of suspension is very good. I actually quite like the roco air on there too it feels very plush and hassle free for setting it up for your weight. The only thing negative I have to say is that mongoose doesnt tension anything to torque spec at the factory which is avoidable as long as you dont find out the hard way. (my crank fell off during a road ride on the way to school.lol)
Mongoose is really stepping it up and offering an awesome product at a really good price. I look at bikes in shops now and laugh at the part spec you can get on a $3000 special ed because my bike was half the price and way better quality. :thumbsup:

I would really like to ride the Pinn'r tho Im not sure i would even need the extra travel over the khyber ( Im coming off having a hardtail DH bike tho...)

how much does you Pinner weigh?


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## dascro (Apr 1, 2007)

It does seem to be a fairly honest review of the bike, with many of the same observations that i had when I picked up a khyber a while ago. 

But, if it was bought at a discount due to sponsorship or the reviewer is in any way sponsored by mongoose its only proper to disclose that when giving this review.


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## Send-It (Mar 17, 2006)

dascro said:


> It does seem to be a fairly honest review of the bike, with many of the same observations that i had when I picked up a khyber a while ago.
> 
> But, if it was bought at a discount due to sponsorship or the reviewer is in any way sponsored by mongoose its only proper to disclose that when giving this review.


That's fair. I thought it was clear in my initial review. No harm meant, clarification made.


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## renderedtoast (Dec 6, 2006)

I really like the new goose's. Its good to see them hanging in there. They've been around since I was a kid. If I wasn't loaded up on SC's, I'd have one for sure.


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## his dudeness (May 9, 2007)

Thanks for the review on the goose. I've been watching them for the past couple years and they definately are stepping it up in a big way. Glad you're stoked on the bike dude.


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## redrook (May 16, 2008)

Nice, i thought about one of them before i decided on my brodie damien. I wouldve gone for coil shock though.


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## scorpionsf (Nov 16, 2006)

sick looking bike, interesting seat choice? looks funky but they are really comfy afterall


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## dascro (Apr 1, 2007)

I was just looking at your bike closer and wondered why you decided on the Pinn'r rather than the Khyber. Especially since you decided to go air front and rear.

I will be adding a 180mm fork to mine to give me nearly identical geometry with the only difference being the 165mm rear travel compared to the 190 of the pinn'r. I'd like to know what the difference in frame wieght is

And yes, i checked with mongoose already and according to them the khyber is cleared to run any fork on the market.


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## hofferfish (Feb 5, 2006)

dascro said:


> I was just looking at your bike closer and wondered why you decided on the Pinn'r rather than the Khyber. Especially since you decided to go air front and rear.
> 
> I will be adding a 180mm fork to mine to give me nearly identical geometry with the only difference being the 165mm rear travel compared to the 190 of the pinn'r. I'd like to know what the difference in frame wieght is
> 
> And yes, i checked with mongoose already and according to them the khyber is cleared to run any fork on the market.


I Just installed my Domain 318 180mm onto my khyber and it rides great. The geometry is awesome. Id love to have a side by side comparison with the Pinnr. 
I feel like I have done so much to my bike and still after grips, tires, a new stem, sdg seat, a fork and a new wheelset i still haven't broken $2K! awesome budget bike! ill post pics tomorrow.


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## dascro (Apr 1, 2007)

I'll be looking forward to seeing those pics. How does it do on trail rides with the 66 degree head angle from the 7 inch fork? Right now, with the 160mm fork its good for trail rides and decent for DH/FR. I know I would like the 180mm fork for DH, but am afraid of using it on the trail. Plus, i'm not going to to take the chance on a 66 ATA so right now I'm very undecided on what to do.


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## essenmeinstuff (Sep 4, 2007)

dascro said:


> And yes, i checked with mongoose already and according to them the khyber is cleared to run any fork on the market.


Khyber can run a DC?!


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## dascro (Apr 1, 2007)

Yep! It was a shock to me as well, but the frame does seem very overbuilt so I will believe them.

Check out videos on youtube about some mongoose sponsered rider using a Fox 40.


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## Send-It (Mar 17, 2006)

scorpionsf said:


> sick looking bike, interesting seat choice? looks funky but they are really comfy afterall


I've always liked the wider seat for more control, especially for freerideing and jumping.


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## Send-It (Mar 17, 2006)

I choose the Pinn'r because it's a better bike for what I do, which is Freeride first, DH second. In these situations 1 more inch of travel goes a long way and the frame has a slightly burlier build. The bike choice came first, then when I was able to get a good deal on the air sock I went for it. Almost 2.3 pounds of weight saved with air in the front and back was a plus too. I still haven't had the opportunity to get an overall weight on the complete bike. I see the perception that coil is the way to go for the riding I do, but I figured it can hurt to try the air. Worst case it blows up and I put the coil back on but so far it's handled some pretty hard riding.


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## Send-It (Mar 17, 2006)

dascro said:


> I'll be looking forward to seeing those pics. How does it do on trail rides with the 66 degree head angle from the 7 inch fork? Right now, with the 160mm fork its good for trail rides and decent for DH/FR. I know I would like the 180mm fork for DH, but am afraid of using it on the trail. Plus, i'm not going to to take the chance on a 66 ATA so right now I'm very undecided on what to do.


FYI, I have a 2009 66 RC3 that I'm trying to get rid of, it's the one that came on the Pinn'r... OEM black lowers, can't find that anywhere else :thumbsup:


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## dascro (Apr 1, 2007)

I've used my khyber with the rear air shock for some pretty aggressive DH and freeriding this summer and haven't had any trouble at all. I expect you will be very happy with yours. 

Go ahead and send me the details on the 66 RC3 you are trying to get rid of in a PM. I'll consider it. But am still concerned that it will make the bike less enjoyable on the trails. I wish the 180mm Rockshox domain was U-turn so I could get the best of both worlds..


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## mrpercussive (Apr 4, 2006)

Send-It said:


> It's definitely a different feeling and one that's hard to explain until you sit on the bike yourself, but I'll try.
> 
> I think it's at the end of the stroke that you feel it the most and my guess is that every frame design with react differently (ex. a progressive compared to a linear design). The best I can compare it to is sitting on an inflated soccer ball, or something similar. It has a defined maximum amount of compression, but getting to that point feels infinite because there's no harsh ending like a still spring, is a rounded off feeling. And the weight savings in a critical area is a huge plus. The longest runs I've done are about 6-7 minutes. They were intense with some big hits throughout and I haven't noticed a change in the compression that some claim from increased heat in the chamber. The way it's set up it handled the bigger hits well (a few 15-20 steps downs that are not that smooth) and still had small bump sensitivity. Setting it up was surprising easy too. I set it to the average PSI's for my weight listed in the directions and only adjusted slightly from there. It did take some getting use to, but nothing a day or two on one won't fix. I still need a little more time to give a definite verdict, but for now I'm very happy. As for longevity, only time will tell.
> 
> Hope that helps.


thanx for the write up... been looking into air for a while and still up in the air about it... One of these days i gotta ride a DH rig with an air shock and a similar one with coil... Hmmmmmmm


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## hofferfish (Feb 5, 2006)

Heres the Pics of my rig. 
If you get a domain 318 from santacruz and decide you dont like it you could probably resell it for more than the $185 that there selling them for...
So far I havent ridden the new fork on a trail cuz i just installed it. It definitely wont climb quite as well as the 160mm but I think it will still do better than other bikes.


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## Send-It (Mar 17, 2006)

hofferfish said:


> Heres the Pics of my rig.
> If you get a domain 318 from santacruz and decide you dont like it you could probably resell it for more than the $185 that there selling them for...
> So far I havent ridden the new fork on a trail cuz i just installed it. It definitely wont climb quite as well as the 160mm but I think it will still do better than other bikes.


Nice looking bike. Colors are different but it works and the build up/upgrades seems like it's perfect for your use. If you do a bunch of climbing why not keep the dual front chain ring?


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## dascro (Apr 1, 2007)

I'll really be interested to hear how you like that on the trail.

I saw that domain 318 from SC but decided against it when i realized i would need a new headset that would further increase the height of the front end


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## hofferfish (Feb 5, 2006)

I rode the new fork for a short little ride after school today. Downhill performance is definitely better. The bike feels more stable with the slacker geometry and I really like that. But climbing was definitely compromised in that my old 55tst2 had a lock out and therefore no bob whereas this new fork has a good 40mm of buttery smooth sag.. Then again im a weak climber and my bike is set up very soft, and was covered in 6-8 pounds of mud... 
I definitley like this fork on the bike and feel that the 180mm is a good addition and tweaks the geo to my liking. I think that maybe a totem uturn ( i know that doesnt exist) would be ideal but this is not a bad alternative. 
My intentions with the bike are to downhill primarily and trail ride secondarily. I really like the feel of a smaller bike so I like the shorter travel on the khyber. 
When considering how this bike climbs too, I'm 6'2" and riding the Small size with a 50mm stem so my cockpit is small...


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## Send-It (Mar 17, 2006)

I get that a smaller bike would be preferable to a bigger bike, if you had to choose one direction to go. But damn, that's a small bike for someone your size. Hey, to each their own but I would think bike performance would be negatively effected on something that small.


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## hofferfish (Feb 5, 2006)

im only 150#s and the small is more the size of a medium sx trail. I got a killer deal on it but i had the choice between only a small and a large so I went for the smaller bike. The sizing is actually pretty good. Im also coming off a hardtail for DH so i like smallness.


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

there are truly so few reviews about it... and as this guy says, without having the chance of demoing one, or riding one, it makes me dubious of the suspension design, though the bike looks it can take a beating. 

are there any reviews out there in the web, google doesn't throw much out.


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## hofferfish (Feb 5, 2006)

After riding my bike for a while now. I feel that I now have a pretty good feel for how the bike performs. But unfortunately I am very definitely handicapped by how tiny my bike feels... Im looking to get a larger frame right now.. The suspension feels good generally and pedals very well. I run the bike with a lot more sag than I probably should because I like the plusher feel and the rocco air can be a bit stichtiony at higher pressure.. When I first got the bike I had my rebound set way too fast and was having issues with rear wheel traction, once I slowed it down thought these issue went away for the most part. The bike rides very nimbly which I like and is very comfortable in the air. I have been beating on it for about a year and a half now, and I am starting to see some major slop in the linkage. I will be rebuilding it soon and Ill report back about that.. 
Overall I have been happy with the bike but unfortunately its just too small for me. Im hoping to get my hands on a boot'r team this summer and Im very excited to see how that works out. 

I hope this was of some use. I know I kinda rambled. If I can get a bootr that is the PROPER size this summer Ill post a right and proper review!


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## cesalec (Aug 28, 2008)

would be nice to read that proper review hofferfish =)


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## zoro (Mar 14, 2007)

nice review and all, but that bike needs a slimmer seat... I Fly would look good on this bike


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