# Highline vs. Bullit vs. Socom vs. Demo 8



## bond007jms (Aug 22, 2006)

All knowing MTBRs:

I am looking for a FR/DH bike that is "pedal worthy" (if that can even be said in the same sentence). Of the following: Highline vs. Bullit vs. Socom vs. Demo 8 which would you choose and why? If none of the above, what would you recommend?

Many thanks!


----------



## kidwoo (Aug 11, 2004)

Anything but the bullit 

Just an fyi a demo 7 would be more in line with a bullit or highline.

There aren't a whole lot of bikes being made as slack as a demo 8 right now. It's a good bit different than the other 3 choices.

I chose a demo 7 for what you're looking for. I would have been just as happy with a highline.

The socom pedals better than all of them but doesn't have the low slung feel of the highline or demo.


----------



## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

pedal worthy free ride bike.....how bout the Uzzi


----------



## Nut! (Nov 2, 2007)

Get stronger legs.
Then everything is pedal-able!


----------



## NoManerz (Feb 10, 2006)

Socom is going to out pedal them all.

If your a single pivot guy the bullit is a fun FR machine. No reason to over complex a single pivot like the turner.

My 2 cents


----------



## combatkimura (Jul 17, 2007)

Banshee Scythe.


----------



## bigfatadder (May 12, 2008)

*Pedalable FR? La Bruja, La Bruja, La Bruja, Ole! Ole! Ole!*

Ventana La Bruja or the Highline. The Highline is more stable due to the axle path in travel. The La Bruja is fantastic. And pedalable (search youtube "freeride illawarra escarpment" and you get the idea).

-- Hmmm, Utopian Community and you're inviting people from this website?  Could be a massacre.. imagine.. "Those tyres aren't tough enough for DH"... "yes they are, they're rad." ...."No way Mofo, and that rear derailler is a medium cage and it should be a short :madmax: , I KILL YOU" etc etc etc...

I'm a half-empty-glass kinda fella  :thumbsup:


----------



## horseonthefly (Mar 19, 2007)

How about waiting until the new vp-free comes out? I have an '06 and for a freeride/dh bike it pedals pretty good (I've done 15-20 mile rides on it) and I think the new one is due out this summer.


----------



## spxoo (Apr 26, 2007)

I have a new bullit built under 35lbs with the air shock, it pedals pretty dang good. Propedal and a nice long seat post I can climb just about anything I need to.


----------



## rep_1969 (Mar 25, 2004)

Diggle


----------



## Err (Mar 21, 2005)

I have a Highline, have had it for a couple seasons. Pedaling it all day long is no problem at all. Mine has been through a few revisions but currently sports a Totem Solo Air, DHX-C w/Ti spring, and I9's laced to 5.1's among other fun parts. I am running an FD with a stinger and this bike sees plenty of all-around trail days along with gnarly FR stuff. It's primarily my wifes bike but I ride it a fair amount. I have a good bro who rides a Highline as his only bike and he's killing it on everything from long trail rides to hard FR on it and loving it.

I have a Socom on the way and I expect it to be similarly versatile. The VPP pedals very well (I have an SS now) and the weight is very low. If you want to run a FD on a Socom, you have to add a bolt-on cable stop and dremel on the derailure clamp a bit to make it work.


----------



## ianjenn (Aug 1, 2004)

Funny try running VPP's with no Pro Pedal feature and their great pedal effect just vanishes. Trust me my M3 had no pro pedal or platform and did not pedal well at all. ANyway I would say highline, VPX SOcom is a low slung race bike?


----------



## acdcfan1283 (Mar 20, 2004)

*Socom All The Way*

I've been riding a Socom for about a month now, and I absolutely love it. It's super fast, pedals great, and i've ridden 2 of the other bikes on your list (a bullit and a demo), this thing blows the demo away. The bullit can be advantageous because it can be built up a bit more flexible than the socom, but it doesn't ride as well as the socom by far. I say go with the socom :thumbsup: 
here's a pic for you to stare at


----------



## Jwind (Mar 1, 2006)

carbon fuel. go with the carbon man.


----------



## Kevin G (Feb 19, 2007)

What about a Corsair Maelstrom?


----------



## Stalk (May 24, 2005)

I tested Demo 8 and riding Socom now. Climbed same #%%$& road on both and Socom wins hands down. It's doesn't need any propedal, just good old power on the cranks


----------



## kidwoo (Aug 11, 2004)

ianjenn said:


> Funny try running VPP's with no Pro Pedal feature and their great pedal effect just vanishes. Trust me my M3 had no pro pedal or platform and did not pedal well at all. ANyway I would say highline, VPX SOcom is a low slung race bike?


Funny I had a 6.6 and an uzzi and ran zero pedaling platform on either of them, ever.

The uzzi is the best pedaling bike I've ever ridden.


----------



## MattP. (Oct 3, 2005)

Another vote for the Can Diggle:


----------



## shakenbakebaby (Jan 20, 2007)

does anybody have any info of the price on that corsair


----------



## Kevin G (Feb 19, 2007)

$1699 for the frame. Availability? Everyone's guess here...



shakenbakebaby said:


> does anybody have any info of the price on that corsair


----------



## L. Ron Hoover (Feb 1, 2006)

kidwoo said:


> Funny I had a 6.6 and an uzzi and ran zero pedaling platform on either of them, ever.
> 
> The uzzi is the best pedaling bike I've ever ridden.


Bingo. I never use the pro-pedal on my Uzzi and it pedals amazingly well for what it is. Plus VPP really sticks to the ground on rough terrain. I went on a ride the other night with a bunch of really good riders riding everything from an SS hardtail to high end trail bikes (none VPP). There were several steep, technical climbs on the trail that only I cleaned. I put it entirely on the bike as my riding skills are highly outclassed by the other guys. 

The Socom's a bit slacker, but a bit lighter so I'd guess it would pedal quite well for what it is as well. I have a couple of buddies with them and they do trail rides on them with minimal complaining.

A properly set up VPP suspension will pedal efficiently without any platform.

That being said, I have been known to drool over the Highline and the Can-Diggle....


----------



## ianjenn (Aug 1, 2004)

kidwoo said:


> Funny I had a 6.6 and an uzzi and ran zero pedaling platform on either of them, ever.
> 
> The uzzi is the best pedaling bike I've ever ridden.


If you have enough power to saty seated and spin smooth then yeah, lots of fast locals do 30 plus mile loops on DH sleds all the time, DHR,s M1's etc, but standing up may be a need that will be encountered. So pedal ability is sorta 50/50. I am thinking overall build needs more important such as a front der, and full post, as well as weight so maybe a Bullit would be a good ride for his needs?


----------



## Playdeep (Mar 18, 2005)

Highline. Or consider a Knolly DT.


----------



## flyingwalrus (Apr 14, 2004)

I'd suggest the Knolly Delerium T if you've got the $$$.

Otherwise...I pedal my bottlerocket everywhere and it can handle some very large FR stuff--but I've always loved the look of the highline.


----------



## his dudeness (May 9, 2007)

Stalk said:


> I tested Demo 8 and riding Socom now. Climbed same #%%$& road on both and Socom wins hands down. It's doesn't need any propedal, just good old power on the cranks


The Demo will never win any climbing contests unless the rider has the legs to stand and hammer. When I climb like this on mine I usually beat everyone... but thats at the expense of getting myself pretty tired too.

She sure does feel awesome going down though, and those Socom's are about as burly as my 89 year old grandma.

I'd pretty much only want to race on a socom, they are definately not designed to take a lot of abuse.


----------



## kidwoo (Aug 11, 2004)

ianjenn said:


> If you have enough power to saty seated and spin smooth then yeah, lots of fast locals do 30 plus mile loops on DH sleds all the time, DHR,s M1's etc, but standing up may be a need that will be encountered. So pedal ability is sorta 50/50. I am thinking overall build needs more important such as a front der, and full post, as well as weight so maybe a Bullit would be a good ride for his needs?


I stand up and pedal on every descent I make and usually a good bit during climbing (it's kind of rocky around here).

I think you were probably sagged in the wrong spot on the bike(s) you rode. If you're not in the sweet spot they'll either extend or compress depending on which extreme you're on.

Consider also that an m3 is a dh bike with 9+ inches of travel. It's tough to get a tight feeling bike under pedals with that much movement to tame.


----------



## acdcfan1283 (Mar 20, 2004)

his dudeness said:


> The Demo will never win any climbing contests unless the rider has the legs to stand and hammer. When I climb like this on mine I usually beat everyone... but thats at the expense of getting myself pretty tired too.
> 
> She sure does feel awesome going down though, and those Socom's are about as burly as my 89 year old grandma.
> 
> I'd pretty much only want to race on a socom, they are definately not designed to take a lot of abuse.


you'd be surprised how much mine takes. I do plenty of freeriding on mine as well as dh, and it holds up just fine for what it is. Sure, there are better freeride capable bikes than this one, but it can be put through its paces :thumbsup:


----------



## jasonvelocity (Jul 21, 2006)

Socom can easily outpedal the demo 8, but the demo will take a beating.


----------



## Curler (Oct 31, 2005)

Maelstrom is going to be available in September.


----------



## lusenator (Nov 24, 2007)

I've got a highline and aabbbsssoollluuutteelllyyy love it.

came from a marin quake and noticeably got faster (compared to the guys I ride with)
I was hitting bigger jumps and drops on my first ride
and simply have more fun on it.


----------



## lusenator (Nov 24, 2007)

oh and I forgot, it couldn't pedal any better infact the highline is my only bike and I ride it everywhere, I've got a 36 talas on it now but I'll be getting a 66 rc3 pretty soon,


----------



## Frankenstein (Aug 9, 2004)

bullet is still a bullet, vp free will still be a vp free-a decent bike imo. the vp had a tad high feeling BB compared to the highline in 7". socom seems to crossover the uzzi territory too much in my opinion to be considered with this group. uzzi would be like a different flavored vp free. similiar but diff enough to notice.

if everything about each one of these companies is considered. future cs issues, parts, exclusiveness, bushings vs bearings, etc....ride quality, i would pick


a 



Highline.

low slung mini dh race bike, pedals well, light enough, strong enough.

what else do you want?


----------



## NoManerz (Feb 10, 2006)

Frankenstein said:


> the vp had a tad high feeling BB compared to the highline in 7".


Go ride a vp-free with a shorter shock in the 7.75 inch mode. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Talk about a killer dh slayer.

I'd still rock the socom.


----------



## gmookher (May 17, 2005)

Trying to understand the diggle vs socom suspension design benefits of the diggle...who here has experience on the diggle and the socom? climbing and descending?


----------



## Camaro_Dave (Jun 15, 2008)

gotta love the Demo 7


----------



## jvale45 (Oct 10, 2008)

I still want that one; which one; that one. ACDC WHAT KIND OF REAR SHOCK ARE YOU running on YOUR socom?


----------



## Guest (Nov 16, 2008)

jvale45 said:


> I still want that one; which one; that one. ACDC WHAT KIND OF REAR SHOCK ARE YOU running on YOUR socom?


Looks like a Double Barrel with a ti spring to me.


----------



## juan pablo (Jan 17, 2007)

Can the Bullit even be in the same equation here? I have a limited choice at the moment since I am based in South Korea. The Nomad is pricey and that leaves the Reign X, with mixed reviews about bearing durabilty, and the Bullit. I have an amazing Hardtail but I am starting to ache and may have to go fully in spring. The trails are unexpectedly insane and I am hoping to do some trail building this winter. I enjoyed my single pivot Orange Patriot but the pivot point was lower and made for a good all round pedellar which is important like the OP. But all the bikes discussed are in this category are in a different catergory no? The bullit remains on my list till spring.


----------



## Flystagg (Nov 14, 2006)

well the biggest point here is if you can find a highline in your size it will be $1500 vs. 2700 for the socom, $1200 buys some pretty nice parts


----------



## juan pablo (Jan 17, 2007)

I agree
Wife+3 kids=limited bike expenditure
Choose wisely for guaranteed satisfaction


----------



## FM (Apr 30, 2003)

Flystagg said:


> well the biggest point here is if you can find a highline in your size it will be $1500 vs. 2700 for the socom, $1200 buys some pretty nice parts


Who can igore a $1200 price difference for a bike that's comparable, if not many's 1st choice? Thats a week at whistler!

You don't have to look hard to find basically new '08 highlines for $1250 right now. That's an incredible price for an incredible & super versatile bike- You can build the highline up with different shocks & forks to make it a 6" slopestyle rig, 7" FR, or an 8" DH ripper. And with Turner's customer service you don't need to worry about buying a discontinued frame used.

Mine has been for sale on & off. Pretty hard to let it go at such low prices. Same motivation here though, in '09 I plan to spend less time&money driving to whistler and more time riding closer to home, where my 6" AM bike is adequate. The highline's been incredible though, highly suggested.


----------



## Orange-Goblin (Jan 27, 2008)

I use my SS for pretty much exactly what your talking about. I know its not as slack as any of the bikes you mention, but it pedals great, and rules for FR, and is a great part-time DH bike.


----------



## MTB_prodigy (Jun 16, 2007)

acdcfan1283 said:


> I've been riding a Socom for about a month now, and I absolutely love it. It's super fast, pedals great, and i've ridden 2 of the other bikes on your list (a bullit and a demo), this thing blows the demo away. The bullit can be advantageous because it can be built up a bit more flexible than the socom, but it doesn't ride as well as the socom by far. I say go with the socom :thumbsup:
> here's a pic for you to stare at


Trust me, im staring.:eekster: :eekster:  :eekster:


----------



## his dudeness (May 9, 2007)

Before you listen to anyone on these forums I suggest that you throw a leg over whatever you're interested in buying and base your decision solely off how the bikes ride for you. Everyone here has their own brand whore preference and think that their bike is superior in every way to everyone else's so keep that in mind. Personally, I have a Demo 7. As far as people saying that it's a slow climber, well I can't say I get beaten too much on the uphills when I'm pedaling mine. And as far as dh it's the cat's pajamas. But then again thats my opinion. 


Just please please please don't be a total retard and buy something without riding it first.


----------



## DH_Racer (Jun 30, 2006)

I would get the socom! Cant beat the weight....


----------



## Septentrion (Jan 21, 2006)

Trek session 88 beat the socom, about 150grs...


----------



## gmookher (May 17, 2005)

where does can-diggle fit in?


----------

