Decided to upgrade my MTB TO 29ER

[DeuceWheeler]

I have been looking around leisurely for a new best-bang-for-the-buck 29er and settled on this
Airborne Guardian 2.0

It's a major upgrade from my specialized hardrock 26.
They beat out TREK, Specialized, etc... in terms of price and components. They are a small shop located in Ohio, so it's nice to support them.

Frame 6061 Hydroformed Aluminum Hardtail 29"
Fork RockShox XC28 TK Mg29 with Preload Adjust, Rebound Adjust and Lock-Out, 100mm
Headset Ahead Sealed Cartridge 1 1/8"
Brake Levers Tektro Auriga Comp
Brakes Tektro Auriga Comp Hydraulic Disc
Rotors Tektro 160mm Rotor
Shifters SRAM X-5 Trigger 9-Speed
F Derailleur SRAM X5 9speed
R Derailleur SRAM X5 9speed Long Cage
Cassette SRAM PG-950 12-34T 9-Speed
Chain KMC X-9
Crank Truvative E400 22-32-42T
Bottom Bracket Powerspline Sealed Cartridge
Pedals NONE
Rims Weinmann Disc Bull Double-Walled with Eyelets, 32H
Hubs KT HiFlange 32H
Spokes Black 14g Stainless
Tires KENDA Small Block 8, 2.1"
Handlebar AIRBORNE Alloy Flat, 640mm width
Stem AIRBORNE Alloy +/- 7 Degree Rise, size specific
Saddle Selle San Marco SPID White/Black
Seat Post AIRBORNE Alloy 31.6mm Diameter, 350mm Length
Extras Owner's Manual, Clear Coat, H20 Bottle Mounts

Ordered this past Thursday. I am pumped.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Just need pedals!

Luke.

 

[DeuceWheeler]

Just need pedals!

Luke.

I also ordered some egg beaters but now I need some shoes! Never rode clipless before. Should be interesting.

 

[mikeeebikey]

Looks like a nice rig!

 

[bbender785]

so how are you loving it? i am on my second season with my Guardian 1.0.... for the money you cannot come close to what it is. except for the fork and front derailleur (which they fixed on the 2.0), i love it.

 

[bbender785]

 

[Bicycle808]

They are a small shop located in Ohio, so it's nice to support them.

Nice bike; very well-specced for the price. But, it's tough to look at a subsidiary of the Huffy Corporation as a "small shop located in Ohio", especially with the frames being made in Taiwan.

Sad to say, but the days of small shops in Ohio offering affordable bicycles seem to be over. Maybe, one day, we'll be able to bring it back.

 

[bbender785]

it's not a subsidiary so much as they just use Huffy's shipping and buying power.. there is absolutely nothing "huffy" about the actual bike.

 

[DeuceWheeler]

it's not a subsidiary so much as they just use Huffy's shipping and buying power.. there is absolutely nothing "huffy" about the actual bike.

This, exactly. They use Huffy's buying power, but are in no way HUFFY bikes.
The frames are made in China, not that makes it any better.
There aren't many affordable bicycles that are made in the USA unfortunately.
Most are custom jobs, so if you can afford them, great. I can't.
Airborne still kicks the crap out of Specialized, Trek, Giant, etc... IMHO.

 

[bbender785]

i would say they are right on par with those brands, they just do it at a lower pricepoint. my main riding buddy rides a Trek that has an identical spec, but with the next better front shock offering from Rockshox.. but it's a $1050 bike.

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

that's nice. how much and how heavy?

I ride full rigid, with a 29 up front, and 26 out back.

 

[DeuceWheeler]

that's nice. how much and how heavy?

I ride full rigid, with a 29 up front, and 26 out back.

Thanks! It's a real smooth ride. They run $599 shipped.
I haven't weighed it, but people on MTBR.com are saying 30lbs. I am sure it could be dropped significantly with tubeless, new seat/seat post and bars. For me, it's light enough. I need to lose body weight before I need to lose bike weight.

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

Wow that's a great deal. I want one.


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[bbender785]

that's nice. how much and how heavy?

I ride full rigid, with a 29 up front, and 26 out back.

a 69er!

yeah i've read about 30lb too. i am planning on upgrading my wheels, going tubeless, and upgrading my fork over the winter.. hoping to be in the 25lb range next year.

 

[jonathan creason]

Nice bike! I love my 29er, a Redline Monocog. It's not as "flickable" as a 26" bike, but it rolls effortlessly over small obstacles.

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

69er hahaha!


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[Bicycle808]

it's not a subsidiary so much as they just use Huffy's shipping and buying power.. there is absolutely nothing "huffy" about the actual bike.

Airborne is exactly a subsidiary of Huffy. Shame that the latest Airbornes are made in China; when Huffy relaunched the brand a few years back, the frames were made in Taiwan. These days, Huffy is a Chinese-owned company that distributes bikes and parts from a variety of factories; Airborne bikes may well be the best bikes that Huffy sells, but Airborne is owned by Huffy.

There's nothing wrong with that, and there's no shame in owning an Airborne. It's a nice bike. But there's no "small shop in Ohio" called Airborne that's making bikes. Airborne is an internet-only factory-to-consumer direct operation. No dealer network or anything like that. That sort of streamlining, no doubt, is what allows them to sell their bikes for far less than most competitively spec'd models from other brands.

 

[bbender785]

Airborne is an internet-only factory-to-consumer direct operation. No dealer network or anything like that. That sort of streamlining, no doubt, is what allows them to sell their bikes for far less than most competitively sec'd models from other brands.

you got it.

here's a pretty interesting quote from Rick Vosper, Director at Airborne Bicycle:

"Airborne has its own staff, financials, budgets, etc etc. The most important thing we get from Huffy (besides seed money, of course) is stuff like warehousing and accounting services. Other than approving my budgets and Business Plans, they’re really good about letting us do our own thing. If the brand does well, we get the credit. If not, it’s entirely our fault, not Huffy’s.

So I’d suggest the fact that Airborne is owned by Huffy is no more an issue than the fact that Cannondale is owned by Pacific (which happens to be Huffy’s biggest competitor in the mass side of the bike business) or that before buying Trek, the Burke family was in the refrigerator industry. What matters is that all those guys still make great bikes."

 

[DeuceWheeler]

Yeah, I don't give a crap where it came from, the reviews for their bikes say it all and it was the best spec'd, best reviewed bike in my price range.

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

I'd buy one if they were made by Yugo.


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