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1 December 2011 - 9:55New to the Fold

I wanted to quickly address a comment that was left by Andrew on the blog regarding the Spot:

I remembrer seeing a number of reviews that said the 2011 platinum ox versions were welded right there in CO. Looking at the frame price, I’d be willing to pay a bit more for a frame made in the US (spend local, right?), but if they’re welded oversees, how do they justify a $1400 frame price, when a niner SIR (and a number of other higher end SS frames) are priced at $900-1000? I don’t know. Those dropouts look sweet, and I’ve heard it rides great, but I don’t know if it’s worth a $400-500 surcharge

The Platinum OX frames were indeed US made, but they simply could’t keep production inline with demand. Long story short, they ended up taking production overseas, and upgrading the tubes to Reynolds 853. I myself thought that the $1400 price tag was a bit steep for a foreign frame, despite the intricate dropouts. You could buy a custom Walt Works for just about he same kind of money.  It was explained to me that the price was a result of the Kobe drop outs. I certainly gained a bit more sympathy for the price after actually seeing the dropout in person, but the price still seemed high.

As Andrew points out, there are other 853 frames that are much more attractively priced, but after spending some quality time on the Spot, I started to see where the Rocker really stood out amongst the rest. It is specifically designed around the belt drive, and after reading some of the feedback and experiences of others with the belt on the webiverse, I think there are aspects to this frame that justify the higher price. Fortunately, what has happened since I took delivery of the bike, is that there was a pretty decent price reduction in the frame. It went from $1399 to $1199, which positions the bike more appropriately against the competition.





While a lot of people are still on the fence about the whole belt drive thing, my experiences with it have been positive, and I feel that we might see some more of these types of bikes out on the trail.

After spending the last couple of weeks riding the Spot, I have decided that this bike, and all of the technology that comes with it, is something that is both awesome, and something that belongs in the B29 stable. It rides like no other bike I have ridden. Over the next few days, I’ll be adding more Spot Brand products to the catalog, including belt drive components. I’ll be offering the complete line up, frames and complete bikes, so if you are interested in getting on a belt drive, I’m the guy to talk to.

 

 

 

11 Comments » | Tags: 29er, Bike 29 Equipment

Comments:

  1. mandy says;
    01 Dec 2011 - 11:13

    Agree with your thoughts on the belt drive, the belt on my travel bike has been utterly drama free. I have total Spot envy, that’s a good looking bike.

  2. Kramerica says;
    01 Dec 2011 - 12:46

    Once you go belt… it’s hard to go back to the “old chain”!

  3. dough says;
    01 Dec 2011 - 13:12

    AAG: This has probably been covered but…. Is it safe to assume use a belt sprocket combination that nets the same gear inches as one would ride when there’s a chain on the bike?

    I haven’t spent much time with this http://carbondrivesystems.com/Calculator/index.php but I’m sure after an hour or so of dedicated time I can figure it out. Kind of wish the output was broken out via CDC/CDX or CenterTrack though since the sprocket availability is different.

    AAG: another ask george

  4. G says;
    01 Dec 2011 - 13:41

    according to my gear inch calculator iapps, the Gates 56/28 is about the same as a chain 34/21. There will be more rear sprocket choices available in the next few months. I’m looking forward to the 30t!

  5. dough says;
    01 Dec 2011 - 14:32

    want CX gearing

  6. G says;
    01 Dec 2011 - 14:50

    I forget what T6 is using on their Darkhorse CX bike

  7. Drew says;
    01 Dec 2011 - 15:14

    Hey guys,

    Thanks for all the kind words on the Spot Rocker! We love this bike too… obviously.

    A couple of comments on gear ratios. Our stock set up comes as 46 x 28 which is about a 1.64 ratio (right in between the equivalent of a 32 x 19 and a 32 x 20 on a standard chain SS.

    As far as sprockets go. A 50t belt sprocket is not equivalent to a 50t chain ring. The Gates 50t is much smaller than a 50t chainring. But a ratio is a ratio. Front sprocket compared with the rear sprocket. 46 x 28 = 1.64 – 34 x 21 = 1.62. This is a negligible difference, you will more even engagement of the belt.

    Thanks again for the right up George! We’re glad you loved it. Can’t wait to hear the feedback from your customers also!

    Drew Patterson
    Sales Manager Spot Brand Bikes

  8. Matt says;
    02 Dec 2011 - 6:19

    Any thought to bring in other brands? Canfield makes the nimble 9 which interested me lately, I’d love to ride one.

  9. Bjørn says;
    02 Dec 2011 - 7:45

    Great blog lately, George! Have you considered testing your new spot with a stiff fork?
    And do you (or Drew) know if there is any plans for other colours (and headtubes). White does not suit my habits and wet trails.

    BT

  10. G says;
    02 Dec 2011 - 10:57

    Canfield sells consumer direct, so it’s not an option for me at the moment. I really like their bikes though, I love the Yelly Screamy.

  11. G says;
    02 Dec 2011 - 10:59

    Hi Bjorn, I think that Drew told me that there were some Steel Blue framesets available. You can see that picture on Spot’s website

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