Woodstock Full Suspension 707 Review
Who:
As mentioned on their site.
Discount Mountain Bikes for Serious Recreational Bikers
Looking for great low prices for quality front suspension and full suspension mountain bikes? The aim of Woodstock Bikes is to provide serious recreational bikers an alternative to purchasing their mountain bicycles from a local bike shop in order to save lots of money!
Woodstock Bikes is focused on providing high quality bikes for the serious recreational rider at a lower price than what a local bike shop can offer. We are custom bike builder, so our high quality bike frames are custom designed and built with all other components being the same as what you will find on name brand bikes in your local bike shop.
Product Tested:
Woodstock 707
Price:
$899.99
Specs:
Bottom Bracket: Truvativ Powerspline
Brake Levers: Avid FR-5
Cassette: SRAM PG950, 11–34T, 9 speed
Crankset: Truvativ Blaze 3.0, 9 speed
Chain: SRAM PC-951
Chainwheel 44/32/22
Front Fork: Manitou Axel Elite FFD (Fluid Flow Damping) w/100mm Travel, Upgraded with Firm Spring & Lockout
Frame: Double-Butted Four-Bar 7005 Alloy (A614-0)
Front Brake: Avid BB5 Mechanical Disc
Front Derailleur: Shimano Deore Top Swing
Front Hub: WTB LaserDisc Lite
Grips Velo VLG-486AD2 ViceGrips
Handlebar: Answer ProTaper
Headset: WTB Momentum C
Pedals: Wellgo LU-964 Alloy
Rear Brake: Avid BB5 Mechanical Disc
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X-7
Rear Hub: WTB LaserDisc Lite
Rear Shock Manitou Radium R PPD (Platform Plus Damping) Air Shock
Rims: Dual Duty XC
Saddle: WTB Lazer V Team
Seatpost: Truvativ XR Single Bolt
Shifters: SRAM X-7 Trigger
Stem: Truvativ XR
Spokes: 14G Stainless Steel Black
Tires: WTB Weirwolf 26″ x 2.1″
About Me:
5’7″ 190lbs, 30 year old male. I ride a fixie on the road and various mountain bikes on the trails that included the Woodstock 707.
Testing Grounds: Fullerton Loop, Panorama Trail, and the streets of Fullerton.
First Impression:
When we first spoke to Jimmy Rigsby of Woodstock Bikes he had asked us which size we needed. I asked for a small or a 16″ frame. Then when I got the bike, I thought it was going to be way too small. But to my surprise the 707 was the perfect size for me.
Though I normally ride a medium bike, the small 707 fit like a glove. The geometry of the bike didn’t leave me leaning over too much and if needed, I could still raise the seat post without passing the minimum insertion.
The cockpit was very impressive with brands like SRAM, Answer, WTB and Avid.
Overall Performance
The Woodstock 707 is a very impressive bike. The price point of the bike at $899.99 makes this bike a contender against mountain bikes you would see at the shop.
On my first day out on the Woodstock 707, I really didn’t have to adjust anything other than the seat height and proper air pressure for the rear Manitou Radium shock. Other than that, the bike came to me tuned and ready to ride.
I took out the 707 on the Fullerton Loop, which provides a rider with a mixture of short but steep climbs, down hills and single track sections. On the first climb I simply locked out the front Manitou Axel to help me get over the crest of the hill. The lockout feature on the fork never failed during our tests. In fact it worked every time it was needed.
The Manitou Radium has Platform Plus Dampening, which means “provides improved power and pedaling efficiency.” Once I set my sag and air pressure on the shock for my weight, I basically forgot all about it. Its kinda like that infomercial by Ronco, “Set it and Forget it!” The rear shock does a great job in absorbing the smallest bumps to the bigger drops that I would take it on. The biggest drop the I took the 707 on was about 3 feet high. The rear shock never bottomed out nor lost air.
Tires on the 707 are a brand and tread pattern that I am very familiar with. These tires gave me a great experience riding through the down hill section, sand and some parts mud. But they gripped exceptionally well on the hard pack that I rode on.
The drive train was a mix of SRAM, TruVativ and Shimano components. This concoction of parts was as smooth as a good Pinot Grigio. The SRAM PG950 cassette combined with the SRAM PC 951 chain provided effortless pedaling and the SRAM X-7 rear derailleur made rear shifting more enjoyable. The front derailleur was manned by Shimano Deore. Each gear was hit right on cue, thanks to the frictionless shifting given by the SRAM X-7 Triggers.
Geometry on this bike was perfect for me. Moe even liked it. I typically prefer a more comfort, slightly bent riding position. Moe being a big roadie fan likes to lean forward. But the 707 hit the sweet spot for both of us. It was neither to upright or too far forward. Thanks to the geometry, the 707 climbs like a goat! I’ve never been this comfortable on a mountain bike,ever!
Weaknesses:
Right when I first got the 707, I took it to the LBS to show the guys and to get their opinions. Some of the mechanics took it around the parking lot to test it out. The General Manager of the shop wanted to air down the shock to have it fit his weight. Once he let out all of the air, he compressed the rear end to see if it would get the full travel on the shock. To our surprise, the rocker arm was hitting the top of the shock, which meant you couldn’t get the full travel on the rear end and potentially damaging the shock.
Though this was easily remedied by moving the shock position to the outer mounting bracket. Once that adjustment was made, the rocker arm was no longer hitting the the shock.
Another problem we had during our test was the drive train crank arm. The crank arm bolt came loose during our test. We had to cut our ride short that evening and by the time we got back to the car, the crank arm had vibrated loose.
I had mentioned both problems to Woodstock Bikes about it. They immediately responded by making sure they notify future customers of the rear shock/rocker arm problem and by adding an 8mm allen wrench with the bike when purchased. Apparently the problem with the TruVativ cranks has been experienced by other bike companies using the same model on their bikes.
Summary:
The Woodstock 707 is a great bike! It’s that simple really. Great value, great ride, great parts, what more can you ask for? Oh and another thing, Woodstock Bikes is a Rider owned company. What does that mean to you? Well basically Jimmy, the owner, rides his own 707 and is even a bigger critic of his product than most people would be. He had told me months ago, before the 707 hit the scene that he was testing out the prototype in the hills of Woodstock, Ga. He kept tweaking things on the bike to make sure it was perfect. By the end of it all, he figured out what would be the best marriage of components, geometry and price for a full suspension mountain bike.
My Opinion:
Is the Woodstock 707 worth it? Heck yeah it is. I dare you to compare it with the bikes you’ll find at the LBS. You’ll be surprised to know that the 707 is hundreds less than its leading competitors. The bike is a great ride. I only wish I could keep this bike because I really liked it, but (as my shoulders droop down) we have to return it to the folks of Woodstock Bikes.