Procrastination - The Canzo Report
Here is a guest blog, by non other than our very own Dave Anderson, or DA as we affectionately call him. Dave bought a Voodoo Canzo this fall, and this is what he thinks of it.
The original title was to be “The Canzo Report”, but as most people who know me I tend to put things off for a while. So 3-1/2 months later here it is.
I had been talking to George for a while about getting a full suspension bike to go along with my Niner Sir 9….something to fill out the quiver. I was also looking for a full suspension ride to use in the Vermont 50. I was reluctant to just go out and purchase one until I was able to give it a test drive and make sure it was I wanted. Then along came the Canzo.
I was just searching through the Web and came across this bike. A full suspension frame for less than $900… That’s cheap for a full suspension frame! Well, compared to around $2,000 for most others I had been looking at. So after a few emails with Voodoo (very helpful) and talking things over with G, I pulled the trigger (and crossed my fingers) that things would workout.
The Frame:
The bike comes in one color only – Swamp Green, which is one thing that caught my eye. I tend to go with some off colors anyway and just liked the looks. The rear triangle though, has black seat stays and chrome colored chain stays. I think the bike would have looked a lot better with an all black rear triangle. The paint job is not bad on the bike. I did have an issue with a few spots, because of cable routing, where I have already worn through the paint. Then again I have seen this on many other bikes also. The frame comes with a Rock Shox MC3.3 (4” travel) rear shock. See ride report for my thoughts on the shock. As for weight, we did not get a chance to weigh it before we built it up. I have heard anywhere from 5 to 7lbs. The total build when it was complete came in at just under 29lbs.
The build:
Well the build so far is a combo of new and stolen parts off my Niner. Wheel set is a combo of DT Swiss hubs and a Salsa Delgado rim in the front and Stan's in the rear. Went with a Truvative double on the front (hardly ever use the big ring anyway), Sram X9 shifters and derailleurs, Thompson seatpost and stem, old riser bar. Nothing fancy, but that’s the way I like it.
The ride:
First of the geometry of this bike is not to far off from the Niner, so I figured with some tweaking it could all workout. The first ride did not start out the best. George was kind enough to come in after hours to put the bike together the night before our annual East Burke trip. After a few adult beverages and some building fun it was completed, but the fine tuning…handle bar adjustment, seat position were not finalized (not a George issue, just a time issue). So the first ride was spent tweaking a few things and making adjustments. It was also hotter then hell and I was being dragged around by J-pro. The biggest adjustment was the rear shock. For the last 4 yrs I was mainly riding a hard tail, so messing around and adjusting the rear shock was something new to me. After messing around with things I ended up keeping the pressure at 100psi. This gives enough suspension while also letting me stand up and hammer up a hill with out much bob at all. Just to note that the shock has 3 positions…locked out, semi damped, and fully open. I usually have the shock in the middle position and will occasionally lock it out on longer climbs. I found the in the full open position the bike is too spongy. Another issue I had a first was a slow turning front end. With the setup as first built I had the combination of riser bars and a stem with a 10º rise. This put me in a more up right position then my Niner and I believe this was the cause for the steering issues. After getting used to the bike I was able to overcome this. After riding this bike hard for a month ending with the VT 50 I was say that I am happy with the bike. It may not be the ideal bike, but for the money it is well worth it.
The original title was to be “The Canzo Report”, but as most people who know me I tend to put things off for a while. So 3-1/2 months later here it is.
I had been talking to George for a while about getting a full suspension bike to go along with my Niner Sir 9….something to fill out the quiver. I was also looking for a full suspension ride to use in the Vermont 50. I was reluctant to just go out and purchase one until I was able to give it a test drive and make sure it was I wanted. Then along came the Canzo.
I was just searching through the Web and came across this bike. A full suspension frame for less than $900… That’s cheap for a full suspension frame! Well, compared to around $2,000 for most others I had been looking at. So after a few emails with Voodoo (very helpful) and talking things over with G, I pulled the trigger (and crossed my fingers) that things would workout.
The Frame:
The bike comes in one color only – Swamp Green, which is one thing that caught my eye. I tend to go with some off colors anyway and just liked the looks. The rear triangle though, has black seat stays and chrome colored chain stays. I think the bike would have looked a lot better with an all black rear triangle. The paint job is not bad on the bike. I did have an issue with a few spots, because of cable routing, where I have already worn through the paint. Then again I have seen this on many other bikes also. The frame comes with a Rock Shox MC3.3 (4” travel) rear shock. See ride report for my thoughts on the shock. As for weight, we did not get a chance to weigh it before we built it up. I have heard anywhere from 5 to 7lbs. The total build when it was complete came in at just under 29lbs.
The build:
Well the build so far is a combo of new and stolen parts off my Niner. Wheel set is a combo of DT Swiss hubs and a Salsa Delgado rim in the front and Stan's in the rear. Went with a Truvative double on the front (hardly ever use the big ring anyway), Sram X9 shifters and derailleurs, Thompson seatpost and stem, old riser bar. Nothing fancy, but that’s the way I like it.
The ride:
First of the geometry of this bike is not to far off from the Niner, so I figured with some tweaking it could all workout. The first ride did not start out the best. George was kind enough to come in after hours to put the bike together the night before our annual East Burke trip. After a few adult beverages and some building fun it was completed, but the fine tuning…handle bar adjustment, seat position were not finalized (not a George issue, just a time issue). So the first ride was spent tweaking a few things and making adjustments. It was also hotter then hell and I was being dragged around by J-pro. The biggest adjustment was the rear shock. For the last 4 yrs I was mainly riding a hard tail, so messing around and adjusting the rear shock was something new to me. After messing around with things I ended up keeping the pressure at 100psi. This gives enough suspension while also letting me stand up and hammer up a hill with out much bob at all. Just to note that the shock has 3 positions…locked out, semi damped, and fully open. I usually have the shock in the middle position and will occasionally lock it out on longer climbs. I found the in the full open position the bike is too spongy. Another issue I had a first was a slow turning front end. With the setup as first built I had the combination of riser bars and a stem with a 10º rise. This put me in a more up right position then my Niner and I believe this was the cause for the steering issues. After getting used to the bike I was able to overcome this. After riding this bike hard for a month ending with the VT 50 I was say that I am happy with the bike. It may not be the ideal bike, but for the money it is well worth it.
posted by mandy at 1:39 PM
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