A: I have an Xcal 9- only difference I think are the components so they should ride downhill comparably. I've taken mine on some brutal fast and rocky downhills and it handles them great. You have to know how to position body and use elbows and knees at shocks. But geometry of bike allows you to get back and low pretty well. My
Only caveat is that on really steep decents or big dropoffs where I dont have a lot of speed for whatever reason, it does still have a little of that too far over the nose feeling you get from a XC hardtail. Not as bad as many others, but real steep and nig slow drops is when you notice what there is. I just put a 45 mm stem and a 30 mm rise Renthal fatbar 740 mm wide handlebar on it. So i cut the stem length in half and doubled the rise on the bars. Also went to a wide bar. Hoping it will improve the downhill to help with the really steeps and slow big drops by allowing me to get even further back and also hoping the increased width makes the big 29er tires which i love slightly more nimble without becoming so twitchy or unstable that it demands all my attention all the time. Havent ridden new set up yet bc of back injury but will let u know once i do. If u take it downhill post your experience. Would love to hear.
Pros
I've had the 2017 xcal 7 a few months and so far it's Durable, 29's go over anything, handles great, really good components, well priced at around $800.00
Cons
| Thanksomewhat heavy, steep down hills make it feel like I might go over handle bars.
Very good value xc bike.
Pros
Good components for the price, good xc geometry, 29 wheels, nice build.
Cons
| ThankStock pedals and tires aren't great.
Winner
Pros
Love it
Cons
| ThankNone
great bike, it is my first real MTB
Pros
fast, affordable
Cons
| Thankstock tires have very little traction
Love it
Pros
Fast bike
Cons
| ThankHeavy
I was really impressed with the X-Caliber - the drivetrain performed admirably, even under load, and the brakes were pretty good as well. The tyres were pretty slippery, and the wheels are really heavy, but other than that the X-Caliber really shines.ProsDurable, decent build, performs well for the priceConsHeavy, low-end parts, low-traction tyres
| ThankAwesome
Pros
Weight and suspension
Cons
| ThankCost
Great for XC
Pros
Locking Suspension
29'' Wheels
2 Seperate Mounts
Cons
| ThankPlastic Pedals
Not a wide range of seat adjustment due to mounting bolts
Just picked up the 2016 x-cal 7 as my first real MTB. A month and 6 trails later and I love everything about it (I've gotten used to saddle and I've had a few tire punctures) but then again my experience is limited. I did extensive research on 29ers for about a year, read lots of reviews and test rode quite a few bikes. Hands down dollar for bike, overall this is the best bike for a first trail bike I could find.
Pros
Everything
Cons
| ThankNone so far
Pros
29" tires, Handles and Balanced well. Myself and wife have the same bike just different colors. It suits both of us very well. We are the same height I've got 60 lbs on her and we both can handle the bike with ease.
Cons
| ThankNone as of yet.
This is my first mountain bike, and I love it more every day. It is fast and with the larger tires easily rolls over obstacles and absorbs the impact. I upgraded the stock pedals to Shimano M530s instantly, and I plan to replace the fork with an air suspension to save weight. But all in all it is an extremely fun bike to ride. It holds up to fast downhills as well as regular cross country rides.
Pros
Fast and responsive handling
Great on varying terrain conditions
Locking suspension system for segments of road to get to the trails
Cons
| ThankHeavy stock suspension
A good starter bike for trail riding, I would change the grips right away, it's that bad. It's a decent bike for less then $800.
Pros
Disk brake, sturdy frame decent tires, wheels are tubeless ready
Cons
| Thankgrips were junk, seat is a bit hard, budget fork
This is a good beginner - intermediate XC mountain bike. It can handle rough terrain, and lets the rider have fun while doing it.
Pros
Handling
Weight
29ers
Durable
Cons
| ThankSaddle doesn't go down all the way because of water bottle screw pegs in the frame
Great mid level bike at current. In the future a fork upgrade would make it an excellent bike
Pros
Nice feel to it
Cons
| Thanknone so far.
Spend the extra cash on an x-cal 7, 8, or 9. You wont regret it. Easy bike to upgrade if needed, but its easier (and less expensive in the long run) to just get the higher level model first.
Pros
Amazing bike for the money. Picked one up at my LBS a few weeks ago. Put over 100 miles of intense, rocky, rooty, craziest up/downhill in north jersey, on it so far with no complaints! Things got loose as expected, that's about it. Bike rides so smooth, and fast, and well controlled.
Cons
| ThankNot many. New grips and pedals are a must. that's more personal preference though. Great mid level components IMO
Pros
Great Bike, Very Durable, Great Handling and Great Traction Through Mud and Harder Terrain
Cons
| Thanknon
Excellent bike for the money. Pretty much buying a really good frame and a starter kit of what you need to finish the bike to ride it, Progress the bike as you progress as a rider. Already replaced the single wall rims to double wall rims. Next will be the forks.
Pros
Frame
Tires
Cons
| ThankFork
Single wall rims
Great mid- level bike that can handle almost anything you throw at it.ProsThis bike is a great single track bike for most of the trails we have in Wyoming.ConsCan't ride enough
| ThankAll around a beautiful and capable bike
Pros
Great ride
Cons
| ThankSlightly heavier
I would recommend this bike for some that is just getting into biking. Bought it wanting to save money after 10 years of not riding. After two weeks ended up returning to upgrade to a X-Cal 7. With that being said there is nothing wrong with the 4, just needed better components in the end.
Pros
Great entry level bike.
Tires
Brakes
Cons
| ThankPedals
Handle bar grips