Sirius Sports, the Staats distributor for Australia and New Zealand, wanted to know what we thought of the new Aluminium Staats frame. We thought it must be worth a look since the likes of Mike Day and Robert De Wilde have been pulling great results on the National circuit and in downhill events on Staats frames. So they sent an XXL sized frame across to us for our new AA Pro Levi Collins to put through it's paces.
This thoroughbred has a recommended retail price of AUD$719.99 (The US retail price not available at the time of review). It's available in 13 sizes; 20" sizes range from micro mini to pro XXL and cruisers 24" sizes from mini to 24" Pro XL (see chart below for geometry and weight). There are also 2 colour choices Dragon Blood Red & Full Moon Blue. We haven't seen the Dragon Blood Red, but if Full Moon Blue is anything to go by (see photos) it will be well worth checking out.
One of the first questions we asked was "If the cromo Staats racing frame was so successful why would Staats make an alloy race frame?" The answer is simple when you look at the weight of the two Staats XXL 20" frames. The new aluminium frame is 3.8lbs compared 4.6lbs of the cromo. In shaving off the weight the two frames still look very similar, the alloy frame has the classic characteristics and features of the cromo, like the ovalised chainstays and the distinctive junction that joins the top of the seat tube to the rear of the frame, the only real difference is the bigger welds that you get on all alloy frames. (To take a closer at the finer details of the frame, just click on any of the images in this review.)
Levi managed to get all his parts on the Staats Aluminium frame on the
Tuesday before the ACT Open State Titles, one of Australia's largest race
meetings. He came out in the pro open on the first day winning his first
two motos and setting himself up as one of the favourites for the final.
It was only a mistimed gate that kept him from the podium, but 5th in
a strong field was still a great result. Levi looked comfortable on the
frame, even though it was longer in both the front and back end and the
bottom bracket was lower than his previous bike, a GT Ultra Box. It took
him a little while to get the handlebar height sorted out and to get used
to the length of the frame, but it started to feel right after a few small
adjustments and a couple of rides.
Levi had a lot to say about the frame, after having swapped all his parts over he said "the Staats frame, with cranks, felt lighter than just the Ultra Box frame on it's own". "In general it's a great ride, the dimensions were well thought out, it's great in corners. Good for jumping. Great for manualling." "It felt just as stiff as the GT Ultra Box, maybe even stiffer." "I reckon it looks grouse, the first thing people say is how nice it looks."
Traditionally we review products for an extended duration, at least 2-3 months when it comes to frames, we call it lifecycle testing (LCT). LCT allows us to get comfortable with the product and see how it copes with weeks of riding, racing and other day to day abuse. Anyone can spend a couple of hours on a bike and give you comments, but we don't know of anyone else that invests this much time and effort into their product reviews. It's the only way to see how the product will hold up to the test of time. This time we have given you Levi's initial findings after two weeks. We will revisit this review with a brief update on how things are going with the frame in a couple of months.
Rating 18/20:
| Value for money: | 4/5 |
| Weight: | 4.5/5 |
| Functionality: | 4.5/5 |
| Looks/Finish: | 5/5 |
Comments:
For more information about Staats and their product range check out www.staatsbikes.com
| ALUMINUM | Top Tube | Chain Stay | BB Height | Head Angle | Seat Angle | Wheel | Head Tube | Seat Post | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20" Micro Mini | 16.5" | 13.0" | 11.0" | 72* | 73* | 1-1/8" | 1.0" | 22.2 | 1.5 lbs |
| 20" Mini | 17.5" | 13.5" | 11.0" | 72.5* | 73* | 1-1/8" | 1.0" | 22.2 | 1.6 lbs |
| 20" Junior | 18.75" | 13.75" | 11.35" | 73* | 66* | 1-3/8" | 1.0" | 25.4 | 2.9 lbs |
| 20" Expert | 19.5" | 14.25" | 11.35" | 73* | 66* | 1-3/8" | 1.125" | 25.4 | 3.1 lbs |
| 20" Expert XL | 20.25" | 14.5" | 11.75" | 74* | 66* | 1.50/1.75 | 1.125" | 26.6 | 3.4 lbs |
| 24" Mini | 18.25" | 14.75" | 11.5" | 72* | 69* | 1-1/8" | 1.0" | 25.4 | 3.1 lbs |
| 24" Junior | 19.75" | 15.35" | 11.5" | 72* | 69* | 1-3/8" | 1.0" | 25.4 | 3.2 lbs |
| 24" Expert | 20.5" | 15.5" | 11.5" | 73* | 71* | 1.50/1.75 | 1.125" | 25.4 | 3.6 lbs |
| 20" Pro* | 20.75" | 14.75" | 12.0" | 74* | 72* | 1.50/1.75 | 1.125" | 26.6 | 3.6 lbs |
| 20" Pro XL* | 21.0" | 15.25" | 11.8" | 74* | 73* | 1.50/1.75 | 1.125" | 26.6 | 3.7 lbs |
| 20" Pro XXL* | 21.5" | 15.5" | 11.5" | 74* | 73* | 1.50/1.75 | 1.125" | 26.6 | 3.8 lbs |
| 24" Pro* | 21.5" | 15.75" | 12.0" | 74* | 72* | 1.50/1.75 | 1.125" | 26.6 | 3.8 lbs |
| 24" Pro XL* | 22.0" | 15.75" | 12.0" | 74* | 72* | 1.50/1.75 | 1.125" | 26.6 | 3.9 lbs |
Reviewed by AA Pro Levi Collins and bmxultra.com (21 Mar 2005)