2012 Apollo Terra 20 frame

[ninjananna]

So - one of the sponsors has (or had - I wouldn't know because I can't ask questions in the trading section) one of these frames for sale - it looks interesting with the added bonus of being Australian made. There's buggar all reviews about them online though - has anybody here ridden one or know much about them.

I'll be stripping the basic 3x8 drivetrain, Alex wheelset and Rockshox Recon Silvers off my existing ride to build it up.

Also can anybody offer any insight on how the Monarch 2.1 that's on it would compare to the new 2014 Monarch R? That's my other (and cheaper) option replace the shock on my old Merida (but I want a shiny new frame :love.

Cheers
Shane

 

[tomacropod]

They're not Australian made. They have bushings where other manufacturers use bearings. They're a basic but functional bike without any frills.

- joel

 

[call_me_bruce]

I agree. They're at the simple end of duallie chassis design. I bought a frame and fitted my stuff to it as a cheap upgrade to a dually from my *awesome* Trek 3500. I came out with no net change in weight, so I was happy with that.

The Apollo Terra has some slightly odd design features:

1. Rebound knob on shock rubs on bottle, just flip the shock over so the rebound knob is at the top. I was fortunate enough to get a monarch RL off the bay for $50 and the ability to lockout makes commuting parts of rides much easier and I think is worth doing.

2. The rear brake hose routes down the top of the toptube. With my frame, I didn't get whatever clips were designed to hold the rear brake hose in place on the top tube, so I machined up some little bushes to hold them in place. The angle the hoses have to bend through to go from the toptube to the seat stay is a bit tight, and I couldn't find a clip to satisfactorily retain it to the seat stay, so my hose is held on with zip ties.

None of these were a big deal for me, just a demonstration of the fact that it was Apollo's first attempt at a duallie and that they didn't have the opportunity of experience to hone their design.

 

[ninjananna]

sorry - didn't see this reply until now - must have set my subscription settings after starting this thread.

thanks for the reply - so how's the carbon composite nature of the frame going?

as for the simple nature - I like simple - that's one of the things that appeal - how do you find the peddle bob?

I'm in Canberra too, don't suppose you want to sell the left over Monarch R for $50 I want to replace the pogo stick spring with no sign of any rebound damping that's on my old Merida that I roll down Stromlo.

 

[SummitFever]

I got one of these frames for my wife. The suspension is a single pivot design which relies on the right amount of platform damping from the rear shock to stop pedal bob. I'd recommend a shock with adjustable platform. Too much platform damping and this frame loses small bump compliance, too little and you get heaps of pedal bob. It seems to be a solid, well made frame, but the half carbon/half alu is a bit of a gimmick. The weight of the medium frame without shock is 2.6kg. By comparison, my large Anthem X (alu) frame weighs a little over 2.2kg without shock.

 

[ninjananna]

hey hey you're famous - I'd read you FAQ page prior to posting here, thought it was a good bit of writing

 

[SummitFever]

Cheers mate!

 

[call_me_bruce]

Hey, sorry for the delay in replying. My family went +1 on Monday morning, and I've been a bit busy.

I haven't encountered problems with the composite nature. I crash a lot, so having the chassis components that are closest to the ground or the direction of travel (downtube, chainstays) that are most likely to get damaged made of aluminium rather than carbon is a plus, but I do expect over time that they will separate from the carbon. For a partial carbon frame, it's not that light.

I bought it as a cheap upgrade that I'll use till it craps itself, then throw it away. I'm saving for a new bike, but will probably never get one as there's always something new, and there are too many choices as it is.

As for pedal bob, single pivot isn't great, which is why when a lockout rear damper came along, I bought it. I'll think about whether I want to keep my old monarch or not.