$875 (Frame only)
25 pounds
Single-speed hardtail
Slingshot, (888) 530-5556
Maxi test: November 1999

Highlights: The MBA wrecking crew tested its first Slingshot Bicycle in the December 1988 issue. And guess what? Its basic Ã'suspension" design has not changed. That's 11 plus years of using a cable down tube and composite spring plate as the basis of the frame design--an idea that Slingshot founder Mark Groendal came upon while riding around on a broken minibike frame.

Best quote: "Everyone who rode the Slingshot thought they would be the one to flex the bottom bracket but, defying the laws visual physics, the Slingshot bottom bracket stayed in place."

Bottom line: The 1999 Slingshot performs as well as any softtail, but in a different way. It is closer to a hardtail than the average soft tail, but does offer some degree of compliance in the rough. Speaking in terms of pure bottom-bracket flex, there is no more than your standard floating-drivetrain full-suspension bike. Pedaling smoothness and efficiency are the Slingshot's leading qualities. The reason Slingshot hasn't abandoned its cable concept is because, as in our case, favorable riding results continue to roll in. First impressions do last a lifetime.