Airborne Goblin 29er-Long Term Review(Final)

I have had the bike long enough now to come to a few final conclusions on the rig..having ridden it on varying trails around here from easy xc stuff to semi technical trails the bike has performed within my expectations and even exceeding some of them.

Anytime you buy a new bike you hope you made the right decision and most serious bikers are like me..we research and read until it all becomes a blur of specs and parts and price...hoping we get a trail worthy bike at a price we have set for ourselves.

I paid right at 1200 dollars for the bike and 300 dollars for the Sun Ringle wheels...I upgraded the seat post and handle bars to FSA carbon bits. So far I have not found the need to replace anything else except the saddle. Though I really like X9 stuff so far the X7 stuff has performed well on this bike...though if you are used to using higher end drive train bits you can tell a difference..deal breaker..no..at this price point bargain..yes..to have a full Sran X7 spec'd bike is a steal...what really shines on this bike is the RS Reba fork it is equipped with...the Reba is a great fork and it shines on this bike...it soaks up the bumps..easy to set up...and is dependable...once again another great piece of equipment on a bike at this price point...this is my second bike with a Reba fork and I have never had a issue with them..

So you get a full Sram X7 group and a Reba fork at a great price point....the saddle however...the thing is as hard as a rock on long rides...pretty much a entry level saddle..but most riders tend to change things like this out anyway on bikes...so if I was building a bike I would put the good stuff where it needs to be a skimp on things like saddle, bars, stems..knowing they will be changed out anyway..Airborne seems to have done this and it seems to have paid off..I changed what I like to my own preferences while leaving the meat of the rig alone..

On the trail the bike rides solid...the frame while not the lightest around it is not the heaviest either.. form reading others experiences with 29ers I was expecting the thing to roll over stuff easier...it does...I was expecting it to be somewhat clumsy on tight switch backs due to the larger wheels..it is not..the harder you pedal the faster it goes and it seems to like fast...once up to speed it can hold the speed and begins to feel like a lighter bike...on smooth XC type trails it just flat out can haul if you have the engine to push it...climbs great and descends well...the bike excepts riders input well and is a blast to ride...once the trail gets technical you see the the advantage of a 29er...it does roll over stuff easier and does tame the trail some what due to the larger tires...but keep in mind it still is a hard tail and you will feel a lot of the trail like any other hard tail...

I often read others referring to this bike as an entry level 29er...I disagree..it is a intermediate level type bike..entry level to me refers to cheap components..  cheap fork..then again the whole entry level thing seems a little misleading...sounds like if you have never ridden a bike before there is no way you could ride a bike beyond entry level because well you just do not have the experience to pedal and shift better components....but entry level will fail in the long run as ones experience increases and you began to push your equipment...things will start to fail...the Goblin seems like a bike a new rider can grow into...for sure will get you into trail riding and hang in there with you as you learn and grow as rider..an initial investment that will require few upgrades to get the bike you want...

Airborne has delivered a great bike at a great price...their customer service is top notch..the company seems to run by a group who loves the sport and is dedicated to bringing a quality product to the table that appeals to a wide variety of riders...and delivering it at a price that makes you feel like you got the best bang for the buck...

The Goblin comes in two complete builds...X7 and Sram X0..the X0 model has a FSA carbon cockpit and of course the bling and performance of X0.and compared to other X0 equipped bikes it is not just a deal but a steal...I chose the X7 because this was my first 29er and did not want to sink that much money into a bike to decide if I liked the 29er plat form..plus I have a habit of changing things on my bikes a lot..for instance I am currently debating changing my Goblin to a drop bar 29er with a rigid fork..just because it seems to be a great platform for that as well....

I have long left the group of riding the latest greatest thing to come out of the bike industry..I do not need to have a big name dripping off the tube of my bike that everyone recognizes...I am at a point in this day and age where value is just as important as performance...and if Airborne can deliver a bike like this why not the others..sure they have some that are close..but they mix the components..yeah you get a X7 rear mech..but like x5 shifters...I mean deliver a complete X7 drive train and Avid brakes..Reba fork... that opens up a another debate..mail order vs LBS...everyone has their opinion on that...I use both to suit my needs as a rider and a consumer...

As riders we like to think and know we got a great deal on our purchase..I have bought bikes that cost three times what the Goblin cost and left the shop hoping I made the right decision..I never even thought this on the Goblin..once I received the bike and rode it I knew right away that I made the right decision and got a steal of a deal...

These are just my observations as a dude who loves to ride bikes...sharing my own experiences and observations...I by far am no expert or guru of mechanical things...but I have ridden and owned enough bikes to know a deal when I see one...the Goblin is a deal...