comments below:
"Frank Calloway @earthlink.net>" <flcallowayemail1<nospam> wrote in message
news:%[email protected]...
> (Note that I've posted this response to inquiries about the P-38 at
various
> times. Loyal P-38 owners insist that I'm maligning a great bike, but these were my honest
> impressions.)
please, we do want "honest inpressions" and not someone just making stuff up
>
> Jim,
>
> I bought a Lightning P-38 XT without having ridden one and it was the most disappointing bicycle
> I've ever owned. Note that I'm comparing it to an upgraded RANS V-Rex purchased from Angletech..
lesson: never buy a bike without first riding it.
>
> The Lightning seat is nice, and the P-38 is a couple of pounds lighter
than
> the V-Rex. But I've never seen a bicycle with more design or component problems than the P-38. For
> example:
>
> * The downturned handlebars make absolutely no sense on a bike without a body stocking. They're
> always in the way when turning sharply, especially because the bar-end controls get in the
> way too.
>
I love the downturned handlebars, after the geting used to it phase, I find them the most
comfortable of any of my bikes I've owned. While it is a closed cockpit, I rarely bump anything,
where you properly fited?
> * The brakes (Odyssey A-brake on the front and Shimano XT V-brake on the rear) are simply awful in
> comparison with the Avid V-brakes on my V-Rex. They're spongy feeling and difficult to keep from
> squealing. (Shimano XT V-brakes, which the P-38 uses on the rear, are notorious for squealing.
Even
> Shimano's Web site says you probably won't be able to stop them from
making
> noise.)
>
> * The shifter for the front derailer is friction, not indexed. The
friction
> screw kept coming loose and threatening to fall out on the ground. (I probably could've fixed this
> with LockTite but the design is poor. The shifter needs a captive screw.)
you just have the damnedist luck, don't you?
>
> * The rear triangle on a P-38 is so "tight" (tubing is too close together) that there's minimal
> clearance for the brake shoes. When the brakes are released, the brake shoes almost immediately
> hit the frame. (This is one
of
> those things you'd have to see.) It makes it difficult to add any toe-in
to
> the brakes without them rubbing on the rim. Also, even when the brakes are fully released (the
> cable is unhooked) it's a battle to get the tire out between the brake shoes. I can't imagine why
> Lightning would build
something
> so mediocre unless the frame design worked better before V-brakes and they don't want to spend the
> money retooling the frame.
>
> * I found the Lightning tilting/locking steering riser much less useful
than
> the one from RANS. First, the position I wanted was in between two of the ratcheted increments.
> Second, when you loosen the Lightning steering
riser,
> it immediately wants to flop forward into your face. In comparison, the
one
> from RANS has a fixed (but adjustable) forward position and simply swings forward for convenience.
the P-38 works best without the tilting riser as originaly desined
>
> * The P-38's funky handlebars require equally funky, custom-bent brake levers. The levers provided
> by Lightning lack the "power" (mechanical advantage) adjustment present on others levers used
> with V-brakes. I like the ability to tune the performance of the brakes.
>
I can't argue, the P-38 must use the custom-bent brake levers, BUT they have always worked great for
me, and again, I find this setup vary comfortable
> * Riding the P-38 didn't feel that much different than my V-Rex. I didn't get on the P-38 and take
> off like a jet, or anything the least bit
dramatic.
> If it outperformed the V-Rex at anything, I failed to notice it.
ok, the V-Rex I had was prety stock, and my P-83 is maxed out, so I can't compair with the same
componet set, but I find a WORLD of diferance in the performanc of the two.
>
> Given the above, I quickly realized that Lightning's vision of the perfect bicycle was
> considerably different from mine. I probably could've fixed
most
> of my concerns by rebuilding the P-38, but I was thoroughly disgusted and priced it for a quick
> sale instead. (Actually, I was anxious to sell it before I gave in to my impulse to have it
> crushed into a paperweight.)
>
> A nicely upgraded V-Rex costs about $1000 less than a P-38 XT. Although I know it has its fans, I
> think the P-38 is a poor value. Having owned a
P-38,
> I wouldn't recommend one to anybody.
>
> Frank Calloway
>
two vary diferant experinces ride one for your self and decide, MY P-38 is NOT for sale!!
Mark