Sea Otter 2009: Turner Flux Quick Ride Review

Tim “Scissors” got a chance to ride the 2009 Turner Flux, a 4″ travel DW Link equipped bike. Here are his thoughts of the red beauty:

DW Link Turner Flux

So the Sea Otter did not fail to deliver new products and rides as usual. For my second demo of the weekend I really wanted to try something with a different suspension design then my regular ride which is a Trek Fuel EX. I took the new Turner suspension design as a sign of which manufacturer I should visit and I headed straight for the new Turner Flux. This would be a good opportunity to directly compare it to the only 26” FS ride in my barn. Turner is now using the DW Link which has proven a solid and reliable design throughout the years and has been utilized by other manufactures quite successfully. Now, from what I am told by bike guru’s, although a manufacture pays the entry cost to use a patented suspension design, exactly how it is executed can make a big difference between bikes. With that said, here are my thoughts on the new Turner Flux with DW Link.

First let me say that the test route for this bike consisted of mostly fire road climbing and descending with about a mile of downhill single track, not the ideal test route. The Flux also has the same components as my Fuel which was basically all XT. Our route started off with about 3 miles of big ring descending which really allowed me to get a feel for the bikes handling at speed. The bike did just fine; it was not overly plush but not harsh as well. My Fuel Ex is a notch above on the pushiness factor but that is probably has allot to do with the carbon frame.

Close up of the suspension

The Flux was definitely stable, solid and predictable. Climbing was quite nice on the Flux and in this department it is a notch above my Fuel Ex. The DW Link worked perfectly while climbing; the rear end stayed planted and followed the trail, no pedal induced bobbing was noticed at all. I tried switching the pro-pedal on and off and no difference was detected, you can climb anything on this bike without the pro-pedal. The front end stayed planted as well. It should be noted here that the guys at Turner took great pains in setting the bike up for my weight and pedal reach; they even had a scale on sight to get our “real-time” weight which mine was 180 lbs geared up.

This bike would make a great addition to anyone looking for a XC FS ride from a tried and true manufacture with a great suspension design that was definitely executed well.