Graham Tracey is the author of the popular cycling blog Go Clipless. He’ll be guest posting on the Woodstock 707 and who knows, maybe he’ll have so much fun he’ll start hanging with the us Blue Collar boys more often…

Woodstock Bikes is one of a number of Internet Bike Dealers (IBDs) in this burgeoning segment of the market place. The idea is that you buy your bike online and save hundreds of dollars compared to comparably spec’ed “mainstream” bikes bought at your local dealer.

Woodstock sent Blue Collar Mountain Biking its all new full suspension bike and dared us to compare the Woodstock 707 versus other bikes of the same ilk. Over the next several weeks I will be riding this baby and recording my thoughts here on Blue collar, culminating in a full review. In the meantime, you will not only learn my impressions of this bike, but I hope to explore the process of purchasing a bike online, as well as fully explore the value proposition from the point of view of the consumer.

So on to my first impressions:

I literally pulled this bad boy out of the box after it was sent via ground delivery just as though I bought it online. In all honesty, I was dreading the fact that I would be spending my entire evening building up this bike like an Ikea bookshelf project gone awry. To my surprise and happiness I found a bike that was largely in tact with only minor steps required to get it ready for a first ride. Tires were already mounted, shifters and brake lines set on the handlebar, the only thing left to do was mount the handlebar to the stem, install the brake rotor on the front wheel, and run the front brake line to the caliper. All of this was clearly explained in layman terms in a well documented step-by-step process with photos. In about 45 minutes I had a complete bike ready to roll.

Since the initial build-up I’ve taken the bike on three rides at my usual haunt. I’m still in the tweaking stage getting everything set just right, but I will say that I am impressed so far given the price point of this full suspension bike (only $899). The bike’s shifting is precise with Sram’s solid X7 shifters and rear dérailleur, the Avid BB 5 mechanical disc brakes are well regarded at this price point, and the bike’s geometry is just right for comfortable multi-hour cross-country rides.

The bike feels a little heavy to me (I’m testing the 20 inch frame), though I have not yet weighed it (I’ll have this info for you in my next post). Also, I have found that I use the front suspension lockout frequently on the Manitou Axel fork. I believe this is largely due to three things, 1) I have yet to tune the fork to my weight, 2) I’m a hare over Clydesdale class at 6′1″ and 205 pounds, and 3) I have a propensity to mash uphills given that I most frequently ride single speed. Once I get the shocks tuned up I’ll get more information to you about their performance.

Ok…so let me get a few more rides on this baby and I’ll keep you updated. Also, in my next post I’ll talk a little about the value proposition of IBD’s using the Woodstock as an example. Meanwhile, chew on these specs below.