Viewing 17 posts - 1 through 17 (of 17 total)
  • BMC Trailfox 29er
  • Rickos
    Free Member

    Any real world views?
    My riding is mostly up and down, not much along at all. Woodsy fast tracks.

    Thanks!

    Rickos
    Free Member

    Bump.
    Northwind?

    dave32
    Free Member

    Absolutely love mine, where you based, your quite welcome to have a go if near to me.

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    Rickos
    Free Member

    Thanks. I’m FoD/Wye Valley based.

    What size did you go for? I’m 178cm which puts me bang in the middle of a medium (a rare thing as I’m between medium and large for most bikes), but I know there’s a thing to size up these days.

    dave32
    Free Member

    Got the medium, I’m 180 and it feels right for me. I’m aiming for a trip up to bpw in a few weeks. I’m based down near London…. The only problem I had was having to swap the dropper from a 150 to 125 as even with the post fully inserted it was still just a touch to high for me.

    Rickos
    Free Member

    Thanks Dave. I’m all legs so hopefully I’ll get away without having to swap droppers.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    Helloo! Massive post!

    I have the previous year TF03- same frame etc but they’ve changed the specs a lot, for the better I reckon…

    First off, I have it in a tug of love with a Remedy 29 right now and I reckon it’s going to lose. But it is bloody good, and it’s personal preference stuff that’s starting to tip me to the Remedy rather than good/bad. It’s certainly one of the best bikes I’ve ever ridden and a class leading Massive 29er, it’s a really nice choice to be making.

    Sizing and geometry is imo superb. My medium’s physically the same size as large my Remedy 29, and it’s longer than a lot of competitor larges and some XLs. And personally, I think this means they’re doing it right. I need to size up on most competitors to get a bike that fits me like i think it should.

    I did stick an angleset in it because that’s just a thing I do, but as standard it was excellent anyway. It’s not cumbersome despite being big and a bit heavy, it carries it well, it pedals well and actually does techy climbs well too even with my slacker angles and 35mm stem. Wee bit floppy but that’s to be expected. But the stability of it is superb, combined with the big wheels I’ve ridden stuff on it that I’d not have touched on my Hemlock (and I loved that bike)

    I’m 5’10, so pretty much your industry standard medium, it fits me beautifully and I’m pretty sure I could fit a 170mm reverb in it too

    So basically, big picture, it’s really bloody good. Very good to ride, well made, solid paint. And I think it looks great, my Remedy looks like it’s melted. Also, good customer service from Evans and BMC.

    It’s well up for uplifts, enduro races, or xc rides, pretty superb allrounder, for my sort of allround. It does that nice thing of being a lot of bike, but rarely being too much bike. If you want something you can chuck down a world cup dh without hating on a glentress blue, it is that. Oh and also:

    https://www.facebook.com/jacobgibbins/videos/10156750110635273/

    Lew’s spannered himself now but took a 7th in his second ever EWS on his. 29ers can’t go round corners though right 😉

    The not so good… A personal taste thing this but I mentioned it pedals well? It has a lot of anti-squat for a big bike, and I don’t like that much. It does have advantages but I don’t like how pedalling interacts with the suspension on descents, it’s choppy through lumpy sections if you’re pedalling. I think this’d be pretty orrible with a smaller wheel, as it is, it’s tolerable but for me, not ideal. It’s the thing that I most prefer about the Remedy. Some folks would appreciate the efficient pedalling I’m sure

    The alu frame is not light. BMC go “if you want light, get the carbon. This is inexpensive and bombproof”, which is legitimate but it’s heavier than most of the alu competition. Apparently the carbon one is rattly with the internal cabling etc though.

    The standard build kit on mine was kind of random. Heavy skinny wheels, not the best shocks, everything bar the frame felt built to a price rather than to a sensible package and it didn’t really add up to a competitive bike at RRP. I replaced basically everything 😆 And it’s worth it, it has the potential to justify it but it’s a consideration. This year’s is almost completely different despite the identical frame- CCDB, much better parts choices. (IMO the Ibex tyres are fairly dismal though- popular OE choice, I assume they cost manufacturers about a quid…)

    But that’s about it. Very impressed, if you want a big ****-off 29er you should definitely consider it. I’d also check out the Remedy, Five, and Mega, maybe the Enduro and Jeffsy, (never got a chance to try that). Cube Stereo 140 is an awesome package if you’re happy with a bit less full on geometry (I’m not but Greg Callaghan seems happy 😉 )

    thepodge
    Free Member

    That video is how I imagine I ride, holding on for dear life while the bike handles everything being thrown at it.

    If I was to buy new and off the shelf the bmc would be on my list.

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    I’ve often thought these BMC 29ers look like they’ll be great if you want a big fast bike – good suspension design too, similar to both Banshee and DW-link designs. Apparently they’re actually ‘only’ about 140mm travel at the back – some very optimistic rounding up being done by the marketing department! 😉

    Northwind
    Full Member

    I’ve read that, it seems to come mostly from a computer model of the rear suspension that got just over 140mm… I don’t know how to use Linkage so I measured mine with a ruler, and got a hair under 150mm 😆

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    It wasn’t one of Maxxis’s old rulers was it? 😛

    Northwind
    Full Member

    It was a Helix Shatter Resistant, the Rolls Royce of rulers.

    Rickos
    Free Member

    Thanks for the big detail, Northwind. I rarely pedal over lumps, so will probs get away with the anti-squat thing.
    Seems I’ve bought a medium 2015 model with Pikes and CCDB and DT E1700 wheels, so pretty much what they did across the board for 2016. Looking forward to getting it.

    fr0sty125
    Free Member

    Interesting you say that about the anti-squat the numbers from linkage suggest that the remedy has even more anti squat than the BMC. There are a couple of descents near me that are about -5% gradient and rocky end up pedaling on them and it doesn’t feel very good at all, like you have suddenly put your shock on somewhere between lock out and pedal mode. That’s on a Transition scout which has roughly 100% anti squat, my El, Guapo always felt better on that stuff but think it had anti squat of about 50%.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    No bother Rickos, let us know how you get on!

    @frosty, the Remedy has the drcv shock which acts pretty differently though- in open mode it pedals like a jelly tbh 😆

    Personally strong anti-squat’s always seemed a bit daft for a big bike… Your bike doesn’t know whether you’re pedalling up a fire road or down through a rock garden, after all. That needs some sort of clever intervention- there’s various tech attempts to do it but the combo of human brain + finger + propedal is well proven and always just seems far less compromised

    But lots of people wouldn’t agree obviously! And it definitely doesn’t spoil the bike, it’s just the thing that’s making the biggest difference for me in 2 otherwise pretty similiar Big ****-Off 29ers.

    dave32
    Free Member

    Have to agree with Northwind, I have the carbon tf02 and it was really rattly to start. Took a couple of attempts which ended with me throwing it at the mechanic I use and telling him to make it quiet. Great bike though which I use for everything and Evans normally have them with some decent savings..

    eshershore
    Free Member

    @Northwind

    that brought back some memories of school days!

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