Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 82 total)
  • Liteville 301 – Ride review after a week on the TransProvence signposting team
  • ferrit
    Free Member

    Thought I’d fire up some thoughts on here regarding my latest bank-account emptyer. Previously has a Nicolai Helius AC:

    Build Specs:

    – Liteville 301 MK 10 XL (similar in size to Nicolai L)
    – 140mm linkage plates (not 160mm)
    – Fox RP23 Kashima (supplied with frame)
    – Marzocchi 44 RC3 Ti 150mm
    – Liteville/Syntace headset, seat clamp, seatpost
    – XT M785 brakes with 7″ rotors
    – Crossmax SX wheels
    – Easton Alu bars
    – Thomson Stem
    – Straitline Silentguide
    – XT shifters, clutch rear mech, cassette (11-26)
    – WTB seat
    – XTR cranks
    – Hope BB
    – Middleburn ring

    Build Notes:

    – Has a 34.9mm seatpost – yes, that’s right!!
    – Minimum of 7″ rotor on rear

    First Thoughts:

    – Frame is a lot lighter than the Nicolai
    – longer in TT and longer rear end. In fact long full stop!
    – Low BB
    – Finish is awesome
    – Frame detail is incredible – cable routing spot on, X-12 dropout is well simple and stiff, everything supplied with frame – even seat clamp and headset and correct adaptors to run 1 1/8 or tapered forks

    After A Week:

    – Hooooly crap, this thing is awesome! (sorry)
    – Very stable at speed (from length and low BB)
    – Suspension super-plush but very controlled
    – Stable in the air and no odd suspension quirks
    – Not much bob even with PP disengaged
    – Riding position felt spot-on straight away (normally I’m fannying around with stem lengths. bar height etc)
    – Corners VERY well
    – Thought this would be a nightmare on tight switchbacks given the length but didn’t really notice it over my massive, massive grin
    – Some ghost shifting when pedalling through large rock gardens but think I need to adjust the mech a bit with the clutch etc.
    – Nothing broke. Winner!

    A big thanks to Mark at The Bike Chain, Edinburgh for sorting me out in a very short timeframe and being an all-round good chap.

    theroadwarrior
    Free Member

    Looks great.. But cripes how tall are you..?!

    34.9 seat post? That huuuge!

    MSP
    Full Member

    I was fondling one of those in my lbs recently, they are very very nice.

    ferrit
    Free Member

    theroadwarrier – I’m 6’2″ but have quite long legs and a short back!

    The only seatpost I could find was a Syntace 480mm one!!

    warpcow
    Free Member

    Think I saw that in one of the daily TP vids, looks very nice. I’ve been lusting over them for a couple of year now.

    ferrit
    Free Member

    warpcow – not mine! I was in the signposting team riding a few days ahead of the race – but I spotted that one too!

    andytherocketeer
    Full Member

    Only ever seen one, being ridden up to Frankenstein’s castle. That’s despite them (well 301, 601 and 901’s) seemingly being pretty popular in the German/Austrian MTB vids etc. (although I see a few Rockets have evicted a few 301’s)

    Seriously tempted.

    ferrit
    Free Member

    Do it!

    🙂

    AlexSimon
    Full Member

    So can you shim a 34.9 to fit a standard 30.9 dropper post?
    It sounds a really sorted bike btw.

    ferrit
    Free Member

    Yep, I think you can – looking into options for that at the moment.

    ferrit
    Free Member

    There we go!

    Wahay!

    ash.addy
    Free Member

    I have to say that does look nice – I’ ve been thinking about a helius AC but seeing that well not so sure now!!!! Dilemmas dilemmas – what to do?????

    chuffnuts
    Full Member

    Loving mine too.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/technophobe/8047595768/in/photostream/lightbox/

    It’s now got a KS Lev seatpost on it so cable routing is nice and neat. And I still have my 180mm forks on from recent Morzine and Fort William trips although I have gone back to the 140mm rocker arms from the 160mm I was using.

    One piece of advice with the shim though, just make sure it is long enough as the frame does require a long minimum insertion.

    AlexSimon
    Full Member

    Very nice chuffnuts – those back ends do look long!
    I find the Liteville logo a bit ugly, so that Raw finish hides it better for me personally.

    alpin
    Free Member

    when i turned up to my first local LBS night ride here in Germany i was the only guy on a hardtail and of the 6 fullys, 5 of them were 301s.

    one of the guys there was the Liteville test-rider, Jan. lucky sod! ride everyday in all weather and report back.

    really nice bikes. i was lucky enough to ride the shop 301 a few times (along with a few Bionicons) and it’s the only FS that i’ve got on with. it’s very stiff and responsive, although i had pumped so much air in the shock that it only sagged on BIG hits.

    even 2nd hand they fetch good prices here in Germany. shame that its mostly lanky freaks that want to sell them… an M would be ok, but i want an S though, nice and flickable.
    the only FS that i would consider buying

    boltonjon
    Full Member

    Good work Ferrit – looks great in silver

    I built mine back in May and love it – its one hell of a weapon!!

    XL frame – 140mm rocker
    Boss DeVille 160 mm forks
    2012 XT drive train & brakes
    203/180 mm discs
    Syntace Headset
    CK BB
    Hope/Flow wheels
    Reverb dropper
    Thompson 70mm stem & 750mm Renthal Bars
    Weighs in at 30.5 lbs

    Its shrugged of everything i’ve thrown at it over 8 days in the Alps, a couple of trips to the Peaks, a number of ppic Welsh rides and a couple of rides in the Lakes

    Incredibly plush action, good uphill, fits me like a glove (no sore back anymore!) and, compared to a Yeti SB66, is great value (headset included and you get a transferable 10 year warranty)

    I’m surprised i’ve not seen many others about

    Lakes by boltonjon, on Flickr][/url]][/url]

    andytherocketeer
    Full Member

    Do it!

    Talked me in to it.

    So… L or XL (if i’m 6ft2)?

    ferrit
    Free Member

    chuffnuts, boltonjohn – very very nice!

    Yep, they seem to handle ok with longer forks on too. Hmmmm…..

    andythe rocketeer – try one if you can – the sizing is not quite the same as other manufacturers. If you’re a leggy dude, go for the XL. If you’re more long-back type then an L might be ok too.

    Have a peek at the geometry on the website – all there in typically German intricate detail!

    boltonjon
    Full Member

    Andytherocketeer

    I’m 6ft 4″ with a 36″ inside leg

    My LBS insisted that i get measured on their bike sizing rig, as i wanted a Large

    I’m glad they did, as it fits me very well

    I live in Berkshire, so if you are close, then you’d be more than welcome to try it out for size

    jon

    MSP
    Full Member

    @Andytherocketeer

    They sell them at Wellmans up in Rossdorf, aparantly there is quite a waiting list for them. I am very tempted by one, can be run 120 all round, or change the rocker for 140 rear and can take a 160 up front, could be a nice mid travel xc race machine or adapted for the enduro type stuff.

    ps. we are going to have to get out for a ride sometime, I think you work at ESOC as well but haven’t a clue who you are.

    ferrit
    Free Member

    MSP – they no longer make the 120mm version, unless you can find an older one…

    MSP
    Full Member

    Oh I didn’t know that, is it just not just that they don’t come with the 120 rocker, but it can be bought as an extra?

    It’s a shame if they don’t, that kind of rules it out for some of the stuff I wanted to do next year.

    edit: acording to the liteville website

    Travel:
    The effective frame travel with the DT Swiss SSD 212L Tuned shock is either 120 mm, 140 mm or 160 mm and depends on the rocker arms selected for the setup. The different rocker arms also automatically adjust the geometry in order to provide a perfect ride for all situations for the chosen travel category when combined with a suitable suspension fork.

    edit 2; ahhh, lower down the page it does say 120 is discontinued.

    ferrit
    Free Member

    On the same page nearer the bottom:

    New for MK-10
    – Adjusted frame suspension kinematics
    – Fox RP23 shock with Kashima coating and Liteville specific custom valving
    – Shock length 200mm
    – Needle bearing in top tube
    – Shock with needle bearing eyelets both ends
    – 5mm lower top tube clearance for all sizes
    – 1° slacker head angle
    – 1° steeper seat angle
    – Discontinuation of the 120mm version

    andytherocketeer
    Full Member

    Yep @ ESOC (formerly Envisat ops engineer, now Sentinels).

    I used the sizing thingy before, and iirc it was borderline (Canyon and YT were similar I think). Change 1 body measurement (eg inside leg) by +/-1cm and it flips between sizes. Might have to pop over to Wellmanns.

    I knew the 120 was dropped in the Mk10? probably because it was designed around the 140 and nobody bought the 120?

    alpin
    Free Member

    see… it is just lanky people that buy these frames….

    where abouts are you people in Schermany?

    MSP
    Full Member

    We are in Darmstadt, your down Munich way aren’t you?

    andytherocketeer
    Full Member

    darmstadt (edit: must type faster)

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    They do look well sorted and the geometry is spot on, on paper at least. It’s not really a substitue for a Nicolai anything though as they’re made in Taiwan, not Germany, so you’re not getting something custom built just for you.

    Not that will lessen the performance mind; just observing that they aren’t really comparable.

    I seriously considered one of these before I ordered my tailored Helius AM and the single biggest reason I discounted it was because I just felt it was too light.

    It’s a 160mm bike and so equivalent to the Helius AM and yet it’s lighter than the AC? They come with five year transferable warranty and then a five year crash replacement warranty (all transferable – now where’ve you seen that before?) so they’re backing it up but that’s not the same as saying ‘it’s definitely not going to break’.

    I dunno, it looks way cool and sorted but if one of the best engineered bikes in the world doesn’t think it can offer longevity for everyone at less than 3.1kg, I just can’t see how another company can be so sure with something that weighs 2.5kg! There’s only so much bending of the laws of physics you can do!

    alpin
    Free Member

    Ja. Monkstown.

    godzilla
    Free Member
    chuffnuts
    Full Member

    @andytherocketeer, I’m 6ft with short arms(!) and ride a large, it fits really well but I’m on the limit of a normal length of seatpost. I’d say on paper that you’d need an XL.

    lardhelliwell
    Free Member

    Does anyone know if there are any large 601’s in black available in the UK?

    Cheers John.

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    John call Evolution Imports aka Bromley Bike Co. as they’re the UK distributor.

    richieokeefe1
    Free Member

    @jonbolton ….you NEED a 29er

    alpin
    Free Member

    or have a look under “Bikemarkt” on mtb-news.de, schermany’s equivalent of STW but much, much bigger (as in the only half decent mtb forum).

    i looked earlier today and there are quite a few full builds in L/XL for sale.

    boltonjon
    Full Member

    geetee1972 – are they really made in Taiwan?

    I was of the belief that they were built in Germany?

    Also, i’m a big fan of Nicolai – and i’m an engineer by trade – but I think they are massively over engineered

    I’ve broken many a frame in my day (two Zesty’s in a year!) so lets see how they’ve twisted the law of physics!

    Richie O’keefe – shut it!! 🙂

    dexterbexley
    Free Member

    Considering a 301 to replace my Enduro – can anyone confirm or deny the reviews I’ve read that says the 301 has a long back end? I love the short back end/long front end approach for the Enduro. I know the chainstays vary with frame size but any first hand opinions appreciated.

    I see the new mk11 will able to take 26, 650b and 29er wheels (depending on the frame size)…which may account for the long back end. Can’t wait to hear first hand accounts if this amounts to a compromise or a true all rounder.

    Elbows
    Full Member

    Following on from Alpin, when I picked up my 6 month old 5.5EVP a few years ago in Munich, it had been replaced by a 301. over here Liteville:Cube is like Santa Cruz:Specialized 😯

    bikedibley
    Full Member

    Hello Ferrit
    I’m interested to see your opinions of your 301 now you’ve had it for a few months. I’m in the market for a hard hitting AM< bike that I can XC/jump/drop/give hell. Options are Tracer 275, Turner Burner, Liteville 301 and Nicolai Hellius which I see you have previously owned.

    Can you tell me this flat out beats the Hellius? That would be helpful to hear.

    ferrit
    Free Member

    bikedibley – sorry – didn’t see the reply there!

    Still loving the 301. I haven’t changed anything on it at all, which probably speaks volumes about how well it fits, rides and seems to suit me. Had it up in Torridon riding some rocky tech stuff and it just kept coming back for more. Still can’t believe the light weight for the performance. Awesome.

    Yes, this beats the Helius, certainly for me and how it fits/rides.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 82 total)

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