Post up a ride report once you’ve had a chance to get out on it. It’s top of my list at the moment based on price, spec and the few 1st ride reviews around.
The frame is too small for a conventional water bottle so they have developed their own. However, they seem capable of designing, building and delivering a complex mechanical construction on time but not a plastic bottle ❓
No, my FaceStalk post didn’t mean that. Jeffsy is one of our local riders (and the bike was named after him), so it was a play on the quote from Deliverance, you know, like, I rode Jeffsy, he squealed like a pig, boy! type of thing.
I rode a Jeffsy today. Not quite what I had expected. It is a lot stiffer and burlier than other 29ers I’ve ridden. Great over roots and carries speed nicely. It would benefit from changing the stock rear tyre to something less draggy, even with that might still feel a bit hefty.
Times looked good on anything downhill, it’s undeniably a fast bike.
I rode the basic carbon, Comp I think.
In terms of the spec, the tyres are heavy and the wheels are a bit lousy, so could be improved upon.
To me the bike feels like it’s got 20mm too much travel. It’s got the kit to match, so all seems to hang together well, but it just felt a bit like the wrong bike, however nicely put together.
Alialiali – that wasn’t my take at all. My guess is you’re coming from lightweight bikes? I’m currently on a Commencal V4 and found it climbed far quicker and felt about 2 pounds lighter, if not more, so depends where you’re starting from I guess.
I’m coming from a hideously out of fashion 26″ hardtail, which I ride for more or less everything. Broke up my full sus about a year ago, just found it a bit uninteresting on most rides.
I think chakaping has it right, I’m just not looking for/don’t need a bike like that. I had hoped it to be a bit more like the Transition Smuggler, something that I can use everywhere and not be overbiked or be worried about breaking it. There don’t seem to be many bikes in that bracket and the YT seems to drop on the overbiked side for me. I think the 29″ Norco Optic looks good but might fall into the break it category. Clearly I’ll never be happy 😉
I think it’ll be a popular bike and was well worth testing. I would recommend anyone who thinks they fall between the Medium and Large to get one, or similar bike to sit on. The Large would have been a bit tall to be comfortable for me but gives a fair bit of extra reach, if that’s your thing.
I’ll report back, it should get a good shakedown at Torridon next weekend. My previous bike was a Trance X 29er which was surprisingly good. I demoed a Hightower, a Transition Smuggler, a Ibis Ripley LS and a Trek Fuel, I found them all good so in the end it came down to value, the clincher being the carbon wheels with the Jeffsy.
So Jeffsy arrived yesterday and after a rapid bike build, took it out for a spin. It’s fairly light (27.4 lbs with pedals) and definitely fast. I don’t have the suspension setup quite right yet, it seemed a bit firm, but towards the end it eased up a bit or maybe it was that I let a little air out of the fork – more experimentation needed.
Size wise I’m 5′ 8″ and this is a medium, if the seattube had been shorter I probably would have gone for a large but the reverb is almost fully into the frame. Having said that when actually riding it I didn’t feel the toptube to be too short.
The saddle (SDG Circuit) is not very comfortable and that will be replaced, also I need to convert the wheels to tubeless and the 32t chainring is too big, it will be swapped for a smaller one. All-in-all looking forward to the weekend in Torridon.
alialiali’s comments just don’t seem to get what a big 29er is for, they mostly seem to be “I wish this long travel 29er was an xc bike”. The wheels are pretty ideal, and most people replacing the tyres will be going for grippier not faster; the ibex is alright in the dry but you’ll soon find its limits on anything softer or slippier.
alialiali’s comments just don’t seem to get what a big 29er is for, they mostly seem to be “I wish this long travel 29er was an xc bike”. The wheels are pretty ideal, and most people replacing the tyres will be going for grippier not faster; the ibex is alright in the dry but you’ll soon find its limits on anything softer or slippier.
Yes, I found the Ibex’s slippy compared to my normal Magic Mary/Hans Dampf combo, but to be fair I was running them 5 psi higher than I normally would due to not being tubeless. Having said that, I bought this bike for big days out in the mountains, not wet days in the forests, so I might stick with the Ibex’s for a while.
alialiali’s comments just don’t seem to get what a big 29er is for, they mostly seem to be “I wish this long travel 29er was an xc bike”
Don’t agree. I think all he is saying is that after testing it wasn’t the bike for him. The comment that it had 20mm too much travel indicated that IMO. Fair play, he tried it would prefer something else but was willing to share his experience.
*Edit* Which would suggest that actually it could be a bike I would like!
I really like the look of a Jeffsy however the geo is very similar to a spesh enduro, has any body ridden both and can make a comparison. I had an enduro obviously amazing on the downs but felt the sag was too much for all day rides and would look at a jeffsy as one bike for everything. I’ll leave out double blacks. I had the carbon expert so would draw a comparison to the jeffsy pro in terms of spec and weight.
Just wondering how it climbs and trots along on flatter terrain. No doubt it’s god enough for me on the downs.
I and a transition bandit 29 and that was almost the good all rounder but was a bit lardy and was also cramped reach wise.
That looks ace, the linkage and front triangle looks similar to my camber evo but its got 20mm more travel so should be a fun and capable bike. The base model is only 1500 with Pike and reverb though which is £500 cheaper! And i had to provide my own dropper & it came with a reba not a pike.
Would have probably had this if it’d have been around last year. Love my camber evo though, have a 140 pike on it now and it shreds 😈
Nice. After watching the soho bike video yesterday I really fancy a 29’er again. Sell of my current 650b 160m bike & replace it with a jeffsy.
I already have a yt tues for the big days out. I expect I would loose a fortune on my current 4k bike though trying to sell it.
It could be a fantastic bike to race enduros on though.
Yeah i agree im not into “enduro” really but i see the Hightower is winning them now.
For an all-round trail 29er I’d want 120mm travel.
Never ridden a 140 29er but i have a 120mm camber evo and it works well as an all round trail bike. Ive put a 140 Pike on and its gone from being a ripper to a shredder! The plan was to drop the fork to 130 but im having way too much fun. It was such a good climber before that it hasnt made much difference and i just removed a spacer and adjusted the seat angle a notch.
29ers are so much fun, definitley the way forward. I bet this bike shreds! Such good value too at £1500 for the base model with a Pike and reverb and SLX everything. I can see these being very popular.