Hi,
That is my new toy in the above picture (thanks for the build BigDugsBaws) which had its first ride on Saturday.
Thoughts are purely on a 3 hour first ride with the limiting factor very much the rider.
It has replaced an Evil Sovereign running a Rohloff hub so not really a like for like comparison but it is all i have to compare it to. I went for the BigTop because it would build about 10lb lighter, the bigger wheels appealed, I thought it would suit the sort of riding i am doing these days, the Cotic Solaris is 10 months (ish) away still and ultimately i liked the look of it.
In terms of handling, even though it was the first ride and i still need to make seating and stem adjustments, initial impressions are very good. As you would expect it felt a fair bit different.
Climbing – miles better than Evil but then it should be.
Acceleration – odd it felt slower but i am not sure it was , certainly once rolling the increased speed was noticable.
Handling – As I said i have a few adjustments to make to the riding position but…I could not get my head around how much grip the bigger wheels had, corners where the Evil had been sliding wide the Yeti jsut gripped (both run Nobby Nics 2.4 on the Evil 2.25 on Yeti). Only very occasionaly in slower corners did i notice the big wheels not turn as quick but then with confidence and familiarity i prob could have taken the corners faster.
Rocks and roots – as you would expect the big wheels rolled over obstructions better. Perhaps due to the lighter weight and “new bike” factor i found myself picking my way round the bigger rocks rather than battering straight through as i would on the Evil.
Overall – loved it first time out, delighted with the build and look forward to getting it setup as i want and really finding how much grip the big wheels have.
Build as Follows
Large Yeti Big Top
Reba RL 120mm Taper maxel
XT Group
XTR Race brakes
Element flat bar (730mm ish)
Hope stem
Stans Arch on Pro2s
Nobby Nic 2.25s
On-One/FSA headset combo
Thomson Seatpost.
Cheers
Iain