NS Bikes were a must-see brand at Eurobike 2019, and as usual, this exciting bike company had a couple of very intriguing bikes for us to ogle.
If you don’t know the history of NS Bikes then we recommend that you dig into it a little as it’s pretty interesting, and involves one of the biggest Polish pop bands of recent times, they also make some really cool bikes, and at Eurobike 2019 we were invited to take a look at the new Define and Synonym.
2020 NS Bikes Define and Synonym At Eurobike
2020 NS Bikes Define
The NS Bikes Define was available in 2019 as a carbon full-suspension bike, but for 2020 a more affordable alloy version has been released with similar features, the same ride characteristics but at new, lower price points.
The Define covers all genres of riding from all-mountain and trail to enduro. As well as carbon and alloy, and adjustable travel, there are various wheel choices too including 2020’s latest trend, the mismatched wheel combo.
Both carbon and alloy frames use the same suspension linkage system and kinematics, and both benefit from similar adjustments. For example, both carbon and alloy bikes can raise and lower the BB height by 5mm using the adjustable shock mounts, or you can completely transform the feel and travel of the bike by fitting a completely different mount. Using the included alternate shock mounts suspension travel can be switched from 155mm to 130mm or the other way around.
NS has created a clever hidden, but external cable routing management system. Hoses and cables are routed in a special channel along the underside of the downtube giving the Define a clean look but retaining easy access for repair and replacement.
Riders opting for the carbon frame over the alloy NS Define will also have the option of adjustable reach. The headset on the carbon frames has off-center headset cups that add or remove 10mm of length from the overall reach of the bikes.
NS Define Geometry
2020 NS Define Pricing
- Define 29 150 1 : £5,699.99
- Define 29 150 2 : £4,199.99
- Define 29 150 2 : £4,199.99
- Define 29 AL 150 : £3,749.99
- Define 29/27 AL 160 : £3,799.99
- Define 29/27 AL Race 160 : £5,199.99
2020 NS Bikes Synonym
In comparison to the 2020 NS Bikes Define, the new Synonym looks like a svelte XC race machine, and with either 100-120mm of travel you might easily pass it off as an XC whippet, but you would be wrong too.
Don’t think of the Synonym as an XC bike, but rather a short travel trail bike, one with extremely progressive numbers, the type of numbers that under the right rider will easily embarrass bigger, burlier bikes.
Synonym RC spec bikes are labeled as aggressive XC / race bikes. These bikes come with 100mm of travel front and rear and are built up with the exact sort of components you expect an XC bike to come with. Items like skinny 29in wheels, carbon chainsets, Step Cast forks and a 500mm reach on a size large! Yup, this might look like a traditional XC racer, but the geometry is new school, rail berm long and death tech-gnar slack.
Synonym RC spec bikes feature the same flex-stay suspension frame, but 120mm of travel, burlier Fox 34 forks, and larger volume trail tyres. But even with these aggro mods, the Synonym RC is still the type of bike that you can take for an Olympic gold medal one day and shred and EWS on the next.
NS Synonym Geometry
When all is said and done, we imagine many riders would be better off on a ‘down-country’ bike like the Synonym, with low weight and pedal efficiency to get you up and the burly components and smart geo numbers to get you safely down the other side.
2020 NS Synonym pricing
- Synonim 29 Race 1 : £6,299.99
- Synonim 29 1 : £5,399.99
- Synonim 29 2 : £4,199.99
Keep your eyes on Singletrackworld.com for an upcoming review of the NS Bikes Synonym, and for more info or to learn where you can buy yourself a 2020 NS Bikes bike visit the Hotlines website.
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“Synonym”?
Really?
Bike looks good though.