[Closed] Any banshee spitfire riders out there?

Email Keith @ Banshee (the designer). I've got a mk1 so can't really comment on your question but he is in my experience happy to answer emails etc and very knowledgable and helpful.

Where will I find his email address?

Where are you based? We have one as a demo bike set up 650 with 160mm X-Fusion Sweeps and it feels perfect.

We are pedals in Edinburgh, pictures of the build on our facebook.

they are designed around a 160mm fork although my mate's spitty is fitted with an xfusion vengeance which is longer than average so it's set at 150mm

I'm riding a 2014 mark 2 Spitty and it's just the bike I was looking for. I spent about 9 months deliberating and waiting for stock but it was well worth it.

My bike has the CCDB CS shock and 650b Pike forks set at the moment to 150mm travel. I'm using my old 26 inch wheels for the moment but the option is there to go bigger if I feel the need. The Pike works really well with the cane creek shock, both with just the right amount of progression.

I haven't had chance to play with the different geometry settings yet, happy with the bike in the neutral setting. Not sure how the bike will handle 650b wheels and 160mm up front but it's a really flexible frame so should be fine. There's plenty of chat about options over on the MTBR forums, you'll find someone over there with that set up. Here's a [url= http://forums.mtbr.com/banshee-bikes/2013-spitfire-802889.html ]link[/url]. The thread is long but it's worth reading it all as there's loads of good info there.

Few pics of mine

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I'm in Oban.
@pigyn how does the 650b ride? Good?

Cheers for the feedback

Bike looks lovely. Cheers for the feedback

I'll have one in a few weeks time!

I was planning on running it with 160mm PIkes and 650b wheels, emailed Keith a whole load of questions and he said he'd recommend if running 650b wheels to go for a 150mm Pike as it works better and gives the geometry that they list for 650b. He added that if you go 160mm then the front may start to wander a bit on climbs and that it also adds a bit more front flex due to the longer fork.

Really nicely, I am a big fan of the linkage. I haven't spent a huge amount of time on the Spitfire yet as I have been loving 'testing' the Prime 29er. Trying to find the time to play on the Spitfire but illness and business so far have conspired against me.

I have ridden with people while they test it and it as always gone down very well. One person even wanted the front end higher, this is 650b, 160mm, with 20mm spacers and 10mm low rise bars, so even if you like a low front end then 0-10mm spacers with flat bars should get the feel you are looking for.

Feel free to pop down for either a sit on/car park test or get it booked up & take it to Glentress/etc.

Cheers guys, great feedback

Oh - we are running it 'neutral' at the moment, not the slackest setting

@mmel what kind of weight is your build?

That's lovely.

Can't really comment on the Spitfire, but I do have a Rune and I rate it very highly. The KS links seems to work really well and generates a lot of traction when climbing and is plush on the descents. I probably should have bought a Spitfire but couldn't find one to demo and really enjoyed riding the Rune so bought one.

Keith was mega helpful when I emailed him with loads of questions.

graeme87 - I'm guessing at around 30 - 32 lbs. I've not weighed it and to be honest weight was never my concern when building. It pedals well even with running 1x10 and I'm by no means super fit.

cant comment on 650b as mines set up with 26s but you wont regret buying a spitfire ive had mine 8 months now and it still makes me grin from ear to ear ,such a great bike to ride, its my only bike and I use it for everything .mine wieghs in at 30 pounds 4oz now:)

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All sounds good but where can you buy one?

Ison Distribution look after them now and many bike shops have a trade account with them - I mentioned the Spitfire in passing and found my LBS could get them in, and the wheels started turning!

Keith says my frame with CCDBair-CS should weigh about 3.5kg (7.7lbs) so seeing as I'm building it up with much the same parts as my Soul (4.4lbs) which weighs 26.5lbs it should come in at about 31lbs (heavier frame, slightly heavier fork & wheels). I suspect how fast the tyres roll and how efficiently the suspension pedals will have a much greater bearing on how well it goes on the flat and uphill. And sadly the state of my legs and lungs an infinitely greater effect: Running 34t 11-36 at the moment - hopefully the fractionally higher gearing and weight won't make that feel too hard...

Cheers. Could you tell me if the headset I require is a tapered integrated headset or is it a conventional?

Aii, finished building mine up two weeks ago: CCDB, 650b and 150mm pikes.

Its amazing! I'm running it as slack as possible and it rails turns so well, the DB is ridiculously sensitive for an air shock and it climbs well considering its weight.

Can't see any problems with 160mm forks, if its to much you could always steepen the bike back up again using the flip chips at the back.

Oh, and its a tapered headset.

Thanks. Yeh I seen it was a tapered headset but wasn't sure if it was an integrated headset?

It's a zero stack headset, ZS44/ZS56.

How are you owners who have done some miles finding the sizing. The reach on the med looks right from my previous bikes (5'10.5) but Im still unsure.

I'm a smidge under 6' and the large is absolutely spot on. I had ridden a lot of bikes with similar top tube lengths (medium SB66 and Rocket) and knew the large would be about right for me. Certainly doesn't feel like a big bike and if I was you I'd be going large too.

Plus I think the frame looks better in large... 😉

im 5 foot 7 in and mine is a medium which is bang on the size for me .if I was any shorter I would get a small im right on the borderline between the two. I would of thought you would be comfy on either medium or large but medium would be better, it depends on your reach and legs really. you should try to find one to sit on

smaller bikes always look better anyway:P

cheers for the (conflicting) advice 😉 Think I need to ride one. What length stem are you both using? - for me the sizing of a large DW 5 spot (09) was spot on. Looking at the numbers Im still going towards medium.

Large DW 5 spot (09)
TT 600 Reach 406 Stack 604 Wheelbase 1117

Med Spitfire
TT 590 Reach 427 Stack 590 Wheelbase 1154

Large Spitfire
TT 615 Reach 452 Stack 590 Wheelbase 1179

55mm on mine

50mm:)

I'm exactly 5'10.5" and have ordered a medium to run with a 50mm stem. My Cotic Soul has the same ETT but a slacker seat angle so the reach on the Spitfire will be slightly longer. If my local riding was more open, faster and rougher then I'd be considering a large with a shorter stem and wider bars.

5'8 and ride a medium with a 35mm stem, I used to ride with a 50mm stem but swapped to the 35mm and prefer it. I have had a year on this frame and very happy with the medium. Check out mtbr banshee forum loads of info. There's a guy on there user name nostyle he was getting a frame the same time as I was and he was about 5'10 and went with a medium but has swapped the frame for a large.. Would be worth messaging him for advice.

http://forums.mtbr.com/banshee-bikes/2013-spitfire-802889-49.html