[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3760/8811129088_d1fb805e20.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikewsmith/8811129088/ ]demo toy[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/mikewsmith/ ]Mike Smith 79[/url], on Flickr
And it has funny sized wheels.... will see how it goes but the next bike will be 26".
Nice. Really like the look of those 650b Rocky Mountain bikes. Enjoy!
the other people who have been on it are not convinced the wheels make a massive difference but it's just a well put together bike (would be tempted if my wheels were 142 to just drop the 26" in there!)
Very nice! Let us know how you get on with it.
Nice! where did you get that from? I'm looking for a new bike and that's on the list.
I'm testing a Whyte 146s this weekend, waiting for the call to pick it up 😉
From here http://www.sprungmtb.com.au/ free Tues-Friday demos on the local trail on Sunday next week (in Tasmania)
I'll look forward to a ride report, not exactly local trails.......
It looks like a really nicely thought out frame though.
Review Time!
3 rides done this weekend and 1 more tomorrow but here are the thoughts. This will contain some inevitable wheel size content. These are my opinions (which I'm sure I will have corrected) so please take them as that.
First the negatives
Bars too narrow (minor detail)
Nobby nics (WTF are they for rubbish things far to unpredictable for my liking)
The brakes were hideous - Avids not a fan
The SLX drive train - again not a fan especially coming from Twisties as the shifters didn't really work for my fingers
in needed a chain device
Now the rest, very short TT on the bike for the size, I could fit on a large I reckon. The Fox CTD fork & shock had very definite compression feel with Climb being near solid, apart from some long climby bits I had the shock in trail all the way and the fork in trail for all 3 rides. Both felt really good and the 34's had some great stiffness compared to a 32 and close enough to a 36 for my liking.
The bike itself pedals really well with very little bob and felt really efficient. It climbed really well, part of this was due to it being a 1-2kg lighter than my current bike.
[bit about wheel sizes] At 650b I was expecting to feel something different. In some ways it didn't, but in others it was noticeable. Above a certain speed it felt like it had more acceleration, probably a combination of wheels and nice suspension design. However on technical climbs (there were a lot on Saturday) it felt slow and as if it had gained weight. When the wheels didn't have momentum then it felt sluggish and heavy and harder to get going.
On the downs it felt like a capable 150mm bike that was stable and fun and never felt out of it's depth[/bit about wheel sizes]
Sunday mornings ride was mostly flowy with some tight stuff and a couple of pinchy climbs. Again in middle ring flying along it felt great, just when you got caught out with a tight corner or patch of sand on a couple of the climbs and drop below the magic speed did it feel harder to get going again.
So this afternoon I grabbed the last of the light and did a proper scientific strava comparison on my local trails. The main descent I'm about 2:30 on for my fastest and 2:45-3:15 when I'm not. Rolled in for a grand total of 3:30, but it felt fast, like I was really shifting but turns out I wasn't. It did feel better in the smooth flowy trails though.
In the end a nicely put together frame that reminds me why I don't buy complete bikes 🙂 If it came in 26" I'd probably consider it and move all of my good gear onto it.
Bit rambly but just my thoughts, not sure I get 650 or what it's for. At some point I'll try a 29 and see what thats like. But for now I'm happy with 26" and my next bike will be one.