anyone got one of the above?

i’m struggling to find any reviews of it, and it would be a 2-3hr drive for me to test one – but it looks pretty good. just looking for any opinions

If you ride like John Wayne you’ll be fine.If you’re a habitual heels in kinda guy you’ll struggle. They are Very wide at the chainstays.

lol. “get off your horse”….

maybe not worth the trip then. shame, looked nice too.

If you ride like John Wayne you’ll be fine.If you’re a habitual heels in kinda guy you’ll struggle. They are Very wide at the chainstays

This was a problem with the pre-production models, apparently it’s all sorted now.

Yup, I do. Looks lovely, rides lovely. What specifically do you want to know?

Not had a probelm with heel rub, but I also heard that it might be an issue so taped the chainstays. Can’t say i’ve noticed it being more of an issue than any other bike in the 2 months i’ve had it.

i want to know where its worthwhile me driving 2-3hrs to get one in kendal with some dosh off it or not, considering im over the border in rain-soaked glasgow its a bit of a trek…. 🙂

how does it climb? i’m just after the usual do-it-all trail bike really, and wheelbase are doing a good deal right now.

Ok.

I got it at the start of december and have put a good few rides in on it. It’s been taken down mountains, trail centres as well as pootling around the woods. I actually like climbing (mostly) and have found it’s perfectly good at this, faster than my old hardtail. I tend to leave the float ctd in Trail for climbing and find there’s no issue with pedal induced bouncing. Also the rear wheel tracks well on technical climbs.
Point it down and it’s yet to dissapoint. Smashes through everything I point it at.

It’s worth noting that I swapped the 32’s for a pair of pikes straight away, which almost definitely adds to it’s ‘smashing through anything’ ability. The tyres it comes with are, in my opinion, awful so you’ll want to swap them, but then most people would anyway i’d imagine.

As for do-it-all it will be my year round bike, it will be coming to the alps in the summer and i’ll be racing it at the scottish enduro series all year (if not overly successfully).

Plus if your going to Kendal for a test then it’s worth it just to get some lakes riding in anyway. I’d go and try it.

Ive got the Spicy 527 which is the same frame as the Zesty. The heel rub they talk about was resolved by bringing in the chain stays by 10mm each side. They’re still wide but I’ve not hit them with my heel. It climbs very well, only down side is that on the real steep climb stuff the 160mm front end can get lively but with some practice I hope to keep it down and in more control. As said above it eats through the downs and it felt very easy to ride straight away. Go give it a go, sure you will love it.

The back of any FS bike, that can fit decent width wheels/tyres and a 10spd cassette is going to be wide. I find i quickly wear out the helitape on the chain stays with my heals, but i have never actually felt this happening on a ride, so it must happen, but i don’t notice it at all!

Certainly wouldn’t be enough to stop me going for a test ride 😉

they do come with a stripy jersey and onions right?

The rear brake caliper is inside the chainstays. Tucked away for added crash protection… Or so they say. But it’s the main reason for wideness of the back end.

They have aluminium rear stays I believe for 2014.

Bloodsexmagik have you got any pics of your zesty with pikes on. Cheers

Yeah mate, got a couple I think. I’ll stick em up when I get home from work.

I take it your getting it from Wheelbase? Thought they were a decent set of lads when I got a bike from them and they really sold the riding around where theyre based.

Not the greatest angle but you get the idea 🙂

Looks real nice with the pikes did you get 150 or 160 pike

Looks awesome 🙂

I’m in the market for a similar bike; looking at the Lapierre an a Nukeproof Mega AM at the moment. So many bikes out there to choose from at the moment!

I have a 2014 Zesty 527, the only real difference is mine is carbon and the 427 isnt.

It’s great, really good.
As a comparison with similar types of bike I’ve had in the past an Intense 6.6, Pivot mach 5, Ibis Mojo and in my opinion is better than all of them. A much more capable all rounder.
I dont clip my heels (size 10 feet), or anywhere near to be honest. I’ve been noticably faster on technical trails that I know well.
I’ve been riding my hadtail 29er a lot lately and I was worried that the zesty would take out the fun and feel of riding fast, but I was wrong, it is a complete hoot.

I epected it do descent very well (which it does), but it also goes uphill with surprising ease.

I’ve changed mine from 2×10 to 1×10.

Another positive review from me. Got a zesty 527 couple of weeks ago, only had a couple of shortish rides out on it so far but all good. Despite the conditions out there it’s riding really well. Will probably look at changing the nobby nic’s that came with it but nothing else yet. No issues with the heel clipping from me either.

http://youtu.be/wxPZLSm_KxQ

had mu 427 for 2 months and just found a crack in the seat stay on the brake side. It has the original wide stays on.

lbs is in progress of sorting it out. …….

also the ks lev integra stopped working properly… it was sticking open as if the cable was too tight. The design is poor and the outer cable moves to actuate the post switch ans the return springs ar weak.
Sent it back to jungle and the admitted that the design is poor and are re manufacturering them so its the inner cable that moves….may take some weeks to get a new one 🙁 but at least they have held their hand up.

where was the crack in that video?

I heard that KS have updated the post and existing users will get a free upgrade. No idea when that will be though.

Just taken delivery of my 427 (an insurance replacement), looks lovely but now somewhat worried about the cracking 😯 .

Shop had trouble with the Lev out of the box so it’s already off for a warranty replacement. I’ve ordered a reverb anyway so will sell the Lev when I get it back to cover the cost(looks like a wise move based on timescales mentioned here).

I’m swapping the forks out of x-fusion sweeps (Pikes out of budget), binned the rubbish tyres and converted to 1×10. Bars and stem going for something wider/shorter.

Would be interested to know how good the sag set up markers are as this is the next job.

Was looking at buying a zesty AM But with the talks of cracks and seat posts not working am worried now, have these problems been sorted and is it a common thing? Really want the carbon 527 but will I notice the difference from the alloy 427 other than in the pocket? Not the fastest-fittest or maddest rider see

A quick google has only revealed the one story of a 2014 cracking (the same one as in this thread) which is the old style wider stays (these have been updated now). There is a 5 year warranty on the frame too.

I can’t comment on the Lev as it was never originally working (the mechanic who built the bike said it was faulty), it is with Jungle at the moment still. I’ve swapped it out for a Reverb as I’ve said above, but if it had worked out of the box I’d have stayed with the Lev. Again it looks like any issues will be dealt with under warranty without issue.

I think the carbon knocks about 1 pound off the weight. It’s not a heavy bike anyway, in its current guise (as in pic) it comes in at 28.5 – 29 lb (on my fishing scales so assume sub 30lb), change to a 1×10 will have dropped some weight, but still running tubes at the moment and I don’t think any of the mods I have made have otherwise made a huge difference to the weight. Welds are smoothed too so the alu looks like carbon at first glance.

re staying with the lev-

my dropzone took 4+ weks to come back from jungle
I think they may be kept busy with these KS warranty issues

Lev will be up for sale as soon as I get it back, shame as it seems they are well regarded when they work.

Strange Lapierre spec higher end models with a Reverb, it’s not as thought there is any difference in price buying them on the aftermarket. I assume Lapierre have a better deal as OEM than they get on the Reverbs.

I’ve got the 527 and love it… Mate picked up a 427 last week and he’s instantly in love with his too. We did do a quick comparison side by side with weight etc and it was noticeably lighter. As to differences on the ride I guess it will be minimal. Only issues I picked up on with the bikes when I was researching was to do with the EI suspension system and a few faults with them…Give that a miss would be my suggestion! 🙂

How do the Formula RX brakes go and are the fox 32s that bad? Ive ridden a 727 however the 427 is more in my price range. Thinking hard about purchasing one of these.

RX brakes are excellent, better than the similar priced avids IMO.
As far as the 32s are concerned I haven’t paid too much attention to the media that they’re ‘flexy’. I haven’t noticed at all, I’m sure 34s, 36s and pikes are stiffer, but the whole bike package is really excellent and really very fast.
BTW I have a zesty 527.

Once you get some decent pads in the brakes they are fine. The pads that came with the bike seemed pretty sh1te. As for the forks I rate them…. for me they do whats needed, feel plush on the descent mode.

Brakes seem to be fine for me too after a bit of bedding in. Can’t comment on the forks as took mine off before riding. On another note my Lev arrived back today, they’ve updated the mechanism on it to the new version which should solve the issues that the intergalactic version has had. Other than that I’m starting to really enjoy the bike, feels nice and light and easy to manoeuvre around. Suspension works really well, leave in trail mode most of the time until a big descent.

Noticed some cable rub just before the cable attaches to the rear mech owners may want to check, a zip it and helitape should rectify if needed.

Hi gents, sorry to hijack the thread, especially as i dont think i’ve really posted on here.. i just wondered if you knew anything about the AM range as there doesnt seem to be much info about them on the internet currently.

I have the 327, and just wondered about the swing arm. Just for background, the first ride i went on the formula rear axle lever snapped off. I called the bike shop i had it from while working away (not the best idea) it was primera sports in bournemouth, the guys were great, and sent me a shimano axle which they’d tried before. Its not the most ideal fit as it doesnt have that tubular plug part the formula one has that keeps the lever away from the frame. The shimano one JUST fits into the frames recess for that tubular plug part so seems ok even though its slightly shorter overall than the original.

I told the shop i’d return the axle and they would sent it to hotlines or whoever and dispute it. One thing let to another and i didnt get around to sending it back yet.

Id read about the wide swing arm, and thats what put me off, but as i couldnt source a large 2013 model zesty anywhere i punted for the 327. I tried it at the shop, plenty of clearance. When i got it on the trails i noticed that if i lost my footing i was catching the frame quite a lot, i’d heli-taped it up but it was starting to rip it off.

Since then i’ve swapped from 24 years of riding flats to last weekend buying my first spds. I thought this would solve all my issues. I bought a pair of 510 hellcats to go with the xt trail pedals i already had. I found my comfortable position with the cleats, tightened them all up for the first time and tried the bike on the street. They hit on every pedal stroke, it was just a normal position but i couldnt move the shoe over enough. I quickly went to decathlon and purchased a pair of shimano shoes on offer and they were fine. The 510s arent a particularly wide shoe, i think its just the cleat placement and the fact the swing arm is so wide.

Basically i read that some people had new 15mm narrower swing arms fitted (i got mine in jan), if this was possible i’ll send the axle back with a letter and plan a weekend trip to bournemouth if it can be done. I looked a few weeks ago and people were saying the standard swing arms widest part was something like 190mm on the outers, the newer one was 175mm.

Sorry to ramble on guys, i just wanted to get some facts straight before i called them. Plus parting with the bike for any amount of time isnt a nice thought! The 6 hour round trip doesnt excite me much either.

On the plus side the bikes still amazing, it copes with everything i throw at it, ups are as good as downs (with a tyre change).

Thanks in advance chaps!
Chris

@Chris – have you talked this through with the bike shop you bought it from or contacted Lapierre or their distributor in the UK? I would guess that Lapierre could tell from the frame number whether it has the updated stays or not, and I did hear that they would replace these under warranty (or at least I read somewhere). Regardless of this I’d get the axle replaced with the proper part under warranty, you are entitled to it and I would not want to trust an axle that just fits. Personally I’d get in touch with whoever you need to over the frame to check and get replaced if need be.

Personally I have no issue with heel clipping (size 8 feet, medium frame, flats) and on checking the stays, don’t have any rub marks. Got my bike in March, I am assuming it is the revised stays version.

On another matter would someone mind checking the forward shock mounting for me. On the hardware it has 650b on one side and 26″ on the other. Which way up are these mounted on your frame(s)? Mine were mounted with the 26″ facing up which didn’t seem right to me. I’ve since flipped them but want to be sure I’m right.

Thanks for the reply mate 🙂

Do you know how wide the stays are at the outer widest part? Either 175mm or 190mm (roughly). The part where it bends, just before it kinks back in to go towards the axle.

I’ll send the axle back tomorrow with a letter, then call them regarding. I love the bike as is, but the fact that you cant use a pair of shoes with it is daft.

Regarding where it says 650b on the front of the shock? I think mine says it both sides? If thats what you mean..

@thisisglamour Hay Dude, I have 27mm pedal spacers on my 427 and i dont have any issues with heel clipping. I ride SPD’s with Hellcat 510’s. However I got the dudes at the bike shop to order me in a pair for if and when I sell my bike. They were able to source me them in under 2 weeks here in New Zealand and at no charge.

Measured mine, it’s somewhere around 185mm so I guess 190, but like I say I don’t have any problems. In terms of changes my understanding was that the stays were brought in about 10mm but not sure from what measurement.

@thisisglamour – update – I am still to get any heel rub but though it would be prudent to get the stays swapped out anyway if I am on the older variation. I contacted Hotlines who confirm they have sets of the redesigned stays and for me to go via the dealer to sort this out. The dealer is processing this as a warranty claim so I’ll let you know how it works out.

Super happy with the bike though, just managed to get the rear shock set up to what feels ‘right’ now too which helps.

Just had conformation replacements are on order, no fuss whatsoever. I’ll update when they arrive.

Hi gents, thanks for the feed back.

Sadly i couldnt go with the pedal spacer option as the XT trail pedals are only fitted with an allen key (no spanner option).

I contacted hotlines and the dealer, my new swing arm is at the dealer. Just waiting for 4 new bolts to come in before its returned to me.

I snapped the two horst link bolt heads by being a spanner and looking at the wrong side of the torque wrench, they were the last two i tightened as well!

I stripped all the pivots and cleaned them after a harsh winter, they were clicking from dirt and stuff. Rebuilt it, snapped those bolts. Then, i found out i could send my swing arm back to get it replaced. I stripped it down again and sent it off. Rounding off the bolts that hold the back of the shock onto the linkage. I was pretty sure the shop had partially rounded these off initially as the allen key was really hard to get out after the first small turn. You could see the hole was a rounded hex shape before i even touched it. I was using snap-on allen key sockets as well. Not some ikea allen key.

I had to hammer a large torx bit in to the hole and remove them with an impact driver.

Bike rides mint, but those aluminium mushroom head bolts are toilet. The axle ones are fine.

Maybe i can get some alternatives in titanium or something?

Hopefully now i can wear my hellcats before the winter comes! Just got build it back up with the new bearings when it gets here!