Tried 3 301’s last night:
Med: 140mm with 26 inch
Large: 160mm, 34’s and 650b
XLarge: 160mm, 34’s and 650b

Two questions –

—- Where did you demo the bike?
—- What was the tyre clearance like on the XL with 650b tyres?

The geometry says the chain stays in the XL are the same length as some dedicated 650b frames. Presume the extra 25mm of a 650b would effect the feel of the bike due to the increase in bb height.

I have recently sold my Liteville 301 Mk11 (medium and i’m 5ft 7 with 29inch inseam) having ridden mainly in the surrey hills, swinley and couple of trips to Spain. I converted it to 650b after 3 months which was very easy with easily enough clearance front and back for 2.3 nobby nics, Hans Dampfs and latterly a Maxxis High roller II 2.4. I was also able to continue using my 26inch BOS Deville 160mm Forks with no clearance issues at all. (you can see pics of the build on http://www.pinkbike.com/u/teknorob/album/Liteville-301-Mk11-650B/).

Before i talk about my experience of the 301, i have to say, ignore the haters 650b is a real game changer. I had ridden 29ers and like most enjoyed the speed but hated the lack mobility/ fun. I love 26ers but the 650b is faster rolling, more confidence inspiring and is just as manoeuvrable as the 26.

After initially thinking this was the best bike i’d ever ridden, after 6 months or so i really began to fall out of love with it. I appreciate this is completely down to rider style, personal choice and these are just my opinions.

Pros:
– Frame beautifully made of over sized top grade aluminium (absolutely no probs with being too light for – its travel)
– Great frame details
– Suspension works brilliantly and the bike climbs better than any 160mm bike that i’ve tried
– Very light for what it is and my build came to 29lbs dead
– 10 year transferable warranty is an amazing thing which meant i was able to sell the frame after nearly a year for 300 quid less than i paid.
– Flexibility of set up, 140mm or 160mm & 26inch or 650b.
– rarity value (unless you take it to germany and then its like a ford focus.

Cons:

– BB too high and obviously made higher by 650b wheels
– the ride height generally feels high which made me feel slighly unconnected/ perched rather than part of the bike. This is especially noticed on fast sweeping and technical decents where i like a bike to suck you into the berms and corners.
– Everything costs extra, from the rockguard (£30) integrated chainguide (120) and despite what it appears to say on the website it doesnt not come with the adjustable Vario spin headset as standard instead coming with the normal one.
– poor communication with the liteville who took years to answer any questions and then generally failed to deal with the point you’d raised

i would say this bike is not optimised for 650b but instead it just so happens that the components will fit, which is not the same thing, so if you’re happy with 26inch wheels you might have a better time.

The final nail in the coffin for the 301 was a chance ride of the santa cruz bronson. Chalk and cheese is the best way to describe the difference. The ride is simple better in every way and the frame is designed around 650b and not a marketing after thought. The bronson is faster over all terrain and you feel completely connected rather than perched. I was very lucky that i was able to get hold of an ex-demo carbon bronson frame and that all of my components including the forks and shock fit it perfectly, but if you can stretch and extra 500 over the liteville and you want 650b its worth every penny and more.

I hope this helps if not with your bike choice then atleast your insomnia : )

PS The BOS Devilles & Vipr combo rock and are simply the best suspension i’ve ever ridden.

Sprockets cycles in Kilmarnock have a medium 301 in black going for around 20% less than RRP. 😀

Its interesting to read how different bike suit different people.

I’ve been riding one for a couple of weeks now & my opinion pretty much is the polar opposite for the other person.

I tried a Bronson, both Alloy & Carbon. The alloy was heavy bike, which didn’t help, the build was done on a budget & the tyres really didn’t inspire confidence.

The Bronson C was a nice build, but still suffered with the issues I had with my old Nomad C, mainly I was stuck between a L & XL. Santa Cruz bikes still size up small & they insist on monster seat posts on the bigger bikes.

The top tube was too short, as was the wheelbase, and coming from a slacker, longer bike I really disliked the way it felt. I thought the low BB would be an issue, but SC, like most are very selective with how they measure it. 150mm forks, and skinny tyres it would seem as the bike I rode with a 160mm Pike & 2.4 High Roller 2 F, 2.3 High Roller 2 came in at ~353mm. Or just under 14″ in old money. A fair bit higher than the ‘official’ figure.

I have an issue with super low BB’s on bikes that are designed to be pedaled, i’m completely on board with it on a DH bike where it’s less important, but on a trail bike? Not for me. I understand there needs to be a balance between handling & ability to pedal, and that sweet spot seems to be around the upper 13″ mark. That was a pleasant surprise to the Bronson. I thought this was going to be a big dislike.

The weight was great, as was the stiffness. The finish out of the box on the carbon was nice, the alloy looked cheap, maybe the black paint job didn’t suit it? They both needed a lot of helitape to keep them looking pretty. One of the guys I ride with has had a carbon from the launch, but it’s already suffering the issues I have myself with carbon bikes, in that when they get a lot of use, they look tatty. Not really what you want from what is nearly a £3k frame. Jungle to be fair have treated him well & he’s recently been given a new F&R triangle due to said finish quality issues.

With regards to the Liteville, for me, with 26″ wheels I think the bike would be too low. The one I have been on measured in at nearly exactly the same BB height as the above Bronson (as accurate as you can be with a tape measure). There are some great frame features, and it all seems very well thought out. I’m not a huge fan of the looks, although it doesn’t offend the eyes too much.

Ride wise, again interesting how people want, and feel different things from a bike. This bike seems to fit me well, and being taller, the inbetweener sized wheels seem to make more sense for someone who isn’t fussed with a 29. There are times I notice the difference, the bike feels faster and rolls better, and there are times I feel like i’m just riding any other bike. I haven’t really noticed a downside to it personally.

Being on a bigger bike, there are no issues with regard to mud/tyre clearance for me, I understand on the smaller ones this may be an issue due to shorter chainstays.

Overall, i’m impressed. Almost impressed enough to want to buy one. It’s the only bike i’ve ridden of late I really like.