I love this bike!
Thanks Paul at Mountain bike leasing for organising a test ride on a very rare bike.
I test rode the Large frame, which is too small for me but not too small to give a proper pasting!
I weigh 17stone so we set the rear shock at 230 psi. I thought it would struggle but we headed up the hill and I was amazed at how well it climbed. I am no climber at 17st/115kgs I never will be but I am sure I did my fastest climb yesterday. Even the short top tube for my bulky frame didnt feel akward.
From the top down it feels nimble and flickable. Quickly gathering speed with a very positive steering feel. The Kashima coated Fox forks are smooth and solid, oh and very sexy.
I eased off a little for the first technical steep and rooty section but felt like the bike wanted more speed. I let go of the brakes through the next section and Woooohaahhh! This thing wants to fly!
I spent the rest of the day looking for things to launch of and tried to get it to slide. The Maxxis Ardent rear tyre is amazing, grippy with the sublime High Roller on front it went where I pointed it.
I finnished with a flat out run down Barry Knows Best, surely my fastest ever. Even though I was riding with flat pedals and different controls, bar width etc. this bike just felt like it wanted me to go faster and launch off every root and bump. Fly into the corners and generally RIDE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!!!!!
The marker got close to the end of the stroke on the rear shock but I didnt feel it bottom out or think I had over cooked it.
It is only 130mm travel which is what I have been waiting for. Around here thats all I really need.
I love the colour. I love the look of this bike. I love the way I can climb on it. I love the way it seems to float over roots and ruts like a magic carpet. I love its direct steering.
The hard bit now is convincing my wife I don’t love this bike more than her, its our annivesary next week….
