[Freeridin']

Where did all the hype go?

There was a lot of talk and a couple reviews on the pre production MK1, but since the MK2 has been release I haven't heard much about them.

Anyone have some ride time on one and care to shed some light?

 

[roel_koel]

I know Banshee have sold over 500 Mk2 Legend frames globally

I know a couple of guys riding them under the "mythic" sub-label here in the UK, all seem stoked on the ride performance...

never ridden one personally so cannot comment in that respect, but from the frames I have held first hand, look very pretty!

the shift to ball bearings was a big improvement on the bushing Mk1 which seemed to get a little sloppy"!

 

[Pslide]

I think everyone's too busy racing them to post up on internet forums...

 

[xMARTINx]

this is my mk2,i love it!best bike ever!supersweet and superfast!

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[matsO]

Where did all the hype go?

There was a lot of talk and a couple reviews on the pre production MK1, but since the MK2 has been release I haven't heard much about them.

Anyone have some ride time on one and care to shed some light?

OT as I have not ridden one yet (but if someone in sweden are willing to let me try a Large I would be very happy)

The hype-thing is something we as consumers have to get used to in the days of facebook, twitter, RM etc. It is just a new way of marketing. The procedure for development of the product is probably the same as 10 years ago. The difference being that the public did not get to see the new product before it was ready. Nowadays we are fed with every prototype frame there is from all brands. New demo8, new DeVinci, new Evil?, new V10 carbon, new DHR bla bla bla.

That is mainly good IMO, but when I need a new frame now I kind of feel like I am buying something old and outdated

Are currently looking into the new DHR, the Legend and the new demo8 for my 2011 bike. The legend should be a good choice as I like the performance on my Banshee spitfire.

PS: what is hype? is it the amount of meaningless replies in a thread on RM?

 

[jefg]

Everyone is riding them. At the bottom of the lifts in whistler you can't look in a direction without seeing one!

 

[Vrock]

OT as I have not ridden one yet (but if someone in sweden are willing to let me try a Large I would be very happy)

The hype-thing is something we as consumers have to get used to in the days of facebook, twitter, RM etc. It is just a new way of marketing. The procedure for development of the product is probably the same as 10 years ago. The difference being that the public did not get to see the new product before it was ready. Nowadays we are fed with every prototype frame there is from all brands. New demo8, new DeVinci, new Evil?, new V10 carbon, new DHR bla bla bla.

That is mainly good IMO, but when I need a new frame now I kind of feel like I am buying something old and outdated

Are currently looking into the new DHR, the Legend and the new demo8 for my 2011 bike. The legend should be a good choice as I like the performance on my Banshee spitfire.

PS: what is hype? is it the amount of meaningless replies in a thread on RM?

Sorry, but banshee is doing things much much much much much better than anyone else, it's not about showing prototypes. It's about showing all the process, asking for sugestions, answer questions on the forums, having a really nice Blog, building 50 prototypes, give them to the people and getting tons of feedback, etc........

It is just a new way of marketing??? Maybe, but I think that they are great people.

 

[norbar]

Probably most of the people who bought theirs are too busy riding theirs and enjoying it. Im not even making photos of me riding it because I prefer to ride than to push up for shoots and loose riding time. Its an awesome bike - very neutral feeling, great low CoG, feels ultra stable, rides high in its travel and carries speed well. Overall the frame is no BS francy shmancy racing machine and I love mine. Ask if you want to know something specific.


As for the 500 frames - really that much? The first batch for the uk was 5 or 6 frames, is uk really that small dh wise or were the 2nd orders 10x bigger.

 

[illnotsick]

+1 for everyone is too busy riding them

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/145666/

 

[Beast]

Team Geronimo has been schralping on the Legend all year long. Check out their facebook page for a ton of photos/video: http://www.facebook.com/teamgeronimo

 

[matsO]

Vrock: did not mean any bad against Banshee. I have a spitfire myself and agree that the company is awsome in general

Just frustrated about the length of time from the teaser shots appears to general availability and that goes for all the new frames that are around now.

Again Banshee = awsome

 

[Steve M]

Where did all the hype go?

There was a lot of talk and a couple reviews on the pre production MK1, but since the MK2 has been release I haven't heard much about them.

Anyone have some ride time on one and care to shed some light?

I've been on one for the past few months, got the best part of 40 days riding on it now. Notes so far:
- Corners really well, but the weight bias (at least with my setup) seems further forward than most bikes I've ridden. As a result, front wheel grip is great, but the rear end is a tad harder to snap around than some other bikes. Seems to prefer carving around turns rather than squaring them off, but that trait isn't so severe that you can't actually rip the rear end around when you really want to - it just takes a bit more effort than some bikes.
- Pedals slightly weird, too much anti-squat means that it extends a bit under pedalling. Very solid feel at the pedals though.
- Jumps fine, though in my opinion this is more to do with suspension setup than the actual bike.
- Leverage rate... in my opinion it could stand to be more progressive at the end of the travel. The bike isn't particularly hard to bottom out, nor does it have that OMFG PLUSH feeling at the beginning of the travel. Works pretty well with an RC4, but you do have to run a fair whack of compression damping if you're giving it a hiding.
- Geometry seems good, the bike generally handles well and doesn't do anything strange. BB is really low though, to the point where I have put the outside pedal into small rocks embedded in the ground whilst hitting berms quite a few times. I don't find this a problem when actually pedalling because you can just time your pedal strokes to avoid obstacles, but smacking stuff whilst cornering isn't always avoidable, particularly if you have a foot off.

It's actually not a particularly forgiving bike to ride, but the way the suspension requires you to set it up does end up netting a very stable ride that you can hammer pretty hard without overwhelming. It's kind of the take-no-**** drill sergeant that isn't afraid to be harsh but gets stuff done efficiently, vs the reassuring mother that never wants to upset you but doesn't actually get you moving when you need to.

 

[norbar]

Socket - on steeper trails or with much weight forward its not at much of a problem - the front bias. I run 0 upsweep flatbars and will probably go for a canfield stem to see how much it helps. It took me to get used to to turn it. For me it was great on flat corners but FRish tracks with berms took some time to learn. Though it is much better than any bike I tried so far. Only a bit different (though my last bike liked me to weight the front too).

 

[toodles]

Socket - on steeper trails or with much weight forward its not at much of a problem - the front bias. I run 0 upsweep flatbars and will probably go for a canfield stem to see how much it helps. It took me to get used to to turn it. For me it was great on flat corners but FRish tracks with berms took some time to learn. Though it is much better than any bike I tried so far. Only a bit different (though my last bike liked me to weight the front too).

I think he meant the weight bias is already too far forward.

 

[norbar]

I think he meant the weight bias is already too far forward.

The part where too much weight forward coupled with not being able to rip threw corners kinda confused me. Not enough weight at the back kinda makes it easier to loose rear traction though Im tired so I may mix things up. Still I feel the bike rides better with a low low front end. The lower I got on the front - the better it felt for me.

 

[strahan]

MKII vid.

Having fun on the local mtn

 

[Steve M]

Socket - on steeper trails or with much weight forward its not at much of a problem - the front bias. I run 0 upsweep flatbars and will probably go for a canfield stem to see how much it helps. It took me to get used to to turn it. For me it was great on flat corners but FRish tracks with berms took some time to learn. Though it is much better than any bike I tried so far. Only a bit different (though my last bike liked me to weight the front too).

I don't have a problem with the forward weight bias, it's just not like a Demo or an Evil where you're planted a bit more over the rear wheel. Steep stuff doesn't bother me, the Banshee is fine on that - the head angle is slack enough that you're never going to find it hard to handle on steep terrain. I run flat bars too. I think it is one of, if not the best-cornering bikes I've ridden in general, but like I said, it corners differently to some bikes that are a bit shorter both in wheelbase and chainstay length. I ride a large and the wheelbase is quite long. Rear end grip is fairly good too, it's just an all-round stable ride.

 

[Floor Tom]

I've had a few days on mine now and overall I am happy with it. The low down weight slack HA and low BB really do make it corner very well. It also seems to jump predictably (though like Socket said a lot of this is to do with shock and fork set up).
It looks great and has a good warranty behind it, I really like the area around the shock, it looks strong while keeping the weight down low.

I have a couple of negative points to make however. IMO there is too much anti squat at the start of the travel. When sprinting it on the flat the suspension will extend, having said that I have not noticed many problems while riding, only the fact that the bike stiffens up a lot if you get on the gas on a rough straight.

The other negative for me is that I seem to be in between sizes. At 5'11" the large was too big, I got a medium and TBH I would like it to be a bit bigger. When the going gets very rough and fast or very steep it is not as stable as my old bike (a small MSC, though they only make 2 sizes and they could just as well be called large and XL). This isn't really a fault as such but I would really like a medium and a half. The difference between them is only 30mm. I would say a medium but 10-15mm longer would be perfect for me (anyone know if I can get offset headset cups to make it longer, I don't need it any slacker. I heard Peaty used some in his old V10)

 

[norbar]

I don't have a problem with the forward weight bias, it's just not like a Demo or an Evil where you're planted a bit more over the rear wheel. Steep stuff doesn't bother me, the Banshee is fine on that - the head angle is slack enough that you're never going to find it hard to handle on steep terrain. I run flat bars too. I think it is one of, if not the best-cornering bikes I've ridden in general, but like I said, it corners differently to some bikes that are a bit shorter both in wheelbase and chainstay length. I ride a large and the wheelbase is quite long. Rear end grip is fairly good too, it's just an all-round stable ride.

Actualy steep stuff is the best I tried it on. The only place where I needed to learn how to ride the legend are fairly flattish tracks, bike park like runs with berms prepared for smaller bikes. It feels very neutral for me because it has no strange issues with handling. Maybe I just like the weight bias so it doesnt bother me.



Tom for stability - suspension setup is key - my last bike was 1cm longer and was defo much less stable, even though it was plusher.

 

[Pslide]

Tom, you might want to try running more sag / softer spring. The anti-squat will decrease the more sag you run.

And maybe a 60 mm stem if you need a bit more room in the cockpit? I've got a SIC direct mount 60 mm if you're interested. And as Norbar says, suspension setup is key for stability.

 

[Floor Tom]

I'm already on a 300 lbs spring and have the HSC and LSC cranked in at least 50%, I get the right sag. TBH the anti-squat isn't really an issue, just something that is quite different to most other bikes I have ridden including other multi link bikes.
I may well try a longer stem, I used to run a 65mm on an old DH bike I used for a while. The stability issue is not with the suspension. The forks are the same as my old bike and the rear suspension seems to work better. Its just on the very steeps I feel like I could do with the front being a bit further away. If I could get offset reducer cups for the headset I'd be sorted. Its not bad as it is. I really like the bike, this is just the one thing I would change if I could.

 

[Freeridin']

Perfect, this is exactly what I was looking for. Lots of good feedback.

Can the ride be compared to any other bikes out there?

 

[Steve M]

Perfect, this is exactly what I was looking for. Lots of good feedback.

Can the ride be compared to any other bikes out there?

Ever ridden a Sunday? Imagine riding one of those that was lower, slacker, longer and basically designed to be ridden at a higher speed before it got squirrelly and started to lose its composure.

For the record, I have over 40 days and 250 runs in the WBP on my Mk2 and I'm pretty stoked on it. Other than the f**king Maxle, but I got rid of that anyway

 

[norbar]

I'm already on a 300 lbs spring and have the HSC and LSC cranked in at least 50%, I get the right sag. TBH the anti-squat isn't really an issue, just something that is quite different to most other bikes I have ridden including other multi link bikes.
I may well try a longer stem, I used to run a 65mm on an old DH bike I used for a while. The stability issue is not with the suspension. The forks are the same as my old bike and the rear suspension seems to work better. Its just on the very steeps I feel like I could do with the front being a bit further away. If I could get offset reducer cups for the headset I'd be sorted. Its not bad as it is. I really like the bike, this is just the one thing I would change if I could.

Wider bars may also help you. I noticed I tend to grip my bars a bit wider on the legend. It will increase your stability and may make you feel less cramped. Im 5 10 and it feels very good even though my last bike was longer than a WW2 battleship.


btw. socket have you dont something to the rc4 or do you stay with it? Im contemplating testing a dueler in the late season. Maybe Ill try a lighter oil for the rc4.

 

[jackalope]

Damn, I want one worse than Amy Winehouse wants a speedball.

Btw, does anyone know where Strahan's ride video is from? Sunpeaks? Regardless, it looks spectacular...

 

[Wa-Aw]

Norbar,

At 5'10" what size do you use? Medium? Is there any feeling of it being too big?

 

[norbar]

Norbar,

At 5'10" what size do you use? Medium? Is there any feeling of it being too big?

I use medium. The cockpit is rather compact and even feels a bit shorter than I expected though I have to repeat what I said previously - my last frame was a large (well unisize but the only size was around large).

 

[strahan]

Btw, does anyone know where Strahan's ride video is from? Sunpeaks? Regardless, it looks spectacular...

mt. washington

 

[grooveninja]

Curious if anyone could compare the MK2 to the new DHR. Have had a DHR on order since Feb. and just got told "3-5 more weeks" for the sixth time this year and so I'm getting my $ back and looking at a MK2. Seems similar in HT angle and BB height to the DHR.

 

[IggyS]

Yo Grooveninja,

I had the opportunity to test ride the DHR at Whistler and within 1 Garbo lap I was already noticeably pulling more speed out of techy sections than I could on my Legend.... So I'll try to explain what I noticed with the best of my abilities

Now don't get me wrong, the Legend is a great bike and I would totally recommend you get one because it rides amazingly and is incredibly small bump sensitive but it just doesn't quite suite my riding style as much as the DHR. I like to float over stuff and really get as much pump as I can out of the ground..... I'm really light and not too strong so pedaling characteristics make a huge difference for me and the efficiency is really highlighted on the DHR thanks to dw. The immense rearward travel on the Legend just wastes some of the pumping momentum and provides a lot of pedal feedback while trying to sprint over rough ground but on the other hand it also has its advantages. The Legend just destroys in choppy chutes where the rearward travel will help keep your balance over the bike and let you go flat out. The low COG makes the bike a breeze to transition from corner to corner but the axle path doesn't help much in really tight trails or when you're g-ing out in a catchers mitt corner. The DHR rides much more nimbly and wasn't quite as forgiving on square edged hits. Honestly, they're both damn good bikes and you can not go wrong with either so it just comes down to your riding style as they're different bikes in that sense.


Hope that helps dude,
Iggy S.

Also, my medium MK2 for sale if anyone is looking to hunt one down >>
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/703823/

 

[karpi]

hey guys, sorry to revive this, but Im going to get a brand new legend and I'm a bit confused as to what size I should get. Im 6'0 (183 cms) tall, so I've always been smack in the middle of a Large and a Medium on many bike brands. As a reference point, I'm coming of a medium Sunday which suited me fine, although I felt I needed a large in the fast stuff. I tryed my friends M Legend and found it was a bit on the shorter side but still confortable. What to do?

 

[Gelbwurstbrot]

I am 5'8" and have a M. Before the Legend I had a Sunday in M and the cockpit from the Legend feels a bit shorter because of the shorter downtube.

But the Legend is longer, lower and slacker. It is more stable in the ruff and fast stuff but also corners very well because of the low cog.

I think a size M Legend will fit you well.
Banshee recommends for your height also a size M.

 

[Wa-Aw]

I am 5'8" and have a M. Before the Legend I had a Sunday in M and the cockpit from the Legend feels a bit shorter because of the shorter downtube.

But the Legend is longer, lower and slacker. It is more stable in the ruff and fast stuff but also corners very well because of the low cog.

I think a size M Legend will fit you well.
Banshee recommends for your height also a size M.

You sound like just the guy I want to get some info out of.

I've got your height and a bit long in the legs. I usually ride smalls but Banshee tends to size their bikes a bit on the small side. I tried an Mk1 Small and it was TINY (knees hitting the fork - tiny). But I was also worried about the medium being too big to move around liberally. How are you liking yours? How much did you weigh and did you have to change the spring rate when you got the frame?

 

[Gelbwurstbrot]

Hi, I have also long legs for my height. My road bike is size 56 becaus of my long legs.

When I sit on the saddle my knee are quite near on the handlebar, but it is no problem in normal ride position. Size S would be way to small for me.

I have a BOS S**toy with a 300# sping. My weight is 187 lbs with gear.
BOS recommended me this spring weight and it works fine for me.
With a FOX RC4 I thing I would need a 350# spring.

The Legend is quite easy to move around because of the compact "cockpit" und low cog.

 

[norbar]

hey guys, sorry to revive this, but Im going to get a brand new legend and I'm a bit confused as to what size I should get. Im 6'0 (183 cms) tall, so I've always been smack in the middle of a Large and a Medium on many bike brands. As a reference point, I'm coming of a medium Sunday which suited me fine, although I felt I needed a large in the fast stuff. I tryed my friends M Legend and found it was a bit on the shorter side but still confortable. What to do?

Im 179cm tall and my M feels a bit on the short side. Kinda depends if you prefer agility over stability and a bit more comfort. I got used to the M and the feeling probably comes from the fact that my last frame was longish in the tt area.
Didnt Socket have a Large? Maybe ask him what height he is.

 

[karpi]

What stem size are you running? I felt my ass was running of the back of the bike on the M Legend with a 55mm stem...

 

[Beast]

What stem size are you running? I felt my ass was running of the back of the bike on the M Legend with a 55mm stem...

Sounds like you'd prefer a large then

 

[karpi]

hahaha I guess so, this is me on my friends bike

 

[karpi]

would a large help me get my body weight further forward?

 

[karpi]

Sounds like you'd prefer a large then

what size are you running¿?