Ever since I through a leg over the prototype Prime a few years back, I thought that this thing has got to be as fast as my DH bike. It rolls over stuff like a monster truck, flies great, it's light, amazing cornering grip, blah blah blah. So 2 years later I finally get to 7 springs, fired up Strava (first potential source of error), and did some comparative runs which I think were pretty close, not exactly fliers but I'm a bit out of practice anyway.
Here is a handy comparison chart:
So the Prime was 5 seconds faster on the more pedally and less technical track (007). There are some big fast berms in the Glades which I thought might show up the 29in wheels weakness, but they weren't bad at all.
The Legend and the Prime were about equal on the more technical EC1 track, which has tighter berms and some rocky areas. I thought the Legend would be much faster, as it felt more secure and planted and easy to toss around compared to the big wheels, but in the end they were about the same.
Overall, I was much more comfortable on the Legend. I was probably riding the Legend at 70% of it's capability, whereas I felt I was riding the Prime at more like 90% of it's capability. The Prime was less forgiving and sketchy in spots, but considering it has 3" less travel that's too be expected.
I felt like I was riding on top of the Prime and cornering felt a bit more "tippy", where as on the Legend I felt like I was riding in the bike and it had great stability and really natural in corners.
I guess the biggest surprise was how the 29er wheels really did smooth out the rough stuff. They felt like they added a couple inches of travel to the bike. Some of the fast berms had a bit of choppiness to them which the Legend handled fine, but to my surprise the Prime also handled them fine due to the bigger wheels. The big wheels also seem to shrink rocks and roots before your eyes and I carried better speed over rugged sections.
Overall, my choice was the Legend, although I'd race on the Prime if it was on a pedally track like 007.
Is there room for a 29er DH bike? I used to think yes, the advantages of 29er wheels would outweigh the negatives. I'm not as sure now. It just doesn't feel quite right. There's a reason why Intense and Trek tried it and it didn't go anywhere. I guess 27.5 will be where it's at...
I finished my day back on the Legend and can't remember my last run. Another rider "Joe" found me face down knocked out on the trail! As I came to I realized I was in pretty bad shape, but was able to eventually stand. They took me to the medics and later to the hospital. Concussion, bruised kidney, blood in urine, major trail rash, and hyperextension of my hip tendons which basically means I can hardly move my legs. But no broken bones or major internal injuries. I'm hobbling around on crutches. My TLD Carbon D2 had major scratches and is cracked on the side, if I wasn't wearing my neck brace...well I hate to think what would have happened. But want to say thanks to all the guys I rode with and helped me out, and the medics. Really great people on the hill that day. Fond memories despite it all!
Here is a handy comparison chart:
Legend Mk2 (26") | Prime Proto (29") | |
Size | L | XL |
Head Angle | 64° | 67.5° |
Wheelbase | 47.3" | 48.4" |
Chainstays | 17.4" | 17.8" |
BB Height | 13.7" | 13.2" |
Fork | Boxxer WC | Fox 34 Float 140mm |
Shock | CCDB | Fox DH Air |
Tires | Bontrager FR4 2.35 Handcuts | Maxxis Ardent 2.4 |
Weight | 38 lbs | 33 lbs |
Time: EC1 | 1:50 | 1:51 |
Time: 007-Glades-Helens | 2:27 | 2:22 |
So the Prime was 5 seconds faster on the more pedally and less technical track (007). There are some big fast berms in the Glades which I thought might show up the 29in wheels weakness, but they weren't bad at all.
The Legend and the Prime were about equal on the more technical EC1 track, which has tighter berms and some rocky areas. I thought the Legend would be much faster, as it felt more secure and planted and easy to toss around compared to the big wheels, but in the end they were about the same.
Overall, I was much more comfortable on the Legend. I was probably riding the Legend at 70% of it's capability, whereas I felt I was riding the Prime at more like 90% of it's capability. The Prime was less forgiving and sketchy in spots, but considering it has 3" less travel that's too be expected.
I felt like I was riding on top of the Prime and cornering felt a bit more "tippy", where as on the Legend I felt like I was riding in the bike and it had great stability and really natural in corners.
I guess the biggest surprise was how the 29er wheels really did smooth out the rough stuff. They felt like they added a couple inches of travel to the bike. Some of the fast berms had a bit of choppiness to them which the Legend handled fine, but to my surprise the Prime also handled them fine due to the bigger wheels. The big wheels also seem to shrink rocks and roots before your eyes and I carried better speed over rugged sections.
Overall, my choice was the Legend, although I'd race on the Prime if it was on a pedally track like 007.
Is there room for a 29er DH bike? I used to think yes, the advantages of 29er wheels would outweigh the negatives. I'm not as sure now. It just doesn't feel quite right. There's a reason why Intense and Trek tried it and it didn't go anywhere. I guess 27.5 will be where it's at...
I finished my day back on the Legend and can't remember my last run. Another rider "Joe" found me face down knocked out on the trail! As I came to I realized I was in pretty bad shape, but was able to eventually stand. They took me to the medics and later to the hospital. Concussion, bruised kidney, blood in urine, major trail rash, and hyperextension of my hip tendons which basically means I can hardly move my legs. But no broken bones or major internal injuries. I'm hobbling around on crutches. My TLD Carbon D2 had major scratches and is cracked on the side, if I wasn't wearing my neck brace...well I hate to think what would have happened. But want to say thanks to all the guys I rode with and helped me out, and the medics. Really great people on the hill that day. Fond memories despite it all!
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