Hey Guys:
I guess I'm the second MB test pilot. I'll put together a more formal review with pictures, but here's my initial review.
I'm not a regular here at RM (I'm a regular at MTBR, NEMBA and Bikerag), so I'll give you a little background - 6', 34.5 inseam, 175lbs with gear. I've been riding MTBs for 20 or so years. I mainly ride a 35# Rocky Mountain Switch with a bash ring and a Maverick Speedball. I also have a Titus RX100 and a C'dale HT, but they see almost no dirt time - though the Titus does wear the studs in the winter, so its the choice when there's ice around. I love rocks, climbing, descending and generally ride to have a good time. I rarely huck, but I love to get air. I ride 3-5 times per week with Case, Snip, Middlesex and all the other CT rides in rotation. I have ridden a 29'er exactly once before for about 25 yards.
Enough about me.
I met Mark last night at Case in Manchester CT, its probably the place I ride most often, given my proximity. He had other stuff to do last night so I headed off on my own for a 2.75 hour solo night ride. I actually had planned on it being a short "shakedown" ride, but once I started, I kept going (a bit of foreshadowing for your literate types). I did the standard night loop out there out to the powerlines and back, with a few variations thrown in - I came down slickrock. The "medium" is a bit small for me. It has a 410mm post so no problems with the legs, but I would want a large for a little more cockpit - I don't think putting a longer stem on would be a good idea.
Mark warned me to not approach this with any preconceived notions, but I know that the standard complaint with 29ers is slow acceleration, sluggish turning and floppy turning at slow speeds - I was on the look out for that.
I freaking loved this bike and found none of those faults, at all!
Pros:
Tight curvy trails were a blast
The handling is very predictable
Like my Switch (unlike my Titus) I often forgot I was riding a bike, it has a telepathic kind of feel to it
I did not have the pending OTB feeling at all (unlike the Titus)
It climbs very well, the 10lb difference surely helps
I felt no flex at all, the bike feels really solid
No issues with pedal strikes or big ring clearance
I took it up in the air a few times, again very predictable and easy to control - I quickly remembered how to land a HT
Accelerates very well
I did some real steep rollers it handled them no problem, though I'm not used to having a seat in my gut
Sluggish, slow and floppy are three words that do not belong anywhere near this bike
Negatives:
I have to remember to stand up more - just used to FS, some jarring hits at first
The rear wheel jumps around a bit on technical climbs - FS advantage here - I seem to be out of practice on picking lines
What I'd change (not frame related)
I'd put a 100mm fork on it, 80 is not enough, though I wouldn't want to mess with the geometry
I gotta work with the fork more, but initial impressions are not good - it seems to have very poor small hit performance - even after letting 20 psi out.
The XT brakes suck, they squealed all night and seem much less powerful than my Hayes on my Switch
The handlebars are way too narrow, definitely need something wider
So I guess the bottom line - would I buy one if I had the funds? In a heartbeat! If you asked me yesterday if that was going to be my reaction I would have bet you my Switch otherwise.
John
PS - I did stub out on a bridge approach and fell over into a foot deep stream. It was a cold ride out from there...
I guess I'm the second MB test pilot. I'll put together a more formal review with pictures, but here's my initial review.
I'm not a regular here at RM (I'm a regular at MTBR, NEMBA and Bikerag), so I'll give you a little background - 6', 34.5 inseam, 175lbs with gear. I've been riding MTBs for 20 or so years. I mainly ride a 35# Rocky Mountain Switch with a bash ring and a Maverick Speedball. I also have a Titus RX100 and a C'dale HT, but they see almost no dirt time - though the Titus does wear the studs in the winter, so its the choice when there's ice around. I love rocks, climbing, descending and generally ride to have a good time. I rarely huck, but I love to get air. I ride 3-5 times per week with Case, Snip, Middlesex and all the other CT rides in rotation. I have ridden a 29'er exactly once before for about 25 yards.
Enough about me.
I met Mark last night at Case in Manchester CT, its probably the place I ride most often, given my proximity. He had other stuff to do last night so I headed off on my own for a 2.75 hour solo night ride. I actually had planned on it being a short "shakedown" ride, but once I started, I kept going (a bit of foreshadowing for your literate types). I did the standard night loop out there out to the powerlines and back, with a few variations thrown in - I came down slickrock. The "medium" is a bit small for me. It has a 410mm post so no problems with the legs, but I would want a large for a little more cockpit - I don't think putting a longer stem on would be a good idea.
Mark warned me to not approach this with any preconceived notions, but I know that the standard complaint with 29ers is slow acceleration, sluggish turning and floppy turning at slow speeds - I was on the look out for that.
I freaking loved this bike and found none of those faults, at all!
Pros:
Tight curvy trails were a blast
The handling is very predictable
Like my Switch (unlike my Titus) I often forgot I was riding a bike, it has a telepathic kind of feel to it
I did not have the pending OTB feeling at all (unlike the Titus)
It climbs very well, the 10lb difference surely helps
I felt no flex at all, the bike feels really solid
No issues with pedal strikes or big ring clearance
I took it up in the air a few times, again very predictable and easy to control - I quickly remembered how to land a HT
Accelerates very well
I did some real steep rollers it handled them no problem, though I'm not used to having a seat in my gut
Sluggish, slow and floppy are three words that do not belong anywhere near this bike
Negatives:
I have to remember to stand up more - just used to FS, some jarring hits at first
The rear wheel jumps around a bit on technical climbs - FS advantage here - I seem to be out of practice on picking lines
What I'd change (not frame related)
I'd put a 100mm fork on it, 80 is not enough, though I wouldn't want to mess with the geometry
I gotta work with the fork more, but initial impressions are not good - it seems to have very poor small hit performance - even after letting 20 psi out.
The XT brakes suck, they squealed all night and seem much less powerful than my Hayes on my Switch
The handlebars are way too narrow, definitely need something wider
So I guess the bottom line - would I buy one if I had the funds? In a heartbeat! If you asked me yesterday if that was going to be my reaction I would have bet you my Switch otherwise.
John
PS - I did stub out on a bridge approach and fell over into a foot deep stream. It was a cold ride out from there...
.
