Submitted by
mtb101
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne Australia Date Reviewed: November 6, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Yarra Trails!
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1100.00
Purchased At:
Ray's Cycles Preston
Strengths:
Excellent Finish, nice styling, red anodized hubs, perfect setup for trails, well balanced component setup, excellent ride position. EBB is a good feature also. Weight is around 12.5kgs, pedaling is very efficient, accelerates well. If you have the leg strength and fitness it's a Killer Climber, handles switchbacks very well.
Weaknesses:
prone to snake bite flats - so need to go tubeless, not really a weakness, but it's tough on rough terrain as any non-suspension bike would be! So it has its limits.
Bike Setup:
factory setup except for Crank Brothers Egg Beaters!
Bottom Line:
This is my fun training bike, low maintenance, a go anywhere robust bike with the added bonus of being a sweet 29er with Cro Mo Frame. It's probably not ideal for a beginner to MTB as it does require good fitness and technical skills to steer it through the rough terrain. On the other hand if you want a great all round bike for paths/trails, this is an excellent choice.
But here's the big surprise ... on my 4.5km training circuit (switch back climbs, rocky descent, tight technical sections) this bike is as fast as my big dollar Yeti 575, it was actually 1 second slower, how's that! It seems to roll easier and what you lose due to lack of suspension downhill you make up on the climbs and rolling sections. Admittedly it takes more out of you at that level, still, shows how well designed this bike is to keep up with my Yeti. So I'm impressed so far!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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