Just blows through the travel with no support
Forbidden Bike Co Druid
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I added a few clicks of HSC to mine and it made a huge difference. If yours is blowing through the travel on drops etc, it might be worth trying.
Built up the Druid this morning, still gotta run the rear brake and drivetrain, the damn frame protection stuff is a PITA! Never again 🙄
A One Up 210mm dropper goes nearly all the way into the frame BUT the actuator binds, so I had to pull it out a bit, probably got 25-30mm showing. It’ll work for me cuz I’m running short as **** cranks 👍
I
I’m running a 160mm Helm MK II Coil fork with a 20mm spacer under the stem and Burgtec riser bars, love that tall front end. Overall the fit is really good, seat center in the rails, 50mm stem, and the reach is greater than my Shred in the short position, so I can easily use a 35mm stem.
I wish designers would go away from internal line routing, at least for the rear brake, that is such a pain in the arse!
I should be riding tomorrow, stoked from some tech climbing to see what it’ll do.
A One Up 210mm dropper goes nearly all the way into the frame BUT the actuator binds, so I had to pull it out a bit, probably got 25-30mm showing. It’ll work for me cuz I’m running short as **** cranks 👍
I
I’m running a 160mm Helm MK II Coil fork with a 20mm spacer under the stem and Burgtec riser bars, love that tall front end. Overall the fit is really good, seat center in the rails, 50mm stem, and the reach is greater than my Shred in the short position, so I can easily use a 35mm stem.
I wish designers would go away from internal line routing, at least for the rear brake, that is such a pain in the arse!
I should be riding tomorrow, stoked from some tech climbing to see what it’ll do.
Do you feel a ride quality or comfort difference between the Dapackage vs. the Oneup bar?
Thanks.
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stayed up late to finish the build, no issues other than it’s a complete unnecessary PITA running internal brake lines 🙄
I rode around a bit; it’s kinda late..., 175psi to get the DPX2 to synchronize with the Helm Coil (55#); I’ll install the Mara Pro tomorrow.
I reaslly didn’t notice much added friction, most if it came from the lower guide. It feels pretty good 👍
Still waiting on some big yellow pedals, a fender for the fork, and I gotta build a new rear wheel; that one has hole through the rim so it’s tubed.
Hurricane fest in three weeks!
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I rode around a bit; it’s kinda late..., 175psi to get the DPX2 to synchronize with the Helm Coil (55#); I’ll install the Mara Pro tomorrow.
I reaslly didn’t notice much added friction, most if it came from the lower guide. It feels pretty good 👍
Still waiting on some big yellow pedals, a fender for the fork, and I gotta build a new rear wheel; that one has hole through the rim so it’s tubed.
Hurricane fest in three weeks!
I used foam on the derailleur and brake hose through the top tube. It was a challenge to fit them both through there with the foam as it isn't a very smooth surface. I'll admit I like the look of the internal routing, but that's about all that's appealing about it. I kind of like how some companies are building a channel that just conceals the cables, or like GG did with panel that goes over them.
Honestly no, but for me the 20mm rise works better. The oneup bar is a suoer nice bar as well. I just wanted to adjust my reach and ended up with the weareone bar stem combo.
First ride: Ten miles, maybe 2k climbing, mixed volcanics, sand, tech and flow, a few jumps, some natural features, nice and mixed.
Tech Climbing: The tech section is like trials light, pretty tough to ride without a few dabs or repeats, the first move outta the parking lot is a tight S turn climb on irregular lava flow. I had two repeat this move once, but normally I get that move.
What I figured out quickly is that because the rear wheel moves back, I had to change my approach to climbing over square edged rock.
On my GG bike, when I’d approach rock I’d slow down and press the tire into the rock, then grind over. On the Druid, if I slowed down I’d bog down, because I didn’t the have the tire pressure to push against. Once I figured this out, I just pedaled into and through the rock.
XC climbing on loose: The climbing was pretty good, I didn’t lose traction any more than normal, perhaps traction was better on the Druid because my partner lost traction on his GG bike. In terms of overall ride quality and efficiency, the Druid pedals well, no obvious drag, I only heard chain noise at really low speeds; the noise is from the guide/roller.
Initially I was running 145psi in the Mara Pro, this felt okay but it was out of balance with my coil fork; I also wasn’t using much travel, so I reduced to 135psi which rode more plush and balanced better with the fork.
Downhill flow: the bike is fast, the back end stays on the ground, no hopping or wallowing, carves well, feels very balanced. Going though turns was stable, no issues with traction. At speed the Druid is quite happy to get off the ground.
Downhill tech: this is definitely a strong suit for the Druid, it was fast through the rocky stuff, handled square hits amazingly well, very fast and super composed.
Drops, jumps, and natural airs: so I’m an old guy, I’m not a park rat, and I don’t ride downhill parks. My idea of a good time is rocky tech stuff that makes you work. That said, I’ve never met a rock I didn’t like, so if I see a natural feature I’ll jump it.
The Druid has no issues landing, but it does take some added speed to get into the air cuz it’s just not as poppy as a normal bike. Go fast enough and the Druid performs very well, it’s agile in the air, predictable, and the landings are amazingly composed.
Speaking of composed, there’s this wood feature built out over a steep hill, hit it with speed and you get maybe five to six feet vertical and fifteen to twenty feet horizontal, the landing is steep, and there’s a hard turn at the bottom. Normally I ride this drop and I can feel the landing, on the Druid I didn’t feel anything, it was like spreading cream cheese on hot bread. I did the drop again to make sure it wasn’t the koolaid speaking, same landing experience.
Overall: great bike, wish I’d gotten one sooner. The magic is real.
Pros: absorbs square hits, traction for miles, plush ride, composed when landing drops
Cons: low bb, I hit my pedals more than a few times and that’s running 155mm cranks and flat pedals. Only one water bottle mount. Internal line routing is so yesterday.
Set up: I ride the Druid with the stock DPX2 snd was not disappointed, though the Mara Pro a better shock. The 160mm fork paired well with the Druid, geo felt good, not overly slack, no front end floppiness. I love the high front end!
The damp ride of the Druid pairs well with a good air shock; I’d hesitate to dampen it further with a coil shock. Yeah, yeah, I have coils, my fork is a coil, but this bike is damp enough with air.
Extras: I’m a linkage fork fan, I got a Shout and a Message. The best thing about a linkage fork is the way it handle square hits and the way it maintains traction; tracking ain’t bad neither.
The Druid suspension is the rear end equivalent of a linkage fork, but without the negatives of a linkage fork; no issues with shock absorption and no harsh ride.
My dream bike would be a Druid with a Motion Ride E18+ 29” 160mm fork.
👍👍
Tech Climbing: The tech section is like trials light, pretty tough to ride without a few dabs or repeats, the first move outta the parking lot is a tight S turn climb on irregular lava flow. I had two repeat this move once, but normally I get that move.
What I figured out quickly is that because the rear wheel moves back, I had to change my approach to climbing over square edged rock.
On my GG bike, when I’d approach rock I’d slow down and press the tire into the rock, then grind over. On the Druid, if I slowed down I’d bog down, because I didn’t the have the tire pressure to push against. Once I figured this out, I just pedaled into and through the rock.
XC climbing on loose: The climbing was pretty good, I didn’t lose traction any more than normal, perhaps traction was better on the Druid because my partner lost traction on his GG bike. In terms of overall ride quality and efficiency, the Druid pedals well, no obvious drag, I only heard chain noise at really low speeds; the noise is from the guide/roller.
Initially I was running 145psi in the Mara Pro, this felt okay but it was out of balance with my coil fork; I also wasn’t using much travel, so I reduced to 135psi which rode more plush and balanced better with the fork.
Downhill flow: the bike is fast, the back end stays on the ground, no hopping or wallowing, carves well, feels very balanced. Going though turns was stable, no issues with traction. At speed the Druid is quite happy to get off the ground.
Downhill tech: this is definitely a strong suit for the Druid, it was fast through the rocky stuff, handled square hits amazingly well, very fast and super composed.
Drops, jumps, and natural airs: so I’m an old guy, I’m not a park rat, and I don’t ride downhill parks. My idea of a good time is rocky tech stuff that makes you work. That said, I’ve never met a rock I didn’t like, so if I see a natural feature I’ll jump it.
The Druid has no issues landing, but it does take some added speed to get into the air cuz it’s just not as poppy as a normal bike. Go fast enough and the Druid performs very well, it’s agile in the air, predictable, and the landings are amazingly composed.
Speaking of composed, there’s this wood feature built out over a steep hill, hit it with speed and you get maybe five to six feet vertical and fifteen to twenty feet horizontal, the landing is steep, and there’s a hard turn at the bottom. Normally I ride this drop and I can feel the landing, on the Druid I didn’t feel anything, it was like spreading cream cheese on hot bread. I did the drop again to make sure it wasn’t the koolaid speaking, same landing experience.
Overall: great bike, wish I’d gotten one sooner. The magic is real.
Pros: absorbs square hits, traction for miles, plush ride, composed when landing drops
Cons: low bb, I hit my pedals more than a few times and that’s running 155mm cranks and flat pedals. Only one water bottle mount. Internal line routing is so yesterday.
Set up: I ride the Druid with the stock DPX2 snd was not disappointed, though the Mara Pro a better shock. The 160mm fork paired well with the Druid, geo felt good, not overly slack, no front end floppiness. I love the high front end!
The damp ride of the Druid pairs well with a good air shock; I’d hesitate to dampen it further with a coil shock. Yeah, yeah, I have coils, my fork is a coil, but this bike is damp enough with air.
Extras: I’m a linkage fork fan, I got a Shout and a Message. The best thing about a linkage fork is the way it handle square hits and the way it maintains traction; tracking ain’t bad neither.
The Druid suspension is the rear end equivalent of a linkage fork, but without the negatives of a linkage fork; no issues with shock absorption and no harsh ride.
My dream bike would be a Druid with a Motion Ride E18+ 29” 160mm fork.
👍👍
Joined
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51 Posts
I've been really enjoying the Druid for the last few months. I've even beating some of my summer PRs on descents, previously set on an SC Nomad (and this thing climbs a lot better)... My only concern is that I've been feeling a little bit twitchy at high speed, so I just installed a Works components 1.5 degree angleset. I've increased the travel on the fork a bit to offset the steepened seat tube and dropped BB. I've got a big ride tomorrow if the weather doesn't go sideways, and I'd seen some questions about anglesets, so I'll post some initial impressions when I get back.
Parking lot test has a big smile on my face tho, even if manuals feel maybe a tiny bit harder.
Parking lot test has a big smile on my face tho, even if manuals feel maybe a tiny bit harder.
I just dig that slick stem but just don't want to give up any compliance.
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77 Designz do the stem for WAO, just need to see if you can fit the One Up bar without scratching it!
One Piece Stem | Black | 45 mm | 1000342
A super-light Enduro Stem with a 35mm clamp that you can rely on. The smart one-piece construction allows for low weight while being sturdy and stiff…
77-store.com
Forbidden Druid / ElevenSix / Fox 36 / Secus / Runt / XT / One Up Carbon Bar / Transfer
Joined
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209 Posts
Great review. Aligns with most of my experiences.First ride: Ten miles, maybe 2k climbing, mixed volcanics, sand, tech and flow, a few jumps, some natural features, nice and mixed.
Tech Climbing: The tech section is like trials light, pretty tough to ride without a few dabs or repeats, the first move outta the parking lot is a tight S turn climb on irregular lava flow. I had two repeat this move once, but normally I get that move.
What I figured out quickly is that because the rear wheel moves back, I had to change my approach to climbing over square edged rock.
On my GG bike, when I’d approach rock I’d slow down and press the tire into the rock, then grind over. On the Druid, if I slowed down I’d bog down, because I didn’t the have the tire pressure to push against. Once I figured this out, I just pedaled into and through the rock.
XC climbing on loose: The climbing was pretty good, I didn’t lose traction any more than normal, perhaps traction was better on the Druid because my partner lost traction on his GG bike. In terms of overall ride quality and efficiency, the Druid pedals well, no obvious drag, I only heard chain noise at really low speeds; the noise is from the guide/roller.
Initially I was running 145psi in the Mara Pro, this felt okay but it was out of balance with my coil fork; I also wasn’t using much travel, so I reduced to 135psi which rode more plush and balanced better with the fork.
Downhill flow: the bike is fast, the back end stays on the ground, no hopping or wallowing, carves well, feels very balanced. Going though turns was stable, no issues with traction. At speed the Druid is quite happy to get off the ground.
Downhill tech: this is definitely a strong suit for the Druid, it was fast through the rocky stuff, handled square hits amazingly well, very fast and super composed.
Drops, jumps, and natural airs: so I’m an old guy, I’m not a park rat, and I don’t ride downhill parks. My idea of a good time is rocky tech stuff that makes you work. That said, I’ve never met a rock I didn’t like, so if I see a natural feature I’ll jump it.
The Druid has no issues landing, but it does take some added speed to get into the air cuz it’s just not as poppy as a normal bike. Go fast enough and the Druid performs very well, it’s agile in the air, predictable, and the landings are amazingly composed.
Speaking of composed, there’s this wood feature built out over a steep hill, hit it with speed and you get maybe five to six feet vertical and fifteen to twenty feet horizontal, the landing is steep, and there’s a hard turn at the bottom. Normally I ride this drop and I can feel the landing, on the Druid I didn’t feel anything, it was like spreading cream cheese on hot bread. I did the drop again to make sure it wasn’t the koolaid speaking, same landing experience.
Overall: great bike, wish I’d gotten one sooner. The magic is real.
Pros: absorbs square hits, traction for miles, plush ride, composed when landing drops
Cons: low bb, I hit my pedals more than a few times and that’s running 155mm cranks and flat pedals. Only one water bottle mount. Internal line routing is so yesterday.
Set up: I ride the Druid with the stock DPX2 snd was not disappointed, though the Mara Pro a better shock. The 160mm fork paired well with the Druid, geo felt good, not overly slack, no front end floppiness. I love the high front end!
The damp ride of the Druid pairs well with a good air shock; I’d hesitate to dampen it further with a coil shock. Yeah, yeah, I have coils, my fork is a coil, but this bike is damp enough with air.
Extras: I’m a linkage fork fan, I got a Shout and a Message. The best thing about a linkage fork is the way it handle square hits and the way it maintains traction; tracking ain’t bad neither.
The Druid suspension is the rear end equivalent of a linkage fork, but without the negatives of a linkage fork; no issues with shock absorption and no harsh ride.
My dream bike would be a Druid with a Motion Ride E18+ 29” 160mm fork.
There is an additional place to mount water bottle under the top tube, unless you're considering that location unusable.
Interesting thoughts on coil. I do consider coil more about spring action/sensitivity than simply damping compared to an air shock. That said many people love the DPX2 just fine on this bike.
IMHO, coil stabilizes the rear even more for some nice high speed runs on the chunky trails I ride compared to the DPX2. I felt a big difference when I swapped, but not saying everyone really needs that.
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71 Posts
Question about the quality of the frame. I guess I’m just wondering with this being the first version of it is it kind of rough around the edges at all compared to let’s say a pivot or Santa Cruz?
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Joined
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71 Posts
What settings are you running? Im willing to try the 350 again, but I also havent noticed any negatives with the 375.
I'm at work for a few days but I'll give you a click count from closed when I get home. I ended up bracketing a section of trail and got it really dialed. I'm 200 lbs on the 425 spring.
Forbidden Druid / ElevenSix / Fox 36 / Secus / Runt / XT / One Up Carbon Bar / Transfer
Joined
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209 Posts
Yeah, I don’t use mine at all... so wasn’t sure. I wonder if it is not recommended due to placement or strenght issues. I know wolftooth can mount off those bosses but position bottles up higher. It’s kind of a jigsaw I’m not messing with. Fidlock with strap works too. Two bottles isn’t nearly enough for me in summer anyways. Need 3 liters.
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