All Arround MTB

Polish brand NS are best known for their dirt and street frames, but for the past few years they’ve been steadily refining their trail and downhill ranges too. Their Fuzz DH rig certainly looks the business, with a slack 62.5-degree head angle, a long front centre (which can be tweaked using the supplied reach-adjust headset) and a proven four-bar rear end. The Fuzz 1 is the top-spec model, with a ‘Performance Elite’ series Fox 40 fork and DHX2 shock, SRAM Code brakes and GX DH drivetrain, and NS finishing kit. At 16.93kg (medium) it’s no featherweight, but Sam Pilgrim has proven that it can take some hammer. Price $6300

Co-developing their own motor has freed Rocky Mountain from the usual geometry and frame architecture constraints, and allowed them to make the Altitude Powerplay the same shape as its non-powered sibling. This makes it unusual in the e-bike market. The frame The compact frame combines a carbon fibre front triangle with an aluminium four-bar rear end. It hides the battery in its down tube and the motor behind the cranks. While most e-bikes have long back ends, the shape of the motor has enabled Rocky Mountain to keep the chainstay length down to a tiny 426mm. Up front, the ‘RIDE-9’ chip in the lower shock mount lets you choose between nine possible geometries. The medium frame can be adjusted to provide 452mm to 464mm of reach and a head angle of between 65 and 66.1 degrees. The kit The motor is the highlight here, partly because it allows ‘normal’ geometry, but also because of how incredibly reactive it is to pedalling inputs.As you rotate the cranks, the chain is drawn ov

The new One-Forty is chunky on the scales as a complete package and OK rather than outstanding value on paper. Hit the trails, though, and it’s an absolutely addictive max-control playbike that just keeps getting better the harder you ride it. The frame Merida are one of the largest and most advanced frame producers in the world. The One-Forty has a totally new chassis built from their latest ‘Superlite 16’ tubing, which comes in under 3kg (medium) – impressive for alloy, and significantly lighter than some affordable carbon frames. Boost spacing gives plenty of mud room, even around a 2.6in tyre. The rear pivot sits on top of the dropout, so the wheel follows a simple arc. Keeping the bike single-ring only means the chainstays can extend over the top of the press-fit bottom bracket (BB), where they connect with the base of the RockShox Deluxe shock. This creates a ‘floating’ mount that reduces frame stress and gives the suspension a gently progressive ‘bottomless’ feel. Ther

Even Santa Cruz’s ‘affordable’ bikes have always carried a premium, but higher prices from other brands and an improved spec mean this tautly-muscular mid-travel machine now punches hard on price as well as on the trail. The frame Santa Cruz introduced the ‘Carbon’ (aka ‘C’) range of complete bikes a few years ago. They use the same colours, shape, geometry and DIY-adjustable collet bearings as the premium Carbon C (aka ‘CC’) frames, but are made from cheaper, lower-modulus carbon. You can’t tell that from the stiffness levels though, and 320g more mass isn’t bad considering that the CC chassis costs $4500 on its own. The C frame is still 410g lighter than the alloy version (all weights based on size large), and while 3,150g is chunky for a full-carbon, 130mm-travel frame, you get a lifetime warranty (including bearings), a screw-in BB, greaseinjected bearings on the lower linkage and moulded protective sections. The kit Although the 5010 is the priciest bike on test, well-

Specialized haven’t changed the Stumpjumper frame this year, but a new fork and tyres radically reinvent this userfriendly all-rounder.

Cannnodale’s Trigger trail bike is a distinctive, well-shaped, feature-loaded all-rounder, but it needs careful tuning to get the best from it.

Saracen’s Kili Flyer Elite is light and well-shaped for fast and far riding all year round, but its sticky suspension and frame flex are obvious in technical sections. The frame The full-carbon frame’s layout hasn’t changed for 2018 but Saracen have modified the mould to let them stretch the front end. That means the medium is as long as last year’s large. The back end is now Boost width, with a bolted axle and directmount mech for stiffer shifting and tracking, and the head angle is a degree slacker. Saracen have also specced a lighter compression tune on the shock. The 30mm main pivot, ISCG-05 tabs and optional front mech mount stay the same. There’s a lot of stiction in the linkage bushings, which makes swingarm movement notchy even with the shock removed. The kit While its price has dropped by $300, the Elite’s spec is now closer to that of last year’s cheaper Pro model. That means you get a ‘Performance’ grade Fox fork and shock, not Kashimacoated units, and a 1x11 Shi

Whatever you think of e-bikes, there’s no denying that Pivot’s Shuttle is a real looker. It’s built around Shimano’s acclaimed STePS E8000 motor and boasts 140mm of DW-Link rear travel. Pictured here with 650b+ tyres, it’ll accept 29in wheels too. The neatly-integrated battery is accessed from the underside of the massive down tube. But what we’re most excited about is the geometry. Short – for an e-MTB – chainstays (437mm) and a decent reach (465mm on the large) should sit the rider in a good position, while the 65.8-degree head angle and 348mm BB will provide stability when speeds pick up. At $13500, it’s certainly not cheap though.

Rocky Mountain have some of the most drool-worthy bikes out there. The new Instinct 90 BC Edition offers up 29in Stan’s Flow Mk3 rims wrapped in massive 2.5in (f) and 2.4in (r) Maxxis rubber. A Fox 36 Performance Elite fork and DPX2 shock take care of bump-eating duties and control the 160mm of front and 155mm of rear travel (non-BC versions get 140mm at both ends). The geometry isn’t the most radical out there but it’s on par with many of the top bikes in the category. It’ll set you back a cool $8250.

While this 29er downhill bike prototype looks a lot like Orange’s 650b-wheeled 324, the geometry has been refreshed to ensure it works with the bigger wheels. At the rear, a metric shock controls 180mm of travel. There’s 20mm extra up front, courtesy of Fox’s 29er DH fork (currently known as the ‘49’). Orange have gone for a low 335mm bottom bracket height, which features 35mm of drop to keep it corner-slammingly fast, while the 64.5-degree head angle should give a good balance of agility and stability. According to the geometry chart that Orange were displaying, there’ll only be medium, large and extra-large sizes. Quite when we’ll see this in the shops is unknown at this point, but we’re hoping to find out more soon.

Transition’s latest 29er, the Sentinel, has been built around the brand’s new ‘Speed Balance Geometry’ concept (SBG). Similar to what we’ve seen from Mojo’s Chris Porter, that means it gets a longer reach (450mm, medium), slacker head angle (64 degrees – even more extreme than that of Mojo’s GeoMetron G13 29er), steeper seat angle (76.8 degrees) and shorter fork offset (43mm) than other bikes in its class. According to Transition, these elements combine to make the 140mmtravel Sentinel climb more effectively, feel more stable and capable at speed, and deliver more traction between the tyres and trail when it counts most. We can’t wait to sling a leg over one.

WHO IS ROBERT BARR? Hailing from Woking in Surrey, Robert Barr is a Formula 1 design engineer with a passion for two wheels as well as four. After 10 years in the motorsport industry, Robert realised his bike building dream by starting Arbr, which is an anagram of his surname. Besides running the brand alongside other partners, he still works full-time for a major F1 team. WHY’S IT SUPERBIKE ? - It’s a UK made, built to order, boutique carbon machine - Not a single corner has been cut with the design and construction of this bike - You’ll certainly turn heads if you rock up on one of these at the local trail centre! A UK-made carbon beauty with Formula 1 racing pedigree When motorsport engineer Robert Barr embarked upon the challenge of designing his own bike back in 2013, he had one vision – to create the best two-wheeled machine he could, with absolutely no compromise. Four years of designing, prototyping and testing later, we’re finally seeing the fruits of his labou

We gave you a peek at Whyte’s new 650b enduro bike in MBUK 346, and now we’ve got our hands on one to give it a proper thrashing. Building on the old G-160, the geometry has been tweaked, as has the suspension design, to make it more progressive and deliver 10mm more travel. The C Works is the most expensive steed in the range, with a carbon frame and a suite of top-drawer kit, including a RockShox Lyrik RCT3 fork and Super Deluxe shock, 12-speed SRAM X01 Eagle drivetrain, SRAM Guide RSC brakes and Race Face carbon bar. It rolls on Whyte’s own 30mm carbon rims, laced to Hope hubs. And for a bike of this capability, the 13.64kg weight (medium, without pedals) isn’t bad. Price $8250

While DMR are better known for all things dirt jump related, they know a thing or two about wellconsidered bike and product design. The Sled, which is their second fullsuspension bike, but the first made from aluminium, is proof of this. The frame The Sled’s 160mm (6.3in) of travel is delivered via DMR’s ‘Orbit Link’ suspension system, which uses a pair of counterrotating links to connect the swingarm to the mainframe. What sets this apart from many other ‘virtual pivot point’ systems is that the lower link rotates around the Sled’s bottom bracket (BB). Controlling all of that travel is a RockShox Monarch RT3 shock, with a three-position lever that lets you lock it out for long climbs. An upper chain guide from Praxis Works is attached to the lower link and rotates around the chainring as the Sled moves through its travel. Other notable frame details include a threaded BB, collet-style pivot hardware and 148mm rear axle spacing. There’s room for a 2.4in tyre in the rear trian

The semi-carbon Sommet frame isn’t new, but Vitus have got it sticky and rolled it through their selection of shiny bits to produce a killer-value all-rounder with parts to die for. The frame In common with a lot of costeffective composite frames (see this month’s Biketest, page 96), the Sommet pairs a carbon fibre front end with an aluminium rear. Vitus have opted for a four-bar Horst Link suspension layout, but placed the rear pivots further forward on the relatively skinny chainstays than on most similar designs. The shock drives downwards through a hole in the base of the kinked and flared seat tube, and a 15mm collet main pivot increases stiffness. Internal mainframe cable routing keeps things looking neat, and the MRP chain guide and sump bumper sit on built-in ISCG mounts. Vitus bikes we’ve had on long-term test haven’t suffered unduly from the use of a press-fit bottom bracket, though a screw-in unit would make maintenance easier. The frame is slightly dated in terms

The 29er market is hot at the moment and Swarf are right on the money with their 115mm-travel Contour. Don’t let the lack of rear bounce fool you – this bike is ready to take a beating! The frame Outstanding attention to detail gives the Contour the feel of a highly-polished product, making it easy to forget that our sample was just a prototype (Swarf hope to have the finished product ready by the new year). The mainframe and swingarm are lovingly crafted from various different types of steel tubing (see spec), and the frame has amazingly clean lines, with a built-in seat clamp and neat and well-thought-out external routing for the rear brake hose and gear cable. We particularly like the way the top tube and seatstays form a single straight line along the length of the bike. Swarf have opted for a singlepivot suspension layout combined with a linkage-actuated shock. The swingarm has 6mm of vertical flex built in, which eliminates the need for a pivot above the dropouts. Ady,

Kona’s Process 153 has gained a reputation for descending prowess. On the new version, the Canadian brand have aimed to match that with radically improved pedalling. To achieve this they’ve altered the position of the main pivot and aligned it for 1x12 drivetrains, at the same time as steepening the head (66°) and seat (76°) angles. Elsewhere, the geometry is largely unchanged, with snappy 425mm chainstays paired to a long reach (475mm on the large). There’s 10mm of BB drop, seat tube lengths are short and standover low. While the new bike looks very different to the original Process (and a lot like Kona’s Operator DH bike) it has a similar leverage curve. It still delivers 153mm of travel, but the suspension has been tweaked to work with RockShox’s latest trunnion-mounted metric shocks. In it for the long run The new frame shape has been made possible by carbon construction. This extends to the rocker link and seatstays, but, in the interest of durability, the chainstays rem

WHO IS DEAN LUCAS? Aussie young gun Dean Lucas is a racer who’s steadily been picking up momentum. After riding alongside Stevie Smith on Devinci World Racing, he joined Intense in 2016 and stepped onto the World Cup podium for the first time in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, this summer. Although the weather played a part, it was still an absolutely blinding run. WHY’S IT SUPERBIKE? - One of only four alloy prototypes, each hand-welded by Intense Cycles’ head honcho, Jeff Steber - Designed specifically around the bigger wheels, unlike other DH 29ers that just use modified rear ends - Has achieved multiple podium finishes in its first year on the circuit Team-only race rig from the MTB equivalent of Ferrari With the likes of Shaun Palmer and Sam Hill having ridden for them, Intense Cycles have a prestigious history when it comes to downhill racing. Recently, the brand seemed to have faded from the limelight a bit. But not any more. This year has seen them back on the World

We weren’t sure whether Hope would ever put their trail/enduro bike project into production, but thankfully they have. The renamed HB.160 (it started life as the HB.211) boasts 160mm of progressive, well-measured travel, alongside some very interesting features. Impressively, nearly every single element of frame production is done in-house in Barnoldswick. The carbon mainframe is mated to a CNC-machined aluminium rear end, with a Horst Link suspension layout and Fox Float X2 shock controlling how it moves through its travel. Interestingly, the chainstay bridge is bonded in place rather than welded. Hope plan on doing the same with the seatstay bridge on production bikes, saying this set-up has performed better in fatigue testing. The rear brake calliper has a radial mount, which means there’s no need to bolt on a funky-shaped adapter when switching between rotor sizes. Instead, Hope provide small, Lego-like blocks to let you make the jump in sizes more easily. As they make pret

WHO IS RICHIE RUDE? Born and raised in Connecticut, on the East Coast of the USA, Richie Rude is a pro enduro racer for the Yeti-Fox Shox Factory Team. Like many of his competitors, Richie cut his teeth racing downhill, before making the switch to enduro in 2014. The change of discipline was certainly not due to a lack of talent though, as he clinched a Junior World Champs win and several World Cup top 30 results aboard the big rig. WHI THIS IS A SUPERBIKE? - Sleek carbon, classic Yeti turquoise, gold Kashima suspension and team-edition orange parts make this one rad-looking steed! - Any bike that can withstand the power and speed of Richie Rude must be pretty good, right? Junior downhill world champ, two-time Enduro World Series title holder and winner of 21 EWS stages – it’s pretty incredible what American racer Richie Rude has managed to achieve by the age of 22. And while those incredible results are a reflection of Richie’s talent, they’re also a feather in the cap for