Brodie Khan 29er

Brodie Bicycles has been making hardtails for over twenty years, and still has a comprehensive line of traditionalist singletrack machines including steel and Ti XC bikes, aluminum and Ti AM/FR bikes—and now, a 29er. Born and bred on the North Shore, we’ve come to expect capable bikes from Brodie; will the Khan be able to fill these shoes? Read on to find out…

 

Slack head tube angles are all the rage in the moving target of XC, Trail, and All-Mountain bikes these days. Some internet speculators are quick to criticize any bike with less than a 68º head angle, while others prefer to let the bike do the talking on the trail. The Brodie Khan—and its more modestly adorned sibling the Crib—boasts a 70º head tube angle in combination with a 74º seat angle for the Small and Medium frames and 73º for the Large. I must admit, I’ve chased and ridden a slacker hardtail for my own stable, and wondered if the Khan would do it.

 

As it turns out, the geometry speculators forgot about the variable of the big wheel. By now most readers in the mountain bike industry have heard marketing spiels about the 29er’s approach and departure angles, rolling resistance, and preservation of momentum. The reality behind these statements is not pulled out of thin air, and is rather rooted in geometry. I was skeptical of that 70º head tube angle, but within a couple hundred metres of pointing the big wheel Brodie down Fromme’s Ladies Only, that skepticism disappeared.

 

For an application where a bike is going to be ridden to the trail head and potentially over longer distances than a quick lap, a bike’s roadgoing character and ability to cover non-technical terrain without draining its pilot is important. With angles that would be considered too steep on a 26″ wheel for off-road use, a 29er has an advantage both on and off the beaten path.

 

Brodie Hired a Graphic Designer

 

The Spec

2012 is the year of the proletariat’s 10-speed, and Brodie has stepped up to put 10-speed SLX on the Khan. It’s nice to see a bike fully adorned in SLX kit, including the cranks, though we do see a deviation from this in the Hayes Stroker brakes.

Another highlight of the Khan’s stock spec is a 710mm handlebar with a good amount of sweep.

Air fork technology is receiving a lot of effort these days, and for an essentially price point 29er fork the Manitou Tower performs better than I was expecting. 

 

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[photos from billy]