Great questions! I'll be the first to admit that this bike is not for everyone, and even though I'm only a few rides in, I'm already asking myself: "Who is this bike for?"
I think the first obvious answer is enduro racers who have the skills (and strength) to push this bike to the levels it was intended for. Beyond that, I could see it being a good quiver-killer for someone who lives for the descents, and has regular lift access. Or someone who is just lucky enough to be surrounded by mega-gnarly trails. A bike that can climb when you need it to, but can easily spend the season in the bike park as well.
Something I didn't mention in the article is that I'm currently on the fence as to whether I believe that the benefits of high-pivot outweigh the drawbacks for a bike that has lots of pedaling in mind. DH is a different beast, and I think the case is more easily made there. Weight, drag, maintenance, etc. - these are all things I will keep a close eye on in the weeks to come.
Oh yeah, and jumping manners - I'll report on those as well! I haven't yet hit any serious "jump lines", but the jumps I have hit so far have felt very normal. But I suspect that steeper vert jumps might need a slightly different technique than my personal ride.
June 23, 2021, 2:12 p.m. - Ryan Walters
Great questions! I'll be the first to admit that this bike is not for everyone, and even though I'm only a few rides in, I'm already asking myself: "Who is this bike for?" I think the first obvious answer is enduro racers who have the skills (and strength) to push this bike to the levels it was intended for. Beyond that, I could see it being a good quiver-killer for someone who lives for the descents, and has regular lift access. Or someone who is just lucky enough to be surrounded by mega-gnarly trails. A bike that can climb when you need it to, but can easily spend the season in the bike park as well. Something I didn't mention in the article is that I'm currently on the fence as to whether I believe that the benefits of high-pivot outweigh the drawbacks for a bike that has lots of pedaling in mind. DH is a different beast, and I think the case is more easily made there. Weight, drag, maintenance, etc. - these are all things I will keep a close eye on in the weeks to come. Oh yeah, and jumping manners - I'll report on those as well! I haven't yet hit any serious "jump lines", but the jumps I have hit so far have felt very normal. But I suspect that steeper vert jumps might need a slightly different technique than my personal ride.