Post by thebikechain on Dec 15, 2009 16:57:29 GMT
Right then - firstly, pics are here www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=129263&id=579452522&l=eb773037e2
Stuart from Evolution kindly saw fit to take me out on a new 5 today.
Albeit the 2nd attempt as he got some weird disease last time and i have the lurgy this week too, we still got out and did it.
The weather was frankly pants/as you would expect from the Borders in Scotland in December. It was wet, cold and generally a tad unpleasant.
Not to worry though - it's always sunny when it's bike riding time.
So... the idea was we would go for a gentle spin to see what the bike was like. We picked Glentress as the venue for a couple of obvious reasons.
1. It has the best cafe in the area.
2. We know the trails very well seeing as we ride there - lots.
We set off up the normal climb route and the route was decided as we went. Up the red climb to the black boundary trail, round the road to the blue bit and then back down to the car park.
Climbing:
It climbs. Not much more to say than that. It grips well, corners uphill corners very well. The riding position is very well judged allowing you to get your weight over the front and move to the back when required.
I was climbing in much more 'xc' gears than normal - not using the granny ring was a nice touch. The rear end is nice and responsive but firm - we both commented at one point in the day that it kinda feels like a hardtail when you want it too and then a bigger full suss bike when it requires that too.
Any effort on the pedals is rewarded with an immediate acceleration feel - you can find yourself attacking little lumps and rises more than you might normally.
All in all, you just kind of had to pedal. The bike just moved where you pointed it.
My comment to Stu was that it felt 'like a bike'. On the face of it this comment may sound negative but it's actually a compliment. It just goes and does what you ask it to. No fuss no drama etc.
Going down the way:
What a laugh! Even with a general ill malaise and blocked ears I managed to put in a decent performance.
The weight distribution thing once again meant that you can move around easier and ride it like a bigger bike rather than a superficially 120mm xc bike.
It was as fast if not faster than my 36 Talas equipped Zesty.
Admittedly the rear end is a lot more 'present'. You feel more trail and you really do have to pay attention to what's going on around your wheels on the trail. A couple of corners had me over shooting the line a little, not done this before and Stu commented along similar lines. Almost like the bike runs a little wide. Not really sure how to describe it but it was not a bad thing, it just meant corners that i knew well were making themselves feel a little different.
The start of little descent sections had you accelerating hard into berms and corners and looking for little jumps to pump and stuff, such is the power a couple of pedal turns give you.
One thing i noticed was the number of pedal strikes i got. I like these cause they remind you that the bike has a low BB so does feel confident when you get the speed cranked up a bit, you just need to remember to ride properly. Once again - you need to pay attention to your technique.
Overall:
For a bike i had never ridden before and spent 2mins on setting up it worked annoyingly well.
It is decidedly 'neutral' if thats the right word. It just rides. It gives you a laugh and does not get in the way of you riding. You need to work on your technique and when you do then it rewards and flatters you well.
At the end of the ride we recovered with food for ATHLETES in the cafe (health shakes and vegetables of course...) and the only thing we talked about was plans for summer rides across the width of Scotland. Not suspension rates or linkage bollocks, tyre pressure musings or damping bullnuts. We just had a good chat about what we would like to go and do.
The experience it gives you is one of riding. Not equipment. It is predictable and neutral and lets you decide what is happening as you cruise along.
In summary it is a bike, for riding. Not for tinkering and blaming your poor technique on but just riding.
Stuart from Evolution kindly saw fit to take me out on a new 5 today.
Albeit the 2nd attempt as he got some weird disease last time and i have the lurgy this week too, we still got out and did it.
The weather was frankly pants/as you would expect from the Borders in Scotland in December. It was wet, cold and generally a tad unpleasant.
Not to worry though - it's always sunny when it's bike riding time.
So... the idea was we would go for a gentle spin to see what the bike was like. We picked Glentress as the venue for a couple of obvious reasons.
1. It has the best cafe in the area.
2. We know the trails very well seeing as we ride there - lots.
We set off up the normal climb route and the route was decided as we went. Up the red climb to the black boundary trail, round the road to the blue bit and then back down to the car park.
Climbing:
It climbs. Not much more to say than that. It grips well, corners uphill corners very well. The riding position is very well judged allowing you to get your weight over the front and move to the back when required.
I was climbing in much more 'xc' gears than normal - not using the granny ring was a nice touch. The rear end is nice and responsive but firm - we both commented at one point in the day that it kinda feels like a hardtail when you want it too and then a bigger full suss bike when it requires that too.
Any effort on the pedals is rewarded with an immediate acceleration feel - you can find yourself attacking little lumps and rises more than you might normally.
All in all, you just kind of had to pedal. The bike just moved where you pointed it.
My comment to Stu was that it felt 'like a bike'. On the face of it this comment may sound negative but it's actually a compliment. It just goes and does what you ask it to. No fuss no drama etc.
Going down the way:
What a laugh! Even with a general ill malaise and blocked ears I managed to put in a decent performance.
The weight distribution thing once again meant that you can move around easier and ride it like a bigger bike rather than a superficially 120mm xc bike.
It was as fast if not faster than my 36 Talas equipped Zesty.
Admittedly the rear end is a lot more 'present'. You feel more trail and you really do have to pay attention to what's going on around your wheels on the trail. A couple of corners had me over shooting the line a little, not done this before and Stu commented along similar lines. Almost like the bike runs a little wide. Not really sure how to describe it but it was not a bad thing, it just meant corners that i knew well were making themselves feel a little different.
The start of little descent sections had you accelerating hard into berms and corners and looking for little jumps to pump and stuff, such is the power a couple of pedal turns give you.
One thing i noticed was the number of pedal strikes i got. I like these cause they remind you that the bike has a low BB so does feel confident when you get the speed cranked up a bit, you just need to remember to ride properly. Once again - you need to pay attention to your technique.
Overall:
For a bike i had never ridden before and spent 2mins on setting up it worked annoyingly well.
It is decidedly 'neutral' if thats the right word. It just rides. It gives you a laugh and does not get in the way of you riding. You need to work on your technique and when you do then it rewards and flatters you well.
At the end of the ride we recovered with food for ATHLETES in the cafe (health shakes and vegetables of course...) and the only thing we talked about was plans for summer rides across the width of Scotland. Not suspension rates or linkage bollocks, tyre pressure musings or damping bullnuts. We just had a good chat about what we would like to go and do.
The experience it gives you is one of riding. Not equipment. It is predictable and neutral and lets you decide what is happening as you cruise along.
In summary it is a bike, for riding. Not for tinkering and blaming your poor technique on but just riding.
I need to get another Yeti now, can't have you having the same amount as me. Hmmmmm DJ perhaps?
