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I missed out on the Range in my size. Sold out.
New Range and Sight are going Bosch and HP. Mullet only.
As an example, My Spire weighs in at 34ish lbs, similar build on a V2 druid is 38ish lbs (which is the same weight as my V1 alu Sentinel)
Both carbon, both running Zebs, and air shocks, both running proper tires and CushCore.
For a 130 bike, I'd call it portly. But it appears very capable, and like an absolute blast to ride.
So If an Optic can come in at 34ish lbs, with a similar build, I'd be stoked.
Sent you a super long message on my thoughts about HP trail bikes
Bikes are not just their suspension layout.
They are a sum of all their parts.
I believe that the new optic and sight are going to be really good bikes.
Dude, are you kidding me? The dreadnought rides like a freaking tractor trailer. It's a damn long bike that only gets longer. It knows one thing and its plow. It's the least sprightly bike I've ever ridden.
Not kidding, it’s been great on janky awkward flattish trails but I’ve also spent a lot of time on downhill bikes so I’m used to barges
Kind of a tech rumour and also another option to consider for a trail oriented HP bike. Kavenz is releasing a VHP12 and VHP14 this year.
The 12 is considered XC now, as for the 14 - not sure why since there’s the 15. Kavenz is missing a 20-option right now, with an angleset to make it a proper dh-rig!
Official word from Orange regarding the process they are currently going through:
To Whom It May Concern
In response to current speculation regarding the position of Orange Bikes and the recently filed Notice of Intention to appoint Administrators:
Orange Bikes and its associated companies are currently working with Specialist Business Rescue Advisory firm J9 Advisory, with a view to restructuring the businesses in order to provide a viable platform to service our customers in the best way possible, safeguarding jobs and ensuring the continuation and strength of the Orange Bikes business moving forwards.
Further details will be released as soon as possible.
From Jacks youchoob. Not sure what YT would be hiding other than a rear shock. Still, something to talk about on a Monday.
So I guess the pitch with a bike like the Druid is that the benefits of a HP axle path outweigh the cons of more; weight, drivetrain drag, and complexity. Seems questionable in the less gravity orientated platforms, but I still would love to try one and find out!
Companies have lost the plot with this bike covering trend so ridiculous 😂
I dunno, as demonstrated here, it gets people talking about their product if nothing else.
On one hand, (as an enthusiast) ya it’s a little silly.
On the other hand, there are pages of us absolutely dorking out over Loic Brunis bike.
The amount of speculation, debates, and jokes provided endless entertainment.
Be careful. You might really really like it.
Possibly connecting too many dots here but I wonder if knowing the Norco HP Optic is dropping soon is what prompted Forbidden to discount the Druid V2 (from $7,199 USD down to $5,399 USD for GX Transmission build) to make it harder for Norco to pull away sales from the high pivot trail bike crowd: https://us.forbiddenbike.com/collections/bikes/products/druid-gx-fx
I own two mid-high pivot bikes currently, a Norco Shore setup as a DH bike and a Rocky Mountain Instinct/Altitude Powerplay as my ebike. My am/enduro meat bike is a non-high-pivot Rocky Mountain Altitude.
The main benefit of a high/mid-high pivot in my opinion is that the rear end gets hung up less in rock gardens. The downsides are axle path growth related handling changes and idler drag (the latter hasn't been an issue for me, although that's based on the Shore vs my previous DH bikes, a trail bike might be a different story). That's really it, everything else is dependent on geometry, kinematics etc. You can have kinematics and a shock tune that make the rear end poppy or plow with both high pivots and non-high pivots. The axle path growth related handling changes can be significant if you're sensitive to them. There is no way I'd want any more axle path growth than I have on my mid-high pivot bikes, YMMV.
What I like about the mid-high pivot on my ebike when setup in short travel mode (140mm), is that you get the support/poppy feeling of a short travel bike but it keeps it's speed much better in the rough stuff.
My Druid v2 weighs about 37lbs. Lyrik, SD air, exo+ front, DD rear w/cc. Hope pro 5. DT swiss 481 and 561. If I was in better shape I wouldn’t complain at all about the climbing. It’s absolutely a “thicc” trail bike, but it’s a great bike.
HP trail bikes are good. They’re not for everyone. If that optic comes in under 34lbs, it’s gonna be killer.
I haven't had a short travel HP bike out yet, but the couple of rides I did on the new Slash when trek offered a demo involved about 900m of climbing over two days and I never noticed much loss due to the high pivot compared to my Slayer. Our climb trail here is 420m from the base of the trail and 4.2km and it was pretty smooth sailing. It didn't keep up to my friend on the last gen slash but I think that had to do more with the motor than the drivetrain. I could see a short travel high pivot being pretty sporty when needed.
The suspension 'feel' of the inverted 4-Bar Druid V2 feels different from the single pivots IMO. More independent etc.
Yeah, So a Druid V2 with CushCore, Zeb, etc is an easy 38lbs, which is pretty friggin heavy for a 130 "trail bike" Hell its as heavy as a range, which was called heavy from the time it came out....and its a 170 bike...So that Druid V2 frame is Portly, with a capital P
I am sorry to interrupt the high pivot discussion but does anyone know what in the holy hell this is
Any questions? (I have so many...)
Bucefal Cycles...never heard of them https://bucefal-cycles.com/en/home/
P.S Sorry for the short travel high pivot derailment
OMG
https://bucefal-cycles.com/
I have so many questions:
"Holistic Pivot system"
Zip ties holding the chainstay protectors
Do I need a socket wrench to remove the shock?
Are those grease fittings?
Is that a 26" rear wheel?
My question is were they on drugs when they conceived this idea?
Buce is in the eye of the beholder.
The snake is eating it's own tail with that one, both figuratively and literally. The rear center is a part of the front center and vice-versa. That has to be the least straight top tube since the penny farthing. Good god, that is the ugliest bike I've seen in recent memory... one of the few that make that tantrum cycles thing look appealing.
You must not remember the Redalp