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I have a feeling the new Reign will use the same lower linkage setup as the new Reign Advanced E+. Hopefully the Aluxx frame is still available if that happens. I know on some other bikes with split seat tubes, they stopped making the AL version because they didn't hold up. As a bit of a Giant fanboy myself, the frame on that Reign E+ looks like a perfect version of the Maestro system, but I'm not a huge fan of longer travel bikes in carbon.
I think the sleuths of this forum pointed out some key factors that point to this not being a pivot. And it being seen in BC.
V1 Druid had issues with creaking and knocking in the linkage, which were easy to fix with 15 minutes and some blue loctite. V1 Dreadnought was the same. V2 Druid has been mint, no issues in two summers. None of those frames ate bearings on me, but I only weigh around 170. Sample size = 1.
You don’t ride skis, you ski skis. Got your own verb for that one, please keep it.
Solid 1 week till this rumor ends up on Pinkbike.
Less I bet, Dario is actually trying to be core instead of just cosplaying it with Carhartt so now you get the occasional copy past from vital.
Get ready to have your mind blown: German speakers “drive” skis (and bikes).
I always strip and rebuild bikes and frames when they're new to make sure that everything has grease, anti-seize, and locktite where needed and the only bike where it was a waste of time was a Specialized because everything was already assembled well. My Raaw madonna was pretty good too but the main bearing lip seals had been damaged and needed replacing. The sealing on the Raaw is pretty good and the stock bearings lasted a couple years in most of the pivots except the main pivot that wore out in 6 months. The main pivot is sealed from the outside but not the inside, so if water gets in the frame it collects in the bearing.
harsh :D
and boats, air ships and balloons
So this is kind of hilarious to me because forbidden just ships a pile of parts along with a frame that isn't even put together. Having built/QC checked a lot of bikes from Transition, Ibis, Cannondale, Orbea, and Forbidden I can honestly say that the QC on the Forbidden frames are absolutely stellar, on par with Ibis carbon (Ibis alloy leaves a lot to be desired).
Unfortunately, with bike brands that ship just frame and parts end up leaving a lot of their bikes "QC" impression on the skills of the builder building the bike. If your headset creeks, or your bottom bracket creeks, or the rear of your bike creeks is that a frame issue or is that someone hamfisting installing headset cups, or not sticking a torque wrench to some bolts, or not bothering using grease? It's genuinely hard to say. All I can speak from is my experience with Forbidden as a bike builder and as a customer and they've been a joy on both fronts. Forbidden has shipped every bike I've built with actual grease on all the pivot bolts, bearings that actually spin and everything that does come installed actually at torque. They might be second only to Ibis in how well their frames come set up out of the box. A company like transition, for example, usually requires a complete rebuild as whoever put together their frames often times forget that loctite is not grease and believe that torque specs are just a "recommendation". For what its worth I've beaten the ever-loving piss out of both my v2 forbiddens and they are still creak free as the day I got them.
"Don’t get me wrong—they look like absolute rippers—but they also look like bikes designed by a team with very limited real‑world engineering experience who are doing the best they can." Having met Oli the head of engineering at Forbidden and knowing their owner was the man at norco for a long time this comment makes me laugh. Both of these guys sweat the details and it shows when you have to maintain them.
Yes I know I'm just one guy pissing into the wind of the internet, but in a world where people can easily give anecdotal evidence that people take as gospel I do find it necessary to give my experience as well. Don't buy a forbidden because you don't want a high pivot or don't like Canadians, don't NOT by a forbidden because someone on the internet said it creaks (or doesn't).
Though I'd be pretty happy if they got rid of the shock tunnel...
Perhaps PB should start citing vital user names as a source. That would be cool. This thread has good sleuths.
Dario is the man! I bet that they’ve been testing one.
Their current gen Reign aluminium frame doesn't hold up either. The chainstays have a little hole where the shifting cable should enter. That's where they like to start cracking. Also the quality control is bad on these frames in my opinion. Not cleanly pressed in bearings leaving edges in the bearing seats, bad alignment. They have stuff to improve on for the next generation, that's for sure
Yeah, they've never been the burliest enduro bikes out there, that's for sure. I feel like the extra flex helps me more than it hurts, for off chambers and slippery conditions. I have a mulleted 2018 with a Cascade Link, and it's been pretty bulletproof for me but I'm more of a 'ride a big bike everywhere because it's comfortable' type of rider. The new electric Reign gives me hope that they're chasing a more burly chassis, because at least that lower link looks a lot more stout. I know on my generation Reign a lot of people broke the lower links. Nice thing about Giants when they get older, giantbikespares.com has an unbelievable inventory of spare parts for older bikes.
Agree, citing the vital user would be the proper way to acknowledge copyright and also a nice nod. PB usually cites vital, which... I know we're talking internet forums here, but I have to deal w/copyright pretty frequently as a doc filmmaker and if i wanted commercial use of an image I found on this forum, I would need permission directly from the user/photographer.
Vital should create a way to embed a post on another site... would save those sneaky PBers some time.
Dario is the man…? Beyond this meme I made, he is also pretty detached from real world consumers. I’ve heard he typically says something is “cheap” or very “competitively priced” during their podcast. When another host asks him how much it is - he doesn’t know. 🤨
As a crusty Marzocchi guy who worked there during the Shiver days, even I had a good laugh when people wanted to compare the Fox to the Shiver SC..
I’m sure there’s no comparison. The key thing is that he didn’t specify single crown. He just said inverted fork…
Considering that we've got the Marz Shiver, the Manitou Dorado, and the Rockshox RS-1, the statement is completely stupid whatever way you want to swing it.
Not knowing the price of something on release day and he doesn’t just make it up? Crazy.
He’s basically a dirtbag rider that crushes out the vert and miles. He’s more one of us than most of us are…
8,000+ km's on a Druid V1 and 2,000 km's on a Dreadnought V1, PNW based riding.
Druid was the second XT build to land in Canada. It has had the main pivot and linkage bearings replaced twice, the bearings in rear triangle and main frame have been replaced once. Have gone through an OEM and NSB aluminum idler (on a SS one now). Also had to replace the bolt that connects the shock yolk/rate link together as it had worn enough to have play. The "crunch" zone between the seat tube/rear triangle causing gouging sucked until they offered a hunk of foam and new fender for free. I know there was an issue with paint thickness (my frame was a brownstone colorway, I dont know if others were effected) that caused creaking (the stepped spacers in the main triangle and rear triangle specifically) so flangeless spacers were offered for free. There was also an issue with the rate linkage/shock yolk spacers and again Forbidden offered non flanged spacers for free.
The Dread had its chainstay protector peeling off when I got it, forbidden sent me a new one free of charge. Still on its original bearings and idler.
I guess I could be labeled as a card carrying "Forbidden Fan Club" member but I believe it is important to highlight both the positive and negative experiences. Now we want to talk about terrible QC, One Up droppers can catch some heat.
But that is probably enough thread derailing, I am sure there will be a "start a new thread" comment, maybe something to the effect of highly regarded bikes/parts, inverse ownership experience
@Outlawed has any new bike ever come without the chainstay protector already peeling off?
Curious, what's the OD on the upper legs? I've wondered how they compare to the 38mm lowers of the Fox...
Spoken like a boomer core lord. That’s what the viral forums seem to have become though.
Dario is actually a breath of fresh air in mountain bike media, same as Jason. His perspective is a welcome change from the usual safe, generic industry takes the rest of the media recycles time and time again.
Are you guys actually arguing about if a guy that works at a different website reviewing stuff is cool or not? 🤣
+1 appreciating Dario here. He may not be right all the time, but he’s not taking it TOO seriously either. He is not polished and seems more relatable than your average presenter. Plus he IS younger than many, which gives him an opportunity (that he apparently uses) to think less of money/career and more of staying true to the current state of himself. Again, even if he is wrong from others POV.
At least they haven’t devolved into a discussion of if Dario’s chainstay is the right length.
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