Zerode Taniwha Custom Build 18

What did this dream boat end up weighing in at? I have absurd dreams of a sub 30lb gearbox bike.

To be honest, I've never actually weighed it! I'd guess it's in the 32-33 lb. zone with these tires. That said, most people who ride it will guess that it's lighter, since the centered weight makes it surprisingly flickable. In general, I'd say it's waaay more playful than any 30ish lb. derailleur bike I've ridden.

Your absurd dreams aren't so far off though! I've heard rumors of someone who built up a Zerode to 29 lbs., albeit with less burly components.

TrashcanXan, I'm curious as to what frame protector you used and possibly what kit? I know that no specific kit really exists yet, but have been considering using one of the Santa Cruz kits available with the closest matching silhouette. I'm building up the courage to order my Taniwha and then let the wife catch me with it one day.

Sweet ride! This has thrown blue back into consideration for me!

Do it!! You won't regret it. It was a tough decision between the blue and the grey/yellow for me, but the blue just looks too good with the silver Helm!

I just used the Crankskins 12 mil kit. A little harder to apply than some of the thinner stuff out there but it offers pretty solid protection where it counts. I imagine a Santa Cruz kit would work fine too!

Invisiframe in the UK are now making custom skins in all sizes. XL just released.

Is there any drag that you can notice with the gearbox?

Not that would be a deal breaker. Having no drivetrain to break off was pretty convenient. But the shifter almost 100% locks out when trying to pedal uphill and move to an easier gear.
I cane to a sharp uphill turn, tied to shift and keep my momentum but pedal pressure will not let you upshift. I was literally in a track stand tugging the shifter as hard as I could.

The other thing that happened multiple times on my ride was that Is tried to shift to an easier gear, say from 3 to 2. But if I had pressure on the pedals, I'd be torqueing on the shifter and then skip clear past 2 to 1 if the amount of pedal pressure varied during the shift because varying pedal pressure changed the force needed to turn the shifter

Occasionally if I finish a ride and I'm pedaling downhill on a road in the top gear I'll notice the gearbox whirring a lot. As for any normal trail riding/racing situation, it hasn't been noticeable.

Rode one and it tracked the ground insanely well, but getting that thing to shift into tiny gears in a panic is damn near impossible on sudden inclines or under power. If you tried to race an enduro race on that gearbox, you'd go insane...or break your wrist trying to get that shifter to rotate.

How many rides did you do on it?

I definitely know what you mean about the shifting, but after a few rides you learn the "sweet spot" in your pedaling output that lets you shift the bike into the next gear. The Pinion is never going to shift exactly like a derailleur, but it ends up being a pleasure to ride in its own right once you learn the technique. At this point, shifting a derailleur bike actually feels slow and unresponsive for me because I'm so used to how fast the gearbox lets me shift.

As a side note, Sam Shaw just had a great season racing the EWS on the Taniwha, and it doesn't seem like he's lost his mind yet

I can understand that. Just an insanely big leap of faith to buy one "thinking" you can figure it out eventually. As for that fella doing good in EWS, that would be the proving ground becausr you HAVE to have those shifts

It really isn't that big a deal to switch to a Pinion. The only reason why someone wouldn't adjust to it within 3-5 rides is if they are adamantly against using it and put up a mental roadblock. We do live in the world of instant gratification though, which doesn't help. Stupid internet shopping! The twist shifter was a big turn-off for myself, and the adjustment took a few rides. But then I got to understand more than just the obvious benefits of the box and the little nuances that really make it awesome.

I spent a couple of months exclusively on my "regular bike" and enjoyed the trigger shifter. I also noticed all the things I couldn't do with it and how much more prepared I had to be with my shifting. Maybe the Pinion actually made me lazier. The transition back took a couple of rides, but the benefits of the system far outweigh the disadvantages.

One example would be transitioning a descent into a sudden, steep climb. I hate having to downshift while i'm trying to enjoy the descent, having to pedal and spin out to get the bike into gear, and then if I don't have it in the right gear, coming to a grinding halt or hearing my drivetrain cry out under the stress. With a Pinion, I'm enjoying the ride, give the "throttle" a twist, never have to worry aboot pedaling to get it into gear, and then if I'm in the wrong gear, I just let off the gas for half a fart and boom, things are good! Lose barely any, if at all, momentum and things are good.

But we can all relax, cause Pinion, and supposedly others, are working on trigger shifters. Personally, I'm a bit worried aboot that as part of the fun of a grip shift is dumping 5+ gears in one shot when I make mistakes, and my internet engineering degree is telling me I probably won't be able to do that as easily or quickly with a trigger. Hope I'm wrong

The simplest thing I can add to this is that I can't be talked into spending that much money on a bike that on first ride impression drove me insane trying to make critical shifts. That's asking someone to take a very large leap of faith, but perhaps your post has inspired others to try just that and the day will come that I have to give in to the chatter and chirp of happy customers.

I totally agree with Xan on this. Got one too because I hated poor shifting and unreliable derailleur performance. 3 rides is what it took me to get dialled in with the shifting and then it was lightning fast and buttery smooth.
Been on it 5 months now and its amazing. Will post my bike check soon as I'm just about to have it finished with new wheels inbound.

Stoked to see your build!

Bike of the Day December 26, 2017!

Damnnnnn Xaniel

Back at it with that silver Helm Xaniel...