Newly Released Bikes General

droenn

Fat Man's XC President

SF Trailboy

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Is there an Aussie Spot distro?

I could be convinced if I could get frame only.
(Belt drives can eff off)

View attachment 365636

Many moons ago my brother in-law rode a rocker single speed with the belt - snapped it in his first marathon, they replaced it once I think he snapped it again next outing and went to chains. He still has the steel frame to this day and reckons it’s the best riding hardtail ever... There was a distributor back in about 2013 but I could not find one recently - he actually lives in Radelaide now.
Maybe a brand for @russthedog and orbo....
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
Many moons ago my brother in-law rode a rocker single speed with the belt - snapped it in his first marathon, they replaced it once I think he snapped it again next outing and went to chains. He still has the steel frame to this day and reckons it’s the best riding hardtail ever... There was a distributor back in about 2013 but I could not find one recently - he actually lives in Radelaide now.
Maybe a brand for @russthedog and orbo....
Out of interest, was it before they went to the center-track belts (with the little ridge down the middle between the teeth)?

Seems a lot of people snapped them before center-track came along as when the stays would flex the belt would try and run off the side of the cog, and the increased load on half the belt width would split them.

I really want to try one, but still feel a little uncertain about reliability for MTBs.

That Spot looks super versatile too, would allow so many different build options. Didn't someone on here buy off them directly of recent times?
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
New Trance X is out https://www.pinkbike.com/news/giant-announces-an-updated-trance-x-29-with-more-travel.html

Nothig special to look at but seems like it could be a very good all rounder at a pretty decent price ($4499 for the Trance 2). Nice to see something coming specced with Shimano as well

View attachment 365635
Keen on this, would be a great all-rounder, and love the way the Maestro platform rides.

Feels weird wanting a Giant, but I know it would function so well. Despite being semi-budget concious, the mid-spec one is such a solid build spec too.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
@Zaf has a lot of experience with belt drives.

Those new banshee are blurring the lines between good frames and giant.

How do you like the maestro @beeb? I've had it a few times on 26 inch gravity bikes and think it's shit. Probably changed a fair bit over the years though.
 

mike14

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Keen on this, would be a great all-rounder, and love the way the Maestro platform rides.

Feels weird wanting a Giant, but I know it would function so well. Despite being semi-budget concious, the mid-spec one is such a solid build spec too.
Flow has an initial review up https://flowmountainbike.com/tests/first-ride-review-2021-giant-trance-x-29-2/
I do agree with them that it might be a very good bike for a lot of Australian conditions. It's always interesting to try and work out how a bike review done in BC actually translates to a place where the Youies is about the steepest terrain I encounter :).

At $1k cheaper than the Ripmo AF NX build it appears that it could be a very popular bike. Almost exactly between the Origin and Essential builds of the MetaTR as well
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
How do you like the maestro @beeb? I've had it a few times on 26 inch gravity bikes and think it's shit. Probably changed a fair bit over the years though.
My experience is limited to the current(ish) Trance 27.5 and Trance 29er trail bikes. They both feel active in the initial part of travel and around sag, but without feeling boggy or pogoey. Nice progressive feel to the linkage too so no sudden harsh bottom outs. Just good all-round trail suspension, no super-feedbacky super-high antisquat bad manners, not so soft you can't feel the trail or feel like you're pedalling through treacle. Just a balanced feel and easily tuned.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
My experience is limited to the current(ish) Trance 27.5 and Trance 29er trail bikes. They both feel active in the initial part of travel and around sag, but without feeling boggy or pogoey. Nice progressive feel to the linkage too so no sudden harsh bottom outs. Just good all-round trail suspension, no super-feedbacky super-high antisquat bad manners, not so soft you can't feel the trail or feel like you're pedalling through treacle. Just a balanced feel and easily tuned.
Fair enough. I always found the big ones rode like a slug. Plenty of my friends have had various giants and felt different to me, so perhaps I just have no musical ability
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
...so perhaps I just have no musical ability
Haha, that took me an embarrassingly long time to decrypt.

Both the bikes I've ridden are pretty recent models, so probably much higher anti-squat than earlier versions, and being short/mid travel platforms wouldn't be too sluggish to begin with. Probably wouldn't be ideal for your full-send type riding, but good for ironing out chatter while I'm bumbling down the trails.
 

Daniel Hale

She fid, he fid, I fidn't
I could be convinced if I could get frame only.
(Belt drives can eff off)
a guy in ballarat runs a belt on his rohloff, he likes it - had problems with the gates system when running SS, had to be super tight so as to not slip, he got frustrated the tension was so finicky so stayed with the rohloff...belt is maintainance free though, just squeals a bit when wet
 
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