Agree. I am loving mine. Came off a Stumpy EVO and this is more composed, smoother, and the way it places me forward is so nice. I felt like the stumpy had such a narrow spot to be, yet this bike has a much larger range of being in the sweet spot and not an effort to stay there. I am running a 160 Lyrik and it performed great in Whistler and Squamish. It climbs better than the stumpy too, despite being heavier. Much better at dealing with square edge hits. No regrets with this purchase.
Amazing. This dude provides one of the most interesting and useful bike reviews I’ve ever come across while doing the research. Talent. Impressive. One of the best MTB vids since his last one. Thanks.
Out of all the recent iterations of bikes, this one impresses me the most. It’s not stupid hardcore like a pole and yet not only modern but probably the most unique and maybe functional suspension while everyone seems to be gravitating back to 4 bar/horst
These bikes are super fun! It's like they took a dh bike and re-molded it into a nimble super capable trail bike. The rear traction is next level and they really smooth out the chatter. Super solid feeling frame and something you can totally hammer on and be confident that you won't be sliding all over the place. But yes, you do pay for it with a drop in pedaling efficiency...People have estimated it to be only a 2% drop, but I'd say it's closer to 10% once you start getting on the steeper grades. Still worth it though if your climbs aren't super treacherous and your decents are rowdy and slightly demanding. And you can definitely get around this by weight-weenieing the components, but of course...$$$ Awesome review, it's almost the perfect bike for the PNW!
Mind clueing us in to your camera and settings? It's so rare to see such smooth, crisp action camera footage. Phenomenal review, and I'm not even interested in this bike or any other full sus bike, as a dirt jumper.
I just sold my Bronson mx because the v2 feels so much better to me. I think its 2 things, the seat angle/dropper angle are actual #'s, so when you make seat dropper adjustments there arent large movements fore and aft like the bronsons virtual angles promote. The other thing is the high pivot long stay which just works great. I cant feel any drag or noise from the extra gear. Takes a bit for the transmission chain to loosen up and quiet down , but when it does......... best bike Ive ever owned hands down. O, im in the Fernie area so trails are sorta kinda similar to PNW trails.
They're both very different. This bike being a high pivot and the Evil being a linkage driven single pivot. I haven't owned a Forbidden but it was definitely in the running when I was looking to get my next bike. I went with the Offering V2 over the Gen1 Druid, purely because a lot of reviews said it was more poppy than the Forbidden. The Evil pedals amazingly well, probably the best pedalling bike I ever owned in fact. I no longer have the Offering V2 but I do have the Insurgent MX and honestly it does everything.
@@tomriley_bike came here to ask how you like the Druid V2 + Insurgent combo? I have a Wreckoning LS in my stable and I'm curious how you feel the Druid V2 goes along with it and if you feel a lot of overlap? I'm cross shopping the Druid V2, Trail 429, Tallboy, and other bikes in the range and it seems like the Druid V2 gets a bit close to the Wreckoning/Insurgent in some ways despite the travel numbers. While the Wreckoning/Insurgent is on the more "playful" side of a longer travel enduro rig that pedals very well with shorter chainstays, it seems the Druid V2 is a shorter travel Trail/AM bike that pedals well but has lots of stability and punches above its travel numbers. Any thoughts would be much appreciated as I may pull the trigger on a Druid V2 frameset and build it up!
More junk to go wrong. High pivot/short travel? I rarely get chain slap on my Horst Link Rocky Instinct. I like the riding, but every bike he rides is the best bike ever.
Bro the hype is real! I’ve owned an instinct and this bike blows it out of the water on the descents and technical climbs! The idler pulley is maybe and extra 10 minutes of cleaning every 50 or so miles , and the noise while climbing is kinda annoying , but for me the trade offs are more than worth it
@@sagebrush3222 I don’t live in mountains. My descents are steep and short. I like the versatility of a Horst link more linear progression. Too many links and pivots mean more wear and upkeep. It is just a fact. Give me an update in 2 years ion maintenance cost. I have been on Horst stuff for 20 years without much cost nor upkeep… and reliability.
