Honestly, I've never seen someone ride as smooth as you do, it's so satisfying to see you go down trails. I really aspire to ride as smooth and fluent as you do, kudos.
I'm 5'10" - between M and L. I bought an L size Altitude A3 a year ago - it was 30% off - half the price of the mondraker. It's wheel base is about the same as your Mondraker M size. It's a touch harder up hill and through tight corners. But it's great down steep bumpy trails - it gives me the confidence to ride harder trails. So far so good - no major OTBs.
I've got a 2019 Instinct that's been fun but hear good stuff about the Altitude. How's it climb? With just a Horst link, I always assume there are more compromises rather than something with DWLink etc...but maybe not?
@@vin9976 tl;dr - a more active suspension like Horst-link can be tamed by using the shock's compression damping on the climbs, then opened for the descents. It seems to me that the compromises always exist. There's always a trade-off for a bike that does something really well. The Horst-link style suspension feels to me to be the most active, least restricted by chain tension. Yes, this means some bikes will wallow on the climbs with the shock open. But I keep my coil-equipped Altitude open for almost all climbing now, as it approaches 1000 miles. The trade-off the other way, of course, is less monkey-motion when climbing from other suspension designs such as DW, VPP, etc. I call all those "short-link" suspensions. Yes, they usually climb better. But the trade-off was almost always a too-stiff or too-damped feeling in the rear suspension that I couldn't turn off. But what's most important? How it feels to YOU. Lots of people like the trade-off working one way, lots of people like it the other way. I prefer the most active, open feeling suspension possible when descending, so no DW or VPP for me. And, combined with the handling characteristics of the Altitude (and the new Instinct too), it's an awesome bike!
That's the biggest advantage.. at higher speeds. These long slack bikes is where they start to shine.. that's the first thing I noticed with my pole evolink
You're right Jeff, Sun Peaks! You'll love it!! I was just there last weekend and I'm heading back in 2 weeks. Good old Kamloops! A breakfast at Jamaican Kitchen on the North Shore is a must, you'll thank me later. Hey Logan, hope you're trail rash is healing up! Cheers guys, great content!
I wondered how a guy like Jeff would get along on such a long bike since his style seems pretty off the back. It's rad to hear him talk about the learning curve, which I assume was, at least in part, getting over the front more, and hearing about how this bike manuals too! I imagine it must be harder to get the front wheel up but super neat to hear that the leverage from the long front end actually gives you more room to play with to stay up in the manual. Not a bike I'm looking to buy but beautifully instructive on what to look for!
1. I only ride Shimano brakes. I’ve had dismal luck with SRAM. 2. Out of the Blue is not a flow trail. I think of it as more of a technical rhythm trail. 3. I love long and slack bikes for the same reasons you mentioned. If I’m charging down the hill, I don’t want handling surprises. I’m happy to give up a little “personality” to gain a larger margin for error. Winter overstayed its welcome and now it’s too hot. 🥵 Glad I ran into you up on the trails yesterday! Great video!
Never were interested in motorbikes, but I kinda want a review of yours! Bruv, try TRP DHR EVO brakes, they are an absolute gem. You'll forget about Shimano forever!
Excellent video as always … I recently ditched my super long bike in favor of a shorter one. (490 reach to 465) Less effort for the same amount of fun in my opinion!
I just got my Mondraker Superfoxy R (Alloy Ohlins) and I can't wait to get out on the trails with it. Just gotta wait for it to get back from being wrapped. I really do love the Zero suspension linkage system.
@@user-dm9sg6sr7t the bike is a beast and can handle anything thrown at it. I love how direct the steering feels. If you’re in the overlap I would recommend downsizing, as the bikes are long as and struggle with anything tight 😅
Great video! I’m an XL rider… I love long bikes! So stable and composed at speed, on the chunky and big stuff. It’s not uncommon to find XL bikes with 1300mm or longer wheelbases. I’m eyeing a steel hard tail with 1330mm wheelbase 😂
Jeff try a pair of Michelin DH22/DH34 tires...those are the best DH tires IMO. I really love long bikes,it all depends what you love to ride and your local trails. I have to change mt ridding style to match my new bike,but once you get it,you can smash any trail. This bike would sine in Whistler bike park. My bike have the same issue with the dropper,but you can work around it. Great video as always!
Wow, something never said before "I wanted better modulation, so I went with Shimano" Shimano brakes notorious for having no modulation and a floating bite point. To be fair SRAM feel too mushy to me but still better than Shimano, if you like the Shimano lever and feel but want modulation go with the Magura MT7 HC3's best brakes you can get.
Magura MT7’s ALL THE WAY. It’s the only brake I see being used by DH racers who need raw power, AND trials riders who need finesse and fantastic modulation. The Shimano modulation comment by Jeff was most certainly forced.
💯 on this. I think once people figured out that they're actually super easy to bleed and not as flimsy as some people suggest, they are excellent brakes. I can't ride gnarly trails comfortably without the peace of mind a good set of mt7/hc3 brakes on my bike provide.
Wild, the Transition Sentinel has been at the top of my want to try, want to buy without trying list, and with 10mm less travel f/r still manages to be 1.4 degree slacker and slightly longer. What's funny is there is NO doubt and no arguments that people call that bike at the extreme end of slack and long with people being very polarized loving or hating the length and slackness, so I find it crazy that people would argue about a very similar dimension bike not being long! I hope you can try some Transition bikes soon!
I see Transitions all over the Seattle/Bellingham area because they're headquartered in Bellingham! Friend of mine just bought a new Sentinel and loves it, though he's pretty new to mountain biking. Wouldn't be surprised if Jeff has tried them because he lives near their shop.
Interesting to hear about the Sram Codes, I did not like the Sram Codes on my Santa Cruz either, switched to Magura MT7s and they're much better. I'd like to try some Shimano brakes!
I love Magura brakes. We have Maguras on all our bikes. The hc3 levers bring them up to another level. Mt7s with hc3 levers are the best brakes I've ever had the pleasure to use. Super easy to bleed and maintain, and super consistent. Forget the Shimanos. They feel spongy by comparison, and the bite point issue still persists. It can be remedied by using levers without servowave, like the cheap long levers or better yet, the XC XTR race levers paired with 4 piston calipers. Still, that's a such a hassle just to get them working like normal brakes. Anyway, that's just my 2 cents. 😉👍
Great video and your riding skills r inspiring. I ride a Mondraker and felt the same. It inspires confidence. I think the position of being behind the wheel rather than close to or in top of front wheel ( due to long front and short stem-30mm) is the trick. In fact I came off a slacker bike than Mondraker . the Mondraker will be the bench mark for me going forward
UK rider here...are you really riding in mountains that people are shooting in?? Sounds like some scary shit! Love your videos, your riding skills are unreal
Since bike manufacturers somewhat arbitrarily assign sizes to geometries - in what way does the discussion about whether or not a bike is a large bike make sense? If it’s too large, take a smaller size and vice versa. The only exception is the largest size that’s available since that is interesting for the tallest among us.
Are there any full suspension bikes that are not 1billion in reach? 😂 At 170cm height there's almost 0 bikes to fit my 420-ish reach. Wanted to go for Mondraker Raze R but the smallest size has 450mm reach...
@@JeffKendallWeed Thank you for answering! After a week of research and research and more research I'm 99.9% set on the Mondraker Raze or Raze R (depending on the color scheme for the 2024 line, haha) Can't wait to have a bike again!
I have been on mondraker for many years and it is time they update geo a bit. Head angle should be slacker and bb height is very high. With many other bikes becoming big like mondraker but having low bb and slack head angle mondraker falls behind from my expirience. New carbon foxy has already updated geo but no superfoxy
Would you consider buying a more modern Inspired Hex? I know in one of your bunnyhop videos, you said your hex was your hardest to bunnyhop, but maybe the changes to the chainstay lengths over the past years would change that.
an aside, how do you feel about the current canyon strive you mentioned? I feel the previous one's geometry and function fit you perfectly, and the current one has been a pivot more to the enduro racer ride style. I've been having a blast with my 2019 canyon strive, but have been getting apprehensive about the rather dated geometry (steeper head than some "down country" bikes!) however, I feel the current one has gone farther than I want in modernity.
A playful bike is great when everything goes well and it’s not too loose/wet/muddy, a bigger bike has to be manhandled a bit more but it feels like you’re less on the edge with a bigger margin of error.
Jeff don’t listen to the geo police online, they don’t know what they’re talking about. Should not even matter to a rider as skilled as yourself anyway, one can adapt to almost any bike
It's not policing, it's common sense. Most dh and enduro racers are on a shorter reach bike for a reason, if they followed your advice they'd have a ton more crashes
Whoever's arguing over what's big and what's bigger in the comments section must be have a psychological age of 5, besides taking the subject and themselves a bit too seriously. Seem to find plenty of these on any topic these days. Best served with popcorn.
Same, to the point that I'm now curious about trying a drop handle bar set up with a mullet drive chain. I don't know what to change to prevent my wrist pain and numbing, I'm scared to buy a new MTB just to find I get the same pain on another flat bar
He use the pnw components ones. I really like the oneups after trying a bunch. But handlebars are super personal and wrist pain isn't something I normally have to worry about. Hand pain is.
Isn't this "longer wheelbase" business getting out of hand?...LOL. Sometimes I struggle cornering on my V1 Ripmo which is even shorter than the Mondraker. I can't imagine cornering with this "Lincoln Continental" of a bike!....LOL. Although it's probably a skills thing ( or lack thereof!...LOL).
