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Malcy,
Scott and Stu’s Big Adventure
After spending too long cooped up (as we say in the Co-op)
in the office last week, we felt the need to unwind the
way we know best – by going for a ride to Glentress.
We called it ‘product research’ to persuade the
shop managers that we really had to take the Bike Co-op’s
demo fleet with us. Some unexpected results emerged from
the ride – not least the realisation that Malcolm ‘fags
& booze’ Christie was the fittest of the 3.
Cannondale
Prophet 2000 ’05
Despite being classed as an ‘All Mountain’ bike
by Cannondale, the Prophet is definitely the most XC orientated
of the three bikes, and the lightest weight (28lb / 12.7kg).
The
major difference in the frame design, compared with the
other 2 bikes, is that the Prophet boasts a refined version
of Cannondale’s trademark single pivot technology.
The single pivot puts greater reliance on the shock’s
SPV damping. This resulted in suspension that varied between
two extremes: it was either very stiff (as in virtually
locked out), which made the Prophet an especially fast and
efficient climber, or very active once the SPV valve had
blown through.
The
Giant Reign has the same Manitou Swinger 3-Way shock yet
managed to deliver a more progressive feel without any significant
bob.
The
Prophet’s Lefty fork is also SPV damped, though it
didn’t feel quite as plush as the rear end. (We admit
to not spending time adjusting the preload for each rider
when we swapped bikes. We are confident that a couple of
minutes shock pump action would have improved the Lefty’s
‘feel’.) Most impressively, we all agreed that
the Lefty’s steering and stiffness was as good as any
single crown’s, so you quickly forget you’re missing
a stanchion.
On the
descents, although it was beautifully plush on the bumpy
stuff, we felt that there was more than the claimed 10mm
difference in travel (140mm compared with 150mm) between
the Prophet and the other 2 bikes. This was probably due
to a combination of the Prophet’s lighter weight, and
the braking forces acting through the single pivot. The
Prophet did however soak up all that we threw at it, it
jumped well, and it was very, very fast.
Componentry
wise, the Prophet was a step above the other two bikes.
The XT/XTR drivetrain and brakes performed faultlessly via
the Dual Control shifters, which we really liked despite
their bike mag ‘love them or hate them’ reputation.
Overall
the Prophet is a more than competent bike pitched at the
XC end of the ‘all mountain’ category.
Giant
Reign 2
The Reign is perhaps the middle ground of the three bikes.
It features a full 6” of rear travel as with the  Enduro
but was noticeably lighter at only 30.8lb despite the coil
forks (the Reign 1 features the SPV-equipped Manitou Nixon
Platinum Air forks and weighs in at 28.6 lb.).
The
suspension is an example of Giant’s new Maestro Technology,
which incorporates an extra link before the rear triangle
to produce a floating pivot point. Giant claim they have
designed the pivot point movements to produce an anti-bob
effect on its own. This allowed the Swinger shock’s
SPV damping to be less intrusive whilst climbing, with the
result that Giant’s suspension felt more plush over
small to medium hits than Cannondale’s.
Giant
also claim to have eliminated brake-induced suspension jack
up and this appeared to be largely true when testing on
the flat. Whilst descending the suspension felt quite active
for an air shock, and seemed well balanced by the Nixon
Elite forks on the front giving a feeling of stability but
still with sharp enough geometry to really attack the tight
twisty stuff.
The
componentry on the Reign was efficient with the Race Face
Evolve X-type chainset a definite plus point over the Enduro.
The XT mech was Rapid Rise however with an LX Rapidfire
Pod shifter - more ‘love it or hate it’ technology
from Shimano. We all agreed that Rapid Rise ‘low-normal’
shifting made it easy to shift up or down, even when putting
extreme pressure on the drive train on hard climbs.
The
only issue we had with the bike was the Hayes HFX-9 XC brakes.
They did stop the bike quickly when required, but the discs
are only 6” and were slightly lacking in the one-finger
stopping power that we feel a 6”-travel bike deserves.
To sum
up, the Reign is burlier than the Prophet, thus more capable
of handling ‘rock garden’ terrain, yet still nimble
enough to get you up hill, though less quickly than the
Cannondale.
Specialized
Enduro Expert 2005
The new Enduro is more beefy than previous year’s versions,
but it’s still classed as a trail bike by Specialized.
It is definitely the most downhill orientated of the three
bikes with geometry and weight (33lb/15kg) to match.
You
get Specialized’s tried-and-tested FSR suspension.
A Fifth Element air shock matched with a Fox 36 air fork
deliver 150mm travel front and rear. Pedalling uphill, the
Fifth Element did an excellent job of eliminating bob. This
set up allows you to get your weight further back, thus
reducing fork bob and giving you a slightly more efficient
pedalling position. The Fox fork is superbly plush and is
definitely a class above the other forks here when pointed
downhill, while we were reassured and impressed by its enhanced
security and stiffness, courtesy of its bolt-through axle.
This combined with the low centre of gravity and its slightly
higher weight makes it the most confidence-inspiring ride.
The Enduro Expert seemed to just flow through the worst
braking bumps that Glentress could throw at it.
The
Enduro just invites you to ride through boulder fields at
speed, so the 200mm discs were especially appreciated. The
LX/XTR drivetrain (not Rapid Rise) worked as well as we
have come to expect from Shimano - very smooth shifting
in all conditions.
Being
the most downhill-oriented bike of the trio tested, it’s
the one we would feel most confident taking out on the likes
of the Fort William World Cup DH course. This highlights
the fact that when choosing a bike, although light weight
is an important factor, there are other considerations.
That's why while the Enduro was the heaviest bike tested,
it would be our first recommendation if you were willing
to put up with extra effort to get to the top of the hill,
in the sure knowledge that, everything else being equal,
you would be fastest to the bottom.
The
Summary
To sum up, if you’re into
cross-country riding with a fair bit of climbing, plump
for the Prophet. For Glentress-type all-round mountain biking,
the Reign rules. And if full-on downhilling is your bag,
then we would definitely endorse the Enduro.
Our
3-bike shoot-out was very revealing. No single bike was
the unanimous favourite. Stu now wants to buy a Prophet,
Scott a Reign, and Malcy’s saving up for an Enduro.
Each of these 3 bikes are described as 'all mountain' 5-6"-travel
MTBs by their manufacturers, but we found marked differences
between them. That's why if you are thinking of treating
yourself to a 5-6”-travel duallie, get in touch and
arrange
a test ride or 3.
The
Online Team
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