I loved this bike.”īoth Darian and I loved color, which is a combination of metallic purple and flat tan which sounds a bit weird, but it looks simultaneously fun and classy. “I could climb and descend to my heart’s content. I moved to the middle setting and it helped limit pedal strikes while keeping the geometry not too steep.” Once she settled on her ideal setup, her opinion of the bike changed. She reported starting with the Ride 9 in the slackest setting but found the front end wandered a lot and, “There were LOTS of pedal strikes. And even though, in open mode, the rear suspension settles into its travel more than some bikes on steeper climbs, the Instinct’s steep seat angle helps keep you on top of the pedals.įor another opinion, I gave this bike to Darian-a former pro downhiller, national champion, and ace mechanic-to test in Sedona, Arizona. While it might call for an assist from the climb switch on smoother climbs, the suspension traced the ground very well on chunky, ledgy, or traction-challenged climbs, even when pushing hard in the lowest gear. And because I used the shock’s climb switch more often on this bike, I appreciated having a similar adjustment upfront on the Fox 36 with FIT4 damper. On smoother climbs, I flipped the shock’s switch to the middle or firm mode to get more support and crispness out of the rear end. The rear suspension feels tuned more for sensitivity and traction than pedaling efficiency. That said, the bike does noticeably change character in the other settings so if you want a bit more stability for shuttle riding, or a truer tracking front end for a high-country ride with massive climbs, you just need to spin some wrenches to get them. While I played around with a number of settings, I spent most of my time with the bike set in “neutral” geometry, with less progressive rear suspension, and the short chainstays/wheelbase, which worked well for my riding preferences and my usual rides. Some of this versatility is unlocked by taking advantage of the Instinct's suspension and geometry tuning options. It’s light enough to bring on all-day rides with epic climbs and capable enough for some light enduro smashing and bike park partying. It can smash chunky trails well and dances admirably through tight and techy trails. I was shocked at how quickly it disappeared under me on the first ride-five minutes in and the Instinct felt as familiar as a bike I’d ridden for 100 hours.įor all-around trail riding, the Instinct is as good a bike as it gets. The frame is the “right” amount of stiff (not under or over stiff) the steering is lively and neutral it is stable but not dead-feeling the rear suspension is smooth and consistent. There’s not a learning curve or any quirks to navigate: just set sag and send it. One of the good things about this centered nature is that I immediately felt comfortable on the Instinct.
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