This timed lap was what I'll call "tech-flow." It was a tech trail that made sense in the way that it flowed, and it was easy to find fast lines and carry speed. ![]() In short, my take on the Megatower's climbing ability is that it has enough support and enough sensitivity to get the job done - I recently rode two back-to-back 6,000' (1829m) days on it, and at no point was I wishing for any other bike. It has a softer feel than the Megatower, which both helps and hurts it on the climbs: it doesn't feel like it has quite the same willingness to sprint and push as the Megatower, but it does maintain traction just a bit more easily than the Megatower. The Fezzari is the most "trail bike-y" of the group and climbs quite well for its 170mm of travel. The Transition has a smaller rear wheel, which doesn't have quite the same feeling of rolling and powering capability on the climbs as the Megatower's rear 29" one, but at 33.6 lbs, it's the lightest bike of the test. The Transition and the Fezzari are some of the better climbers of the bunch and are fairly well-matched against the Santa Cruz. Both the Commencal and Contra, while both are well-supported and offer very firm pedaling platforms, are heavier, longer, and less maneuverable than the Megatower, making them feel like much more bike to manage on the climbs. Pitted against some of the other bikes in this Field Test, it clearly holds its own on the ups, proving that it's a very solid climber for the enduro bike category. The well-supported suspension has enough sensitivity to keep traction over rocks and roots without bobbing much, and the bike as a whole has a nice, responsive feel. Still, long travel and all, the Megatower powers right up as well as you'd expect from any 34 lb (15.4 kg) bike. If someone told me a few years ago that 165mm travel bikes would soon be climbing as well as they do today, I'd have trouble believing it. All the build kits all come with SRAM drivetrains and brakes, so Shimano fans are out of luck, but there's an interesting mix of Fox and RockShox suspension, including mixed Fox 38 / RockShox Super Deluxe (both air and coil) options in the middle of the range. Still, the Megatower keeps its other geo adjustment flip chip, which changes the head angle by a paltry 0.3mm between 63.5º and 63.8º, changes the bottom bracket height by 3.5mm, and makes the leverage a bit more progressive in the low option.Īvailable in a total of 11 build options, the Megatower pricing starts at $5,649 for a base model in the C (as opposed to the fancier and slightly lighter CC) carbon, and skyrockets all the way up to $13,999 USD for the Flight Attendent, CC, all the bells and whistles build. Santa Cruz has chosen to ditch the chainstay length adjustment chip for size-specific chainstay lengths - our size L test bike had 441mm chainstays.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |