2020 Diamondback Sync'r Carbon Review
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Cons:
- Carbon
- Great build kit
- Playful bike
- BURLY feel
Cons:
- Geo is a bit too traditional
- Seat angle is very slack
- Awful saddle
- Not inexpensive
Who it's for:
- People looking to be like Seth and ride his bike
- People looking for a carbon hardtail that can be pushed hard
- 27.5 lovers
- People who want a great spec on a burly 27.5 bike
Who it's NOT for
- People who will be riding black diamonds and double black diamonds
- People who value geo over build kit
My full thoughts on the 2020 Diamondback Sync'r Carbon
on this episode of hardtail party we review the Diamondback sinker carbon
this is a cool bike if you haven't already seen the unboxing and first look video I made go check that out it's got all the specs let's go see how it rides right off the bat what I notice with this bike is stacks a little bit low I wish the reach was a little bit longer but it's not bad but I definitely feel the low stack I'd want some riser bars at this for my bike and this is a burly bike this is not like my wife's dv9 carbon bike that's a good bike but that has more of a trail cross country feel this definitely has a bruiser feel and I like that the carbon hard tail that's meant to charge the trails 140 ml 4 I think the Fox 34 is perfect I don't need a fox 36
even though this has a 74 degree C to bangle on the Geo chart it feels slacker I've got the seat rail slid all the way forward to steeping it up more and I still want more it feels like riding a unicycle without being able to lean forward to accelerate feel like I'm kind of playing catch-up on it sturdy frame though it's stout it doesn't beach especially with these 2.8 tires it's definitely softer than the common saw Metta HD definitely softer than the or bailout fee so one major downside to the spec of this bike is the saddle I'm not too picky when it comes to saddle but this thing should be called the BC Edition for birth control this thing is like sitting on a rolling pin it feels like you're just sitting on your perineum the whole time I mean maybe this is a feature for some people now you don't have to get a vasectomy just to ride this saddle for a while but seriously it is very uncomfortable one other component that's very frustrating on this bike is the rear hub it has so much take-up in it before it connects with the gears in there the engagement is awful it feels like you make it quarter to half revolution before it grabs now most bikes don't come with great hubs from the factory but this is probably the worst engagement I've ever felt so I would be upgrading the entire wheel set as fast as possible if it were mine I would get some nice 40 mil rims
with some like an i-9 or an onyx hub on it that make a big difference on this bike but the point of this bike is to get you into a carbon hardtail that's aggressive for under three grand and you got to save money somewhere and that's one place they do these wheels are not too stiff though which is nice but I do get tires quarum in corners when I run the 2.8 at the pressures I like on that narrow rim the tire just wants to roll so that's why I'd go with the 40 mile Rambo it's a decent little climber though got good traction those long chain stays are way out behind you on the size medium it's got a 4:35 rear center and a 4:38 front Center so the front Center is three millimeters longer than the back and that makes it feel a little bit awkward on a lot of jumps it wants to buck the nose down just a little I wish the rear end was 425 and you could make this bike a lot more playful this bike doesn't feel heavy it feels solid like it'll take a beating and it's you're not gonna break it hitting a three or four foot drop the Ibis db9 does not feel like it's meant for the abuse that this is so the db9 still light it kind of dances underneath you but as this one just feels solid it's still stiffer than the Banshee and my middle child tie and a good supple steel bike but it's not too bad with a lot of air in the tires this bike beats you up but since you can run 2.8 I'm able to tune a lot of that out it's a decent technical climber it does pretty well up lifts and stuff I'm able to get up everything I need this little bike surprises me on big climbs like this with three real lifts and technical awkward sections it does really well better than I would expect I'm impressed at how well this does on slow trials II technical climbs alright made it to the top of Slim Shady it's about to get fun let's see how this bike descends battle bumps really well at these 2.8 I'm running a pretty low at the moment I can't corner super hard I'll roll them off the beam
all right my tires are too soft for this probably at 14 but I'm bottoming it out on the rim so I need to add a little more air I'm gonna guess 1718 psi in there now see if that does better might be able to reel corners a little more now it's a 66 degree head angle with a 44 mil offset so a short offset port which feels really good I love short offset Forks it makes it handle really nice so yeah even though I love a little bit slacker bikes usually it still feels great it's not twitchy it's totally in control and speed really fun oh yeah that was smooth through all of that that's normally a pretty hard section
it's fun the jump it'd be funner with the shorter chain steak it's a fun bike I'm having fun the front end doesn't feel but it definitely doesn't feel long and aggressive I do feel a little bit tucked up on it I can't quite reach out quite as much as I like but for most trails in the world this is gonna be just right I wouldn't mind it being another centimeter longer another 10 mil for 45 for 50 but it doesn't feel short it doesn't feel bad it's not quite as long as some of the bikes I've been walking week they do a nice job I'm gonna shorten up seat tube and I can run a 150 mil dropper and still my seat post isn't slammed in the frame so I really appreciate that being a shorter rider so it's a responsive frame but it doesn't beat you up it's about the same stiffness as the db9 for me not supple but definitely not harsh
it's it wants to be playful that longer rear end makes it hard to get up into a manual it just kind of wants to come back down at least on the size medium if you're over 511 I think you might actually like this if you're tired of short chain stays and you're a bigger rider you might really like this personally I like a little bit more reach than chainstay but yeah it feels a little bit unbalanced it's just a little hard to like pop off of things like that for me because of the length of that rear end I'm just trying to talk about the differences for those of you considering one of these still a fun bike so it's still a fun bike but it doesn't quite have the playfulness of the Santa Cruz chameleon or the rst middle child so we're gonna take it up this little slab here see how it does on a technical hard climb and then down the slab so climbing up I noticed the 175 mil cranks they get awfully close to the ground and I was gonna pedal strike so I did a half ratchet and then I became aware of that rear hub and it went like a quarter turn before it grabbed and it was really difficult to make it up there it did it but I definitely want to upgrade that hub that thing is not great for this type of technical climbing but for three grand for a carbon bike that's to be expected
this bike likes to go fast I love the tires they've chosen for this DHR 2s are heavy but they totally match the attitude of this bike and you can really smash through and rail stuff on this this is a bruiser of a bike well I haven't tested its durability it feels extremely solid if you're up six-foot-two 250 pound rider I would totally expect this thing to hold up to anything you're wanting to throw at it just feels solid
yeah Cruz is it likes to go fast on really enjoying this bike you can take all the big lines in it
it feels like a bike that was built for 2.8 instead of a bike we can run them if you want the attitude of the 2.8 ehrs just totally suits this fighting it's not an XC race bike even though it's carbon it's not a weight weeny bike a bike for stuff like this I like it it doesn't feel heavy feel solid oh yeah that's good so this bike does not feel like a dirt jumper like there are SD middle child or the santa cruz chameleon with those super short rear end or just want some manual on everything it's a little bit more awkward in the air with that longer chain stay which leaks for a stable bike on fast down hills so just kind of depends on what you're looking for but I have a hard time popping it intimate sustained manuals with my short little legs
I feel like I've not even come close to finding the limit of what this bikes capable of would I take it on Highline maybe I feel like I'd want a longer reach on Highline in a shorter rear end for my body size if I were big enough to ride a large I think I'd take a large on it just because it'd have the longer front end in the back end cool bike though wants to charge it reminds me a lot of your bailout fee your bailout fee loves to charge too but it gets a little bit out of control this the harder I push it the more in control it feels it's almost like the harder you ride the more we want rewards being ridden hard whereas that allow fee the harder you push it it just gets a little bit crazier and crazier and harder to control this just grins and says is that all you got
spike is fast got a good feel that frame yeah what a bike I'm impressed more I ride it the more I like it yeah this bike just wants more and more and more it's hard to jump
we're using it for card but that's okay these 34s can take it I like him I'm weird but I actually prefer these lower and 34s than the high end wants this bike loves just pointing down rowdy stuff it'll it's up for anything you're up for this is a cool bike I tweaked the geometry to make it a little better for me but I'm gonna stop talking about the geometry and just start talking about the bike now I'm smiling and that's saying a lot it's fun on this feels like the right weight doesn't feel too light it doesn't feel heavy feels like the right stiffness too doesn't feel noodley it doesn't feel stiff yeah this is a good bike well done Diamondback it's nice and quiet it's stiff when you pedal but it doesn't beat you up I haven't ridden the aluminum version but I doubt it rides as good as this carbon one feels good
pretty interesting to see a carbon byte carbon hardtail meant for charging and despite being a few years old this model it still feels modern and relevant and great it doesn't feel outdated I'd love to see you know 10 to 15 mil longer on the next version I think can really make this come alive made even a degree slacker in the front but it's just fine how it is great riding bike that you forget about Gio and specs and just focus on the experience and when you can build a bike that becomes invisible that you stop thinking about the bike and you start thinking about the trail that's impressive and I applaud Diamondback for being able to do that with this bike
oh I'm a little bit scared of how fast this bike wants to go down here we got a hook too flat right here here we go
double hook to flat bottom doubt the fork but everything felt good nothing felt sketchy
that's solid I'm impressed how stout this bike feels I'm actually sad that this review is coming to an end maybe cuz I'm enjoying riding this bike so much despite the Geo not being perfect for me the ride experience is just really fun this bike has a lot to give and it's really good yeah good
this thing wants to race it is quick it reminds me a lot of the or bailout fee but a lot more composed we both have that spirit and attitude where they want to charge stuff keep getting route here but I haven't found the limit of this one yet holy cow I'm impressed okay I've made every single climb first try with this bike that never happens this bike completely surprised me it took me a handful of rides to click with it to where I liked it and today on this ride is when I loved it super fun bike there's so much I would change about it but I still had fun in its current form so maybe I don't need to change all those things I just see the potential that this thing has to be a total Ripper with some few minor changes well maybe not minor I'd sortin the chainstay at least 10 mil probably 15 maybe even 20 if you could get that to full for 15 holy cow that'd be fun I would shorten the cranks these 175 mil cranks get awfully low I would go wider rims I would steep in the seat tube angled just a bit and maybe lengthen the reach a little heading will felt great felt great with that fork I got used to the stack it's lower than what I'm used to but by the end of riding it three or four times I got used to it and it wasn't bothering me anymore but man this thing is super fun I had a blast I do think carbon is the right choice for this frame and how its intended to be ridden I love that it comes with meaty 2.8 tires dhf front DHR to rear it works wider rims would be nice but man what a blast for $3,000 you can get a lot of hardtail these days so who is this for I think it's for guys who want a bike that they're not maintaining very much that can withstand abuse and that they just get on and go shred ride it hard put it away wet and then pull it out and do it all over again I think this is that type of bike for you especially if you're a bigger with the longer rear end it will suit a bigger writer really well because you'll be able to play around on it and throw it around a little more for smaller riders it felt slightly unbalanced with the longer rear end I mean the longer rear end will want to track better in a straight line on really chunky stuff so on this trail today it was really fun but every time I try to pop off a little kicker or some it just felt like more like a bus than a sports car and so I'd tighten up that rear end a little but it just depends on what you want I love that it comes with a chain guide and a bash guard that's amazing to have that's the first hard tail I've ever seen with a bash car that comes from the factory I hate the saddle I would definitely replace that but that's a contact point that's something you're probably gonna replace anyway fun fun bike let's give it some numbers climbing I'm gonna give it a 9 out of 10 because on seated climbs on long seated climbs that got steep the front end would pick up a little with the slacker seat angle but on technical climbs where I just stand up and powered I made it up every single thing I tried today which never happens on demo bikes for me and I'm really impressed with its technical climbing so I'm probably gonna give it a nine point five out of climbing it surprised me it didn't feel like it was gonna make it up stuff but it just kept clawing up it could have been the longer brear end could have been a slightly compliant frame definitely didn't hurt that it's on these 2.8 D hrs and dhf s yeah really good climbing cornering I'm gonna give this a 9.5 because it corners really well I don't think I need to change the head angle it was plenty beefy for me it was very relaxed searing it just did what I wanted it to do and it was very neutral feeling great cornering jumping and playfulness I'm gonna give it a 7 for my size it's hard to get off the ground the front end feels shorter than the back when you're in the air and it wants to nosedive just a little because it takes so much time to get that back popped off I mean we're talking centimeters here it sounds like I'm it's like a foot too long it's not but that's the only place this bike really fell short for my style is it's hard to get rowdy and playful in the air off of little things so if you stay to the ground and just want to charge and smash stuff fantastic for that if you're looking to pop off every little thing in a size medium or small it's gonna feel like a chore you got to work on that it's hard to pop into manuals it's just it's more like a descender that wants to stay planted then a dirt jumper that just wants to pop off of everything and play around what a fantastic bike though this bike truly surprised me I'm grateful for those of you that suggested I review this because I know some of you have these and you wanted to know my thoughts on it I'm impressed with this bike it's a great bike this was a super composed bike that I used all of the travel I pushed it really hard and I just think it's really well balanced it doesn't need more travel it doesn't need less travel it's just built really well and it stays composed on on crazy stuff how is it compared to my Banshee paradox similar frame feel the paradox might be slightly more compliant slightly the paradox is a lot more playful with the shorter rear end the paradox is easier to pop into manuals and jump and play around they're both about the same at charging down hills how does it compare to the middle child middle child's a lot more playful even shorter rear end I think the middle child is slightly better in every way for the titanium one but the steel middle child is rides harsher than this despite being steel so this bike is really well done how they did the carbon it's the perfect blend of stiffness and compliance if you liked this video and you learn something and you benefited from this consider supporting the channel by becoming a patron my patrons help me be able to make more of these videos more often and in more depth so huge shout out to my patrons you guys are awesome if you liked this don't forget to Like and subscribe and check out my other reviews I've reviewed a ton of hard tales and also check out my educational content there's a lot of good stuff in here for people looking for their next bike I love teaching that's part of why I do this channel so I can teach other people about bikes and hardtails thanks for watching there's a party in the mountains and you're invited
this is a cool bike if you haven't already seen the unboxing and first look video I made go check that out it's got all the specs let's go see how it rides right off the bat what I notice with this bike is stacks a little bit low I wish the reach was a little bit longer but it's not bad but I definitely feel the low stack I'd want some riser bars at this for my bike and this is a burly bike this is not like my wife's dv9 carbon bike that's a good bike but that has more of a trail cross country feel this definitely has a bruiser feel and I like that the carbon hard tail that's meant to charge the trails 140 ml 4 I think the Fox 34 is perfect I don't need a fox 36
even though this has a 74 degree C to bangle on the Geo chart it feels slacker I've got the seat rail slid all the way forward to steeping it up more and I still want more it feels like riding a unicycle without being able to lean forward to accelerate feel like I'm kind of playing catch-up on it sturdy frame though it's stout it doesn't beach especially with these 2.8 tires it's definitely softer than the common saw Metta HD definitely softer than the or bailout fee so one major downside to the spec of this bike is the saddle I'm not too picky when it comes to saddle but this thing should be called the BC Edition for birth control this thing is like sitting on a rolling pin it feels like you're just sitting on your perineum the whole time I mean maybe this is a feature for some people now you don't have to get a vasectomy just to ride this saddle for a while but seriously it is very uncomfortable one other component that's very frustrating on this bike is the rear hub it has so much take-up in it before it connects with the gears in there the engagement is awful it feels like you make it quarter to half revolution before it grabs now most bikes don't come with great hubs from the factory but this is probably the worst engagement I've ever felt so I would be upgrading the entire wheel set as fast as possible if it were mine I would get some nice 40 mil rims
with some like an i-9 or an onyx hub on it that make a big difference on this bike but the point of this bike is to get you into a carbon hardtail that's aggressive for under three grand and you got to save money somewhere and that's one place they do these wheels are not too stiff though which is nice but I do get tires quarum in corners when I run the 2.8 at the pressures I like on that narrow rim the tire just wants to roll so that's why I'd go with the 40 mile Rambo it's a decent little climber though got good traction those long chain stays are way out behind you on the size medium it's got a 4:35 rear center and a 4:38 front Center so the front Center is three millimeters longer than the back and that makes it feel a little bit awkward on a lot of jumps it wants to buck the nose down just a little I wish the rear end was 425 and you could make this bike a lot more playful this bike doesn't feel heavy it feels solid like it'll take a beating and it's you're not gonna break it hitting a three or four foot drop the Ibis db9 does not feel like it's meant for the abuse that this is so the db9 still light it kind of dances underneath you but as this one just feels solid it's still stiffer than the Banshee and my middle child tie and a good supple steel bike but it's not too bad with a lot of air in the tires this bike beats you up but since you can run 2.8 I'm able to tune a lot of that out it's a decent technical climber it does pretty well up lifts and stuff I'm able to get up everything I need this little bike surprises me on big climbs like this with three real lifts and technical awkward sections it does really well better than I would expect I'm impressed at how well this does on slow trials II technical climbs alright made it to the top of Slim Shady it's about to get fun let's see how this bike descends battle bumps really well at these 2.8 I'm running a pretty low at the moment I can't corner super hard I'll roll them off the beam
all right my tires are too soft for this probably at 14 but I'm bottoming it out on the rim so I need to add a little more air I'm gonna guess 1718 psi in there now see if that does better might be able to reel corners a little more now it's a 66 degree head angle with a 44 mil offset so a short offset port which feels really good I love short offset Forks it makes it handle really nice so yeah even though I love a little bit slacker bikes usually it still feels great it's not twitchy it's totally in control and speed really fun oh yeah that was smooth through all of that that's normally a pretty hard section
it's fun the jump it'd be funner with the shorter chain steak it's a fun bike I'm having fun the front end doesn't feel but it definitely doesn't feel long and aggressive I do feel a little bit tucked up on it I can't quite reach out quite as much as I like but for most trails in the world this is gonna be just right I wouldn't mind it being another centimeter longer another 10 mil for 45 for 50 but it doesn't feel short it doesn't feel bad it's not quite as long as some of the bikes I've been walking week they do a nice job I'm gonna shorten up seat tube and I can run a 150 mil dropper and still my seat post isn't slammed in the frame so I really appreciate that being a shorter rider so it's a responsive frame but it doesn't beat you up it's about the same stiffness as the db9 for me not supple but definitely not harsh
it's it wants to be playful that longer rear end makes it hard to get up into a manual it just kind of wants to come back down at least on the size medium if you're over 511 I think you might actually like this if you're tired of short chain stays and you're a bigger rider you might really like this personally I like a little bit more reach than chainstay but yeah it feels a little bit unbalanced it's just a little hard to like pop off of things like that for me because of the length of that rear end I'm just trying to talk about the differences for those of you considering one of these still a fun bike so it's still a fun bike but it doesn't quite have the playfulness of the Santa Cruz chameleon or the rst middle child so we're gonna take it up this little slab here see how it does on a technical hard climb and then down the slab so climbing up I noticed the 175 mil cranks they get awfully close to the ground and I was gonna pedal strike so I did a half ratchet and then I became aware of that rear hub and it went like a quarter turn before it grabbed and it was really difficult to make it up there it did it but I definitely want to upgrade that hub that thing is not great for this type of technical climbing but for three grand for a carbon bike that's to be expected
this bike likes to go fast I love the tires they've chosen for this DHR 2s are heavy but they totally match the attitude of this bike and you can really smash through and rail stuff on this this is a bruiser of a bike well I haven't tested its durability it feels extremely solid if you're up six-foot-two 250 pound rider I would totally expect this thing to hold up to anything you're wanting to throw at it just feels solid
yeah Cruz is it likes to go fast on really enjoying this bike you can take all the big lines in it
it feels like a bike that was built for 2.8 instead of a bike we can run them if you want the attitude of the 2.8 ehrs just totally suits this fighting it's not an XC race bike even though it's carbon it's not a weight weeny bike a bike for stuff like this I like it it doesn't feel heavy feel solid oh yeah that's good so this bike does not feel like a dirt jumper like there are SD middle child or the santa cruz chameleon with those super short rear end or just want some manual on everything it's a little bit more awkward in the air with that longer chain stay which leaks for a stable bike on fast down hills so just kind of depends on what you're looking for but I have a hard time popping it intimate sustained manuals with my short little legs
I feel like I've not even come close to finding the limit of what this bikes capable of would I take it on Highline maybe I feel like I'd want a longer reach on Highline in a shorter rear end for my body size if I were big enough to ride a large I think I'd take a large on it just because it'd have the longer front end in the back end cool bike though wants to charge it reminds me a lot of your bailout fee your bailout fee loves to charge too but it gets a little bit out of control this the harder I push it the more in control it feels it's almost like the harder you ride the more we want rewards being ridden hard whereas that allow fee the harder you push it it just gets a little bit crazier and crazier and harder to control this just grins and says is that all you got
spike is fast got a good feel that frame yeah what a bike I'm impressed more I ride it the more I like it yeah this bike just wants more and more and more it's hard to jump
we're using it for card but that's okay these 34s can take it I like him I'm weird but I actually prefer these lower and 34s than the high end wants this bike loves just pointing down rowdy stuff it'll it's up for anything you're up for this is a cool bike I tweaked the geometry to make it a little better for me but I'm gonna stop talking about the geometry and just start talking about the bike now I'm smiling and that's saying a lot it's fun on this feels like the right weight doesn't feel too light it doesn't feel heavy feels like the right stiffness too doesn't feel noodley it doesn't feel stiff yeah this is a good bike well done Diamondback it's nice and quiet it's stiff when you pedal but it doesn't beat you up I haven't ridden the aluminum version but I doubt it rides as good as this carbon one feels good
pretty interesting to see a carbon byte carbon hardtail meant for charging and despite being a few years old this model it still feels modern and relevant and great it doesn't feel outdated I'd love to see you know 10 to 15 mil longer on the next version I think can really make this come alive made even a degree slacker in the front but it's just fine how it is great riding bike that you forget about Gio and specs and just focus on the experience and when you can build a bike that becomes invisible that you stop thinking about the bike and you start thinking about the trail that's impressive and I applaud Diamondback for being able to do that with this bike
oh I'm a little bit scared of how fast this bike wants to go down here we got a hook too flat right here here we go
double hook to flat bottom doubt the fork but everything felt good nothing felt sketchy
that's solid I'm impressed how stout this bike feels I'm actually sad that this review is coming to an end maybe cuz I'm enjoying riding this bike so much despite the Geo not being perfect for me the ride experience is just really fun this bike has a lot to give and it's really good yeah good
this thing wants to race it is quick it reminds me a lot of the or bailout fee but a lot more composed we both have that spirit and attitude where they want to charge stuff keep getting route here but I haven't found the limit of this one yet holy cow I'm impressed okay I've made every single climb first try with this bike that never happens this bike completely surprised me it took me a handful of rides to click with it to where I liked it and today on this ride is when I loved it super fun bike there's so much I would change about it but I still had fun in its current form so maybe I don't need to change all those things I just see the potential that this thing has to be a total Ripper with some few minor changes well maybe not minor I'd sortin the chainstay at least 10 mil probably 15 maybe even 20 if you could get that to full for 15 holy cow that'd be fun I would shorten the cranks these 175 mil cranks get awfully low I would go wider rims I would steep in the seat tube angled just a bit and maybe lengthen the reach a little heading will felt great felt great with that fork I got used to the stack it's lower than what I'm used to but by the end of riding it three or four times I got used to it and it wasn't bothering me anymore but man this thing is super fun I had a blast I do think carbon is the right choice for this frame and how its intended to be ridden I love that it comes with meaty 2.8 tires dhf front DHR to rear it works wider rims would be nice but man what a blast for $3,000 you can get a lot of hardtail these days so who is this for I think it's for guys who want a bike that they're not maintaining very much that can withstand abuse and that they just get on and go shred ride it hard put it away wet and then pull it out and do it all over again I think this is that type of bike for you especially if you're a bigger with the longer rear end it will suit a bigger writer really well because you'll be able to play around on it and throw it around a little more for smaller riders it felt slightly unbalanced with the longer rear end I mean the longer rear end will want to track better in a straight line on really chunky stuff so on this trail today it was really fun but every time I try to pop off a little kicker or some it just felt like more like a bus than a sports car and so I'd tighten up that rear end a little but it just depends on what you want I love that it comes with a chain guide and a bash guard that's amazing to have that's the first hard tail I've ever seen with a bash car that comes from the factory I hate the saddle I would definitely replace that but that's a contact point that's something you're probably gonna replace anyway fun fun bike let's give it some numbers climbing I'm gonna give it a 9 out of 10 because on seated climbs on long seated climbs that got steep the front end would pick up a little with the slacker seat angle but on technical climbs where I just stand up and powered I made it up every single thing I tried today which never happens on demo bikes for me and I'm really impressed with its technical climbing so I'm probably gonna give it a nine point five out of climbing it surprised me it didn't feel like it was gonna make it up stuff but it just kept clawing up it could have been the longer brear end could have been a slightly compliant frame definitely didn't hurt that it's on these 2.8 D hrs and dhf s yeah really good climbing cornering I'm gonna give this a 9.5 because it corners really well I don't think I need to change the head angle it was plenty beefy for me it was very relaxed searing it just did what I wanted it to do and it was very neutral feeling great cornering jumping and playfulness I'm gonna give it a 7 for my size it's hard to get off the ground the front end feels shorter than the back when you're in the air and it wants to nosedive just a little because it takes so much time to get that back popped off I mean we're talking centimeters here it sounds like I'm it's like a foot too long it's not but that's the only place this bike really fell short for my style is it's hard to get rowdy and playful in the air off of little things so if you stay to the ground and just want to charge and smash stuff fantastic for that if you're looking to pop off every little thing in a size medium or small it's gonna feel like a chore you got to work on that it's hard to pop into manuals it's just it's more like a descender that wants to stay planted then a dirt jumper that just wants to pop off of everything and play around what a fantastic bike though this bike truly surprised me I'm grateful for those of you that suggested I review this because I know some of you have these and you wanted to know my thoughts on it I'm impressed with this bike it's a great bike this was a super composed bike that I used all of the travel I pushed it really hard and I just think it's really well balanced it doesn't need more travel it doesn't need less travel it's just built really well and it stays composed on on crazy stuff how is it compared to my Banshee paradox similar frame feel the paradox might be slightly more compliant slightly the paradox is a lot more playful with the shorter rear end the paradox is easier to pop into manuals and jump and play around they're both about the same at charging down hills how does it compare to the middle child middle child's a lot more playful even shorter rear end I think the middle child is slightly better in every way for the titanium one but the steel middle child is rides harsher than this despite being steel so this bike is really well done how they did the carbon it's the perfect blend of stiffness and compliance if you liked this video and you learn something and you benefited from this consider supporting the channel by becoming a patron my patrons help me be able to make more of these videos more often and in more depth so huge shout out to my patrons you guys are awesome if you liked this don't forget to Like and subscribe and check out my other reviews I've reviewed a ton of hard tales and also check out my educational content there's a lot of good stuff in here for people looking for their next bike I love teaching that's part of why I do this channel so I can teach other people about bikes and hardtails thanks for watching there's a party in the mountains and you're invited