Tracloc, Hidden Shock, & Two Smoking Barrels
Descending
I love interesting bikes, and this Bold is a very interesting prospect. Can it ride well enough to ward off the gimmick-skeptics? Can it cash the promise of its aggressive geometry and translate that to a bike that genuinely thrives in the steep? In a word, yes, but it's more complicated than that.The more you give this bike, and the more you commit to the front the more that it will reward you. That, for good and bad, will make some people absolutely love it and leave some people in no man's land as they struggle to get enough traction on the front wheel to make it feel positive through turns.Its raked-out long geometry excels at higher speeds. In fact, a combination of geometry and a suspension system that shrugs off big hits means that this bike thrives on fast chunder when ridden with a straight-talking riding style. While finesse isn't off the menu, and its rear end gives this bike a decent amount of maneuverability for last-minute choices as the trail comes rushing towards you, it's definitely an eyes-up, heels-down type of bike that loves to be pushed hard with little regard for its own well being. The suspension does a great job of giving a controlled stable platform through the roughest tracks, meaning that even when the bike is going deep off drops or battering rocks, it doesn't really suffer from being pushed around. The suspension also does a fantastic job of smoothing out bottom-outs really very well. These characteristics mate up very nicely with the Ohlins bolted on the front of the bike, too.The position of the bike keeps you balanced on secure as you drop into steeper turns, too. That said, the shock that conquers all that is rough perhaps could do with being a little more accommodating as you roll through jank. Suspension is always a trade-off, and this is a system that gives you so much when you're going quickly and stomachs one high-velocity hit after another, but it does mean it's slightly less forgiving when it comes to slow-paced tech. That said, every system has its compromises. This isn't so much a drawback, as much as it is a flavor.When turning the bike, I still feel that geometry this aggressive would do well to be balanced out with a longer rear end. You do fall into line, and eventually find yourself really loading your inside hand through turns as you try and keep the bike heading where you want it. However, sometimes this can be both fatiguing and require conscious thought. What you do put in does come back to you with interest and the more your ride this bike by the scruff of the neck the more it will thank you.On the brakes, it feels quite neutral. Plus, your ability to brace against the high front with all your might does mean that it is efficient with a muted calm style. The mass transfer isn't pronounced, and it feels as if your weight is handled without question by the shock.In the low bottom bracket setting, which is also slacker, it is a slightly different story. Firstly, you do feel just that bit more likely to wash the front. I don't believe this is just down to mere weight distribution, but also as you get on the brakes that lower BB combined with less weight on the front can leave your weight swinging through the cranks and overwhelming the front tire on looser terrain. It's not a big deal, but it's an inconsistency I would rather do without. Plus, its 63.6-degree setting in the high mode is amply slack for me. Maybe if I was riding exclusively steep trails then I would revisit the slacker setting, but in Squamish, I found that for descending and climbing the high setting is preferred.
Source: Pinkbike.com
