Dilema: which wheel size to go for?!
Liteville has now already been on top in two Enduro tests using 650b up front and 26" on the rear. For those interested, I thought I'd post them here.
Enduro test #1: MountainBike 11/2012 - Liteville MK10 F650b/R26"
Other contenders:
- Cannondale Jekyll 1
- Cube Stereo Super HPC SLT
- Scott Genius 700 SL
- Specialized S-Works 29er
MountainBike: "Regardless if 29”, 27.5” or 26”: Mountain Bike went on the search for the best All Mountain concept for the 2013 season and ended up with the most expensive production bikes available. If this amount of luxury is worthwhile, will be clarified in this test."
MountainBike:
The 301 rivals the competition with a 650b wheel up front while a 26” wheel remains on the rear. Can the new concept convince?
Since 8 years, the duo Klieber and Grätz have been optimising the 301 with greatest attention to detail. Currently the 301 frame can be built with either 140mm or 160mm travel at the rear. Sent for this test was the 160mm variant with a new wheel size configuration. Not only, that the Syntace wheels with 35mm wide rim provide better support for the tyre , but the combination of 26” wheels on the rear and 27.5” up front provide an answer to the perfect wheel size. The idea behind this is simple: the smaller rear wheel allows a more compact 431mm rear end, whereas the larger front wheel is able to better roll over square edged bumps and obstacles. Sounds logical in theory right? But what does the test on the trail say?
The very wide support in the rim bed provides superior support, so that the tyres behave very well tempered and in extreme situations - even at a low air pressure of 1.6bar. Thanks to flat roll over angle the front wheel elegantly confronts the terrain, the short rear follows at the speed of light and generates manoeuvrability in switchbacks. The new concept obviously works. In rough high speed passages the 160mm rear holds all the aces. The sensitive Fox 34 Float and the capable four-bar horst link rear end harmonise and avidly absorb small and large hits alike. Here, the Liteville is far ahead of the competition. With its alloy frame the 301 doesn’t find it so easy to compete with the weight of the other carbon bikes, but clearly outdoes its competition in the frame stiffness test with a result of 88Nm/°. On the trail the stable chassis provides highest precision and conveys a feeling of confidence and faith. Easily the 301 can combat in the long travel (Gravity) Enduro category of bikes. On climbs, the comparatively heavy bike has a somewhat sedate manner, but this is also due to the wide wheels. However, the rear is free of pedalling influences and the rear provides plenty of traction. A travel adjust on the front end was not missed even on steep climbs.
CONCLUSION: The innovative mix of 27.5” and 26” definitely suits the 301 well. The wide rims and suitable tyre combination provide huge cornering traction. Who is in the search for a top end All-Mountain with balanced geometry, fantastic suspension characteristics and great (Gravity) Enduro potential – and has the necessary coin – should go for it.
Insets, top to bottom:
*Plenty of reserves: The testbike had 160mm travel at the rear. The frame can also be purchased with 140mm rocker arm.
*650B front: Liteville uses a mix of 650b (at the front) and 26” at the rear for the first time. With success?
*(Gravity) Enduro Genes: A shiftable guide mounted to the chainstays keeps the chain from slapping around l in rough terrain, the bash guard protects against toothloss.
+ harmonious wheel size concept
+ geometry and handling
+ harmonising front and rear suspension concept
+ stiff chassis
Enduro Test #2: bike 07/13
BIKE 07/13: "Which manufacturer can provide the best Enduro (Gravity Enduro / All Mountain) race bike for the race at the Gardesee Bike Festival? From more than 20 candidates, 8 manufacturers were selected for the test. The most coherent concepts provided are:
#1. Liteville 301 650b/26"
#2. Cube Stereo 650b
#3. Morewood Jabula 26"
Other bikes selected for the test:
Cannondale Jekyll
Transalpes BM 650b
YT Industries Wicked
Specialized Enduro 29er S-Works
GT Force LE
Bike on Liteville 650b/26": "Large up front, small at the rear. Liteville combines a larger front wheel with a conventional rear wheel. The slack head angle, the slightly better roll over characteristics, the large volume tyres with soft compound leave nothing to be desired for even at the challenging Gardasee terrain. Lightweight, yet still a solid build."
For those interested: The soft compound large volume tyres provided on the Liteville test bike are Schwalbe Magic Mary prototypes being developed in collaboration with Syntace/Liteville, and are designed for use on wide rims such as found on the Syntace W35 wheels on the test bike.
