Mountain bike ordered, welcome the Forbidden Druid Update

"whatisthatsound" (whatisthatsound)
03/17/2020 at 14:36 • Filed to: None

In a few weeks or so I’ll update everyone on everything that has transpired since I said Adios to the Accord. While I wait for that day, I’ve ordered myself a mountain bike that I’ve been lusting after. Enter the Forbidden Druid a high pivot trail bike as unique as the stupid Morgan and hopefully more reliable. The company is new, the suspension idea is fresh for a trail bike, and the build is custom.

The company is based out of western Canada. Owen Pemberton started Forbidden after his tenor as a former Rolls Royce turned Norco bike engineer. The bike was designed to have fun in the PNW/SW Canadian trails, and I can’t wait to take it out for a rip. Below is my build with a full coil suspension sporting elevensix’s newest rear shock and ACS3 fork conversion. It runs on a shimano XT drivetrain powering DT swiss wheels and hubs that are stopped by 4 piston xt brakes, the greasy turny bits are from Chris King’s warehouse. The cockpit is Renthal stem bars and grips with a chromag seat mounted to a PNW dropper. When they are done building it and I pick it up I will post many many pics.

(Update:)

I should have clarified why it does that. Unlike on a normal bike where the wheel base shortens when the suspension compresses, this bike has a full rearward tire path so the bike grows. The idler routes the chain so there is not pedal kickback. This has been successful on downhill bikes, however trail bikes always had a front derailleur so it wouldn’t work, now that drivetrains are a 1x11/12 they can use the high pivot design.

DISCUSSION (23)

Tripper > whatisthatsound
03/17/2020 at 15:00

Wowzers that is some wild geometry! I just scooped a 2020 YT Jefsy and love it.

BeaterGT > whatisthatsound
03/17/2020 at 15:02

Congrats ! Sounds like quite a build, are there carbon bits as well? That chain path seems so bizarre but it seems like it has great pedal clearance.

functionoverfashion > whatisthatsound
03/17/2020 at 15:02

Fascinating. That chain routing certainly is unique, as is the rear suspension. Very interesting.

PowderHound > whatisthatsound
03/17/2020 at 15:03

That’s a great sounding build! Those high idlers are wild to look at, can’t wait for a review.

Nom De Plume > whatisthatsound
03/17/2020 at 15:05

Not quite the build I would have gone for, CK yuck, but an interesting frame. What pedals are you going to try?

The Ghost of Oppo > whatisthatsound
03/17/2020 at 15:05

Damn I’ve never heard of these, but that looks sick.

whatisthatsound > BeaterGT
03/17/2020 at 15:16

whatisthatsound > Tripper
03/17/2020 at 15:16

I posted to BeaterGT on why the path does that.

whatisthatsound > Nom De Plume
03/17/2020 at 15:19

I only like CK headsets, BB, and spacers. I do not like their hubs. I went with Vault 2s.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > whatisthatsound
03/17/2020 at 15:19

I am very curious to here about the chain guide set up and serviceability . I love that bike companies are trying out new and wild things. Seems like an awesome bike.

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/review-forbiddens-druid-high-pivot-trail-bike.html

whatisthatsound > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
03/17/2020 at 15:22

It helps that fanatik is 30 mins from my house and the factory is 3 hours if things really got weird. There is some risk involved jumping in on a new company. I haven’t found a bad review though.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > whatisthatsound
03/17/2020 at 15:26

I’m getting a new specialized stump jumper with 150/14 0 travel. I really liked my last SJ, the overall package just works great for me. I like to ride hard but I’m not into huge jump lines I just like a good predictable trail bike.

whatisthatsound > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
03/17/2020 at 15:32

I live in the world of transitions, evils and konas. I wanted something funky. I am not sure how COVID-19 will affect Forbidden since they are so new, and if they will be around for factory support.

BeaterGT > whatisthatsound
03/17/2020 at 15:36

Definitely successful on downhill bikes as Commencal has shown.

whatisthatsound > Nom De Plume
03/17/2020 at 15:37

Just out of curiosity though, what stems and bb’s do you like?

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > whatisthatsound
03/17/2020 at 15:39

My friends went all in on Esker Cycles and I hope with all hope that it works out. Folks are going to stop spending money with this crisis.

whatisthatsound > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
03/17/2020 at 15:41

I know... my job is completely recession proof I’m not sure about the companies I support though. Are your friends investors/workers or riders of Esker?

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > whatisthatsound
03/17/2020 at 15:42

Owners....

whatisthatsound > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
03/17/2020 at 15:43

Well that is very very cool, and you should be riding an Elkat!

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > whatisthatsound
03/17/2020 at 16:03

I need a 29er, I’m really tall and the Elkat is a 27.5 bike. They said they are working on a 29er Elkat but I have not seen it yet.

Nom De Plume > whatisthatsound
03/17/2020 at 16:53

Oh, as an old hand at this cycling thing I can tell you that isn’t a simple answer. After looking at the Forbidden site to see what standards are in play this bike looks pretty good. Especially the threaded BB. Zero stack HS does limit your options.

MTB stems are so short nowadays it really comes down to tolerances between the mating surfaces (bar/stem, stem/steerer tube), internal profile, and subtle clamping force characteristics. Must be aluminum* from a single block (excepting front piece) and four bolt on both ends. No clear recommendation here because it is rather terrain dependent. Lots of rock collisions place stress in a different way than a need to mute frequency (acting like a tuning fork) might. Shimano PRO might be what I suggested looking at knowing you already picked something?

BB choice starts with what they need to guard against environmentally. PNW that is going to be moisture, small debris intrusion, and DH level punishment. CK grew out of this need. Mass production/OEM contracts/international internet sales slowly effected a quantity over quality trend in their products. What you ideally want as a daily rider who doesn’t race is a low cost shell/bearing shield you can easily extract and replace the bearings numerous times without introducing play or stiction . Minimum of special tools required is always good.

I haven’t looked at the mtb world too much lately. Midwest is flat and literally every trail I built has been neutered by city/county/mtb club in possession of them. You threw me for a loop with that threaded BB so I’m going to look into this question and will make another reply when I have a fuller answer. I always consider the exact replacement bearing and cost of it heavily unless a one use prepackaged BB is really the most practical at the moment for some reason.

* Aluminum is as broadly accurate a term as it is inaccurate because something like a 7000 series can have a wide range of proprietary manufacturing methods that make one distinct from that of others . While everything used in the bike industry has a similar chemical and raw elements construction. The order and means of heat treating for example can have a massive effect on ease of manufacturing parts and overall lifespan. Most of this technologically and fiscally is i naccessi ble to companies in the bike industry. Laser shock peening would be one example I’ve discussed with some at the tip of the spear in years past.

Sorry this got long and probably somewhat overwrought with generalities.

TheRealBicycleBuck > whatisthatsound
03/17/2020 at 17:56

That’s an interesting take on suppressing pedal-induced suspension compression. There have been a lot of designs that try to suppress this, from unified rear triangles to pivots in-line with the chainline to parallelograms. It looks like this design places the pivot at the top of the chainring. I wonder if the pedaling forces being routed that way will compress the rear suspension. Please test and report back!

whatisthatsound > Nom De Plume
03/17/2020 at 20:00

I really like learning so I appreciate your take, and will read anything else you have!