Bike Test: Moots Divide MX 29er

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Thomasina Burke
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Bike Test: Moots Divide MX 29er Posted Date: 5/20/2013 Moots handcrafts each one of their frames in their small factory nestled in the Rocky Mountains in Steamboat Springs.

1 Bike Test: Moots Divide MX 29er Posted Date: 5/20/2013 Moots handcrafts each one of their frames in their small factory nestled in the Rocky Mountains in Steamboat Springs. Their suspension designs date back to 1987, when the first YBB (Why Be Beat) soft tail rolled off the production line and quickly became Moots signature bike. Since then, despite many changes to the company and personnel, they ve stayed true to their roots, building titanium bikes that riders can keep for a lifetime. Page 1 of 6

WHO IS IT MADE FOR? The Divide is a buttery-smooth bike. We re not talking about the plushest or most travel. We re talking about the smoothest ride out there. This is a trailbike first.

2 WHO IS IT MADE FOR? The Divide is a buttery-smooth bike. We re not talking about the plushest or most travel. We re talking about the smoothest ride out there. This is a trailbike first. It s designed for the rider who wants a comfortable and playful feel in a high-performance 29er package. WHAT IS IT MADE FROM? These frames aren t popped out of a mold five thousand times with the same results over and over. Titanium is a grouchy material to work with. It cringes at the sight of a welding torch. It bends and warps as it cools after being put to the fire. Titanium tubes are nearly impossible to keep aligned during the welding process, but Moots does it. The welds and alignment on this bike are more perfect than the lens on the camera we tried to show them with. This bike is all about craftsmanship. The Divide sports a U.S.-made titanium tubeset that s hand-mitered and welded in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Moots uses a titanium front triangle and seatstays and aluminum chainstays for stiffness where it s needed. The suspension design is essentially a modified single pivot. The frame also features a molded carbon fiber rocker, Press-Fit30 bottom bracket, 12x142-millimeter rear axle and a tapered internal headset. Page 2 of 6

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4 WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT? Our Divide came equipped with Shimano s almost-perfect XTR group and Mavic s five-star Crossmax SLR wheels. If you re going to drop $5000 on a frameset, you might as well dress this bike with the best. Still, what s most impressive about the Divide is the finish quality. Titanium is the toughest material to finish properly, and even after inspecting this bike with a fine-toothed comb, we couldn t spot a chink in its armor. We ve seen aluminum and carbon bikes come through our doors with alignment issues, crooked decals and a host of other defects, but this frame showed us that it s still possible to make a hand-built frame perfectly. HOW DOES IT PERFORM? Moving out: The Divide has a uniquely shaped frame that evoked very different reactions from the crewers. Whether or not you re into the look of shaped titanium, it s definitely eye-catching. The fit of the Divide is pretty conventional, although the 100-millimeter Moots stem and very narrow 25.9-inch bar make the cockpit feel pretty long. The shaped top tube keeps standover height on the low side for a 29er, which is always a plus. Pedaling: The Divide s single-pivot design is very active, and as such, it benefits from Fox s CTD system when pedaling. Moots has done a nice job making the CTD lever accessible; it s easy to reach down to flip it. They also did a nice job valving the shock, because it gives more than adequate damping to keep the rear suspension firm when it needs to be. Page 4 of 6

5 Climbing: We found ourselves switching between the trail mode for technical climbing and the climb mode for longer fire-road climbs. The titanium frame isn t as stiff as an aluminum or carbon frame when sprinting, but this bike is light, and you can feel it going uphill. We set a personal-best time with this bike on one of our regular test climbs. So even though the frame doesn t feel like a rocket ship, at the end of the day, it gets the job done. Cornering: The Moots steep head angle makes it a quick-steering machine, despite the long wheelbase. This bike is stable at speed, and it s not afraid to dive into a tight switchback when it needs to. However, flex is noticeable on fast corners. Descending: The Divide damps trail chatter better than any bike in this travel category in recent memory. This is because the titanium can damp vibrations that are too small for the suspension to pick up. The result is a feeling that can t be matched. This bike has a springy feel coming down the trail that begs to be played with. The longish chainstays and wheelbase lend stability and confidence on rougher sections, but don t expect the supple titanium to add a bottomless-travel sensation. The Divide s steering is quick, so picking the right line and staying loose is the best way down. TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS? The titanium Moots stem is a work of art, but the main reason to run a Ti stem is for vibration damping. This is a moot point with a Fox fork handling the front end. The stem was too flexy, so after our first ride, we swapped it for a 70-millimeter Thomson, which immediately improved the handling. The Ritchey WCS bar was also much too narrow for our tastes, so we swapped it for a 29-inch-wide Renthal FatBar. Although Moots is renowned for their ability to customize bikes for individual riders, the Divide is an Page 5 of 6

6 exception. The suspension and pivot-point placement prevent Moots from being able to do much customizing, so make sure you fit one of the stock sizes and plan on using bar, stem and seatpost adjustments to customize this ride. BUYING ADVICE This is the kind of bike that will attract attention, because there aren t many of these out on the trail. The craftsmanship and remarkable finish quality are best suited for the rider who wants a bike for the long haul, because this bike is built to be a lifetime companion. Titanium-framed, full-suspension bikes offer a smooth ride quality no other bike can match, and it s something you ll either love or hate because it s not as stiff. The Divide will be right at home on any trail ride and could even be pushed into some racing detail for the right rider. There are carbon and aluminum options available that deliver more stiffness, lighter frame weights, snappier handling and fancier suspension designs. However, if that s what you are after with a Moots, you are missing the point. This review originally appeared in the April '13 issue of Mountain Bike Action. Want to see more? Subscribe to Mountain Bike Action here. Page 6 of 6

NINER. RKT 9 RDO Big wheels and big ambitions Niner has created a community of cyclists who are BIKE TEST / NINER RKT 9 RDO. 46

NINER. RKT 9 RDO Big wheels and big ambitions Niner has created a community of cyclists who are BIKE TEST / NINER RKT 9 RDO. 46 NINER RKT 9 RDO Big wheels and big ambitions Niner has created a community of cyclists who are fiercely loyal to its brand and for good reason. They have grown from a niche company into a strong contender