Have the 26" version of this and its a brilliant bike for the money. £1399 down to £699.
Selling £1400+ some places I looked!
Frame is smooth welded, internal cable routing and made by Kinesis. That alone is worth a few hundred quid.
Decent fork, the Rockshox Reba RL. Theres another few hundred.
Shimano XT gears, SLX shifters and hydraulic brakes.
DT Swiss 1900 rims, yet another few hundred.
XC geometry so you are more forward than a standard AM MTB and also good for road as well as off road.
Very responsive and fast uphills due to weight over front wheel.
Absolute bargain if you ask me.
Quality well respected Kinesis frame and decent components which add up to considerably more than cost.
Great if you want to get into cycling with a mix of trail and paved surfaces or road.
Description states Easton rims but spec shows DT Swiss.
My 26 came with Easton EA90XC which seem to be going for silly money now.
Not sure which ones it will be but good either way.
For those that have never ridden an XC geometry bike. They are very responsive and go like sh*t off a shovel uphill.
100mm travel fork so not going to cope with big jumps etc like an AM but great for most trails.
Much better choice if you want a MTB for road and fast trail use.
Reba RL fork has a good lockout and becomes super rigid when on flat surfaces. Mine came with lockout remote on bars. Unsure about this one.
Fire a pair of 1.75 or 2.0 Schwalbe land cruiser tyres on this and it can seriously shift.
KareemSaid
19 Jan 17#2
"Fire a pair of 1.75 or 2.0 Schwalbe land cruiser tyres on this and it can seriously shift."
Compared to what? A MTB without slick tyres?
What's with the "Quality well respected Kinesis frame " is it the same brand?
Seems a reasonable price for the specs though from my limited knowledge of MTB
Strange that this has got the heat from this site when road bikes don't seem to but £100 Sports Direct and Tesco sheds seem to. Such mixed signals!
Suspect it's the XT that got the groupset tarts interested when only limited to mechs LOL.
Full XT = bargain!!
whatyadoinsucka
19 Jan 171#3
its definately got a good spec for the price as op points out, although as you say xt is only rear mech (doesnt say if its the shadow+ clutch mech) and front derailleur.
its an SLX build really with shifters and brakes (both very good), with a random choice sram crankset,
the reba fork will be perfect for fast rolling trails especially on a 29er. the wheels well respected.
weight is ok, not light nor overly heavy. it should be fairly speedy, although my XC 29er is around 12kgs,
since getting a bike with 700c/28 width tyres i have seen its limitations on the road.
with road bikes, alot more people are involved and so logical thought goes out the window. their have been very good deals on this site recently, but for me, get the frame and upgrade the components..
callum84 to whatyadoinsucka
19 Jan 171#5
Your right its basically an SLX.
My forme 26 came with Avid Elixir 3 brakes but same drivetrain so this is definately a step in the right direction.
Ive replaced brakes with XT M785 and XT rotors.
Fork is ideal, my 2012 has Reba dual air but this could be dual or single. Much better and lighter than most entry level models you see and Ive not really had any thoughts about changing it.
12.95Kg stated is for 21" model and slant six are heavy tyres.
17" with lighter tyres would probably be at least 1kg lighter.
callum84
19 Jan 17#4
Compared to a slack geometry AM bike with same tyres.
See a lot of people with AM bikes and slick tyres but the geometry is not ideal to get the power down. A good XC geometry and narrow tyres and you will seriously shift.
Kinesis is a company based in UK, LINK
They make alloy frames which are well respected and some quite expensive.
Kinesis made the frame on this bike for Forme. My 26 is also a Kinesis frame.
The quality really shows compared to a cannondale, scott etc for similar price.
Frame on mine weighs 1.2kg, double butted smooth welds. It just looks and feels premium.
whatyadoinsucka
19 Jan 171#6
agreed i have a reba on 2 bikes, they are very good and very light, and siple to setup weight adjustments for psi stamped on the leg,
I just wish on my xc bikes REBA's had black stanchions, but paying £270 for reba or £409 for sid forks with 120mm 27.5, is simply too much for a colour change.
Forme is a much better bike but the two have slightly different geometries.
The Voodoo is slacker with a 120mm travel fork. The Forme has tight XC geometry with 100mm travel and is designed to get you more forward over the bars for speed and power when climbing.
The voodoo has a budget frame, budget entry level fork and heavy wheels. Its alright for a 2016 bike but its just not in the same league as the heavily discounted Forme with higher end components. The Forme has an RRP of £1699 so you cant really compare it with other £700 bikes.
Google some of the components of each bike like fork and brakes and you will see exactly what I mean.
The fork is usually the best indicator of the quality of bike. personally I look for a good frame and fork and other components can be changed at your leisure.
mcrobbj to fit finlay
20 Jan 17#14
Not really convinced by the Bizango, having had a go on a mates. My son that the Hoodoo from about 5 years back and that was a far better bike in my opinion. I'd be inclined to look at the second hand market as there are some real bargain 26ers out there (when people are realistic about price) - 30% drop first year then 20% year 2.
The ripley is a nice bike as well but not as high spec as the winscar.
Ripley has 120mm forks and slacker head angle and is more of an AM bike compared to the XC winscar.
Id choose the winscar all day long but again down to your budget and what you plan to do with it.
If you will be mostly on terrain like, fast trails, paths, tracks and roads the XC is for you. XC is also better climbing hills. It is more for off road speed compared to slow technical trails.
Ive ridden my 26" XC 20 miles on road to spend an hour or 2 on off road trails then 20 miles back.
Theres no way I could have done that as easy on a slacker MTB as they are just not designed for that. My back would have been killing me.
I prefer to ride fast so thats why I chose XC.
Im not really interested in technical trails where you are slowing to negotiate rocks and large dips.
I prefer to get the bike out at the weekend and see where it will take me.
A road bike would probably suit me but I like the feeling of having no limits, being able to cycle across roads, tracks, fields and through woods.
Thats my style of cycling, just getting out and ending up wherever.
Heres a comparison between slacker and tighter head angles. (From another site, not my words but I agree).
Slack Head Angles
A slack head angle means the front wheel will be further in front of your headset.
Pros:
1. the fork will be able to suck up bumps better at higher speeds,
2. increased stability as the wheels are further apart,
3. better high speed cornering,
4. less of the "I'm going to go over the bars!" feeling.
5. Confidence inspiring to ride in steep terrain
Cons:
1. Steering is slower and less responsive,
2. Front wheel can "flop" from one side to the other on tight corners
3. Worsened tight turning performance
4. Not so nice to ride on flatter terrain
5. Does not climb well and the front wheel tends to wander as there is less weight on it
Steeper Head Angles (XC)
A steeper head angle results in a bike that looks more upright, with the front wheel tucked in under the headset more.
Pros:
1. faster handling speed and better response,
2. better cornering in tight terrain and a tighter turning radius
3. Feels great on flatter terrain and "ducks and weaves" better
4. Increased climbing performance
Cons:
1. Feels unstable and "twitchy" at higher speeds
2. Feels like you could get sent over the bars a lot easier
3. Doesn't absorb bumps as well at high speeds (the fork is more perpendicular to the bump than it is with a slack angle)
4. Tends to get "hung up" on bigger bumps more
fit finlay
19 Jan 172#11
Just order the Winscar! Thanks again for you advice (and your post)
![Fresh Breakfast Meat Box (Using code) @ Campbells Meat [Haggis / Lorne Sausage / Bacon / Black Pudding & More]](/images/topics/208684_1.jpg)
![[Xbox One] Q. u. b. e: Director's Cut on Deals with Gold](/images/topics/208716_1.jpg)
Opening post
Selling £1400+ some places I looked!
Frame is smooth welded, internal cable routing and made by Kinesis. That alone is worth a few hundred quid.
Decent fork, the Rockshox Reba RL. Theres another few hundred.
Shimano XT gears, SLX shifters and hydraulic brakes.
DT Swiss 1900 rims, yet another few hundred.
XC geometry so you are more forward than a standard AM MTB and also good for road as well as off road.
Very responsive and fast uphills due to weight over front wheel.
Absolute bargain if you ask me.
Quality well respected Kinesis frame and decent components which add up to considerably more than cost.
Great if you want to get into cycling with a mix of trail and paved surfaces or road.
Full spec
Product Details
Model Number FOR48
Brands Forme
Gender Mens
Age Adult
Model Year 2013
Colour Black/Blue
Frame Kinesium Superlight Aluminium tubing, double butted, Smooth weld with internal canle routing.
Fork Rockshox Reba RL 100mm Tapered steerer
Shifters Shimano SLX rapidfire
Derailleur (Front) Shimano XT 2x10 direct mount
Derailleur (Rear) Shimano XT 10 Speed
Brakes Shimano SLX Hydraulic disc brakes
Crankset Sram S1400 42x28T
Cassette 10 Speed Shimano
Chain 10 Speed KMC
Bottom Bracket Sram GXP Sealed BB 73mm
Hub Front DT Swiss Spline 1900 15mm through axle
Hub Rear DT Swiss Spline 1900 12mm through axle
Rims DT Swiss Spline 1900
Spokes DT Swiss Spline 1900
Tyres Kenda Slant Six 29"x2.2 Folding Bead
Handlebar One23 SL alloy riser 31.8, 680mm width 20mm rise, 5 backsweep
Stem One23 Alloy 31.8mm, 60mm Length , 7 rise
Headset FSA internal bearing 1"8th
Saddle 4ZA Cirrus
Seatpost One23, Black, Alloy, 31.6, 300mm
Pedal None incl.
Wheel Size 29inch
Number of Gears 20
Approximate Weight 12.95kg (21")
All comments (46)
My 26 came with Easton EA90XC which seem to be going for silly money now.
Not sure which ones it will be but good either way.
For those that have never ridden an XC geometry bike. They are very responsive and go like sh*t off a shovel uphill.
100mm travel fork so not going to cope with big jumps etc like an AM but great for most trails.
Much better choice if you want a MTB for road and fast trail use.
Reba RL fork has a good lockout and becomes super rigid when on flat surfaces. Mine came with lockout remote on bars. Unsure about this one.
Fire a pair of 1.75 or 2.0 Schwalbe land cruiser tyres on this and it can seriously shift.
Compared to what? A MTB without slick tyres?
What's with the "Quality well respected Kinesis frame " is it the same brand?
Seems a reasonable price for the specs though from my limited knowledge of MTB
Strange that this has got the heat from this site when road bikes don't seem to but £100 Sports Direct and Tesco sheds seem to. Such mixed signals!
Suspect it's the XT that got the groupset tarts interested when only limited to mechs LOL.
Full XT = bargain!!
its an SLX build really with shifters and brakes (both very good), with a random choice sram crankset,
the reba fork will be perfect for fast rolling trails especially on a 29er. the wheels well respected.
weight is ok, not light nor overly heavy. it should be fairly speedy, although my XC 29er is around 12kgs,
since getting a bike with 700c/28 width tyres i have seen its limitations on the road.
with road bikes, alot more people are involved and so logical thought goes out the window. their have been very good deals on this site recently, but for me, get the frame and upgrade the components..
My forme 26 came with Avid Elixir 3 brakes but same drivetrain so this is definately a step in the right direction.
Ive replaced brakes with XT M785 and XT rotors.
Fork is ideal, my 2012 has Reba dual air but this could be dual or single. Much better and lighter than most entry level models you see and Ive not really had any thoughts about changing it.
12.95Kg stated is for 21" model and slant six are heavy tyres.
17" with lighter tyres would probably be at least 1kg lighter.
See a lot of people with AM bikes and slick tyres but the geometry is not ideal to get the power down. A good XC geometry and narrow tyres and you will seriously shift.
Kinesis is a company based in UK, LINK
They make alloy frames which are well respected and some quite expensive.
Kinesis made the frame on this bike for Forme. My 26 is also a Kinesis frame.
The quality really shows compared to a cannondale, scott etc for similar price.
Frame on mine weighs 1.2kg, double butted smooth welds. It just looks and feels premium.
I just wish on my xc bikes REBA's had black stanchions, but paying £270 for reba or £409 for sid forks with 120mm 27.5, is simply too much for a colour change.
http://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/hardtail/voodoo-bizango-29er-review-2013
http://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/hardtail/voodoo-bizango-29er-review-2013
The Voodoo is slacker with a 120mm travel fork. The Forme has tight XC geometry with 100mm travel and is designed to get you more forward over the bars for speed and power when climbing.
The voodoo has a budget frame, budget entry level fork and heavy wheels. Its alright for a 2016 bike but its just not in the same league as the heavily discounted Forme with higher end components. The Forme has an RRP of £1699 so you cant really compare it with other £700 bikes.
Google some of the components of each bike like fork and brakes and you will see exactly what I mean.
The fork is usually the best indicator of the quality of bike. personally I look for a good frame and fork and other components can be changed at your leisure.
Whats your thought on the Forme Ripley 1 Hardtail MTB - Blue (On sale for £500 - half price on same site) Do you think the Winscar 29 is worth the extra £200. I'll be going with one of them. cheers again
http://www.startfitness.co.uk/cycle/bikes/mountain-bikes/forme-ripley-1-hardtail-mtb-blue-for93.html
Ripley has 120mm forks and slacker head angle and is more of an AM bike compared to the XC winscar.
Id choose the winscar all day long but again down to your budget and what you plan to do with it.
If you will be mostly on terrain like, fast trails, paths, tracks and roads the XC is for you. XC is also better climbing hills. It is more for off road speed compared to slow technical trails.
Ive ridden my 26" XC 20 miles on road to spend an hour or 2 on off road trails then 20 miles back.
Theres no way I could have done that as easy on a slacker MTB as they are just not designed for that. My back would have been killing me.
I prefer to ride fast so thats why I chose XC.
Im not really interested in technical trails where you are slowing to negotiate rocks and large dips.
I prefer to get the bike out at the weekend and see where it will take me.
A road bike would probably suit me but I like the feeling of having no limits, being able to cycle across roads, tracks, fields and through woods.
Thats my style of cycling, just getting out and ending up wherever.
Heres a comparison between slacker and tighter head angles. (From another site, not my words but I agree).
Slack Head Angles
A slack head angle means the front wheel will be further in front of your headset.
Pros:
1. the fork will be able to suck up bumps better at higher speeds,
2. increased stability as the wheels are further apart,
3. better high speed cornering,
4. less of the "I'm going to go over the bars!" feeling.
5. Confidence inspiring to ride in steep terrain
Cons:
1. Steering is slower and less responsive,
2. Front wheel can "flop" from one side to the other on tight corners
3. Worsened tight turning performance
4. Not so nice to ride on flatter terrain
5. Does not climb well and the front wheel tends to wander as there is less weight on it
Steeper Head Angles (XC)
A steeper head angle results in a bike that looks more upright, with the front wheel tucked in under the headset more.
Pros:
1. faster handling speed and better response,
2. better cornering in tight terrain and a tighter turning radius
3. Feels great on flatter terrain and "ducks and weaves" better
4. Increased climbing performance
Cons:
1. Feels unstable and "twitchy" at higher speeds
2. Feels like you could get sent over the bars a lot easier
3. Doesn't absorb bumps as well at high speeds (the fork is more perpendicular to the bump than it is with a slack angle)
4. Tends to get "hung up" on bigger bumps more