Sinister Team Rider, Knight Ide, has been testing the prototype F - Bomb for some time. He has been providing FTW with design feedback and has written up a great technical review that he shared with us from Boulder City, Nevada.
Sinister
Bikes recently unveiled the prototype of their newest offering at Highland MTB
park’s end of the season party. There was quite a buzz created by the prospect
of a new design from the legendary Frank The Welder. It was my first look at
the F-bomb and I got pumped! My fervor could be attributed to the large amount
of alcohol I had consumed, as was the 4 hours of dry heaving later in the
evening. Beyond the inebriated zeal was a genuine excitement for a new Sinister
downhill race bike
Imagine my level
of stoke when Bruce asked me if I would test it out during my upcoming trip to Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City, Nevada
F-bomb close up
- The v-truss
design of the front triangle makes for plenty of stand-over.
- A
OnePointFive head-tube allows for a wider selection of forks.
- The 150-mm
rear wheel is attached with Rock Shox Maxel, A huge improvement over the R9.
- The frame
is 4 pounds, lighter than the R9 and the full bike was 39 pounds, 15 ounces, as
tested
Descending
- The trails at Bootleg Canyon are steep and technical off the summit and this bike ate it up like a fat kid at a buffet. I was running the
stanchions low and it was still slack enough for the numerous roll-down corners
on Armageddon.
- Through the
hurgle-durgle rough stuff it felt lively and nimble and the suspension remained
supple under heavy braking.
- On Bootlegs
lower trails, high speed berms and g-outs prevail. This machine was on rails
and I was on cloud nine.
Pedaling
- Anyone who
owns an R9 knows that Frank found the sweet spot for the pivot to eliminate
pedal bob. Now imagine the same feeling on a bike that is four pounds lighter.
- Steep
climbs and slow speed switch-backs are where the F-bomb’s slackness is
noticeable.
Jumping
- I didn't
spend much time on BC’s gnarly jump lines but I did get a handful of runs.
- The small
cockpit and light weight of the F-bomb, combined with chainstays that are
shorter than most downhill race bikes, make it nicely flickable. In the air she was easily maneuvered and I
predict some steezy finish line whips.
Bottom Line
The R9 is
the standard against which I compared the F-bomb and that is a high bar to
meet. Bootleg is a yearly destination for me so I was familiar with the trails
and the Vivid is the same shock I run so I feel the comparison is accurate.
Here's how they stack up.
- I found
myself skimming in the top of my suspension in sections where the R9 was in
mid-travel.
- The
nimbleness of this bike is the most noticeable contrast. Gapping sections of
trails where the R9 requires substantial rider effort, was a breeze.
- G-outs with
roughness in the compression are common at BC and these are areas where, at top
speed, I would bottom out and sometimes flat. The F-bomb felt bottomless and I
felt like cheering. I’ve dropped the “f-bomb” after flatting in these spots
before.
- The
F-bomb’s geometry is oriented towards downhill racing. This was most noticeable
when pedaling slow sections with tight corners. After talking with Frank its
sounds like he would change the head angle by a degree on production models.
This will allow for a steeper setting and make the rake I was, running the
midpoint.
- This was a small frame, I am 5’ 10” and the cockpit is as
tight as I could stand. Riders who like a lot of room or bigger people will
want a larger size.
- This baby
is fast! Look to see Gavin, Sky and the rest of the guys on the new Sinister
satellite race team shaving seconds when these trophy machines make it to
production!