Forbidden Druid long-term review // after 1,100+ miles, do I still like it?
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- čas přidán 7. 07. 2024
- Well, I'm over 1,000 miles on the Forbidden Druid. Over 1,100, actually, so here's a rather overdue long-term review of what I think is the best quiver-killer trail bikes in existence.
0:00 Intro
0:28 Why review an old bike?
1:03 Druid v1 vs. v2 differences
1:36 Who I am and who this review is for
2:25 A note on the Cascade Components link
3:02 Pedaling and efficiency
5:21 Climbing
6:21 Descending and the suspension system
9:25 Durability and maintenance
10:52 Forbidden customer service
12:06 Final thoughts
15:17 Outro - Sport
I love my V1 Druid with a 160 Ohlins fork, cascade link, and ohlins air shock. Rides amazing. My V2 arrives in 3 weeks and can’t wait. I’ve demoed the V2 a few times and it’s even closer to perfection! Cheers from Cumberland, BC!
glad you made this review, picked up a brand new V1 a few months back when TPC had them on sale, agree it’s the best bike I’ve ever ridden
Great insight.. Many thanks for creating
Just bought a v2 druid after being on an e bike for the last few years. Absolutely love it
I just purchased the V1. I hesitated for a while because it’s really expensive but I have no regrets. It rides smooth and climbs for as long as I can sustain the climb until I gas out. Really appreciate your review here. Your observations are spot on. Thank you.
like the new studio setup
Thanks!
Happy Thanksgiving man......its rather nice out here in new gloucester, might have to go for a bike ride.....
Yeah pretty great day here today, although I think everything's still soaked from yesterday
I’d say the biggest difference between the V1 and V2 is the idler placement and it’s no longer a single pivot.
thinking of going with a druid for my enduro race bike for next year.. Where I race in texas its pedally, but also chunky and rocky. I find my current slash (no high pivot) tends to feel like it gets hung up on fast chunky rock..
Biggest question, do you find yourself wishing for a bike with more travel being that its only 130/150?
also, when replacing chains, do you essentially have to buy 2 chains and combine them to get the correct length?
Not really, although keep in mind I do have the CC link which makes the rear travel more like 140 I think. On the gnarliest stuff it occasionally would be nice to have more travel - that's why the dreadnaught exists, I assume - but I've never felt like I needed it or any trail I've ridden was beyond what the Druid can handle.
(Keep in mind I'm an average rider at best though; so I'm riding plenty of blacks but not Red Bull Hardline or anything like that 😂)
@@EMBIKES it depends on the bike size and also model, and what you're doingin terms of lower chain guide. On mine (older druid, size L), yes you need two chains. I think on the newer ones you don't though (not totally sure though). And you only need a few links from the second chain so you can use that for all future chain replacements too
Cool studio. Still on my Jeffsy three years later. Has a few battle scars but it's been unbreakable. Being 55 years old my next back will be an ebike. What are your thoughts on ebikes?
Never ridden one tbh. Not for me right now, but I expect at some point as I get older I will need one.
I am also in my 50’s also and I fully support Class 1 eBikes, but do not own one; I ride a Revel Rascal and hope to do so for many more years.
My Father-in-Law is in his late 70's and bought a Norco VLT 1 in the Spring of 2022 , which made him like a kid again. He primarily rides in the winter and I take him just about every Saturday. He had ridden a Fatboy until he sold it as even a two mile ride was too much for him. Last winter, we rode 15 mikes at York Hill Farms and he was only tired from smiling so much.
My wife never liked bikes (hated hills) until Class 1’s became allowed in National parks. We first got her a Specialized Como and now has has a Specialized Turbo Tero. She prefers easy trails, like the Carriage Roads in Acadia or Sheppard’s Farm Preserve, but recently fell in love with the MTB trails in Millinocket (the green trail Golden Road). I love that we can ride together.
Down sides I see:
1. Motor noise, not loud like a gas engine, but you can tell it has one - more like a remote-control toy car sound. Dad’s Norco has that “whinny” sound and I have seen YT videos with the Ibis and Liv eBikes with that same sound - seems to be the Bosh motors. Specialized’s motors, at least on the Como and Tero wife are silent.
2. Banning eBikes on some trail systems like the Narrow Gauge side of Carrabassett Valley or at single track at Quarry Road Trails.
3. Perception: Class 1 eBikes do not do move unless you are pedaling or going down a hill. You put an idiot on one (or a pedal bike) and they may tear up the trail or ride beyond their skill level. My wife was almost run over by a guy on a regular mountain bike going way to fast on the Narrow Gauge and she still steams about that near miss.
Like my Father-in-Law, when 80 is in my sights and as healthy as him, I will own an eBike so I can still be riding dirt and snow.
@@Marc_Plays_Outdoors yeah that's the goal I think -- ride regular MTB for as long as possible, but when/if age makes that impossible, its nice that eMTBs are an option.
Trying to decide between a v2 druid and the ripmo. How do you find the druid in terms of versatility between the two riding later terrain as well as steeper terrain.
Flatter I meant to say.
With the caveat that I have not ridden the V2 druid, I would say the Druid is the more versatile of the two, it's really at home everywhere from cross-country to some pretty gnarly downhill. That said, the ripmo pedals so well that it is also excellent. So I'd go druid personally, but whichever one you end up using, you will have an awesome and extremely capable bike either way.
@CharlieWentOutside can the druid handle bigger terrain as well as the ripmo. Did you find the heavier weight of the druid noticeable and an issue compared to the ripmo
@@oliverburke3743 bigger terrain: I'd say they're quite similar, although I have the v1 druid with the cascade components link which does give it a few extra mm of rear travel.
Weight: I'm not sure, I had a ripmo at so the weight was basically the same as the druid. In general I'm not someone who cares much about/notices bike weight though. I'd ride an aluminum druid if they made one.
like the 3rd person, interesting to see how the bike handles through stuff......i have a fat tire with front suspension and i thinki have 500 bucks into it total.....its a mongoose walmart brand fat tire and the forks were from amazon for 165 bucks with 200mm travel with rebound.....im a motocross guy so i like to make my bike look like a dirt bike.....lol
200mm travel on a fat bike? That sounds awesome
yeah the V2 frame looks like the seat angle is more upright, might make climbing easier?
It should, yeah. The privateer I have has an 80 degree seat angle, which makes it super comfortable for climbing, but kinda awkward on flat trails. The new Druid seat angle is 77, which I think is probably around the sweet spot for a trail bike -- steep enough to feel great climbing, but still slack enough to not be weird on flat ground.
The V2 is completely different, geo and suspension design. They updated the high pivot and are running an inverted 4bar. Love the V2 way more than the v1
In which context? I have a dreadnought and was thinking about getting a v1 druid as well to throw my left over parts on.
3mm higher stack, 15mm longer reach, 1.4 degree steeper ST angle, .6 degree slacker HT angle, longer wheelbase, inverted 4 bar, better braking bump compliance, in frame storage, bigger idler, no lower idler, no need for 2 chains… Lots of big differences
@@DK-wd8ju sounds cool. Do you run mx oder full 29? Cannot decide really. I do want a real trailbike and not another way to capable bike like the dreadnought
id like to try mt abram next year......on the easy trails......cant afford to break anything at my age of 64
I hear that! Definitely check it out though, even the easiest trail is super fun.
I actually have 2 V1 Druids lol. How? Bought nice used one for $5k with nice upgrades. Was surfing FaceBook Marketplace and saw a NICE Druid for sale in Bentonville for.....$5K that was worth 11k in upgrades. So thats how I have 2 :P. Ones a mullet other 29er