The Zerode Thread.

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The Zerode Thread.
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Posted: Dec 31, 2016 at 12:29 Quote
downhillnews wrote:
demostug wrote:
downhillnews wrote:
Is that a LG and how tall are you? I want the XL but will end up with the LG more than likely....

It's a large and I'm 6 foot tall. Feels good size.

Okay I am 6' 1" but have been riding bikes with 18=" reach I think a 50mm stem will help but would much rather run a 35mm....

If its not for reach I am just curious why the preference for a 35 mm stem. Its what I am running on my taniwha but am thinking of trying a 42 or 50

Posted: Dec 31, 2016 at 15:04 Quote
wblh wrote:
downhillnews wrote:
demostug wrote:


It's a large and I'm 6 foot tall. Feels good size.

Okay I am 6' 1" but have been riding bikes with 18=" reach I think a 50mm stem will help but would much rather run a 35mm....

If its not for reach I am just curious why the preference for a 35 mm stem. Its what I am running on my taniwha but am thinking of trying a 42 or 50

Slow down the steering some I have no issues weighing the front wheel on slack bikes and the shorter stem is what I have been using on the last 5 trail bikes!!

Posted: Jan 5, 2017 at 13:04 Quote
demostug wrote:
wblh wrote:
demostug wrote:
photo

Zerode Taniwha

Out on new bike today, awesome day, bike performs as good as it looks.
Looks fantastic
what were you on before and whats the biggest difference you notice? Can you feel the xtra weight?

Had a Capra cf pro before. Bit early to judge but it just feels well balanced with the plushest suspension I have ever felt.

Doesn't feel any heavier. Still to weigh it, but rides do well it doesn't matter.

15.4kg not the lightest, but as I said it does not feel it.

Posted: Jan 26, 2017 at 3:36 Quote
Hi Demostug,

I hope that you are well, I was wondering how you are enjoying the new bike so far? I am quite keen to swap over from my Bronson to one of these however finding user feedback / reviews seem rather scarce.

Any insight would be great Smile

Thanks!

Posted: Jan 26, 2017 at 5:00 Quote
mtbhd wrote:
Hi Demostug,

I hope that you are well, I was wondering how you are enjoying the new bike so far? I am quite keen to swap over from my Bronson to one of these however finding user feedback / reviews seem rather scarce.

Any insight would be great Smile

Thanks!

Hey, Taniwha is amazing. Really pleased with it. Only really ridden it in typical Scottish muddy wet conditions, but this thing rocks. Climbs great, makes me look good, lol. Had it at Innerleithan DH at the weekend and it was super fast, takes everything i can throw at it. Its also great going through rocky sections not having to worry about ripping off derailleurs. Longing for some dust to give it a proper day out tho. After a few runs grip shift is fine, dont even think about it now.

Posted: Jan 26, 2017 at 8:46 Quote
Hi Demostug,

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly!

I used to ride gripshift in the 90's so I don’t foresee a problem with that.

Living in Wales all I can expect for a while is rain and mud as well, so this is part of the reason I’m keen to pick one up.

Good to know that the bike is a great package overall though and not just a gearbox on wheels.

Nice little video, shame we can’t have those conditions over here atm! I’d love to visit NZ someday.

Time to organise my finances I think and get an order in!

Enjoy the bike!

Thanks
Ant.

Posted: Feb 21, 2017 at 5:57 Quote
2017 Zerode Taniwha LG Complete Build A

Got my large all built it came in at 34lbs even with a 1300 front and 1190 rear tire. May throw some EXO Maxxis on there and get it into the 32LBS range. Feels good has tons of traction.....

Posted: Mar 3, 2017 at 4:16 Quote
Wow the bike looks awesome Big Grin
Has anyone spent any more real time on theres yet? I'd love to know feedback. Planning on cleaning up my bronson to chuck on the buysell page this weekend!

Posted: Mar 3, 2017 at 6:15 Quote
mtbhd wrote:
Wow the bike looks awesome Big Grin
Has anyone spent any more real time on theres yet? I'd love to know feedback. Planning on cleaning up my bronson to chuck on the buysell page this weekend!

Thanks

I have about 25 miles on mine 3 different rides each with about 800-1000 feet of climbing. The bike is pretty lively on the trail. The suspension being basically a single pivot is super easy to get set up a tad bit of LSC and about double that with HSC.

It pedals well there is a minor hum noise you can hear with riding on the street from either the box or tensioner. It is super easy to get front wheel up and find balance point I am guessing from centralized weight. The GRIP SHIFT is a non issue fro me even though it has been over ten years since using one. I am still getting used to letting up tension on pedals while shifting into an easier gear this has caught me a few times on more technical rock climbs....
It descends very well the suspension is super subtle eats up the smallest of bumps and the traction it gives is noticeable.

Posted: Mar 3, 2017 at 14:25 Quote
mtbhd wrote:
Wow the bike looks awesome Big Grin
Has anyone spent any more real time on theres yet? I'd love to know feedback. Planning on cleaning up my bronson to chuck on the buysell page this weekend!

Had mine since pre xmas. Been awesome. Feel really comfortable on it and cant imagine riding anything else. just seems to tick all the boxes. The gearbox took a little getting used to but I cant really remember that period now as everything is now just 2nd nature. Handling wise it just works well, extremely plush but also a very efficient climber. among my riding group it is obvious that my pace has improved significantly, both climbing and descending, from previous bike (Nomad with Lyrik and CCDBA CS and well sorted. Its not perfect but its seems to be pretty dam close. Weight is 34 lbs which is 4 lbs heavier than the nomad but it rides way lighter, however I can really notice the xtra weight when portaging ,so for that reason alone i would prefer to shed weight
happy to answer any questions

Posted: Mar 11, 2017 at 15:12 Quote
mtbhd wrote:
Has anyone spent any more real time on theres yet? I'd love to know feedback.

I've ridden some 300km, 20'000m down and 6'000m up during the three weeks of Taniwha ownership. Three rides in winterly Switzerland (alpine stuff: snow, wet, dry; roots and rocks) and nine rides on the Canary Island of La Palma (the spot in the Atlantic Ocean the recent Picture of the Year was shot on). The island has got humid jungle-trails as seen on POY as well as trails in desert-like areas on bone dry volcanic surfaces. Grip varies from low on dusty lava-sand and jungle-trails to super high on rocky sections and solidified streams of lava. An awesome bike playground!

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And the Taniwha is the right toy for it... On every of these terrains the Taniwha offers heaps of fun! The handling is super agile, it provokes a playful and aggressive riding style. Changing direction and flicking the bike around without any effort is such a joy! Even if the Taniwha is around half a kilo heavier then my former ride with more or less the same configuration it feels a lot lighter on the trail. The very low center of gravity and centered weight may contribute a lot to its agility. As soon as trails turn tight or rough this bike gives all others a hard time to follow. The suspension reacts super sensitive to the smallest inputs providing seamless grip. With the Fox X2 it can be set from incredibly plush and supple (forget everything you've ridden so far) to firm providing a lot of feedback within a couple of clicks. After fiddling around a bit with the shocks' four adjusters I've found a base setup not too far away from Fox' recommendation.

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The drivetrain is a dream! I have to confess that I am a big fan of gearboxes. Until 2008 I've ridden a Rohloff hub for around four years until I had to admit that its major disadvantage (high weight in unsprung mass) makes it unsuitable for full-suspension bikes. Oh boy, how many snakebites I had to repair... After the Rohloff-years my main bikes had 2by drivetrains. I never was a friend of 1by drivetrains which in my mind just do not offer enough spread for my application profile: I need a gear small enough for steep climbs in the Alps which I like to pedal up (and not to push), additionally pulling a kid's trailer from time to time. And a gear long enough to cover ground. The Pinion promised to tick these boxes and it delivers. So when I sat on the Taniwha the first time the additional benefits of the gearbox weren't exactly new to me:

Change as many gears as you want at once!
Select any gear and it is really engaged!
Select a gear while standing!
Select a gear while coasting (and it is instantly engaged)!
No derailleur to tear off!

But additionally the Pinion has a really small granny gear. Which I like a lot. The small gear combined with tons of traction makes the Taniwha a superior climber on steep stuff. And also on steady paved climbs it performs. I expected to sense some kind of drag but was positively surprised. Efficiency is comparable to my 2x10 drivetrain with a chainguide. No waiting of my bike buddies necessary on steady clims - and on technical or steeper stuff I was the lonely one on top...
The Pinion brought gearboxes to the next level. It works precisely, provides good efficiency and turns the Rohloff hub's major disadvantage into one of the biggest pros of the system: unsprung mass!

So my feedback in a nutshell: buy and enjoy this entertaining ride!

Posted: Mar 13, 2017 at 5:54 Quote
the-real-iflow wrote:
So my feedback in a nutshell: buy and enjoy this entertaining ride!

Nice good to hear.

Posted: Mar 14, 2017 at 4:52 Quote
Fantastic photos and a great write up! big thanks for that, it’s helping put some concerns to rest over the efficiency etc.. my bike is usually covered in mud so I expect I won’t notice any difference!

Posted: Jun 7, 2017 at 19:51 Quote
http://www.downhillnews.com/reviews/2017/5/21/zerode-taniwha-review.html

That is our review of the bike if you want a more detailed write up on it. We have had it awhile now....


 


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