Saracen Myst Team Carbon - Review

Construction and Geometry

The Myst is available in three sizes, starting in medium and working up to X-large, which is the frame size piloted by the very tall, Matt Simmonds. Reach numbers are 420, 445, and 465mm accordingly, and the bikes are supplied with Saracen's own reach-adjustment headset cups, which allow riders to add an extra 5mm to the cockpit, or reduce it by the same amount. One of the three sizes available should suit most riders. Unlike some DH bikes, the stack height stays exactly the same in every size. The Myst's other useful numbers are a 437mm chainstay, 1.5mm bottom bracket rise, and the wheelbase for my XL size bike with the standard headset cups installed was 1268mm.





The frame is finished with fork bump stops that double as cable entry ports into the downtube, as well as internal routing through the swingarm. The brushed aluminum head tube badge is a nice touch and a molded chainstay protector keeps things quiet.




Suspension

Saracen has paired the Myst's 203mm-stroke Fox 40 fork with exactly the same amount of travel at the rear axle. The rear suspension features a classic, single-pivot-swingarm that drives a two-piece carbon linkage to achieve the optimum shock and spring rates. Note in the following video that the chain length remains consistent as the suspension cycles through its travel.



Build

The replica Myst uses all of the same components as the race team: top of the line Fox suspension, Shimano Saint drivetrain and brakes, with Pro components for the cockpit, a Gamut chain guide, and DT-Swiss FR570 wheels.

Air-sprung Fox Factory 40 fork and Float DHX2 RVS shock.

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Three Questions With Simon Wild: Saracen Product Manager


Paul Aston: What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of a single pivot suspension design?

Simon Wild: A single-pivot simplifies the build of the bike and keeps it stiff. We use the linkages to drive the shock and achieve the desired spring curve and subsequent performance of the suspension. It’s also something that is easier to maintain - important for your average racer that doesn’t have a full factory mechanic preparing bikes for every race run. For us, our preference is single pivot.

Aston: Did you really feel the need to move to a carbon chassis for performance reasons, or was it purely to suit the market demand?

Wild: We went down the performance route, although there is a market demand. Manufacturing complex shapes in carbon is easier than in traditional alloy. It gave us the opportunity to move the shock lower in the frame, while still having the capacity to run larger-volume air shocks. We saved weight, almost 500 grams on the large frame, but engineered the stiffness to be the same as the alloy frame. It was already incredibly stiff and broke a set of test-rig forks during initial stiffness testing. To build a bike at the pinnacle of the sport, carbon gave us the blueprint we needed.

Aston: How much feedback did the team riders give? What was their main focus point to improve the performance of the Myst?

Wild: It’s a development process that has been driven by the team since its first season as a full alloy bike. We went through three versions of the linkages to get the optimum suspension performance, on a curve that works well with basic rear shocks and advanced shocks like the DHX2. We opened the carbon rear triangle just after we switched to the 27.5-inch-wheel format. We spent two full race seasons testing team ideas on geometry, and backing that up with computer analysis and machine testing before we started work on the carbon front triangle. We lowered the center of gravity, mainly by moving the shock lower in the frame – this had its own challenges, with the introduction of large air shocks. The adjustable front center was also part of the team's request to fine tune the bike for different courses. The team has been pivotal in the design of this bike.

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The Myst feels superb to ride, it's quiet (except the rattling Saint brake pads, see below) and feels solid at your feet. The sizing was spot-on for me, I rode the XL frame with the +5mm headset cups, just the right amount of space and stability in the cockpit – it's great for a tall rider like me to see a brand investing in an XL carbon mold, which isn't always an option. The carbon frame is stiff and precise at the center with no harsh feelings, with superb traction on off-camber roots and bumps.




Poised in the air and poised on the steep, it was easy to find a balance on the Myst. It's clear that this bike has been developed closely with riders and engineers together. A tribute to Saracen and Fox - the rear suspension performed well with the low-speed rebound and compression adjustments turned all the way in (I discovered that the 3mm screws were seized). Until they were fixed, I found that I could arrive at a proper feel using only the high-speed dials..




The Myst has a high level of anti-rise/brake squat which initially deters people as 'the suspension locks up through bumps' which is partially true. But, after doing numerous back to back runs this summer against a Canyon Sender, which has a much more neutral braking characteristic that should allow the suspension to work efficiently when pulling the levers, I decided I prefer more brake squat.

Why? I believe that it settles the bike down when braking in steep sections and preserves the dynamic geometry, after a few weeks on the Myst and practicing braking technique, I found myself using the back brake naturally to sit the bike down before berms, and to change my weight balance for flat corners and long off-cambers. I also feel that the squat drives the back wheel into the ground, creating more grip when braking compared to a neutral set up.




But, that also means that the suspension can't move as easily. Riding the Myst, I learned not to brake on larger bumps - get out of them, brake before them, after them, whatever - and if you can do that, you won't be moaning on about single-pivot swingarms not working under braking.






Pinkbike's Take:

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Reviews and Tech Reviews DH Bikes Saracen Saracen Myst