Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The Scythe

The Scythe is the new banshee big travel workhorse. If you want fancy new suspension linkages and a bike that is bling to show off to your mates, this is not the bike for you.
This bike is for people who want a great reliable and tough bike that will put up with abuse on the trail.

The Scythe, is replacing the Scream and Chaparral for 2008, and will have the strength attributes of both, but at a lighter weight, and have a more modern geometry perfectly suited to riders who like tight tech steep stuff, but also ride it with flow and skill.

So whats new?...
.. well we are sticking with the faux bar design for this bike to keep it stiff and strong, but have changed the linkage to allow a longer shock (2.75" stroke), to enable better damping and performance. The linkage is still progressive like the Chaparral and Scream to take the big hits.

Weight
The weight is expected to be around 8.5lbs frame only.

Uninterrupted seat-tube
The Scythe features an uninterrupted seattube so that you can pedal up to your super steep hidden trails, then lower the saddle to save your crotch on the big rock rolls.

DH or FR?? you choose the setting
There are 2 travel settings, 7" and 8". and there are two setups for each travel setting, DH and FR. So effectively you have 4 travel settings that only take a matter of seconds to change between. Allowing the rider to set up their bike to suit the type of trail they will be riding.

So what happens when you switch from FR to DH?

-You keep the same amount of travel you were on unless you choose to change this too.

-The head angle slackens

-The BB lowers

-The effective chainstay lengthens slightly, which also lengthens the wheelbase

-The Leverage acting on the shock becomes slightly less progressive to suit the more race orientated riders.

Other big bike features
- 1.5 headtube
- 12 x 150 hub spacing, Rockshox Maxle compatible
- redesigned dropout
- Banshee custom designed 7005 AL hydroformed tubes with integrated gusseting into the shape
- ISCG 2005 chainguide tabs .
- fully compatible with all front derailleurs
- Shimano Saint compatible
- full compliment swingarm and rocker bearings

Colors
Anodized grey, ano black, powdercoated white, TEAM with black and hand polished.


This is not designed to be a world class DH specific bike (thats the Legend Mk1), although it will happily take on any DH course out there (will preform best in DH setting) as well as any shore style crazy steep tech trail (FR setting is probably better here were you want higher BB height to get over roots and rocks).

This bike is rough and ready! If you want a bike that will get you down anything you put it through and then sit for days caked in mud before being picked up for the next days bike park ride in the rain, followed by maybe a shore ride later that same week (no shuttling needed) then this is your bike... simple, strong, effective and reliable.
Show it no respect but always count on it to get you home in the end after a punishing ride.