Compare-O First Look: Fezzari Timp Peak
This article is part of the Mtbr’s Enduro Compare-O. See all the stories in this special section here–https://reviews.mtbr.com/category/enduro-compare-o-2014
While you might confuse the name Fezzari with Ferrari, it’s unlikely that, even with its racy lines, you’d ever mistake the former’s Timp Peak for Fernando Alonzo’s F138. But on some level, there are similarities. Carbon for one—both vehicles employ a high percentage of the magic black stuff to achieve their relatively high strength-to-weight ratios and swoopy good looks. Likewise, managing 800-odd horses of Italian power must surely elevate the heart rate, as does ripping 27 pounds of mountain bike to-and-fro.
Decidedly different, however is the price-of-entry. While $6,300 sounds like a lot for a bike, the cheapest Ferrari goes for about 32-times as much. And old Fernando’s F1 whip? Well, you might be able to get a set of wheels and tires for the Timp’s asking price.
Absurd comparisons aside, the 27.5-inch-wheeled Timp Peak is actually an amazing value when compared to other, similarly-spec’d bikes. Much of that value is the result of the Orem, Utah-based company’s direct-to-consumer sales model which has would-be buyers go through a thorough 23-point fit questionnaire that asks not only for standard measurements and body weights, but factors like gender, age, and preferred riding position. These variables, Fezzari says, have a major impact on sizing and fit. After entering these details through Fezzari’s website, factory and customer typically communicate via email and telephone clarifying ambiguities and, occasionally, adding an upgrade or two.
Thus was the case with our test bike, which started out as the $5,500 Timp Peak XO1 build—originally shod with aluminum wheels, but upgraded to a pair of sweet carbon hoops, at a cash register ring of $800 extra.
Out of the Box and Into Your Heart
We’d have to say Fezzari’s fitting system is pretty dialed. The bike arrived mostly assembled and fairly well-adjusted. After about 30 minutes of unpacking and simple assembly, throwing a leg over confirmed that well-acquainted comfort of a bike you’ve had for years. Shocks were adjusted to rider weight, and even the tubeless tires were sealed and dialed.
Out of the box, it took almost as much time to remove the packaging as it did to fully assemble the Timp Peak.
Not a Ferrari, but Still Pretty Damn Sexy
Even the shock’s remote cable has an elegant look when paired with the Timp Peak’s graceful lines.
The Timp Peak features a sleek, black, full-carbon frame—front triangle, rear triangle, and rocker link—with smooth, graceful lines, optimized for stiffness and weight, according to Fezzari. The bike’s four-bar-like FRD Tetralink 275 suspension is compact, packs 150mm of rear wheel travel, and looks visually similar to Giant’s Maestro system.
Left: Not content to merely do its main tubes in carbon, both the Fezzari’s rear triangle and rocker link (here) are made of the material. Right: Internal routing nicely cleans up what could have looked like down tube powerlines on the Timp Peak.
Internal cable routing accentuates the Timp’s clean looks, which, with cables for remotely controlling the damping of both fork and rear shock, is almost a necessity. Not having a front derailleur cable helped minimize the cable-itis as well.
Houston, We Have a Cockpit
One button, one lever—we can do this.
The absence of a front shifter made placing the remote lever for our RockShox Reverb Stealth ideal—under the bar and on the left where God intended. The right handgrip is much more crowded with not only the rear shifter and brake, but the shock damping remote lever as well. The arrangement drew mixed opinions from our reviewers at first blush.
Things are getting complicated on the right hand grip, but the guys at Fezzari—enthusiastic riders themselves—say its all worth the clutter. Note the cable splitter on the right that controls the damping settings on both shocks simultaneously. Slick.
Let’s bounce
For suspension, our Timp Peak counts on an all-Fox affair with a 34 Talas 150mm CTD FIT Kashima up front, and a custom-tuned Fox Float Boost Valve CTD Kashima out back. The aforementioned remote damping is actuated via a single handlebar lever that controls both simultaneously.
THE Component Spec of 2014: SRAMano
Pair Shimano disc brakes with a SRAM 1x drivetrain and you’re gonna score points with us. The deluxe-econo combo of Shimano XT Trail stoppers and SRAM’s XO1 drivetrain might add a few grams over their respective top-of-the-line brethren, but frankly we can’t detect an iota of discernible performance difference. Fezzari went for the best performers in each component category, bravely eschewing the obvious price-concession component bundling we see from most other bike brands—kudos.
SRAM XO1 business in the front, Shimano XT party in the back—we hereby declare this a compomullet.
Those chi-chi wheels we mentioned? Yeah, they’re the 1,620-gram Reynolds AM Carbon’s. With their broad 23mm internal rim width, the high-volume 2.25-inch Maxxis Ardent tires get a chance to spread out for a nice, grippy profile. We likey. And when they show up already mounted tubeless with the sealant juice dance already done, we like them even more.
Maxxis rubber came mounted on our Reynolds AM Carbon’s, though at about a third of that 65 psi listed.
Though none of our test riders had ever ordered a consumer-direct bike before, many were impressed with the cut of the Timp Peak’s jib, and all were keen to take it for a spin.
2014 Fezzari Timp Peak Key Specs
- Weight: 26.36 (size medium, without pedals)
- Wheel size: 27.5 inches
- Frame Material: Full carbon
- Travel/Suspension: Rear: 150mm/Fox Float CTD Kashima; Front: 150mm/Fox 34 Float CTD Kashima
- Drivetrain: SRAM XO1, 1 x 11 12-42, 30-tooth front ring
- Brakes: Shimano XT,
- Seatpost: RockShox Reverb Stealth, 125mm drop
- Wheelset/Tires: Reynolds AM Tubeless 27.5, Maxxis Ardent 2.25-inch tires
- Bars/Stem: Race Face Atlas Stealth, 780mm bars
- Bottom bracket type: Shimano Press Fit
- Head tube angle: 67 degrees
- Seat tube angle: 72.5 degrees
- Chainstay length: 17.2 inches
- Bottom bracket height: 13 inches
- BIKE MRSP: $6300
- FRAME MSRP: NA
For more information visit www.fezzari.com.
Read our Bottom Line Evaluation of the Fezzari Timp Peak here.
This story is part of Mtbr’s 2014 Enduro Compare-O. Check out our intro story here for all the ground rules and goings ons.
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