Fezzari La Sal Peak first ride
Photos by Fezzari and Mark C Leblanc at @markleblanc
Note: A full overview of this bike was published HERE.
The frame and the geometry
With the La Sal Peak, Fezzari wanted to offer a very capable bike going up and down. They also wanted to elevate their brand and produce a bike desired for its total package, not just its value. Have they succeeded? Read on and find out.
All the La Sal Peaks come in carbon and it’s a new carbon that they’ve developed to be stronger and more efficient. Thus they’ve saved about 200+ grams over comparable predecessors in the Fezzari line.
They shaped and molded the tubes to be very laterally stiff yet still allow massive 2.8 tires in the rear and a water bottle or two in the front triangle.
Big cable ports are available for easy internal routing installation. They are then cinched down with port covers as they are tensioned to provide rattle-free performance. It’s not internally sheathed inside like the latest frame offerings and the cables exit the downtube on top to enter the chainstays. Not the slickest but certainly sufficient and very quiet on the trail.
The geometry is pretty revolutionary. For a medium frame, the 65-degree head angle is mated with a 78-degree seat angle. Reach is quite modern at 445mm. Chainstay length of 435mm and bb height of 430mm are just right for an aggressive 29er.
There’s a flip chip too to raise the bb height and adjust the head and seat angles by half a degree. The bike is shipped on the low setting for 29er wheels.
Another standout is the use of 44mm offset Fox Forks instead of the traditional 51mm. This slows the steering and stabilizes the bike for the big descents. It also shortens the wheelbase and allows better maneuverability in tight turns.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIVrTY8hCQg
The Fezzari experience
Hop on to the Fezzari website and you’ll see a company that has invested heavily in the internet experience. Being consumer direct only, they’ve honed in their user fit experience. Check out https://www.fezzari.com/support/fit and you’ll see just the right amount of questions to guide a wide range of customers.
Stem lengths and bar widths are all configurable too. They’ll have guideline defaults for lengths based on rider style and dimensions but the customer can specify their own.
They have four build kits to make the experience easy but they said they’ll work with the customer to build anything they want as long as Fezzari has access to the components. Want the cheapest La Sal build but with Enve carbon wheels? Done.
They also make it a point to call the customer to give the personal touch before the final build.
Two water bottles in large frames is quite a design challenge on long travel 29ers
Colors and Appearance
The bike is available in a glossy green-gray color and a matte gray color. Both colors are decidedly modern and a good choice for Fezzari. No risks are taken but we’re confident they’ll prove evenly popular. Any build bike will be available in either color.
The frame has an assortment of shapes and thicknesses and beveling to deliver stiffness and styling cues. It also has that familiar Fezzari bump as the top tube meets the head tube. Overall, it’s a decent looking frame but not a lust-worthy design. It lacks the finest industrial design and color palette available in some other brands today. Cables are a bit long as built from the factory and exiting the downtube with a fairly long segment of housing is just ok.
The spine of the Wasatch Crest trail
The ride
I’m 5’7 and I chose a medium bike with a 35mm stem. The bike felt short initially with a virtual top tube length of 550mm so I slid the seat back on the rails and just rode. After a day and a half of riding, I warmed up to the size. Because of the seat tube angle of 78 degrees, I would prefer a stem of about 45mm, or a slightly longer top tube.
I believe the best suspension setup today for downhill performance is the Fox X2 and the Fox 36 Grip2 and the higher end spec bike I rode had both. It definitely delivered the goods as it was insanely supple and supportive. The suppleness gave it traction and comfort and the support gave it DH capability and safety. There are four adjustment knobs on each suspension piece to giving ultimate adjustability. All I did on these two days of test rides was stick with their default settings and back off all the Low-Speed Compression Damping, for suppleness.
We rode the Wasatch Crest Trail and Deer Valley Bike Park trails and they are fabulous but tricky. The trail options were very, very varied. Rocks, roots, dust over everything was the norm. Dust over sandpaper, A-line style jumps on the new Tsunami trail and the old school downhills of Fire Swamp and the NCS downhill course trail provide a crazy variety of terrain. We’re happy to report that the La Sal handled them all!
It handled them all with confidence and style. The bike was supple and controlled on the jumps, the stutter bumps, and the flat landings. In the twisty drops of Fire Swamp trail, the bike never lost its composure handling tight turns and drops repeatedly.
Uphill, it seemed capable enough The X2 rear shock was not the fastest climber around since it seems to suck everything up. Putting it in climb mode helped stiffen it up but it suffocates the low-speed compression quite a bit to deaden the feel of the suspension during techy climbs.
It is very comfortable in the air.
Components
Fox Transfer dropper, Maxxis Mino DHF/Aggressor and Reynolds carbon wheels are some of the best choices there so nothing but praise from us there.
Our take
So we just had a little honeymoon with the La Sal Peak bike and it was a good one. It allowed us to enjoy the tricky conditions of a mid-summer Park City trail system and we were very pleased.
We believe that there will be many happy customers of this bike and with the pricing options and component flexibility, the rider will be in good hands with this bike.
Steep seat angle and slack head angle give it distinctive lines.
But this bike is built for pure performance and we can’t wait to try it long term.
Highlights
● 150 mm rear travel / 160 mm front travel
● 65 degree headtube angle with short offset fork
● 78 degree effective seat tube angle
● 435 mm Chainstay
● Holds 2 short water bottles inside front triangle for size Large and beyond
● CleanCatch cable routing cinches down the cables to prevent rattling
● Threaded bottom bracket
● CleanCast Carbon layup – reduced weight and improved strength
Wasatch Crest Trail
La Sal Peak Pro $6,599
● SRAM X01 Eagle Drivetrain
● Rockshox Lyrik RC2 160mm Fork or Fox 36 Factory Grip2 160mm Fork
● Rockshox Super Deluxe RC3 or Fox Float X2 Shock
● SRAM Code RSC Brakes
● Reynolds TR 309 S Carbon Wheels
● Rockshox Reverb or Fox Transfer Dropper Post
● *Fox X2 and 36 Grip 2 fork available for $200 upgrade
● **Enve Wheel with Industry 9 hubs, Bar, Stem upgrade available for $1,300
With a Fox 36 Grip2 up front and a Fox X2 on the rear, the La Sal is a capable and supple descender.
La Sal Peak Elite Race $5,599
At $4599, this Elite will be a very attractive build for many riders. Excellent components will be offered in both frame colors. Frame quality is exactly the same as the highest end La Sal Peak. The suspension and wheels are sometimes found in the highest end builds of other brands.
La Sal Peak Elite $4,599
● SRAM GX Eagle Drivetrain
● Rockshox Lyrik RC2 160 mm Fork
● Rockshox Super Deluxe RC3 Shock
● SRAM Code RSC Brakes
● Stans Flow MK3 Wheels
● Fox Transfer Dropper Post
La Sal Comp $3,599
For more information, visit https://www.fezzari.com/.
The post Fezzari La Sal Peak first ride appeared first on Mountain Bike Review.